After I Died, My Husband Went Mad - Chapter 105
“If you had told me sooner, I would have assembled a search party. But because you hesitated and wasted time, it has become impossible to track down the maid.”
Silas recited the facts in an extremely dry and calm manner. There were no harsh criticisms or colorful curses. Nonetheless, Nathan felt a chill at the back of his neck.
“I apologize for disappointing you.”
He gritted his teeth as he apologized. Silas rubbed his aching head.
“I’ll say it again: I’m not looking for your apology. What I want are solid results.”
He had entrusted the task to Nathan, confident in his abilities, only to find the situation in such disarray. He tossed aside useless papers while contemplating Nathan’s retraining.
“That’s enough; step back from the front lines. Hand over everything you’ve been handling to Swain.”
Swain was the name of the secretary that Silas had assigned to Nathan. He was also the one who exposed Nathan’s fear of punishment for having lost Denisa.
“But…”
“If you had simply informed me the moment you lost track of the maid, we wouldn’t have come to this point. Not to mention, if you had known who had taken her…”
Silas clicked his tongue in irritation.
The spies Nathan had gathered were all a bunch of misfits. Not only had they been discovered following their target, but they also failed to identify who had taken her.
Nathan’s face momentarily contorted. However, realizing he was in front of his father, he quickly returned to his original expression. Silas, having witnessed the entire exchange, chose not to comment.
He might be a foolish son, but he was still his child.
Silas gestured for him to leave. However, Nathan stood his ground, not complying. When Silas raised an eyebrow, Nathan spoke in a tense voice.
“I have another plan.”
“Nathan.”
Silas clicked his tongue, trying to dismiss him. But Nathan got up, knelt beside him as he whispered.
“I believe you know I’ve been associating with Flora Inverness. She recently mentioned to me that there will be a banquet at Hillend Hall.”
A flicker of interest passed through Silas’s eyes. As if encouraging him to continue, he gestured with his fingers, and Nathan continued in a brighter tone.
“She said she is just the nominal host, but that the Marquis of Rims is funding everything, and one must earn his favor to be invited to the banquet. What do you think, Father?”
A gentle smile crept onto Silas’s lips. He patted Nathan’s shoulder and said,
“Well done. Yes, getting invited to the banquet will allow you to enter Hillend Hall. That’s a much more worthwhile endeavor than chasing after some inconsequential maid.”
“Thank you. So regarding Swain’s matter…”
“I’ll think it over. You go and find a way to naturally bridge the gap between me and the Marquis of Rims.”
Nathan couldn’t hide his delight as he left the office. Silas smiled as he gazed out the window at the faint outline of Hillend Hall in the distance.
It was a pity to have lost Denisa. If she had been there, securing Sebelia’s whereabouts would have been much easier. However, it wasn’t something to despair over.
What mattered more was confirming with his own eyes that Sebelia’s coffin was empty. Once her survival was confirmed, the other issues would become irrelevant.
As Sebelia was his daughter, she could never escape his grasp. He chuckled confidently as he recalled the perfect plan he had devised.
“So go ahead and run as much as you want, child.”
Well, if he thought of it as just a late adolescence phase, it was something he could tolerate.
* * *
It was a languid and mild afternoon. Following orders to rest until she regained her strength, Sebelia was reading a weekly magazine in the living room. Suddenly, as if a thought had struck her, she called out to Claude.
“Mr. Claude?”
“Hmm?”
“Do you get all the necessities here from Suffredi?”
Sebelia asked, glancing around the living room.
“I feel like they wouldn’t leave you alone if they knew you were Mr. Watts assistant…”
Sebelia’s question was valid. The reality was that many still clenched their teeth at the mere mention of the Sixth Road. Claude chuckled before shaking his head.
“Exactly. So strolling through Suffredi is something I can’t even dream of. There are several villages beyond the mountains. I usually go there to buy what we need.”
“Aha.”
Sebelia nodded, understanding. After all, they were living with strange barriers in the middle of such steep mountains. Crossing over the mountain to reach the village on the other side would be no small feat.
“However, I didn’t expect Miss Bella to ask such a question. What else are you curious about?”
Claude asked with a grin. Sebelia stared at him with a slightly open mouth and a dazed expression before shaking her head.
“It’s not… not that. Um… actually, if you’re going to Suffredi, I was wondering if you could give me an idea of the atmosphere there through you.”
“Suffredi always has the same atmosphere, though.”
Seeing Claude tilt his head, Sebelia awkwardly smiled. The truth was, she wasn’t really curious about Suffredi. What she was concerned about was something entirely different.
