The Returned Husband Refuses to Divorce - Chapter 31

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

Ines blinked.
“…Running wild, you say?”
“Yes.”
“His Excellency?”
“Yes.”
She’d asked twice, but the answer remained the same.
“What on earth could have happened?”
Enrique gave a slight shrug.
“The investigation is proceeding quite smoothly. If I had to call it something, that’s all it is.”
“But why use such language as ‘running wild’…”
“Smoothness and propriety are separate matters, after all.”
Several days had passed since the victory banquet ended.
She’d heard that Zecardi was now reinvestigating those connected to Selena, beginning with Hans and Julia.
Ines also knew that a few more people had been arrested in the process.
But.
“Hans and Julia are not in good condition at present. Selena Evanhardt isn’t faring well either.”
“…To what extent?”
“At least for the time being, it will be difficult for them to walk on their own.”
“…”
Of course, the crimes those two had committed were hardly trivial.
They’d attempted to murder the Duchess and used a Magic-Corrupted Object to frame Ines with charges of Heresy—crimes grave enough to warrant Capital Punishment.
And yet…
“It’s only natural, given that His Excellency is interrogating them personally.”
Only then did she recall what Zecardi had said on the day of the banquet.
〈I will interrogate them myself.〉
At the time, her mind had been too scattered to truly register it—she’d never imagined he was actually doing so.
“…It’s possible they may not even survive long enough to face execution.”
It was a slight exaggeration, but Enrique did not immediately deny it.
“That’s possible.”
“…”
“He seems particularly angry with Hans and Julia.”
“Why?”
Enrique gazed at Ines intently.
“Because they laid hands on the lady.”
“…Because of me?”
“What other reason would he have to be so furious?”
His tone was perfectly matter-of-fact.
Zecardi had not spread details of this incident widely through the Capital.
His reasoning was simple: even baseless slander, the very mention that “the Duchess faced accusations of Heresy,” would reflect poorly on Ines.
Yet here he was, meticulously guarding her reputation while beaten men into near-death behind closed doors.
“Still…he didn’t seem the sort to go that far.”
She felt unsettled.
It wasn’t that she suddenly felt sympathy for Hans and Julia, or thought they should be spared—this was a matter of survival for her too.
But she found it difficult to reconcile the tenderness he’d shown toward her with this cruel side of him.
Even knowing he was a war hero.
Yet Enrique let out a hollow laugh.
“What sort of man do you take His Excellency to be, my lady?”
Ines answered at once.
“A good person.”
A complete silence fell.
“…Why do you make such a face?”
“Because I’ve never heard anyone offer such an assessment before.”
Enrique settled back leisurely in his chair.
“Are you not aware of the rumors about His Excellency?”
Surely she was.
Zecardi Evanhardt.
Master of the Northern Region and war hero.
Ruthless.
Merciless.
Spares no mercy for his enemies.
She’d heard such rumors countless times even back in the Capital.
But Ines had never been one to trust gossip easily. Having suffered misunderstanding because of rumor herself, she had no wish to judge others by the same measure.
“Rumors tend to be exaggerated, don’t they?”
“That’s true enough.”
Enrique conceded readily.
“But in his case, it’s rather the opposite.”
“The opposite?”
“For instance, during the war, a demonic beast horde once blocked a supply route.”
The sudden turn in conversation caught Ines off guard.
“The Order wanted to regroup and dispatch a proper force. There were nearly two hundred of the creatures.”
“That seems only reasonable, doesn’t it?”
“He went alone.”
“Alone?”
“He said the road needed to be cleared quickly.”
Enrique’s voice was eerily flat.
“He returned at dusk drenched in blood, and every last demonic beast was dead.”
Ines swallowed hard.
“Zecardi was… badly wounded?”
“No.”
“Then the blood…”
“All of it belonged to the beasts.”
……
Ines found herself picturing Zecardi walking back alone, covered head to toe in that blood.
“It wasn’t an isolated incident either.”
“But…”
Ines spoke hesitantly.
“That’s not what I’ve observed of him.”
Enrique let out a soft chuckle.
“That’s just an act.”
“An act?”
“Something he does only in front of his wife.”
An odd feeling stirred in Ines, and she found herself absently fidgeting with her teacup.
She’d heard Zecardi was a frightening man, and yet she felt no fear of him. More than that — she harbored not the slightest thought that he would ever harm her.
But at the same time, a new question took shape.
‘Why am I different to him?’
“There’s no need to be overly concerned.”
Enrique said.
“His methods may be excessive, but this is a time that calls for exemplary measures. After five years away, the household needs to be reminded of who its master is.”
