After I Died, My Husband Went Mad [EN]: Chapter 138

Dihart frowned and turned his gaze away. Sebelia persistently followed his eyes.

“I’m right that you’re still being rejected, aren’t I?”

Eventually, unable to resist, he sighed and leaned back in his chair.

“Half right and half wrong. I’m being ignored.”

Sebelia furrowed her brow slightly and said,

“More defensive than I thought. Does he want to see the will but can’t send Rosaline? Or does he just think it’s a trap?”

Dihart slowly exhaled and tilted his head back.

“Either way, we need to meet Rosaline.”

Not only to end the succession battle but also to end Claude’s persistent attachment.

Dihart thought that Claude would inevitably blame himself endlessly unless he saw definite results.

Claude had poured more affection into young him and Rosaline than their own parents. So, just because Rosaline’s body hadn’t been found, he could have held onto a sliver of hope for her survival for so long.

‘Even I couldn’t imagine that child was alive.’

Logically, the chances of a small girl surviving alone in a dark, rainy forest weren’t great.

Even his own survival and discovery were considered a miracle, so how much more so for Rosaline, who was even younger?

“I brought other things besides the will from Hillend Hall, so let’s take a look. I’ve narrowed it down to things Rosaline or the Third Prince have been showing interest in lately…”

Before Dihart could finish speaking, footsteps echoed down the hallway. Sebelia looked up as someone approached and knocked on the door.

Knock, knock. The neat knock was accompanied by Claude’s voice.

“Come in.”

“Ah, you were together. Good.”

Claude looked unusually motivated.

“What’s going on?”

“I went to the auction house and saw Rosaline from afar. I heard she’s going to the grand theater tonight, so I immediately found out what opera it was and bought tickets.”

Claude seemed quite excited. Indeed, after witnessing his invitations being rejected one after another, he had been moving separately from Dihart, seeking ways to meet Rosaline.

Of course, he hadn’t succeeded so far.

“You seem quite confident this time.”

“Of course. I even reserved the box seat directly opposite her.”

Claude said proudly, showing off the tickets. The gold-leafed red tickets looked luxurious. Sebelia tilted her head.

“Does the grand theater give out box seats so easily?”

“Ah. There’s a way to do it.”

Leaving the mansion and wandering around the capital wasn’t just for passing the time. But it was something Claude couldn’t easily explain to Sebelia, so he vaguely glossed over it.

“Then we should get ready.”

Dihart, who saw through his uncle’s embarrassment, stood up and said. Sebelia, with a puzzled look, followed him. “I’ll have the carriage ready, so come down when the intermission is over. And let’s grab the item first.”

“Um, okay. That sounds good.”

Claude, relieved by the smooth change of subject, winked lightly at Dihart. Of course, Dihart ignored him and escorted Sebelia to her room.

A little later, the three of them stepped down below the stairs of the Elisha Grand Theater. The coachman bowed slightly and drove the carriage towards the designated place.

“I’m feeling a bit nervous.”

Claude said, placing his hand over his pounding heart. Sebelia nodded. If they could confirm Rosaline’s identity today, it was natural to be nervous.

“You did bring that for sure, right?”

“Don’t worry.”

Dihart smiled and tapped his chest at Sebelia’s question. Looking closely, the jacket’s upper part was slightly raised.

It was one of the items Rosaline had been showing interest in lately, and they had urgently brought it from Hillend Hall for negotiations with her.

‘I hope things go well.’

Sebelia, with an earnest face, was escorted up the stairs by Dihart. She glanced over her shoulder to confirm Claude following them and whispered softly,

“But Sir Ilay’s stamina is really amazing. How long has it been since he went to Hillend Hall and back again?”

“To be precise, I only went near the checkpoint. And it’s not that amazing. The one who suffered was the horse overworked by Ilay.”

“That’s… true, isn’t it?”

Something was strange, but it was strangely logical, so she couldn’t argue. While Sebelia was lost in thought with a strange expression, the three of them reached the top of the stairs.

The magnificent radiance of the Elisha Grand Theater enveloped them. The grand opera of the fully returned prima donna [a leading female opera singer] was about to begin.

