The Male Lead Is Going Mad Searching for His Dead Wife, and I’m That Wife - Chapter 19

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

The male lead goes mad searching for his dead wife, and that wife is me. Chapter 019
It wasn’t even ten days after Countess Lowell had visited.
That was when Viscountess Hartman came calling.
“It seems noble ladies have been dropping by quite often lately.”
The Head Maid glanced at my face, then broached the subject carefully.
“Indeed. Last time it was a request for embroidery on a trousseau quilt. I wonder if it’s something similar this time?”
The Head Maid let out a long, heavy sigh, her face looking like she’d choked on a sweet potato. Then she sighed once more before speaking to me.
“The budget allotted under the Duchess’s name is quite large.”
“Ah, I see.”
Well, no wonder. The Ducal House is famously generous, after all.
Even someone like me, a fake wife, gets such a generous allowance. Honestly, Lucian’s character deserves nothing but praise.
Ahem. He really is a good man, you know?
“I believe the Duke’s kindness deserves praise, no matter what anyone says. To spend such a large sum on someone like me.”
“…That’s all for the Duchess’s sake, of course…”
The Head Maid trailed off and smiled brightly.
“What I meant is that even if you spend a little of that generous budget, there would be no problem at all!”
I nodded at the Head Maid’s words.
I know that someone could think that way.
“Small thefts lead to bigger ones, as they say. In any case, thank you for your advice and concern, but I’m fine.”
The Head Maid’s face seemed to darken with a shadow of disappointment. Not that I held any real grudge over our differing views. And I didn’t think I could change her mind, either.
“You’d better go and greet our guest, Head Maid.”
At my words, the Head Maid lowered her head deeply. Since I had already been informed and changed my clothes, I headed straight downstairs.
I exchanged brief greetings with Viscountess Hartman.
The Viscountess only fidgeted with the bundle resting on her knees and showed no sign of speaking.
Why is she acting like this?
As I sipped my tea and waited, the Viscountess finally opened her mouth.
“…Duchess. Before I ask for a favor, I believe I should first apologize.”
I set down my teacup.
“Apologize?”
“I was rude the last time.”
The Viscountess lowered her gaze.
“I came by without notice while His Highness was away, and on top of that, I said things that were inappropriate to you. There is no excuse for it.”
It was unexpected.
I hadn’t expected her to apologize for that.
“…I accept your apology.”
“Thank you.”
The Viscountess let out a small breath. Yet her expression still didn’t ease.
“Actually, I came today because I have a separate favor to ask.”
The Viscountess pulled the bundle toward her knees.
“I heard from Countess Lowell. That you agreed to take on your daughter’s trousseau quilt cover.”
That secret she had so earnestly begged everyone to keep had clearly already leaked out. And it had leaked through the very person involved.
A short laugh escaped me.
Either she thought well of me, or she wanted to show off. Or perhaps Viscountess Hartman and Countess Lowell were close enough to share secrets.
“I’ve come here because I have a favor I’d like to ask of you as well.”
The Viscountess untied the bundle. Inside was a soft, white cotton cloth.
“My daughter-in-law is giving birth to a child in late spring. It will be our family’s first grandchild.”
The Viscountess’s voice trembled slightly.
“My son is currently stationed at the border fortress. He may not be able to witness the child’s birth. So I wanted to do whatever little I could. Would you be willing to embroider this swaddling cloth for me? I’d like it to carry a wish for the baby’s health and long life.”
I remembered how, on the day we first met, the Viscountess had hidden her face behind a fan when she spoke of her son.
Now I finally understood what expression she had been making behind that fan.
I could almost understand that feeling. And the heart that had brought her here to ask for a swaddling cloth for her grandchild.
“Do you remember the little birds perched on the tablecloth last time?”
“Yes. They were blue birds, weren’t they?”
“I embroidered bluebirds. Bluebirds symbolize peace. I’ll stitch them along the edge of the swaddling cloth, as though the little birds are wrapping the baby in their protection. And once the baby is born and named, please let me know. I’ll embroider the name right in the center.”
The Viscountess’s eyes reddened in an instant.
