My Husband Has Changed - Chapter 147



Only Noblemtl

#147. Omen
2024.02.24.

Adele’s slender hands that had been wandering in the air finally hugged his back tightly.

She raised her fingers and scratched them as if she would not let go. Ah, ha. As she took a deep breath, his scent flooded into her nose and mouth.

Thick moisture rose to her delicate eyes and fell away. It was strange.

Although she was afraid of being separated from him, there was nothing to be sad about.

Adele released the strength from her hands that had been tightly holding onto Valentin’s back. She

crouched as if she was jumping to run farther, and then lifted her heels in one go. She hung on tightly by hooking both arms around his neck.

At that desperate gesture, Valentin’s upper body swayed and bent forward. The hot body temperature mixed through their cheeks and the back of their necks that were touching.

“I hope you return safely.”

When she finally opened her mouth, her throat was terribly sore.

“Give me back all that belongs to you, soul or body.”

“… … .”

“Bring me victory, and above all, glory.”

So that nothing can test you anymore, without being bound by any deal or convention.

If there must be an end to you, I will give my life to be with you… … .

He seemed to have heard all the wishes she had added in her heart. Valentin’s hands pressed against her spine with firm force.

Adele could feel his warm lips against her temple.

“… … .”

Valentin very slowly pulled her away from her arms. His face was incredibly complicated. He

didn’t even seem to be aware of his surroundings. His neat clothes were all rumpled, his hair was a mess, and people were watching them and whispering from afar.

His straight gaze was focused solely on her, his golden eyes shining darkly. As if relieved, or perhaps in pain… … .

Adele grabbed his sleeve again with anxious eyes.

“Valentine?”

At her call, Valentine finally let out a long, deep breath. Like someone who had been submerged in water

and then pulled out. Like someone who could finally breathe after hearing her voice.

Adele thought the smile on his lips was somehow unnatural.

“… … Yes.”

Valentin answered a beat late and bowed. The hand he held out straight was polite, but the sense of discomfort he felt from him was still there.

As if two completely incompatible emotions were causing a fierce conflict inside him.

He bent down and took her hand and gave her a delicate kiss.

His eyelids cast long shadows over his cheeks. As she stared at him as if in a trance, her golden eyes looked up at her diagonally. When they met, they curved dizzily.

Not exactly like a person, but like a monster that blurs reason… …

“Everything as you wish.”

He straightened his bent back. Woo-wook, at the same time, the horn sounded briefly once more.

It was the final rallying signal. Valentin squeezed Adele’s hand tightly one last time and then let go.

“Don’t get hurt either.”

“I understand.”

“Don’t do anything reckless. If time permits, I’ll come see you again before we leave.”

Adele had a feeling that he wouldn’t come. They were each other’s weaknesses. If they saw each other, their hearts would only weaken.

Adele nodded, pretending not to know, wiping away her tears with her fingers.

“I’ll wait.”

Valentin nodded and gestured to his escort.

This time, he didn’t wait for her to leave, but turned around. Adele watched his back as he walked away without moving from that spot.

“… … .”

If they were to part ways, the one who would always look at his back would be Valentin. Was that why? Watching him leave was awkward.

And as awkward as it was, it was also unsettling. The sense of discomfort she felt from Valentin. What on earth was it? Was it a simple illusion? Or… … .

While he was hesitating whether he should run over and ask, he had already reached the top of the stairs. He

could see knights passing by, saluting him.

“… … .”

Valentin. The moment she faintly called his name, Adele thought Valentin’s steps had stopped for a moment.

But he never looked back.

The late winter sunlight poured down brightly on Valentin’s shoulders as he descended the stairs. Adele thought that he was disappearing into the light.

And then, ten days later, the first report of victory came.

* * *

The war, which had been sluggish, began to gain momentum after the first victory.

The victory signal went up several times a day, and the morale of the soldiers reached its peak.

In particular, the Ansgar army led by Valentin displayed bravery in every battle they participated in. Even in Nassau Castle, far from the front lines, his glory and power could be felt.

“I heard when I left five days ago. There are old ruins beyond the northern wall, and the monsters’ base is beyond that. Uh… … .”

“I’m sorry. Did it hurt?”

Adel hastily relaxed the hand that was tightly wrapping the splint. The knight frowned and tried to smile.

“I-I’m fine.”

