The Husband I Thought Was Dead Has Returned - Chapter 91

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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 091
Three days later.
Sir Borgus thought he would never forget what he witnessed in the Underground Chamber of the Waiting Hall.
Bruarte Count’s face was so swollen that his features were unrecognizable. Yet he held Countess Bruarte tightly in his arms, and she remained motionless within his embrace—like a corpse.
Bruarte Count whispered through barely-opened, swollen eyes.
“My wife… first.”
Even as consciousness slipped away, the Count’s concern remained with his wife.

* * *
Countess Malate’s quarters were located in the Red Moon Palace Annex. It was Countess Malate herself who had insisted on this inconspicuous place.
‘The more ostentatious one becomes, the more attention one draws, and the less one can accomplish.’
This was why they had managed to smuggle the Bruarte Couple inside without being detected.
They laid the Bruarte Couple on the bed. Countess Malate wiped their faces with a damp cloth and washed away their wounds.
Countess Malate exhaled a heavy sigh.
“They’re barely recognizable as human. We’ll need to bring a physician, Sir Borgus. Can you manage it?”
Sir Borgus swallowed hard. With Cassian’s cooperation, they had succeeded in rescuing the Bruarte Couple. But it seemed best to keep their presence here secret for a while.
“I know someone trustworthy. Robin recommended him, so he should be reliable.”
Sir Borgus brushed his coat with his hand, still reeking of the prison.
Malate wiped Countess Bruarte’s arm with a damp cloth. As the blood and grime came away, the true state of her skin became disturbingly clear.
“I’m not sure her wrists will be alright. She was bound for weeks, not just days. She must have been suspended from the wall. We’ll need to examine her arm muscles as well.”
Countess Malate spoke in a hoarse voice.
Sir Borgus crossed his arms and looked at the ceiling. He thought he had seen every sight imaginable standing beside Cherez, but apparently he was wrong.
“Neither of them appears to have broken.”
Countess Malate paused and looked down at Bruarte Count’s swollen face.
“To reach this state…”
The room fell silent.
Then, a presence was felt outside the door. Sir Borgus opened it to confirm who it was.
It was Linnen.
Linnen could not bring herself to enter and bowed her head.
“Both of them are alive.”
Only then did Linnen’s head snap up. Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill, and her lips trembled.
“Recovery will take time to observe. You may come in.”
Sir Borgus opened the door slightly wider. Linnen hesitated before stepping inside.
Upon seeing her parents, Linnen’s mouth opened.
Linnen slowly knelt beside the bed. She reached out and grasped her father’s hand.
Linnen’s shoulders shook. With her mouth clamped shut, she wept in broken, gasping sobs.
It was a burden far too heavy for a seventeen-year-old to bear. Countess Malate placed a hand on Linnen’s shoulder.
“…It will be alright. Everything will be fine from now on.”
These were the only words she could offer.

* * *
The seasons shifted relentlessly. Leaves fell, snow descended, and tender shoots pushed through the ice once more. It was a day after Hayden’s third birthday.
A Merchant arrived in Carencia, pulling a large cart with a single horse.
Since the rebellion swept through Carencia, this was the first time an outsider had entered.
He was merely a passing Merchant.
Gania had exchanged grain for salt, and Jake had traded dried meat for a handful of spices.
After the transaction ended, the Merchant did not leave but sat in front of Gania’s house, drank some water, and began to speak.
“This place is remarkably quiet. Outside is absolute chaos. When I first heard that Carencia had fallen, I couldn’t believe it.”
“There was a time when I thought Carencia would last forever. It was a good place. Is the outside still in turmoil?”
“Goodness, where do I even begin?”
The Merchant clicked his tongue. Jake sat beside him. Merchants like this who wandered about sold not just goods but gossip as well.
“I’d be grateful for a meal.”
Jake and Gania exchanged glances.
“We happen to have some pork left from yesterday’s slaughter. Would that suit you?”
“Meat? In times like these, nothing is more precious! But you have meat?”
“I once ran a pig farm. And since the village has children and disabled people to support, I don’t spare such things.”
“You have a generous heart.”
Jake laughed heartily. The Merchant began to speak as he ate the boiled pork seasoned with spices.
“The Southern Region has been completely turned upside down. The beasts are one thing, but they’re fighting among themselves too—it’s hopeless, isn’t it?”
“Tell me in detail. It’s been so long since we’ve heard news from outside.”
“The Red Moon Palace, where the nobility gathers, has split into two factions causing all sorts of trouble. They’re fighting over the position of Deputy Duke. And that’s not all. The Liansherus Society has been extremely active lately. Have you heard of them?”
“We haven’t.”
“Being stuck here like this, I can understand. Every village at the crossroads leading into and out of Carencia has been ruined. The Liansherus Society calls itself a charitable organization, but charity my foot. They go around to every village collecting donations, and who knows who’s backing them. They threaten to cut off incoming supplies if villages don’t pay their contributions.”
Jake’s fists clenched. The sense of justice that had slumbered within his chest stirred.
“Damnable bastards! The Lord will surely punish them!”
“Indeed. The Coastal Villages have been nearly stripped bare. They took all the grain and livestock. From people who have nothing to eat even in wartime. That’s why meat has become so scarce.”
Gania sighed deeply. Jake muttered curses under his breath. With the tiger gone, the fox had begun to run rampant. The poor were dying under the tyranny of the Liansherus Society.
The Merchant took a sip of water and lowered his voice.
“And there’s one major rumor circulating.”
“What is it?”
“That the Duke of Bereidan has fallen in battle.”
That name carried weight even among the people of Carencia. He was the great shield that protected the Southern Region.
Gania asked in a trembling voice.
“He’s dead?”
The Merchant nodded. Gania could not believe it.
“Did you see it yourself?”
“How would I go to the Battlefield? I heard it while passing near the Red Moon Palace. Everyone there was saying the same thing.”
Jake grabbed the Merchant’s shoulder.
“Let me ask just one more thing.”
The Merchant nodded. Jake asked the Merchant, who had neatly popped the last piece of meat into his mouth.
“The Liansherus Society… Do you think there’s any chance they’d come all the way out here?”
In that moment, Jake found himself thinking of their neighbors who lived quietly up on the mountain. He still didn’t know their true identities, but he trusted in their goodness. If it weren’t for them, every soul in this village would be dead.
Somehow, he sensed they wouldn’t welcome outsiders flowing in from beyond these mountains.
“I doubt it. They probably won’t come this far. They only show up where there’s profit to be made, don’t they? Since all the villages around here are dead, I wouldn’t have come myself if I hadn’t taken a wrong turn.”
Jake nodded and released his grip. The Merchant delivered the news of death and departed from the village.

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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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