My Former Lover Didn't Die And Came Back - Chapter 35

Blair sat silently in the chair, only moving her spoon. She felt better at the sight of the brightly blooming flowers.

She kept her gaze fixed on the flowers while eating the broccoli soup that came as an appetizer. The flowers were beautiful, and they were not to blame.

The conversation she had with Cedric at lunch replayed in her head.

「……I’m moving to the Cavendish mansion tomorrow.」

「So soon?」

She told him that she would return to her original home, the Cavendish mansion, tomorrow.

「It’s not soon. And stop calling me out for lunch every day. I’m going to start working soon, too. I can’t always make time.」

「……I see.」

Surprisingly, he didn’t hold her back. It was really unexpected. Blair narrowed her eyes to look at him.

……What made him change?

「……I just realized my feelings while you were lying sick in bed.」

……Lies.

His words were lies. Even after she got sick and got up, he confined her to the bedroom. It was more luxurious than the Cavendish mansion, but she couldn’t leave the room, so it was actually a worse confinement.

……But why?

A week. He suddenly changed a week into her confinement. He came drunk in the middle of the night, said something incomprehensible, and left. The next day, he called her out to a restaurant and suddenly allowed her to go out.

「I’ll release Cavendish from prison.」

The most surprising thing was…… that statement. Why? Why did he suddenly feel like releasing her husband?

……It must be guilt. The things Cedric is doing to Adrian are exactly what happened to him three years ago. Is that why?

「Divorce him.」

……What should I do?

Even after putting aside what’s happening with Cedric, should I go through with the divorce process with my husband? My husband needs a woman who can bear him an heir.

“……”

I tried for three years. To become a real family with him. But it didn’t work out. Surely Adrian is a good person, there’s no one like him. But whenever I see him, I strangely feel a rejection deep inside. I couldn’t understand why.

……Maybe it’s not meant to be.

Then what about Cedric?

Her hand holding the cutlery stopped in mid-air. The soup dripping from the spoon fell onto the table.

Could it be that Cedric is my destiny……?

She didn’t find an answer to this question. The tidy woman didn’t realize she was dirtying the table.

* * *

A luxurious peacock feather pen moved. Cedric was signing documents piled up on his desk. Since he’s been away for quite a long lunch break, there has been a mountain of work.

Thunk. The corner carved with wave patterns of the red wooden door of the office opened, and in came his secretary, Eden. It seemed he had been out in the city to carry out the order to move Blair’s parents to the Imperial Hospital.

“……General.”

Eden’s face was pale as he called out to Cedric.

“Speak.”

Cedric stopped his hand holding the pen at Eden’s ominous voice.

“……It’s just that…”

Eden stumbled over his words several times before finally starting to speak.

“……Blair’s parents are in Baydebury, near the capital.”

“……”

Cedric raised his eyebrows as a sign for Eden to continue, who then hesitantly swallowed and continued.

“The village has been hit by a plague,”

“……”

“Most of the elderly have died.”

“……”

“……Including Blair’s parents.”

Thunk.

Cedric’s hands fell powerlessly on top of the pile of documents. The large feather pen tipped over, leaving a black stain on the documents.

“……Ha.”

The large man sitting in the luxurious executive chair leaned back and took a breath. Cedric’s gaze was on the document he was signing, but his thoughts were completely elsewhere.

“……When?”

Cedric asked, covering his face with one hand.

“The peak of the plague was one and a half months ago, Blair’s parents died three weeks ago.”

Three weeks. That was when she was…

Confined in the Cavendish mansion.

“……Ha,”

Cedric wiped his face with his large hand. Sweat trickled down his sleek temple.

He knew Blair had sent money to her parents through Theo. It was her business, so he didn’t care.

No, he didn’t want to care. They were people who disapproved of their relationship, weren’t they? How could he feel good about them?

「……I want to start working again.」

She had once begged him that she wanted to work. She said she needed money.

「Dresses? Jewelry? What do you need them for? You have no one to show them to except me, right?」

She was locked up all day and I knew she wouldn’t spend money on adornments. The obvious place for her money to go was her parents’ living expenses. I insulted her knowing that, because I didn’t want her out of my sight.

“……Damn.”

I should have had someone keep an eye on her. I didn’t bother because they were people with lingering unpleasant feelings.

“……I’ll leave at once.”

“Yes!”

