After I Died, My Husband Went Mad - Chapter 140
The frequency of Dehart appearing in Sebelia’s dreams had increased. Additionally, every morning, Sebelia would wake up with a pale, drained face, needing to confirm whether this reality was truly real.
“Again…”
Today’s dream had been about a struggle, where Dehart insisted on taking her to the greenhouse. She declined, citing a prior engagement, but he insisted unusually.
[Why am I always second to everything?]
Dehart had snarled and grabbed her wrist, and she…
“Did I… hit him?”
Even if it was just a dream, she had struck him. Sebelia turned her head away, desperately trying to shake off the lingering effects of the nightmare.
No need to dwell on it. It’s just a nightmare.
But the truth was, Dehart had been appearing more frequently in her dreams lately. His persistent appearances were almost as if he was trying to ensure she didn’t forget about him. Sebelia pressed her lips together.
“Not a word from him, and yet, he’s still such a selfish man, even in my dreams.”
Even without the dreams, Sebelia found herself thinking about him while studying illusion magic.
More specifically, she was wondering what it was she truly wanted from him.
* * *
This line of thought had been triggered by something Watts said.
While they were clearing the wreckage of the burned-down herb storage, Watts had suddenly confessed his guilt to her.
“I’m sorry, Miss Bella.”
Sebelia had stopped cleaning the charred materials and looked at him with a confused expression. But Watts, already crushed by the weight of his guilt, couldn’t bear to hold it in any longer.
“I almost gave up on treating you.”
“Wait, what?”
“I had forgotten my duties as a healer. I thought that the material things I had accumulated were what proved my worth. I secretly believed that without them, I wouldn’t be able to provide proper treatment.”
Watts sighed bitterly and slumped his shoulders. He blinked his eyes sadly, as if prepared for Sebelia to blame him.
“I see… But, well… you didn’t give up on me in the end, did you?”
Sebelia, though still surprised, managed to answer. Her words were squeezed out in a moment of confusion, and weren’t entirely wrong. After all, Watts had continued to work tirelessly at the lab, making medicine every night for her treatment.
“I thought you’d say that, Miss Bella. Ah, I truly am a fool…”
Even with Sebelia’s warm words, Watts shook his head, speaking with self-deprecation.
“Even treating the one responsible for the crime might have been something I did for my own sake. Since I had lost everything, saving him instead of taking revenge probably served to satisfy my own pitiful sense of righteousness.”
Sebelia learned that the knight, Henkit, had survived and returned. She had naturally assumed that Dehart had killed him, so she couldn’t hide her surprise.
“So, he’s alive?”
“Yes, I’ve heard that after being captured, he was supposed to be punished. Unfortunately, he managed to escape during a brief opportunity.”
As Watts spoke, he told Sebelia that he wouldn’t be charging her for the future treatments. After a brief moment of hesitation, Sebelia accepted his offer but asked for something in return, in a different way.
“In a different way? What do you mean?”
“You’re well-versed in the medical literature of Lockwood, aren’t you? I’d like to borrow your expertise.”
“You mean, you want to work on something related to Lockwood?”
Watts looked at her with surprise. Sebelia stood her ground and began to explain her thoughts clearly.
“You mentioned before that Lockwood is gradually opening up. I remembered that, and when I went to Suffredi last time, I bought a trade newspaper.”
She handed him the newspaper, which had been read several times, showing signs of wear.
“I don’t think my thoughts are far off. There was an article about how Lockwood lumber is gradually being released into the market, and the backlash from those dealing with Belkram lumber is growing. That means…”
“You think medicinal herbs will slowly be made available too.”
“Yes, but I can’t wait until then.”
Sebelia’s eyes were filled with unwavering determination. Watts looked down, silently acknowledging the strength in her gaze.
“If everything works out, it will be easier to obtain the glass flower. I see, it’s a forward-thinking plan.”
There was a tinge of admiration. As a doctor, he was highly competent, but when it came to other matters, he was somewhat lacking. Sebelia’s plan seemed impressive to him.
However, Sebelia knew that her plan, while ambitious, had little chance of success. She didn’t accept Watts’ praise with ease and shook her head.
“This isn’t a plan to outsmart anyone. I just need to survive, I need that medicine. That’s how I ended up here, after much thought.”
‘I haven’t heard from him in a week,’ she added and looked away, her gaze dropping.
“I understand. I’ll look into it for you.”
