Wishing My Husband Dead - Chapter 23

“…What? This isn’t two hundred years ago, how can that be possible?”

Leonard was genuinely surprised. Even for noble women, the era when learning was considered a flaw had passed.

In fact, it was an age where women from respectable families were expected to learn literature, piano, and if possible, even arithmetic and philosophy.

“I can’t believe it. How on earth did Marquis Vasquez raise his daughter?”

“He wanted me to grow up as a stupid doll who only obeys her father and husband.”

Cordelia muttered self-deprecatingly. Her father was so averse to the idea of Cordelia learning anything that if it weren’t for her mother, she probably wouldn’t have even learned how to read.

Her father was so displeased that he didn’t even want to assign a tutor to Cordelia.

“Now I understand why you’re so ignorant about magic. I suppose that’s why your talent for seeing magical power was left to waste.”

“But being a magician’s apprentice doesn’t just mean learning magic, does it?”

“A magician passes on their heart to their apprentice when they die.”

“Ah! You startled me.”

“Make some noise when you move around. Are you trying to show off how old you are?”

Despite Beluce’s sharp words, Baron continued his explanation, unfazed by suddenly appearing out of thin air.

“Of course, it’s more symbolic than literally giving their heart, but it means there’s a strong bond between master and apprentice.”

“How strong of a bond are we talking about?”

“For example, unless they create their own star and become independent, they usually spend almost their entire lives together. There are even cases where they live and eat together.”

“Their entire lives? You’re not joking, right? Until death?”

“That’s right. It means you’ll have to run errands for me for the rest of your life.”

Leonard chuckled mischievously. Cordelia’s face instantly turned pale.

She had planned to learn a few auxiliary spells and then leave to find her own way, but now she had to stay by Leonard’s side for life? Suddenly, everything seemed hazy.

“But what if one of them gets married and moves far away?”

“Magicians rarely marry. Even if they do, the master-apprentice relationship remains at the center of their lives.”

“Good heavens. Oh my!”

“Why do you look so shocked? If you stay by my side, you won’t have to worry about food and shelter for the rest of your life.”

“The problem is that I have to stay by your side for life, Master! Does that mean I have to deal with that nasty temper and cater to your whims forever?”

“…Isn’t that a bit too harsh to say to someone’s face?”

“Isn’t it better than badmouthing you behind your back?”

He was about to agree, but then realized belatedly that he had fallen for Cordelia’s logic.

“Others would be desperate to stay by the Master’s side forever if they could. You should be grateful.”

Beluce snapped, his eyes wide open. But Cordelia didn’t hear a thing. The word ‘lifetime’ was firmly lodged in her mind like a nail.

“Isn’t there any way to break the master-apprentice relationship?”

“What? You cried and begged to be accepted as my apprentice, and now you want to break it off? Are you crazy?”

Leonard, who had been playful until just now, immediately turned serious at the mention of breaking the relationship. Seeing his sudden change in expression, Cordelia looked at him nervously and said in a small voice.

“No, I’m not saying I would do that. But it could happen, right? If things go wrong between the two.”

“It’s possible.”

Baron continued his explanation with a chuckle.

“It’s rare, but there are cases where a master expels their apprentice. It’s usually called excommunication, and an excommunicated magician can’t even call themselves a magician anymore and is permanently banned from entering the Royal Magic Association.”

“Is there no case of an apprentice expelling their master?”

“Do you want to expel me that badly?”

“Oh, come on. When did I say that? I’m just asking if such an unbelievable thing exists.”

“Hmm. As far as I know, it doesn’t. Ah, but as I mentioned earlier, it’s possible if you establish your own star and become independent.”

“Star? You mean the school of magic, right?”

“Yes. If you become the head of a new star, from that point on, you and your master would treat each other as equals rather than master and apprentice.”

Star. Star, she said.

Cordelia muttered the word as if it were her only lifeline. Leonard grumbled, displeased with her attitude.

“Others are desperate to stick around and learn even one more thing. You seem quite full of yourself.”

“Of course, I want to stay by your side, Master.”

The phrase ‘for just a year’ was omitted from that sentence.

As Cordelia was racking her brain, Baron stepped forward, summarizing the situation.

“Well, let’s wrap up that conversation for now. I have something to report.”

“What is it?”

“I’ve finally found it. Your body, Master.”

* * *

“My lady.”

“Yes?”

“Where would you like today’s meal to be prepared?”

After confining Helena and Arnold in the tower, a significant change occurred in the Abrams mansion.

People no longer called Cordelia the young mistress.

In the Abrams mansion, there was no longer a senior mistress or a young mistress. There was only Cordelia Abrams, the Countess.

Cordelia, who had become the official Countess, was spending her days incredibly busy.

