I Accidentally Resurrected My Dead Husband - Chapter 29
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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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Episode 29
“Now it’s my turn to ask. What did you do with my corpse?”
If Cliff, who had killed himself and personally collected his own body, didn’t know, then who would?
“I’m the curious one. That day I distinctly confirmed your breathing had stopped, and I even ordered you placed in a coffin.”
Cliff exhaled slowly through strong spirits, his words trailing with the alcohol.
“If you were me, would you just dump the body you’d directly killed anywhere? A corpse is evidence.”
He had a point. To Cliff, Erne’s body had been a constant reminder of his crime. Wasn’t it natural for a criminal to want to hide even the smallest piece of evidence?
“Bring it.”
At Cliff’s command, the Butler walked in carrying a Money Pouch and set it on the table.
“This is the compensation for damages the Countess demanded back then.”
It would have been within Erne’s reach, but Cliff took the pouch himself and handed it over.
“Take it. You must have mountains of debts to repay.”
Erne started to say something but stopped. Beneath Cliff’s grip on the pouch, something white like paper was visible.
“Go on.”
For a mere instant as their eyes met across the Money Pouch, Cliff’s pupils shifted slightly toward the Butler. It was the briefest of moments, but fear flickered across Cliff’s gaze. Erne was not one to miss such a thing.
“……All right.”
Erne reached out. He felt the crisp texture of paper crinkle against his palm.
“Farewell.”
“I hope we don’t meet again.”
Erne left the Reception Room without looking back once. The elderly Butler personally took hold of Erne’s reins and escorted him to the gate.
Only after confirming the Butler had completely returned into the Estate did Erne unfold the Note that Cliff had secretly passed him.
《Followers. Trapped in Estate now. Being coerced. Help.》
“He poisons my drink, and then asks me to save his life.”
No conscience here either, none at all.
The Note crumpled carelessly in Erne’s fist. Cliff was clearly watching the Butler’s movements. It meant the Butler was one of the Followers.
“Something was off from the moment his body broke down from the Potion of Truth.”
A chronic condition? Erne had known Cliff for several years now—there was no way he wouldn’t have known if that were the case.
“The fact that he wrote a Note instead of speaking there means there must be more Followers in the house.”
Erne pondered for a moment, then turned his horse’s head toward the Mosli Marquis Residence. The situation seemed to be growing messier than expected.
* * *
“Stop staring. You’ll wear a hole through my face.”
“How am I supposed to stop looking when a man I thought was dead is alive? And married? Is that even real?”
Erne cleanly ignored Mosli’s barrage of questions.
“Tell your men this: Cliff must be kept alive at all costs. If they act foolishly, there will be consequences.”
“Judging by that temper, you’re definitely the Erne I know.”
The young Marquis, Erne’s contemporary, shook his head in disbelief. When Erne had shown up out of nowhere demanding they go capture Followers, Mosli had thought he was seeing a ghost.
The man was supposed to be dead, yet here he was, still hunting Followers beyond the grave. Mosli had muttered nonsensically until Erne grabbed him by the collar and shook him to his senses.
‘I don’t understand what possessed me to be dragged this far.’
The fact that Erne was alive was bewildering enough, but then he’d suddenly demanded they march out to capture Followers. Mosli had brought soldiers to the location Erne indicated—he had no choice—but his mind couldn’t keep up.
‘This is Erne’s fault.’
Erne didn’t even give the Marquis time to collect his thoughts.
“Did you capture Roam?”
“You provided the information?”
“Yes. I even gave you the location, so you must have caught him?”
“Well, here’s the thing….”
They hadn’t.
They’d gone immediately after receiving the tip, but the Followers had already withdrawn. When Erne learned this, he unleashed every curse in his arsenal—as if they couldn’t eat even when the food was placed in their mouths. Mosli had nothing to say in his defense.
“You go to Cliff. Leave the rest to me and the soldiers.”
“There’s no one I’d rather rely on.”
Erne fixed Mosli with a narrow-eyed stare. The Marquis bit back the words climbing up his throat—*then don’t come find me in the first place*—because he owed Erne his life more times than he could count. He had no choice but to swallow his pride.
While Mosli had the soldiers encircle the Estate, Erne slipped in through the back entrance first. When cries like “Who are you!” erupted from inside, Mosli drew his sword.
“All units advance!”
