Wishing My Husband Dead - Chapter 94

Matilda took a brief breath and continued speaking without any hesitation.

“Moreover, considering the effort she made to have you, she would never have regretted giving birth to you.”

“The effort she made to have me?”

At Cordelia’s question, Matilda hesitated for the first time.

Two feelings collided. The desire to protect the daughter of her most cherished and beloved disciple, and the firm belief that if Cordelia was a half-demon, she must be killed.

Despite Leonard’s bloody threats, Matilda had tried to steadfastly adhere to that belief, but when she imagined what kind of heart Grita had when making a contract with a demon, her feelings became complicated.

“…Grita was inherently weak in body. Deciding to have a child must have been a big decision for her.”

“That’s right. I’ve heard the physician say that my mother’s health worsened even more after giving birth to me. If she hadn’t given birth to me, she wouldn’t have passed away so early.”

Cordelia’s face darkened with even greater gloom than before. Matilda immediately refuted.

“Why do you think that? I’m telling you, Grita surely didn’t think that way. If she knew how well you’ve grown, she would certainly be proud. With what feelings Grita gave birth to you.”

“Don’t blame yourself. As Lady Matilda says, the late Lady Vasquez would never have regretted giving birth to Cordelia.”

“Thank you for saying that. Thank you, Lady Matilda.”

Cordelia smiled faintly at their kind consolation. Matilda took a short breath. She had thought their personalities and appearances were not similar at all, but that faint, ethereal smile was definitely reminiscent of Grita.

Matilda abruptly stood up.

“Wait a moment.”

“Pardon?”

Leaving the two behind, Matilda went to the back.

Shortly after, there was a clattering sound, and then a teacup and teapot floated up and settled on the table. She poured the tea with a very solemn expression and handed it to Cordelia.

“Drink it.”

“Oh, yes.”

Although it was odd to be suddenly offered tea, Cordelia thoughtlessly blew on the tea Matilda had served and took a sip. As soon as she took one sip, Matilda immediately asked.

“How is it?”

“The aroma is nice.”

“Not that, how does it taste?”

“Umm… It just tastes like tea…”

“Try drinking it again. Don’t you feel anything different?”

Matilda persistently inquired. Cordelia blinked in confusion at the question.

What taste was she supposed to feel from the tea? Strictly speaking, it was just water with fragrance.

However, Matilda was looking at Cordelia with such resolute eyes that she forcibly attached some flowery words about the taste of the tea.

“The deeper aroma comes out as I drink it. And um. The lingering fragrance in my mouth is excellent and of superior quality that I’ve never tasted before…”

“No. Drink it again.”

She very firmly urged Cordelia to drink more tea. In fact, the expression ‘forced’ would have been more fitting.

Eventually, Cordelia emptied the entire teapot under Matilda’s compulsion. She asked about the taste of the tea with every cup, and now Cordelia had run out of words to describe the taste. Rosenblur’s expression, watching this scene, became increasingly strange as time passed.

Having drunk too much, tea water rose up in her throat. Cordelia put down the cup and said,

“Ugh, I’m sorry, Lady Matilda. I’m too full to drink any more.”

“Haaa.”

Matilda let out a deep sigh as she looked at the empty teapot. At first, she thought it might be different if she drank just a few more sips, but the result was still the same.

Intimidated by that sigh, Cordelia half-bowed her head.

“I’m sorry. I’m not very knowledgeable about tea.”

“You’ve finally shattered my expectations.”

“Lady Matilda. The northern region where Cordelia lived is a place where tea is not easily obtained, so it would be difficult for her to discern the taste of tea.”

Rosenblur hurriedly took Cordelia’s side and defended her.

“That’s not it. No. Never mind. It’s too early to jump to conclusions based on just this. Nothing is certain yet.”

Matilda shook her head, trying to compose her disappointed feelings. Cordelia covered her mouth with her hand as tea water came up every time she opened her mouth.

* * *

Anton Embly could not believe his eyes. Even the touch of his excessively cold fingertips felt like a lie. Is this a dream? If not a dream, then what is it?

“Master, Master…”

Sophia lay prostrate, weeping. Her eyes were already swollen from how much she had cried. The other maids also burst into tears in unison.

The world was shaking. Anton tried to stand straight, but it was too difficult.

“Rosie. Rosie. Rosie.”

The only sound coming from his mouth was just his daughter’s name.

Why are you lying like this? Your father has come. Get up quickly, my daughter.

My treasure. My sea. My sunshine. My everything.

“Ah, aah, ah!”

Rosalyn’s body was stiff. It meant that her breath had ceased not many days ago.

