A Change of Husband - Chapter 119

“Ahh!”

 

Asilie coughed up blood and collapsed forward.

 

That moment played out very slowly—so slowly that it felt like someone had stopped time as a cruel joke. Esperad saw it all in slow motion.

 

‘Asilie!’

 

His shocked mind couldn’t even let the name escape his lips. It echoed silently inside his mouth.

 

His head went numb, and he couldn’t understand what had just happened to her, or what kind of harm had come upon her.

 

“Don’t… cry… Huff… I’m just glad… I can die as your wife…”

 

Even after decades, the image of that terrible day was burned into his memory.

 

The memory he had tried to forget over and over again had now become a reality for Esperad.

 

“You won’t die. You’ll be okay, so please don’t say that. Please…”

 

“I’m just… happy to die… as your… woman…”

 

“Asilie, no. No…”

 

“Huff… Please… meet someone else…”

 

Was it happening all over again?

 

Because this world was flowing the same way as before? Because they had defied time and fate?

 

A flood of questions crashed into Esperad’s mind all at once. His head was about to explode from the thoughts when—

 

“Asilie!”

 

Esperad screamed her name like a cry of despair.

 

Tears burst out of his eyes and ran down his face.

 

He had sworn to protect her this time. He had promised.

 

No…

 

‘Didn’t you promise not to leave her alone ever again?’

 

It hurt so much that he even felt anger toward her now.

 

Despair and helplessness shrank Esperad’s world.

 

His reason to live was disappearing. Because she was disappearing.

 

“Ahahahaha! What a ridiculous sight.”

 

Count Mirk, who had been watching Esperad, burst into a loud, cheerful laugh.

 

This is what he wanted to see. This moment—this very scene was what he had longed to witness.

 

With a wicked smile, Count Mirk roughly pulled out the sword he had stabbed into Asilie’s back.

 

As he pulled out the blade, blood sprayed like a fountain from her back and splashed onto his face. But he didn’t care—no, he even licked the blood like a madman.

 

“You sick…”

 

“I never said I’d let this woman live, so I haven’t broken any honor. Kekekeke…”

 

The sight of her face twisted in pain made Count Mirk’s heart race and sent a rush of blood through his body.

 

Ah, his body felt hot. The excitement from pleasure made his blood flow faster.

 

Generational revenge, pain passed down over two lifetimes—how could he not enjoy it?

 

“You bastard…”

 

Even though his tears blurred his vision, Esperad did not collapse.

 

He wiped his tears roughly. He had to check. Asilie might still be alive. Even if she was hurt, he might still save her.

 

So he couldn’t give up. He had to defeat this beast.

 

And then he had to go to her. He had to. No matter what.

 

“Oh ho.”

 

Count Mirk rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger, as if interested.

 

“You don’t break Asilie—just like Astron.”

 

“Don’t say my father’s name… with your filthy mouth.”

 

“Do you know those blue eyes remind me of your mother?”

 

That thought amused him.

 

He wished he could enjoy this moment just a little longer.

 

“Kuh… The way you cry… it reminds me of Rihanna, when she begged.”

 

Unable to hold back his rage any longer, Esperad swung his sword at Count Mirk and slashed at his body.

 

Clang—

 

Blood sprayed, and Esperad hoped he had cut him down—but all he heard was the sharp clash of swords.

 

Even on the verge of death, Count Mirk didn’t lose the smile on his face.

 

His expression was eerie and chilling. If demons existed, they would surely look like this.

 

Clang—Clang—

 

“Your swordsmanship is still no match for Astron.”

 

“Shut up.”

 

Clang—

 

“If you had seen the filthy face of your father when he pointed his sword at his best friend just to take a woman—could you still respect him as a father…”

 

But no matter how cunning Count Mirk was, he was never a match for the young Esperad.

 

“Urgh…!”

 

Esperad’s merciless sword pierced deeply into Count Mirk’s stomach.

 

Clang—

 

Count Mirk dropped his sword and fell to his knees.

 

Even though he knew death was coming, he held himself up with his hands and looked up.

 

Then, as if desperate to share one last fact, he forced open his mouth.

 

“She’s… already dead.”

 

“What?”

 

How could he not enjoy seeing the last bit of hope vanish from Esperad’s face?

 

This was the image he had long wished for.

 

“The blade… was coated with poison… I confirmed… she stopped breathing. Kekeke…”

 

This boy was far too naïve.

 

Count Mirk had lived twenty or thirty years longer than Esperad and experienced much more.

 

Anyone with sense, after seeing their weapon factory burn and losing two battles to unknown weapons, would realize there was no chance of victory.

 

And Count Mirk wasn’t a fool.

 

“Kuhuhuh… You idiot…”

 

Even if Esperad brought a surrender document written in blood to the royal palace, the nobles would never recognize him as king.

