Hiding My Identity From My Husband - Chapter 16

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 16

I blinked hard. None of this felt real.
So that’s why Baidon had been looking after me so carefully. I pressed my throbbing forehead and let out a sigh.
“Look on the bright side.”
I forced myself to find the silver lining.
“If this happens, won’t the other nobles lose interest in me? That means more people will invite me places, and gathering information will become easier.”
From a Guardian operative’s perspective, it made sense.
But then again…
‘Katalce might not like it.’
After all, it was Katalce who wiped Themis from the world.
With the Mysterious Attack Incident being something they probably didn’t want exposed, the last thing they needed was for me to draw attention…
‘I’m going to catch hell for this.’
I clicked my tongue and grimaced.
But there was nothing I could do about Katalce’s displeasure.
Worrying about Katalce mattered less than dodging suspicion from Baidon right in front of me.
“Anyway, it seems like a good thing? Guardian probably won’t object either, right?”
“Well, I suppose that’s possible.”
But there was something odd about Baidon’s expression.
He tilted his head slightly, studying me.
As if he meant to dig out my true intentions no matter what.
“Do you really want that, Charles?”
My eyes went wide without thinking.
“What, what do you mean?”
I bolted upright, raising my voice.
“Are you saying it’s wrong for me to want something that benefits Guardian?”
“I didn’t say that far.”
“You didn’t? Then why does it s-sound like you did?”
“For heaven’s sake, Charles.”
Baidon reached out and grabbed my arm. Then he yanked me close, drawing his face near to mine.
“If you keep doing this, I’m going to want to tease you even more.”
“You…!”
“Our Charles is awfully cute, isn’t she?”
His breath brushed the tip of my nose. I quickly pushed against his cheek and leaned back.
“You were too close! I nearly—nearly—!”
“I wouldn’t mind.”
“Well, I would!”
Baidon chuckled at my flustered reaction, then settled back into the sofa.
He crossed his legs and laced his fingers over his thigh.
“In any case, it would be best if you didn’t go out for a while. If you step outside now, you’ll become food for the reporters.”
True to his word, there were several people who looked like journalists gathered beyond the Mansion’s front gate.
But I shook my head.
“Actually, I was planning to go out.”
Baidon’s brow furrowed as he asked.
“Where are you going now?”
“To Themis’s funeral.”
Baidon stared at me with a look of utter disbelief.
“Why would you go there? Did you even know Themis?”
“No.”
“Then did he leave you any dying words?”
“No.”
“Then why are you going?”
I scratched the back of my neck with my fingernail and glanced away from his gaze.
“He died right in front of me. It’s only right that I see him off.”
Then I added quietly.
“Besides, I feel guilty for not preventing his death.”
Baidon’s eyes twisted.
“Don’t you realize that such guilt is utterly worthless?”
He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward, his expression still creased. He didn’t seem to be in a good mood.
“What Charles needs to do right now is stay in the house and read the letters that have come for you, gather information. This is no time to waste on funerals and such.”
Funerals and such.
How could someone speak that way when a person had died?
Roo was always like this.
Always so cold and calculating about everything.
Even when he shouldn’t be.
So I found myself irritated as well.
“I’ve said it before—the man died right in front of me. I bear some responsibility for failing to prevent that death.”
“Even though Charles nearly died in the process?”
“She didn’t nearly die. She was just injured.”
“It amounts to the same thing.”
Roo clicked his tongue and leaned back again, his upper body reclined.
Tilting his head slightly, he gazed upward past me and exhaled a sigh.
“Is it an act of virtue, or are you genuinely foolish enough to be good?”
His voice dripped with mockery.
Normally I would have ended the conversation there, but for some reason today I didn’t want to back down.
It felt like losing to Roo.
I drew in a sharp breath.
“Even false virtue is virtue. You know that, don’t you?”
I spoke while meeting his eyes directly.
“I hate Themis for dragging me into this mess in the first place. But that doesn’t mean his death is something I can simply ignore, or that he deserved it. And hypocritical though it may be, I want to care about him anyway.”
“……”
“Does that still not explain why I’m going to the funeral?”
Roo didn’t answer.
Instead, he released a long sigh—deep and barely audible.
“……Why.”
The word came after a stretch of silence.
“Why do you want to act virtuously, even if it’s only false virtue?”
“Because the world will improve if I do.”
I answered without hesitation.
It was what I’d always believed.
“The fact that I’ve survived this long is because I haven’t turned away from goodness.”
“……”
“Once you begin to turn away from goodness… the world becomes lonely. I don’t want to live in such a desolate place, Roo.”
Roo said nothing. He simply stared at me—those blue eyes unchanged from usual, unreadable, piercing straight through me.
“I’m going now.”
I nodded lightly to him and got to my feet.
“I’d appreciate it if you could calm down a bit while I’m away.”
“I’m not upset. And I’ll be going out as well.”
He only answered quickly at times like this.
I chuckled and waved toward Roo before leaving the room, feeling his gaze still following me as I turned to go.

* * *

Themis’s funeral was modest.
In a space prepared at one corner of the Garden behind the Cathedral, there were only a few chairs and one simple table.
Few people had come.
Several figures in black stood before the casket, but there were no whispered words of comfort. Only silence hung in the air.
Above that stillness flowed the sound of wind and rustling leaves.
‘Mm.’
My heart didn’t feel right.
I didn’t know what kind of person Themis had been, but seeing how lonely even his departure was, I thought he must have lived a solitary life.
So I carefully placed a Chrysanthemum on the casket and folded my hands.
‘Go to a better place.’
I opened the eyes I’d closed for a moment and turned around.
I passed the few mourners and walked out of the Garden. Or rather, I tried to.
‘Hm?’
A familiar shadow caught the edge of my vision.
Looking more closely, it was that little Katalce I’d met not long ago.
The child, who’d been crouching on the edge of the flower bed, sprang to his feet the moment he spotted me.
“Whoa-whoa-whoa! Agent!”
“No! You’ll give me away!”
The instant the word “Agent” left his mouth, I lunged forward and clamped my hand over it.
“Are you trying to ruin everything? Don’t just shout ‘Agent’ like that!”
“Mmph! No! No-no! You have to let go of my mouth if you want me to talk!”
Right. Fair point.
I released my grip on the boy’s mouth. He staggered backward, coughing and sputtering softly.
“What kind of strength is that… Actually, it should be that strong, shouldn’t it? Anyway! Why are you only coming now? I’ve been waiting for you!”
The boy complained with the audacity of someone who’d done nothing wrong.
“Why would you be waiting for me?”
“Because I have so many questions to ask you!”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————