I Healed my Husband, the Leader of the Underworld

After sorting things out to some extent, I silently headed to Roam’s dining room with Lancel.

The boy casually thrust his hands into his pockets, then kicked what looked like a rock on the ground with his foot.

As usual, he rolled up his shirt sleeves to his elbows, leaving his cravat undone.

My gaze lingered on the red marks around his wrists for a short while, but since I knew he didn’t want me to be conscious of it, I quickly averted my eyes, and walked ahead.

“You know,” Lancel suddenly blurted out amidst the silence. “Normally, do you often….”

Then, he cut himself off with a curt, “Forget it,” and turned his head, no elaborating further.

I didn’t press for more, and when he saw this, Lancel stared at me, grumbling, “Aren’t you even a little curious?”

“Do you often simile like that?” he continued, struggling to open his mouth.

And when I looked at him as if to ask what he was talking about, his face became red up to his earlobes.

“Ah, never mind. It’s annoying.”

“I smile.”

He looked up at me in surprise as I continued nonchalantly.

“I do it often during social activities.”

Because there, the one who laughs the most, as if they were the happiest person in the world, wins.

Just like when I studied for the college entrance exam and failed the first round of applications multiple times but persisted with the determination of a stubborn mule.

There was nothing special about it.

I just did it repeatedly. Over and over again.

My nation’s resilience, which had overcome many difficulties before, was helpful in times like this.

“Why, is there someone you like there?” Lancel asked, looking shocked.

I opened my mouth, then closed it again, a bit unsure of what to say.

But shortly thereafter, I gave him a simple answer.

“Yes.’

It was a simple lie.

The same lie I told Siegfried.

And Lancel’s eyes faltered greatly after hearing it.

“His Excellency… Does he know?”

This time, I didn’t answer.

Lancel walked back and forth, looking like he wanted to say something, and after a long time he finally blurted out, “You stupid idiot.”

And I couldn’t help but burst into laughter at his expression.

“Is it time to laugh right now!” he exclaimed, exasperated before sighing.

But I simply shrugged and resumed my walk.

Looking at his face was frustrating.

“No, but still, how can you just… This isn’t right. Are you insane? Unless you’re trying to commit suicide….”

“Why do you think so?”

I glanced at his bewildered face.

“I haven’t done anything. Yet.”

At those words, Lancel’s face was now looking like he was this close to absolutely losing it.

It’s fun to tease you like this; I mused inwardly.

Then, putting a hand on my chest as if I was some unfortunate heroine, I told him in a very dramatic tone, “… The heart cannot be controlled.”

“Have you lost your mind?”

“Will you keep it a secret?” I shot back.

And perhaps because of his overwhelming loyalty to the revered Master of Roam, Lancel hesitated for a long time before answering my question.

However, when he finally spoke, it was with a face full of conviction, as if he had made up his mind.

“I don’t know anything,” he murmured, lowering his gaze. “… I didn’t hear anything either.”

“You are kind,” I replied.

When I tried to stroke his hair, Lancel slapped my hand away.

I must say, he had quite the reaction speed. Really, petting the head of a wild cat wasn’t as easy as it looked.

“Don’t get caught,” He coldly warned, glaring at me. “You always choose to do what you are told not to do. What an idiot….”

“Just because I do as I am told.”

“…….”

“Doesn’t mean it would make a difference.”

In that moment, the wind blowing through me felt refreshing. The hem of my dress gently brushed against my skin.

“… Why Roam?”

Lancel looked up at me with sharp green eyes. His gaze, far too piercing for a ten-year-old.

Maybe because Roam was turning him into a weapon.

“Since you are a Rochester, you could have easily entered any other prestigious family. If you had the intention to change so easily from the very beginning, why bother…….”

“…….”

“Why do you like them? That person?”

“…….”

“What do you like about them?”

I did not immediately answer that question.

Since there was no one that I liked, there was also no reason for me to like them.

But that didn’t mean I wanted to attach a tail to my lie. (1)

“I was lonely.”

As the words left my mouth, it felt like a line from a TV drama my mom used to play in the morning.

Was my life really that much of a soap opera now?

As I chuckled, a faint memory flashed through my mind.

A memory I had deliberately try to hide away in the deepest corner of my subconscious.

Before I was dragged here, when I woke up in the morning, the sound of clattering dishes used to greet me. My mom’s morning drama would be in full swing in the living room while my dad complained about wanting to change the channel.

I brushed away the pointless thoughts, and silently continued to walk.

“Was it that hard?”

But Lancel’s words stopped me in my track once again.

He nervously tousled his hair, avoiding eye contact.

“How can a person smile when it’s like that….”

“…….”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything from now on.”

Lancel looked straight at me as he spoke.

“Not in front of Lord Roam, but still….”

“…….”

“Even if they were enemies, healers are rare beings that can save lives….”

In response to his words, I gently stroked Lancel’s hair. The hair between my fingertips felt soft and fluffy, just as I remembered.

And this time, Lancel stood still, accepting my touch without resistance while he continued his speech.

“Of course, it’s only natural. I will protect… you.”

I laughed softly and wrapped my hands around his reddened wrists. A faint light immediately brushed against his skin, soothing his injuries.

With that out of the way, I turned towards the grand entrance of the main building.

And after taking a deep breath, I took a step in that direction.

But then…

“Does it hurt?”

