After I Died, My Husband Went Mad - Chapter 235

“Double the guards at the prison. And you’ll need to put in more effort, Ludmil. Use your terrifying illusions to protect our precious criminal.”

“…Yes.”

Ludmil, glancing briefly at the Second Price who had put him to work so efficiently, turned his attention to the real master, who had remained silent all this time.

“Haa…”

A long, drawn-out sigh escaped Balak’s lips as he sprawled across the long chair.

He had been in that state ever since the day of the exhibition. Whether it was because he hadn’t personally rescued his cousin, or because of the shock of that day’s horrors, no one could tell.

“Your regrets are truly pitiful, Balak.”

“……”

“She never asked for your help in the first place. Burning yourself up in guilt all on your own… Ashrent’s name would weep.”

Even at Shateian’s sharp remark, Balak didn’t budge. Why had he kept such a man as a friend? Shateian sighed and got up from his seat. Ludmil had already left, unable to bear the sight of his master.

“If you plan to meet your cousin looking like some street wanderer, I won’t stop you. Sure, my pride will be trampled, but that’s your choice.”

“What did you just say?”

Balak shot up, finally opening his mouth. Shateian chuckled and shook his head.

“You truly forgot, didn’t you? You were there that day. Or did you just erase it from your memory out of that pitiful guilt?”

Shateian looked at Balak with disdain, raising a finger as if teaching a basic math lesson.

“Besides being a victim almost kidnapped by Nathan Wheddon, Bella Appenz has another role. According to the Eastern nobles, she’s ‘doing strange things to undermine Nathan.’ To prove it’s not sorcery, she must first convince the person in-charge—me.”

“……!”

“In other words, there was no need for you to loiter outside the Inverness estate at dawn every day.”

Balak’s neck flushed red as his repeated actions were exposed. Shateian smirked and pointed to the door.

“Now go back and fix that disheveled appearance of yours. You may not have become a hero, but at least you should show your finest self.”

Silently, Balak kicked the door open and left. Shateian, left alone, shook his shoulders to suppress a laugh.

* * *

Even amidst the capital’s worst scandal, the Inverness estate remained eerily quiet—the eye of the storm, where the center of the incident stayed.

Sebelia had been suffering for days from the aftereffects of overusing her powers.

“Ugh…”

She clutched her head, groaning. Her skull throbbed painfully, and a heat rising from her stomach made her body flush.

“How long is this going to last?”

Four days had passed since the exhibition, yet the symptoms persisted. She leaned back in her chair, speaking in a weary whisper.

Claude entered, carrying a pitcher of cold water, frowning.

“That’s right. It’s worse than I expected. I didn’t think it would get this severe.”

If it could be solved with medicine, that would have been preferable. But this was something her body had to recover from on its own.

“Here, drink this.”

“Thank you.”

Watching Sebelia repeatedly sip the cold water to calm her simmering stomach, Claude clicked his tongue.

“Your ability is too remarkable to be convenient.”

“Ahaha.”

“Don’t laugh, Bella. Haa… do you know how shocked I was back then?”

He had known her powers could overwhelm ordinary illusionists, but creating something like that? Honestly, he thought his heart would jump right out of his chest.

“Well… at least it worked out.”

Sebelia let out a small smile, stretching her arm across the chair. The blue bird resting on her hand stirred and fluttered upward.

“Etira.”

Peeet!

Hearing its name, the bird lifted its tail and shivered with delight. Claude couldn’t help but smile briefly at the cute sight, then quickly straightened his face.

“You know this behavior warrants scolding, right?”

“Hmm…”

“You realized the name in the middle of a feverish state and immediately brought your familiar to consciousness. Honestly, Bella, do you have no intention of recovering?”

“No, of course not.”

Sebelia let out a soft laugh at Claude’s overestimation. It had truly been accidental—she was swept up in an irresistible surge of power the moment she recognized her talent, and in that moment, she discovered the name of her only familiar.

Etira. That was the name of Sebelia’s singular familiar.

“Anyway, I need to recover soon… and it’s about time I reveal that I’m an illusionist.”

Thinking of the rumors circulating about her—cursed powers, blasphemous, filthy magic—Sebelia exhaled. The First Queen’s faction had been discrediting her powers to argue for Nathan’s innocence.

“Oh, by the way, a letter arrived from the royal household.”

Claude pulled an envelope from his coat, the name of Prince Shateian elegantly embossed on its front.

‘I remember now—they asked me to come.’

So, this was a summons. But the contents of the letter were not what Sebelia had expected.