After I Died, My Husband Went Mad - Chapter 44
It had been nearly two weeks since she’d fled Hillend Hall. When Sebelia had just left that place, she hadn’t realized the overwhelming fatigue that had consumed her entire body. However, as the tension eased, weariness and drowsiness seemed to ambush her.
“Ugh…”
Waking slowly again today, Sebelia reached for the pills with half-open eyes and swallowed them. The pills prescribed by the Ursic doctors were stronger than her old ones.
“Phew…”
Sebelia sat up and stood with both feet on the floor, feeling her mind growing clearer.
“Ah…!”
Yet, in the very next moment, she found herself having to kneel on the rug, her ankles suddenly giving out.
Oh no.
[You probably already know, but your symptoms resemble Reese’s disease. And as of now, it’s an incurable condition.]
The doctor’s calm, dry voice echoed in her head.
[Currently, it’s at a stage where internal organs are slowing down, but as time goes on, you will also gradually lose the ability to move your hands and feet.]
It was a story she had heard once from the physician that Denisa had brought in. Yet, every time she heard it, the words felt as chilling as ever.
Because that would be her future.
That’s why I wanted to leave.
With a body slowly stiffening, she didn’t want to face death in that cold mansion, receiving nothing but disdain from others, unable to do anything.
Sebelia’s eyelids fluttered as the sunlight streamed in through the window. The noon sun gently enveloped her hands. It seemed to reassure her, telling her not to worry.
[Actually, the reason I said something so pessimistic first is because I didn’t want you to get your hopes up too much for what I’ll say next.
After uttering those words, the physician removed his glasses and sighed. For a moment, a fleeting thought crossed his mind, ‘I wonder if this is the right thing to do.’
But then, as if making up his mind, he put his glasses back on and looked straight at Sebelia.
[It’s a very slim possibility, but it could be that it’s not Reese’s disease. Most patients usually have accompanying skin lesions…]
The physician’s eyes glanced at Sebelia’s cheek, neck, and exposed forearms. Her skin was remarkably flawless without the usual blemishes.
[You don’t seem to exhibit such symptoms, and the progression of your illness is notably slow.]
At that moment, Sebelia unconsciously clasped two hands in her lap.
[I’ll just write you a note].
[What?]
[To be honest, this is my first time encountering a patient with Reese’s disease.]
The physician casually retrieved a piece of paper from the drawer and dipped the pen nib into the ink.
[I’ll refer you to one of the leading experts on Reese’s and other rare diseases. He’s also the doctor who discovered a new illness that was previously misdiagnosed as Locker’s disease.]
The physician set the pen down and sprinkled something onto the note before sealing it with wax.
[He’s not normally a people person, but if you come to him as my patient, he’ll let you in.]
Thunk–!
A prism-like shimmering light danced and disappeared above the emerald-colored wax seal.
[Here’s the doctor’s note and…directions on how to get there, along with what you’ll need. The rest is up to you.]
Sebelia blinked blankly as she looked at the doctor’s report and the small note.
[If you want to live, if you still have the will to seek treatment, take these and go find him.]
And back in the present, Sebelia sat on the floor, mulling over the doctor’s words.
“Will to live…” Sebelia chuckled bitterly, drawing her legs close to her.
The moment the doctor offered the possibility that maybe, just maybe, her illness could be cured, Sebelia felt more bewildered than overjoyed. Her everyday life had already been reconstructed around the assumption of her impending death.
The only reason I was able to let go of everything was because I didn’t have much time left.
Death would snatch away everything regardless of her will. That’s why she could depart without regrets, discarding lingering attachments. And yet, here she was, with the choice back in her hands.
I’m not unhappy about it, but…
Resting her chin on her knees, Sebelia released a faint sigh and closed her eyes.
Is this fear?
Anxiety surged as her barely-established new life was shaken to its foundations once again.
“Denisa will surely ask me to go meet the person recommended by the physician.”
This was the nature of the good news and the bad news she sent to Denisa. The illness was progressing slowly but steadily, yet there was a vague hope that it might not be incurable. An uncertain hope that her life might not end prematurely.
What if that hope gets shattered once again? What then?
What if the skin lesions didn’t appear, but the diagnosis of Reese’s disease was correct? What if it was just a waste of what little time she had left?
“Ha.”
She let out a long sigh. Sebelia stretched her folded legs and slowly eased herself down onto the rug.
Let’s wait for Denisa’s reply for now.
She couldn’t leave Ursic until she received a response anyway. Sebelia blinked slowly in the sunlight, feeling as if she were submerged in deep, warm waters.
