My Husband Never Dies - Chapter 16
Evelyn leaned both elbows on the ornate table, roughly running her hands through her brilliantly shining golden hair. The hairpin that had once adorned her head had long since fallen to the floor, but she couldn’t care less.
Like a scar etched across her chest, the vivid and terrifying memory clung to her mind, and it was driving her insane.
Her life had always been simple and clear-cut. Do whatever it takes to survive. Kill when necessary and without hesitation. A brutal, grueling existence, where all that mattered was staying alive. That was enough… or at least, it had been.
So where had everything gone wrong?
Right. It had to be that damned prince and his scam of a contract.
There’s no way he offered to pull her out of that hellhole, the infamous prison of Zelakent, and even give her a clean identity, all just to have her kill some run-of-the-mill noble. No, what he’d really done was send her to cut the head off a monster in noble’s clothing.
“A scam. A fxcking scam…”
Evelyn muttered through clenched teeth, sounding like someone caught in the grips of neurosis.
Knock knock.
Just then, a knock came at the door, followed by a cheerful voice from outside the study.
“My lady! It’s Laura.”
Her hair, once neatly twisted and pinned, was now a complete mess. With an irritated frown, Evelyn yanked the whole thing down, letting her golden strands fall free. She took a breath to collect herself, then responded.
“Come in.”
What was even happening today? Life at Brumfield wasn’t particularly eventful. Under the strange duke, the only permanent resident was the steward, Mr. Wilford, who oversaw the estate. The servants changed faces constantly, and aside from them, only a few others remained: Laura, whom the royal family had assigned to assist Evelyn, and a few nameless maids tasked with attending the so-called duchess.
This, too, was undeniably strange.
The duke’s estate was massive, so much so that it could rival the royal palace which stood grandly at the heart of the capital. To call it a mere mansion was misleading; it was a castle in all but name.
Although Evelyn had only ever stayed in the annex, even that had the scale and splendor of a palace. Back in the royal palace, not just those who attended her, but even the staff managing the annex numbered in the hundreds. So then why, in the duke’s estate…
“Oh my! My lady, you’ve let your hair down again? Was it uncomfortable?”
Laura’s voice was bright and energetic, like sunbeams on a summer afternoon. In this mad land ruled by a mad duke, she was the only one who even felt remotely human. For the first time in her life, Evelyn found herself depending on someone else.
“My head hurts, that’s all.”
“Oh no, should I fetch the physician? You haven’t been looking well lately, and you’ve barely been eating. I’m worried.”
“Physician?”
Evelyn furrowed her brow, having half-ignored Laura’s comment. Was there even a physician in Brumfield? There ought to be, of course, but this place defied common sense so often that she hadn’t expected it.
“Is there really any need for a physician?”
Unlike Evelyn’s indifferent tone, Laura’s eyes went wide as she delivered a bombshell.
“Of course! My lady, you and the master get along so well. There’s even a chance a little one might be on the way!”
Evelyn stared at Laura, whose eyes sparkled with excitement, with an expression beyond words. It was horrifying. That monster’s child? If something like that was growing inside her, she’d sooner slice open her own stomach right then and there.
And yet, there was something else that rubbed her the wrong way.
“…Get along?”
Evelyn doubted Laura’s eyesight. But the girl nodded enthusiastically without a trace of hesitation.
“Absolutely! Heehee… The master is always by your side, isn’t he? Not a day goes by without him asking after you. He’s overflowing with love, don’t you think?”
She’d put it gently, but Evelyn had no trouble catching the implications beneath Laura’s words.
Just the thought of that man visiting her chambers nearly every day made her skin crawl. It was only because she was who she was that she’d survived this long. If it were some ordinary noble lady instead, she’d have collapsed from the strain already. Or perhaps she’d have taken her own life, unable to bear it.
“Anyway, my lady! Just in case, I’ll let the head steward know. I’m sure there must be a physician for the Brumfield household!”
Even at Laura’s spirited reply, Evelyn remained silent. A personal physician for House Brumfield? She could bet a finger there wasn’t one.
“…Alright. Look into it later. So, what did you come here for?”
“Ah!”
Laura clapped her hands, suddenly remembering her original reason for coming, and quickly delivered the news.
“The master has sent word that he’s coming back!”
At her words, Evelyn felt the blood drain from her body. Her fingertips turned cold. A drop of cold sweat slid down her back.
“Here, please take this.”
Laura carefully placed a small box she’d nearly forgotten on the table. It was a round velvet case, polished to a luxurious sheen, the kind that usually held delicate jewelry or trinkets.
“He must’ve been in such a hurry to send this ahead of him!”
Evelyn simply stared at the dark navy velvet box. Normally, someone would be curious or pleased to open a gift, but she remained silent and unmoving. Laura’s bright tone naturally began to dull.
“M-my lady… won’t you open it?”
Laura looked on with growing concern at Evelyn, who hadn’t so much as twitched. Well, it was only natural. After all, the duchess had come as a royal bride to a distant and unfamiliar land. Her husband was the only one she could rely on here, and now even he had left abruptly for the capital. She must be feeling lonely.
No doubt, the Duke of Brumfield had sent a small present ahead to comfort his wife in his absence. Wanting to cheer up the atmosphere between the couple, Laura exaggerated her expression deliberately and continued speaking.
“My lady, aren’t you curious what the gift is? The master must really care for you. I can’t help wondering what it might be…”
Just then, Evelyn lightly tapped the velvet box with her index finger. It wasn’t even a forceful motion, but the case rolled across the table. Startled, Laura hurriedly caught it before it could fall to the floor.
“If you’re that curious, why don’t you open it?”
“But my lady, it’s your gift…”
“Well, I’m not particularly curious.”
It wasn’t a lie. Evelyn had no desire to open a box that carried the faint scent of blood. A gift that smelled of blood…
“Then I’ll open it and show you.”
Laura sounded reluctant but ultimately gave in. She carefully opened the velvet case.
It opened silently and smoothly. Inside the black velvet-lined box sat a single green eyeball, the blood on it dried, like some kind of twisted gift.
