The Husband I Thought Was Dead Has Returned - Chapter 27

—————
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 027
Cherez set down the quill he had been holding and turned his gaze toward the window. The sky over the Southern Region was blue and clear, yet beneath it, something was always flowing.
The Duchess of Hejest. Roana’s mother and the woman who wielded true power within House Hejest. And above all, she was someone who had no qualms about using her daughters as tools for political marriage.
“Don’t let her in.”
“Unfortunately, that won’t be possible. She’s coming with Imperial Court approval.”
That damned Imperial Court. Always inserting itself into every matter like a persistent fly. Cherez ground his teeth as he spoke.
“Prepare for her arrival.”
“Yes. We’ve already begun positioning security personnel and reviewing the routes.”
This would likely be Borgus’s final test of Roana. Likely.

* * *
Evening time.
As Cherez stepped into the Dining Hall, his eyes found Roana already seated.
Today, Roana held a warm cup of tea while gazing out at the Garden beyond the window. The setting sun cast golden light upon the fountain, and her profile glowed softly in that radiance.
The serenity that Roana emanated seemed to calm even my turbulent thoughts. Sensing my presence, Roana turned her head.
“Welcome. They say the soup is delicious today. Yureain specially requested it from the kitchen. I heard it’s an excellent soup for ending the day.”
“…I look forward to it.”
Cherez dipped his spoon into the soup while turning over the words he needed to speak. Where should he begin?
“Roana.”
“Yes?”
Roana lifted her head.
“I heard the Duchess of Hejest is planning to visit the Southern Region. She’s supposed to arrive in a fortnight. Do you know anything about this?”
Roana’s hand stilled. I could see her grip tighten on the spoon. But it was only for the briefest moment. She quickly composed herself and returned to a serene expression.
Cherez did not miss that instant.
“…I had heard she would visit soon, but I didn’t know it would be in a fortnight. How careless of me.”
Roana murmured softly, her brow furrowing.
“I never imagined she would visit so arbitrarily without even setting a date.”
“If it’s House Hejest, they’ll contact us just before arrival, making refusal impossible. That’s their way. Officially, they’ll claim they simply wish to see their married daughter, leaving us no grounds to refuse.”
Roana nodded calmly. But Cherez knew. He had seen the tips of her fingers turn white just moments ago.
Cherez furrowed his brow and asked.
“Roana. You don’t look well.”
“…How long will she stay?”
“…What?”
“How long will she remain here?”
Roana’s brow furrowed openly. What lay within that expression was unmistakable hostility. Her lips trembled as she spoke.
“…Please arrange for me to eat separately. If at all possible, I’d like to take my meals alone in my Chamber.”
It was an unusual request.
And she did not appear pleased at all. Borgus had been concerned that Roana might collude with them and sell information about the Southern Region. But what I read from Roana now was anxiety, anger, and a hint of fear.
It seemed there was a secret between House Hejest and Roana that they did not know.
I could not find a trace of betrayal anywhere in that face.
“…I think it would be better to have more warm tea.”
Cherez poured the tea himself. As the hot liquid streamed into the empty cup, delicate wisps of steam rose in pale spirals.
Cherez lifted the teacup and placed it directly into Roana’s hands.
“Drink.”
The moment Roana lifted her gaze, her eyes met Cherez’s as he was rising to his feet—close enough to touch.
Roana was reflected in Cherez’s eyes.
And Cherez was reflected in Roana’s eyes.
Roana spoke in a whisper.
“…You have the face of someone worried about me.”
“Your expression.”
Cherez’s voice dropped to a murmur.
“It’s like someone drowning.”
Roana’s eyes widened. She had never expected Cherez to voice concern for her—much less to read her emotions so clearly.
‘I thought he had left my mind, but he’s still there.’
The Duchess would involve herself in everything—from the moment I eat, to when I sleep, to every action I take.
And then there was Hayden to worry about.
I was hoping the Duchess of Hejest would show some shred of humanity. If she harmed the child in any way, I would never forgive her.
For so many reasons, it felt as though I were sinking into a swamp.
“…I’m worried. About Hayden too.”
Roana murmured, her hands wrapped around the teacup. The warmth radiating from it seemed to thaw her very being.
Cherez was startled by what Roana had said. She was viewing the Duchess of Hejest far more objectively than he had realized.
It was precisely this concern that had led Cherez to plan placing the Duchess of Hejest in the Annex.
During that time, he would strictly control all who came and went from the Mansion.
Roana truly was, every single time, a source of endless surprise.

* * *
After leaving the Dining Hall, I immediately sought out Yureain.
My pace quickened. As I walked through the Corridor at an unusually brisk speed, my mind raced ahead.
The Duchess of Hejest was coming.
The woman who had starved me, assigned Tanya to watch my every move, and sent me to the Southern Region like a withered corpse in a carriage. The first malice I had encountered in this world.
One of the architects of the original Roana’s destruction.
She was coming to the Southern Region because she missed her daughter who had married into Bereidan? How absurd.
She was coming because she wanted something.
She wanted to see with her own eyes whether her daughter was defying her orders and acting on her own, or whether she had been swayed by Bereidan.
The moment I reached Yureain’s chamber, I knocked on the door.
“Yureain, are you inside? It’s me.”
The door opened and Yureain emerged. Upon seeing my expression, she immediately opened the door wide.
“Please come in, Duchess.”
The instant I stepped inside, I spoke directly.
“I heard the Duchess of Hejest is coming in a fortnight.”
Yureain’s expression shifted subtly.
“I thought she wouldn’t come until spring.”
She pressed her lips together tightly.
“…The Duke has already given instructions regarding this. Access to the Mansion will be restricted for a while.”
As she spoke, Yureain withdrew something from a drawer—a single sheet of paper densely covered with writing.
“What is this?”
“Things that need to be prepared. I made this list in advance.”
A sigh and a laugh escaped me simultaneously.
“Without you, Yureain, we would have been in serious trouble.”
“You are too kind.”
Yureain bowed her head. The resentment she had once harbored toward me seemed to have completely vanished through all that had transpired.
She was trusting me, wasn’t she?
I hoped so.
Just as I was coming to depend on her.
Yureain smiled and handed me the paper.
I scanned the list.
Guest chamber arrangements, meal plans, ceremonial protocols, identification of attendants, and everything else—ingredients to procure, bedding to replace, cleaning to oversee. Every item was meticulously detailed.
Looking at it, some of my tension eased. I was not alone in this place.
“Yureain.”
“Yes.”
“I think I need to take the initiative this time.”
Yureain looked at me.
“What do you intend to do?”
I drew in a breath.
“I have no intention of being dragged around by the Duchess of Hejest. If we can move ahead of her, that would be best. Will you help me?”
A faint smile graced Yureain’s lips.
“I shall assist you in whatever way I can, madam.”
My heart felt reassured. I was no longer alone in this struggle.
How different this moment was from the day I arrived at this place by myself. The Duchess of Hejest would soon come to understand.
That I was no longer the woman I had been before.
“Where should we begin?”
“The Duchess will attempt to plant her own people among us. What if we were to turn those who come from House Hejest to our side? And perhaps we should also place a double agent within her ranks. We’ll need trustworthy individuals who will work for our interests.”
This is where it all begins.

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