After I Died, My Husband Went Mad [EN]: Chapter 64

Henkit didn’t like Spreti. He was forced to come here by Sir Lyon’s orders, but frankly, he found everything about this place pathetic. The most pathetic of all was Ilay, who, despite his obvious incompetence, was put in charge of assisting the Duke thanks to Sir Lyon’s recommendation.

‘If that guy had done his job properly, the Duke wouldn’t have gone missing.’

If he were Lyon, what would he have done? He would have immediately dismissed Ilay without a second thought, cousin or not. And he would have come here himself to find the missing Duke.

‘Instead of sitting in Hilland Hall and just talking!’

Henkit grumbled as he walked through the alley, spotting the post office nearby.

“Henkit, are you patrolling alone again today?”

“Ah.”

A fellow knight patted him on the shoulder and walked past.

“The patrol duty ended last week, why are you still taking it so seriously? Take it easy.”

“Forget it, just go on.”

Henkit dismissed the knight with an annoyed look. The knight shrugged and disappeared. It had been a week since the patrol duty had been called off, after Dihart sent a letter saying there was no need to look for Sebelia anymore.

‘They’re all pathetic morons. When I become the captain, I’ll cut them all off.’

Henkit recalled the middle-aged man who introduced himself as Carl Ofentz and delivered Dihart’s letter.

His appearance and pleasant voice seemed to scream, ‘I’m a good person.’ Henkit knew it was a trap the moment he saw him. Ilay, short-sighted and stupid as he was, babbled nonsense about how they had to be careful not to be deceived, even though he knew it was a possibility.

He believed that Dihart was being held by a fake Duchess and was forced to write the letter under duress. Otherwise, why wouldn’t he show himself?

‘The Duke must be captured… I mean, rescued!’

And he was the only one who could save him. Henkit puffed out his chest and diligently patrolled Spreti again today. It was as he passed the post office that he heard voices.

“Shall we head back now?”

“Ah, could we stop by the bookstore while we’re here?”

Carl Ofentz was standing in front of the post office with a woman wearing a deep hooded cloak. It wasn’t strange attire given the chilly weather, but Henkit instinctively felt that she was suspicious.

“Hmm. A bookstore. It’s been a while since I last went, so I might get a little lost. Is that alright?”

“Yes, I don’t mind. Oh, that’s right. Let’s buy some snacks for Maya on the way.”

“Good idea.”

The two smiled amiably and passed by Henkit. The woman in the deep hood slightly raised her head to glance at her companion.

‘That person is…!’

Henkit’s eyes widened, and his face flushed with excitement.

‘The fake Duchess!’

So, the two were in league. The Duke was being held captive by them! Henkit’s heart burned with righteous fury. He carefully checked his inside pocket. The supplies he had bought in advance to save Dihart were safely there.

‘Ilay, you’re finished now.’

Henkit’s ambition soared.

* * *

Sebelia was able to return to the lab before the sunset painted the sky. She lightly shook the pendant she received from Claude, and the light faded.

“Akkong.”

Maya was waiting at the front door. He rubbed his back against Sebelia’s ankle and meowed briefly, as if asking why Claude wasn’t there.

“Claude said he had to stop by somewhere. He’ll probably be back after dinner.”

“Myaak.”

Maya answered as if he understood and wagged his tail as he walked away. Sebelia felt a little disappointed as she unpacked her things.

“Mr. Watts, here are the books you requested.”

“Thank you. Claude seems to be late again today.”

Sebelia smiled lightly instead of answering and left the lab. As she climbed the stairs, she felt something heavy in her pocket. Only then did Sebelia realize that she still had the silver cross necklace.

“Ah.”

What should she do with this? Sebelia pondered as she climbed the last step. At that moment, she sensed someone in the living room. She naturally raised her head and looked towards where she felt the presence.

Dihart was sitting on the sofa, looking at her with a hesitant expression.

“…….”

“Sorry.”

With a brief apology, Dihart bit his lip.

“Is it okay if I stay here?”

Sebelia stared at him blankly for a moment, unsure why he was apologizing. Dihart’s face darkened as if he had misinterpreted her gaze.

“I said something unnecessary. I’m sorry.”

He apologized once more and stood up. Sebelia, watching his back as he tried to leave quickly, raised her voice.

“Dihart.”

“…….”

“I did call you.”

