After I Died, My Husband Went Mad - Chapter 107
“If they’re running around looking for me under the guise of being an Inverness, that would be very troublesome.”
He wanted to believe they weren’t that foolish, but honestly, he couldn’t be sure. Dehart rubbed his face in frustration, silently blaming Ryan. Claude nodded as if he understood without needing to be told.
“Prepare a letter or some kind of marker to let them know you’re safe. I’ll deliver it when I go down in a few days.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. Just make sure you step on the blankets.”
“So you’re saying it’s not a free ride, understood.”
With a wry smile, Dehart stepped into the now full wooden tub. The cold, slippery water submerged the soft blankets beneath.
Sebelia was watching this from the window.
Yes, I’m quite lucky.
As he rolled up his pant legs, Dehart admitted to himself that he really was fortunate. Just a few days ago, he could feel himself mentally unraveling.
There are hundreds of ways to lose one’s sanity, and I realized that then.
It was a different kind of mental anguish from the despair he felt after experiencing Sebelia’s death and giving up on himself. He often imagined choking himself in his thoughts.
There was the uncertainty of whether she was the real Sebelia, and alongside that, a harsh self that denied and condemned him. Yes, he had gone mad, so all his thoughts must be mad too, along with a nagging hope that he couldn’t quite dismiss.
Two versions of himself fought a bloody battle over Sebelia’s fate.
Even in the moments when the exhausting debate was making a mess of his mind, he couldn’t take his eyes off Sebelia. Whether she was fake or real, he found ways to justify being by her side.
That’s how entranced Dehart was by Sebelia—so much so that he couldn’t even recall the things he had left behind.
“I suppose I can’t argue if someone says I’ve gone mad.”
As he plunged his feet into the slippery blankets, he frowned.
Sebelia watched from a distance before getting up. With no one around to observe her, her figure vanished into the woods.
* * *
Sebelia cautiously stepped into the forest in front of the mansion. Unlike the Nightmare Forest, where a misstep would plunge her into confusion, this area was safe all the way to the lake.
She walked a little further from where she had been gathering black nightshade. How many minutes had she walked, leaving markers among the dense trees?
“I found it properly.”
She saw a small clearing surrounded by trees. The area, covered with tiny weeds like clover, was soft enough to sit and rest comfortably. Sebelia placed the cookie basket she had brought with her nearby and sat down.
“Phew…”
After catching her breath for a moment, Sebelia lightly raised her right hand. A gentle breeze brushed through the dense trees, and silence settled in the underbrush.
She closed her eyes and focused on the sensations throughout her body. One, two, three. Perhaps it had been too long since she had used her power; it wasn’t as effortless as before.
I was able to create it quickly at the inn… Back then, the urgency of the situation must have allowed me to tap into my power instantly.
With a furrowed brow, Sebelia continued to concentrate. She was attempting to create an illusion after a long time.
Soon, it felt as though she was holding an invisible sphere, and a blue light burst forth between her curled fingers.
Whoosh—!
With the sound of birds chirping, she felt a light weight on her palm.
Did I succeed?
Sebelia carefully opened her tightly shut eyes. Black eyes, shiny as a button, were staring directly at her. Its gaze seemed to question why she had called for it so late, prompting a smile from Sebelia.
“Hello, it’s been a while.”
The blue bird chirped, flicked its tail up, and landed lightly on the grass. Sebelia let out a sigh of relief at the bird’s appearance, which seemed unchanged.
There was a reason she had gone through the trouble of hiding in such a place to summon an illusion.
I need to find out what happened to Denisa.
She had learned that the illness she was suffering from was not Leahies, but rather thornbush disease. The treatment was progressing smoothly. Her funds were nearly depleted, but with the knowledge she had learned from Watts, she could find a job when she eventually left this place.
However, if Denisa wasn’t part of that future, it would mean nothing. Denisa had sacrificed her own life for her since childhood. To Sebelia, she was like a mother.
“It’s been almost a week, so she might have arrived in Elsique by now.”
Sebelia already suspected that Denisa’s journey hadn’t been smooth. After sending a note saying that Dehart had come looking for her, Denisa must have evaded him and left the central area. She would have wandered around for quite a while.
“It’s all my fault… Hah.”
Sebelia sighed as she rubbed her cheek against the feathers of the blue bird perched on her shoulder. Then she began to practice again.
I have to be quick…!
She had to create an illusion to replace herself while she sneaked into Suffredi.
