Don't Obsess Over A Married Woman (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 15
“And the other teacher—you’ve probably heard the name before.”
An artist who is a playwright, composer, conductor, and music educator, famed for writing the opera currently enjoying peak popularity in high society.
I once went to see his opera with the children, and if I recall correctly, I quite enjoyed it.
Just to be clear—in case you were wondering—I didn’t hire him out of personal bias.
“I don’t particularly care for that person’s works. The characters are far too emotional and act as if they have no sense of reason whatsoever.”
“So?”
“I’m not fond of love stories.”
While Cardiel and Euphemia both expressed clear disapproval, only Celsion offered a different opinion.
“I really love it! The main characters are kind people! Especially the Duchess…!”
In any case, Celsion was the one who would receive the bulk of the music instruction, so I was relieved he liked the teacher.
“By the way, stepmother…”
Cardiel asked.
“Would it be possible for me to learn swordsmanship?”
“Swordsmanship?”
Hmm, that was unexpected.
‘I never thought he’d want to learn it again.’
Cardiel had trained in swordsmanship since he was very young.
He was so diligent that for several years, he never missed a single morning—rushing off to the training grounds every day without fail. He’d skip meals before skipping practice.
It was admirable for a child barely five years old.
Back then, I thought he might genuinely be dreaming of becoming a knight.
But a few years later, I discovered a cruel truth: my assumption had been terribly wrong.
His swordsmanship instructor was a despicable man who, under my late husband’s permission, used training as an excuse to abuse Cardiel violently.
The moment I realized I’d disregarded the bruises spreading across Cardiel’s skin day after day—telling myself it was just how training was supposed to be—was when I truly despised myself.
Naturally, I fired that bastard and ensured he’d never hold a sword again for the rest of his life.
It’s still a secret from the children; the story is simply too upsetting.
“Why swordsmanship all of a sudden?”
After all, Cardiel had endured violence under the guise of training.
Worried those painful memories might resurface, I asked him cautiously.
“For refinement.”
Cardiel replied flatly and expressionlessly, as if my concern were completely unfounded—leaving me even more flustered.
“For refinement?”
“Shouldn’t a nobleman destined to inherit a title hold at least a knighthood?”
“Hmm.”
Well, not necessarily.
Of course, all noble males are indeed appointed knights upon reaching adulthood—that much is true.
But that doesn’t mean they all need to possess combat skills equivalent to an actual knight.
What matters is the oath of loyalty to the King and the realm that one must swear upon becoming a knight.
The King grants knighthood to every adult nobleman solely to receive that oath.
Well, technically it’s not just the King—other lords authorized to confer knighthood do the same.
In short, if all he wants is the title of knight, there’s no need to go through the trouble of mastering swordsmanship.
After all, once he comes of age, he’ll inevitably be summoned before the King, swear his oath of loyalty, and receive his knighthood whether he likes it or not.
Cardiel surely knows this.
“Be honest now. I feel like there must be another reason.”
I asked gently with a soft smile. At last, as if resigned, Cardiel let out a short sigh and revealed his true feelings.
“…It’s just that I regret not properly learning it back when I was younger.”
“I asked you before—surely you’re not seriously considering becoming a knight?”
“I will become Duke Dieren.”
“You can be both a knight and a duke.”
“I’ve never considered that.”
“I see.”
Whatever he chooses is fine. I’ll support Cardiel—he’s never once voiced his own desires under that tyrant of a father.
‘Then I’ll need to find a swordsmanship instructor too…’
Where could I possibly find a suitable person?
“Oh.”
Suddenly, I realized I didn’t need to look elsewhere—I remembered the dazzlingly impressive résumé I’d seen earlier that day.
I rummaged through the stack of tutor résumés I’d been carrying to introduce to the children, and quickly found Sir Joseph’s.
Just as I thought.
“Now that I think about it, Sir Joseph is also capable of teaching swordsmanship.”
“Sir Joseph?”
Clearly surprised, the children’s eyes all turned to the résumé in my hand.
Now that I think about it, it is rather astonishing. I expected scholarly aptitude, but to be skilled enough in swordsmanship to teach others?
Apparently, he was even offered a professorship by the Academy Director himself.
‘Honestly, what on earth did he do during that one month?’
No matter how I think about it, reincarnation is basically cheating.
I wish I could have that power to see the future too.
“Right. Of course, if you’re uncomfortable, I can look for another swordsmanship instructor. It might take some time, but finding a properly commissioned knight as a teacher isn’t particularly difficult.”
After a brief pause, Cardiel replied.
“If it’s alright, may I decide after seeing Sir Joseph’s swordsmanship firsthand? Or perhaps after trying one or two practice sessions with him?”
