I Became the Wife of the Hero Who Killed Me - Chapter 35

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

#Episode 35

I had told Gilbert not to report the poisoning incident to his superiors.

There was a high possibility it would be misunderstood as a self-staged drama to attract the Duke’s attention.

But when the matter was resolved through Lady Olden’s betrayal, Gilbert apparently ran to the Duke and tattled everything without my permission.

‘The timing isn’t bad, but he could have at least told me first.’

…I was muttering this when I realized I hadn’t had time to meet with Gilbert due to being swamped with urgent matters.

“I apologize. I didn’t want to trouble Your Grace with my personal affairs.”

“It’s not trouble.”

The Duke’s gaze toward me held an unusually firm resolve.

“The problem is that I wasn’t aware when you were poisoned. Though our marriage was arranged for political reasons, we are still husband and wife, are we not?”

“Your Grace.”

“Please tell me about such matters without hiding them in the future. I ask this of you.”

If the poison I had drunk wasn’t merely something causing infertility but a life-threatening type, all political arrows would have pointed at the Duke when I collapsed.

In that sense, the Duke’s concern was valid.

Only after I silently nodded did he relax his stern expression.

“From my separate investigation, the reason you weren’t poisoned by the Hemocaran was due to a small mistake by the herbalist.”

“A mistake?”

“Lady Olden mixed various poisonous herbs with the Hemocaran, and among them was an herb called Silka that acts as an antidote. You were fortunate.”

The full story the Duke told me was this:

The poisonous herb ‘Nuba’ that the lady intended to feed me looked very similar to the antidote herb ‘Silka’, which had completely opposite medicinal effects, making them difficult to distinguish.

But by great fortune, the herbalist had delivered the wrong herbs, and Lady Olden had unintentionally made me take an antidote.

Though the Duke’s explanation was detailed, something about it didn’t quite convince me.

“If he’s a medicine merchant, he should be more familiar with handling herbs than anyone else. No matter how similar they look, is it possible to mistake one type for another?”

“That’s why I said you were fortunate.”

The Duke turned his gaze away from me and spoke meaningfully.

In fact, if the investigation had extended all the way to the medicine merchant, it must have taken considerable effort, but the Duke continued speaking calmly without showing any sign of it.

“We’re still tracking the escaped Lady Olden. However, she left no traces, making the pursuit difficult.”

“If she can evade Your Grace’s pursuit, her accomplice’s abilities seem better than expected.”

“That’s what I wanted to discuss. When we find Lady Olden, could you leave her punishment to me? However, if you wish to personally judge the criminal…”

Suddenly, memories of the past came flooding back.

Right after I opened my eyes in Elisia’s body, everything around me was unfamiliar and awkward, but there was only one person I could recognize immediately.

It was Lady Olden.

‘Madam, why don’t you just tear off that wench’s fingernails?’

‘We’ve burned her with fire, twisted her joints, and used every torture imaginable, but she won’t open her mouth. Do you think pulling off some fingernails will make her confess?’

‘If you try it yourself, you’ll think differently.’

As Lady Olden had confidently claimed, her method was very effective.

How much of the truth I knew, who else besides me was involved in the investigation—I could only flail like a dragonfly with torn wings and helplessly spill everything.

Not only that, but most of the horrific torture inflicted on me came from Lady Olden’s mind.

Ah, suddenly I couldn’t breathe.

“Madam?!”

“…Ah.”

I blinked blankly.

Instead of gaunt fingers crusted with blood and pus, I saw white, delicate fingers wearing a sapphire ring.

‘I can have revenge.’

Yes, the current me had the power to take revenge on Lady Olden.

I could make her just as miserable as my past self, or even worse.

But it all felt meaningless.

Just as the past and present were similar but not completely identical, Lady Olden in this life had acted as a spy but had not yet committed any sins against ‘me’.

What she had harmed was Elisia, not me.

“If you find her… dispose of her as Your Grace sees fit. I don’t want to be involved anymore.”

“Then, I’ll do as you say.”

Without knowing what I was thinking, the Duke wore a bitter expression for some reason and continued speaking.

“Furthermore, the other servants, though they weren’t directly involved in the crime, moved under Lady Olden’s orders, so they can hardly escape punishment. I intend to banish them all beyond the northern wall. What do you think?”

“Please do that as Your Grace sees fit as well.”

Banishment beyond the northern wall was the most cruel punishment in Lombard.

No human who had set foot in the demon territory, the Black Continent, had ever returned alive.

Even skilled knights could only observe the movements of demons near the northern wall from watchtowers.

What would happen to the banished criminals?

Though the details weren’t well known, it was only speculated that they would be chased by demon hordes in extreme terror before meeting a painful and brutal end.

‘Banishment to the northern wall.’

It was a much heavier punishment than expected, but I didn’t object.

It was because I was already too exhausted.

Perhaps sensing this, the Duke hesitated for a moment before his hand carefully rose to my forehead.

“You should rest now.”

“Aren’t you coming up?”

“I’m fine.”

Suddenly, I was at a loss for words.

The Duke’s gaze overlapped with the eyes of the boy who had watched over my bedside all night when I was burning with fever as a child.

“I originally suffer from severe insomnia. Just lying still all night is more torture for me, so please don’t worry about me and sleep comfortably.”

“Your Grace has insomnia?”

Edwin from the past didn’t have that kind of problem.

At my question, the Duke smiled faintly.

“It happened somehow. I wasn’t like this originally, but really, so many things have happened.”

“…”

I didn’t answer.

Whenever I thought that the current Duke was a different person from the Edwin I knew, I felt like a bad person for regarding him as an enemy and hating him.

It felt like I was condemning someone completely unrelated.

‘Is my hatred toward the current Duke justified?’

Suddenly, I couldn’t breathe.

But if it wasn’t justified, then who would take responsibility for my pain?

My screaming in agony, my fingers stained with blood and pus, writhing like a bug on stone floors soaked with rotten filth… what about me?

Should I just swallow it as if it never happened, endure it alone and forget?!

‘I don’t want to.’

That can’t be.

To simply cover it up as something from the past, the despair I felt then was as vivid as scars burned by a branding iron.

So the Duke must bear my resentment and anger. That’s fair.

Even if the current him is completely different from Edwin who betrayed me, considering the pain I suffered, it’s only right.

Someone had to take responsibility for the hell I went through.

‘Otherwise, I can’t endure it.’

I barely suppressed the emotions welling up inside me, turned to the other side, and closed my eyes.

My consciousness was drawn into the depths.

* * *

Soft, quiet breathing echoed in the narrow bedroom.

Edwin carefully sat up.

Though he was an outstanding warrior accustomed to Presence Concealment, he held his breath even more carefully lest he disturb Elisia’s peaceful sleep.

“….”

Moonlight cast deep shadows across sleeping Elisia’s face.

Her eyes were tinged red.

After hesitating several times, Edwin very carefully stroked Elisia’s eyes. Damp moisture gathered at his fingertips.

Seeing this, Edwin’s expression twisted bitterly.

“What should I do with you.”

It would be better if they didn’t grow close.

It would be beneficial to maintain an appropriate distance as they had until now, staying in a professional relationship that was neither too distant nor too close. He had certainly thought so.

But why.

The moment I saw the tears on my fingertips, why does my resolve waver so easily?

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