Don't Obsess Over A Married Woman (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 3
“Sitting still and receiving a warm compress isn’t so bad right now. Kar, you’re the one who must’ve been exhausted, handling all the mourners in my stead all day—why don’t you rest a bit?”
“I’ve been resting intermittently, so please don’t worry.”
Cardiel said this as he handed me a glass of water. My throat had been a little dry, so his thoughtfulness felt especially sweet.
I thanked Cardiel and glanced around.
Though there were hardly any mourners left, it was unusually quiet. The reason became clear at once.
“Now that I think of it, I don’t see Chelsea or Yupi. Do you know where both of them are?”
Chelsea was the youngest son, full name Celsion Tudor Dieren, only 11 years old.
Yupi was a 14-year-old girl, one year younger than Kar, bearing the lovely name Euphemia Cicelle Dieren.
“Chelsea cried himself to sleep a while ago, so I laid him down in his room. I told Yupi to stay beside him, fearing she might cause some trouble.”
“I see. Good job.”
Come to think of it, Celsion had been in tears throughout the entire funeral.
Even if their father had tormented his children, the sense of loss must’ve weighed heavily on an 11-year-old.
In contrast, Euphemia had shown no expression whatsoever during the whole ceremony.
She’d always had a somewhat blank look, yet at times it almost seemed like she was smiling—enough to make me genuinely uneasy.
‘Thank goodness Kar handled things well.’
At moments like this, Cardiel seemed so dependable that it was hard to believe he wasn’t yet an adult.
Seeing my son filled me with pride, and I gently patted the seat beside me.
“Then why don’t you sit here?”
“It’s fine, Stepmother.”
“I want to sit beside my son, that’s all.”
“…….”
Only then did Cardiel reluctantly take the seat beside me. That stern face hid a truly gentle nature.
Even though our gazes now faced the same direction, no conversation naturally arose between us.
Nor was I particularly talkative or affectionate—no more than Cardiel himself.
Perhaps that’s why this silence between us didn’t feel awkward at all……
“Stepmother.”
“Hmm?”
I hadn’t expected Cardiel to speak first, so I was momentarily flustered.
When I turned, my eyes met his steady gaze—he must’ve been watching me for quite a while.
“What is it?”
“Perhaps…”
When I asked, Cardiel only furrowed his brow and didn’t answer right away.
“It’s all right—just tell me.”
Only after my gentle urging did Cardiel finally speak.
“Do you truly intend to remarry soon, Stepmother?”
“What?”
The question caught me off guard, and I blinked, unable to answer immediately.
Cardiel pressed on.
“The mourners were whispering that you’d surely decide to remarry soon. They claimed your next husband would assume the Dieren ducal title—or even if not, any child born between you two would surely become the next duke. So I…”
“Wait.”
I rarely interrupted the children, but this was simply unbearable. In the end, I gave up listening to Cardiel’s entire explanation.
“Who said such things?”
“I’m not sure exactly who—but many mourners seemed to expect it unanimously, even those who hadn’t come in groups.”
They must’ve been people utterly determined to wreck another’s household.
Or perhaps part of some scheme to cast me as the wicked stepmother from fairy tales.
‘Why are these people so recklessly spreading rumors in a home with three children already at such a sensitive age?’
Even if it were true, those were words that should never have been spoken.
I shifted to face Cardiel directly and gently took both his hands in mine.
“I’d planned to talk to all of you once the funeral ended. But since things have come to this, Kar, I’ll tell you first.”
Cardiel kept watching me intently, but something about his eyes…
I thought I could read anxiety in them.
In hindsight, it was only natural.
For all his maturity, Cardiel was still at an age needing emotional stability and the reassurance of a guardian close by.
He likely wasn’t yet mature enough to distinguish idle gossip from truth.
Perhaps he even feared I might abandon him and his siblings. I couldn’t let him feel that way.
I knew I had to answer firmly.
“To put it plainly: I’ll ensure that, come what may, the Dieren ducal title will be yours three years from now.”
“…….”
“No matter what people say or how my circumstances change—it doesn’t matter. Not once have I ever considered anyone but you, Kar, as the next duke.”
“Really?”
“Yes. You will be the next Duke of Dieren—without fail. If you still doubt me, I’ll even write you a sworn statement.”
Neither I, nor my future husband, nor any child of my blood would ever lay claim to the Dieren ducal title.
Of course, actually writing such a statement might give others reason to restrain me—
since it would imply the possibility of my remarriage and bearing a second child.
Whether or not Cardiel had considered that far, he slowly shook his head.
“No, there’s no need for that. It’s enough just to hear those words from you, Stepmother.”
