After I Died, My Husband Went Mad [EN]: Chapter 125

“A woman who looks exactly like the dead Duchess is a 환영술사 [Hwanyongsulsa, Illusionist]?”

Glen’s eyes narrowed as she slammed the newspaper down. Her green eyes darted rapidly.

The newspaper featured an article about Bella Appenz, the greatest contributor to exposing Nathan Weden and his misdeeds. That wasn’t all. The newspaper seemed determined to dedicate the entire issue to the story of 환영술사 [Hwanyongsulsa, Illusionist].

[Power Approaching Divinity, 환영술 [Hwanyongsul]! Where Does Its Ability End?]

It was a provocative headline, even after being censored once. The newspaper subtly hinted that Bella Appenz might have the ability to create illusions resembling people, even though she had only ‘recreated scenes from memory.’

The newspaper office had been turned upside down by Dihart after the paper was released, but Glen, stuck in the north, specifically in the territory of Marquis Lims, had no way of knowing that.

Her mind was captivated by only one sentence.

[Illusions similar to people.]

Glen’s eyes lingered there, unable to look away. The simple but shocking phrase was etched in her mind.

“Could it be…”

The suspicion she had forcibly buried in her heart resurfaced. It was the seed of unease that had burrowed in when she saw the advertisement from Marquis Weden, claiming to be searching for his lost daughter.

‘Was she alive!’

Glen crumpled the newspaper and stood up abruptly. *A cunning bitch.* Glen trembled with humiliation. If she had known she was alive, she wouldn’t have had to endure such humiliation from Dihart in the first place.

Resentment and anger alternately burned in her throat.

“That wicked 년 [nyeon, a derogatory term for woman]. Backstabbing me like this?”

Suppressing her anger, Glen left the drawing room. The faces of Sebelia and Silas crossed her mind. *Daring to deceive me. Like father, like daughter.*

As she hurried down the hallway, Flora greeted her with a bright face.

“Mother, where are you going? You promised we’d get our dresses fitted together today.”

Glen took a quick, deep breath at Flora’s lovely smile. She couldn’t worry her daughter. Barely suppressing her anger, Glen spoke to Flora as the ever-affectionate mother.

“My dear, I’m sorry, but would you mind getting your dress fitted alone? Something urgent has come up.”

“But…”

“I’ll call the jeweler. It’s been a while since we had a necklace made, hasn’t it?”

The momentary frown quickly vanished. Hearing the word ‘jeweler,’ Flora’s eyes sparkled, and she clung to Glen’s arm.

“Mother, how do you always know exactly what I want?”

Glen gently patted Flora’s beaming cheek and softly detached her. Flora stepped back without another word. Her demeanor was just as sweet as ever, and Glen’s eyes involuntarily stung.

After being rescued by Marquis Lims, Flora had lost her speech for a while due to the mental shock. The moment she saw her emaciated daughter, she felt so angry and unable to contain her rage.

Glen clenched her fist at the vivid memory of that terrible scene.

She could never allow her child to experience such pain again.

‘환영술사 [Hwanyongsulsa, Illusionist], 환영술사 [Hwanyongsulsa, Illusionist], 환영술사 [Hwanyongsulsa, Illusionist].’

After sending Flora away, Glen searched her memory. Unlike 마법사 [Mabeopsa, mages or wizards], she knew nothing about 환영술사 [Hwanyongsulsa, Illusionists]. She frowned, recalling the article in the newspaper.

And soon, she stopped dead in her tracks, shocked. A sentence she had overlooked, captivated by the word 환영술사 [Hwanyongsulsa, Illusionist], came back to her.

[Bella Appenz is known to be under the protection of Duke Inverness……]

Sebelia, alive and not dead. Dihart, not rejecting her but keeping her by his side, appearing with a new identity. What does this mean?

Glen’s eyes burned with anger.

“Could it be that those two were deceiving me from the start…!”

The misunderstanding settled deeply in Glen’s mind.

She should have known things were going too smoothly. Glen groaned as she realized she had been trying to devour the Inverness family with Marquis Lims while taking advantage of Dihart’s absence.

‘There’s no time for this.’

She didn’t know how things would turn out if the two returned before she could persuade the family elders. As things stood, she had no choice but to eliminate the cause as soon as possible.

* * *

The scandal that swept through the capital did not subside easily. Many people raised their voices against the cruel and horrific actions of Nathan Weden, the heir to the prestigious Weden family among the central nobles.

As if responding to that fervent outcry, Marquis Silas finally broke his silence. And today, his interview was scheduled to appear in the Lynn Post.

Sebelia woke up early in the morning and headed to Dihart’s office. Illei gathered the newspapers and brought them to his desk.

Click.

“Bella? What brings you here?”

Dihart stood up in surprise to greet her. Sebelia smiled lightly and gestured to the newspaper set aside on the desk.

“Ah.”

“Would it be alright if I read it here, if it’s not a bother?”