“And the people… they accept it?”
“If anything, they’re reassured.”
“They are?”
“We’re in the Northern Region.”
Enrique glanced up at the wall clock just then.
“Ah, I think we should leave it at this for today.”
“Already?”
“Learning too much at once only creates confusion.”
He added while organizing his papers.
“Next time, we’ll go over the tax system.”
“I understand. Thank you for today as well.”
After a brief farewell, Ines stepped out alone into the corridor.
But there was someone waiting for her in that hallway.
The Head Maid.
“Madam, might I have a word?”
Ines stopped in her tracks.
“What is it?”
“I’ve looked further into what Julia has been spreading among the servants.”
Ines waited in silence for her to continue.
“Even the incident with Hans stealing—it’s being told as though you dismissed an innocent person out of cruelty.”
She wasn’t surprised.
To them, she had always been that sort of person.
“I’ve corrected what was inaccurate. But I felt it wasn’t right to leave the matter there, so I’ve come to speak with you.”
The Head Maid bowed deeply.
“The children under my care made hasty judgments about you without any verification. I bear responsibility for not observing matters more carefully. I sincerely apologize.”
……
Ines fell silent for a moment.
The Head Maid was someone who had handled May’s Pendant incident fairly. At least she had never openly shown her contempt.
“You’ve done nothing wrong by me.”
“I thought I had fulfilled my duty by disciplining the children who caused such commotion over May’s matter.”
The Head Maid slowly raised her head.
“You listened properly to that child’s words, but we failed to examine the things said about you with the same care.”
It was an unexpected answer.
Ines regarded her for a long moment.
“I’ve heard your apology.”
She did not say it was all right.
“From now on, verify any story you hear, whoever it concerns. Even when I’m not present.”
“I will remember that.”
After the Head Maid withdrew, Ines remained standing there for a while.
An apology did not erase what had happened.
Yet someone acknowledging they had seen things wrongly was different from pretending nothing had ever occurred.
“My lady.”
A maid approached from further down the corridor.
“You have quite a few documents there—shall I carry them to your room?”
Ines glanced absently at the sheaf in her arms. The materials Enrique had given her were rather thick.
“……Yes. I’d appreciate that.”
The maid who took the documents smiled hesitantly.
There was a time when she would turn her head away the moment their eyes met.
‘Things have changed a little.’
Ines watched the maid’s retreating figure.
The dark aura that had surrounded her was fainter than before.
Perhaps now, at last, they were beginning to see who she truly was.
At that thought, Zecardi’s face suddenly came to mind.
She found it strange, all things considered.
To be fair, Ines herself had never lived an entirely smooth life.
And yet these past few weeks since Zecardi’s return had been particularly chaotic.
Her husband had come home after five years, and Selena, who had ruled the estate, had fallen from power in an instant.
Ines had suddenly begun receiving proper treatment as a duchess.
She had narrowly escaped death, turned the tables on her would-be murderer, and even refused the temple’s demand for her return.
‘It feels as though nearly a decade’s worth of events happened all at once…….’
Yet there was something truly strange about it all.
Ultimately, every one of those events had turned out in Ines’s favor.
Unlike before.
〈I understand.〉
Suddenly, that brief reply echoed in her mind.
‘Why does he care for me so much?’
They were husband and wife, yet they scarcely knew each other in truth.
They had seen each other only a handful of times around the wedding ceremony five years ago.
And yet, why did Zecardi…….
“Ah, Ines.”
A familiar voice cut through her reverie.
Ines looked up.
As it happened, Zecardi was approaching from down the corridor.
He looked no different than usual.
Impeccable in his tailored clothes, his features clean and composed.
And the moment his eyes fell on Ines, they softened with a gentle smile.
“As it turns out, I was looking for you.”
“For me?”
“Yes.”
He smiled, as though pleased.
“There’s someone I’d like to introduce you to.”
“An introduction?”
Only then did Ines notice the unfamiliar woman standing behind Zecardi.
The elegantly dressed woman’s eyes met hers, and she broke into a smile as though she had been waiting for this very moment.
“Good day to you, madam. At last we meet!”
The woman looked Ines up and down, then gave her a knowing wink.
“Well, the journey was worth it.”
She was none other than the Fashion Designer, a woman whose name carried considerable weight in the Capital.

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