I Accidentally Resurrected My Dead Husband - Chapter 23

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 23
Udiet’s footsteps were unusually light as she made her way to deliver goods to the Baron of Bricks’ estate. The matter had resolved itself smoothly, after all.
When Laila heard Udiet’s account, she figured it was worth digging deeper—and discovered that the Baroness did indeed have a younger lover. As it happened, he was none other than the Baron’s own adjutant.
The Baron, it seemed, had flown into a rage and cast out his wife. The shock had laid him low with illness, and he’d been bedridden ever since. As a result, Laila had stepped in as his proxy—effectively inheriting the position of household head.
Pleased with this turn of events, she’d ordered candles in bulk as promised, and even threw in extra coin on top.
“When the purse grows light, so does the tongue.”
“My tongue has grown considerably heavier, miss.”
“You disposed of the ring properly, I trust?”
“Of course.”
Udiet had entrusted the ring to the Medium who’d revealed its nature, and had it destroyed. It cost extra, but she’d simply billed the Baroness’s daughter for it—so Udiet herself suffered no loss.
With her purse pleasantly heavy and her step correspondingly light, Udiet was leaving the estate when someone called out to her.
“Pardon me.”
“Yes?”
The man had a scar that marred his face, and his expression wasn’t particularly pleasant.
“Might you direct me? How do I reach the Plaza from here?”
“Just go straight ahead, then turn left.”
“Thank you. Ah, one more thing.”
The man caught her arm as she bowed and moved to leave.
“I don’t usually say these things, but you’ve got something rather cursed clinging to you.”
What? Why did that feel so familiar—and so ominous?
“When you enter Hos Smithy Alley, you’ll find a tent decorated with red silk curtains. If anything troubles you, come find me there. I’ll see you for free, specially.”
Another one who claims to know the Way. Udiet merely nodded politely and extracted herself from the encounter. If I’m not a charlatan myself, I shudder at the sight of them, sir.
Udiet quickened her pace to put distance between herself and the man, purchased what she needed at the Market, and returned to the Rainhardt Mansion. Ern was already inside, having come back from obtaining the forged identification.
“Welcome home, madam.”
“You’ve brought Henry along as well, I see.”
“We ought to give the fellow a proper farewell.”
Thoughtful Henry hadn’t come empty-handed—he’d brought food and wine.
“I need only transfer them to dishes. If you’ll show me the kitchen, I can prepare everything.”
“Come along with me, Henry. I’ll just set down my bundle and change into my apron.”
Udiet stepped into her room, set down the basket, and emerged tying her apron.
“Shall we go, Henry?”
“One moment, madam. You’ve dropped something.”
Henry retrieved a yellow silk pouch from the floor at Udiet’s feet.
“Hmm? What is this?”
“Isn’t it yours, madam?”
Udiet narrowed her eyes and tilted her head uncertainly. That’s strange. I’m sure I’ve never seen this pouch before, yet why does it feel so familiar? Odd. Very odd.
“There’s something inside it.”
Henry shook the pouch idly, then carelessly opened it to peer inside. Some three seconds of silence passed before he let out a piercing shriek and hurled the pouch away.
“Ahhhhh!”
“Henry, are you all right? What on earth is in there?”
“An i-insect…!”
“What’s wrong?”
Ern, who’d been packing in his room, heard Henry’s scream and rushed to join them. Still breathing heavily, Henry pointed at the silk pouch lying on the floor.
“Henry, are you afraid of insects? The Rainhardt Mansion has been empty for so long—there are bound to be a few.”
Udiet replied matter-of-factly.
“Have you ever seen an insect in this house?”
Ern, who’d been silent after spotting the yellow silk pouch, asked something oddly specific.
“Seen an insect…?”
Wait. Have I actually seen an insect here? A question mark seemed to hover above Udiet’s head. When she’d first arrived at the Rainhardt Mansion, it had been remarkably clean. Not a single cobweb. No cockroaches—not even a single housefly had she ever spotted in this house.
“Hmm, I haven’t seen any, but I’ve often heard a crunching sound—like something gnawing.”
“Heard a gnawing sound?”
“Yes, a scratching sound like this.”
It was always there. While making candles, upon waking, even during that time when something’s cry kept her awake—the sound of insects chewing was constant, that soft crackle-crackle.
