HPMC 08

 Chapter 08

“I know, right? I just can’t understand it either. How could Alec, who’s lived a life of nothing but luxury, suddenly say he’ll find us a house…?”

Following my sister-in-law, my mother-in-law also clicked her tongue and shook her head.

It seemed she was worried too, since Alec had never worked a day in his life.

As a duke, all he had ever done was collect rent from the tenants living on his lands.

I wasn’t expecting much from him either.

But I knew very well that he wasn’t the type to speak nonsense.

Could he have gone to apply for a job somewhere? Maybe an office or an accounting firm?

Alec was incredibly skilled when it came to reviewing ledgers.

Back when we first got married, the Brent Duchy had one of the largest estates among the noble families in the empire.

There were thousands of tenants to manage.

After inheriting the title, Alec had reviewed all the ledgers from his predecessor and uncovered corruption and irregularities.

It had only been a minor topic within our family, but I had been secretly thrilled to discover that side of him—like a genius in the sciences.

If he found work somewhere that needed his abilities, perhaps he could even request an advance on several years’ salary to secure housing.

Even if not enough to buy a house, we could at least rent a place.

But as soon as I considered the possibility of employment, I shook my head.

“Anyone who dares to take in or show sympathy to that idiot duke will be executed.”

That was the tyrant’s decree.

We couldn’t risk someone else’s life just to survive.

I took a sip of tea, but it tasted like nothing.

As I absentmindedly shifted my gaze, I noticed a figure entering the inn’s garden.

A tall silhouette, as if a divine being had descended from the heavens.

A well-built frame, and a face sculpted as if by a legendary artisan.

That outline… I knew only one person like that.

I lifted my head sharply.

As if it were a lie, Alec was walking in.

“…Alec!”

I jumped to my feet, and at the same time, my mother-in-law sprang up like a coiled spring.

“Alec! Where on earth have you been without a word?!”

“My dear! Do you know how long we’ve been waiting?!”

I quickly scanned his condition.

Is that really my husband?

How long has it been?

I worried whether he had been hurt, or if he’d been pelted with eggs by children again.

But he looked perfectly clean, not at all like someone who had been away for days.

He seemed to absorb all the surrounding light, radiating brilliance. Even his naturally tousled black hair looked like deliberate styling.

In contrast to our fuss, his demeanor was calm—almost cold.

“Have you been waiting long? Please pack your things.”

“…What?”

“I’ve secured a house for us to live in.”

“What?! Is that true, brother?!”

“Really, Alec?”

“How on earth did you…?”

None of us could hide our shock.

Even my sister-in-law, who rarely spoke to him first, was astonished.

Alec quietly observed our reactions, as if this was something he hadn’t expected.

His lips parted slightly, as if he was about to say something, then he spoke.

“…You all seem quite surprised. But don’t worry. I didn’t take someone else’s house.”

“…What?”

That’s not the point.

I was speechless again.

His tone was unbelievably smooth and elegant.

That dignified, composed posture.

His straight back and shoulders, his cold yet precise way of speaking—

It felt like I had been struck in the head with a hammer.

Has he become a completely different person while I wasn’t looking…?

My sister-in-law, who seemed to feel the same, suddenly shrieked.

“Ahh! I just got goosebumps! Brother, say that again!”

But whether he didn’t hear her or chose to ignore her, Alec simply checked his pocket watch and said,

“We should leave soon if we want to arrive before sunset.”

“….”

His words flowed as smoothly as water.

Both my mother-in-law and sister-in-law stood there with their mouths open.

“Wow… unbelievable.”

“Alec…?”

My sister-in-law looked like her soul had left her body, and my mother-in-law clutched her chest.

Alec stared at them, stiffening slightly at their reactions.

“….”

I, too, stared at him without blinking.

I had suspected it, but…

No matter how hard he had tried, his speech had never improved his entire life.

It had taken him three years just to pronounce my name, “Louise,” in one go.

And now suddenly, his stutter was gone?

It had been with him since he first learned to speak.

“How… how did this happen? Your way of speaking…”

“Hm?”

I pressed a hand to my pounding heart and stepped closer.

“How can you suddenly speak so fluently, like a completely different person?”

“Ah… well…”

He lowered his gaze and stroked his chin, thinking about how to answer.

He even frowned slightly, as if it were a difficult question.

It felt like the world had turned upside down.

That was how smooth his speech was.

Everyone waited for his answer, but he hesitated, his lips moving without sound.

Then his eyes wavered once, and as if resigning himself, he spoke.

“…To be honest, I don’t really know how this happened either.”

“…What?”

He didn’t know?

How could he not know?

This wasn’t gradual improvement—he had changed overnight.

If even he didn’t know, then what could be the cause?

I didn’t want to think it, but… could the tyrant’s shock treatment have worked?

Sometimes extreme shock could cause drastic changes.

I tried to recall what kind of shock he might have experienced recently.

Losing his title and fortune… and most recently, drinking poison himself.

…Poison.

Suddenly, I remembered the rat poison he had drunk.

He had consumed a lethal amount and yet survived.

At the time, I had been too relieved that he lived to think about it.

But now… it felt unbelievable.

Maybe his body was just unusually resistant… but what if the poison had actually helped him?

It was a baseless thought, but still.

I muttered,

“So you really don’t know why you’ve changed?”

“…Yes.”

He nodded, somewhat cautiously.

In the end, I voiced my theory.

“Then could it be because of the rat poison you drank?”

“…What?”

“They say sometimes poison can act as medicine. Since poison doesn’t affect you normally, maybe it had a positive effect this time.”

It sounded absurd, but it was the only explanation that made sense right now.

Alec’s lips parted slightly, and my mother-in-law gasped in agreement.

“Oh my goodness…”

“Rat poison…?”

My sister-in-law looked confused, but I continued.

“If not that, how else could you suddenly speak so well? You’ve never accidentally taken poison before, right?”

Right?

As far as I knew, he had never been exposed to poison.

At last, he gave a stiff nod.

“That seems to be the case…”

“!”

So it really was his first time.

If not poison, there was no way to explain his condition.

He had tried countless medicines and rare remedies before, but nothing had worked.

Something like rat poison would never have been considered a treatment.

My mother-in-law trembled as she exclaimed,

“Oh, I see! That must be it! The rat poison killed the rat-like germs on your tongue!”

“….”

My eyes welled with tears.

I clenched my fists tightly.

So it really had been cured.

It was hard to believe it vanished overnight, but seeing him now, I couldn’t deny it.

I didn’t know what he had been thinking when he drank that poison, and it didn’t feel entirely right to celebrate…

But one thing was certain.

“Alec.”

With moist eyes, I stepped closer.

Close enough to embrace him.

“I’m so relieved. You’ve suffered so much all this time.”

I reached out to hug him gently.

But the moment my hands approached, Alec flinched and stepped back slightly.

“….”

Was it because we were outside?

I felt a bit embarrassed, but I continued, still emotional.

“Maybe the world hasn’t abandoned us after all.”

“….”

Instead of hugging him, I grabbed one of his arms.

“No one will look down on you anymore. No one will mistake you for a fool because of your speech.”

He had suffered so much because of it.

At least now, things would be better.

He wouldn’t be hurt like before.

“So… let’s not die. Let’s start over.”