The servants asked her about everything, from the most trivial matters like the dining location to the payment for necessary supplies.

Cordelia briefly rubbed her temples.

“Have today’s dinner brought to my room. Craig seems to be very busy.”

“Yes, I’ll do that.”

And Leonard was no less busy. A few days ago, the news Baron brought had thrown the three men, except Cordelia, into chaos.

They had been busy for days, putting their heads together to come up with what seemed to be a plan.

“I’m here, Master.”

“Do you really think that would work?”

“Haha. Beluce. How can you show your stupidity here?”

“What? I’m stupid?”

“If Beluce keeps acting like this, won’t people start to think all knights are dumb?”

“Why, you little…”

As soon as the door opened, Beluce was growling and drawing his sword. Of course, Baron just smiled good-naturedly without budging an inch.

Cordelia was no longer surprised by this sight.

“Did you finish your homework?”

“Yes, I’ve come to have it checked.”

Cordelia sat down in front of Leonard, passing between the two men who were bickering. She then placed a thick stack of parchment on the small side table.

Leonard flipped through it so quickly that it seemed as if he wasn’t reading it properly. Then he pointed out a few places with his finger.

“Here, here, and here too. Do it again.”

“What? Why? I researched so hard!”

She felt disappointed and wronged as he coldly rejected the parts she had struggled with for five whole hours. Leonard said without a hint of mercy.

“Yes, you researched nonsense very hard.”

“That’s too harsh.”

At that moment, there was a crash and fragments flew from the side. It seemed Beluce had broken something again.

“If you’re so great, why don’t you do it yourself?”

“Please calm down. Why do you shout every time you speak?”

“Who’s shouting? You pick a fight with every opinion I offer!”

“Ugh, so noisy.”

Cordelia shook her head as she looked at the two men. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen this, but it was still impressive how they argued so heatedly every time.

“Have you still not decided? Whether to go to that woman or not… what was her name?”

“Not ‘that woman’, but the witch Diloana. If we had decided, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

The reason they were fighting like this was because of Leonard’s body that Baron had discovered. The problem was that the body had been found in a witch’s territory, so they were arguing about what to do.

“Is that witch really that powerful? Is that why you can’t approach easily?”

“Diloana isn’t human. She’s closer to a spirit.”

“Spirit? Do they really exist?”

Cordelia asked with sparkling eyes. The spirits she knew were mysterious beings from fairy tales she had read as a child.

“If you ask whether spirits actually exist, it’s ambiguous, but Diloana is probably the closest to the spirit you’re thinking of. She’s a life form born from the essence of trees and gained self-awareness.”

“Wow, wow. The essence of trees. It really sounds like a water fairy from a fairy tale.”

“It’s not like the cute water fairy Lady Cordelia is thinking of. It’s much more ferocious and cruel. It burns to death everything that enters its territory without permission. Moreover, the territory is likely to be infested with magical beasts.”

“But Master is incredibly strong, so couldn’t you defeat that witch?”

“Hmm.”

When Cordelia praised Leonard, he lifted his chin and crossed his arms.

“Dealing with the witch isn’t a big problem. The issue is the barrier surrounding her territory. If I were in my original body, I might be able to manage somehow, but…”

“But to regain your original body, you need to go to Diloana… Hmm. By the way, Baron, how did you find Master’s body? I thought you’d die if you entered the witch’s territory?”

“To be precise, I didn’t see it with my own eyes. I located it through detection.”

“Ah, I see.”

This is why they’ve been racking their brains without reaching a conclusion on what to do.

“Unfortunately or fortunately, since the Master’s body was found there, it seems Maximilian won’t be able to approach easily either.”

“So what? We don’t have a way to get in either.”

Beluce sheathed his sword and said to Leonard.

“Master. Send me. I’ll go.”

“No. If you want to die, just die here. Don’t go all the way to Diloana’s territory to die.”

“Beluce. A fragile knight like you would turn to ashes the moment you set foot in Diloana’s territory.”

“Fragile? Want to settle who’s fragile right here?”

“Can’t we resolve this through dialogue with Diloana? We could try negotiating, right?”

“Dialogue?”

“Negotiation?”

Baron and Beluce made strange expressions at Cordelia’s seemingly rational suggestion. It was as if they were looking at someone who asked if the sun was the moon.

“I told you, Diloana isn’t human. If dialogue was possible, her territory would have been destr… in ancient times.”

Leonard stopped mid-sentence and stared intently at Cordelia. That gaze felt rather ominous.

“Why, why are you looking at me like that?”

“Wait a moment. Can you see this?”

He muttered something briefly and drew a complex formation in the air. Although it was the first time seeing it, Cordelia nodded as she could see it.

“Yes.”