I Killed My Husband (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 15
I have never seen you often in Shaym, but you always seemed too stiff in your dresses.
Carlos adjusted his wine and spoke.
“As an inspector, just trust me once. Being upright is good, but if you push too hard, your body will scream for mercy. It may seem forceful, but you need rest.”
“You’ve been watching me closely.”
“I can’t help it. That’s what attraction is.”
This time, he smiled cheerfully. Mercedes’ heart grew slightly lighter. A wariness, an unease—and something she had never felt before—gently swelled within the space between them.
“Your Imperial Majesty truly… has no restraint.”
“I prefer honesty. Especially when a man is smitten with a woman—there’s no need for pride.”
Carlos leaned back deeply in his chair and tilted his head slightly. Even this small gesture carried an odd charm—dangerous, perhaps a little rough, yet never crude.
“So, please, bear with me for not taking my eyes off you.”
She was clearly on guard. She thought him inscrutable.
But regardless of her feelings, he possessed a magnetic allure.
“When feelings flow like this, what can you do?”
As she watched him smile with enchanting charm, Mercedes felt her chest tighten.
“How did you know about this outfit? How did His Royal Highness come to know the style of commoners’ clothing?”
Once she spoke the question, the second came more easily. She shifted the subject with a stiff voice.
Every time he subtly revealed his feelings toward her and smiled, she felt herself being drawn in.
And that unfamiliar emotion was burdensome and unpleasant.
What was it? Frustration at feeling increasingly foolish, perhaps. Her sole goal now was one: the downfall of the Count Cromwell family.
And yet, how long had she been here? Had her heart already begun to waver within hours?
“Oh. You don’t know I’m the lowest-ranking prince? I’ve rolled in battlefields before… and I’ve only recently worn such luxurious garments.”
“Oh… I’m sorry—no, I see.”
She had almost apologized out of habit.
Watching her hastily correct herself, Carlos smiled pleasantly.
“You’re a hard worker.”
“I’ve never heard that before.”
“I don’t know everything about you, but those who fight desperately to survive all deserve to be called hard workers.”
Is that so? Was Mercedes someone who worked hard?
“I only tried to avoid abuse.”
If the Emperor learned that, he would rescind his words. Mercedes silently sneered.
“But how did you know that outfit resembled commoners’ attire? I heard you never left the Count’s estate or the palace.”
“…I lived elsewhere when I was very young.”
“Really? Where?”
“This dress is so comfortable. Thank you for your thoughtfulness.”
Mercedes deliberately changed the subject, making it obvious she did not wish to answer.
One eyebrow of Carlos lifted slightly, then settled. Curious, but he did not press.
“I’m glad it’s comfortable. I even prepared a dress in case this one was more pleasant.”
“I doubt anyone could find a dress comfortable.”
Just thinking of the corset made her breathless. She recalled the torment she had endured collapsing under its pressure.
“You must have suffered greatly.”
“…That’s all in the past.”
“In truth, even I find women’s attire unbearably restrictive. How can you eat if your waist is squeezed so tightly?”
“No. I survive on a few chocolates and a few sips of wine each day.”
“Of course. No wonder everyone looks so pale.”
Fortunately, the subject of his emotions did not resurface.
Mercedes strove to continue the conversation naturally, for the man who had promised to save her and aid her revenge.
That was how she would achieve her goal.
Soon, after finishing dessert, Mercedes wiped her lips.
It was time to end the meal.
Having done her best to engage Carlos in conversation, she now wished to be alone.
Carlos sensed it and rose first.
“You’ve made my meal delightful. Thank you.”
“No, Your Majesty. I am the one who enjoyed this time thanks to you. It is my honor.”
“I wish you’d be a little more at ease sometime.”
“…How could I, to the conqueror of the continent?”
“Hmph.”
Carlos stepped forward and pulled out Mercedes’ chair.
She did not refuse, rising from her seat. As she turned to escort him out, she immediately found herself facing his chest.
“Oh…!”
Startled, she quickly straightened her posture.
Carlos stood a step away, arms behind his back. The stance seemed ordinary, yet somehow conveyed, “I mean you no harm—rest easy.”
“Mercedes. The days are warm, but dawn grows cold. I’ve arranged the fireplace to be lit—get a good night’s rest.”
“Shaym was colder than this. A fireplace isn’t necessary.”
“Hmm. Mercedes.”
Carlos bowed his head slightly, bringing himself closer to her. The scent of wine and a cool, masculine fragrance wafted from him, dizzying Mercedes.
“Feelings are strange. You’ve come to wait, simply for me to take your hand. So…”
Carlos placed his hand atop hers, which gripped the table.
Instantly, goosebumps rose—not from revulsion.