She seemed to be a sentimental sort. Or perhaps her son’s continued absence was weighing on her heart.
A bitter taste filled my mouth.
The Viscountess paid the deposit right away.
Just before leaving, the Viscountess paused at the door, then turned back carefully.
“Duchess.”
“Huh?”
“…Thank you, truly.”
This time it wasn’t an apology. It was gratitude.
Still, I had no intention of trusting this woman just like that.
People’s hearts shift with circumstances, after all.
Even so, I didn’t want to doubt the gratitude she had just offered.
I smiled brightly.
“I’ll pray for your son’s safe journey. He’ll surely come home unharmed. The Duke will keep watch over him.”
“…Yes.”
The Viscountess dabbed at the corner of her eye and said,
“I can only hope so.”
* * *
The day after the Viscountess’s visit, Lucian returned.
It was a homecoming a month and a half late, far behind schedule.
“His Highness is coming! Open the gates!”
At the watchman’s cry, the massive iron gate groaned open with a screech.
Everyone in the castle spilled out into the courtyard in front of the main hall.
I set down the piecework sewing in my hands and went out too. If the master of the house was coming home, I had to show my face.
The servants lined up in long rows on either side.
I took my place at the very end of the line, where the mistress stood. In the past, I would have hidden behind a pillar, watching their faces for cues, but now things were different.
Rita fussed with the set of my shawl and whispered,
“Milady, your hair has gotten a bit tousled.”
“It’s windy out.”
“Still, you’ll want to look lovely when His Highness arrives.”
What a pointless thing to say.
Survival matters far more than looking pretty. Besides, who even cares what I look like? I shook my head.
In the meantime, Rita pressed a hot stone wrapped in cloth into my hand.
“It’s chilly. Keep your hands warm.”
I clutched the hand warmer tightly. It was warm. Ever since Rita had started attending to me, things had become quite comfortable. And now there was even this.
Out of the swirling dust, a knight order in black armor came into view. At their head rode Lucian.
Atop his black horse, he still carried himself with an arrogant, overwhelming air. His helmet was off, and fatigue clung to his face, yet his eyes burned just as fiercely as ever.
As he passed through the gate, the servants lined along the way bowed their heads in unison.
“Welcome home, Your Highness!”
Lucian tugged the reins and brought his horse to a halt. His gaze swept across the lined-up servants one by one, then came to rest on me, standing at the very end.
“….”
He dismounted and walked toward me. With each step, the plates of his armor clinked against one another, producing a heavy metallic ring.
I looked up at him.
He studied my face carefully, like a man searching for some hidden injury. Eventually, the deep furrow between his brows eased a little.
I bowed my head in greeting.
“You’ve returned safely.”
It was a dry but courteous greeting. Lucian didn’t answer; he only looked down at me. The silence stretched on.
Then his lips parted.
“…Truly.”
“Pardon?”
“I trust you weren’t subsisting on nothing but weeds.”
I blinked. For a moment, my mind went blank.
Wait, had he actually read that letter? I’d assumed he would just glance at it and toss it in the trash.
Caught off guard, I barely held back a snort of laughter as I answered.
“Yes. I’ve eaten very well, thank you. All thanks to you, Your Grace.”
“Is that so?”
“I’ve been trying out all sorts of recipes lately. Today I harvested some pumpkins and I’m thinking of making a pumpkin cream soup. If you’d like to try it, just say so. Quite a few crops are growing in the Rear Garden. It seems that leaving it alone actually did some good…”
At that moment, a sound like air escaping came from him.
He laughed. It wasn’t a sneer or a cold smirk; it was a genuine laugh. The corners of his mouth curved softly, and his sharp eyes relaxed, a warmly human smile.
“Very well. I was just getting hungry anyway.”
He said.
Lucian’s return was not as bad as I’d expected. No, to be honest… I almost felt a little glad.
The month and a half he’d been away had apparently been longer than anyone anticipated. Even an outsider like me could feel the absence of him.
I could feel the mood of the castle lifting. The maids’ faces brightened, and the air that had seemed frozen began to move quickly again.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————