I Wish My Husband Were Dead - Chapter 66



Only Krnovel

Husband’s Funeral
2024.01.05.

“Hey, Master. Shall we go together? Yes? Master, you’re always busy, so we’ve never been to a cafe or something.”

“Why would you go there? There’s plenty of food at home.”

“You really don’t know how women feel. It’s different eating and talking with people outside like this.”

“… … Yes. Leo. Let’s talk for a bit.”

Leonard went to the cafe with them, showing his displeasure, whether Cordelia’s tantrum worked or Lydia’s persuasion.

When the plan was successful, Cordelia quietly exchanged glances with Lydia.

Of course, none of this was a coincidence.

Cordelia couldn’t turn away from Lydia’s earnest request. She had deliberately invited Lydia here to help her love.

The three of them were guided to the best view and most secluded place in the cafe.

“Leo, you don’t really like sweets. You don’t have to order dessert.”

“Master, you don’t like sweets? Why?”

“It’s my heart.”

“I’ve thought about it before, but Master, you’re really picky. Do you know how many times I bowed to the chef when I prepared your meals?”

“And even to the chef?”

“Mr. Lee, who is to blame for all this!”

Cordelia glared at him, sulking. Back then, I don’t know how many times I threw away perfectly good dishes and made new ones just to please Leonard.

And now you’re not recognizing my efforts and laughing at me!

“Did something like that happen?”

“Oh, it wasn’t anything serious. By the way, how has Lydia been lately?”

Cordelia realized belatedly that Lydia was being left out of the conversation and hurriedly spoke to Lydia. Lydia smiled beautifully like a hydrangea and said,

“My days are always similar. I read books or play the piano during the day and attend balls at night. These days, Cordelia’s name comes up without fail whenever I go to a banquet.”

“Huh? My name?”

“Yes. I sent out so many invitations, but never got a single reply, so everyone was really curious.”

“Invitations? Who sent me invitations? I’ve never received anything like that before?”

Cordelia looked back at Leonard casually. Leonard avoided her gaze for a moment.

“Don’t you know anything?”

“Well, I don’t know anything.”

He pretended not to know, but it was suspicious to anyone. If someone sent an invitation but no one received it, it meant that someone had tampered with it. Cordelia glared at him with narrowed eyes.

“Cordelia.”

“Huh?”

“Isn’t the weather nice today?”

“That’s right. The wind is cool and the weather is, ah!”

Cordelia thoughtlessly agreed with Lydia, but then jumped up from her seat when she realized that it was a code for the two of them to be left alone.

“I’m going out for a bit.”

“What? Where?”

“In front of here. I want to look around, um. There’s something I want to look at.”

“Your leg isn’t even healed yet. If you’re going, let’s go together.”

“No! The Master is here. Just wait a minute, I’ll be back soon.”

Cordelia squeezed Leonard’s shoulder as he said he would go with her, and quickly left the café. Leonard’s gaze never left Cordelia’s back.

Lydia looked at his empty cup and said,

“You’ve finished your tea. Should I order another?”

“… … .”

“The sun is really nice today. I never thought I’d be able to sit here and drink tea with you again. I’m so glad you came back safely, Leo.”

“If you have something to say, say it. Since you even kicked out my disciple with a sore leg, I think you have something important to say.”

“Kicked me out. What a mistake.”

Lydia denied it with a soft laugh. Leonard met Lydia’s eyes for the first time. His purple eyes held no emotion.

“Cordelia may be one of your many friends, but my disciple from the countryside seems to have only you as a friend. “That’s why I tolerate you using Cordelia to create this position for me, Lydia Elfenbaum.”

“Cordelia is a precious friend to me too.”

“Precious? Oh, yes. Let’s say that. I don’t want to waste any more time with you. Say what you want to say.”

“… … Can’t you be a little more affectionate toward me? We’ve been together for over ten years after all.”

“Hahaha.”

Leonard laughed out loud before suddenly stopping. The face he met was a mixture of annoyance, annoyance, and subtle contempt.

“Now you’re asking for something so trivial. Get up.”

“Leo. Wait, wait.”

Lydia grabbed his sleeve urgently. Leonard slapped her hand away.

“Don’t bother me. The reason I’ve been close to you all this time is because you didn’t dare to step into the line.”

