The Husband I Thought Was Dead Has Returned - Chapter 37

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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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The Husband Who Should Have Died Returns Episode 037
Hayden was currently smearing boiled pumpkin across the tablecloth with the face of an artist possessed by creative fervor.
I had attempted self-directed weaning—he had eaten carrots well enough, devoured broccoli without complaint, but crumbled entirely before the pumpkin.
“Bleh bleh bleh bleh!”
Hayden threw his head back triumphantly and thrust both hands into the air.
“Yes… Hayden reigns supreme. Long live Hayden! Splendid! You’re the best!”
Hayden turned his gaze toward Yureain and beamed, his face radiant with the joy of accomplishment.
“Long live the young master!”
Hayden looked at me and broke into a brilliant smile.
Watching that smug expression, even the chilling news Yureain had delivered moments ago receded into the background.
Yet the words she had spoken clung to my mind like thorns, refusing to dislodge.
‘No matter how I look at it, he’s utterly useless.’
That was Mother’s assessment upon seeing Hayden.
In the ledger of her calculations, Hayden had been marked as ‘unusable.’
“Is that all? Oh, Hayden! If you rub your eyes with those hands, it will hurt. It will sting, won’t it?”
I stopped him and quickly wiped his hands clean with a damp handkerchief.
“No no! No no!”
Hayden waved his hand and shook his head in protest.
“What do you mean no? Your eyes will sting if something gets in them. There, there, you’re such a good boy. My precious little one is the very best, isn’t he?”
I soothed him gently while wiping away the residue from his hands and face, then gestured to Yureain to clear the tablecloth and tidy away the food.
Pumpkin clearly wasn’t to his taste.
When I set him back down on the floor, he grasped the chair and stood upright. As I adjusted his posture, Yureain spoke with careful deliberation.
“And there is more, madam. The Duchess of Hejest is preparing to go out this afternoon. She says she’s meeting an old friend.”
Yureain’s voice continued softly. There could be no such thing as Petunia’s ‘old friend’ in the Southern Region. Her contempt for the south was far too ingrained to overcome.
“It won’t be a friend. Are there any nobles who have relocated from the Capital recently? If it’s not nobility, she wouldn’t deign to speak with them, so it’s unlikely to be a commoner.”
“Yes. There are several nobles who have relocated over the past five years. Among them…”
“Goodness! Hayden! I’ve told you that pushing the chair around like that will give you a bump on your head, haven’t I?”
“Bleh bleh, no no no! Bleh bleh!”
“Tsk!”
I glared at the protesting Hayden. As if a bump on the forehead would make him cry!
I lifted the whimpering Hayden into my arms and patted his resistant little body while signaling to Yureain with my eyes.
“I shall investigate whether she has any close acquaintances among them.”
I nodded in acknowledgment. Just as I was about to speak further, Hayden seized a handful of my hair and yanked it hard.
“Tee! Hehe!”
“Ow!”
Hayden laughed brightly. And yet Mother speaks of ‘usefulness’ while gazing upon such innocent joy. Can she truly be human?
“You really are too much, aren’t you?”
I murmured as I wiped away the traces of pumpkin clinging to the child’s plump cheeks with my fingertip.
“You’ve already fulfilled your purpose simply by being adorable. Isn’t that right, my clever little one?”
Of course, he wasn’t always merely cute. A baby could be a ferocious tyrant when the mood struck.
“Dede dede dede dede!”
“Let go of my hair! Ow! Ow, I said!”
Having finally given up on our lengthy conversation, Yureain spoke.
“I shall return shortly, Duchess.”
“Yes, madam.”
I laughed sheepishly while holding Hayden’s pebble-like fist, which gripped my hair with surprising strength.
Yureain smiled at me in return—as if she understood completely. It felt rather like experiencing the childcare struggles of a working mother.

