After I Died, My Husband Went Mad - Chapter 92
So the two donned their respective masks and began their play. Sebelia pledged to act as Bella, whether he had amnesia or not, and Dehart pretended to be an innocent young man who knew nothing.
And this is where the advantage of theater comes into play. The performers are never the first to take off their masks even in times of uneasy tension. They accepted each other as people on stage, not as charlatans.
“Would you like some more bacon?”
“No, thank you, I’m fine, I guess I’m too full.”
Now there was a young man named Dehart, who had nothing but his name, and a woman named Bella, who was trying to find a cure for her illness and build a new life.
“Thank you for your concern, Bella.”
“It’s nothing.”
Thanks to that, it seemed that the mealtime would end smoothly. However, unexpected complications were always lurking around every corner.
“Everyone’s finished eating, right?”
Claude, looking like he had a little spring in his step, came back with dessert. Sebelia blinked at the sight of dessert, something they never had in all their previous meals.
“I haven’t baked one in a long time, so let’s see. Isn’t it spectacular?”
Steam rose from the freshly baked muffins, each with a different flavor. Some were golden yellow like well-cooked wheat, and others were as dark as chocolate. Sebelia clutched the mug of tea Watts had poured for her, waiting for people to make their choices.
“Go ahead and pick first.”
“Huh?”
“There are some with chocolate chips, and others with blueberries. Choose what you like.”
Sebelia’s eyes widened in surprise. This situation was a little strange. She suddenly realized that all three men were waiting for her to make her choice.
“Oh, um…”
“Do you want the one with chocolate chips?”
Claude sensed her hesitation and placed a muffin on her plate. Sebelia gave a small thank you, then crumbled the warm muffin with her fork to reveal a moist center.
“How is it? It must be delicious, right?”
“It really is.”
Sebelia gave a small smile. The privilege of being able to choose what she wanted without hesitation was something she had never experienced before. Even during her time as a Duchess at Hillend Hall, she always had to be cautious, considering others’ opinions before acting.
Even when I bought things from the jewelers and dressmakers my father sent.
To maintain her dignity as a Duchess, she was careful not to do anything that would reveal her illegitimate birth, and when others asked her to do something, she agreed.
Buying a necklace for Dehart was an act that had required her to muster all the courage she had. Fortunately, since it was a gift for him, people at Hillend Hall didn’t question it much.
“Mr. Dehart, you can have what’s left here.”
While Sebelia delicately pierced the muffin with her fork, Claude handed another muffin to Dehart. Unlike the manner in which he gave it to Sebelia, he had a rather indifferent attitude towards Dehart.
Dehart, secretly amused, took a bite of the blueberry muffin.
“Ugh.”
Dehart’s brow furrowed mercilessly. All three pairs of eyes turned to him. Trying to prevent Bella from taking a bite, he spoke.
“Don’t eat it for a moment. There’s a fishy smell from the muffin.”
“What? That can’t be.”
Claude was surprised as he nervously bit into his own muffin. Then, with the same expression as Dehart, he turned his head.
“Ugh…” Dehart, having barely swallowed the remaining bits in his mouth, asked, “Did you bake fish in the oven?”
In that moment of silence, Watts, who had quietly returned the muffin to its place, exclaimed, “Ah, I briefly grilled some fish caught in the lake early in the morning.”
“What?”
“I was hungry.”
The culprit was the smell of fish baked in the oven. Claude was angry at himself for not realizing it and even more annoyed at Watts for not mentioning it until now. As he squinted his eyes, Watts calmly picked up another muffin.
Dehart, meanwhile, gulped down water to steady his rumbling stomach.
“Ugh…”
“Are you okay?”
“Oh, yes.”
Dehart nodded with a gentle smile at Claude’s concern. Despite feeling like he might vomit at any moment, he couldn’t do so with Sebelia watching.
He wiped the sweat from his brow and spoke in a low voice, like an innocent, unblemished young man.
“I hadn’t realized. It seems like I don’t have the stomach for this.”
Thud!
The chair rattled as Sebelia sprang to her feet. All three men looked at her in surprise, their eyes widening. Sebelia, covering her face, spoke in a small voice.
“Ah… Me, too, because of the smell, my stomach. Isn’t feeling well. I’m sorry.”
With that, she quickly left the dining room, disappearing from sight. Everyone remaining in the room stared at the door, dumbfounded.