Cedric kicked his chair back and stood up. The sudden movement caused a few documents and a fountain pen to fly into the air and fall. As his secretary Eden opened the office door, he quickly left. He was planning to take a carriage to Baydebury right away. He probably wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.

* * *

The next morning, after Blair finished her breakfast and came out in front of the townhouse, a splendid carriage was waiting to take her to the Cavendish mansion. She wanted to escape, but the butler had already filled the carriage with various clothes and items.

“I guess it can’t be helped.”

Perhaps because it was loaded with goods, the carriage moved a bit slower than usual.

She looked out the window, the familiar scenery on the way home made her feel at ease. Blair smiled faintly, looking at the snow on the streets that had melted a bit more.

What was unexpected was… that Cedric didn’t come to see her. Was he too busy? Come to think of it, he didn’t return last night either. …He must have been piled up with work from working hard these past few days.

The carriage steadily rolled its wheels and soon arrived at the Cavendish family’s mansion.

“……Home.”

Blair got out of the carriage and looked at the mansion. It was a place where many things had happened, but it was still her home.

As she walked briskly towards the mansion, the coachman began to unload a large luggage one by one.

……Ah. I should check the mailbox first.

Blair turned her steps towards the red mailbox at the front gate.

Clunk.

The small iron mailbox opened with a sharp sound, and there was a letter inside. The sender was from Baydebury village, sent by her mother.

Come to think of it, Theo went to look after his domain, so I couldn’t receive the letter…

Around the time I was suffering, I heard that Theo, a nobleman, went to inspect his domain. It seems that was when the letter arrived. Was it not delivered to me because Theo was away?

Creak.

Blair tore open the envelope and read the first line of the letter.

【To my daughter, Blair.

Blair. Are you doing well? A plague has started spreading in our village now…】

……What?

Grip. Her hand clenched the letter tightly.

What does this mean?

Her breath hastened. Her blue eyes frantically read through the sentences written in black ink. The coachman looked at her as if she were mad, gasping for breath as if she was possessed while reading the letter.

【To my daughter, Blair.

Blair. Are you doing well? A plague has started spreading in our village now, and funerals are happening one after another.

The postman couldn’t overcome the disease either, so the post office was closed for several days. It’s only now that they’ve opened the post office that I sent this letter.

Your father had already been weak, so he couldn’t overcome this disease in the end. I’m sorry for not contacting you sooner.

I’m writing this with the last of my strength. It seems I won’t last much longer myself.

I’ve lived a long enough life. Would I cling to life at my age?

But facing death makes me think about many things.

……I’m not at peace because there are things I regret.

Your father was obsessed with wealth all his life. Why did he let himself be swayed by something he couldn’t take with him to the afterlife?

Don’t commit sins and live well, my daughter.

I wasn’t a warm mother, but I loved you dearly.

Being your parent was my greatest fortune. Only my failures remain in my memory.

There might still be remnants of the disease in the village, so hold the funeral a few days after receiving this letter.

— With love. Your mother.】

Blair collapsed to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.

“……Ah, ah……”

She couldn’t believe it. She compulsively read through the sentences again like a mad person and then flipped over the envelope to check the date of receipt.

Three weeks ago. If it was three weeks ago…

It was when she was lying on the cold hall floor with an injured hand, dying. At that time, her parents were also facing their final moments.

“……!”

A flash lit up in her blue eyes. A memory struck her.

That dream!

Suddenly, as if struck by lightning, she remembered a dream.

……A dream with white reeds and a river.

At that time, her parents were in a boat. Was it the river you cross to the afterlife?

When Blair screamed, asking them to take her along, her mother seemed to say something from afar. Was she saying it’s not yet her time to cross?

“Ah, hic……”

Tears poured down like a waterfall, as the letter written by her mother rolled helplessly on the ground.

That’s when it happened.

Hee-haw!

The sound of a horse whinnying was heard. Blair looked towards the sound and saw a brown horse and a young man. The man seemed to have been running non-stop for a long distance, gasping for breath, and his red and white imperial army uniform was soaked with sweat.

“……Huff, huff……Blair.”

As her name came out of the man’s mouth, she made eye contact with him. Seeing her tear-soaked face, the man let out a sigh of ‘Ah’.

“You’ve heard the news.”

The man’s gaze then fell on two pieces of paper in front of her. He looked convinced.

“……General Cedric”

“……”

Cedric’s name flowed from the man’s mouth.

“He has ordered me to bring you to Baydebury village right away.”