I Woke Up from Hibernation and Found a Husband - Chapter 58

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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 58
“Gregory, you handled the finishing touches well, didn’t you?”
“Of course. The progress is excellent, and everything is proceeding smoothly.”
Within the luxurious Study, adorned with various extravagances, a man whose weathered face bore the unmistakable marks of age sprawled across a couch, casting a sidelong glance at Gregory.
“It better not be empty flattery. What we desire is a complete ability—not some worthless drivel riddled with side effects.”
The hand gripping the couch’s armrest trembled roughly in warning. Gregory concealed the chill in his gaze behind a smile that seemed almost drawn.
“Of course, I understand perfectly. The concerns of Marquis Temper will not come to pass.”
“They better not.”
In response to his assurance, the Marquis withdrew a cigar case from his pocket and placed one between his lips. Though no one had brought a flame, sparks erupted from the cigar’s tip, and smoke soon curled upward.
Gregory’s pupils gleamed like glass marbles as he observed this display.
“It grows tedious, having to do this with each transplantation.”
After drawing deeply on the smoke, the Marquis waved his hand dismissively. Gregory’s expression remained unmoved by such arrogance; he merely bowed and departed the room.
“You’ve worked hard.”
He passed Matthew, who had been waiting outside the door, without pause, and Matthew naturally fell into step behind him.
“And that matter?”
“No issues. There should be no difficulty in delivery before the Hunting Festival begins.”
The corners of Gregory’s mouth curved upward in a bloodless smile. He could almost see the expression of the delighted Empress—Bianca.
“Once this delivery is complete, close the Market temporarily.”
One of the Market’s branches had been ransacked by an unidentified group of four. Though it wasn’t a location that directly handled abilities, the failure to identify the intruders suggested it would be wise to shut down other branches for the time being.
“Yes, understood.”
After Matthew reported several additional matters and disappeared, Gregory made his way toward the Annex of Marquis Temper’s residence. Unlike the luxurious atmosphere of the Main Building, the Annex exuded something damp and ominous—and not a single servant was visible.
“It’s almost laughable how far one will go for an ability.”
In the empty Corridor, he muttered softly to himself. Though alone, he felt no solitude. Ever since he had begun to desecrate the spirits of the dead, the screams of the Underworld had accompanied him constantly.
“Quite the cacophony, indeed.”
Having transferred a new ability to Crown Prince Aaron and bearing its side effects, his mind churned louder than usual. He had considered distributing the side effects among other subjects, but ordinary people quickly descended into madness or death, leaving him with no alternative.
“No matter how loudly you wail, I cannot return the ability to you.”
What painted the man’s face was absolute madness. The Empress’s trust, earned by granting Aaron tremendous power.
Hidden beneath the protection of the Imperial Family, Umbra had grown at a terrifying pace, refining and distributing abilities through the Market as its foundation.
“That ability is no longer yours.”
Whether the screams he heard at the edge of his consciousness were truly from the Underworld or merely hallucinations born of his fractured mind mattered little.
‘What matters is only the ability.’
Ability.
An extraordinarily special power that ordinary humans could never possess.
The rarity that only a select few could enjoy made abilities all the more precious, and everyone yearned for them with desperate longing.
‘But isn’t that terribly unfair?’
Someone had said as much.
Power that could only be obtained through birth was unjust. A category of envy that transcended mere jealousy of height, hair color, or innate talent.
As the standing of those with abilities rose, the reactions of ordinary people toward them split sharply into two camps.
‘They are the chosen ones. What a blessing merely to stand beside them.’
Those like Gregory’s father, who revered and looked up to them, and…
‘They’re humans no different from us, yet they enjoy all those privileges simply because they possess abilities?’
Humans who felt inferior to them and sought to drag them down.
Yet the common essence shared by both groups was that they desired ‘abilities’ more than anyone else.
‘Because they want it, they admire it. Because they covet it, they envy it.’
