The Strongest Magician Can Only Love His Dead Wife — After I Reincarnated, My Cute Younger Husband Turned Yandere - Chapter 6

In the Count’s lifeless face, only his eyes shone with an unnaturally brilliant light.

Faced with clear murderous intent, Rubia held her breath and carefully observed his demeanor.

(If I don’t stop him, the Count will truly kill Lord Arsenio…!)

But how exactly should she calm the Count? She couldn’t risk saying the wrong thing and further provoking his wrath.

However, she would immediately regret not stopping the Count at all costs.

“You old fool, what business do you have with my wife?”

Arsenio, who should have been inside the mansion, had somehow made his way to Rubia’s side.

Beside him was the maid who had accompanied Rubia on her walk earlier. She must have called for Arsenio.

“Lord Arsenio, you mustn’t come—!”

“O spirits of light, in the name of Calista, the moon goddess who illuminates the darkness, bind that man!”

Before he even finished speaking, the Count chanted an incantation.

Rubia tried to dodge instantly, but couldn’t. A binding sensation, as if invisible ropes were constricting her entire body, hindered her movements.

Immediately after, she felt a cold sensation on her neck and realized a dagger was being pressed against her from behind.

“What is your intention, Count Fiero?”

“I’ve come to avenge Amalia. —I may be no match for you in magical power, but even this old fool can take a woman hostage.”

“You bastard!”

Arsenio’s expression changed, revealing anger and impatience.

In their exchange, there was no trace of the affection one might expect between grandfather and grandson. All that remained were negative emotions like resentment, hatred, and disgust.

“That face. It seems you’ve grown quite fond of your wife. I see, I see. Was she kind to you? Did she pity you, the cursed one?”

“That’s none of your business! Release her!”

“Oh, I’ll release her. Once I’ve killed you, I’ll gladly let her go. I too find it hard to bear killing an innocent young lady. But if you make any strange moves… you understand?”

The dagger dug sharply into Rubia’s neck. A sharp pain shot through her, and she felt blood trickling from the wound.

Instinctive fear caused a strained scream to escape her throat.

“Whoa there. You mustn’t move. You don’t want to die caught up in this, do you?”

“Please stop this. I’m sure Lord Arsenio’s mother would never wish for something like—”

Rubia thought no one could possibly wish for such a sad thing—a father trying to kill his own child, born of his daughter’s pain.

But as if cutting off Rubia’s words, she sensed the Count chuckling faintly behind her.

“Ah, you truly are kind, raised in a blessed home. You believe parents should naturally love their children. —But unfortunately, there are exceptions in this world. One of them is when the child born is a monster.”

With that, the Count began an unbelievable story.

He claimed that his daughter Amalia had tried to gouge out Arsenio’s eyes and kill him when he was just born.

This was heavily influenced by the teachings of the Encarnita religion, widely followed in this country. The Encarnita scriptures often mention a demon king who leads people to ruin. And that king was said to have golden eyes that held stars.

The devout Amalia couldn’t bear that her newborn child had the same eyes as the demon. So, she tried to gouge out Arsenio’s eyes and kill him.

That was why Arsenio’s magical power went out of control. Unable to use magic yet, Arsenio sensed the threat to his life and unconsciously tried to protect himself.

As a result, Amalia was exposed to immense magical energy and was burned to charcoal.

No matter how devout she was, Rubia found it hard to believe a parent could do such a horrible thing to their own child.

But this was likely related to Rubia being from the less religious south.

She didn’t intend to deny faith. There are times when people need to cling to God to avoid breaking.

But she knew she would never understand a parent who would prioritize faith over their child’s life.

(Ah, so that’s why Lord Arsenio made that face when we first met.)

That pure, innocent expression both startled and surprised when Rubia told him his eyes were beautiful.

‘Huh!? Are you… are you crazy!?’

He had genuinely thought that at the time.

Because he had always believed his eyes were the same evil eyes as the demon’s.

Thinking of Arsenio’s profound loneliness, Rubia felt like crying.

It wasn’t just the burden of having killed his mother. She couldn’t even imagine how much pain the past of nearly being killed by his mother had caused him.

“Now, enough chatter. It’s time to achieve our goal. Don’t move, you evil-eyed fiend.”

Even without looking, Rubia could tell Count Fiero was concentrating magical power in his right hand.

Arsenio showed no sign of defending himself. He knew that if he dodged the Count’s attack, Rubia would die.

(Ah, truly… what a kind person he is.)

He could have just abandoned his older wife, married for political reasons.

“Stop…! Please stop, Count Fiero…!”

“Amalia, I will now avenge you.”

Rubia’s words no longer reached Count Fiero’s ears.

In that case, she had to handle this herself. Rubia desperately focused, spreading magical power throughout her entire body.

If only I had taken my magic lessons more seriously though it was too late for such regrets now.

“O spirits of fire! In the name of Ciro, the god of flame who burns all creation, incinerate the shackles binding me!”

Responding to Rubia’s incantation, flames burst forth from her entire body. Yet they didn’t harm her clothes or skin, only breaking the magical restraints.

“—You wretch! O spirits of lightning, in the name of Raimund, the god of thunder who soars across the heavens—”

Flustered by the broken restraints, the Count began chanting frantically.

Rubia didn’t miss that momentary opening.

Faster than the flash of magic could reach Arsenio, she leaped between him and the Count, using her own body as a shield to protect Arsenio.