After I Died, My Husband Went Mad - Chapter 163

The powder, shining briefly before oxidizing, scattered over the pale envelope. The young butler asked in a hurried voice.

“Sir Ryan, isn’t this a big deal?”

“Yes. It’s a big deal,” Ryan replied nonchalantly, staring at the butler.

“It’s something the Duke will absolutely go mad about.”

Crash, a lightning bolt struck, accompanied by the sound of pouring rain. The butler, now holding the letter, was ushered out of the office as the thunder rumbled.

* * *

The rain continued to fall. Occasionally, a deafening noise rang through the air, and flashes of lightning lit up the mountains in the distance.

Every time this happened, Sebelia would turn to glance at Dehart with a doubtful expression, and he would look back at her with a face full of guilt.

At the farthest top floor, the one farthest from both the office and Dehart’s room, was where Sebelia and the research team had been given their quarters.

Sebelia spoke casually as she opened the door.

“Come in.”

Dehart was about to ask if it was alright but held his tongue. Sebelia’s words still lingered in his chest.

Am I wasting her time with my foolishness?

It was a change that was unbelievable from Dehart, who was always so blunt and sharp-tongued. With a sullen look in his eyes, he carefully sat on the sofa.

Soon, Sebelia returned holding a small box.

“Take it.”

She slid the box toward him with the tips of her fingers. Dehart blinked as he watched the box glide across the table.

“Aren’t you going to take it?”

“It’s not that.”

If it’s from you, I’ll accept anything. Dehart bit back his words and reached out to grab the small box. The delicate paper box crumpled easily, and inside, a silver cross necklace revealed its blunt edge.

“….”

A dark shadow fell over Dehart’s golden eyes. As he silently stared at the necklace, Sebelia spoke softly, like calm ripples on a still surface.

“Maya took this from you again. It was dangerous to leave it as it was, so I kept it.”

“….”

Dehart remained silent, holding the necklace that had slipped out of the crumpled box. Sebelia then reached out and picked it up.

“If you didn’t even notice it was lost, why not just throw it away?”

“No.”

His veined hand snatched the necklace away as if nothing had happened. With a soft click, the silver chain scraped, and the two of them held the necklace’s end, staring at each other.

Sebelia’s blue eyes captured him clearly. As she gazed at his sun-like eyes that were shaking with desperation, she spoke.

“If it’s something you’d toss around as a toy, then just get rid of it. I already knew you didn’t care for it from the start.”

Dehart’s mouth fell open as if shocked, and he swallowed hard. He shook his head violently, holding the delicate necklace’s end.

“That’s not true. I never thought it wasn’t to my liking.”

“You don’t have to lie.”

“It’s true, Sebelia. And about throwing it around as a toy, don’t think like that. I never treated something you gave me so carelessly.”

After his intense shout, a cold murmur followed.

“Then why did you do that back then?”

Dehart’s golden eyes, shaken by the storm of emotions, froze at her sharp words.

“I remember that moment clearly. It was when we had tea in the garden. You said, looking at the necklace I bought for your birthday—what did you say?”

“I… I…”

“You clearly said it wasn’t to your liking. And you also said you wouldn’t wear it unless you become a clergyman. How can you say you never hated it now? How can you claim that the words and actions I remember from you are all lies?”

Her voice was cold and unimpeded, like the water flowing through a valley, but her blue eyes burned like an eternal flame that would never extinguish.

“You’ve always lied to me. Whether it was the truth or not, you never once were honest with me.”

As her calm voice pointed out his past misdeeds, Dehart was left speechless. His face turned pale and lifeless as he realized the irreversible consequences.

“Now, you cling to me, begging for forgiveness. How can I possibly believe you?”

“Sebelia.”

“You can’t even follow through with calling me ‘Bella,’ as you promised.”

Dehart hurriedly covered his mouth and mumbled in a panic. As he dug into the past, he had unknowingly drifted away from reality. He squeezed his eyes shut, and Sebelia, with a cold smile, threw out her words like a sharp weapon.

“And honestly… you’ve never properly apologized to me.”

“What?”

It was the moment Dehart asked back in surprise before he even realized it.

“Since you pretended to have lost your memory, have you ever told me why you were sorry, or for what reason? Have you?”

Her blue eyes stared at him in contempt. In that instant, Dehart felt as though a lightning bolt had struck him. His vision went black, and his heart seemed to fall into the depths.

Never once.

Since the moment he had faced Sebelia, he had never once properly apologized to her.