As My Husband Said, I Brought in a Lover Chapter 213

When the count wasn’t yet a count, in his younger days when he was somewhat more sane, he met a courtesan. He kept her at a seaside mansion and visited her daily. He thought it was just a passing fancy, something that would end with the season. Because for nobles, courtesans were usually just that.

 

One day, talk of marriage with a fairly respectable family in the north came. Marriages between nobles for alliances were common. Although the season had long passed, he decided not to abandon the courtesan even after his marriage. In fact, it was not uncommon for northern nobles to keep courtesans even after marriage, so it wasn’t strange.

 

And that day was just before his wedding. The count brought a bouquet of daisies, her favorite, to the mansion to soothe her heart. But it was he who had been abandoned.

 

“She left?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Ha… I told her I wouldn’t cut ties even after my marriage.”

 

Annoyed, the count threw the bouquet to the floor. He didn’t realize that what he felt for her was love. So on the first day she was gone, he thought he was fine; on the second day, he strangely missed her absence; on the third day, he felt hollow realizing how easily their relationship ended; and on the fourth day, everything seemed meaningless. Then, on the fifth day, he became furious at her for daring to leave him.

 

The count vowed never to love again. He was destined to become the next head of Kalliod, one of the three great noble families in the north. That’s why he couldn’t afford to be shaken by such futile emotions.

 

Years passed, and after a ship that had caught a strange fish docked at the port, a plague spread across the north. Even a family as great as Kalliod could not escape the plague. He suffered from constant high fever, growing weaker and weaker, with his judgment clouded like a foggy sea where he could see nothing ahead. When he finally came to his senses, he was alone. Everyone had died, leaving him all alone in the castle.

 

“Y-You’ve become u-unable to have an heir.”

 

After hearing about his condition from the healer, he drank and smoked cigars daily, further destroying his already ruined body.

 

A noble who couldn’t have an heir had two choices: return the title to the imperial family or pass it on to the nearest collateral relative. The closest collateral relative to Kalliod was a fool who spent his time gambling at the port. If the family passed to him, Kalliod would be finished.

 

The fact that he could no longer continue the family’s lineage brought despair to someone who had lived his whole life proud to be Kalliod.

 

“Are you alright, Milord?”

 

Viscount Burg checked on the count’s well-being. Unlike the butler, who had tormented him with unpleasant words since he fell ill, Viscount Burg, who had put him at ease, was one of his trusted vassals.

 

“I-I’m fine. Damn it. My speech will g-gradually get better.”

 

He would have rather died from the illness. The count was tormented by various aftereffects, and the stress grew worse each day, to the point where he eventually began hearing hallucinations of someone threatening him.

 

Then one day, the courtesan who had left him came back.

 

“T-That woman! As if it wasn’t enough to a-abandon me, now she’s come back to mo-mock me. And she hid my he-heir. Find that c-child immediately, by any means ne-necessary!”

 

The count shouted in anger.

 

Suddenly, he heard a familiar sound of a door opening and closing. It took a long time for him to escape the boundary between dream and reality. The count opened his eyes.

 

“Milord, are you awake?”

 

It was the butler who had come to check on his condition.

 

“…I’m awake.”

 

“How are you feeling today?”

 

Count Kalliod’s gaze slowly moved to the butler. He was a loyal servant who had stayed in the territory after leaving Kalliod Castle due to Viscount Burg’s schemes and had returned after the viscount’s death.

 

“Since I opened my eyes, I guess death isn’t here yet.” The count’s gaze shifted to the ceiling. “…Did you place the flowers?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Every time he closed his eyes, that woman appeared. He was certain she came to his bedroom every night as a specter. Yet the reason he continued to endure the pain of living was because he believed he was meant to pass on Kalliod to his son, Maxion, whose face he had never seen outside of a portrait.

 

“Would you like to get some fresh air?”

 

“I’ll rest a bit longer. My body feels heavy today.”

 

“Yes, I’ll come back later.”

 

“Alright.” The count closed his eyes again.

 

That woman was locked in the dungeon.

 

“I’ve thought of an epitaph.”

 

The count looked down at the woman as if he couldn’t hear her. The woman hadn’t been properly bathed or fed; her hair was matted, and her body was emaciated. Her clothes were tattered and full of holes, and her body was covered in cuts from the count’s vassals, who had faithfully carried out his order to ‘find the location of his child by any means necessary.’

 

“…Even so, I hope you find love and happiness.”

 

Her black eyes looked at him clearly. Reflected in her black pupils, he appeared well-dressed and healthy. The disparity sent chills down his spine.

 

“Please.”

 

Her voice was clear, not like someone on the brink of death. Unlike him in those days when he had been unable to articulate a single word properly, though his appearance was fine.

 

The count could guess what she meant by ‘even so.’ Was it that despite their love ending in such a catastrophe, she still wanted him to find love and happiness? Perhaps it was guilt for leaving their child behind. Was it a message wishing for the child’s well-being, even though she had left him behind? In any case, it was clear that her words were meant for the child.

 

The woman, who was physically weak, eventually died from the torture by the vassals.

 

Viscount Burg, trembling with guilt and fear, covered his eyes.

 

“Forget the life of a worthless courtesan. You just need to officially register the young master into the family and focus on finding him. I’ll do my best to locate the young master.”

 

Viscount Burg, who planned to raise the young heir his own way and completely take control of the Kalliod family, eventually found Maxion after a relentless search. The viscount, who planned to kill Lensia and even assassinate the count to become the sole guardian, ultimately met his end at Maxion’s hands.

 

Once again, he was alone. The count fled the main castle filled with terrible memories and headed to the seaside mansion. It was the mansion where he had lived with the courtesan. Only after arriving did he realize that all of their memories were there.

 

“You’re amazing, Milord. You read so many books.”

 

“That’s a good idea. If you implement it, fewer ships will capsize in storms.”

 

“You’re looking for crops that grow well even in the north? It’s amazing that you’re gathering people to study that.”

 

Overcome with guilt, he pounded his head on the floor until it bled. When he finally lifted his head, he saw the books he used to read.

 

Courtesans are trained in basic education to serve nobles. Though she could read, she often pestered him to read to her.

 

“I-I’ll… read it, for you.”

 

He grabbed whatever book he could and began reading aloud. Gradually, his pronunciation improved, and his mind became clearer.

 

Sometime later, the butler found him at the seaside mansion after hearing that the count had fled there. The count stopped drinking and smoking and threw himself into his work. It was an escape under the guise of repentance and apology for the woman’s death.

 

“Although Milord ordered her body to be thrown into the forest as food for the crows, I secretly retrieved it and made a grave for her. I couldn’t ignore the fact that she was the young master’s biological mother… I’m sorry.”

 

One day, the count learned from the butler where the woman had been buried. Though he noted the location, he couldn’t bring himself to visit for a long time. There were too many things he needed to take care of before going there. Of course, these were all things he had come up with as excuses not to go.

 

“There are a lot of daisies.”

 

Despite his efforts to regain his health, his body could never return to its previous state. One day, when the count realized that he didn’t have much time left, he finally went to the woman’s grave. Her grave, small and shabby, was in the forest where the sunlight was relatively good. Only the area around the grave was tidy, thanks to the butler’s occasional care.

 

“Let’s move the grave. The direct family cemetery next to the main estate would be better. Since she was officially registered as my wife, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Yes.”

 

After moving the grave, the count erected a tombstone according to her last wish. Though much time had passed, her final words remained vividly imprinted in his mind, allowing him to honor at least that.

 

“Maxion is still refusing to return?”