 

Instead, they would label him a traitor who killed the king, strip him of his life, and fight among themselves for the floating power.

 

If the end was doomed anyway, he wanted to give Esperad the worst possible outcome.

 

Ah, to gift the son of Astron and Rihanna—who had betrayed him and turned him into a monster—a terrible memory he would never forget, even in death. What a generous cousin he was.

 

“I really am… merciful.”

 

Count Mirk was deeply satisfied.

 

Even if he had barely won this fight, his best option would’ve been to flee to Velkoz with Cordelia. So this outcome wasn’t too bad.

 

“It was fun, Esperad…”

 

Count Mirk gave a chilling smile.

 

“You’ve also killed your own blood… so you’ll go to hell… See you there… Kekeke! Farewell…”

 

Thud—

 

Using up the last of his strength to finish speaking, Count Mirk fell face-forward, like a dropped doll.

 

 

***

 

“Ahh!”

 

Lydia had been quietly reading in her room when she suddenly coughed up blood and collapsed to the floor.

 

It all happened in a flash—so quickly that Edgar, who had stayed by her side at Esperad’s request, jumped up in shock.

 

“What is this…?!”

 

He was so surprised, he couldn’t even speak properly. And while he stood there in shock, Lydia kept coughing and throwing up blood.

 

“Ugh… Hngh…”

 

Each time she vomited more blood, dark red stains spread across the clean white carpet.

 

“Lydia!”

 

Feeling he had to do something, Edgar rushed to her and grabbed her arm—but Lydia pushed him away and turned her body as if to reject his help.

 

“Don’t… come… any closer…”

 

But that only made Edgar more anxious.

 

Just a moment ago, her beige dress had been spotless—but now, red blood was spreading from her back.

 

It looked like a gunshot wound. But he hadn’t heard any loud gunfire.

 

He was certain—this wasn’t a wound from an outside attack.

 

The cause was unknown, and it was driving him mad. But what tormented him even more was seeing Lydia trying to hold herself up with one fragile arm while blood poured from her mouth.

 

“Why is this happening? What’s wrong with you?!”

 

“I… I’m fine. I’ll be okay, so… please… don’t come near me…”

 

Sadly, Edgar had no intention of listening.

 

He strode toward her.

 

“You have to tell me! If you don’t, how can I help you? So—”

 

But he couldn’t even finish his sentence. Lydia collapsed again, unable to stay conscious.

 

This time, her eyes stayed closed. She seemed completely unconscious.

 

“Damn it…”

 

Calling for the royal physician was the first step. But calculating the time it would take for a servant to arrive, deliver the message, and for the physician to come—he couldn’t just stand there and wait.

 

He decided it would be better for him to treat her right away, since he was skilled in emergency care.

 

It looked like the reason she collapsed and coughed up blood had something to do with her back.

 

“Haa…”

 

Undressing an unmarried lady was something no knight should do. It was taboo.

 

But he couldn’t just let her die like this.

 

Edgar gritted his teeth and ripped her dress.

 

Riiip—

 

As the dress tore away, her bare back was revealed, and Edgar’s eyes widened.

 

Not because he had seen a woman’s body—but because…

 

“What… is this.”

 

There was only blood—no wound at all. Her back was completely uninjured.

 

Panicked, Edgar took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped her back, but even after cleaning all the blood, there was no wound to be found.

 

He quickly stood up, grabbed a towel from the room, and wiped her mouth. The blood that had been pouring out just moments ago had also stopped completely.

 

Judging by the metallic smell and Lydia lying limp on the floor, something had definitely happened.

 

But from beginning to end, he couldn’t understand any of it.

 

“What in the world is going on…”

 

It was when Edgar was staring blankly and mumbling to himself.

 

“I told you I was fine…”

 

Lydia, who had barely opened her eyes, scolded him weakly.

 

Edgar looked at her in shock. He hadn’t expected her to wake up again so soon, especially after collapsing like she was about to die.

 

“Are you… really okay?”

 

Lydia slowly nodded at his question.

 

“I’m just tired.”

 

“No, what are you even saying? No matter how tired someone is, they don’t just start coughing up blood and collapse!”

 

“I know that too.”

 

Seeing Lydia sigh as if he were being ridiculous, Edgar was now speechless.

 

It felt like she was teasing him on purpose.

 

“Anyway, get ready.”

 

“…What?”

 

“His Majesty the King and my sister will be back soon. You need to prepare.”

 

Edgar could feel her eyes on him like he was being completely unreasonable, but Lydia ignored him completely and shamelessly went on.

 

“And if you really want to help, please lay me back on the bed. Also, bring me something to wear. You ripped this dress, and I can’t just sit here wearing something this embarrassing.”

 

“Ah…”

 

Only then did Edgar realize what kind of state he had left Lydia in. His face turned red as he stood up.