Only then did the anxiety finally clear from Cardiel’s clear blue eyes.
Though his face remained without a trace of smile, I could still tell the boy felt much better.
“But Stepmother—what I wanted to ask was something rather different.”
“Hmm?”
I thought I’d answered properly—what had I missed?
I was about to ask further—
Knock, knock. The butler entered after a light knock.
“A visitor has arrived.”
Though we accepted condolences until sunset, I hadn’t expected anyone else to come.
Anyway, I straightened myself to greet our guest properly.
But then, Cardiel’s brow twitched faintly.
‘He looks annoyed that our conversation was interrupted.’
I lightly tapped Cardiel’s back, signaling we’d talk later, and helped him stand—after all, as chief mourner, he should greet the guest.
“Who is our visitor?”
The butler named someone unexpected.
“Count Alphon, Sir Joseph Obreim Alphon.”
My pupils involuntarily dilated.
Why did he come here?
[This is the timeline separator]“My condolences, Duchess. And to you, Viscount.”
“Welcome, Sir Joseph. Thank you for coming to see my husband off. This is Viscount Dieren, Cardiel Diac.”
“My condolences as well, Count Alphon.”
I’d never expected Sir Joseph to come pay respects, so I was a little surprised.
After all, we shared no notable acquaintance.
Granted, people often visited funerals not only for existing ties but also to cultivate future ones—
…but suddenly, a strange thought occurred to me.
‘Before I even introduced him, Sir Joseph already addressed Cardiel as Viscount.’
He must be the sort who came thoroughly prepared, showing such courtesy and foresight.
The more I observed him, the more I liked him.
Especially the fact that he’d addressed Cardiel as Viscount first—that pleased me most.
“I’ll offer my respects to the late duke first.”
After brief greetings with Cardiel and me, Sir Joseph approached my husband’s coffin to observe a moment of silence.
My gaze naturally followed his back as he walked away in black mourning attire.
Because of his clothes, he felt strikingly different from when I’d met him at the banquet just the day before.
Then, he’d seemed like a magical, resplendent king of fairies—but today, more like a quietly settled spirit of mist.
‘Though both share that unreal beauty.’
Smiling in a house of mourning would be deeply disrespectful, so Sir Joseph’s expression now differed greatly from before.
Gone was his usual smile, replaced by a faint, almost dry neutrality.
For that very reason, his crimson eyes seemed to draw my attention all the more.
Though surely as luminous as rubies, they somehow carried a faintly ominous, blood-like aura…
“Your ankle seems no worse, I see.”
“Oh.”
I must’ve been lost in watching Sir Joseph without realizing it.
When I came to my senses, he’d already placed lilies on my husband’s coffin, finished his silent prayer, and returned.
“It’s still healing. My physician says it should improve within a few days.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
Sir Joseph then accepted a small box—no bigger than his palm—from his attendant and placed it in my hands.
“This is an ointment I use in Alphon. It’s quite effective, so I brought it hoping it might help… But if you find it suspicious since it’s unfamiliar, feel free not to use it—just accept it, please.”
“Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Sir Joseph.”
After such considerate words, I couldn’t refuse.
I instructed the butler to keep the box safely.
Male lead says he’s pregnant — and it’s female lead’s child
Something seems a bit off about this world.
Wang Zhao thought as she watched a pregnant man walking towards her…
Intro
Female lead finds herself in a world where the men who possess the ability to bear children.
As she navigates this unfamiliar reality, she is caught off guard by the sudden appearance of her boyfriend, who reveals that he is pregnant.
Is this truly her boyfriend?
Why can’t she recall any details about their time together?
She begins to doubt whether the child her boyfriend is carrying is even hers.
Is there a hidden reason behind her amnesia, or could it be a side effect of her sudden arrival in this strange new world?
Just when it seems the protagonist’s life couldn’t become any more entangled, her ex-boyfriend makes an unexpected appearance, raising questions about the protagonist’s past.
__________
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
Chapter Comments (5)
Inline Comments (68)
"'Regressor' would be a more accurate term. Having rewound time several times, r
Has he seriously rewound time several time already. Was he always trying to save the family or is that a recent development from the previous timeline
"'Regressor' would be a more accurate term. Having rewound time several times, r
I was RIGHTTTT!!! I would have loved the dream guess abjt more but this is good too
Had my husband been murdered, I would’ve suspected Sir Joseph right away.
My thoughts exactly. I pinned him as maybe a yandre but he doesn’t seem like it
YOUR COMMENT
2. Inline comments are now available. Tap the end of any line in a chapter to share your thoughts instantly.
Log in to comment.
It’s good so far I just hope the story can deal with heavy trauma properly
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)