After I Died, My Husband Went Mad [EN]: Chapter 169

Side Story 2-6

A cool sensation brushed the back of her neck.

*Surely*, there shouldn’t be any other Ashrents staying at the mansion. Rosiel’s mother had passed away when he was young, and there was no reason for anyone to be taking such medicine… The moment that thought crossed her mind, a white light flashed before her eyes.

As soon as the realization hit, she grabbed Rosiel’s arm.

“It’s Mother, isn’t it?”

At Sebelia’s direct question, Rosiel wore a troubled expression. He hesitated, unsure of what to say, but Sebelia’s calm voice echoed in the air.

“It really is Mother.”

The hand gripping his arm tightened. Rosiel sighed softly and covered Sebelia’s hand with his own.

“Calm down.”

At his quiet words, Sebelia’s shoulders shook. She took a few unsteady breaths, swept her hair back, and spoke.

“Just in case… please tell me if I’m mistaken.”

Sebelia quietly waited for his answer. But instead of a comforting voice, only an uneasy silence hung between them.

Eventually, Rosiel sighed heavily.

“Yes, you’re right.”

He pressed his forehead with his hand and began to speak calmly.

“Aunt regained consciousness a month ago.”

Watz and Claude hadn’t simply come to Rookwood for investigation and travel. He had noticed Rosiel’s interest in a doctor from a foreign country, not Rookwood, and brought them to Rookwood for Elena Ashrent’s treatment.

“Since he’s a talent who treated your thorn tree disease and even the Emperor of Belkram, I called him in case he could be of help.”

All possible methods within the isolated Rookwood had been exhausted. All that remained was the help of someone outside Rookwood, with a fresh perspective and information.

So Rosiel requested Elena’s treatment from Watz, and Watz and Claude traveled around Rookwood, gathering information and new medicines for the disease, along with Belkram’s medicinal herbs.

After several months, with the efforts of many people, Elena miraculously opened her eyes.

“And this is because Aunt’s medicine was running low, so I just received it from Mr. Watz. I chose dawn because I didn’t want you to find out. I didn’t expect things to turn out this way.”

“That’s…”

Sebelia’s face paled, a mixture of joy and shock. Her mother regaining consciousness was an incredible stroke of luck. But why had they hidden it from her?

*Could it be they didn’t want to see me?*

The unpleasant thought arose almost instinctively. Rosiel, noticing her distress, held her and said.

“Bella, Aunt is in rehabilitation.”

“Yes?”

“She wanted to…”

Rosiel sighed, bit his lip as if unsure how to say it, and finally confessed the truth.

“She said she wanted to meet you looking healthy. So, I had no choice but to hide the news from you.”

Rosiel continued, seeing Sebelia gaping.

“She said she didn’t want to show you her sick self.”

The calm voice washing over her was like raindrops. Raindrops falling into a lake filled to the brim.

“Because your mother should be a strong person you can lean on, not a weak person who relies on you. That’s what she said.”

Thus, finally causing the lake, which had been filled to its precarious limit, to overflow.

“For such a ridiculous reason.”

The body that had been trembling slightly slowly collapsed. Rosiel caught her frail body and closed his eyes deeply before opening them.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you sooner.”

The sound of her panting echoed for a long time in his arms, and the gently trembling body finally stilled.

“I want to meet her.”

“Bella, that’s…”

“Please let me meet her.”

A clear voice echoed in the hallway. Rosiel met her gaze, her voice filled with firm resolve, and she repeated her intention.

“I don’t care what she looks like.”

“…”

“I’m her daughter, and she’s my mother.”

Sebelia barely composed her surging emotions and continued.

“As if I wouldn’t lean on her if she showed me her sick self. Where did you get such a foolish idea? I’m not that mature.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. I plan to complain as soon as I see her face.”

She said she would nag about why she didn’t wake up sooner, and why she had such foolish thoughts. Rosiel gave a faint smile. As his reaction was more agreeable than she had expected, she spoke in a stronger tone.

“I’ll act spoiled until you’re sick of it, and I’ll lean on her every day, so please let me meet her.”

