After I Died, My Husband Went Mad - Chapter 212

The next morning, the imperial court received a petition from Marquis Wheddon. Beneath the dazzling flowery language and sentimental expressions, the core message was simple:

[Bella Appenz is undoubtedly my daughter, Cornelia Wheddon. Please assist in returning her to us.]

“If that’s not possible, at least there’s a request to separate her from the cruel Duke Inverness and place her under protection.”

Said a tall man, bowing his head slightly as he finished speaking. The Second Prince, who had been sitting thoughtfully, lifted his gaze to stare out the window.

The noon sun pierced his eyes with overwhelming force. Prince Shateian, his narrow red eyes blinking slowly among his glossy platinum blonde hair, let out a soft chuckle. It was barely an hour since the petition arrived, yet rumors were already spreading.

“So His Majesty has no intention of intervening personally.”

“Not surprising, they say he lost an entire pint of blood just this morning.”

“Oh dear, the day of his passing must be drawing near. His complaints grow louder by the day.”

Shateian shrugged. The tall man, Ludmil, sighed softly.

“So, what should we do now?”

“Hmm.”

Shateian rested his chin on his hand, lowering his eyes. His red eyes glimmered slowly like polished pearls among his shining hair.

“Well, I’m hardly the type to meddle in other people’s family affairs. Besides, if it’s Marquis Wheddon, surely there’s someone even more eager to get involved. Like my elder brother, for example.”

The corners of his well-shaped lips curled into a sly smile. Ludmil shook his head and said,

“If Prince Delian gets involved, then Cornelia will quickly return to Marquis Wheddon. Whether that’s good or bad, I’m not sure…”

At that moment, the door suddenly opened, and a man with deep navy-blue hair strode in.

“Shateian!”

At the familiar greeting, Ludmil furrowed his brows while Shateian smiled brightly.

“Who do we have here? My dear friend Balak, who abandoned me in the capital. Let’s see, it’s been almost a month, hasn’t it? Hmm… only now do you realize my value. Not bad.”

“Complaints can wait—listen to me first.”

Balak seemed quite restless. Shateian gestured, and Ludmil offered him a chair. Balak sat down, clasped his hands, took a deep breath, and spoke immediately.

“You must have heard the rumors about Marquis Wheddon’s lost daughter.”

“Were you about to drag that stale old fish out now after letting it rot for days?”

Shateian cut him off with a displeased face.

“I was already in the middle of discussing it. The Marquis sent a petition. The daughter’s name was… what was it again?”

“Cornelia.”

“Terrible naming sense. No different from the first daughter. Anyway, he wrote a petition claiming Duke Inverness is forcibly holding her and asked him to send her back. Brother will probably handle it.”

At that moment, the navy-haired man growled low in his throat. Shateian looked at him in surprise. The man’s green eyes gleamed dangerously.

“By ‘brother,’ you mean Prince Delian, the fiance of Marquis Wheddon’s eldest daughter?”

“Yes.”

“No. He must not be entrusted. You must handle this, Shateian.”

“Hm?”

“You haven’t forgotten our promise, have you? You vowed to find and protect my cousin no matter what, in exchange for my help in securing your claim to the throne.”

Balak fixed Shateian with a piercing gaze.

“What… ha!”

Shateian stared at Balak wide-eyed, then let out a wry laugh at the thought.

Balak Ashrent, a member of the Ashrent family that governs Lockwood, had come to Belkram long ago with his retainers to search for lost kin and became friends with Shateian.

[Instead of searching blindly, why not find the father first?]

What was Balak’s reaction? Ah, yes. A bitter smile. Then he said:

[I would have done that if I could. Sadly, Aunt never told us anything about the father. Had I known she would lose consciousness, I would have asked no matter the risk… foolish. Now all I can do is not lose hope.]

Back then, Balak was not the head of the family but the second son. His elder brother Rossel had taken over as head of the family just a month ago. Immediately, Balak came to Belkram…

“So that’s why. I couldn’t understand why you left the capital right after arriving.”

“…I had no time to process the news of the death of my cousin who I have been searching for all my life.”

Balak said in a dry tone. Shateian exhaled heavily, realizing his guess was correct. It was too late to scold him for not revealing it sooner.