My Husband Has Changed - Chapter 149



Only Noblemtl

#149. Possibility
2024.02.26.

“No.”

Adele ignored Donovan as if she couldn’t see or hear him.

Her hands were busy packing her things into the bag spread out on the bed.

A few clothes she could wear right away, a towel, a pouch of herbs, and bandages… Even though she packed only the essentials, the bag was already taut as if it was going to burst.

Adele’s gaze, which had been carefully checking to see if she had missed anything, stopped at the dagger she had placed on the nightstand.

The one Valentin had told her to always carry… …

Barely suppressing her surging emotions, Adele picked up the dagger and threw it into her bag for the last time.

As she barely opened the bag that was about to burst and lifted it, her body swayed under the heavy weight. Adele gritted her teeth with stubbornness and determination and endured the weight.

Just as she was about to hurriedly leave the room, Donovan, who was standing obliquely in the doorway, completely blocked her path.

“… … Why are you doing this?”

“That’s exactly what I have to say. Get out of my way.”

“I understand that you are surprised by His Majesty’s news. I also understand that you want to help in some way.”

“… … .”

“But it can’t be done. I promised the Archduke that I would put His Majesty’s safety first. You must have been worried that something like this might happen. Please help me follow your will.”

His tone was filled with a sigh. In fact

, it was a fight that had been going on ever since Adele insisted on following the search party.

Adele turned away from him and fidgeted with her bag. The sluggish argument showed no sign of ending once it began, and after several conversations, her confidence in persuading him wore away.

They were at opposite ends of the spectrum, unable to narrow their differences even a little.

There was no reason or need to ask Donovan for understanding anyway.

The only one who had the power to decide her whereabouts was none other than Count Küchler. And the Count had given her permission to join the search party.

Adele made up her mind as she had thought.

She raised her face slightly, which was covered in a cold chill.

“The Count has already approved this. Step aside, Donovan. Or I will call the guards.”

“… … How much trouble do you plan on causing me?”

“Why don’t you just stop me? The Grand Duke will know that I was being stubborn anyway… … .”

“That’s why. If you go like that, what will His Majesty be able to do?”

Adele met his eyes with her lips pursed.

As always, the middle-aged knight, whose face was beginning to wrinkle, seemed to have a thoughtful wisdom. That made her even angrier.

Not because he was ignoring her, but because he was giving her advice that he really thought she couldn’t do ‘something.’

“… … I believe there is something I can do.”

“It is not a matter of faith.”

Donovan’s attitude was stubborn. He seemed determined not to back down until he was convinced.

Adele gauged how much truth she should give him.

“I can’t tell you in detail. However, what I can do is… … .”

“I know that His Majesty possesses strange abilities. However, I don’t know if they are enough to protect His Majesty in an emergency.”

“It depends.”

“What does that mean?”

“I can feel where His Majesty is with my ‘power’.”

Adele decided to go out shamelessly.

Although she was not in perfect control of her ‘authority’ and ‘resonance’ powers, at the same time, there was still a slight possibility.

Donovan’s eyes twisted in confusion at her answer.

“Wait a minute… … . Feel? What on earth do you mean?”

“It’s hard to explain. Even if I explain it, you’ll find it hard to believe, and it’s not always possible… … . However, if the search is prolonged, I am the only one who may be able to help.”

“… … .”

“I hope, more than anyone, that the Archduke returns safely.”

Donovan stared

at her blankly. Adele met his gaze, maintaining her gaze as kind and harmless as possible. Would he believe her? That she was sincere?

Adele wasn’t going to be disappointed even if he wasn’t convinced.

No, being convinced would have been strange. It was a time when magic had almost completely disappeared. It was barely maintained with healing arts and the miracles of the Great Crusade.

In such a time, the ‘power’ she claimed was strange and easy to see as cunning.

Especially for a knight with a conservative personality like Donovan.

Adele’s light green eyes were full of anger. If Donovan continued to be stubborn, the only way left was…

“Please.”

Adele blinked, snapping out of her lingering thoughts. What?

“I’ll take it. Whatever you plan to do in the future, don’t you need an escort?”

He snatched the suitcase from Adele’s flustered hands.