As Sebelia spoke, heading towards a small chair, Dihart stood up. He tossed Illei’s coat, which was draped over the plush sofa, aside and personally seated her.

“I’ll have refreshments brought in, so stay as long as you like.”

“Thank you.”

Sebelia did not refuse his kindness and decided to stay comfortably. She also did not refuse the warm tea and sweet desserts. In fact, she felt she needed them to stay calm while reading the article.

“Hoo.”

Sebelia took a small, deep breath and unfolded the newspaper. Soon, her father’s name, printed in bold, and his impassioned speech filled the page.

Dihart returned to his seat and glanced at her with anxious eyes.

As expected, the article was written entirely from Silas’s point of view.

‘Marquis Silas Weden vehemently expressed his anger at the 황실치안국’s [Hwangsil Chianguk, Imperial Public Security Bureau] biased actions.’, ‘Everyone is being deceived by the unbelievable and absurd existence of 환영술사 [Hwanyongsulsa, Illusionist].’, ‘We demand a rational and logical investigation.’

“Hmm.”

Sebelia’s blue eyes shone coldly as she read the article.

‘I knew it wouldn’t be easy to tie him in.’

Nathan did not open his mouth until the end. He said that even if he died, he could not cause harm to the Weden family and that everything was his own fault.

“Was it prearranged…”

The same was true of Marquis Weden. He criticized 이황자 [Ihwangja, Second Prince] and the 황실치안국 [Hwangsil Chianguk, Imperial Public Security Bureau], but drew a line that Nathan’s actions were merely a personal deviation.

That’s why Dihart didn’t put Roden forward as a witness. Because if he did, all the blame might end with Nathan.

*Troublesome.* Sebelia put down the newspaper and rested her chin on her hand.

“Does Nathan believe that his father will somehow save him?”

Dihart raised his head and looked at her at the coldness in her voice.

“He spent more time by his father’s side than I did… He must have experienced his father’s despicable and dirty side countless times. Yet, he voluntarily takes the blame for everything. Why does Nathan believe that his father will never abandon him?”

There was a hint of sympathy in Sebelia’s tone. Dihart stared at her for a long time, then put down his pen.

“I’m glad you think so.”

“Yes?”

“If it were you in the past, you would have been hurt by his blind faith in Silas. It’s like a sign that he received more affection than you ever did.”

The low voice calmly echoed in the office. Sebelia blinked blankly, repeating his words.

And she realized that she had changed, as he said. In the past, she would have been jealous of the affection between father and son and dwelled on her unfortunate childhood, but just now she hadn’t thought of the past for a single moment.

As she sighed, Dihart tilted his head and said, shamelessly.

“I’m looking forward to the day Silas is put on the gallows.”

“……”

“Don’t look so surprised, Bella. We both know it.”

Sebelia slowly closed her eyes. A soft breath escaped through her teeth. Her father’s face floated in the darkness. The face of the man who tried to kill her and her mother.

Her delicate eyelids lifted, and her blue eyes stared directly at Dihart. Beneath the black hair swaying in the wind, golden eyes shining brightly were looking at her.

Sebelia smiled.

“You’re right.”

An unknown emotion lingered in her blue eyes. She raised her hand and picked up the documents Dihart was looking at. He did not stop her.

“Actually, something has been bothering me since I read the article.”

Her eyes looking down at the documents were cold.

“I don’t know about Nathan, but I think my father expects me to deal with him in my anger.”

*Just a clean method, like my father.* Dihart frowned at the quiet voice echoing in the room.

“Are you saying he’s trying to cut off his tail by using your hand?”

He hadn’t thought he would be so despicable. Sebelia shrugged as Dihart let out a disbelieving laugh.

“If I don’t step in, my father might step in himself. It would be shocking to Nathan, but it’s definitely something my father could do.”

“It’s hard to believe, but I think he could do it.”

“He might even kneel down and ask his son to be sentenced to death, pretending to endure the pain for the sake of the family’s honor, you know?”

“That’s a sight I really don’t want to imagine. It’s terrible.”

Dihart shook his head as if he was disgusted. Sebelia also agreed with him.

“We need to wrap up the additional investigation quickly before such a disgusting thing happens.”

“We should.”

Sebelia looked down at the documents with painful eyes. The unfamiliar names written clearly caught her eye.

It was a petition sent by the families of those presumed to be victims of Nathan Weden, whose bodies had not yet been found.

Shateian handed Nathan over to the 치안국 [Chianguk, Public Security Bureau] and then asked her directly about her intentions. Sebelia refused his offer to impose the death penalty if she wished.

There were still victims whose bodies had not been found. Women who were not even called out to that hellish scene that day, women who were not even remembered importantly in Nathan’s mind. Until she rummaged through Nathan’s head and found them, he could not die.

With a long sigh, Sebelia put down the documents. It felt like a heavy stone was pressing down on her chest.