After I Died, My Husband Went Mad - Chapter 61
Eli was lost in his thoughts as he followed Dehart. Was his master truly losing his mind? Or was it, unbelievably hard to fathom, that the Duchess might have been a twin? To Eli, who was rational though not perceptive, the fact that the Duchess was alive was simply out of the question.
After all, the Duchess had died, her funeral had been carried out following the proper procedures, and she had been officially declared deceased. Declaring someone officially dead was not something that could be done so haphazardly. There are a lot of customs involved, and a lot of judgment on the part of the people who enforce them.
But how could the Duchess, locked away in her mansion, be capable of such a thing?
If it was true that the Duchess was alive, someone would have had to retrieve her body. Or she would have had to find a corpse, one that looked just like her, fresh from the dead.
How do I explain this?
Eli sighed as they watched Dehart issuing orders to the knights without hesitation. If he allowed this to continue, the number of casualties would only increase. And the first person to go would undoubtedly be the woman who looked like the Duchess. Unlike the meek and lifeless Duchess, the brunette seemed determined and full of life.
She must have run away for a reason, or because she sensed the Duke was out of his mind. If so, she would undoubtedly attempt to leave the city, leading to an inevitable confrontation.
If we’re going to get caught, we might as well put out the fire before it gets out of hand.
After a moment’s hesitation, he approached Dehart.
“Sir.”
“Perhaps even at the ruins… What is it?”
Dehart, in the midst of issuing instructions, turned to Eli. His once whitened eyes had now returned to their brilliant golden hue.
Eli whispered cautiously into his ear, “Actually, I know where the person you just met is staying at.”
His piercing glare returned. Dehart looked like he wanted to cut Eli in two right there and then.Eli gulped.
Did I speak too soon?
No. If the hope was destined to be shattered anyway, it was better to crush it before it fully blossomed. Eli steeled his resolve and provided Dehart with the address of the inn.
Dehart’s lips pressed tightly together.
* * *
Sebelia, with her belongings in tow, dashed through the corridors as if her life depended on it.
Let’s take the back alley to the hills.
She couldn’t fathom Dehart’s intentions, but after witnessing his recent state, one thing was clear—she mustn’t get caught, at least for now.
Those eyes… I’ve never seen anything like them before.
They were relentless eyes—eyes that had seen dozens of hopes betrayed, hundreds of expectations crushed, yet suddenly seemed to dream once again. That chilling realization struck her as she felt Dehart looking at her with those eyes. And instinctively, she understood.
The fact that she was already ‘officially’ deceased meant nothing to him. The chance of her appearing in front of a man who had tasted hundreds of frustrations and despair would render all reason irrelevant.
So, it was perhaps wiser not to meet him. Even if it was unavoidable, it was best to face him when they were on equal ground.
“So not now.”
At his side, if memory served her correctly, was a man she’d once mistaken for Ryan. If so, then he might be one of Ryan’s relatives.
A man with the status of a lord wouldn’t come with only one knight.
As she hurried along, there was a sudden commotion on the street just beyond the window. Sebellia halted her descent down the stairs and turned her head. Her blue eyes widened dramatically.
So soon?!
Through the window, she spotted around six knights, led by Dehart. They were deliberately dressed in regalia bearing the markings of his noble House, causing the startled bystanders to make way.
He’s made up his mind.
Sebelia gripped the window sill with trembling hands. It seemed the knights were blocking the entrance to the inn. She was at a loss. She bit down on the soft flesh inside her mouth, trying to pull herself together.
I can’t possibly confront them directly.
She sensed a determination in Dehart’s voice, not conveyed in words but in sheer force. It would be no use protesting that she wasn’t a Sebelia once she was captured.
“He attended my funeral, so how could he even think I was alive…”
It was truly incomprehensible. Could that arrogant man have lost his mind? A normal person would think they looked alike, but not that they were the same person.
Sebelia, feeling restless, blinked as she had a sudden realization.
“…Right.”
If he wants her alive, then that’s what she’ll give him.
With a calm face, Sebelia turned her back on him and walked back the way she came.
