I Wish My Husband Were Dead - Chapter 124



Only Noblemtl

My First and Last
2024.03.03.

“I’m, I’m fine.”

Cordelia got up with Leonard’s support. Although she wasn’t physically injured, the words Maximilian spat out hit her mind without fail.

“You’re a child of the devil. You’re a beast with the devil’s blood!”

That sentence particularly stuck in her heart and wouldn’t leave. The hand that grabbed Leonard’s arm naturally gained strength. He felt it and turned to Cordelia.

“I’m here. Now you won’t be able to touch me even once.”

“… … Thank you.”

He probably thought she was scared. Cordelia smiled awkwardly and stepped behind Leonard.

“Brother. Finally seeing you. How have you been?”

“Yeah. It’s been a while.”

The conversation between the brothers was casual. It was hard to believe that the younger brother had turned into something other than human and the older brother had come to kill him.

People held their breaths and hugged them in a circle. Leonard walked slowly toward Maximilian.

“You must have sold your soul to the devil.”

“Yes. I was so injured that I thought I would die if I didn’t do this.”

Maximilian straightened his bent back with difficulty and took off the cloak he had wrapped around his body. Cordelia, who was standing behind him, covered her mouth involuntarily when she saw him.

His abdomen was already half-collapsed. His internal organs were barely attached as if they had been eaten by worms, and even his ribs were exposed here and there.

It was so amazing that he was alive and moving that the knights turned their heads in disgust. However, Leonard, who watched the scene right in front of him, did not even raise an eyebrow.

“You were waiting for me.”

“That’s right. I was waiting for you, hyung. You don’t know how much you wanted me to come here for that damned disciple.”

“But you were running around like a rat.”

“Haha. You should give me time to prepare.”

With those words, Maximilian arched his back. His body began to swell as his muscles expanded.

The feet on both sides gradually grew larger and thicker. His arms became sharper, and his legs were tightly wrapped in black shells, becoming smooth. His fangs also grew long enough to touch his jaw.

Unlike before, when he had maintained a somewhat human form, even though it was bizarre, no one could call him human anymore.

“What the heck is that?”

One of the soldiers standing nearby hesitated in fear. However, while the others retreated, Leonard stepped forward instead. He could see the magic power pulsating in his hands.

“Let’s see the end here.”

Leonard spread his palms wide. A huge white snake rose from his feet and opened its mouth toward Maximilian. Maximilian swung his sharpened arms and charged forward.

The aftermath of their collision was greater than expected. The axis of the earth shook and the stone wall collapsed.

People stepped back, trembling with fear. Gasil and Beluche stood in front of Cordelia with tense faces.

The snake summoned by Leonard wrapped itself around Maximilian and exerted all its strength. Maximilian’s shell cracked with a cracking sound.

“Kreuk, ugh. Tongue, tongue.”

“I should have just killed you in the Dilloana estate.”

“Huh, hauh, huh, do you regret it?”

“Well. A little?”

“Ugh, I regret it too.”

Maximilian exerted all his strength. Black magic surged and tore the white snake apart. Leonard frowned.

“Because I couldn’t kill you back then. I was so happy during the two months you were gone.”

“You’ll be happy if you go to the afterlife alone without me today. Oh, that’s right. If you sell your soul to the devil and die, you’ll be gone right away, right? You won’t even be able to step foot on the threshold of the afterlife.”

“Ha.”

Maximilian’s fangs clenched. As the snakes that had bound his body disappeared, he rushed at Leonard again. Each of his six legs, or rather hands, moved threateningly as if they were going to crush him. One of them grazed Leonard’s body, but he escaped without causing any damage.

“Die!”

Maximilian swung his hand again. Leonard easily dodged them, and sometimes created a huge spear and stabbed it into his brother’s body. At first, it seemed like they were evenly matched, but anyone could tell that Leonard had the upper hand.

“Elector Attila is not human. How can he handle that so easily?”

Anton, who was watching their fight from behind, stuck out his tongue.

“The long-standing feud between you and me ends here.”

Unlike when he first summoned the white snake, an incomparably large amount of magical power surged around Leonard. Dozens, or even hundreds, of ice shards were created behind his back.

They moved at the tips of Leonard’s fingers so quickly that it was difficult to follow their trajectories with the eyes.

“Kwaaak!”

The ice shards wrapped around Maximilian tightly and dug into his body. The hard outer shell soon began to break into small pieces.

Maximilian writhed in pain and shook his body back and forth. With a thud, the floor cracked.

