The Husband I Thought Was Dead Has Returned - Chapter 1

—————

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

—————

The Husband Who Should Have Died Returns Episode 001
I only discovered the truth about my possession after I already had a husband and a son.
Before I could even process this reality, I found myself trapped somewhere, then loaded onto a carriage bound for the Southern Region.
I couldn’t jump from the carriage, and with no connections in this unfamiliar place, escape was impossible. What choice did I have? If I wanted to survive, I had to take care of my body first.
My first meeting with my husband was equally peculiar.
He stood glaring at me while cradling a one-year-old son in his arms, the child’s bright eyes fixed on me with innocent curiosity.
As if I were about to harm his precious son.
“Listen carefully to what I’m about to say. There will be no grand wedding ceremony.”
“Yes. That’s fine with me.”
I was utterly exhausted. I hadn’t expected the carriage ride to make me so nauseous.
So I nodded without resistance. A grand wedding ceremony? The last thing I wanted was anything like that. All I craved was to lie down on a comfortable bed and rest.
“Don’t even think about playing the lady of the house and poking your nose into family affairs. I won’t share any information with you.”
“…That’s actually perfect.”
He had no idea how wonderful it was to do nothing and live off the fat of the land. Besides, leaking information? I had absolutely no desire to get entangled in pointless political struggles.
Even if this body belonged to a daughter of a Rival House, my soul did not.
“And don’t even think about harming the child. Since there will be no intimacy between us, there will be no other heirs besides this one.”
“Of course not. The baby is quite adorable.”
I answered weakly again. Intimacy with a stranger? Having a child with someone I’d just met? The very thought repulsed me.
And harm the child?
A precious little one like that? I’d have to be insane. I was determined to become a stepmother of a new paradigm.
My husband adjusted the baby in his arms and leveled another glare at me before speaking.
“…Are you ill?”
“That’s not… Ugh!”
Finally, I reached my limit and retched violently.
My husband’s face went pale and rigid as I reached out toward him.
“Please… please help me…”
I’ve always been prone to terrible motion sickness…

* * *
After settling Roana—now his wife as of today—in the bedroom and having the Physician examine her, Cherez asked with a grave expression.
“Is she suffering greatly?”
“The journey here appears to have been quite taxing. She seemed to suffer from severe motion sickness as well.”
Cherez’s brow furrowed slightly.
He had entrusted the child to the Nanny and carried Roana directly to the bedroom himself.
Her face had turned as pale as a wax doll, and she had collapsed without strength—he could scarcely believe how alarmed he’d been. The Lobby had descended into chaos in an instant.
‘The Duchess!’
‘She hasn’t… passed away, has she?’
‘Nonsense! Thankfully, she’s still breathing.’
In any case, amid that tumult, Roana had looked so deathly pale that he couldn’t bear to entrust her to anyone else’s care.
“Lighter than a twig, even. Is she truly ill?”
Perhaps House Hejest had deliberately sent an ailing daughter. If Roana were to die here, they could pin all blame upon Cherez.
He felt guilty harboring such thoughts about a sick woman, but Cherez was the lord governing the Southern Region and the patriarch of House Bereidan. He could not afford to dismiss any possibility.
“It could be a matter of constitution, or the fortnight’s journey may have been arduous. However, I detected no signs of serious illness at present.”
Cherez nodded gravely.
“See that she receives her medicines faithfully. She must recover her health as soon as possible. Instruct the Head Maid to attend to her carefully as well.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Cherez dismissed the Physician and stretched out upon the sofa.
The sudden marriage, and everything that had transpired today—it was all exhaustingly demanding.
Taking the daughter of House Hejest, a rival house, as his wife had been entirely against his will.
It would never have happened without the intricate circumstances binding the two houses and the Imperial Court.
This marriage must proceed smoothly and end at an opportune moment.
House Hejest must find no grounds for complaint.
Roana was to remain quiet and depart quietly—that was the extent of the role Cherez expected of her.

