Why Are you Obsessed Even Though you're Dead ?

Chapter 8

“…sigh.”

A deep sigh, pulled from the bottom of the chest, turned into a white breath and spread from the lips.

No matter how hard he tried, the never-ending pile of laundry loomed. Ronan had returned to his quarters, leaving me with the assigned tasks, unable to rely on Ronan alone.

Burton’s hands and feet were reddened to the point where sensation seemed to vanish. Even a moment’s rest made the laundry freeze, requiring more effort to break the ice and fetch water for washing.

“…It’s tough.”

Strangely, my body had been shaking intensely since earlier. My head ached, and a persistent cough suggested a lack of sleep.

I lowered the arms I had been energetically swinging for a while and let out a heavy sigh.

‘What am I even doing right now.’

“I wanted to live. So, I came to the north to find someone to kill me.

I wanted to live.

Then, what was I thinking about when looking for someone to kill me?

If I find the person who will eventually kill me but hasn’t done so yet, should I kill that person first?

Would I be able to live if I do that?

“It’s so difficult…”

What am I doing now?

Was coming to the north really a wise choice?

Is going through all this trouble, escaping from the brink of death in a mansion, just doing laundry?”

I dropped the laundry in my hands and clutched my throbbing head. It had been over a week since I arrived in the north, and the only harvest I gained was the inability to read Laches’s memories.

Was it too much of a desire for me to want to live?

Dark thoughts clung to my ankles, dragging me into an inescapable swamp.

The numerous deaths I had experienced unfolded before my eyes. Was this pain spreading like frost the same suffering I endured back then, or…

Tap.

“Ouch.”

A light voice interrupted the endless stream of thoughts.

Someone gently held my weakly bowed head.

“Trying to dunk your head in ice water?”

Although the hand was chillingly cold, it was different from the bone-chilling wind that penetrated to the marrow.

“Why… are you standing sideways?”

I looked strangely at Laches, who was standing beside me with an odd posture.

My eyelids, heavy like piles of laundry stuck together, blinked.

“It’s not that I’m standing sideways; it’s your head that’s tilted.”

“My eyes feel heavy.”

“Even my hand resting on your face feels heavy.”

“Then, please remove it…”

“Should I?”

Playfully, yet with hands supporting my face, there was no movement.

“Earlier, you seemed to have a fever,  Are you okay?”

The cold hands sweep across my forehead without hesitation. Then, they clasp my frozen hand with warmth.

The cold hand gradually melts away, replaced by the warmth of body temperature.

“You mentioned yesterday that your clothes were thin. Is it okay today?”

“When working, who has time to worry about clothes…”

“In times like this, wear clothes from the Northern India. You should monitor your own health.”

It was the first time.

Even when someone held my hand, memories didn’t come flooding back. This person was the first.

“Are you scolding me now?”

“Is it wrong to scold? After all, I am the head of the family by name.”

In Laques’s arrogant laughter, my forced laughter blended in.

When I was in pain, having someone touch me without hesitation was a new experience since coming to the North.

Dettore and Delia, fearing that touching me might reveal memories, kept their distance throughout their lives. My father, consumed by family matters, postponed dealing with me until later.

“Today, it’s best to rest, Can you sit up?”

“Yes,  But it’s a bit difficult right now. I’ll get up later…”

In the posture of crouching while doing laundry, it was difficult to stand up. My body, limp like a wet cotton, seemed to hope to remain listless.

“All right, then do it like that.”

Laches murmured softly, his face bowed down over mine. His voice resembled the one that used to read bedtime stories like a fairy tale before falling asleep, causing my heavy eyelids to gradually close.

As if on a spring afternoon when we used to have tea parties at Nirielle Mansion, my entire body relaxed.

“…In the freezing winter, use the water stored in advance in the well instead of breaking the ice directly.”

His large hand annoyingly brushed against my cold hand that had frozen.

“Didn’t the old man teach you?”

The questioning voice had no fluctuation in pitch,  It was entirely different from the usual light voice I heard, possessing a deep and low tone.

“I thought I had to break the ice…”

The muffled tone, like a lullaby, made drowsiness pour over me.

“Yusha.”

Laches grabbed my hand and lifted it lightly, holding me close to his chest. As I settled into his embrace, a warm feeling enveloped me.

“Rest,  There’s nothing you can do right now even if you get up. In times like this, you should at least sleep.”

“Why do you always speak so bluntly?”

“Because I can’t stand sugarcoating.”

Laches shifted his steps. As my body nestled in his arms, it swayed gently, reminiscent of being cradled in a crib.

Unable to resist, my eyes closed. In truth, I didn’t seem to have any intention of resisting.

My head throbbed, Beyond my closed eyes, numerous deaths seemed to mockingly assert that escaping from this fate was impossible.

“Am… I going to die?”

I’m not sure what I said, It seemed like my lips moved on their own.

The wind blew, The rocking of the cradle ceased.

“… I’m still considering it, Don’t you fear death?”

Before I could hear the crumpled response, I fell into a deep sleep.

“Well, then maybe think about saving me.”

Rachess, looking at the women sleeping in various poses in his arms, shifted his footsteps while standing still.

And just like that, he entered his instincts.

Seeing the woman cherished in Rachess’s arms, the people of the Violetus family were all surprised, unable to close their mouths.

