After I Died, My Husband Went Mad - Chapter 123
“……”
“……”
A deep silence settled in the living room. Neither of them spoke hastily. No, neither of them even thought about speaking to the other.
They simply stared at each other from their respective places, taking in the unmasked, true form of the other.
After a long moment, the sound of Claude’s footsteps from the downstairs research room echoed. Dehart, whose face had been fixed in a dazed stare at Sebelia, now visibly faltered.
“Well then… I’ll just…”
He said it before suddenly clamping his hand over his mouth in surprise, disappearing up the stairs. Sebelia silently watched his retreating figure, before bowing her head to look at Maya.
“…You troublemaker.”
She gently patted Maya’s head, offering a faint smile. With a soft meow, Maya spat out the object she had been holding and flopped onto her back, showing her belly.
The object, now covered in Maya’s drool, fell to the floor with a soft thud. As Sebelia absentmindedly reached to pick it up, Claude called out to her.
“Miss Bella, let’s go.”
“Ah, yes.”
Sebelia hurriedly wiped the object she had picked up with a handkerchief, then followed him. It was only then that she realized what Maya had brought her was something familiar.
Wait, this…
Sebelia stared at the sparkling cross with disbelief. The silver cross, adorned with a blue gemstone, was the very one she had given to Dehart as a birthday gift.
Why do you have this?
“Miss Bella, let’s go!”
Claude called from outside the door. Sebelia quickly stuffed the cross into her pocket and followed him.
As she headed for the front door, her gaze briefly flicked toward the place where Dehart had been.
* * *
Claude, who had crossed into the area beyond the safety zone and reached the edge of the Nightmare Forest, stopped in his tracks. Startled by his sudden halt, Sebelia also stopped walking.
“Mr. Claude?”
“Ah, um… just a moment.”
Claude placed a hand over his mouth and frowned. He had been traveling alone to the village for a while now, and he had completely forgotten. Every time he left the research lab, he would disguise his face with a projection, but this time, Sebelia was with him.
What should I do?
Claude, crossing his arms, muttered softly. He should have thought about this beforehand, but with so many things to take care of, it hadn’t occurred to him. He clicked his tongue quietly, then turned around.
“Miss Bella.”
“Yes?”
Sebelia tilted her head slightly, looking up at him. The golden eyes that met hers felt much more serious than before. Not sure what he was about to say, Sebelia felt a slight tension rise in her.
And with the next words, she was so shocked that she nearly dropped the bag she was holding.
“Miss Bella, I’m sorry I haven’t told you until now. The truth is, there are some people who are after me, and it’s not for good reasons. I need to prepare before we go down.”
“What?”
“Would you mind waiting for a moment? It won’t take long.”
Claude chose the direct approach. Even though it was an audacious choice, he couldn’t argue with it. But from everything he had observed, Sebelia was someone who wouldn’t casually reveal secrets to others.
He left Sebelia behind and hid behind a thick tree. A short while later, it wasn’t Claude who emerged from the shadows, but a middle-aged man.
Sebelia raised her voice in surprise.
“Mr. Claude?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
Claude casually walked out and greeted her, his voice now sounding different.
“I didn’t know you were a wizard.”
“Well, it’s not something I usually talk about.”
Although it wasn’t exactly magic, but illusion magic, Claude downplayed it. It felt odd to admit now that he was also an illusionist like her.
Besides, once she leaves the lab, we probably won’t cross paths again.
Sebelia would likely leave the lab once her treatment was finished. And since her relationship with Dehart seemed to have come to an end, there was nothing left to keep her there.
Yes, a good resolution.
Claude picked up the bag Sebelia had dropped and led the way again. The pendant around his neck glowed faintly, lighting the path.
Sebelia quietly followed behind him, but then, as if something occurred to her, she asked.
“Was that why you were so surprised when I called you ‘Mr. Claude’ the other time?”
“What do you mean?”
“When you rushed down the stairs and almost fell, and after I helped you to your room, I called you ‘Mr. Claude,’ not ‘Mr. Cardi.’ You were surprised.”
“Ah…”
Recalling that moment, Claude nodded.
“Your guess is correct. There are quite a few people who don’t think well of me, for various reasons. So, to be cautious, I keep my real name hidden.”
“I see. I’m sorry. I must have startled you.”
“No, it’s fine.”
“But, in a way, it’s kind of amazing. We both were hiding our names from each other.”
What’s truly amazing is that both you and I are illegitimate children and illusionists.
Claude let out a quiet laugh as he swallowed the truth. Sebelia, unaware of this, continued to follow him.
Their footsteps echoed in the silent, dimly lit forest.
