Marriage With A Suspiciously Demure Husband - Chapter 109

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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 109

Kailas appeared from behind, offering me a quiet smile.
He must have been speaking with Jade while I was with Lily.
I’d thought we’d covered everything important and should leave, but Jade stopped me.
“Forgive the abrupt intrusion. I didn’t want to disturb your conversation any more than necessary—but grant me this one exception.”
“What did you wish to discuss?”
I was about to ask what the matter was, but Lily beat me to it.
This felt like a moment meant to detain us. It did strike me as odd that the very person who’d made our conversation possible was now interrupting it.
“His Majesty wants us all to see something together. This morning, a large number of Cultists were brought in, and he wishes to hear both your opinions. Time is short, so now may be our only opportunity.”
I glanced between Kailas and Jade.
Hadn’t we already seen them this morning?

* * *

“I apologize for summoning you again after calling on you this morning.”
“Not at all, Your Majesty.”
“The matter is urgent—I find myself in need of the Duchess’s assistance.”
“My assistance, Your Majesty?”
“Nothing complicated. I’ve received word that we’ve apprehended forty-seven Cultists from dawn until just moments ago.”
“Forty-seven…”
Such large numbers had been captured before, so I wasn’t particularly shocked. It happened nearly every day, but there had to be a reason for summoning me specifically.
“Of those forty-seven, forty-five consumed poison and took their own lives the moment they were captured.”
“…Pardon?”
I was so stunned I could barely close my mouth.
Forty-five people died at once, on the spot?
I understood that devoted Cultists don’t fear taking their own lives to protect their secrets, which is why we gag them immediately upon capture.
Since some might use Magic, we also take precautions with Sealing Tools.
But they’d taken their own lives before we could even gag them?
While we can’t entirely prevent suicide, forty-five people discarding their lives on the spot was shocking beyond measure.
And it had happened mere hours ago.
“Then, Your Majesty, the remaining two…”
“They’re currently isolated in the Underground Prison, like the other Cultists. But among those captured today, they appear to hold higher ranks.”
“I see… but I’m not certain how I could be of help.”
Ordinary interrogation proved ineffective, so such matters were normally entrusted to Mental Magic practitioners, but those specialists were away and would take time to arrive.
Since no one knew when or how the captives might attempt suicide next, we needed to investigate quickly. The Emperor had planned to request assistance from the Mage Tower, but fortunately I happened to be present at the Imperial Palace.
“Fortune smiled upon us with you being here at the Palace. Could you spare a moment to help? It’s a simple matter—we merely need to learn the location of their headquarters. Time is of the essence, so I make this request.”
Finding the headquarters the Imperial Palace had been unable to locate thus far didn’t sound simple at all.
Still, the capture of higher-ranking Cultists who’d remained hidden until now was welcome news.
Above all, I couldn’t refuse a direct command from the Emperor.
Since the captured Cultists might attempt something while I delayed, the Emperor wanted me to act at once.
I had no choice but to set out for the Underground Prison.