A voice was heard.

Lancel’s voice.

“Does it hurt to use your powers?”

I paused again, frozen in place.

“Not at all.”

I managed to answer, my gaze still fixed ahead.

“Not at all, Lancel.”

“But-”

“You are mistaken!”

Unbeknownst to me, my voice came out harsh and cold.

Surprised by my own actions, I had to take a minute to mull over what I had just done.

[Every medicine herb has its own temperature and color.]

I don’t know why but Diana’s lines in the original story suddenly came to mind, causing my fingertips to grow cold.

Knowing that no one could see my face, I silently gripped the fabric of my dress.

“You’re mistaken,” I repeated in a softer voice and resumed my steps.

But Lancel ran in front of me, rummaged through his pockets, and forcibly put something in my hand.

“…….”

It was a small vial, similar to the one he gave me before. It must have been quite expensive and difficult to obtain, yet somehow, he managed to get more than one. Like a cat that had caught a mouse or a small bird, the boy handed the thing to me, scanning me closely with his kin eyes.

“I guess so.”

Then, after those words, he simply walked away.

While I silently stared at the vial in my hand.

* * *

“She looks just like her mother.”

The well-groomed gentleman, with square shoulders, and large chest, pulled a small locket out of his coat pocket. Then, with rough fingers, he opened it to show its content.

The frame was made of gold, and the clock placed inside no longer ticked.

One could describe it as an antique, or even a mere trinket, but the Marquis’s eyes softened when he looked at what laid inside of the locket.

“Even until her last breath, Myriam pleaded with me to take care of our child,” he continued.

“…….”

Siegfried looked at the small portrait within the locket with contemplative eyes. He couldn’t help but be captivated by the woman’s bright smile because apart from her blue eyes, she bore a striking resemblance to Milena.

“Some said she was born by consuming her mother. They said she would bring bad luck, but how could that be? I always thought that if it was for that child, I could do anything. Even if it meant working harder than usual, I swore to give her all the precious things in this world.”

The Marquis’s tender gaze hid for a moment underneath his eyelids. His eyes rolled beneath the supple skin, touched by exhaustion. After a moment, he reopened his eyes, and said:

“… I made a promise, but I was never able to see her face because of my constant business trips. Our only interactions were through letters, merely exchanging greetings.

I trusted Bartholomew to take good care of her, but alas, he proved to be more useless for the task than I expected. As for Franz… well, I told him to cherish his little sister, but I think he needed his mother’s presence more than anyone else. I was too shortsighted.”

As the Marquis chuckled, wrinkles formed around his deeply folded eyes.

“I still can believe how similar they look to each other. From her smile, to her mischievousness, even the way she would call my name and hug me whenever she was in a good mood. It’s all so endearing in the eyes of a father. Even after returning from long business trips, my fatigue would disappear as soon as my daughter leaned her little head on my chest. She may be a handful at times, but she is a loving and lively child.”

Siegfried continued to silently stare at the picture, processing what he had just heard. Up until this point, he was already aware of some aspects. He knew that Milena was the imperial magical clan’s sole weakness. Even his mother knew of that fact and urged him to bring her into Roam.

Because it would be beneficial for Roam.

However, the newfound information was intriguing to him as well.

“She was born after consuming her mother’s life, you say,” he murmured.

Upon hearing this, the Marquis’s face, which was lost in contemplation, abruptly snapped back to reality, and scrutinized Siegfried’s flawless features. Siegfried’s gaze, though, remained fixated on the photograph within the locket.

“… She is a very lonely child. She didn’t choose to kill her mother, but people blamed her for it. As soon as she opened her eyes, the one who should have showered her with abundant love, her mother, left her side. And her siblings, because what happened, came to despise that unfortunate child. How could a father’s heart not be torn apart?”

“I’m so sorry to hear that,” Siegfried replied, giving the Marquis a sympathetic smile.

He could do that much. After all, he had just obtained an important clue on how to pull her into his embrace even more.

“I also recently lost my mother, so I understand how deep the sadness can be. Especially for my beloved wife, who had to go through such a tragedy even before she could open her eyes. I can only imagine how much it must have hurt.”

To the Marquis, who was still observing him with somber eyes, Siegfried promised in a very gracious voice: “I will do my best to make her happy.”

“Thank you, but….”

“So,” Siegfried cut him off, elegantly squinting his eyes. “Believe me and entrust your lovely daughter to me.”

Siegfried Roam was a greedy man.

He never liked to share what he desired with others.

As his blue eyes focused on the woman inside the rocket once more, he asked, “… Wouldn’t it be great if we were a couple that even death could separate?”

“…….”

“I swear to you that I will embrace Milena with as much love as she can receive.”

People called Siegfried Roam’s phoenix. In front of such a person, Milena would be a like delicate and small creature. Easy to injure. Can this child really tame this man? The Marquis pondered as e measured Siegfried with his businessman’s eye.

At least he wouldn’t have to hear Franz boasting about being right, but the more he learned about the Roam’s family, the more uneasy he became.

After all, his daughter never even dared to approach things as gentle as horses.

 

 

 

 

1-The expression “attach a tail to a lie” means adding unnecessary details or embellishments to a lie, making it more complex or elaborate than it needs to be. It suggests making the lie more intricate or convoluted, possibly in an attempt to make it more believable or convincing. Which will only make things worse.