Sebelia’s face lit up with a smile as she saw the children selling flowers in front of the door. But her peace soon turned to tension.

Because Rosaline, with her black hair neatly braided down her back, was visible inside the door. She decorated her braided hair with platinum and diamonds, which made the light scatter around her like stardust whenever she moved slightly.

“Don’t worry.”

Then, a low voice wrapped around her ear. There was no need to confirm. Sebelia gladly accepted the warmth of the man close to her and his affectionate voice.

“Worrying is what you should be doing.”

If Rosaline was a fake, Claude would be deeply hurt. Dihart might also be disappointed without realizing it.

But Sebelia glanced up at him, and he seemed unconcerned. Was it just a facade, or was he trying to reassure her because she was anxious? As if he noticed her thoughts, he opened his mouth in an indifferent voice.

“It’s a bit late to say this now, but I’ve already prepared myself. From the moment she demanded the right of succession from me, I didn’t think it would go smoothly.”

“……”

“And if that child is real, then as the foolish older brother who didn’t find her and miss her all this time, I’ll just have to take that anger properly. Even if it takes decades.”

He then added softly, ‘But I can’t give up the title of Duke.’ Sebelia almost forgot the atmosphere and laughed softly at the voice engraved with a clear will.

At that moment, a distinct gaze was felt. Sebelia slowly removed her smile and straightened her head.

Beyond the door, Rosaline, sparkling like a star in the middle of the crowded hall, was looking at her.

* * *

Today, the Empire’s proud prima donna showed a perfect and flawless stage.

“She’s getting up from her seat.”

When the lights came on after the first act, Rosaline’s figure in the opposite box seat was very visible. She leaned over and whispered something to the young lady who seemed to be her friend, then smiled brightly and turned away.

The moment they had been waiting for had come. The women’s lounge located on the west side was on the first floor and currently under construction, making it impossible to enter, so she would definitely go to the one on the east side.

Sebelia clenched the small box in her hand tightly. There was no time to delay.

“It’ll be alright, Bella.”

“I’ve placed knights disguised as audience members everywhere, so if anything makes you feel threatened, you can call them right away.”

Claude and Dihart reassured her one after another. Sebelia chuckled at their worries.

“I’ll be back. Hopefully with good news.”

Whether she was real or fake, it was both good news and sad news, but she said it on purpose.

Claude saw her off with a faint smile.

* * *

Sebelia first took a seat in front of the lounge and waited for Rosaline to come. But even as the end of the intermission was approaching, she was nowhere to be seen.

Watching the number of people dwindling, Sebelia felt that something was wrong.

‘If she went somewhere other than the lounge or returned to her seat, the knights would have come to inform me by now.’

But no one had informed her of Rosaline’s whereabouts. That meant she had gone somewhere that even the knights couldn’t see.

The question of how was unnecessary. Sebelia thought something must have happened to Rosaline. Maybe she had fallen into a trap. Like she had in the past.

It was an instinct close to intuition.

“Etira.”

As Sebelia whispered softly, a blue bird appeared from under her sleeve. She made the small bird transparent and flew it into the air. Fortunately, there was no one left in the hallway, so no one noticed her actions.

[Find out where Rosaline Inberness is and let me know.]

Etira sent a small cry in her heart and flapped her wings, disappearing to the west side of the building. Sebelia bit her lip tightly and ran down the stairs.

‘Dihart said the knights were stationed in places where nobles mainly gather. So, it’s not the lounge, courtyard, or cafeteria. And excluding the places where the audience and actors come and go, the remaining place is……’

Then, a strong beat echoed in her chest. Sebelia gasped and grabbed the railing at the first sensation she felt.

‘Etira.’

What was conveyed through the soul’s bond connected to the illusionary beast was anxiety, fear, and anger. At the same time, she felt Etira trying to send her an image of white lightning.

She must have found Rosaline.

Sebelia slowly took a breath and opened her closed eyes.

‘Etira. Where are you? Where are you.’

Soon, a picture-like image came to her mind along with an eerie sensation.

The beige door that had a sign saying it was temporarily closed for maintenance just a few hours ago. It was the women’s lounge located on the first floor.