After I Died, My Husband Went Mad [EN]: Chapter 166

Side Story 2-3

‘This atmosphere is…….’

The air crackled with tension, the kind that precedes a fight. Sebelia subtly scanned the two men seated around the round table. Outwardly, they appeared cordial, but their glances were laced with animosity.

Clap!

Just as one of them seemed poised to strike, Sebelia clapped her hands sharply. Sky-blue and golden eyes turned to her.

“Just stop it, you two.”

“……”

“……”

“Surely you don’t want me to skip a meal, do you?”

She wondered if resorting to such tactics was necessary, but blackmailing them with concerns for her health proved effective. The two men frowned, their twitching lips pressed firmly shut.

“When we’re eating, no raised voices, just quiet conversation. Got it?”

The two men nodded like obedient children, straightening their postures. Peace, for the moment, was restored.

As if on cue, the server began bringing in the food.

“Hmm?”

When the main course arrived after the appetizers, Sebelia’s eyes widened. A spicy, tingling aroma wafted towards her, making her eyes sparkle. The source was a vibrant red sauce atop a bed of gently steamed fish.

As she reached for a knife, Balac called out, his voice tinged with dismay.

“Bella, wait a moment.”

She turned to him, and he lightly placed his hand on her wrist.

“I forgot to ask beforehand. The main course contains a local spice. It’s quite spicy; are you sure you’re okay with that? If you can’t handle spicy food, I’ll order something else right away.”

Sebelia’s eyes widened, then she burst into laughter. She shook her head, and a sarcastic voice cut through the air.

“What on earth have you been paying attention to for the past month?”

“What was that?”

If it were possible to curse with a smile, Balac would be a master. He turned his head, his gentle face masking the verbal assault he delivered with his eyes to Dihart.

But Dihart remained unfazed. Skillfully filleting the fish, he nonchalantly swapped Sebelia’s plate with his own.

“Eat as much as you like, Bella. If you enjoy the spice, we can suggest to the lord that we begin trading with Inverness [likely a region known for spices] on the way back.”

“Are my words not being heard?”

Balac said through gritted teeth. Sebelia, who had finally managed to stifle her laughter, patted the back of his hand.

“Don’t worry, Brother. If nothing else, I can hold my own when it comes to spicy food.”

“Really?”

Seeing his surprised expression, Sebelia nodded. Meanwhile, Dihart casually disassembled his portion of the fish with a half-hearted gesture.

“I see, so that’s how it is.”

Balac, having understood the situation, looked inexplicably pleased. Sebelia didn’t quite understand why her tolerance for spicy food made him so happy, but she decided to go along with it.

Balac was the type of person who would look at you with teary eyes simply for waking up early and greeting him.

“If you eat well, there’s no need to order another dish, of course.”

Balac muttered to himself, exuding an odd sense of satisfaction. Dihart suddenly felt a chill and frowned, but Balac didn’t even notice.

“Accompany me when I speak to the lord. I have something to discuss with him anyway.”

He even offered Dihart first. Dihart was dumbfounded but simply nodded silently, knowing it was for Sebelia’s sake.

“Then there’s no problem now, right?”

Sebelia’s cheerful question and the resumed meal ended without further incident.

After a short walk to aid digestion, Sebelia returned to the carriage and was led by Balac to the top of the castle walls. Dihart was away preparing for their departure, so there was no one to intervene.

“Why are we suddenly here?”

“Look there.”

His fingertip pointed towards a vast wasteland. She blinked, unsure of what he meant, and soon noticed something at the edge of the desolate landscape.

Like swelling waves, a spectacle of bluish-green trees wrapped around the horizon.

“Ah.”

A soft voice brushed against her ear as she exclaimed.

“That’s the Frostwood. And beyond that is Rookwood.”

Sebelia gripped the edge of the castle wall and leaned forward. The trees, moving like waves in the wind, seemed alive.

She leaned further, wanting to see more, when a voice called from below.

“Bella!”

The voice cut through the dry air. Looking down, Dihart was gazing up at her.

“It’s dangerous to lean out like that. Come down quickly.”