 

But even as he followed her instructions, he couldn’t understand what had just happened.

 

It wasn’t until much later that Edgar finally learned the full story.

 

 

“If you’ve learned nothing from what you’ve gone through, then you’re just a stagnant person stuck in place.”

 

“I… Please just help me a little.”

 

Raw, unfiltered memories came flooding in.

 

They were clearly new memories—ones she hadn’t had before.

 

Memories of facing Agua Nale Roja when she returned to this world. But strangely, they hadn’t remained in her mind until now.

 

“If you simply follow where the moonlight that shines on you leads, you wouldn’t need anyone’s help.”

 

“What are you…”

 

“Ah, I’ve said something I shouldn’t have. I’ll erase this memory now. For the sake of your stable future.”

 

“Ah!”

 

Asilie’s eyes flew open.

 

“A king and queen who rule a nation can change the lives of many people with even small decisions. Maybe that’s why I felt so much from them. The new king felt like the sun. But as for you, in this world… I felt nothing at all.”

 

Suddenly, she remembered what Agua Nale Roja from the parallel world had told her.

 

She instinctively knew those words were connected to the memory that had vanished.

 

The king had the feeling of the sun. Then what about the queen…?

 

“The moon…”

 

Only then did she understand why that memory had been erased.

 

If Agua Nale said she saw the moon in her, it was a prophecy—that she would become the queen in this world.

 

“Are you awake?”

 

A familiar voice.

 

The voice she had desperately wished to hear one more time, even as she was losing consciousness.

 

“Esperad…”

 

Just saying his name made her eyes well up with tears.

 

She wanted to see his face, but her vision was blurry from just waking up, so she couldn’t make him out clearly. She wanted to know what kind of expression he had—if he was angry at her.

 

As she drank the water he handed her, Asilie thought carefully about what she should say to him first.

 

“I’m sorry…”

 

But in the end, all that came out was a simple apology.

 

“I almost left you again…”

 

Her voice trembled.

 

Even just the thought of what could’ve happened was so painful.

 

Her chest ached so badly, she felt like she might burst into tears, but she held it in and spoke haltingly.

 

“I didn’t want to. I really tried not to. I tried my best… but in the end, I still let it happen.”

 

When Sophia had warned her about the maid, Asilie had known she couldn’t just keep the maid away—she needed to prepare for more.

 

If one maid placed by the conservatives had approached her, there might be others with bad intentions too.

 

That’s why Asilie had asked Lydia for help. She didn’t want to worry Esperad but still needed a backup plan.

 

“I’m lucky Lydia helped me after all.”

 

Asilie raised her hand.

 

The iron ring Lydia had given back to her had vanished without a trace. As if it had done its job and disappeared.

 

“Right?”

 

“Yes. If it weren’t for your sister…”

 

“…I’m really sorry. For making you worry again.”

 

“I was very scared.”

 

Just one sentence, but it was full of heavy emotion.

 

“I was afraid I’d lose you again. That I wouldn’t be able to see you anymore. That I’d have to live in this world alone again…”

 

He had tried to hold his emotions back so as not to overwhelm her as soon as she woke up, but even that was starting to spill over.

 

Seeing Asilie nearly die again had been shocking—and cruel—for him.

 

“That’s why I was so afraid. That was what scared me the most.”

 

“I won’t do that again. How could I do something so cruel to you again…”

 

“Haa…”

 

Esperad let out a deep sigh, trying to calm down.

 

As if trying to comfort him, Asilie stretched out her trembling hand and placed it in his large one.

 

“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have had a reason to keep living in the first place. I couldn’t die. I couldn’t leave you behind. I knew what that would do to you. That’s why… that’s why I fought so hard to stay. Really.”

 

When Count Mirk’s sword stabbed into her back, and she felt that she would die the moment she lost consciousness—

 

What made her fight to stay awake more than anything was the thought of Esperad being left alone again. It broke her heart.

 

She was so sorry to him that she couldn’t even close her eyes properly.

 

Even as she heard Esperad’s scream… even as Count Mirk’s terrible laughter rang in her ears… Asilie kept her eyes wide open.

 

She didn’t want to lose consciousness. She didn’t want to leave him.

 

“From now on, for the rest of my life…”

 

Her voice cracked with sobs. It wasn’t pretty.

 

“I’ll stay by your side until the day I die. I really will, Esperad…”

 

Asilie swore with all her heart.

 

And as if he needed to be sure, her lover asked her with desperate eyes,

 

“Can you… promise that?”

 

“I promise. From now on—”

 

But Esperad didn’t wait for her to finish. He pulled her into a tight hug.

 

His arms were so warm. Knowing that she could keep sharing this warmth with him from now on made every little thing feel overwhelmingly happy. And the thought that she had almost lost this happiness terrified her.

 

So she cried.

 

Until her face was completely soaked.