The Husband I Thought Was Dead Has Returned - Chapter 80

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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 080
A soft exhale.
Cherez wiped his lips, thinking for the first time that the tea entering Chloe’s mouth was not a waste.
“How could I possibly sit idle when Roana herself made such a request?”
Chloe glanced around the military barracks and clicked her tongue.
“Really, what a sight this is.”
“Continue with what you were saying.”
Chloe pouted her lips as she spoke.
“I received a letter from Roana. You know as well as I do, Cherez, that Roana and I are the closest of friends.”
Cherez nodded reluctantly. Whether Roana truly thought of it that way remained uncertain, but he could not deny it now.
“Roana went to such lengths for my happiness—how could I possibly remain idle?”
Chloe blinked, her eyelashes fluttering.
“Even our dear Ling says one should not turn away from kindness. So I decided to move for Roana’s happiness. Because that’s what Roana said—that she wanted to be happy too. And that she needed you for that.”
At Chloe’s words, Cherez’s brow twitched.
Everything Chloe said felt distant as a dream, yet the name Roana rang clear and vivid.
“Roana?”
Chloe nodded.
The fact that Roana needed him made his heart sink. Cherez clenched his teeth.
In the moment he wanted to surrender, when he wished to simply let everything go, Roana lifts him up again like this.
“And I’m your friend too, Cherez.”
At Chloe’s added words, Cherez let out a hollow laugh. It seemed an undeniable fact that they were friends, in whatever form that took.
“When we arrived in Evelik, there was an incident where I saved the life of the Princess of Evelik.”
“The Princess of Evelik?”
Cherez murmured in a low voice.
He had heard that King Evelik had an only daughter, his sole child. Born late in life, she was treasured beyond measure.
She should be around fifteen years old by now.
“Yes.”
Chloe shrugged her shoulders.
“You know, no matter where you go, there are always foolish people around. That girl had been kidnapped, you see…”
To summarize Chloe’s lengthy account: the princess had been caught up in political circumstances and kidnapped. Though there was a specific culprit, without evidence they could not recover the princess.
But when Chloe learned of this, her meddlesome nature kicked in, and she used the Bereidan Trading Company’s resources to rescue the princess.
“Since we’re from the Empire, we didn’t need to worry about the kingdom’s sensibilities.”
“Exactly! And if you’re going to do business, it’s better to stay on good terms with people in power, isn’t it? What good is attending social gatherings? The King is supreme, after all!”
Chloe laughed brightly.
It was laughter that didn’t belong in this place, yet it drew even Cherez into a wry smile. Now he understood why the Trading Company had grown so rapidly in Evelik.
There must have been such circumstances behind it.
Cherez rubbed the corners of his eyes firmly.
“At that time, the King told me that if there was anything I wanted, he would grant me one wish. He staked his daughter’s name on it.”
“I couldn’t refuse.”
“Right! So I asked for troops. I said I needed to save my friends!”
Chloe laughed brightly, her shoulders shrugging with a cheerful air.
“The army has crossed the border, so the Emperor won’t sit idle.”
“That’s something you’ll have to handle, Cherez! And I’ve brought mountains of supplies. The carriage wheels nearly gave out, I tell you? With the sea route blocked, nothing’s easy. I’m late because of the detour back.”
Upon hearing that the ship had been docked somewhere other than Bereidan Territory and they’d traveled overland from there, Cherez clicked his tongue. The waters around Bereidan were teeming with demonic beasts, after all.
“You’re not late, Chloe.”
Chloe smiled softly.
“Then all’s well! I must return now. Our little one is waiting for me. The supplies will be delivered once a month. Mother was in quite a state too.”
Chloe’s mouth never ceased its chatter. Yet even that felt like a pleasant song today.
“Give Roana my regards, Cherez.”
Chloe exhaled a deep sigh.
“Roana must look dreadful. Once the war ends, I’ll send her the finest cosmetics and beautiful silks in abundance.”
Kindness answered with kindness.
“Roana will be delighted.”
“Of course! Then I’ll come with our little one. I have so much to tell Roana!”
Friendship answered with friendship.
Roana’s warm heart had saved me once again. She had always been warm, even when she found Chloe tiresome.
‘After all, it’s nice when everyone gets a happy ending, isn’t it?’
I saw Chloe off.
A warm hand had reached the Southern Region, abandoned even by the Imperial Court. With a relaxed expression, I issued orders to Wills.
“Thanks to her, we can eat our fill now. Prepare generous portions of rice, and make broth with dried meat and spices. And the comrades who’ve traveled far will need armor to wear.”
“I’ll see to it at once!”
Strength infused Wills’s voice.
A new wind swept across the Battlefield. It was a wind brought by long-standing bonds. And at the end of that wind lay.
‘I hope you return safely, Cherez.’
Roana permeated everything. Her voice, her scent, and all of her that I had never fully embraced—all of it lingered here.
Even in this place.
I recalled the strands of Roana’s hair that had wound around my fingertips and her fragrance that had drifted past my nose before fading away.
‘I wish for your happiness.’
Roana remained my salvation.

* * *
Five months passed.
Everything had failed.
“Mama? Eat?”
Crouched on the ground, two-year-old Hayden plucked up a withered seedling and looked at me with questioning eyes. His round face was flushed a deep crimson.
The spring sunlight had long since vanished behind the red moon.
The fragile seedling in the baby’s delicate hands drooped lifelessly.
“Mama… can’t eat…”
I exhaled a long, weary sigh.
“Hayden’s hungry… so hungry…”
Hayden rubbed his belly. Seeing my precious boy’s dejected expression, my own strength drained away entirely.
Hayden’s appetite continued to grow relentlessly. These days, I was learning firsthand that output required input.
Growing as rapidly as bean sprouts, Hayden consumed an astonishing amount of food.
Demand existed, but I couldn’t meet the supply. It was the worst possible situation.
I’d followed the instructions in the books precisely, so why wasn’t it working?
“Does this one sleep?”
“Yes, it needs to sleep.”
Hayden nodded solemnly, his expression downcast.
Hayden buried the dead seedling in the soil and patted it gently. His innocent voice followed the lullaby I’d been singing, ringing out clear and bright through the forest.
“Sleep, sleep, little one! Sleep, sleep!”
I straightened up and looked around. Mila shook her head at me.
This harvest had failed too.
I’d dreamed of a self-sufficient farming life. I’d thought that if I could just produce enough food, I could live in seclusion. But I never imagined farming would be this difficult.
I learned painfully that the farming knowledge from books proved utterly useless in practice.
“…Let’s prepare for the hunt.”
“Yes, madam.”
Mila tossed down her hoe and picked up her sword. A sigh escaped me at her grim expression.
“Shoes! Shoes! Hayden too! Hayden too. Shoes!”
“…Shoes. Could you pronounce it properly?”
“Shoes!”
I lifted the bright-eyed child into my arms.
I’m the one who should be cursing.
At this rate, we’d starve to death.
My promise to keep Hayden safe had grown increasingly fragile. I’m sorry, Cherez.

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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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