A faint hesitation could be felt in the golden eyes that turned back. Sebelia felt a strange sense of incongruity. There was definitely a similar situation before. Rummaging through her mind, she exclaimed, “Ah.”

‘That’s what I looked like in Hilland Hall.’

When she wandered around looking for a place where there were no people and ran into Dihart. She had been watching him, wondering if it was okay to be with him. When she received permission that it was okay, she felt happy but also miserable because she couldn’t show it.

‘But to think the opposite situation would happen like this.’

Sebelia felt strangely moved. As she stared at Dihart, he blushed. Sebelia sighed at the sight. She didn’t want to get angry anymore.

“You have something that Maya took, right?”

“What? Ah…….”

Dihart blinked. He looked quite disappointed as he slightly opened his mouth and tilted his head diagonally. He probably thought Sebelia had called him for another reason.

“Take it.”

Sebelia took the silver cross necklace out of her pocket and handed it to him. Dihart looked at it with complicated eyes before reaching out. Their hands touched for a very brief moment. It felt like brushing against soft petals. Dihart quickly stepped back and shouted.

“Th, thank you. Really. And sorry.”

And in the blink of an eye, he ran up the stairs and into his room.

“Huk…….”

His heart was pounding. Dihart felt his whole body turn bright red and threw himself onto the bed. It was unsightly, embarrassing, and shameful.

‘How can I be happy about something like this?’

He felt guilty along with the thought of whether this was okay. But he couldn’t deny that he was happy. Just to be able to touch her like this. He could only think that he was lucky.

At that moment, the door opened again with a thud. Dihart raised his head with a somewhat expectant look.

“…….”

Two green eyes sparkled through the crack in the door. A sound like “Akk” rang out as if warning him.

Dihart stared at the emerald eyes and carefully placed the silver cross necklace he was holding tightly on the table. And unlike before, he lay on the bed in a very generous and defenseless manner.

Thud.

The sound of small footsteps echoed in the room.

* * *

Claude, who returned to the lab late as Sebelia had said, tilted his head at the sight of Dihart looking happy. It was strange that the guy, who had been looking dejected like a lost puppy until he left, was suddenly sparkling as if he was flying above the clouds.

“I got a reply here.”

But was it just one or two days that Dihart was strange? Instead of asking the reason for the change in mood, Claude handed over the letter and documents that Ilay had asked for.

“Hmm.”

Fortunately, his mood, which had soared high into the sky, quickly fell to the ground as he received the work. Claude was about to leave right away, but Dihart stopped him.

“Stay here for a while.”

“Are you okay?”

Claude said a little crookedly, recalling his words that he would receive concern but not advice. Dihart, who put down the letter he had finished reading and picked up the documents, chuckled.

“You’re so narrow-minded.”

“You.”

“I have something to ask you about Grandpa Rims.”

Dihart interrupted Claude and asked. Claude crossed his arms and frowned. He was going to pretend he didn’t know and brush it off, but he decided to stop. It was only unsightly to assert his pride against his nephew.

“What is it?”

“I know he’s a famous sword collector, but I’m not sure how far that obsession goes. Would he even reach out for relics from the mythological era?”

Dihart said, flipping through the documents. He had recently been in contact with Hilland Hall, and he had received news from Lyon that he was preparing a trap.

“For example, are you talking about something like the Sword of Equiteia?”

Claude asked, straightening his body at Dihart’s words. Dihart didn’t know what it was, but he nodded for now.

“Ha, of course, he’d go crazy for it. Uncle Rims coveted the royal family’s treasures even twenty years ago. Those foolish swords with jewels all over them and dull blades.”

“So it doesn’t matter if it can actually be used. He’s obsessed with rarity and reputation, is what you’re saying.”

‘I can proceed as planned.’ Dihart smiled, raising the corners of his lips. Lyon and he were planning to create fake relics and put them on the black market where Rims often appeared. For that, Lyon had hired a skilled blacksmith in advance.

“Thanks for the good information.”

Claude sighed and shook his head at the refreshing dismissal. He was about to leave the room, waving his hand, when a wave of heat washed over the mansion.

“…?!”

Dihart was the first to notice. He quickly approached the window and looked outside. Flames were rising from the forest around the lake. At this rate, the flames would reach the mansion in an instant.

“Claude, go down right away, take Sebelia, and get out of here!”

Above the golden eyes, which had been forged as cold as metal, danced the flickering flames.