After I Died, My Husband Went Mad [EN]: Chapter 131

“Aaaagh!”

“Look at that!”

People’s screams shook the mansion. What’s going on? Dihart groaned, his body heavy as he opened his eyes.

“Ugh…”

His head felt like it was splitting. He barely managed to come to his senses, but his vision was so blurry that it seemed impossible to take even a single step. However, he had to quell the commotion, even if it meant leaning on the walls for support.

The reason was simple: those noisy mouths were starting to speak of Sebelia.

“Is that illusion magic?”

“Is there anyone who can see properly? Let’s get that illusionist woman!”

*Those bastards dare to call her that.* Dihart gritted his teeth and staggered forward. If necessary, he would burn the entire garden to the ground to get rid of those mosquito-like pests.

He was about to make a decision that would horrify Sebelia when he threw open the window.

“…”

He was the one who should be horrified. Frankly, it was a sight that would horrify everyone, including him.

“What is that…”

*What the hell was that?* Dihart slowly closed and opened his eyes. But the unbelievable sight remained unchanged.

The garden was filled with greenery reminiscent of a jungle from across the sea. Lush trees and exotic-looking flowers.

And in the midst of it all, Claude was held captive by vines as thick as a person’s arm.

“Mmph, ugh!”

Claude struggled several times, clearly embarrassed. He seemed to have tried to summon an illusion himself, but the summoned illusionary beast fluttered up and landed beside Sebelia.

“…!”

Claude, trembling with betrayal, eventually gave up and stretched out his limbs. Sebelia, who was standing below Dihart’s office window, shook her head at the sight.

“I told you to give up.”

“…”

Claude’s sullen gaze turned to Sebelia. She sighed deeply, as if she couldn’t help it, and waved her hand. Soon, the plants near the fence grew in size, completely blocking people’s view.

“The next time you feel like trying to solve things on your own, you should remember what happened today.”

With that warning, Sebelia flicked her fingers, and the vines that had been holding him disappeared. Claude, drained of energy, collapsed to the ground.

*So, what the hell is that?*

Dihart leaned against the window, repeating the same question. Contrary to what he thought, the sight was so absurd that he felt all his strength drain away.

As he pressed down on his throbbing head again, he heard someone shouting from below.

“Duke!”

Dihart lowered his head at the familiar voice, and there was Illei.

“Huh?”

Dihart’s eyes were filled with doubt at Illei’s disheveled appearance. His head wasn’t working well due to lack of sleep and insufficient nutrition. Only after being hit by the cold wind a few times did he realize that he had sent Illei to Hilland Hall.

“Ah.”

Dihart let out a low groan with a haggard face.

He had been out of his mind for the past few days, so busy dealing with the problems that Rosalyn’s appearance would cause both inside and outside the family that he hadn’t had time to sleep or even eat properly. So it was only natural that he had completely forgotten about Illei.

Dihart repeatedly rubbed his face, trying to come to his senses.

“Hoo.”

Finally, with a somewhat human look in his eyes, he spoke to Illei, who was staring up at him with wide eyes.

“Come up to my office.”

As his low voice fell, Illei entered the mansion without delay. Dihart paused for a moment to catch his breath before closing the window. His staggering back looked very precarious.

While Sebelia silently watched him, Claude lay sprawled in the garden, breathing heavily.

“I did it because it couldn’t be real.”

Sebelia turned her gaze to look down at him. Claude confessed the reason why he had tried to leave the mansion alone with a bitter smile.

“I thought it shouldn’t be real.”

“So, you’re saying that you were going to disappear without saying a word?”

“I was just trying to find out.”

Claude sat up, saying it as if it wasn’t a serious matter. He admitted that he had been rash, but on the other hand, he grumbled that her actions were too harsh.

“Haa. I understand what you’re thinking. There’s a possibility that Lady Rosalyn is a fake, yes, there is. I was the one who made the corpse and ran away, so it’s not unreasonable for you to think that way. But don’t you think you’re being too unilateral?”

“…”

“Let’s go inside and get you treated first.”

Sebelia frowned as she looked at the scratches on Claude’s wrists and ankles. She thought she was controlling her strength, but it didn’t seem to work properly.

Only then did Claude realize that he wasn’t just covered in dirt, and his eyes widened as he looked at his wrist, which had been scraped by the vines.

“It’s not the time to say this, but… that’s amazing.”

“If you’re trying to make me lower my guard by teasing me, you’ve failed.”

Even as she warned him, Sebelia was relieved. Claude’s appearance as he shook himself off and stood up was no different from before.

