A Change of Husband - Chapter 15

“Lydia!”

 

She couldn’t remember the last time she had run so desperately.

 

Asilie flung open the drawing room doors, not even thinking to catch her breath, and rushed in like a madwoman.

 

“…Sister?”

 

Lydia, who had been sitting stiffly, shot to her feet the moment she saw her.

 

And Asilie was finally able to see the face of the younger sister she had missed so dearly.

 

“My god…”

 

Even though she was seeing her with her own eyes, it still didn’t feel real.

 

Tears streamed down her cheeks.

 

She knew people might find it strange. After all, they had only been apart for about two months.

 

But not to Asilie.

 

She was seeing her “dead” sister again after seven years.

 

If it hadn’t been for Esperad’s help, Asilie might’ve once again received that cursed iron ring as her sister’s only remains.

 

“Sister, what on earth is going on…?”

 

“Lydia… sniff…”

 

She knew Lydia wanted an explanation, but she couldn’t hold back anymore. She rushed forward and wrapped her arms around her.

 

She felt warmth. Not the coldness of a corpse.

 

Ah. The confirmation that this truly was her living sister made all her tension melt away.

 

If Lydia hadn’t hugged her back, Asilie probably would’ve collapsed on the spot.

 

“What’s wrong, Sister…?”

 

Lydia looked at her worriedly, surprised at how different Asilie seemed from before.

 

But Asilie couldn’t explain.

 

Too many thoughts, too many overwhelming emotions surged all at once and left her dazed.

 

No one else knew what should’ve happened.

 

But Asilie knew. She had seen with her own eyes the tragic future that would have come if she hadn’t acted. She had lived it once already.

 

That’s why this moment was so overpowering. There was no calming the storm in her heart.

 

She had to admit—there was no way she could be rational right now.

 

“I’m sorry, Lydia. I’m really sorry… sob…”

 

“Why are you saying that?”

 

“I’m sorry I left you alone. sniff I was no help at all. I abandoned you…”

 

Lydia was also happy to see her sister again, whom she thought she might never see, but this reaction was confusing.

 

She didn’t think “abandoned” was the right word.

 

In reality, Asilie hadn’t abandoned her. They never even had a choice to begin with.

 

The sisters had to part with only tears, unable to even say a proper goodbye.

 

Back then, Asilie had cried and resisted, saying she didn’t want to leave, but the Grandier Duchy’s knights had dragged her away without a shred of mercy.

 

Lydia had been too scared to stop them, and in the end, all she could do was hide the pouch of money they threw at her in her arms and swallow her tears.

 

If anything, the coward was her.

 

So Asilie didn’t deserve to carry such guilt.

 

They were both victims of circumstance—victims of poverty.

 

They didn’t even cause the poverty in the first place. All they did was suffer for it.

 

“Did you leave me alone because you wanted to?”

 

“…Huh?”

 

“No, right? Nothing went the way we wanted. Back then, there was nothing we could do.”

 

Lydia gently rubbed her sister’s back.

 

Just like Asilie carried guilt over her younger sister, Lydia also carried guilt about her sister.

 

She could guess Asilie had been taken to a noble family, but she never believed that her sister’s life there would be happy.

 

In Astel, women—especially those of noble blood—existed only to serve the interests of powerful men.

 

Which meant Asilie might’ve been forced to marry some perverted old man for the sake of a noble she didn’t even know.

 

Lydia hated herself for doing nothing.

 

She had let her sister go out of fear—afraid the knights’ swords would kill her, afraid those towering men might trample her like insects.

 

But now, she could finally let go of that guilt.

 

And she hoped Asilie could too.

 

“Thank you for finding me, Sister. Just the fact that we’re together again is really…”

 

Maybe it was because her sister’s emotions had rubbed off on her, but Lydia, who hardly ever cried, began to sob too.

 

“I think it’s really… a miracle… sniffle…”

 

They had always buried their pain, telling themselves it was their fate. But now that those emotions had burst forth all at once, they couldn’t control them.

 

There was so much they wanted to say, so much they wanted to hear—but neither of them could get the words out.

 

The sisters cried in each other’s arms for a long time, unaware that the attendants had quietly stepped out to give them privacy.

 

 

“So then why didn’t you marry into the Bonaparte family?”

 

Only after crying for a long time were the sisters able to talk properly.

 

As they talked about what Asilie had been through, Lydia suddenly asked the question.

