After I Died, My Husband Went Mad - Chapter 170

“Hmm…”

“Mr. Claude?”

“Ah, sorry.”

At the repeated sound of concern slipping out, Sebelia furrowed her brows. Claude admitted his mistake and raised both hands in surrender.

“I’ll keep quiet from now on.”

Sebelia stared at him with a skeptical look. She didn’t trust him entirely, but there was no other choice. He was, after all, her mentor.

“Please do.”

With a sigh, Sebelia lowered her head again to finish the letter she was writing to Denisa. Claude, as though determined to keep his promise, shut his mouth and turned his gaze toward the window.

‘It’s quieter than I expected. Lady Licia’s business seems to have passed without a major incident… Luckily, it doesn’t seem like I need to get involved.’

In truth, Claude had been sensing that Dehart’s mental state was at its worst recently.

‘But I should still carry the control reins, just in case.’

Though in a relatively insignificant position now, he had once been known as a genius of Inverness. With enough focus, he could still sense the fluctuations of power from his bloodline.

What he sensed about Dehart was like a glass of water on the brink of overflowing. He was barely managing to control his power, but the issue lay beneath the surface. Unable to calm his turbulent emotions, his energy was becoming unstable.

However, his power was not directed outward, but inward. Instead of surrounding himself with sharp thorns like a hedgehog, he was directing the sharpness inward, creating a dangerous, self-inflicted wound.

The reason Claude had not approached him was because of this.

‘This is something I should have gone through ten years ago.’

Among the bloodline of Inverness, those born with the power of lightning often couldn’t handle it in their youth, causing several uncontrolled bursts. Usually, those bursts were external, and that type was relatively easy to manage.

They often went through numerous small bursts of power as children, each time learning to control themselves, while growing mentally. It was a process of emotional growth, where the arrogance based on unchecked power would cause harm to their family and those around them, allowing them to mature mentally.

It was a form of growing pains, almost like a rite of passage specific to Inverness.

But Dehart had not gone through that process. His power, fueled by the belief that strength equaled truth, was only nurtured and unchecked. His arrogance grew without limits, and no one was there to stop him.

What’s more, he had never trusted others, so when people suffered and left him, he only laughed and said, “I knew it,” as told by the knights of Inverness a few days ago.

As a result, Dehart had ultimately failed to cherish those he loved, and now, drowning in regret and self-reproach, he was experiencing his overdue growth pains. It was a foolish and bitter ending.

“Because of me…”

Claude unknowingly blurted out his true feelings and bit his lip in surprise. A fleeting moment of guilt flashed through his golden eyes.

‘If only my brother had been alive.’

If he hadn’t made such foolish mistakes, Dehart would have grown up normally. He suppressed the rising emotions and took a cold breath.

‘Still, there’s no need to worry now.’

Feeling the ebbing power, Claude sighed. No matter what happened with Licia, after throwing her out, the swirling force that had been so wild was gradually settling down.

But his curiosity remained.

‘What exactly shattered his arrogance?’

Even when Dehart thought his wife was dead, and he encountered her again, he had been determined not to direct any power toward himself. What had happened to make him unable to forgive himself and draw a sword against himself?

How much of a shock did he experience for his narrow little world to break apart?

Claude propped his chin on his hand and gazed out the window. Across the courtyard, he could see Dehart’s office building.

Through the half-open curtains, he thought he caught a glimpse of his side profile standing still.

* * *

Time passed, and evening arrived. Claude had already returned to his room. Sebelia was fiddling with a letter she planned to send the next day when she stood up from her desk.

It seemed like Dehart would stay locked in his office again today. Glancing out the window, Sebelia left the room. Unexpectedly, she ran into someone.

“Mr. Watts?”

“Oh, this works out well. I was just on my way to see you, Miss Bella.”

It was Watts. His early visit caught Sebelia off guard, and seeing her surprise, he explained calmly.

“The medicine was finished earlier than expected, and I wanted to speak with you, Miss Bella. If you don’t have dinner plans, would you mind giving me some of your time?”

“I don’t have any plans. I can always ask for dinner again… Well, come in first. We can’t keep talking out here in the hallway.”

Sebelia furrowed her brows when she noticed someone peeking from around the corner. She wasn’t sure who it was, but it was clearly one of the residence’s servants. Whether they sensed her gaze or not, the person quickly hid.

“Come in.”

“Excuse me for a moment.”

With a click, the door shut. A moment later, a maid stood up from the shadowed corner of the hallway.

It was the same maid who had once been caught spying by Sebelia.