A strange warmth? No, nearly heat.
His large, hot hand, touching her cold, dry one, rendered Mercedes motionless.
“Don’t worry. Do whatever you wish. Whether revenge or something else—except your death.”
He lightly brushed her knuckles. An act meant to warm her chilled hand, yet Mercedes could not meet his gaze and lowered her head.
In that moment, his gaze slowly traced her forehead, eyes, nose, lips, chin, neck, and collarbone.
As if trying to imprint them deep within some hidden part of his soul.
Though it lasted only a breath, it felt eternal.
Was it because the man was too enchanting? Or because, despite this closeness, he felt no threat—only an inexplicable emotion?
“Whatever it is, I will help.”
Carlos stepped back, leaving those whispered words behind.
Then, as if nothing had happened, he asked:
“Shall we dine again at the same time tomorrow? Is that acceptable?”
“…Yes. If anything changes, I will inform you.”
“Good. I won’t insist. You may eat alone if you prefer. Then, Mercedes, have a good night.”
That was all.
He had come close, and covered her hand.
“Yes. Good night to you, too.”
After that, he left the room.
Mercedes rubbed her knuckles as if burned, then hurriedly exited the dining hall.
Two maids followed her as she returned to her chamber. Servants lit candles along the walls; the corridor was softly illuminated.
“Would you like to bathe?”
The maids spoke only what was necessary. Now that she thought of it, despite the long journey, she had not properly washed.
True, she had cleansed herself intermittently along the way… but to have dined with the Emperor in this state?
“Yes. Bring me bathwater.”
As the maids carried the tub into her chamber, she sighed deeply.
Today had been truly strange. Peace, silence, and for the first time, questions stirring within her heart.
And his hand, covering hers…
‘This isn’t right.’
Tomorrow, she must gather herself.
The Emperor might abandon her at any moment, and she could not even be certain if his affection was real. She could not fully trust him.
Still, she must strive to appear favorable, remain vigilant, and let her fury burn large. She feared she might be consumed by him in an instant.
So she deliberately recalled the face of Count Cromwell.
She turned away from these unfamiliar feelings, this rising emotion.
She needed nothing else.
[This is the timeline separator]After dinner, Carlos naturally headed to his study.
Mercedes, whom he had allowed to rest and met, now seemed more open to conversation.
Clearly, Mercedes had lived in constant tension. To Carlos, with his sharp eye, this was obvious.
Her body was rigid, her lips tightly shut, always stepping back, suppressing her emotions.
Yet her eyes—
Only her eyes occasionally turned toward what she desired.
Not everything he had done today was necessarily right, but seeing her loosen slightly, he felt it had worked well.
If he continued to invest care like this, perhaps someday she would come to love him.
“…Time is the issue.”
But time was the problem. The time granted to him.
“Your Majesty! We must soon consolidate the Eastern Kingdom we recently absorbed. It appears the crown prince has led an uprising, and civilians have been injured.”
The Knight Commander, who oversaw the entire imperial knight order, rose immediately upon entering the study, as if waiting.
“Eastern?”
“Yes.”
“Which knight detachment is stationed there?”
“They’re holding firm for now… but how much longer they can endure…”
This was unfortunate.
He had to leave the castle just as he was drawing closer to Mercedes.
He pondered silently, then sighed.
“Who among our elite can ride with me as swiftly as possible?”
“About thirty. Our garrison has six hundred, of whom one hundred are wounded.”
“Five hundred thirty. That’s sufficient.”
“…No, Your Majesty. The enemy has at least two thousand, possibly more. It would be safer to take more troops. We have not trained our stationed knights so poorly—”
“Gregory.”
Carlos lifted one corner of his mouth in a bitter smile and lightly tapped the Knight Commander’s chest with his fist.
“Are you worried about me?”
The Knight Commander gritted his teeth. He dared not contradict the Emperor.
Indeed, Carlos himself was the greatest reason for the empire’s string of conquests. His nickname, “Blood Demon,” said it all.
But something troubled Gregory, the Knight Commander.
“Your Majesty… your health is not strong.”
At those words, Carlos gave a quiet chuckle.
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.”
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
MANGA DISCUSSION
1 Comment
Chapter Comments (11)
[Being Emperor is such a nuisance—urgent matters cannot be postponed.
I’m sorry to make you dine alone tonight.I’ll return soon. Will you wait for me?]
That’s sweet of him asked her to wait him 😄
I wonder what will the reaction of ML if he knows that they disrespect her 😬
They are cute. They care for her like sisters haha
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.
Blairwoods
If he continued to invest care like this, perhaps someday she would come to love him.
“…Time is the issue.”
But time was the problem. The time granted to him.
What was it? Was he terminally ill?