 

“I think I’ve heard that family’s name before. If I’ve heard of them, they must be really prestigious, right? Why’d you turn them down?”

 

“Hmm…”

 

If she told Lydia everything from her past life, Lydia would probably think she was insane.

 

So Asilie decided to lie—just a little.

 

“I met him once at a social gathering. He didn’t give me a good impression.”

 

“Didn’t give a good impression?”

 

“Yeah, he was really off-putting.”

 

“But you don’t usually care about a man’s face. For you to say that, he must’ve been really ugly.”

 

“It’s hard to say he was ugly, exactly… but yeah, I definitely wouldn’t want to deal with someone like him.”

 

“Oh wow. So he was seriously ugly.”

 

Asilie burst out laughing at Lydia’s comment.

 

She hadn’t felt this lighthearted in a long time.

 

Having someone to talk to without pretense, without worrying about pride or reputation—that was true happiness.

 

She still couldn’t quite believe she had gotten it back.

 

“And what about you? How have you been since I left?”

 

“Just so-so. Not terrible. I happened to get some help, too…”

 

“You got help? From who?”

 

Lydia had never kept secrets from Asilie before.

 

But today, she hesitated. It was strange.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“It’s just… I’ll tell you about it later. Oh, and Sir Villian really helped out a lot.”

 

Asilie still had questions, but she decided to respect her sister’s wish to change the subject.

 

“Sir Villian? Oh, you mean Sir Edgar Villian. He came to get you, right?”

 

“Yeah, and he ended up getting smacked with a broom too.”

 

“…What?”

 

Asilie’s eyes widened at the news.

 

“I couldn’t help it. Once people found out I was living alone, all sorts of creeps started bothering me. It got really bad—and then Sir Villian showed up.”

 

“My god. So what happened?”

 

“He didn’t explain anything at first, so from my perspective, he was just another guy refusing to leave. So I chased him off with a broom.”

 

Lydia didn’t mention that she never really gave him a chance to explain.

 

But Asilie knew her sister’s personality well enough.

 

She could already imagine the trouble Sir Villian must’ve gone through because of Lydia.

 

“…I should prepare a thank-you gift for Sir Villian. And I really need to thank Esperad too.”

 

“Esperad?”

 

“My husband. He’s the one who made it possible to bring you here.”

 

“You’re already on a first-name basis? Come to think of it, you haven’t said anything about the Duke himself.”

 

“You’ll see him soon. You’ll like him, I’m sure. He’s… really a good man. Out of all the men I’ve ever met, he’s the best.”

 

Lydia narrowed her eyes.

 

Asilie had never shown much interest in men. For her to speak this kindly about one was unexpected.

 

Now she was very curious about the husband she’d only heard about but never met.

 

“I should get going. I’ll see you at dinner. The maids will help you.”

 

“What about you?”

 

“Like I said, I need to go give my thanks. I’d like to take you with me, but…”

 

Asilie glanced over Lydia.

 

Even as her sister, she couldn’t deny it—Lydia wasn’t in any condition to be introduced to Esperad just yet.

 

Her hair was a tangled mess from the long journey, and her clothes were little better than rags.

 

Maybe it was just her imagination, but there even seemed to be a musty smell.

 

Lydia, already aware of her rough appearance, nodded quietly.

 

“Yeah, I think I’ll need the maids’ help. I’ll see you at dinner.”

 

Asilie stepped out, leaving behind the sister she’d finally reunited with.

 

But suddenly, anxiety crept in. She turned back and reopened the drawing room door.

 

Lydia, sitting and waiting for the maids, looked up at the sound.

 

“What, did you forget something?”

 

“No.”

 

“Then why?”

 

“I just… couldn’t believe it. Thought maybe it was a dream.”

 

Because of her sister’s words, Lydia felt emotional again.

 

To hold back tears, she forced herself to speak bravely.

 

“It’s not a dream. I’m not going anywhere. We’ll see each other at dinner. Right?”

 

“…Yeah, we will.”

 

“Then go already. Didn’t you say you needed to thank the Duke?”

 

“I will.”

 

Asilie felt tears welling again and quickly pressed a cold hand to her eyelids.

 

Then she forced a smile, closed the door again, and stepped out.

 

She couldn’t believe how happy she was.

 

Even when she humiliated the monster Joseph who had killed her and her child, even when she finally stood up to her horrible sister-in-law Monica—it hadn’t felt like this.

 

That’s how big it was, how incredible it was, that Lydia was alive and back by her side.