Upon receiving Sophia’s message that she had been attacked by someone, he had rushed here almost without eating or sleeping, but regret washed over him like a tide. If he had come a little earlier, if he had arrived at his daughter’s side just a bit sooner, he wouldn’t have let Rosalyn close her eyes alone in this unfamiliar place.

Anton embraced Rosalyn’s body and wailed like a beast.

The room was filled with grief, even the sound of breathing was sorrowful. The tears shed by the father fell onto the daughter’s face. She had always been as thin as a winter twig, but now it would not be an exaggeration to say that she was left with almost nothing but bones and skin.

Anton rubbed Rosalyn’s arms over and over again. Doing this used to bring warmth back to his daughter’s cold body. But no matter how much he rubbed her arms, Rosalyn did not open her eyes.

“…How did Rosie go?”

“After giving birth to the child, sniff, her condition rapidly deteriorated. We called all the nearby physicians, but they all just said it was difficult and left.”

“And she lost too much blood during childbirth…”

A young maid added, sobbing. Anton endlessly caressed Rosalyn’s face. It seemed as if she would open her eyes at any moment. After staring at his daughter’s face for a long time, suddenly anger surged up.

The root cause of all this, the one responsible for making Rosalyn bear a child. He turned around and rushed towards Maximilian, who was standing in a corner, and struck his cheek.

“What on earth were you doing! You worm-like bastard. I only asked one thing of you! And you couldn’t even do that one thing properly?”

The force was so strong that Maximilian staggered greatly. Still not satisfied, Anton began to punch him repeatedly. Maximilian offered no resistance and took Anton’s punches without protest.

“I’ll tear you to pieces and kill you. I’ll gouge out your eyeballs and crush them, and throw all your entrails to the wild dogs! Because of you, because of trash like you, my daughter!”

“It was Atilei who killed Rosalyn.”

Maximilian said calmly, spitting out the blood that had pooled in his mouth. Anton screamed.

“Yes! That filthy blood flowing in your body killed my daughter!”

“The reason Rosalyn gave birth to the child two months early was because Atilei attacked Rosalyn’s carriage. If it weren’t for him, Rosalyn wouldn’t have given birth to the child so suddenly in this countryside.”

“If she hadn’t gotten pregnant in the first place, if you hadn’t seduced Rosie with that treacherous tongue of yours, this wouldn’t have happened! Rosie wouldn’t have come to Ancen as if she were running away!”

Anton glared at him as he spoke. Maximilian, with his head slightly bowed, said,

“You’re right, Your Highness. If Rosalyn hadn’t become pregnant, this tragedy wouldn’t have begun. But it was Leonard Atilei who took her away from you, Your Highness. He deliberately attacked the party knowing I wasn’t in the carriage, killing all the knights and destroying the carriage Rosalyn was in. As if he wanted her to miscarry.”

“…What?”

Anton’s eyes wavered for the first time. Maximilian didn’t miss that moment. He lowered his eyebrows and imitated grief.

“When Atilei attacked the carriage, I wasn’t there. I was afraid that if I moved with Rosalyn, we would be tracked by Atilei. So I divided the party into two to avoid Atilei’s eyes… I never dreamed that Leonard Atilei would deliberately attack Rosalyn’s carriage.”

“Are you saying he intentionally tried to kill Rosalyn?”

“I’m certain, with everything I have. Who else could dare to kill all of Embly’s knights if not for the pursuit team he sent? Moreover, I found this in the forest.”

Maximilian took something out from inside his clothes and respectfully presented it to Anton.

It was a torn flag with the emblem of the White Snake drawn on it.

Anton snatched it and gripped it tightly. The pain of losing his daughter soon turned into anger, and that anger wandered, not knowing where to go. Maximilian showed Anton where the anger should be directed.

“Atilei has taken away what’s most precious to Your Highness, so shouldn’t he receive the same in return?”

“What could be most precious to him?”

“Cordelia Vasquez. Atilei’s most cherished and beloved disciple.”

Maximilian whispered at his feet like a poisonous snake.

Anton embraced Rosalyn’s body once more, covered her with a blanket, and patted her chest a few times. It was like the goodnight greeting he used to do when Rosalyn was young.

He rose and glared at the man prostrated on the floor as if looking at an insect.

“Don’t consider it mercy that I’m sparing your life now.”

Anton spat at Maximilian at his feet. Nevertheless, Maximilian didn’t say anything and only made sobbing sounds.

“After I investigate every detail of the situation, I’ll cut off your head and hang it on the city gate.”

“You may kill me anytime. But please give me the chance to take revenge on Leonard Atilei, who killed the innocent Rosalyn and even tried to kill our child. Please, please.”