After I Died, My Husband Went Mad [EN]: Chapter 156

Side Story 1-4

“Don’t you remember?”

“Hmm.”

Sebelia rolled her eyes, and Dihart sighed. He ran a hand through his hair, looking unsure, then met her gaze. His warm eyes seemed to search her soul.

“Whenever we went on dates and saw happy families, you’d unconsciously say things like that.”

Whenever she saw siblings getting along or children loved by their parents, she would unknowingly express her envy. It was an unconscious reaction for her, but Dihart, always by her side, remembered everything.

He couldn’t help but remember because it was a happiness he couldn’t provide. He could promise to be Sebelia’s one and only lover and pledge his eternal love, but he couldn’t give her the camaraderie of siblings or the love of parents.

In peaceful days, in a life filled with happiness, that was his torment.

“I know you’ll think I’m awful for saying this, but…”

He bit his lip, looking distressed, and continued, “Can’t you be satisfied with just me?”

He pleaded again, unknowingly. He whispered in her ear, his breath warm with affection, his eyes filled with longing, knowing it would unsettle her.

“Ah.”

As expected, Sebelia was flustered. Feeling her body temperature rise, Dihart moved closer.

“Di, Dihart.”

“I’ll give you anything you want. So don’t envy others, Bella. Okay?”

Dihart, who had already pressed his lips to her wrist, bared his teeth playfully. Like an affectionate puppy, he watched Sebelia’s expression and left a small mark on her skin.

Sebelia felt ticklish as his even teeth lightly nipped at her skin.

“What are you doing? Stop it.”

At her quick whisper, Dihart whined.

“I don’t want to.”

“Why are you being so stubborn?”

“Promise me. Then I’ll stop.”

“Dihart!”

“…”

“The servants will be bringing dessert soon.”

Hiding her flushed earlobes, Sebelia avoided his gaze. Dihart followed her every move with a glint in his eyes, then reluctantly pulled back and created some distance.

“Sorry for being unreasonable.”

He said, exhaling a breath full of regret. It was quite a sight to see him act on his desires and then apologize. Sebelia quickly pushed her wrist, dotted with red marks, into her sleeve and glared at him.

But Dihart had already regained his composure. Sebelia was dumbfounded to see him eating the dessert the servant brought with a perfectly normal expression. And, on the other hand, she was a little disgusted with herself for finding that side of him cute.

“Sigh.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Sebelia took a spoonful of her sherbet and swallowed a sigh. Dihart blinked, looking clueless, then tilted his head.

‘Should I take a walk in the garden after eating?’ Sebelia wondered quietly when Illei came to find her.

“I apologize for interrupting your meal. It’s an urgent matter, so I had no choice but to be rude.”

“It’s okay. What is it?”

“An urgent message has arrived for the Duke.”

The message must really be urgent. Illei, looking anxious, whispered to Dihart. As if the content was serious, Dihart frowned.

“Bella, I’m sorry, but would you mind if I excused myself?”

“Of course.”

She was about to finish her meal anyway. Dihart excused himself once more and left with Illei. Sebelia, leaving the dining room alone, suddenly stopped, struck by a thought.

‘Hmm?’

She felt something was strange even as she dismissed them. Sebelia recalled Illei, who had been glancing at her earlier, subtly informing Dihart about the message.

‘He’s usually someone who carelessly blurts out confidential matters even when I’m around.’

But today, for some reason, he hadn’t even opened his mouth while looking at her. Sebelia bit her lip at the subtle sense of unease and then started walking again, a sudden, inexplicable feeling of disappointment washing over her.

‘No. What is there to be disappointed about? It must have been a really serious matter.’

Sebelia reassured herself that there must have been a good reason, and she quickly threw open the door to the garden.

Tending the garden was the best way to clear her head.

“Ah, I was going to set up the flower supports, but I forgot.”

Sebelia said to herself, looking around at the scenery that was too luxurious to be called a garden. Thanks to carefully selecting and planting easy-to-grow and beautiful medicinal herbs, the garden looked like a flower garden on the outside. And in reality, it was.

“Hmm, what should I do?”

To buy the materials needed to set up the flower supports, she had to stop by the Marlene district. Sebelia straightened her back and looked at the sky, estimating the time. Other places were one thing, but the Marlene district, with its large floating population, took a lot of time and energy to visit.

‘I’ll do it tomorrow.’

She quickly gave up and was about to take off her gloves when something rustled at her feet. She looked down and saw Maya.

“Maya, what’s wrong?”

