Come and Cry at My Funeral - Chapter 194
“Gratitude? On the contrary, congratulations are in order, Your Highness.”
Albireo managed to put on a kind smile, though he, too, had already heard the news of the pregnancy.
It felt as though the divine had struck him over the head, telling him to wake up and let go of the foolish hope he had secretly harbored for someone already married.
‘Still, it’s a joy that you’re an imperial descendant.’
Amid the gloomy clouds of his thoughts, that realization shone like a single ray of sunlight, brightening Albireo’s heart.
‘Once she moves to the duchy, there’ll be no one to mock her or beat her anymore.’
She wouldn’t have to endure pain so severe that she needed the healing spring.
That alone was a great relief…
“Still, if the duchy ever becomes unbearably dull, please feel free to visit Deneb territory anytime.”
But Albireo couldn’t help but regret that he had never once voiced his true feelings. He leaned slightly toward Freesia and whispered softly,
“If things ever become too difficult, or if you urgently need help, or even if you need a place to hide… please let me know.”
“……”
“Promise me.”
Freesia gazed at Albireo with a mix of pity and thoughtfulness.
He was smiling, but she couldn’t help thinking how pitiful he was.
‘What if I had fallen for this man from the start?’
But Albireo Deneb was someone she wouldn’t have met if she hadn’t been Izar’s wife. In her past life, their paths had never crossed, and above all, her heart hadn’t been moved.
Even though she knew how good of a person he was.
‘Besides, I’m determined to sink to the lowest depths of humanity. I can’t drag this poor man into that.’
So, wishing for Albireo’s happiness, Freesia smiled genuinely for the first time in a long while.
“Sir, I hope you meet someone who will never hurt your heart.”
She also thought this might be the last time she would greet him in person.
Even though she believed she had no lingering attachments to life, the thought of their inevitable farewell weighed on her.
But not long after the carriage departed, Izar’s utterly absurd remark brought her back to her senses.
“If necessary, why not take him as your lover?”
“…What? Are you saying that about Sir Deneb?”
“Yes.”
Since the night he discovered she was pregnant, Izar had become noticeably quieter, especially after their heated argument.
He had once promised to do better, and now, as Freesia observed him coldly, she was baffled by this unexpected comment.
“Is that really… something you should be saying to your pregnant wife?”
“What I mean is, if anything makes you happy, you should do it. I haven’t seen you smile like that in ages.”
Izar replied with a detached expression.
His clenched fists, hidden as he crossed his arms, revealed the tension in the taut skin of his knuckles.
Freesia pressed her fingers against the center of her forehead, laughing bitterly.
“I didn’t think you, of all people, would say such a thing. Aren’t you worried about tarnishing your family’s honor?”
“If it makes you smile sincerely, that’s reason enough to endure it.”
In the past, when the family’s honor had been paramount, such a scandal would have been absolutely unacceptable. But now, if it meant Freesia could find happiness, even the smallest attachment to life, Izar was willing to endure anything.
However, his gaze turned sharp as he added,
“But if you tire of him, I’ll kill him immediately.”
“You have a knack for making terrifying jokes, don’t you?”
“I don’t joke when it comes to you.”
Freesia shifted uncomfortably, uneasy under his piercing gaze.
Those golden eyes, filled with intensity, were exactly like those of her “husband” who had silently watched her after her first suicide attempt failed.
“…Luckily for everyone, I have no intention of taking a lover, even for companionship, so don’t worry about that.”
“Then tell me… what would make you smile again?”
“……”
“Tell me what would make you want tomorrow, what would keep you from throwing everything away just to resent me.”
From her awkward cousin Riegel to Izar, why was everyone acting like this? She had no attachments to life aside from her revenge, yet those around her seemed determined to stir up chaos.
Freesia turned away from Izar coldly.
“You figure it out. I won’t be the one to tell you.”
* * *
The news of the duke and duchess returning to the duchy spread through the castle even before their departure.
However, genuine delight at their delayed return was dampened by widespread unease. Electra, in particular, was consumed by fear and bewilderment.
“That woman is an imperial descendant. An imperial… What is this?!”
If the duchy had maintained its dignity, it would have been fitting for them to align with the imperial family, but…
How could such a twisted wish come true in such a grotesque manner?
‘And she’s pregnant, too? How could this be?’
The Antares family had been annihilated, and Charles Károli, once entrusted with the estate, was now awaiting punishment.
Although Charles, ever loyal, had yet to reveal Electra’s involvement, the moment her part in the plot came to light, she would undoubtedly face the same fate.
She had even ordered Freesia to be whipped with thorny branches—surely that would seal her doom.
‘What am I supposed to do now?’
Having ruled the duchy’s inner circle as an influential figure since her maiden days, Electra now found herself utterly helpless in the face of this unexpected turn of events.
But even Electra, who had braced herself for the worst, was stunned by the first decision made by the imperial descendant upon her arrival.
That woman had requested Izar to pardon Charles Károli and appoint him as her personal guard.