However, they couldn’t speak rashly.

It was because Rachess’s face, as he held the woman in his arms, was distorted cruelly, as if killing a prey.

“Lord Marquis,  You suddenly went somewhere in a hurry, and we searched for a while. Why is this servant…?”

“I clearly stated that I personally passed the interview, but it seems she has no awareness.”

“What? … Lord Marquis,  If you could tell us why you are angry, we will handle it ourselves.”

“Bring the maid here.”

After Rachess coldly ordered, he straightened his back and headed towards the warm bedroom.

“How long do I have to stay confined like this?!”

A luxurious bedroom filled with vibrant flowers and beautiful jewels.

The pink canopy fluttered in the soft spring breeze that blew in through the open weather.

Delia, trapped in this beautiful prison, stomped her foot.

“Miss, but Lord Marquis strictly instructed not to go out under any circumstances.”

“Ha,  Now that my world has finally come, how long do I have to stay trapped like this!”
Delia couldn’t shake off the irritation that surged within her despite the maidservant’s attempts to comfort her.

The thorn in her side, Reparentia, was dead. And she had chosen death with her own hands.

The exhilaration she felt upon hearing the news was unforgettable. It could be said without exaggeration that it was the happiest and most thrilling moment of her entire life.

“I want to meet Dettor. Leia is already dead, so why should I be conscious!”

The guardian of the empire.

The one who inherited the noble lineage.

Growing up, Delia was constantly compared, simply because she was born into the same guardian family.

Whenever rumors spread about Reparentia being proficient in foreign languages, Delia couldn’t sleep for days.

When it was known that Reparentia was skilled in horseback riding, Delia was forced to ride a horse against her will.

Reparentia, just hearing the name sent shivers down her spine.

Delia’s life was always in the shadow of Reparentia. What Reparentia excelled at, Delia had to excel at as well, and what Reparentia couldn’t do, Delia had to master.

All of Delia’s standards were always based on Reparentia. Her parents always praised or punished Delia based on Reparentia as the benchmark.

Especially because of Reparentia’s severe social anxiety, which prevented her from adapting to the social circle, Delia, for the first time, genuinely smiled.

And she realized.

Ah, I can only be truly happy in my life if I defeat Reprentia. Everything unhappy in my life is because Reprentia is happy.

After my parents passed away, my older brother Lloyd, who became the head of the family, blamed me for all his stress and would physically abuse me whenever he felt overwhelmed. He blamed Reprentia for all the unhappiness in his life.

It’s all because of Reprentia that my life is so miserable.

So, when I took away Dettor, the axis of Reprentia’s happiness, I felt like I was soaring to the sky. Finally, I could be loved and happy like Reprentia.

But!

“I need to meet Dettor.”

What on earth is going on?

In the will Reprentia left before her death, our names were mentioned, and that alone was reason enough for a parting of ways.

Delia couldn’t understand it.

“Miss, please… The social circles are in an uproar. How about waiting just a moment until things calm down, as your brother suggested? He promised to arrange a marriage with Count de Verte.”

The maid clung to Delia’s legs, pleading as if her life depended on it.

It wasn’t for Delia’s sake. If Delia were to escape this small, beautiful prison, the responsibility would fall entirely on her.

“No contact from Dettor?”

But for Delia, the maid’s life was not important. Delia’s happiness rested solely on Dettor.

The man Reprentia had chosen. So, he must be flawless. A perfect man, no doubt.

Delia repeated the name as if it were a chant, just like someone who could only be completely happy with Victor by her side.

“It seems that Count Deberti is… probably enduring it for the sake of other people’s opinions.”

“So, that means Dettore hasn’t contacted me, right?”

Delia stared blankly into space for a moment before smirking.

“Why, though? I miss him so much. Doesn’t Dettore want to see me?”

Since her confinement, the only person Delia cared about was Dettore. There was no guilt or sadness for betraying a close friend.

“Miss.”

The maid brought the excited Delia to sit in front of the dressing table. Using a gentle brush, she combed through Delia’s long hair and comforted her.

“Count Deberti must miss Miss very much, Look at yourself in the mirror. I have never seen anyone more beautiful and elegant than you in the world. Count Deberti must be burning with love for you.”

“But why hasn’t he contacted me?”

“Recently, Count Deberti’s condition is not good. He skipped meals and seems quite weary… Probably because he misses Miss so much.”

In reality, it was due to the significant investment funds for the expanded business being recovered, causing the family’s financial situation to waver. However, the words the maid spoke sounded pleasant to Delia’s ears.

“Really? Is Dettore struggling so much because he misses me?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

The maid patted Delia’s shoulder.

“Count Deberti probably has his own thoughts, Maybe he is preparing to formally propose to Miss. After all, the position of Count Deberti’s wife belongs to Miss!”

“An official proposal?! Really?”

“Yes! I might be preparing a surprise event!”

“Then I’ll have to wait!”

A bright smile bloomed on Delia’s previously uncertain face.

The maid finally breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, it seemed like things would quiet down for a few days.

Unfortunately, rumors of an affair had spread throughout society, and there were even whispers that Delia might be pregnant.

It was embarrassing to walk around with her head held high.

“Delia, shall we go on a short trip?”

In the end, Dettor had to temporarily leave the capital with Delia to escape the harsh criticism.