After I Died, My Husband Went Mad - Chapter 121
“Ah, welcome, Mrs. Euphren. It’s such a pleasure to have you here.”
Thus, Marquis of Limms sought to turn the atmosphere of Hillend Hall to his advantage, gathering all the notable figures of society. They mingled in groups, stirring the air of the hall.
Meanwhile, Ryan watched the scene unfold with sharp attention. He frowned as he saw Nathan walking leisurely along the path with Flora.
“Even Marquis of Wheddon is here too.”
The father of the late Duchess, who, along with her, had helped steal information from Inverness. Ryan had heard that he had stayed in the north since the funeral, but he hadn’t expected him to attend the banquet as well.
What’s his game?
If one considered only the surface facts, it was possible he simply couldn’t leave, overcome by grief after losing his beloved youngest daughter. But that, too, had to be done in moderation. Excessive mourning raised suspicion, as it did now.
“Laurent.”
“Yes, Sir Ryan.”
“Where is Marquis of Wheddon staying?”
“I believe he is staying at the Latour hall.”
Since the main hall had burned down, even those from the Inverness family were split between the East and West wings. For convenience, the guests invited to the banquet were given rooms in other buildings within Hillend Hall.
“The Latour hall, huh. It’s near the cemetery, so it’s not a suitable place for guests.”
“Yes, but Marquis of Limms may have intended that. Though he doesn’t show it openly, he subtly despises nobles from the central regions.”
Laurent added that all the central nobles were staying with Marquis of Wheddon at the Latour hall. Ryan clicked his tongue at the petty arrangement that revealed so much about Limms’ character.
“I can’t let this banquet go ahead as planned.”
The banquet was designed to fuel Limms’ arrogance and strengthen his alliances, ultimately shaking the foundations of Hillend Hall. Ryan decided he would need to hurry and push Dwyer into action.
Just then, there was a sharp knock at the door. As soon as Ryan responded, the door burst open, and a messenger ran up to the desk.
“What’s all this commotion?”
“My apologies. But I was told to deliver this as quickly as possible!”
The messenger’s face revealed that he was one of the knights sent by Eli after learning of Dehart’s disappearance. Ryan stiffened as he tore open the letter envelope. A sigh escaped his lips.
“D-mmit, finally!”
Ryan’s face lit up with an indescribable joy. It was Dehart’s letter.
* * *
It had been five days since Sebelia had seen Dehart’s face. She had started to feel a bit uneasy. She wasn’t worried as his ex-wife; she simply didn’t want him hurt or dead from a humanitarian standpoint.
However, one reassuring thing was that Claude had been regularly coming up and down the third floor.
At least he’s eating properly.
Each time a tray piled with food went up and came down empty, Sebelia felt she had confirmed that Dehart was alive.
One day, as Sebelia stood in front of the herb storage room, she unexpectedly ran into Claude.
“Ah.”
“Oh, uh, Miss Bella, is there something you need?”
An awkward atmosphere filled the space. Sebelia had already noticed that Claude was aware of the things that had happened between her and Dehart.
If not, there would be no reason for him to suddenly behave awkwardly around her after things had gone wrong with Dehart.
“I came to pick up some medicinal herbs that Mr. Watts mentioned. I need them for my studies.”
Sebelia gestured toward the herb storage room. The herb storage room in the backyard was the space that Watts cherished the most.
It was a place where valuable herbs were kept under magic to maintain the proper temperature and humidity so they wouldn’t lose their potency, and recently, Sebelia had been granted permission to access it.
Claude exhaled in admiration, then nodded and stepped aside.
“I had forgotten. Please go ahead.”
Just as he was about to pass by her, Sebelia stopped him.
“Wait a moment.”
“Miss Bella?”
Claude looked down at her, clearly startled by her sudden request.
It’s even more obvious up close.
Based on her previous experiences, it was clear that Claude was a close relative of Dehart. And he probably had some vague understanding of her relationship with him as well.
I’m done pretending I don’t know.
She had finished with Dehart, so now it was Claude’s turn. Determined, Sebelia locked eyes with him and spoke.
“I have something I want to ask about Dehart Inverness.”
“…!”
Claude was caught off guard by her directness and opened his mouth in shock. Sebelia didn’t back down, pressing forward with her question.
“Are the knights that he brought to Suffredi still there?”
This was the most important thing to Sebelia right now. When she went to Suffredi to find out what had happened to Denisa, she needed to know if there were people who might interfere with her search.
“Bella, I mean, Miss Sebelia…”
As expected, he knew her true name. Sebelia felt a cold smile spread across her face as she calmly responded.
“Please continue calling me Bella, Mr. Claude. You already know that the Duchess of Inverness, Sebelia, is dead.”
“Ha…”
Claude’s long sigh echoed through the backyard.