That’s why Gregory and Umbra transcended that stage and chose to select and seize directly. There was no need to feel guilt. This was a form of evolution.
‘Isn’t it the natural order for weak individuals to be eliminated and only strong traits to persist?’
I didn’t want to admire, and I didn’t want to envy. The only thing that held any interest in this tedious, suffocating world was ability.
But there was once someone who grieved more than anyone upon hearing these words.
“Don’t do this.”
Between piercing screams, a man’s concerned voice rang out—calm yet gentle. A voice that suited his appearance perfectly.
‘An auditory hallucination.’
Gregory naturally conjured the image of someone familiar from the phantom sound. A man with soft blonde hair and warm hazel eyes with slightly downturned corners.
‘Ian.’
In the memory, Ian held young Aaron in his embrace, gazing at Gregory with sorrowful eyes.
* * *
“Claire. Are you listening?”
“Yes. So the four great ability-wielding houses are House Voltier, House Temper, and Everitt, along with the Imperial Family, Berus.”
In a room bathed in warm sunlight, Claire and Theodore sat facing each other across a table scattered with light refreshments and papers.
“It’s Everitt, not Eiritt.”
“Ev…”
Claire’s hazel eyes were half-closed. Ever since finishing lunch and basking in the sunlight, drowsiness had been creeping over her relentlessly.
“Claire!”
Theodore attempted to rouse her, but her spirit had long since departed from this tedious discussion of political matters.
He sighed, his brows drooping in exasperation.
“I know it’s boring, but we’re bound to encounter people from other houses at the Hunting Festival.”
House Voltier wasn’t a family with many enemies.
Though they possessed power rivaling the ducal houses, they harbored no ambitions beyond that, dedicating themselves to holding back the monster legions at the Border.
While some called them foolish, few families actually opposed them.
‘Still, it’s not entirely safe.’
The problem lay in Claire’s unique position.
Those who had met Veronica would instantly recognize her lineage from her appearance—she bore such a striking resemblance to her mother.
‘Marquis Temper, in particular, received healing treatments from Ian frequently.’
It was certain that he and others who relied on healing abilities would take interest in Claire, one way or another.
“Couldn’t I just stay in a corner and keep quiet?”
“The problem is, they’re not the quiet type.”
Theodore laughed awkwardly.
Beyond being the daughter of Ian and Veronica, there was another problem: Claire was the fiancée of Theodore, whose reputation was being restored.
‘Even after announcing the engagement, marriage proposals continued to arrive.’
They had temporarily announced the engagement using the family registry of a long-serving retainer house, but it was merely a temporary measure. Word had quietly spread through society that Claire’s true status was that of a commoner, and worse, that demi-human blood flowed through her veins.
The foolish Young Master’s misguided first love, recovered from a long illness. A woman who would ultimately be cast out once he awakened from his delusion.
That was Claire’s position as it was known to the world.
‘A worthless mouth that should never have drawn breath.’
Theodore remembered every vicious rumor they had spread with their three-inch tongues when his position had weakened. Even the gray-haired House Voltier member he had trusted failed to manifest an ability, and they had the audacity to gossip that House Voltier was already as good as extinct. It was pathetic.
“At least it’s good to know which families to be cautious of. Of course, Baroness Hooper will continue to stick around. Right?”
The white fox tilted his head slightly, his eyes widening as he gazed up at Claire. Sunlight glimmered across his hair and irises.
‘Not that expression again.’
It was a face so dewy and tender it could chase away even the heaviest drowsiness. Feeling warmth creep across my cheeks, I averted my gaze from his eyes.
Theodore knew all too well—with infuriating precision—how to wield that handsome face of his.
“Claire?”
He leaned his body closer to mine to hear my response. A soft, cool scent of soap drifted over. Ignoring the strange feeling, I recited the house names that remained in my memory.
“I know them. Let me recite them again. Berus, House Voltier, Temper, Everit.”
“Everitt.”
“Ah.”

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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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