The Husband I Thought Was Dead Has Returned - Chapter 88

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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 088
“Be careful.”
Dorpin glanced at the village children’s expressions before adding quietly.
“Of course, young master.”
They don’t know our true identities. They weren’t pressing us for details either. I had once carefully asked Gania about this.
‘Why don’t you ask about us? Surely you must be curious about outsiders like us.’
‘…Well, should I ask? We trust the kindness of the lady who gave us medicine and treated us without asking for anything in return. After all, when the lady gave Jake medicine, she didn’t ask about his identity either, did she?’
‘Gania…’
‘If something can’t be told, then it won’t be told. Once the red moon passes and everything finds its place again, won’t we eventually learn the truth? We can’t force what isn’t given.’
‘But what if we turn out to be bad people? We could be criminals fleeing from our crimes.’
‘Nonsense. People who raise a baby with such devotion? I can tell by looking at Hayden. He’s so happy and loved, growing up so beautifully. Children are truly sensitive creatures.’
Gania had no idea how much comfort her words about Hayden appearing happy brought me.
It felt like confirmation that what we were doing now, and what we had been protecting all this time, was right. That I was keeping my promise to Cherez.
Hayden laughed brightly and ran toward his friends. As the seedlings we planted in the field ripened, so too did Hayden’s legs grow strong.
Hayden stumbled while running but got up bravely without crying.
Jake handed Dorpin a fishing rod he had made himself. The hook at the end was crude to call a proper needle, but it would certainly catch fish.
“Come on, little ones. Today I’ll teach you. Fishing is all about patience.”
Jake, who had been acting dignified in front of the children, swaggered with a blade of grass in his mouth. But he revealed his true nature within five minutes.
“Toby! Don’t throw rocks! The fish will escape!”
Toby threw stones into the water, and Luke stirred the water with his fishing rod. Hayden and Anna burst into laughter. When Dorpin spotted Hayden trying to wade into the water, he rushed over quickly.
The moment Hayden’s foot touched the water, he was lifted into the air. Hayden thrashed about.
“Water! Water! Hayden wants water!”
Dorpin set the thrashing Hayden down on a rock. Hayden’s lips pouted, but I stood before him with my arms crossed and shook my head with a stern expression.
“No!”
“No, absolutely not!”
I was the one handling Hayden’s discipline here. I stared at him with wide eyes.
“You can’t do dangerous things. You can’t go into the water alone!”
“No!”
Hayden’s eyes and lips trembled as he looked around. He was searching for someone to rescue him—someone weak toward him like Yureain, Dorpin, Mila, or Robin. Dorpin was shifting his feet anxiously behind Hayden.
“No! Dorpin!”
Hayden reached his arms toward Dorpin, but I grabbed both his arms and blocked his line of sight.
“Hayden, no. Dangerous things are not allowed. You must only do safe things with Dorphin.”
“Ugh, waaahhh!”
As Hayden burst into tears, Dorpin shifted his feet with a pitiful expression.
“Promise me, Hayden.”
Hayden glanced around before grasping my finger and nodding.
“No water.”
Hayden nodded while tears streamed down his face. Jake and the frightened children were watching us. I glanced around at the children and issued a warning.
“And you—are you going to enter the water without permission from an adult?”
“No, we won’t!”
“No!”
“We can’t.”
The children, frightened by my firm response, shrank their shoulders as they answered. I smiled warmly and nodded, then handed Hayden a child-sized fishing rod.
“Come on, catch some fish now, Hayden. With Dorphin.”
Only then did Dorphin’s face light up as he lifted Hayden into his arms. Hayden, still sniffling with lingering sadness, buried his face in Dorphin’s broad shoulders. As the child sniffled, Dorphin gently patted his small bottom, his expression melting into tenderness.
In the meantime, a fish must have bitten, for Jake pulled one up from the water. The moment a fish appeared on the hook Jake lifted, the children cheered. Hayden’s mood brightened instantly, and he jumped down excitedly.
“Wow!”
“It’s big!”
“Hayden too!”
Hayden’s radiant smile sparkled brilliantly.

* * *
One of our first harvests was corn. After confirming that Hayden was fishing peacefully with Dorphin, Jake, and the children, I returned to the villa.
“We can harvest the corn now!”
Mila, Gania, and Robin waved at me from the field.
They stood before the field, staring intently at the corn as if they had discovered treasure. In truth, it was treasure. We could finally harvest food from our own field.
We all harvested the corn together. In my past life, I used to buy corn in bags from the market, but picking it directly from the field felt completely different.
Dense kernels were packed tightly within the corn husks.
“But the color seems a bit odd?”
“It’s an improved variety. Still, the taste is truly exceptional.”
Gania said with a smile.
I filled a pot with water, added the corn and a handful of salt, closed the lid, and waited. The aroma of boiling corn began to fill the kitchen—sweet, nutty, and wonderfully familiar.
When I opened the lid, plump kernels gleamed with a lustrous sheen. With each bite, the corn kernels burst delightfully, releasing a savory juice. My goodness. Had I ever tasted corn this delicious? What on earth had I been buying at the market?
I found myself denying all the corn I had eaten before.
“….”
“Delicious, isn’t it? Food always tastes better when you grow it yourself.”
Somehow overcome, I nodded. Never again would I pretend not to hear Hayden say he was hungry. Those days of living hand to mouth, of shrinking inward—they were gone now. Though those desperate days felt like yesterday.
“Thank you so much, Gania.”
“Don’t mention it. I didn’t tend the field alone. Are you crying?”
“I’m not crying. It’s just hot, that’s all.”
Hayden and the children, along with Dorphin and Jake, returned home from fishing. Hayden came running and clung to my legs.
“Mama, sad? What’s wrong?”
“I’m not sad. I’m not crying. Do you want to try this? It’s really delicious?”
Hayden opened his mouth like a baby bird. I separated a single kernel of corn, blew on it to cool it, and popped it into his small mouth. Watching his little mouth work, my heart swelled. His eyes sparkled, holding the entire world within them.
“More, more! Hayden, more!”
This time I placed a handful of kernels in his hands. Hayden stuffed his cheeks full with both hands’ worth of corn, his cheeks puffing out like a squirrel’s as he chewed happily.
Those adorable cheeks were filled with love. I pulled the child close and whispered.
“You’ll never go hungry again, Hayden. I love you so much!”
Hayden burst into delighted laughter. The corn kernels in his hands scattered into the air.
The corn we shared together was truly sweet. And I discovered the taste of happiness that corn brings.
For some reason, I could almost see Cherez laughing behind Hayden, following the child’s joy. Knowing that he was denied that peace, that we were able to enjoy it only because of his sacrifice—my heart grew heavier still.
Cherez, are you doing well?
Are you even… alive?
Questions I could never voice echoed through my mind. This is why knowing too much is such a burden.
My sigh deepened with the changing seasons.

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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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