We're Married, After All - Chapter 79
What… what is this situation?
I racked my brain, trying to piece together fragmented memories.
But nothing explained what was happening. The scattered recollections of Danel, the maids who cared for me, or the occasional visits from the physician held no answers.
Then, I noticed something near the food tray—something that shouldn’t have been there. A small, familiar pouch of medicine I’d hidden in the wardrobe long ago.
It was the herb mixture Janna had prepared—the one meant to dry up the fetus in my womb.
I stared at the medicine, then at the glass of water beside it. Slowly, I turned back toward the incense burner near the bed.
The inside still held a small pile of half-burnt herbs, soaked with water as if someone had deliberately extinguished the flames.
“Hah… haha…”
A dry, mirthless laugh escaped my lips.
Sometimes the incense burner went out naturally, especially on dry days when the herbs burned too quickly. Those rare gaps were when most of my fragmented memories had formed.
But today felt different. This time, someone had intentionally put out the fire—so I could wake up.
I stumbled toward the bedroom door—the largest, most direct exit from this room. The one escape route I’d never considered in any of my plans.
The hallway beyond was eerily silent—not peaceful, but tense, like the calm before a storm.
When I reached the door, I hesitated briefly before gripping the handle. Click. The latch turned smoothly, without resistance.
The door swung open, revealing the second-floor corridor.
It’s been so long…
As I stepped outside, the servants froze, their breaths held as they watched me.
I walked down the hall, steadying myself with the banister. No one moved to stop me.
I couldn’t help but laugh.
Was this the lingering effect of the hallucinogens? Or had I truly gone mad in the time I’d been trapped? The situation was so absurd that I found it funny.
I fought so hard to leave that room, but I never even thought of using the front door.
The extinguished incense burner.
The missing shackles.
The lethal herb pouch.
The terrified yet passive servants.
Something primal within me knew the truth.
Still, I couldn’t ignore the sliver of doubt in my mind. I turned to a maid desperately scrubbing the floor, pretending not to notice me.
“Where… is my husband?”
The maid didn’t respond—just as I expected.
I asked nothing more and headed straight to Danel’s room.
It was empty.
The sections where his travel clothes and boots used to be were vacant. His already sparse, spartan room now felt utterly deserted.
Only a few sheets of paper remained on the desk, standing out starkly against the barren surroundings.
Every document was written in Danel’s precise, formal handwriting.
The contents were clear:
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- No matter what happened to Danel Veloce, the marriage contract with Laurea Veloce would remain legally binding unless she herself filed for annulment.
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- If Danel Veloce were to disappear, all of Lapecia’s estates, along with any future inheritances, would be transferred solely to Laurea Veloce.
Each document was stamped with an official seal, suggesting they were intended to hold legal weight.
At the bottom of the stack lay a crude, hand-drawn map.
Several locations were marked in red ink, with short notes and dates beside each one:
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- Mereone Village outskirts – Checked Nov. 26 – No traces found.
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- Cantina Mountain Cabin – Checked Dec. 4 – Signs of a recent fire. Burned down to prevent revisits.
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- Etrasalata Castle – Checked Dec. 17 – Report of a traveler with blonde hair and violet eyes. Turned out to be someone else.
Most of the marked locations were concentrated in the south, moving progressively closer to Lapecia’s borders.
I stared at the notes, realization dawning.
He’s been looking for Petios.
Of course.
I had only asked Danel to leave Petios alone for one day—not to spare his life.
And Danel’s greatest fear was having our marriage annulled. If Petios were found alive, our marriage would be nullified. He had to silence his brother.
Judging by the fact that he was still searching into the new year…
He must’ve failed.
Aside from those documents and the map tracking Petios, there was nothing else—no letters, no personal notes.
Danel had left me… nothing.
“Danel…”
His name spilled from my lips like a breath I couldn’t hold back.
For reasons I couldn’t grasp, he’d chosen to let me go.
He’d given me the right to kill our unborn child…
The chance to find my former fiancé…
And my freedom.
But none of the options he left included Danel Veloce himself.
I clenched my jaw and stared down at the map he’d drawn.
Most of the marked locations were places Petios had used as safe houses when escaping with Danel’s help. Based on the notes, Danel must’ve believed Petios was heading back to the Veloce Estate.
But… that didn’t seem right to me.
I left Danel’s room and returned to mine, grabbing my riding boots and throwing a coat over my nightgown.
Finally, I opened the display case and retrieved two training spears—the same ones used for combat practice. Though designed for training, they were still dangerous weapons.
With that, I headed down the manor’s grand staircase.
The butler, visibly pale and anxious, stiffened when he saw me heading toward the stables—but made no move to stop me. Danel must’ve left him specific instructions.
Inside the stables, my horse immediately recognized me, nuzzling against me with affection. I strapped the spear holder onto the saddle, barely acknowledging the stablehand frozen nearby. He didn’t matter—I could mount using the riding stairs.
But the moment I swung into the saddle, I felt a sudden, violent movement from within my belly.
“Ngh…”
A strained groan escaped me as I grimaced, clutching my stomach.
It wasn’t painful… but it felt like the baby was struggling.