At her friendly question, Maya purred and rolled around on the garden. Sebelia made a small sound of dismay at the sight of dirt rising from her gray fur, but the cat shamelessly rubbed her back on the ground as if she didn’t care.

“Ah…”

A sigh escaped her lips. Since it was already too late, Sebelia slowly took off her sun hat, organized her tools, and then picked up Maya. As if she liked the comfortable embrace, her long tail swayed in her arms.

“I never thought I’d understand Claude’s hardships like this…”

Sebelia shook her head, thinking that there would never be another cat like this in the world. Still, according to Claude, Surpretti was fine on her own in her territory, but after coming to the capital, she acted like the most childish child in the world.

As if noticing her troubled thoughts, Maya bumped her forehead against the inside of her arm and cried softly. Sebelia’s expression quickly softened, and she readjusted Maya in her arms. At that moment, something sparkled in her arms.

A sense of déjà vu flashed through her mind.

“Could it be…”

A chill ran down her spine, and anxiety suddenly struck. Sebelia laid Maya on the sofa in the annex and examined her abundant fur in detail. Sure enough, something sparkling was tangled in the area where her front legs and chest connected.

The bracelet sparkling in the sunlight was something she had never seen in the mansion before.

“Where on earth did you get this?”

Maya’s bad habit wasn’t new. The capital mansion was a paradise of luxurious and expensive items, which meant that there were plenty of things that could become Maya’s targets.

‘Last time, she coveted His Highness the Crown Prince’s brooch.’

She had been so surprised by Maya, who had been dozing behind the sofa and suddenly snatched it. Chateian laughed it off, saying it was okay, but Sebelia was mortified.

“Whose is it this time, huh? Where did you get it, Maya?”

As she scolded her, Maya waved her front paws, oblivious, then jumped up from her seat and ran away.

“Ah…”

Sebelia, sighing with her head bowed, had no choice but to examine the bracelet closely. She could narrow down the potential owner based on the degree of craftsmanship.

‘It’s not cheap or a fake.’

That much was certain.

The platinum bracelet had delicate seams and a soft luster. At first glance, it looked like two thick platinum strands were twisted together, but upon closer inspection, each strand was made by weaving dozens of thin gold threads. Even tiny, sand-like jewels were embedded between the gold threads, emitting a dazzling light depending on the angle.

Sebelia was speechless at the tremendous care. She couldn’t even imagine how much effort and time went into making one bracelet.

The two thick platinum strands crossed each other, forming an 8-shape, and a verdant green jewel filled the gaps in between. It was a jewel that shifted between a deep blue and a refreshing green depending on the light. Transparent jewels surrounded the edges like flower petals, and even that had delicate craftsmanship, making her admire it.

The maker’s name was not engraved, but it was undoubtedly the work of a renowned artisan.

“Hmm.”

A simple and luxurious design that contrasted with the intricate craftsmanship that could only be seen upon close inspection. The more she looked at it, the more confused she became. Usually, these kinds of items were made to be timeless so that they could be passed down from generation to generation.

But the cutting of the decorated jewels was the latest style, even though it seemed like an antique.

‘Where on earth did she get something like this?’

Sebelia, deeply contemplating Maya’s extraordinariness, exclaimed at a thought that suddenly came to mind.

“Ah, could it be…”

Since Rosalyn started staying at the mansion, Maya had been spending time in her room because the new furniture and other items that came with her piqued Maya’s interest.

‘Then it could be a gift that Dihart gave to Rosalyn today.’

Well, the design, which was elegant without being excessive, was also to the taste of the people of the North. Sebelia, who had solved the mystery to some extent, stood up. She was planning to return the bracelet to Rosalyn.

But the situation took an unexpected turn.

“Oh, Dihart? What are you doing here?”

“Bella.”

Sebelia’s eyes widened when she saw Dihart coming out of Rosalyn’s room. Dihart also seemed a little surprised to run into her there.

“I was just having a little chat about moving to the North.”

“Ah. That story.”

‘I could have been included in that conversation.’ Sebelia cleared her throat, recalling Rosalyn, who had asked her to mediate on the first day she came to the mansion. Still, it was a relief. It seemed like she had the courage to confront him directly.

“What brings you here?”

At Dihart’s question, Sebelia remembered the purpose of her visit. She showed him the bracelet she had brought and said, “It seems Maya stole something from Rosalyn. I came to return it. This is the gift you bought, right?”

At that moment, the door opened, and Rosalyn peeked her head out through the gap.