“Cordelia?”

“What?”

“I’ve known you for over ten years, so why can’t I step into the line, and Cordelia, who’s only been in your line for a year?”

“Cordelia is my disciple. It’s different from you.”

Is that how you look at a disciple? I wanted to ask back, but I was afraid that Leonard would realize his feelings if I said that.

At the same time, I was so jealous of Cordelia. Now that I admitted it, the feeling grew stronger, burning like a fire in dry grass.

Nothing bothered me, from casually hanging on Leonard’s arm, to talking to him in a friendly manner, to staying in the same mansion.

“I’d rather be alone.”

“What?”

“If there was no one around you, I would have been satisfied with the way things were now. Maybe I could have been content to be your friend all my life after marrying another man and having children.”

“You’re not satisfied with that position anymore, are you?”

“You broke your promise to never take a disciple and accepted Cordelia. Would marriage be any different? I’m too scared of that.”

Leonard didn’t answer. It was more like he wasn’t worth answering. He seemed clearly bored with this conversation itself.

Lydia looked at Leonard for a long time.

She had thought he was her destiny. She had imagined that they would get married and have children together and, if she was lucky, they could even be lovers.

“Let’s get married. I’ll do everything for you. I’ll give you the right to mine the diamond mines in Blaisgarrotz as a dowry when I get married. I won’t ask for love. I won’t say anything if you don’t come home after we get married or have a lover.”

“How merciful. I don’t need love, I don’t need to be home. You’re even allowing me to have a lover? Then what do you get out of this marriage?”

“Your wife’s seat. The right to be legally by your side for life. That’s enough for me.”

Lydia’s blue eyes didn’t waver at all. If she couldn’t get love, she just wanted to be a wife in name only.

“I’m sorry, but my answer is the same. To be honest, I’m tired of refusing. How many more times do I have to say no before you accept it?”

“I think it’s just a political decision. You need a successor anyway.”

“I don’t understand why you care about Attila’s succession.”

“Then you’re going to end Attila in your generation?”

“That’s not something you should worry about either.”

Leonard stopped talking and his eyes were drawn to Cordelia, who was sitting on a bench in front of a café. Cordelia was looking around, watching the people passing by, as if she was curious about something.

Lydia bit her lip hard when she realized where his eyes were going. Leonard got up from his seat.

“I think I’ve said everything I wanted to say, so I’ll go now. And.”

“… … And?”

“Don’t use Cordelia’s feelings. “ Because she seems to think of you as a true friend.”

“Cordelia to the end.”

Finally, a tear fell from Lydia’s eyes that she had been holding back. She barely managed to control her trembling voice and looked up at him.

“If I had been as talented in magic as she was, would you have noticed me?”

“Well. I guess I would have been interested.”

Leonard left Lydia behind with those words. Lydia wiped away her tears. She reached out and fiddled with the teacup he had finished drinking from.

If I had not given up on magic and continued to learn, if I had been as dazzlingly talented as Cordelia… ….

The meaningless assumptions became a lowly inferiority complex toward Cordelia, eating away at Lydia’s heart.

She could not leave that place for a long time.

* * *

“Are you showing off that you came from the countryside? What are you looking around for?”

“Oh, Master. When did you come? What about Lydia?”

“I said you were busy and were going first?”

He lied without blinking an eye. Cordelia believed her Master without any doubt.

“Really? You must have come across an urgent matter.”

“We’ve accomplished what we came here for, so let’s go home.”

“Yes. We’ve checked where the carriage will come, and there will be a lot of people passing by, so we can buy a carriage here and leave it.”

“What are you talking about? Wasn’t your purpose to leave Lydia and me alone?”

“Oh, no, no? I don’t understand what you’re talking about, Master?”

“Huh.”

Cordelia stuttered in embarrassment. Leonard snorted and placed her hand on his arm naturally.

As they hailed a carriage and headed to Atile Townhouse, Cordelia looked at him once and said cautiously,

“Did you know?” “

How could you not know, when it’s so awkward?”

“I thought it would be nice if you two spent some cozy time together.”

“Cozy? I’m not going to marry Lydia Elfenbaum, so stop doing useless things.”

“Huh? Aren’t you going to get married?”