The Husband I Thought Was Dead Has Returned - Chapter 55

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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 055
Knight Order Commander Wills shouted at the top of his lungs.
“This is a gift from the Duchess! Everyone, loosen your belts and eat with grateful hearts!”
“Uhhh, uwaaaaaa! Long live the Duchess!!”
With such a small treat, I had become their savior. Their faces were beaming with joy. The training must have been grueling. Cherez’s eyebrows twitched.
“Too loud.”
When Linnen picked up a ladle herself and began pouring the chilled fruit drink with ice floating in it, a stir ran through the knights. Linnen looked far too small standing among them. I could see them all being careful with their movements. The largest knight among them hesitantly approached and received a cup.
“…Thank you, Young Lady.”
The moment he drained the drink, an exclamation burst forth.
“So refreshing…”
The frozen atmosphere melted away in an instant. The sweat-drenched knights gathered one by one. Linnen silently poured drinks for them and handed out snacks. Yureain personally distributed pies to each and offered words of encouragement. All of it was being done in my name.
Yureain had said,
‘Still, being too familiar is not good either. Maintaining proper distance creates loyalty toward one’s master. So I and Linnen will handle the work. The Duchess should simply remain quietly with the young master.’
I swear by Yureain’s words when it comes to managing affairs in the Southern Region. She has never been wrong once! Everyone shouts long live the Duchess, but truthfully, I should be shouting long live Yureain.

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“You’ve worked hard getting here.”
After all the snacks had been distributed, everyone enjoyed a well-deserved rest. It was time for the troublemakers to depart. Cherez came along to see us off. Knight Order Commander Wills accompanied him as well.
The name Wills was somewhat familiar to me. Cherez had said he was the one who led the Knight Order back alone after Cherez’s death. And Wills had protected Hayden to the very end. There seemed to be accounts suggesting that without Wills, Hayden would have lost his life.
I turned my body so that Hayden would be visible to Wills. Hayden had already been transferred into my arms.
“No, Cherez. I really didn’t do anything.”
This was the truth. Yureain had made all the preparations, and both the distribution and serving were done by Yureain and Linnen. All I did was stand like a trophy, greet people, and wave my hand. At most, I had cared for Hayden.
That was when Hayden, who had been quietly playing with a toy in my arms, suddenly stretched out his body.
“Uh-uh, dey!”
Hayden’s gaze landed on Wills, who stood beside Cherez.
Wills’s eyes widened at Hayden’s call. In truth, Wills was counted among the most upright warriors of the Southern Region, a legendary figure beneath whose blade countless magical beasts had fallen.
But now before him stood something far more terrifying than any magical beast—a fourteen-month-old baby.
“Dey-dey-dey-dey!”
Hayden gestured and kicked toward Wills while holding out the toy he had been carrying. It was a maraca, his most treasured possession.
“…?”
Wills’s eyes trembled as if an earthquake had struck. He made no attempt to hide his bewilderment and looked back and forth between Cherez and me.
“Young Master?”
“Dey-dey-dey-dey!”
Each time Hayden flailed his hands, a jingling sound rang out. Wills awkwardly extended his hand. Then Hayden stopped his thrashing and placed the maraca into Wills’s palm with a decisive tap, as if a king were bestowing a gift upon a knight.
Wills trembled like a man who had received a hot potato.
“…Th-thank you, Young Master. I will treasure it dearly.”
Wills glanced around nervously. The sight of a sturdy middle-aged knight’s face flushing in real time over a single baby toy was quite something to behold. That’s our Hayden for you! He knows how to read people. How impressive!
If Wills were to think of all the things he would do for Hayden going forward, this was truly well done. It was a rather touching scene of him pre-emptively securing the loyalty of his trusted subordinate.
“Dey-dey-dey-dey!”
But the real problem came next.
A chill ran down my spine as Cherez’s gaze fixed upon the saliva-covered toy resting in Wills’s palm. The air around us seemed to plummet below freezing in an instant.
“….”
Cherez’s eyes slowly shifted toward Wills’s face, their intensity conveying an unspoken message: ‘I never received such a thing—why should you?’
In that moment, I recalled the precious scrap of paper Cherez had been treasuring. I swallowed hard. He clearly believed such gifts were not meant for just anyone!
“Wills.”
Cherez’s voice dropped to a low murmur. Wills reflexively straightened to attention.
“Yes, sir!”
“That is an object bearing the seal of Bereidan.”
“Y-yes, but the young master was playing with it….”
“Gifts are not given to just anyone. Nor should they be accepted carelessly.”
Cherez’s voice carried a peculiar edge to it. I swallowed nervously. The scene was genuinely amusing and absurd, yet I couldn’t suppress the tension that gripped me.
“Y-young master!”
Wills, beads of cold sweat forming on his brow, attempted to return the maraca to Hayden, but the boy had already lost interest—his small bottom wiggling as he reached up to toy with my hair.
Abandoning the maraca like this? Of course, now that his collection of toys had grown, it was time to move on. But not now—not like this! Wills was left standing like a stone monument, clutching that burdensome plaything in his hand.
“…Will you give me something better than a scrap of paper?”
Cherez murmured this so softly, so quietly that only I could hear it.
In that moment, I barely managed to suppress the laughter threatening to burst forth. What am I to do with this man? His face was sculpted like marble, yet his behavior was unmistakably that of a child robbed of his toy.
I leaned close to Cherez and whispered softly.
“Cherez, if you’re so envious, shall I buy you one? One without saliva on it. Something even better than Hayden’s.”
I spoke with genuine sincerity, but Cherez shook his head.
“…That’s not what I meant. I was merely… concerned that Hayden might want it back.”
His ears had flushed a deep crimson, like ripened apples. Cherez ran a hand across his face.
Yes, the child harbored no ulterior motives. It fell to us adults to feel slighted by such innocent actions. Even knowing how petty and absurd such feelings were, the heart does as it pleases. Cherez’s gaze kept drifting back to the toy in Wills’s hand.
I found him both hilarious and oddly touching. Did he truly hold his nephew in such high regard? The thought struck me. Hayden’s unexpected gesture of sharing had clearly dealt Cherez quite a blow.
“Still, Cherez. Hayden only hugs you like this.”
Hayden ceased his wiggling and lifted his head, his small teeth visible between his rounded, parted lips. He seemed to grow more endearing by the moment—how was that even possible? I placed Hayden in Cherez’s arms.
“There, like this.”
Cherez cradled Hayden and nodded slowly. Indeed, the boy nestled securely in Cherez’s embrace. Perhaps he sensed these were the arms that had saved him. Seeing Cherez’s expression soften, Wills finally seemed to breathe again, quickly tucking the toy deep into his pocket. Hayden, now cradled in Cherez’s arms, began to kick his feet.
“Da-da-da!”
I watched with a contented smile as Hayden enthusiastically covered Cherez’s face with saliva.
“And it’s only Cherez whom Hayden kisses like this.”
At last, Cherez’s expression melted completely. Hayden, mirroring his uncle, broke into a wide, innocent grin.
Even as the small hands patted and struck Cherez’s forehead, he continued to smile.
It was a warm afternoon moment.

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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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