I Wish My Husband Were Dead - Chapter 121



Only Krnovel

My First and Last
2024.02.29.

Instead of answering, Leonard stared at her face for a moment before lightly tapping Cordelia’s nose with his finger. Cordelia let out a short scream with a dumbfounded expression because it happened so unexpectedly.

“Ouch!”

“Why aren’t you using the bracelet? You used it once. Did you forget how to use it? Didn’t your head turn to stone again when I said yes or no lately? I should tap your head. See what it sounds like.”

“T-Tell me when the Master said yes or no… …”

Cordelia pouts and rubs the bridge of her nose. She had her own excuse.

“It’s not that. The Elector Embly bribed my father and installed magic in that room in advance. When it was activated, my strength drained and I couldn’t use any magic.”

“It looks like he set up a suppression magic circle. But if you hadn’t been slacking off on your studies, you could have easily destroyed it.”

“Is that so?”

Leonard’s expression didn’t change from before. Rather, it had become even more stern. Cordelia was a little flustered, not thinking that the trap she had fallen into could be destroyed.

“So, I told you to study hard, didn’t I?”

He pressed Cordelia’s head hard every time he said a word. Cordelia felt her tears-stained emotions quickly fading at his usual indifferent tone of voice.

“I didn’t know then.”

“Do you want to say that even after you’re dead? I can’t take my eyes off you because you keep causing accidents or getting involved whenever you get the chance.”

“I’m sorry.”

Cordelia lowered her head. Regardless of the process, it was true that all of this had happened because of her mistake or carelessness.

The arms that had been tightly squeezing her shoulders had loosened.

“Alright. Just raise your head. I’ll make sure that your already ugly face can’t be helped. … … “Beluce.”

Leonard nodded. His loyal subject glanced at Cordelia, who was still tightly held in Leo’s arms, as if displeased, and then grumbled as he lit the candle.

The light from the arong illuminated the room. Only then could Cordelia see Leonard’s face. Whether it was her imagination or not, his jawline looked sharper than before, as if he had gotten a little thinner.

“How are you? I heard you ate Tarcia.”

“Did you hear from Elector Count Embly?”

“Yes. They sent a letter first. They said they had you, and if you want to save him, bring the resurrection spellbook to Hashimus.”

“Don’t worry. Even though you were kidnapped and poisoned, if you persuade Elector Count Embly and take the antidote, you’ll be fine.”

As she spoke, it seemed like she was telling him not to worry, but Cordelia was sincere.

‘I’m sorry, Master.’

The moment he saw Gashil lying at his feet, battered and wounded, Leonard realized something was wrong.

The first feeling he felt when he heard the whole story from him was a stabbing sense of self-reproach. He had taken Maximilian too lightly. It would be more appropriate to say that he had let his guard down, even though it was painful.

He had not sent Cordelia with only two knights. He had already attempted to kidnap her once, but he had acted complacently, relying on Evrard’s treasure.

“If you have something precious, you should know how to hide it properly.”

The words Gabriel, the King of Ershe, had said while clicking his tongue all the way to Hasimus lingered in his head.

In the end, the fundamental reason Cordelia had been kidnapped was Leonard. He had not imagined that his affection and interest in her could actually become a noose that suffocated Cordelia.

Leonard completely let her go from his arms.

“The antidote?”

“Not yet.”

“Not yet? It must have been nearly ten days since I took the poison.”

“I need my life to negotiate with the Master,

so I’ll let him live.” Cordelia said somewhat coldly, as if it were someone else’s life.

“Besides, if the Master keeps his visit here a secret, doesn’t that mean the Elector has turned to our side?”

“Well, we’ll have to wait and see whether he has. He may be pretending to join hands with me on the outside, but who knows what other schemes he might be plotting with Maximilian.”

“But Elector Embly, no.”

The one who should be turning his back here is not Anton, but the Master who came running to Hasimus without hesitation for her. Cordelia thought of Anton’s dark expression, then shook her head.

“There’s no such thing as resurrection magic, right?”

“Of course. If such magic existed, the order of the world would collapse every day.”

“At first, I didn’t understand why he would do such a thing, but seeing that he froze his daughter’s body and decorated it with flowers… … .”

“You don’t feel sorry for the person who kidnapped you and poisoned you, do you?”

“No. It’s not that. I was jealous.”