In the hallway where the dawn light was brightening, blue eyes shone clearly.

“Otherwise, you should think carefully, because only my brother won’t receive a wedding invitation.”

At the terrifying threat that made him shiver, Rosiel raised both hands in surrender. He chuckled and pulled Sebelia up.

“I understand, so get some sleep for now.”

Rosiel gently stroked the eyes of Sebelia, who was looking up with a sulky face, and led her to the bed.

“No matter how hard Aunt is working on her rehabilitation, she’s still weak in the morning.”

“…”

“You can only meet her after noon, so there’s no use glaring like that, Bella.”

Only then did Sebelia blink her sullenly shining eyes a few times and quietly settled into the blanket. Her appearance was just like a teenage girl, and Rosiel couldn’t help but chuckle.

Just like when he found her crouching in the hallway, it felt like the things he had dreamed of as a child were happening one by one.

*I wanted to bicker and reconcile like this, and live like that.*

He dreamed of such days, even before you were born. Rosiel recalled those days that seemed so long ago and tucked Sebelia’s blanket in more carefully.

“See you tomorrow.”

Sebelia nodded from inside the blanket. A rustling sound echoed in the room.

“Good night, Brother.”

“Yes, you too.”

Rosiel left the room with a strangely ticklish feeling. It seemed like he should get some sleep too.

* * *

“Lost in thought again.”

After breakfast, Diheart, who was strolling through the garden with Sebelia, suddenly blurted out with a dissatisfied face. Sebelia, who was linking arms with him and walking blankly, turned her head.

“What did you say just now?”

“What did I say?”

“Diheart.”

“Didn’t you mishear because you were thinking about something else? I think the gardener pruning over there said something.”

“How can I hear the voice of someone I can’t even see?”

“I don’t know. Maybe someone who can’t hear me no matter how much I talk next to them can hear the voice of someone far away like a ghost.”

“Oh, come on!”

“Even if you glare at me so prettily, I don’t know. I have nothing to say to someone who neglects their fiancé.”

Diheart deliberately avoided making eye contact with her and spoke in a sulky voice. Then Sebelia leaned against his arm.

“I’m sorry, are you angry?”

“…”

“I didn’t leave you alone on purpose.”

“Hmm.”

“Really.”

When she reached out and cupped Diheart’s cheek, he finally met her eyes. Golden eyes sparkling in the sunlight stared at her intently.

“You keep neglecting me, and after suggesting we take a walk together, you only think about other things. Am I now being treated like *caught fish* [a metaphor for being taken for granted in a relationship]?”

A faint resentment was buried in the reproachful voice. His lowered eyes looked quite gloomy. Sebelia opened her arms and hugged him from the front.

“I said I’m sorry, really.”

“How cunning.”

“Me?”

“You know I can’t say anything if you do this, so you’re doing it on purpose.”

Diheart said gruffly, but he didn’t hide his happy expression and hugged her back. Sebelia chuckled softly in his arms.

“So, are you not going to tell me what you said?”

“You’re asking on purpose, aren’t you?”

“Well, half?”

The whining voice was more buoyant than usual. Diheart frowned at her more excited appearance than expected.

“Did something really happen?”

Underneath the soft voice, habitual worry was present. Sebelia quietly took a breath and raised her heels to put her chin on his shoulder.

“You know…”

“Yes.”

Diheart gently stroked her back as she carefully opened her mouth. It was a touch as if patting a frightened child.

Encouraged by the warmth that boosted her courage, Sebelia put strength into the arms that hugged him and quickly whispered.

“My mother has woken up.”

The arm stroking her back moved away, and Diheart pulled his head back. Sebelia smiled at the golden eyes that had widened in surprise.

“I’m going to meet her later.”

“That’s great. Really.”

Diheart, who had uttered with a trembling breath, hugged her tightly again. Because she raised her heels, the position of their hearts met. The pounding sound was as loud as her own.

How long had it been? The two looked at each other with embarrassed faces and then walked hand in hand through the back garden again. And after a while, a voice calling for Sebelia echoed.