* * *
I opened my eyes slowly.
It seemed I had made a complete fool of myself in front of my husband for the first time, but fortunately I had been alone.
If my husband had been beside me, it would have been terribly embarrassing. I rose from the bed with a soft cough.
In this novel titled “The Glorious Return of the Duke of Bereidan,” I had been cast in the role of a villainous stepmother. The moment my husband dies on the battlefield, I abscond with all his wealth.
And the moment the male lead grows up, he comes to find me, reclaims his inheritance, and kills me.
That male lead is the baby I saw earlier.
His name is Hayden Bereidan.
“That must never happen.”
A villainous stepmother? Never. I would be reborn as an angelic stepmother the likes of which the world had never seen.
And I had no intention of clashing with my husband. The truth was, war was something I couldn’t control—it would erupt regardless of my actions.
There are things that cannot be changed, even if you know the future, aren’t there?
The original Roana tormented her husband, extracted information from him, disrespected him, and did all manner of terrible things, but I had no desire to do any of that.
He’s going to die soon anyway, and I’m not a psychopath.
Live quietly, leave quietly.
That was my goal. At most, six months, Roana.

* * *
Cherez saw Roana again in the Dining Hall. At the bright look in her eyes as she turned to face him, he found himself frowning without meaning to.
Roana was a problem thrust upon him by the Imperial Court.
The Emperor himself had orchestrated the marriage between House Hejest and House Bereidan. Hejest was a duke of the North whose influence extended even to the capital, while the Bereidan Family was a prestigious ducal house that controlled the South.
Roana’s father, Duke Hejest, had wanted to marry Roana to the Crown Prince, but the Emperor, seeking to punish Duke Hejest for his ambitions toward imperial power, had sent Roana south to marry the Duke of Bereidan instead.
Why Cherez had to be dragged into this mess was beyond comprehension.
“Good morning. Oh, what should I call you?”
The woman chattered away. Her voice was bright and refreshed, utterly unlike the half-dead state she’d been in yesterday.
“…As you wish.”
Cherez answered coldly. The woman then rolled her eyes and spoke hesitantly.
“Your Grace?”
Cherez stared at the woman in silence.
“…Cherez?”
Cherez let out a sigh.
“Husband?”
Cherez’s brow furrowed.
“Hmm, what would be best to call you?”
Cherez regarded the woman with a cold gaze. When their eyes met, the woman scratched her cheek awkwardly.
“Cherez. Call me Cherez.”
“Yes, then I’ll call you Cherez.”
Roana laughed awkwardly.
“Thanks to your care yesterday, I slept wonderfully. The bed is quite comfortable.”
“…Do you remember what I said yesterday?”
Cherez asked coldly. Watching her smile like that made him wonder if their conversation yesterday had been nothing but an illusion. She had suffered severe seasickness, so it was possible she didn’t remember.
“Of course! How could I forget! First, don’t expect the wedding ceremony to be anything special. Second, don’t attempt anything. Information gathering is strictly forbidden. Third, don’t approach Hayden. Is that right?”
“I’m relieved you remember.”
“Yes. I’ll keep every word of it.”
Watching her speak with such determination left me unsettled. How could she say such things while smiling?
I had expected her to be upset. Moreover, Roana had turned the usually quiet dining hall into a noisy spectacle.
“This soup is absolutely delicious. Is it crab bisque? It feels so soothing going down.”
“…I’m glad.”
“Oh, mashed potatoes? I didn’t expect to find such flavors here. You should eat more too, Cherez! The head chef’s skills are truly remarkable.”
As she said this, Roana gazed at Cherez with an oddly tender expression in her eyes.
What was that look? Irritated by something he couldn’t quite place, Cherez furrowed his brow sharply.
But that expression vanished before he could say anything.
“Cherez, would you like more of mine? I can serve you some.”
“…No. This is enough.”
I couldn’t understand it. Yesterday she collapsed without warning, and today she won’t stop talking. What kind of daughter did Hejest send? What was his intention in sending such a noisy girl…?
Hejest had four daughters. He had arranged a live-in son-in-law for his eldest, intended to make his second daughter, Roana, the Crown Princess, and rumors suggested he planned to make his third daughter a Marquess’s wife. Now only his youngest remained.
Hadn’t his third daughter just had her wedding recently?
Hejest was truly formidable.
Since Hejest’s nature was as cunning as they came, Roana surely harbored some hidden agenda as well.
Her actions seemed suspicious. It was customary for noble ladies to bring maids from their family when they married.
But I had no intention of allowing Hejest’s maids into House Bereidan. And Roana, for some reason, had promptly sent back the close attendant she had brought with her.
So I planned to find a separate maid to assign to her. I would uncover every hidden intention and expose it all.
“Wow, this salmon steak is truly exquisite! Salmon is supposed to be so good for you. Cherez, you should eat more.”
When had she ever seen me to act so familiar? This too must be some kind of strategy.

—————

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

—————