 

But it still wasn’t over.

 

“I have to protect this.”

 

Asilie didn’t believe she—or those connected to her—were completely safe yet.

 

Now that she was the Duchess of Esperad, the enemies whose identities remained hidden would continue to threaten her.

 

Maybe even her dear sister Lydia would become a target.

 

But she wouldn’t lose her again—not like a fool.

 

She wouldn’t let her guard down just because she was happy.

 

Before she knew it, she had arrived at Esperad’s office, even though it was quite far from the drawing room.

 

She was just about to knock when voices from inside made her pause.

 

“Are you saying His Majesty the King has lost consciousness?”

 

“I’m not sure of the exact timing, but it seems to have been about a month or two ago.”

 

“And Count Mirk kept it hidden…?”

 

“No way the conservative nobles didn’t know. They’re all in on it.”

 

Asilie clapped her hands over her mouth in shock.

 

“What is this…?”

 

I couldn’t believe it. Before the regression, the king had never lost consciousness.

 

Even though she had lived as if she didn’t exist, she had still been the future mistress of the Bonaparte Count family.

 

Whenever the Count and Countess of Bonaparte dined together, the conversation always turned to politics.

 

Although Asilie had no power and little knowledge, she had listened closely, thinking that one day it might help Joseph.

 

But she had never heard anything like this during that time.

 

The Bonaparte family boasted considerable influence, even among the conservatives. If Count Mirk knew something, there was no way Count Bonaparte wouldn’t.

 

Moreover, Asilie remembered clearly when the king had lost consciousness.

 

Three years before she returned — four years from now.

 

So why had things changed?

 

Could this change be related to her regression?

 

Was she overthinking it?

 

She hoped she was just overthinking it, but her instincts told her that this was no ordinary matter.

 

“I don’t know.”

 

She couldn’t tell if the past had changed, or the present, or the future — or if all three had.

 

“If His Majesty’s health is in danger, then Count Mirk is bound to make a move. Still, there’s no real reason for him to be wary of you…”

 

“That’s true. Right now, the person most closely related to the king by blood is Count Mirk, so technically he should be next in line for the throne. That’s why I’m even more unsure who the real enemy is.”

 

“It’s complicated.”

 

“In any case, with things going the way they are, we must take extra care to ensure Asilie’s safety.”

 

“Asilie? Ah, you mean the Duchess.”

 

“It may be troublesome for you, but please don’t leave her side for even a moment. The situation is too dangerous to let our guard down.”

 

“Sigh, you owe me big time.”

 

“Of course.”

 

Amid the chaos, her heart began to race for some reason.

 

Esperad asking Sir Villian to protect her must have been to fulfill the vow he made when they married, yet her heart fluttered.

 

Asilie told herself this wasn’t the time and tried to stay calm.

 

“I should get some rest. I’m exhausted from riding non-stop.”

 

Just then, she heard Edgar’s voice.

 

Thinking it might be awkward if the door opened while she was standing right in front of it, Asilie quickly knocked.

 

“Esperad, it’s me.”

 

“Come in.”

 

As she opened the door and entered the office, the two men stood up from the sofa.

 

The first person to catch Asilie’s eye was Sir Villian. He looked just as exhausted as Lydia.

 

And his face was marked with undeniable fatigue.

 

“It’s good to see you again, Duchess.”

 

“Yes, Sir. Thank you for bringing Lydia safely to the capital. I won’t forget this kindness.”

 

“I didn’t do much at all, my lady.”

 

But the moment she saw his face, she instinctively knew Lydia had caused at least half of those dark circles under his eyes. Asilie didn’t believe Edgar’s words.

 

“That can’t be true. You really went through a lot. I sincerely thank you.”

 

“It’s quite alright, my lady. Well then, I should take my leave.”

 

“Oh, I’m sorry. You must be tired, and I kept you here without thinking. Please rest well.”

 

“Thank you for your kind words, my lady.”

 

After bowing to Asilie, Edgar gave Esperad a subtle nod and left the room.

 

Only once he was completely gone did Asilie get a proper look at Esperad.

 

“Huh?”

 

But something was off about his expression.

 

The corners of his mouth, which usually curled into a smile, were stiff, and his gaze wasn’t directed at her.

 

‘Did I do something wrong?’

 

His tone before she entered hadn’t sounded unpleasant at all…

 

As Asilie watched him carefully, Esperad suddenly spoke.

 

“I was the one who had your sister brought here, Asilie.”