* * *
It was only after I had finally managed to put Hayden to sleep. Today, he had rejected his porridge with his entire body and thrown a tantrum, leaving me utterly drained.
It seemed he was going through a phase of pickiness lately.
“Yet he looks so angelic when he sleeps.”
The child was developing a sense of self, and his preferences were becoming more pronounced. It was evidence that he was growing healthy and strong.
I held Hayden’s hand and gently swayed it back and forth.
“What am I to do with you, truly.”
I was in the midst of a healing moment, watching his plump belly rise and fall with each breath and poking his cheek, when a soft knock sounded from beyond the door. Thinking it might be Yureain, I opened it—only to find Cherez standing there instead.
“Come out for a moment. I’ve had some tea prepared.”
Rather than entering the room, he stepped back from the doorway and waited for me to emerge.
He led me to the Sunroom, a private space. Soft lamplight and the delicate fragrance of tea lingered in the air.
Cherez gestured inward with his chin.
The Sunroom was warm. Cherez waited until I had settled into a seat and taken some refreshments.
Why did he have that expression?
What was he about to say?
“I’m not certain where to begin.”
Cherez spoke while touching the corner of his eye. A bitter smile played at his lips.
“However, nothing will pose a problem any longer, and nothing will cause you harm.”
Why such a preamble?
It made me uneasy.
“Yes, I’m ready.”
I swallowed hard. I had things to discuss with him as well—things that Yureain had discovered by having people watch them.
No matter how I considered it, I felt a powerful conviction that Hejest was also behind those who tormented Hayden.
According to the original serialization, the mastermind had not yet been revealed at this point.
I had always wondered why people felt so comfortable exploiting Hayden.
But when Petunia said it was “pointless,” I began to wonder—had the original work also attempted to kill Hayden?
Perhaps it had failed because of the remaining loyal retainers. It might be my imagination, but the thought kept returning to me.
As I was lost in contemplation, Cherez spoke.
“To begin with some reassuring news—by tomorrow evening, that woman will have left this Mansion.”
My eyes widened.
“Tomorrow? So suddenly?”
“Tomorrow? So suddenly?”
I like that so much.
“Of course, one must pay the price for their misdeeds.”
That would be Hayden speaking. Though admittedly, Petunia’s departure is something I’d welcome with open arms.
“That’s a relief. I can finally breathe.”
“You look disappointed.”
“…If only.”
I wish I’d found decisive evidence to sweep away Hejest entirely. To dismantle Hejest before Cherez leaves.
That would be ideal, but it seemed impossible. I bit my lip in frustration.
“I wish she’d suffered more punishment.”
“That might actually be possible.”
I tilted my head and stared at Cherez. More punishment? How? When he’s returning to the Capital?
Cherez smiled coldly. His face looked almost fierce.
“Borgus will seize that woman’s right hand. The Duchess of Hejest will leave behind her own limbs.”
“…What do you mean?”
“I’m truly sorry to tell you this.”
I sensed that Cherez was deliberately delaying what he really wanted to say. He bit his lip slightly.
“The Duchess orchestrated Roana’s death. Your death. She suspected your betrayal.”
…I suspected as much.
I tried to deceive myself, but I didn’t think I was truly fooled. I only considered it a way to buy time.
“…Are you alright?”
“I thought it was possible.”
I had also wondered if Roana hadn’t fled of her own will in the original story.
Petunia Hejest was simply discarding a tamed beast that had betrayed her.
And Mother had always said there were other daughters to replace my position. She’s the kind of person who could even fabricate a daughter that doesn’t exist.
Cherez sighed. His face seemed…
“Were you worried about me?”
That I might be hurt?
Cherez nodded. His eyes gazing at me had grown warm. I found myself smiling without realizing it.
Even knowing that my mother, bound to me by blood, wished for my death—I simply laughed.
“Thank you, Cherez.”
I was truly grateful. Perhaps Cherez was the only one here who worried about me.
But I felt a pang of sorrow again. The heavy emotion surged like waves once more. This wasn’t the time to worry about others. He didn’t even know he’d received his death sentence. Sigh.

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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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