After I Died, My Husband Went Mad - Chapter 312

Completely unaware of her presence, Dehart jolted upright in surprise.

“Bella!”

The arm he reflexively swung out to steady himself ended up wrapping naturally around her waist. Of course, Sebelia didn’t notice at all—his sudden jolt was impressive.

“What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing. Didn’t I tell you not to come near here until construction was finished?”

Sebelia shot a glance at the hollow beneath the tree trunk as she asked. For a moment, Dehart looked sheepish, but he quickly composed himself and replied nonchalantly.

“Rosalyn asked me to help her find a bookmark. I remembered that dusty cat was hanging around here, so I thought I’d check it out.”

So that’s why Maya kept coming back covered in petals.

Recalling Maya’s habit of boldly sneaking into neighbors’ houses and coming back after her escapades, Sebelia slipped out of Dehart’s embrace. She understood the situation now. It was time to see if what they were looking for was actually here.

Just as she knelt down, Dehart, looking scandalized, stopped her.

“I’ll do it.”

Saying his clothes were already dirty anyway, Dehart dropped to his knees and leaned down. The hollow under the tree was cramped like a rabbit hole and full of tangled roots, so he practically had to crawl in.

“Ugh.”

After a long struggle, Dehart finally succeeded in raiding Maya’s treasure trove. But instead of the missing bookmark, what he pulled out was…

“A ring?”

A platinum ring with a greenish-blue stone at the center, surrounded by clear jewels—one glance was enough to tell it was a set with the bracelet she had found earlier.

“She took them as a set?”

Maybe it was just too much—Sebelia’s real feelings slipped out before she could stop herself. She could sense Dehart staring at her in shock. Normally she’d try to smooth things over, but she just didn’t have it in her right now.

Accessories custom-ordered from a master jeweler usually come in sets: bracelet, earrings, necklace, ring. And now two pieces from the same set had turned up in the house.

Which meant Maya could have stolen even more.

What am I supposed to do…

Sebelia stared in dismay at the ring in Dehart’s palm. Her glare was so fierce that Dehart started to look nervous.

Who knows how long they stood there like that. At last, Dehart ventured a careful question.

“Bella, I just wanted to ask you something, just in case…”

“Huh? Yes?”

“What do you think of this kind of design? Do you like it?”

Dehart asked hesitantly, and Sebelia blinked slowly. For a moment she didn’t understand what he was getting at, but when he held the ring out to her, she realized he was actually asking if she liked the ring itself.

“Why are you suddenly asking that?”

“Can’t I ask?”

Dehart replied defensively as Sebelia raised her eyebrow.

“The seasons are changing—don’t you usually order new clothes around this time? I thought maybe you’d want some jewelry to match, too.”

Sebelia immediately picked up on his intention.

If I say I like it, he’ll order something in a similar design…

He’d expect her to wear the same thing as something Maya stole? Not a chance.

“No. Not at all. Neither the bracelet nor the ring are my style.”

She deliberately hardened her voice, putting her foot down to make sure there was no misunderstanding.

This was the same man who’d bought the house next door and demolished it just to build her a lake more beautiful than anything in the imperial palace. There was no telling what he’d bring home if she so much as wavered, perhaps something even grander in the same style as the stolen goods.

Just the thought is terrifying.

Sebelia resolved to nip any such ideas in the bud. Strangely enough, instead of pushing further, Dehart just grew pale, his lips trembling.

Worried, Sebelia grabbed his arm.

“Dehart, what’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?”

Ever since he’d stopped taking his strong tranquilizers, he’d been prone to the occasional fit or panic attack, though she’d thought he’d been doing better lately. Now, anxious, she was about to summon a servant for help.

“No, I’m fine.”

Dehart insisted in a dull voice, placing his hand gently over hers and letting out a heavy, sad sigh.

Narrowing her eyes, Sebelia said.

“Don’t tell me you were actually thinking of getting something like this made.”

“I just thought I’d ask. You don’t see a design like this every day—it’s pretty unique, so I was curious…”

“It’s fine. I actually prefer the more modern styles these days, so you really don’t have to worry about it.”

“I see.”

He nodded, but there was a certain defeated air about him. Still, Sebelia steeled herself. If she gave in now, there’d be no end to the scandal if he actually followed through.

“I’ll hang on to this.”

She added, making sure he couldn’t use it for reference. She slipped the ring from his tightly closed palm into her pocket.

Dehart said nothing, only blinking at her with the forlorn look of a squirrel whose acorn had just been snatched away.