“Then please continue.”

“There is a collapsed tower in front of the ruins. The monsters use it as a watchtower, so we call it the ‘watchtower’, but it is actually more like a huge fortress.”

Adel listened carefully to the injured knight.

The wounded soldiers who learned that she was the wife of the ‘Archduke Ansgar’ raced to tell Adele about Valentin.

There was only one reason. Because the Archduke had saved their lives several times.

“When I was at the front, there was a rumor that they were recruiting elite troops to attack the watchtower. If we could just strike at them, it would be an easy victory.”

Adele listened closely to the news of Valentin that the wounded soldiers occasionally told her, and endured each day with a prayerful heart.

In the stories they told her, Valentin sounded like a knight straight out of a legend.

It was a great honor to speak with him, and the morale of the battles he fought in rose three or four times higher than usual.

Victory and glory. Every time she heard the wounded soldiers talking in unison, Adele could feel that he was trying hard to keep his promise to her.

“The Archduke will return safely.”

Was there a tired worry on her face? Adele smiled at the comforting words that came out of nowhere.

“Thank you for saying that. Now, don’t push yourself too hard and just rest.”

Adele got up from the knight’s bedside, holding a brass basin filled with cooling water.

Her hands and feet were swollen from the hard work all day, but she had no time to rest.

Every day, carriages carrying the wounded arrived. On average, there were five every two days, and on many days, there were even seven.

The already cramped ward was now about to burst. Even if she was lucky enough to survive and make it to the castle, there wasn’t even enough room to lie down.

“Adele! Come here and help me.”

As she was pouring the water from the brass basin into the frozen flower bed, someone called out loud for help.

It was Miriam. She hurriedly returned to the ward.

Miriam was struggling to hold onto the patient who was convulsing and convulsing.

Miriam, who had almost been hit in the eye by the patient’s elbow while watching for a moment, quickly nodded to Adele.

“Hold on to that arm tightly. Be careful not to touch the wound… … . Yes… … .”

Adele held the patient’s limbs tightly at Miriam’s request. After repeating this countless times, what had been scary at first became something she could do without any trouble.

The wounded soldier, who had been shaking his head back and forth and making incomprehensible sounds for a long time, soon collapsed as if exhausted.

Adele opened the patient’s lips as Miriam instructed and poured medicine into him little by little with a spoon.

Most of the time, he coughed and spat it out, but Adele was able to feed him a whole bowl with her persistent patience.

Adele examined the wounds carefully one last time and injected enough healing power. Then, exhausted, she collapsed next to Miriam.

“… … You’ve had a hard time. Are you having a hard time?”

Miriam asked her with her lips curled. Adele looked at Miriam with admiration.

How could he have the presence of mind to smile when he looked even more horrible than her?

“Your undereyes are really dark, Adele.”

“I guess it’s because I didn’t sleep well last night.”

“I think my sisters and I will be enough for the afternoon, so wash up and get some sleep for a couple of hours. It would be a loss for us if you collapse in the middle.”

Was it ever since she told him that she could call him by his name whenever she said she couldn’t always be there for him? The wall between them had become as thin as a sheet of paper.

Even more so now that they had developed a strange camaraderie as they ran around the hospital beds together day and night. Since

she was tired enough to faint, as Miriam had said, Adele decided to gratefully accept the consideration. “Don’t come down until dinner.” Miriam waved her off. Adele took off her blood-stained apron and left the ward. When she was left alone, the knight’s words made her mind complicated. That if they just recaptured the watchtower, everything would go smoothly. That the Grand Duke would be okay.

It would have been nice if I could comfortably agree with that optimistic outlook. Of course, thanks to the efforts of the punitive force, the situation was improving day by day.

As evidence of this, the number of monsters approaching the castle was noticeably decreasing. But why did this anxiety not go away?

‘It’s too calm. Like a storm approaching.’

Adele, who had been lost in thought, came to her senses at the sound of people passing by her quickly.

It was the knights whose faces she had seen a few times and a group of soldiers following them.

Adele, who had stepped aside in a daze, opened her eyes wide as she saw another group of knights running off somewhere. Was there a problem?

“Your Majesty. Are you here?”

Adele looked up, startled by someone grabbing her shoulder. Donovan was looking at her with a stern expression.

“I’ll have to go with you for a moment.”
　

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