The Husband I Thought Was Dead Has Returned - Chapter 70

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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 070
Cherez’s beauty possessed a peculiar power to make me forget the gravity of our circumstances. Looking up at him, I swallowed without thinking.
Cherez let out a soft chuckle.
“You’ll bore a hole through my face at this rate. Were you on your way to see me?”
“Yes.”
“How convenient. I had something to discuss with you as well.”
Cherez gestured toward his room. I followed him as though bewitched. There was an old song that became a hit with the lyrics “Won’t you come to our house?” I finally understood why people were so desperate to follow along.
How could anyone possibly refuse that?
Even Cherez’s damp hair seemed to seduce me. Enchanted, I trailed after him into the room. His chamber was immaculate, saturated with his distinctive scent.
“Sit.”
Was I the only one whose toes curled? Cherez appeared perfectly composed. I sat awkwardly on the sofa, forcing a smile.
“If you have something to say, go first.”
“Well, I just wanted to check if everything was alright… Oh, has Chloe sent any word? And I was curious about the Temple situation…”
Realizing I was rambling, I pressed my lips together and laughed nervously.
Cherez swept his hair back. A strand of damp hair fell across his forehead, and my heart seemed to tumble with it. Why was he so devastatingly handsome?
He probably had no idea. This was becoming problematic.
“…Not yet.”
Cherez smiled bitterly.
“So as an alternative, I’m in discussions with Malate as well. I don’t think there will be any major issues.”
I bit my lip slightly. Countess Malate was trustworthy. The question was whether she could reliably secure supplies.
Still, in the original story, he returned safely from the war, so it should be fine.
“That’s a relief.”
“I’ve expanded surveillance on the Temple. Borgus is overseeing it directly, so it should be manageable.”
I nodded, though my gaze remained fixed on Cherez throughout. Candlelight glistened off the moisture on his skin. The crimson glow from beyond the window created an oddly intimate atmosphere.
If I only looked at Cherez, I felt the world could crumble and it wouldn’t matter…
Get a hold of yourself, Roana.
I lowered my eyes to my hands resting on my lap. This wasn’t my first time in Cherez’s room, so why was I acting this way today?
“Your face seems flushed. Are you warm?”
“No! Not at all. I’m perfectly fine, Cherez. I heard you had something to tell me—let’s discuss that.”
I spoke with wide eyes. Cherez looked puzzled. He had no idea how precarious my state was.
I cleared my throat softly and straightened my posture. Focus, Roana. I widened my eyes. You didn’t come here to stare at his collarbone—stop stealing glances.
Fortunately, Cherez rose and moved toward the drawer. He opened it and retrieved something from within.
A gleaming key rested in his palm.
Floral patterns were engraved on the handle. Time had worn the edges smooth and blunt, yet the shape remained unmistakable—a rose.
Cherez sat before me and extended the key.
“The villa has been prepared. I confirmed it through the steward. The roof has been repaired, the fireplace restored, and new fencing installed around the garden. The water runs well, and it’s both secure and discreet.”
Cherez smiled with his eyes narrowed. I wanted to smile, but the expression wouldn’t come.
I turned the key over in my hands. My heart grew heavy. Even as I hoped for Cherez’s return, I was preparing for the possibility that he might not.
Though Cherez didn’t know it.
I changed the subject without reason.
“Did your mother love roses?”
“She planted nothing but roses in the garden.”
His voice grew softer, as though the tension had drained from him, leaving only tranquility in its wake.
“When I was young, Mother took only me to the villa. Elder Brother went on territory patrols with Father, while I accompanied Mother to Carencia.”
This was the first time Cherez had spoken of his childhood. I listened intently to his voice, my lips parting slightly as moisture gathered at the edges.
It was perhaps affection for the past—longing for someone who had departed this world.
Unbidden emotion welled up, and I sniffled softly.
“We would stay there for days at a time. While Mother tended her roses, I would run wild across the mountains. Though clumsy, she would even prepare dinner for me with her own hands.”
My breath caught.
While I had been preparing to survive, Cherez had been reminiscing. The same place held entirely different weight for us both.
“What a wonderful environment for a child. I think Hayden would love it too. Though he won’t be able to run just yet.”
I swallowed back the rest of what I wanted to say.
If Cherez did not return, Hayden would grow up safely there, running and falling just as Cherez had done.
Cherez laughed—silently.
“Thank you, Cherez.”
“Don’t mention it. I simply wish for you and Hayden to be safe.”
Just as I hoped for his return, he harbored the same wish for us.
“I’m sorry for this Southern Region. Sorry for making it dangerous.”
And who was it that made it this way, apologizing now?
A faint shimmer glistened in his blue eyes, where firelight danced in rippling waves—eyes that looked perilous.
“Cherez.”
“Yes.”
“I’ll wait for you. There.”
Cherez gazed at me with darkened eyes.
“Until you return.”
My voice trembled.
I truly hoped it would be so. Even knowing he might never come back, I wanted to wait.
The insurance we had secured was merely a temporary measure.
“I hope you find happiness wherever you are. If you are happy, then what I do will have meaning. It will become the force that drives me forward.”
Cherez’s voice dropped low. Shadows settled deep across his face.
Could I possibly be all right if you died? Now, I don’t think I could be.
My throat burned.
“Cherez.”
“Yes.”
“I’ll wait for you, so….”
His eyes wavered.
“Come back quickly.”
Cherez’s hand reached toward me.
His large hand brushed past my ear, drawing my hair back.
His fingertips came to rest behind my ear. Warm. The feather-light touch settled upon me with unexpected weight.
My heart pounded wildly. Surely Cherez couldn’t hear it?
As I drew in a breath, Cherez withdrew his hand and stepped back. He grasped my hand and helped me to my feet, then regarded me with a heavy gaze for a moment. He positioned me before the door and whispered.
“Sleep well.”
It sounded as though he didn’t want to let me go.
“…Sleep well, Cherez.”
I closed the door. Leaning against the corridor wall, I exhaled a shaky breath.
I clutched the key in my palm. The rose pattern pressed into my skin, leaving an imprint.

* * *
I couldn’t remember how I’d returned to my room. It felt like a dream, as though I were walking on clouds.
It was Hayden who pulled me back to reality.
“Mmm.”
Hayden lay asleep in his crib, perhaps while Yureain had stepped away to settle him. One of his legs had kicked free of the blanket, so I tucked it back in.
“Sweet dreams, Hayden.”
Yet Cherez’s touch remained indelible. That warm, rough, careful hand—those fingers lingered still in my memory.
And the intensity in his eyes.
I reminded myself countless times: never give your heart to someone who will leave.
But I already knew it was too late.
I prayed that Carencia would remain a cherished memory for us, that the last recollection from that place would be Cherez’s safe return.

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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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