My Husband Has Changed (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 12
Even after speaking, the Healer hesitated, clearly worried he might have spoken too rashly.
Adel instinctively knew he would give her the most honest information precisely because he was an outsider who would soon depart.
“Anything at all is fine—please tell me.”
To show she was listening, she opened her palm, revealing the silver coin resting there. The Healer brightened and quickly pocketed the coin.
“Exactly twenty-two years ago, there were rumors that ‘it’ had appeared. I was seven years old then, so I remember it clearly.”
“…….”
“Might Your Highness have ever heard of the Nassau family?”
“Nassau? You mean… the family that fell into ruin?”
The Healer nodded vigorously, as if guessing the unspoken words Adel couldn’t bring herself to utter—that the head of the house had gone mad.
“A century ago, they were as powerful as the Ansgars. If one-third of Bitzleben belonged to Ansgar, another third belonged to Nassau. Families like Rinzingen or Schleicher couldn’t even come close.”
“I’ve heard so. That they were truly extraordinary.”
“It’s said madness skipped generations in that family. Some claimed it was an ancient curse, others said the blood of a lunatic ran in their veins.”
Adel already knew this much. Given how powerful the Nassaurs had been, rumors about them abounded—even though the family had perished before she was even born.
“When the Duke and Duchess of Nassau died young, only two young siblings remained in the family. The boy, who by all rights should never have been raised as heir due to the inherited madness, was said to be unusually clever and well-behaved from an early age.”
The Healer’s voice grew quieter, like embers fading in a dying fire—ominous and shadowed, like the gloom enveloping the castle.
“His speech was proper, his conduct and demeanor flawless; even those who’d doubted his capability eventually supported naming him head of the house. And then, one day…”
“…….”
“He suddenly went mad.”
As he retraced his memory, the Healer’s voice grew clearer, as if not merely recalling but summoning that era back to life.
Adel noticed Greta’s trembling in her arms had stopped at some point. The girl, who had been shaking uncontrollably in fear, now listened intently to the Healer’s words, as if burning away her last vestige of terror with quiet fury.
“It was a catastrophe. Had they known from the start he was a lunatic, they could’ve prevented his succession somehow—but by the time he revealed his true nature, he was already seated as head of the house.”
“……Was the reason ever discovered?”
“They say he was bewitched by some heretical priest. He supposedly bought all sorts of wicked objects, purchased sacrificial offerings, and held pagan rituals. When his funds ran out, he sold off the family seal and heirlooms. Rumor has it the lord was searching for a ‘dragon.’ Ah, thank you…”
The Healer glanced around, seeming parched. Adel promptly offered him a glass of water, which he gratefully accepted and drank. After wiping his damp lips with the back of his hand, he continued.
“Where was I? Ah, yes. Their downfall came overnight.”
“Downfall?”
“No one knows exactly what happened that morning. But within half a day, everyone inside the castle was dead.”
“…All at once?”
Adel’s sea-green eyes widened in astonishment. She had never heard such a tale before; history taught that a virulent plague had swept through Nassau Castle.
“Is that truly accurate?”
“My master was on pilgrimage in Rinzingen at the time. He rushed over when summoned for aid… and said he’d never seen such a bizarre sight in his life. Not a single corpse showed signs of mutilation—not even a drop of blood.”
The Healer shuddered as if he himself had witnessed the event.
“Even stranger—the dead all wore peaceful expressions, as if unaware of their fate. Their pale bodies lay scattered throughout the castle like fish left to dry in the sun.”
It was a horrifying tale. Adel took a moment to steady her breath.
“…Were there no survivors at all?”
“Even counting servants who were away from the castle, there were fewer than ten. And no one inside the castle at the time of the tragedy has ever been conclusively confirmed as a survivor—though there is one madman who claims otherwise…”
“Who is that?”
“When I was young, we called him ‘Kouk the Madman.’ He was a beggar near Rinzingen Castle. Whether he’d always been mad or truly lost his mind after seeing something then…”
“…….”
“In any case, it was a baffling incident, so people at the time loudly claimed the Dragon of Bitzleben had appeared. Later, after the Schleicher family swallowed half of Nassau’s lands as a reward, rumors even spread that they’d poisoned the wells to seize the territory.”
“…Is he still alive?”
“Who? Kouk?”
“I’d like to meet him.”
The Healer’s face fell; he looked as if he regretted having spoken too freely. He scratched the back of his head.
“You won’t get much useful out of him even if you find him. His madness worsened over time, and eventually, they say he was locked away in the dungeon of some monastery.”
Adel stared at him silently, then placed two silver coins on the side table.
“Where is that monastery located?”
“Oh dear, how would I know…?”
Without a word, she added three more silver coins atop the first. The Healer coughed awkwardly and hurriedly scooped up the coins—research in the tower always demanded vast sums of money.
“I don’t know why you’re seeking Kouk, but when he was still somewhat sane, he used to say only one thing.”
“…….”