Sebelia grabbed Claude’s arm to prevent him from running away and slowly walked into the house. Even so, she kept replaying the scene she had just seen in her head.

Dihart’s eyes, as empty as shattered sunlight, kept leaving her mind.

* * *

The Third Prince’s Palace maintained an unusually excited atmosphere. Since announcing the existence of Rosalyn Inverness, letters, bribes, and requests had been pouring in, making Hares happy.

“Rosalyn, look at this! Look at what those who wouldn’t even bow to me a few days ago have offered with their own hands.”

“You’re amazing, Your Highness,” Rosalyn said, smiling and praising him as Hares wanted. Hares, having received enough praise to satisfy him, straightened his shoulders and said.

“If you become the Duchess of Inverness, these things won’t even catch your eye. I guarantee it.”

“Oh, my.”

“So, stop frowning. Anyway, aren’t they family you don’t even remember? He’s no different from a stranger to you.”

Hares said, unpacking the boxes piled up in the drawing room. Rosalyn sipped her tea and watched him.

Hares, who found a splendid ceremonial sword, exclaimed with a voice full of joy.

“Ah, this is really good!”

“The Second Princess Consort told you to stay away from swords.”

“That’s a story from when I was a child. You’re too worried. You’re becoming more and more like my mother. Hmm, I don’t think you were like that when you were younger…”

Hares trailed off, putting down the elaborately crafted scabbard. His eyes slowly scanned the past.

“Come to think of it, you used to be afraid of the night and wandered around the hallway, getting scolded by the baron. Haha. You were really cute back then.”

Hares smiled and placed his hand on her head, stroking it. Rosalyn silently smiled and put down her teacup. Hares’s hand naturally moved down to her cheek, caressing her neck.

“It’s time for you to leave. Didn’t you say you were going to meet the northern nobles with the Second Princess Consort today?”

At her words, Hares frowned slightly.

“Nagging.”

“It’s not nagging. The more their support I have, the greater the chance I have of inheriting the title of Duke [a noble rank]. If I can’t bring the north as a dowry [property or money brought by a bride to her husband on their marriage], it will be difficult for Your Highness to ascend to the position of Crown Prince.”

It wasn’t wrong. Still, Rosalyn made a disappointed expression at Hares’s unyielding frown.

“Hares, are you really going to be like this? The Second Princess Consort said that we can’t miss this opportunity.”

At that, Hares clicked his tongue.

As she said, now that there was a power vacuum, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Because the eastern forces, led by the First Princess Consort and the First Prince, had been reduced due to the Weden Marquis family’s scandal.

In fact, people predicted that the First Princess Consort’s forces would regain their power someday, even while watching Shateian run wild. This was because the Weden family’s affair seemed to be resolved by dealing with Nate.

But for Hares, who had been biding his time and waiting for an opportunity, it was a chance given by heaven. Before the First Princess Consort could rise again, he presented the trump card that his mother had been preparing for a long time.

A child who had lost her memory, Rosalyn Inverness, brought from a blood-soaked forest.

*That was truly a stroke of luck.*

In the past, Hares had heard the story from his mother.

His mother, the Second Princess Consort, began by saying that there was a time when she was obsessed with every move of the First Princess Consort. After giving birth to him, bad accidents kept happening, and she thought the First Princess Consort was behind them.

Then one day, his mother learned that the First Princess Consort was showing unusual movements. She immediately sent people to dig behind her.

That’s how she found Rosalyn and the many corpses lying in the rainy forest.

[Oh, my god… !]

What she believed was a plan to harm Hares was actually a plot to wipe out the Inverness Dukedom [the territory or rank of a Duke] at once.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and a moment of decision that would never be given again.

The choices seemed to be two: to join hands with the north and bring down the First Princess Consort, or to bring down the First Princess Consort alone.

*But my mother didn’t choose either.*

She decided to take in Rosalyn. She neither brought down the First Princess Consort nor informed the north of the truth.

Hares smiled softly and withdrew his hand that had been stroking Rosalyn. He had heard this story from his mother when he was young, and since then, he had cherished and loved her like his mother.

So that Rosalyn would also love him, so that she could not leave him.

“Your Highness.”

Rosalyn urged him. The look in her eyes as she looked at the clock was quite sharp.

“If we’re late, the Second Princess Consort will surely be disappointed.”

She always became so anxious when his mother was involved. Hares sighed deeply at her reaction.

“It’s okay to be a little late.”

“That’s your situation. I’m different.”

Rosalyn said, raising her eyebrows as if she were angry. Hares flicked her cheek with his finger as if he couldn’t help it, and then turned around.

“…”

Rosalyn stared blankly at his back as he turned away.