When the weight that had been weighing down her arms disappeared, it finally felt real. Donovan carried Adele’s suitcase on one shoulder and strode forward.

Adele blinked, unable to believe the situation. So, did he say he would go with her now?

“Aren’t you going?”

He asked, turning around as he walked halfway down the hallway. Adele hurriedly followed behind him.

“Let’s go.”

* * *

What the main force had requested was troops and supplies to support the search.

Count Küchler, the castle’s commander, agreed to send two squadrons of knights and half of the supplies stored in the castle.

Preparations went smoothly, and it took less than half a day, so they were able to finish all the checks and set off around noon.

Adele sat on the running wagon and stared blankly at the desolate landscape passing by.

The burnt fields she had once seen in Valentin’s arms were just like this.

The pungent smell of ash in the air stimulated memories of the past.

It felt as if she could go back to that moment right away if she closed her eyes.

“This guy doesn’t listen to me very well,”

Donovan grumbled, pulling hard on the reins as he rode Hazel.

Hazel, who had been constantly groaning as if she was dissatisfied with the presence of a strange man on top of her, bowed her head obediently as if the clock had been turned.

Adele smiled and reached out to gently scratch the nape of the brown horse’s neck.

“How could it be so docile?”

“It seems like you don’t like me. You’re definitely a smart friend.”

The reason he insisted on taking Hazel, who he couldn’t even ride, was because he needed someone to practice his powers with.

After leaving the castle, he tried to talk to Hazel through willpower every now and then, but he hadn’t had much success yet. Maybe it was because he was anxious… … .

Rather, the more he tried, the more he seemed to be moving away from his goal.

‘The more anxious I am, the more I need to calm my mind. There’s still time… … .’

The march continued at full speed even at night.

Although they had cleared the road, it was the land of monsters from the moment they crossed the northern barrier.

The sense of crisis that anything could happen at any time robbed everyone of their sleep.

Adele, who had been dozing off in a strange sense of tension, suddenly came to her senses at the loud cheer.

Could something have happened? After barely wiping off the boogers from her eyes, she hurriedly opened the carriage window, and bright sunlight poured down directly.

“Are you awake?”

As I slowly opened my eyes to adjust to the light, Donovan greeted me calmly as if he had been waiting for me.

He suddenly handed Adele something. I took it by surprise and saw that it was an apple.

“Oh, thank you. But… … is there a problem?”

“Oh. No problem. Those idiots were just yelling that they found the main force.”

“They found the main force?”

“Yes. Look over there.”

Adele leaned her upper body out of the wagon and raised her sunshade in the direction Donovan pointed.

She could see the main force’s barracks, packed tightly together,

in the distance. “God must have helped us last night. We got here without a single attack.”

Adele quietly agreed with the idea.

It was nearly impossible to get through the land teeming with monsters without getting hurt.

Even the wagons that transported the wounded were routinely attacked.

Was Valentin still influencing them? Either way, it was fortunate.

As relief washed over her, she suddenly felt hungry. Adele wiped the apple Donovan offered her with her sleeve and took a bite.

By the time the simple meal was over, they had arrived at the main gate of the barracks.

The guards let them all pass through, seemingly too lazy to even bother with the verification process.

Was it because the standoff had been going on for days since Valentin’s disappearance? The atmosphere inside the barracks was clearly depressed.

The faces of the soldiers who gathered in small groups, chatting, and smoking cigarettes were filled with a deep sense of defeat and anxiety.

“Adele. Did you have any trouble getting here?”

The one who greeted her as she jumped down from the stopped wagon was Padre.

Adele looked at the priest approaching her with wary eyes. This was the first time they had spoken since their last strange encounter.

“What happened at the last court… I also regret it. I hope that the maid has recovered safely.”

“… Yes?”

“Oh, of course… … This is not the time to be talking about this. I heard you volunteered for the search party. The interim commander-in-chief is waiting for you about that. I will show you around.”

But, how should I put it… … . He looked a little different.

To put it nicely, he looked the same as usual, or to put it another way, ‘ordinary.’

As if the being who claimed to be his echo had only been in possession of him for a moment.
　

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