Didn't Plan to Become a Companion (Completed Main Story) - Side Story 1

Mariette dragged her exhausted body to her husband’s room. These days, Stuart only briefly showed his face at the imperial palace during the day and spent most of his time lying in bed.

Ricardo had become the king of the duchy, and a very long time had passed since she had begun acting as regent in place of her crown prince son.

She nodded to the head servant standing guard at the door, and he carefully opened it. Even sunlight seemed shunned—the room was already deeply veiled in the shadow of death.

“Stuart, many things happened today.”

Mariette cheerfully pulled back the tightly closed curtains. Whenever she recounted the day’s events as if they were trivial, Stuart would occasionally give a soft chuckle.

“It’s about Sir Benjamin, who said he’d come for trade negotiations.”

As she walked toward the opposite curtain to draw it back, she suddenly sensed something amiss and froze in place.

She heard no breathing—no sound of his increasingly labored breaths. Mariette gripped the curtain until her knuckles turned white and slowly turned to face her husband.

With a gentle expression, as if he might rise at any moment and tell her he loved her, he lay with his eyes closed.

Mariette approached Stuart and took his hand. His fingertips still held warmth but remained utterly still.

“Have you gone?”

“…….”

“Are you truly gone? Without even a single word left for me?”

Stuart never answered. Mariette brought his still-warm hand to her cheek and prayed to the heavens.

She wept silently for a long time but did not wail. His death was one he had willingly accepted for her and their children, and she, too, had to endure the agony tearing through her chest with dignity.

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