“Wait, that’s not the issue. That wasn’t an insect. Just now, when I looked into it, it looked right back at me.”
“Henry, insects have eyes too.”
It was rare, but it could happen.
“No, madam, that’s not—it really had eyes, the insect did. Human eyes!”
“I beg your pardon?”
That made no sense. Udiet picked up the pouch and opened it to look inside.
“Wait—that’s not an insect. That’s a ring.”
Inside lay a nugget of gold no bigger than Udiet’s thumb, sitting flat at the bottom. The moment its yellow gleam caught her eye and her pupils dilated, the nugget writhed. Its body convulsed.
It lifted its head. Black eyes identical to Udiet’s own stared directly at her. Countless legs. A wrinkled body. And fastened to the front of it—a human face.
“……!”
Unable to tear her gaze from the creature, Udiet didn’t notice Ern snatch the pouch from her hand.
Only when the pouch vanished did her mind snap back, and she screamed.
“Aaah!”
“Bit late with the shriek, wouldn’t you say?”
Ern sighed, drew the pouch tight, and tossed it onto the table with a soft thud.
“You’re telling me you’ve never seen that before?”
Udiet chewed her lip, reaching into memory at his words. For some reason, that yellow pouch and its golden contents felt impossibly familiar.
“Oh!”
That’s right. The day she’d first set foot in the Rainhardt Mansion.
She’d explored the estate and discovered a bright yellow silk pouch in Cedric Rainhardt’s room.
“What is this—isn’t this gold? Jackpot.”
The memory surfaced: she’d been thrilled at the thumb-sized nugget, thinking to keep it as emergency funds. But what happened afterward? She couldn’t recall a thing. It was as if that part of the story had been cleanly erased.
“That’s strange. I could’ve sworn it was gold back then.”
“It was never gold. It was always the creature. Your eyes just saw it as gold.”
Both Udiet and Henry turned their attention to Ern, who seemed to know something.
“Do you know what that thing is, Ern?”
“A man-eating insect.”
“I’m sorry—what?”
“I don’t know the details, but I know that if you get infected by it, you die.”
Ern furrowed one brow, as if sifting through old knowledge.
“Nosebleeds, coughing up blood—and eventually your insides get riddled with holes and you’re done.”
“What—what are you saying?”
“When I kept hearing talk of deaths in this estate, I thought something was off.”
The symptoms matched exactly what had happened to him when he’d been infected by that golden creature. But he’d doubted it. Refused to believe it.
“The estate didn’t kill people. This thing did.”
“Why would you tell us this now, for—”
Udiet, her face drained of all color, started to protest, then suddenly clamped her hand over her mouth. She coughed, hard and wrenching, and bright red blood smeared across her palm.
“M-madam, are you all right?”
All right? When death was coming for her? Her legs gave out and she sank to the floor.
“Earlier, someone said I had a cursed entity clinging to me.”
“Someone?”
“A man asked me for directions on the street. He said a cursed entity had attached itself to me, and told me to come find him if something happened.”
Udiet wiped the blood on the handkerchief Henry offered her, then grabbed up the silk pouch and lurched to her feet.
“I need to find him. Find that place he mentioned.”
In that brief moment as he passed, he’d noticed the cursed presence clinging to her. Perhaps—just perhaps—he knew how to remove it.
“Where is it?”
“Hos Quarter, he said.”
“Madam, that district has terrible security.”
Henry glanced out at the darkening window and shook his head slowly.
“It’s dangerous even by day, but worse at night. Robbery is commonplace.”
The Guard Force rarely patrolled that quarter after sundown.
“But it should be safe enough if you go with Ern.”
Henry, who’d been watching Udiet with concern, turned to Ern as though struck by inspiration.
“Why are you dragging me into this?”
“Even if you’ve been cast out of the Knight Order, you still carry its code, Ern.”
Henry lifted Ern’s sword and pressed it into his hands.
“Think of it as doing one good deed before you leave.”
Udiet turned to Ern with pleading eyes, her gaze raw and desperate. Head bowed, small lips pressed tight, gazing up at him like a rabbit caught in the rain……
‘Rabbit? All the rabbits froze to death anyway.’
He tried to dismiss the thought, but every time she made that expression, Ern found himself unable to look away. Unable to ignore those dark, glistening eyes. He exhaled sharply and rose to his feet.
“Go. Lead the way.”

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