Even as he chided her, his arms were wide open, as if he would catch her if she fell.

At that sight, Sebelia blinked, then immediately turned and headed down the castle walls. Balac’s disapproving click of the tongue followed her, but she ignored it.

As she descended the stairs, Dihart approached as if he had been waiting.

Sebelia hugged him, burying herself in the firm arms that immediately wrapped around her.

“I was just looking for a moment.”

“I know.”

But even knowing, there were things to fear. Dihart kept his anxieties to himself and instead hugged Sebelia tightly. He felt as if the broken pieces of his heart were being mended.

“Bella.”

“Yes?”

Dihart lowered his head and whispered, kissing her cheek as if he were sulking.

“If you like high places, let’s go up together.”

“……”

“Don’t leave me alone.”

Sebelia’s soft laughter bloomed like a flower, tickling his ear. Her hand, wrapped around his back, gently stroked him.

“You’re very lonely too.”

“Knowing that, don’t leave me alone.”

“I understand. I won’t do that again.”

Even with the simple promise, Dihart was content. Soon, Balac came down, checked the time, and announced it was time to leave.

“It seems we should depart now. It will be easier if we arrive before nightfall.”

Of course, his attempt to subtly separate the two was unsuccessful.

“Ah, are we leaving now?”

Sebelia, still in Dihart’s arms, sparkled her eyes. She had been worried they would leave late in the evening, but fortunately, that wasn’t the case. If they left now, she would be able to see the Frostwood from inside the carriage.

Since she didn’t know when she would visit Rookwood again, she wanted to savor every moment.

Perhaps sensing her thoughts, Balac smiled and nodded.

“We’d be in trouble if we delayed even for a moment. Get in quickly. Ah, I hope you’ll understand if it’s cramped, Duke. I have to be with you to vouch for your identity.”

“You make it sound like I’ve ever kicked you out of the carriage.”

“I don’t think it’s impossible, though?”

Leaving the two men to bicker until the end, Sebelia entered the carriage first, with Ilay’s assistance.

“Aren’t you getting in?”

Sebelia said, looking at them with mock astonishment.

“Do your arguing in the carriage.”

“I’m a pacifist, Bella. Of course, only until the other side provokes me first.”

“Duke, I’ve never provoked you. Your petty mind is just twisted on its own.”

Even while grumbling, the two men suppressed their tempers as much as possible when the carriage reached the Frostwood.

“Wow……!”

Her face, pressed against the window, was filled with childlike excitement.

Thus, the carriage carrying the three slowly but steadily moved through the forest. Sebelia was able to observe the scenery of the Frostwood and its unique plants in detail, and fully appreciate the soft colors in the manes of the wild horses grazing in the shadowy distance.

And when she stepped into Rookwood as planned, Sebelia involuntarily exclaimed.

A strange city with a bluish air. Unlike the empire bathed in sunlight, she passed buildings with pale colors, as if they were made by refining moonlight, and followed a pale stone path. At the end of it, a venerable mansion stood.

Someone approached her, towards the mansion widely spread like red flowers decorating the hill and the edge of the Frostwood seen behind it, a place as beautiful as a fairy tale.

“Bella.”

With a voice filled with emotion, Rossel hugged her tightly.

“You’re back.”

Sebelia was momentarily breathless.

The scenery seen after passing through the Frostwood was full of things she had never seen before. The pale-colored roofs and the gently curved paths only encouraged the feeling that this place was unfamiliar to her.

The faces of those looking at her from behind Rossel were the same. Their features, different from hers but with a vaguely similar aspect, felt foreign yet familiar, creating a sense of alienation.

“Welcome, Bella.”

But why?

Why did she feel so relieved despite all this?

‘As if she had been waiting for this moment.’

Emotions that could not be fully conveyed in words echoed through her heart. Rossel’s whisper, “I’m glad you’re back,” continued endlessly in her ear.

The quietly throbbing heart pounded as if it would burst. Sebelia suddenly felt her throat hot and her eyes stinging. She coughed a few times in the arms that held her tightly, as if afraid to let go, and barely opened her mouth.

And with a hot breath, she uttered trembling words.