* * *
Cliff was safely extracted by Erne. The Butler, along with three other Followers, was found in the room directly below the Reception Room where Erne and Cliff had spoken. Judging by the half-burned candles, the smell of burning Herbs, the Inverted Triangle drawn on the floor, and the Murky Red Gems scattered about, they had clearly been in the midst of some kind of ritual.
“I have no idea what those bastards were doing, believe me.”
After being rescued, Cliff seemed visibly relieved and brazenly asked Erne for water.
“Don’t make that grim face. I’ll tell you everything I know.”
Cliff managed to coax a glass of cold water from Erne, who had no desire to converse with a drunk, and drained it in one gulp. Then, without warning, he began giggling and laughing like a madman.
“The old fool must have let his guard down.”
“Speak plainly.”
“The day I drank the Potion of Truth, I discovered a Binding Curse had been placed on me. It wasn’t a chronic illness — I was coughing blood because of that curse.”
Cliff had connections to the Followers even before the rebellion. They were often his clients, and they backed him up to help him win trials. But after the rebellion failed, he severed ties with them.
The surviving Followers then began blackmailing Cliff with evidence of their dealings. Eventually, he paid them escape funds multiple times.
“I didn’t know they’d placed a curse on me too. If I tried to speak about them, I’d cough blood and die.”
“Then why did you go to that resort?”
“That was genuine recuperation. They decided I still had use, so they kept me alive.”
Cliff couldn’t remember where he’d gone or what was done to him.
“When I came to, I was in front of the Capital City Gate. My body was in this state.”
The Butler told him that if he obeyed their orders, they’d let him walk again—but if he didn’t, he’d suffer greatly.
“But you know, Erne, people are remarkably difficult to kill.”
Cliff, who had grimaced while recounting the Butler’s words, suddenly twisted his mouth into a grin.
“There was one Follower I dealt with primarily—someone higher-ranking than the Butler within their ranks. That man came to me and said if I could raise the money, he’d free me from the curse.”
The Butler apparently had no idea of this betrayal. Cliff handed over a Deposit Certificate he’d hidden in the Study, away from the Butler’s knowledge.
“Did he lift the Binding Curse for you?”
“Yes. Thanks to that, I was able to write you that Note.”
The Butler, who had placed an even stronger Binding Curse on Cliff, grew careless. So he sometimes gave Cliff time alone.
“He told me to summon you. I thought, ‘This is my chance.'”
If anyone could save him, it would be Erne alone. As Erne was about to ask what had happened to his corpse, Cliff raised a finger to his lips, signaling him to listen further.
“When I first decided to kill you, the Butler suggested acquiring poison from the Followers. He said it was a waste to only provide escape funds. He also mentioned that the Followers were best suited for that sort of work.”
Since Cliff didn’t know the Butler was in league with them at that time, he agreed and purchased poison from the Followers.
“In exchange, they asked me to hand over your corpse.”
“What would they want with my corpse?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t ask. I just put it in a coffin and they took it away on their own.”
Cliff had trusted them to handle it properly. But when Erne unexpectedly appeared alive, one could imagine Cliff’s shock.
“I’ve been thinking about it, and I suspect they ran some kind of experiment on your corpse.”
“An experiment?”
“When I first sent an assassin, the Butler didn’t object. But later, when I tried to increase the number of assassins I sent, he stopped me.”
Doesn’t that seem odd? Cliff toyed with his glass as he spoke.
“It looks like he was checking whether you could keep fighting assassins.”
That wasn’t all. It was also the Butler who invited Erne into the Estate, gave him compensation for damages, and fed him suitable information.
“The whole time we were talking, the Butler only had eyes for you.”
In fact, that’s what made it easier to slip you the Note.
“Before I was captured, three Spiritualists who were Followers gathered downstairs and did something. It seemed like they were watching for your reaction while we talked.”
Erne’s eyes, as he swept his hair back, flickered with unease.
“Go ask the Butler for details. Anyway, thanks for getting me out of there today.”
Cliff grinned shamelessly, wearing an expression that said ‘We’re done now, right?’
“You shouldn’t feel secure yet. There’s evidence of dealings with the Followers, so you could still be charged with Treason.”
“In the case of one placed in danger of death or serious injury due to coercion, punishment shall be determined with consideration to the circumstances.”
Cliff recited a Legal Clause in response to Erne’s words.
“My legs don’t work anymore, but my head still does.”
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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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