* * *

By the time I’d completed the interrogation under imperial orders and returned to the Northern Region, the sun had already set in shades of amber.
“You must be exhausted.”
He massaged my feet with a warm cloth as he spoke.
I’d refused again, but it made no difference with Kailas.
I knew he was tired because of my decision to cooperate fully with the Imperial Palace, and each time a wave of gratitude and guilt washed over me.
“Still, I’m glad we learned the location of their headquarters. We’ll need to move quickly before they relocate elsewhere.”
Fortunately, the interrogation had succeeded.
I simply chose not to delve into people’s minds—it wasn’t something I feared or found difficult.
Only, their minds were filled entirely with longing for Demon King Ascension, which left me deeply unsettled throughout the investigation.
“To be honest, I’d expected their headquarters to be in the Northern Region.”
I nodded in agreement with Kailas’s words.
“So did I. Since it’s the most active region for monsters, I’ve been quite worried. But right in the middle of the Capital, of all places.”
Their headquarters was situated in the heart of the Capital itself.
If we stormed their base now, we could gather every scrap of intelligence on the Demon King Ascension and apprehend those constantly colluding with the Cultists and their followers.
Though Elkard is vast enough, I never expected them to operate so brazenly within the Capital.
This was something I couldn’t have learned from the original work.
As far as I knew, all the major events happened in the Northern Region.
Now that I thought about it, something felt off.
It was told from the protagonists’ perspective—so why had the explanations been so sparse?
In hindsight, key events were listed, certainly, but the detailed movements of the protagonists were lacking.
Not entirely absent, but at this point I’ve uncovered far more than I remembered from the story.
Could it be that I’ve simply forgotten?
No, that can’t be it. I remember all the names clearly enough…
Some details felt so vivid, as though I’d witnessed them myself.
The descriptions were crafted with such care, and yet the protagonists’ actions seemed to jump from one incident to the next in chunks—something that only now struck me as strange.
Perhaps I was the strange one, thinking such things at this point.
“Hazel.”
“Hmm?”
Kailas’s forehead brushed lightly against mine.
My eyes widened, and our noses touched, rubbing together gently.
It felt like he was trying to lift my spirits, and I couldn’t help but smile.
When I let out a soft laugh, Kailas’s mouth curved upward, and he withdrew slightly.
“Are you very tired?”
“No, I was just mulling over what happened earlier. It’ll work out fine.”
“It will work out fine.”
When Kailas said something, it felt inevitable that it would come to pass.
I didn’t want to admit it out of pride, but with him constantly putting his sincerity forward, the walls I’d built were crumbling, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

That night.
A monster appeared unexpectedly close by, and because Kailas had to leave, I couldn’t sleep either.
“Oh, the underground storage.”
While wondering what to do while waiting for Kailas to return, I remembered the Underground Storage again.
I asked Hisan, who was still awake, to fetch me the key, and once I had it, I descended into the Underground Storage alone.
“I’m certain I felt Dark Magic Power here.”
I shoved the small items piled against the door to the side and unlocked it with the key.
It had been neglected for so long that even after undoing the latch, it wouldn’t budge—I had to put my full strength into it.
“Ugh, dust.”
I waved my hand to clear away the cloudy dust and stepped inside.
Old furniture was stacked haphazardly, making it difficult to move through, but I could definitely sense faint traces of Dark Magic Power lingering here.
Since there was no Dark Magic practitioner hiding inside, the presence of power meant either a Magic Formation drawn with Dark Magic had been set up, or there was an object or Magical Artifact.
“…….”
Where could it be among all this?
Thinking it best to check before Kailas returned, I rummaged through the surrounding furniture, searching earnestly.
In truth, all this searching stemmed from unease.
The day I’d sensed Dark Magic Power here.
Even as I thought it was impossible, I couldn’t shake the worry—what if there was evidence that Kailas was connected to the Cultists?
“Nothing.”
Already an hour in.
Despite my thorough search, thankfully I found no such thing.
I stepped back toward the doorway to get a better view of the entire storage room.
“Oh!”
As I took a step backward, my foot caught on the thick carpet laid out on the floor.
“…….”
I froze in place and slowly worked my foot under the heavy carpet.
Pushing as deep as I could, I lifted it to flip it over, and the floor underneath was stained black with soot.
“Fire……?”
Had there been a fire?
I bent down and began shifting the furniture on the carpet aside with grunts of effort.
What on earth am I doing creeping around in the middle of the night like this?
Searching through drawers had left me breathless, sweat beading on my forehead. Yet still I knelt and grasped the carpet with both hands, rolling back half of it.
Beneath the carpet, the entire floor bore the blackened marks of scorching.
I sank down and swept my hand across the charred surface. The Dark Magic Power was unmistakable here.
After scrubbing until my palms turned black, I finally stopped.
Beneath the burn marks, a portion of a Magic Formation lay carved deep into the floor, now visible.
“Why would this be…….”
I doubted my own eyes.

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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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