After I Died, My Husband Went Mad - Chapter 257

Her face lit up with pure happiness. Seeing that expression only made Gren’s resolve stronger.

There’s no turning back now.

All that’s changed is that there’s one more obstacle to clear away. Besides, this woman claiming to be Rosalyn had no real support behind her—unlike Flora.

Which meant, now was the time to crush her.

* * *

With the entire capital—and the empire itself—stirred up by Rosalyn Inverness’s return, the Inverness estate was caught in a storm of its own.

Whether it was because no one dared touch Rosalyn while the Third Prince shielded her, or because the story was just that sensational, the estate’s gates were besieged by reporters and all sorts of onlookers.

“It feels like the crowd gets bigger every day.”

Even just peeking through the curtains was enough to see how serious the situation was, and a sigh escaped without thinking. But there was a problem even more pressing.

It was the men of House Inverness—Rosalyn’s own family. The moment Dehart returned home, he threw himself into preparatory work to invalidate Rosalyn’s claim to succession.

His study had transformed into a command post on the brink of war. He ate and slept there, sometimes working through the night, and only his most trusted knights were permitted entry.

Does he even sleep?

Even if she hadn’t seen it herself, Sebelia could sense the tense atmosphere inside just by the pale, drawn faces of knights coming and going.

And as for Claude…

Sebelia frowned. The moment he heard Rosalyn had come back, Claude had vanished somewhere.

She hadn’t had a chance to stop him, or even to call after him. But truthfully, even if she’d had the chance, Sebelia wasn’t sure she could have stopped him.

She simply hadn’t known what to say.

While Sebelia was tangled up in worry, Claude quietly returned. He slipped in not through the crowded main gates, but through the servants’ entrance.

“Oh, you—”

Watts tried to call out, but it was of no use. Claude, with an expression Watts had never seen before, passed right by, not even seeming to notice him.

“…”

Watts watched him disappear up the stairs and let out a long sigh.

He’s taking this harder than I thought.

Rosalyn Inverness. He knew her well. She had been the most precious person in Claude’s life, and also his deepest wound.

While Dehart had survived, Rosalyn had vanished without a trace, and Claude had spent his entire life searching for her. More than twenty years, without a single lead.

And now, suddenly, Rosalyn had come back—carrying a hatred for the family that hadn’t searched for her, and wielding that anger like a knife.

Now she was bent on pulling Dehart down, turning her blade on her own family. Claude was clearly shaken by it all.

“Oh, Mr. Watts. Please have a seat.”

When Watts entered the dining room, Sebelia was there alone. She smiled awkwardly as he glanced at the empty seats.

“Dehart seems busy again, so I sent his meal up to his room. As for Claude… well, I still have no idea where he’s gone.”

Watts frowned, muttering in disbelief.

“He’s acting like a teenager in the throes of puberty.”

“What?”

“Don’t worry too much about Claude. I just saw him going upstairs.”

“Really?”

Sebelia’s hand tightened on her fork, but she forced a bright smile. Watts could sense the worry and frustration beneath it.

His guess was right—Sebelia’s feelings were complicated.

Objectively, Claude had been the one to cut contact and disappear first. She had every right to be upset with him. And yet, somehow, if she actually got angry now, it felt like she’d be the only one in the wrong.

I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do here.

Sebelia picked at her meal, lost in thought. At least with Dehart, she could check up on him from time to time, even if he was holed up in his study.

But Claude… she couldn’t just let it slide. It wasn’t about blaming him for being shocked by Rosalyn’s return. She just wished he’d at least consider that someone cared.

While Sebelia was still stewing, a knight knocked and entered.

“Miss, as you requested, I’ve confirmed that Mr. Appenz has returned.”

“Oh, thank you.”

Even though Watts had already told her, Sebelia was grateful. As she was about to dismiss the knight, he hesitated.

“Is there something else?”

“Well… it seems Mr. Appenz is preparing to leave again. This time, he’s actually packing, as if he means to go far, so I hurried to let you know.”

A heavy silence settled over the dining room. Sebelia set down her utensils and stood. Watts looked up at her, not seeming inclined to stop her.

“I can manage dinner alone. Go ahead—don’t worry about me.”

“Thank you.”

Sebelia offered a small, brave smile and left without hesitation. If boldness was the first rule of being an illusionist, she was determined to follow her one and only teacher’s advice to the letter.