After I Died, My Husband Went Mad - Chapter 183

A small white spark flickered between Dehart’s parted lips, flaring up only to fade, repeating the cycle. The fire, which appeared more vivid in the darkness, left Eli momentarily speechless. Before he could collect himself, Dehart got up from his seat.

“Ah, ah. Ha! This is perfect timing.”

As Dehart brushed his hair back, thick veins stood out on the back of his neck. The veins, bulging as if they were about to pierce through his skin, were taut enough that they seemed ready to burst at the slightest touch.

Eli swallowed nervously. Hearing the report that Dehart had gone to the office, he had hurried over, but now he regretted it. In this moment, Dehart felt like a walking powder keg.

I never thought I’d feel like it would be better if he just threw a tantrum openly.

There was no overwhelming pressure in the room, no explosion decorating the air like stars. However, Dehart, in the stillness, felt far more terrifying than all of that combined. It was as if he could explode at any moment.

What in the world had happened? Eli couldn’t bring himself to ask. The tension was so thick that he could barely breathe. It was Dehart who had saved him from suffocating.

Swiftly scribbling something on a piece of paper, Dehart crumpled it into an envelope and threw it toward Eli.

Thud.

“Duke, this is…”

“Send it to Hillend Hall by express. And tell the knights to prepare their things. We’re heading back to the north.”

Eli’s face brightened slightly at those words.

“Make sure we can leave as quickly as possible. And… yes, the doctor will accompany us to the north. Make sure everything is prepared so that Bella doesn’t feel uncomfortable.”

“What?”

Ignoring Eli’s sharp voice, Dehart continued.

“Also, impose a temporary blockade on the northern border cities. There’s no need to stop trade, but tighten the verification process for those coming and going. Especially for nobles from the central regions.”

“Are you limiting it to those from the central regions?”

“Yes. It doesn’t matter if they’re coming in, but don’t let them leave the north without my permission.”

“There will be some noise. If things go wrong, the imperial family will get involved.”

“They won’t take a serious stance against a madman. If they do, it will only show that they’re at the same level. They’ll observe, maybe make a pretend attempt to stop it, but nothing more.”

A soft laugh echoed through the office. Dehart, his eyes looking white as he stared at Eli while leaning against the desk, made no attempt to mask his cold expression. Eli, seeing his demeanor, stopped asking questions.

“I’ll follow your orders.”

As Eli bowed and was about to leave the office, the sound of a knock interrupted him.

Knock, knock.

The ordinary knock that broke the tension echoed through the room. Eli didn’t miss the flash of a spark that sprang from Dehart’s hand resting on the desk.

“I’ll go check.”

“…”

“What’s the matter?”

Eli, who opened the door in Dehart’s stead, received a letter. The moment he saw the sender, his expression stiffened. Noticing Eli’s hesitation, Dehart straightened his posture.

“Bring it here.”

Eli hesitated for a moment. Would delivering this news to him be beneficial or harmful? But his hesitation was pointless from the start.

Before he knew it, Dehart had silently approached from behind and snatched the letter from Eli’s hand. Staring at his empty hand, Eli sighed.

The sound of tearing the envelope echoed in the room. The long tear of the envelope fluttered down, followed by dark powder, as it fell to the floor.

And then came the silence. The deep, dark silence filled the room so much that Eli almost wished for some commotion to break it. He struggled to hold himself back from reaching for the door handle and running out of the office, then he closed his eyes for a moment.

“…We’re a step too late.”

The heavy voice fell like thunder.

[…I hope you won’t be too heartbroken, Your Grace. It seems that the body of the late Duchess has been taken by someone. The person who knows this…]

The letter from Ryan clearly reflected his helplessness.

* * *

It had been a few days ago.

“How many spies did we have on the Marquis, and yet he disappeared without a trace!”

Ryan, who had expected everything to settle after sending off the triumphant procession of Marquis Limms, found himself troubled by the sudden disappearance of Marquis Wheddon.

When he rushed into the Latour hall, all the spies he had sent were unconscious on the floor. It was an unbelievable reality.

“That…”

The hesitant knight pulled a few half-burnt talismans from his coat, his face pale. It was the mark of a sorcerer.

Seeing it, Ryan’s mind flashed to the face of the sorcerer hired by Gren and Flora. Now that he thought about it, that sorcerer was under suspicion, but had only been detained.

Clicking his tongue, Ryan growled as he turned.

“Shut down Hillend Hall immediately and find Marquis Wheddon. Scatter around the main patrol zones!”

Fortunately, the key areas had been double-checked early. This was due to Limms’ potential for trouble, and Ryan had increased vigilance. But that was a mistake.

No one had expected that Marquis Wheddon would go so far as to desecrate the grave of his deceased daughter to carry out his plot.