Leonard was silent for a moment at the unexpected answer. Cordelia smiled bitterly and continued.

“That’s what it means to have a father like that. My father, Elector Vasquez, said that my eyes are a symbol of infidelity.”

“What?”

“Vasquez originally had normal black eyes, so he said that my eyes were green because my mother had an affair and had another child. That must be why he treated me like that.”

“You don’t believe that, do you? Your father was drunk more often than not. Or he just made that up to excuse his own ugly behavior.”

Leonard immediately refuted. Eye color alone isn’t enough to determine someone’s birth. There are rare cases where someone doesn’t have the same eyes as both of their parents.

“To be honest, I don’t know. I always believed what my mother said, that my eyes were green because I resembled my grandmother. If that wasn’t true, then I… …”

Cordelia lowered her eyes in confusion. The anxious heart that I thought had subsided poked its head out.

“Actually, I just met Rani. She’s the nurse from Yerathcus who took care of me when I was young. I’m going to ask her if she knows anything later when I have time. Rani was the closest to my mother, so I think she might know something.”

“Nanny? The nurse who raised you is in Hasimus? How?”

“Elector Count Embly invited pilgrims to the castle every year, and Rani was among the pilgrims. She was even a candidate for the high priest.”

“So that’s why you couldn’t find her.”

Leonard muttered quietly. I sent someone to Yerathcus through Baron, but I had no luck, so who would have thought I’d meet her here?

“Huh? Who were you looking for?”

“No. It’s nothing.”

He shook his head lightly. Cordelia didn’t ask any more questions and let it go.

“What are you planning to do now? Shouldn’t we catch her quickly before Maximilian finds out that the Master is here?”

“I’ll take care of that brat, so you just act as usual. Don’t get caught doing nothing. And I’ll find out how to make an antidote for the Elector Count Embly, so just wait a little bit.”

“They say it’s the Embly family’s secret recipe, so should I tell you easily?”

“I’ll find out even if I have to burn Hashimus to the ground, so don’t worry about such useless things.”

“That’s really reassuring.”

Cordelia grinned. It wasn’t just words; it was true. Although no problem had been solved yet, the mere fact that Leonard was by her side calmed all her anxiety.

* * *

Rani Epio had been glancing toward the door since a while ago. Her gaze was so blatant that anyone nearby couldn’t help but notice.

The young priest who had been serving Rani said,

“Is there someone waiting for you?”

“Yes. But I guess you’re busy right now.”

Normally, I would have gone to Cordelia first, but since my status had become ambiguous, it became difficult to rashly go see someone.

At that moment, someone knocked on the door. Rani’s face brightened up. The young priest smiled faintly at the sight and ran to the door.

“Come on, ah.”

As soon as the door opened, the young priest stumbled and fell to the floor. Rani was startled and ran over to him.

“Rito!”

“He just fell asleep, so calm down.”

“Who are you?”

Rani hugged the fallen Rito and looked at the unfamiliar man with wary eyes. The handsome man with dazzling blond hair glanced around the room with indifferent eyes and entered without the owner’s permission.

Now, Rani and the man were the only ones in the room.

“Are you Rani Epio?”

“You still haven’t answered my question.”

“Leonard Attila. And he’s Cordelia’s teacher.”

“You’re the young lady’s teacher, no, Elector Attila? That Attila?”

Although Yeratcus avoided magic and news of magic wasn’t well known, she had heard of Leonard Attila.

The head of the White Snake Attila and the most powerful iron-blooded wizard in Ershe. I had heard many rumors about him, but I never thought he would be this young.

Even Cordelia was his disciple, which was a complete surprise.

“Sit down. I have something to ask you.”

He sat down on a chair in one corner of the living room as if he were the owner of the room. His attitude was extremely arrogant and rude, but Rani hesitated and sat down across from him.

Even though she was a candidate for the High Priestess, she was not brave enough to confront the Elector Count of Attila.

“What do you want to ask me?”

“I heard you were close to the former Lady Vasquez.”

“Yes. If it weren’t for Lady Vasquez, I wouldn’t be here today.”

“Really? Then you must have known that she was infertile.”

“How could the Elector know that?”

Rani was quite taken aback by the unexpected question. At most, she had expected him to ask about Cordelia’s personal life, but this was completely unexpected. And to think that he would even know Grita’s secret, which only a few people knew.