I Plan to Repay Kindness with Enmity (1 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 4
Hubert smoothed the furrow between his brows and nodded.
“Yes, you should eat too. You worked hard preparing everything.”
He chewed his salmon pie while giving a gentle smile.
[Just help me once, Igraine.]…Damn it.
“That’s right? Since there’s so much to do, I need to eat plenty.”
I replied with a faint smile. It was a pointed remark. Cooking, cleaning, managing the estate, handling finances—the list went on. There wasn’t a single corner of this household untouched by my hands.
Yet he was stingily eating just one salmon pie. It made my blood boil.
The memory of salmon pies I couldn’t eat in the past floated aimlessly in my mind. Unconsciously, my grip tightened, and the knife scraped harshly against the plate.
Screech.
Aris covered one ear with her hand.
“Sister! Please be a bit more careful.”
“Oh, was it bothersome?”
“Of course it was.”
She nodded as if utterly baffled.
At that moment, Hubert, who had been silently watching, finally spoke.
“Have you been dealing with something difficult lately?”
“Not particularly? But for some reason, the food looks especially delicious today.”
“Right. Then eat plenty while it’s good.”
“Thank you.”
I replied curtly.
Though we were once master and maid—and now lord and household member—I ought to use formal speech in front of others, but truthfully, I didn’t even want to exchange words with him, let alone use honorifics.
Just as I was about to ignore them both and finish my meal—
“But didn’t you hear what Aris said?”
Hubert pointed to a plate filled with veal dish.
“She says it’s too salty.”
“……”
“Could you bring it back and have it remade?”
He was looking directly at me as he spoke. I halted my hand reaching for the plate and set down my fork and knife.
Unconsciously, I nearly picked up the plate myself to go remake it.
Habits truly are terrifying.
I turned to look at Georgiana. She wore a faint, smug smile. I responded with an even deeper smile of my own.
“Georgiana. Go to the kitchen right now and tell the head chef the veal dish is overly seasoned. Since Miss Aris wishes to eat more, if there are leftover ingredients, ask him to remake it with less seasoning.”
“What?”
When she questioned me, I shot her a cold glare, and Georgiana slowly lowered her eyes.
Back when I was young, I’d tamed street urchins twice my size.
Though I’d kept my head down while living in the Count’s household, a woman like her was easily subdued with just a look.
‘I’ve endured so much all this time.’
“Is the order too difficult? Should I repeat it?”
“N-no, miss. I remember.”
Georgiana hesitated briefly, glanced at Aris, then headed toward the kitchen.
After watching her retreating figure for a moment, I shifted my gaze across the table.
As expected, both Aris and Hubert were staring at me. I blinked innocently as if wondering why they were looking, then shrugged my shoulders.
“My taste must have changed. Earlier, when I tasted it, it was fine—but since Miss Aris finds it too salty, either the head chef’s skills have declined, or my palate has changed.”
“Then just have it remade, right? Aris loves the dishes you make, sister.”
“No. There’s a skilled head chef for that—I shouldn’t take over his duties. A superior shouldn’t steal work from their subordinates.”
“……”
“I already have so much on my plate—this is the perfect chance to step back from kitchen duties.”
“Hah, but won’t the kitchen fall into chaos then…?”
I widened my eyes in feigned surprise.
“Not at all. There’s the head chef, and Jemma, who’s worked in the kitchen even longer than I have. A noble’s duty is to place capable people in the right positions—not to run around doing everything themselves. It’s been quite a while since I became a member of this esteemed Count’s household, yet I’m still realizing so many things. How embarrassing.”
As I spoke, Aris’s expression grew increasingly awkward. I gave her a sincere smile.
“Thank you, Miss Aris. Because of you, I’ve gained new clarity about priorities. As expected of a priestess of the Water God—so wise.”
Aris reluctantly nodded.
“…It’s nothing much.”
I picked up my fork again, cut the salmon pie into a bite-sized piece, and brought it to my mouth.
Unlike me, Aris seemed to have lost her appetite, merely scraping her plate with her fork.
