The Husband I Thought Was Dead Has Returned - Chapter 47

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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 047
Not knowing what to do, I clung to Hayden, but Cherez took a deep breath. Then he removed his jacket and draped it over Hayden and me. His voice had grown calm as he spoke softly.
“I’m turning around. I promise I won’t look. I stake Bereidan on it.”
Staking Bereidan meant staking everything. His solemnity somehow dulled my embarrassment.
“Yes.”
The moment Cherez turned away, I quickly separated Hayden from me and tied the loosened ribbon firmly. Not just once, but twice—so that no matter how hard Hayden pulled with his tiny hands, it wouldn’t come undone.
“All done.”
At my words, Cherez turned his head. With a faint sigh, Cherez took Hayden away.
“I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s not like Cherez did anything wrong….”
No, that’s not right either. Something felt off, so I clamped my mouth shut.
A heavier silence settled between us. Just as I was wondering how to recover from this, Hayden interjected.
“Blah blah! Bah! Dada dada!”
Hayden thrashed toward me, but Cherez didn’t let go. Thanks to that, the atmosphere cleared. I cleared my throat.
“Ahem.”
Cherez patted Hayden gently. At that careful touch, Hayden tilted his head curiously and looked up at Cherez. Deep blue eyes and bright blue eyes met in the air.
A smile spread across Cherez’s lips. Seeing that, peace returned to my heart. It’s fine—he didn’t see anything anyway.
I fidgeted with the ribbon as I spoke.
“…You should be careful too from now on, Cherez.”
“Hmm?”
“He suddenly yanks your trousers down without warning.”
Cherez stared at Hayden for a moment, then pressed a kiss to the child’s forehead.
“A little devil if I ever saw one.”
“A very cute and lovable devil, though.”
Cherez nodded in agreement. Watching Hayden pat Cherez’s cheek with his palm, I leaned back against the carriage.
Yes, this is parenting. Real-world parenting.

* * *
The outdoor banquet hall beside the lake was so crowded it seemed every nobleman from the Southern Region had gathered. White cloth draped over arches swayed in the breeze alongside hydrangeas in full bloom, casting an elegant atmosphere. Spring was in its glory. Yet despite the beautiful spectacle, people’s attention was not on the flowers.
The carriage came to a halt, and Cherez descended first, extending his hand to me. The moment we stepped down, the roar of noise that had been building like waves suddenly subsided.
There was only one reason: Cherez had taken Hayden directly from my arms. The ruler of the Southern Region had appeared at an official gathering holding his heir in his own hands. This was a political performance declaring that this child was my sole successor. And we had orchestrated it for precisely this effect.
Hundreds of gazes pierced through us sharply. Murmurs spread like a contagion.
“Is that the child we’ve only heard rumors about….”
“The heir of House Bereidan. He looks just like the previous Duke.”
“The Duke himself is carrying him—isn’t this a declaration not to be touched?”
Perhaps nervous from the unfamiliar surroundings and the deluge of stares, Hayden gripped Cherez’s collar tightly with his small, fern-like hands. His little fist turned white from the force, and he turned his head to bury his face in Cherez’s broad shoulder.
I gently stroked Hayden’s back from beside him and whispered.
“It’s alright, Hayden. Nothing’s wrong, is it? Everyone just thinks you’re so adorable. Hayden is the best!”
I gave him a thumbs up as I usually did. Hayden, whose eyes met mine, broke into a grin. I could see my reflection in his cute, crescent-moon-shaped eyes. I gently caressed his cheek.
“You’ll be fine.”
Cherez adjusted his hold on the child, securing him more firmly, and slowly walked through the crowd. I stood beside him and moved along with his steps.
Once we were seated, Hayden, whose wariness had eased somewhat, cautiously lifted his head. Then, spotting the elaborate flower decorations, his mood brightened again. Hayden stretched his finger to point at the flowers and cried out.
“Fwower! Fwower fwower!”
In that instant, the heavy tension that had surrounded the noblewomen’s faces melted away completely.
“Oh my, listen to the young lord’s babbling.”
“Look at him pointing. Goodness, that angelic face! The Bereidan bloodline is uniformly handsome. How absolutely precious.”
Hayden’s cuteness had instantly dissolved any wariness directed at the next heir of House Bereidan. Cherez’s strategy had met with overwhelming success when it encountered Hayden’s lethal charm—the ultimate cheat code.

* * *
The wedding ceremony began. To the accompaniment of grand music, Chloe made her entrance. The elaborate white dress adorned with dense lace and jewels was as ostentatious as her usual personality, but today it suited Claire perfectly. Claire seemed to have become a bouquet herself. She was beautiful, as if painted.
The groom Aisen, standing before the altar, drew as much attention as Chloe. He was already on the verge of tears. Even from a distance, his eyes were as red and swollen as a rabbit’s, and his jaw trembled.
Crying before even exchanging vows?
My prediction proved accurate. The moment Chloe finished her entrance and stood before him, tears began pouring from Aisen’s eyes like a waterfall.
The Priest conducting the ceremony coughed awkwardly in surprise, and the guests had to bow their heads to suppress their laughter.
Chloe initially wore a pouty expression, embarrassed, but her face soon softened. Her cheeks flushed, Chloe pulled out a handkerchief and gently wiped Aisen’s cheeks, whispering softly.
“…Fool.”
I could see the shape of her lips clearly from where I sat.
It was a tenderness one could never imagine from the usual Chloe. Human connections are truly mysterious. It’s surprising to discover Chloe possessed such a side.
Chloe’s eyes brimmed with affection for Aisen. It seemed that beneath all her boasting, there had been love for him all along.
The climax of the ceremony—the exchange of vows and rings—followed. Aisen wept even as he slipped the ring onto her finger, and when the marriage declaration finally came, thunderous applause erupted. Startled by the sudden noise, Hayden flinched, but after a moment, he looked around and began clapping along.
The sound of his small, clumsy hands coming together drew the noblewomen’s gazes to us once more.
“Oh my, the young lord is clapping!”
“How can he be so precious? He knows how to do everything!”
Delighted by the praise, Hayden began flailing his hands wildly, clapping rapidly.
“Fwower fwower fwower!!”
Hayden raised both hands high and flapped his short arms as he clapped. Both Aisen and Chloe burst into laughter at the sight. It was a beautiful day.

* * *
Just before the banquet commenced, we faced our greatest trial yet—Hayden’s lunchtime.
In the glittering heart of High Society, where we could trust no one, we ultimately resolved to feed him ourselves.
Though Duchess Petunia had departed, we remained uncertain who might still be acting under Yotlrey’s orders. The beef and broccoli nutritious rice we had painstakingly prepared since dawn with Yureain was today’s meal.
“Cherez, please hold this for me.”
I rolled up my silk dress sleeves and spoke with grim determination. Cherez settled Hayden onto his lap with reverent care. As he fastened the bib around the child’s neck, his movements were so delicate that I could scarcely breathe watching him.
Hayden was certainly small compared to Cherez—though that was merely relative. He was actually quite large for a child his age, yet whenever cradled in Cherez’s arms, he appeared impossibly tiny.
“Come now, Hayden. Ah! That’s it, that’s it. Our little bird eats so well!”
But after the first spoonful, disaster struck. Hayden, who normally ate without complaint, suddenly decided to rebel. The moment the spoon approached his mouth, he whipped his head away and cried out “Bleh!” while flailing his hands wildly.
“Pbbbbbbbbbb!”
In that instant, I watched grains of rice scatter through the air.

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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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