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で in アパートでペットを飼ってる seems to be common usage, but why に in 心の中に怪物を飼ってる? I haven't found any examples of 心の中・奥で○○飼う, but here are examples of に:

心の中に怪物を飼ってる餅 (source)

すげぇやつはみんな心の中に怪物を飼ってる (ブルーロック)

葛西「悟史さん…心の中に怪物を飼ってるあなたを詩音さんに近づける訳には行きません」 (source)

誰もが心の奥に悪魔を飼ってる (source)

Eiríkr Útlendi
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Eddie Kal
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    Related [に and で revisited](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/2197/%e3%81%ab-and-%e3%81%a7-revisited) and [に迷う vs で迷う, に悩む vs で悩む](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/84323/45489) – sundowner Oct 18 '22 at 07:52

1 Answers1

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心の中で怪物を飼ってる would sound as if the person went inside their own mind and did the act of keeping a monster there, just like keeping a pet in their apartment. The focus here is on the act, and で indicates where it takes place (or the spatial aspect of its circumstances).

When you say 心の中に怪物を飼ってる, on the other hand, your focus is more on the existence of a monster itself and where it is. に is more appropriate.

aguijonazo
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