“If the true ‘dragon’ had truly seeped among us, livestock would notice first. He’d always insisted on watching animals closely for strange behavior—just spouted that nonsense endlessly. Anyway…”
The Healer hesitated to the very end before cautiously speaking again.
“I only heard it was a temple in Schleicher territory. They say he resisted to the death, claiming his life was already forfeit if taken there.”
“A temple in Schleicher territory…”
“It must be quite large if it has an underground prison. But that was already five years ago—he’s likely dead by now. Even if alive, he couldn’t possibly hold a coherent conversation.”
Adel let out a disheartened sigh. It felt as though she’d just lost her only lead. Was there truly no other way? If only she could enter the archives of the Western Tower, she might uncover more…
Lost in anxious thought, she snapped back to attention at the Healer’s awkward cough.
“Oh—I’ve kept you far too long. Here you go.”
Adel placed the entire pouch filled with gold onto the table. Forty-five gold coins, for a week plus two extra days.
Though cheap for privately hiring a Healer, he’d experienced something over the past two days he’d never encounter elsewhere, so the price seemed fair enough.
The Healer brightened and rummaged in his bag, placing several medicinal herbs onto the side table.
“The curse will gradually fade as the demon’s power wanes. Then her voice should return as well.”
“Will it really?”
“There’s no physical damage—it’s primarily psychological. First and foremost, she must regain emotional stability. Have her drink this herbal decoction regularly.”
“…And if the demon’s power doesn’t weaken?”
“It’ll simply take longer, but this curse was never meant to take life. Recovery is inevitable. Still… I originally didn’t intend to meddle, but something’s been troubling me.”
“Troubling you?”
“Your Highness—might you extend your hand for a moment? Palm facing upward.”
Adel hesitated slightly.
She extended her hand reluctantly. Healer or not, he was still an unrelated man. Had she been an ordinary noblewoman, anyone carelessly touching her might lose their hand at the wrist.
Fortunately, the Healer didn’t grasp her hand—only examined it closely. His brow furrowed in thought.
“Did you suffer any serious illness as a child?”
“As a child? I don’t particularly recall…”
“Nor have you ever stayed at a temple?”
“…A priest close to my mother regularly visited to check on my health, but I don’t remember staying at a temple.”
“Hmm. That’s strange.”
The Healer stroked his stubbled chin. Adel watched him curiously.
“My constitution is somewhat sensitive to these matters. Unlike His Grace the Grand Duke, whose body holds almost no sacred energy, yours does contain it—but it seems blocked, as if suppressed by something. Yet… I distinctly sense a powerful force…”
“A-A force?”
“I’m not sure if it’s truly sacred energy. Perhaps I’m merely misreading it.”
He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
“When I’m tired, I sometimes get these impressions. My master would read it far better than I….”
“…….”
“Though it’s unlikely, should you ever visit Falkenheim, please seek Jürgen at Dawnspire. That’s my name.”
Adel nodded dazedly. Jürgen bowed deeply and reached for the door handle as if to leave. Adel quickly called him back.
“Jürgen.”
“Yes, Your Highness?”
“You must keep absolutely silent about everything you’ve seen and heard here—from His Grace’s condition to our conversation just now.”
“Of course. Everything witnessed, heard, and spoken here will be as if it never occurred.”
Adel nodded, and Jürgen pulled his hood low over his face.
“Then, Your Highness—I look forward to our next meeting.”
[This is the timeline separator]“Y-Your Highness.”
As Adel opened the stable door and stepped inside, the stablemaster scrambled up from his chair in a panic. Half-pale with fright, he bowed deeply toward her, offering a smile so obsequious it bordered on servile.
“Oh dear—what brings you all the way out here…?”
Male lead fell into her trap — and shattered when she walked away
This is also on my reread list!
This one is a slow burn, but when it burns, it burns hard.
Definitely worth a read, y’all!
The story follows a thousand-year-old seductive spirit who, on a bet, sets out to charm the male lead—a once-promising but unfortunate cultivator.
But just when she succeeds in making him fall for her, she heartlessly leaves, driving him to madness.
Determined to find her at all costs, he captures her, keeping her by his side no matter what, even if she hates him.
I love this kind of trope—I enjoy watching the male lead suffer in agony.
The ending drags a bit with unnecessary filler, but that’s fine.
As long as I enjoy the beginning, I’m good.
Intro
As an enchantress, Su Heng possesses captivating eyes and charming beauty, easily manipulating the joys and sorrows of living beings at her fingertips.
But to enchant a god, making him taste the bitterness of love’s separation, long-lasting resentment, unattainable desires, and inability to let go…
Do you dare?
Su Heng assists a divine lord in his cultivation, aiming to make him experience all the sufferings of love, so that he can attain the Great Dao.
Only after being chased down from the heavens by the divine lord, confined and completely possessed by him, does she realize how successful she has been.
The once gentle and polite youth has transformed into someone she no longer recognizes.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
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