“So you want to be careful about your choice.”
“Yes.”
He must still carry emotional scars from that abusive instructor.
“Let’s do as you wish. I’ll speak to Sir Joseph myself, so you don’t need to worry about it, Cardiel.”
“Thank you, Stepmother.”
“Oh, and you do understand that learning swordsmanship doesn’t mean you should attack people, right? The sword is a defensive art.”
“I understand.”
Cardiel answered with his usual expressionless face. Even after ten years together as mother and son, I still can’t always tell what’s going through his mind.
But he’s a good child—that’s why he’s grown up so well without veering off course.
My admirable, pride-worthy Cardiel—watching him made me smile with satisfaction. Though the stoic boy, embarrassed, quickly averted his eyes from mine.
Hmm, I’ll need to tidy up the training grounds behind the mansion and buy some equipment in preparation for his lessons.
I should stock up on training clothes, protective gear, practice swords, and plenty of medicinal supplies too.
“Yupi, Chelsea—do either of you have anything special you’d like to do?”
Immediately, both children raised their hands.
“Yes!”
“Me! Meee… Oh, Yupi sister spoke first.”
At Celsion’s concession, Euphemia promptly spoke without hesitation.
“I need a new flowerpot. My favorite one broke last time. Many flowers in the greenhouse died too. And I want to plant a tree in the garden—a really big one.”
That doesn’t quite sound like something she wants to “learn,” though.
I’ve long known that Euphemia has a deep interest in gardening and tending plants.
While learning new things is good, letting her enjoy what she truly loves will also benefit her emotional well-being.
Especially since she’ll soon be immersed in tedious, demanding etiquette lessons with Viscountess Baden.
I should generously invest in hobbies she can enjoy during her free time.
“If there are specific seeds or saplings you’d like, just tell the gardener. Otherwise, you can go shopping for them with me. While we’re out, we can look for that flowerpot too.”
“Great! Let’s do that! When are we going out?”
Euphemia bounced with joy, her face blooming like a flower.
As she drew near and nestled into my arms, she nuzzled affectionately, demanding attention.
Sigh… When she was little, she was small enough to carry easily.
‘Now she’s grown quite a bit. Maybe it’s about time to think about marriage.’
Wait—what am I even saying?
Absolutely not. She’s only fourteen! Besides, I fully intend for my children to marry for love.
“Chelsea, how about you?”
“I wanna!”
Celsion, who’d been waiting his turn, had cheeks flushed pink with anticipation.
He looked so adorable I wanted to pinch them—but sadly, I was currently trapped in Euphemia’s embrace.
Eventually, Celsion spoke with an eager, bright voice.
“I want to raise a cute animal!”
“That’s not something you want to ‘learn’ either, is it?”
“Taking music lessons from Professor Ernestine is enough for me!”
Yes, yes—caring for a pet is excellent for emotional development.
My beloved children—now you can do everything you’ve ever wanted.
[This is the timeline separator]Midnight moonlight gently bathed Cardiel’s bedroom in silence.
Normally, this would be time for sleep, yet for some reason, Cardiel found himself wandering through a long, sleepless night.
〈You do understand that learning swordsmanship doesn’t mean you should attack people, right? The sword is a defensive art.〉
Liselotte’s voice, admonishing him, kept echoing in his ears.
〈I understand.〉
That was how Cardiel had replied on the spot.
Liselotte had looked at him with a deeply satisfied, proud expression, but Cardiel couldn’t hold her gaze for long.
He feared she might catch a glimpse of his true thoughts.
‘I don’t see it that way at all.’
And he was afraid he might accidentally say it out loud.
Indeed, Cardiel held a view entirely opposite to Liselotte’s.
To him, swordsmanship was nothing more than violence—nothing beyond that.
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
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Chapter Comments (4)
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〈Oh? Even so, your training seems far too intense. Should I speak with your swor
Aww she cared about them from the beginning. She was so innocent and hopeful back then too :((, she didnt know the violence was deliberate. He said plesdon’t interfere cause he was resigned oml no….
Not so much out of guilt for failing to protect his brother, but because he fear
Oh nooo 😭😭 explains why they are so bonded now. That’s alot to deal with
He was fully aware of his own rigid self, trapped solely within his own thoughts
Poor babyyy
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Soo all this talk about the dungeons being a maze and very dangerous was for what???
Aww this is such a tesrjerker of a chapter 🥲🥺 . Now she knows they love her ( they made it obvious though)
This is crazy omgosh what is going onn this amount of darkness and trauma gave me whiplash. I can also see where this is going amnesia arc incoming isn’t it.