Gashil frowned and said to Cordelia,

“Just in case, we should move…”

“Aah!”

Maximilian let out a scream and then raised his head to look at Cordelia. Even though they were quite far away, he could feel his gaze.

‘What is it?’

Cordelia felt a sense of crisis at that gaze and put up a defensive barrier.

That was when black magic exploded from Maximilian’s body again. The black magic struck Leonard just as it had Belluce. The impact must have been so great that Leonard staggered and fell to one knee.

Maximilian did not rush at Leonard even though he had an opening. Instead, he turned around and headed toward Cordelia.

“Stop!”

Gasil shouted urgently. Beluche gripped her sword tightly and leapt in front of Maximilian. Cordelia also tensely wrapped her shield even tighter.

“My brother said life is suffering,”

Maximilian said, savoring the thought. The ice shards embedded in his body were reflecting the sun and sparkling especially brightly. Cordelia looked at them. Everything was moving slowly.

“What, wait!”

However, Maximilian’s target was not Cordelia. He passed Beluche and Gasil and rushed toward Anton, who was standing behind Cordelia.

“Ah.”

It happened in an instant. Maximilian’s hand pierced Anton’s chest exactly. Anton looked down at his chest as if he couldn’t believe it. Maximilian pulled his hand away.

Blood spurted out like a fountain.

“Master!”

“Oh my, master, master!”

“No!”

Leonard’s face distorted for the first time. He quickly ran to Maximilian and stabbed him in the back with an ice spear.

Whether it was the final blow or he had completely used up his energy, Maximilian’s body quickly collapsed. His shell was completely shattered and the rest of his body was dried and twisted.

“… … I hope your life is hell.”

Those were Maximilian’s last words. Leonard had no time to worry about his brother’s curse. He

had not yet obtained the antidote or learned how to make it.

Cordelia.

Now he realized what Maximilian’s ultimate goal had been.

“Call the senator! Quickly!”

“Master, master!”

Leonard covered Anton’s fallen chest with his hand and poured healing magic. White light continued to pour down on Anton’s body, but unlike usual, it subsided weakly.

“Please, please, please.”

Leonard used his magic more earnestly than ever. He prayed to the gods and fate that he did not really believe in.

The blood Anton shed formed a puddle. Some of them soaked the hem of Cordelia’s dress. Cordelia took her eyes off her blood-soaked clothes and looked up at Leonard.

By coincidence or fate, Leonard also looked up at that moment. Their eyes met.

Cordelia closed her eyes first.

* * *

“Say it again.”

“… … They say that breathing is a miracle.”

Gasil, unable to meet his master’s eyes, lowered his head and barely opened his mouth.

Miracle.

Anton’s current state was the only one he could describe. If Maximilian’s hand had moved even a little to the left, it would have pierced his heart and killed Anton instantly.

Fortunately, it missed his heart, but it was still ambiguous to say that he was alive.

If Anton dies like this, or if he doesn’t wake up within two days, Cordelia will die.

Leonard clenched his fist. He was so angry that he wanted to swear, but he couldn’t. Even though he was resentful of the situation that had gone as Maximilian had intended and angry at his own foolishness for being swayed by it, what remained in the end was fear.

What if Cordelia dies?

That sentence was so scary that he couldn’t even say it out loud. He couldn’t believe that it might become reality, that there were only two days left, so he couldn’t say anything.

“Master.”

Cordelia’s voice was heard along with a short knock. Gasil raised his head and looked toward the door.

“You go.”

“Yes.”

Leonard sank into the chair. His head dropped down on its own.

Gasil moved away, and with the sound of the door opening, he heard small, light footsteps.

“Master.”

“… … I told you to stay in your room.”

“I want to see your face, Master.”

Leonard raised his head with difficulty. Cordelia was standing right in front of him with a smiling face. Cordelia pressed her finger to his furrowed brow.

“Stop frowning. You’ll get wrinkles.”

“… … .”

“Have you eaten?”

“No.”

“Then do you want to eat with me? The chef at Embly Castle is quite good.”

He didn’t know what to say to her.

I’m sorry it’s like this.

Even I think it’s so irresponsible.

I’ll save her somehow.

How on earth could he save her? Anton was a corpse who was just breathing, and if he didn’t wake up within two days, everything would be in vain.

As if she knew his worries, Cordelia grabbed Leonard’s hand and pulled him.

“Let’s go. I’m hungry.”

“Okay.”

That was all Leonard could say. He staggered to the dining room. Cordelia must have already told him, because warm food was lined up.