I frowned sympathetically.
“Oh my, have you already finished? I sent Georgiana to the kitchen for nothing then. The chef must be preparing the braised veal by now. Looks like the servants will feast today.”
Of course, a portion of meat no bigger than a palm couldn’t possibly feed all the servants, but I said it anyway.
‘Let her stew in frustration for a bit.’
Just as Aris, clearly annoyed, opened her mouth to speak, I cut in without giving her a chance.
“I’ll have cherry sherbet brought out. I had it prepared beforehand, anticipating you’d want some. It’s been kept frozen, so it’s ready to serve immediately. You there—bring the cherry sherbet.”
I quickly ordered a maid, who bowed her head and hurried off at once.
Satisfied, I chewed my salmon pie. Juices burst forth, smoothly coating my throat.
“…Thank you, sister.”
Aris hesitated, conflicted over whether to show her displeasure or not, then finally offered me a polite thanks.
She must have realized it was too late to act offended now.
After all, I’d even prepared cherry sherbet in advance considering her preferences—if she got upset over that, it’d just make her seem petty.
Though Aris did have a somewhat problematic temperament, she held back this time.
Because we weren’t alone in this room.
‘Or perhaps she knew someone else would express her anger for her.’
Sure enough, Aris’s blue eyes flickered toward the side.
I inwardly scoffed and glanced at Hubert. He’d set down his knife and fork and was dabbing his lips with a napkin. Every movement was elegant.
“Igraine, you seem odd today.”
“Me?”
I widened my eyes and tilted my head in confusion. Hubert showed no particular reaction.
Staring at his kind, intelligent face, I finally replied.
“I am hungrier than usual, that’s all.”
Clack!
The sound of cutlery hitting a dish rang out. Aris was aggressively stirring her soup bowl with her spoon. She took a small sip, then scrunched up her face.
“It’s tasteless.”
‘That’s the same soup you said was delicious earlier.’
“Hupert, we might need to hire a new, more skilled head chef. It seems the young lady’s tastes have changed as well.”
Though it wasn’t the chef’s cooking but Aris’s fussiness, I narrowed my brows as if genuinely concerned for her.
“She’s already so thin—if she loses more weight, it won’t look good at all.”
At those words, Aris’s eyes widened, and she abruptly turned to stare at Hubert.
“Hubert, do I look bad?”
She wasn’t a child—did she really need to ask to understand?
She’d never been particularly lovely to begin with, but since her return, she’d grown even less attractive; nothing about her pleased me now.
Seeing Aris’s hurt expression, Hubert gave her a gentle smile.
“Not at all. You’re very beautiful, Aris.”
Watching Aris’s face finally brighten into a smile, I lowered my gaze back to my salmon pie.
‘Ugh, I have to witness this again? That’s going to be tough.’
Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine. I glanced up subtly and caught Aris stealing a look at me.
More than her furtive glance, it was her smugly twitching lips that caught my eye.
Pretending not to notice, I fixed my eyes back on the salmon pie—and unconsciously, a smile slipped onto my lips.
‘Go ahead and take Hubert. Now that I think about it, he’s worth even less than a lump of lead.’
[This is the timeline separator]The next day, I received a summons from Madam Emern and went to see her.
Her room—the most luxurious in the mansion—was filled with glittering objects on every side.
‘If I sold those to a fence, I could make some decent money.’
I memorized the locations of every visible luxury item and turned my head.
Madam Emern sat in an armchair, embroidering. When silent, she actually resembled a refined noblewoman.
‘When I first saw her, I thought, “So this is what they call a noble lady.”‘
Honestly, judging by appearances alone, she seemed more cultured than the Former Earl’s wife.
Though in reality, she was anything but.
“Madam, you called for me?”
“Yes. I summoned you because I have something to ask.”
I clasped my hands and waited for her to speak.
From the moment I entered, Madam Emern hadn’t looked at me once—her attention remained fixed solely on her embroidery.
After about ten minutes, I assumed she was deeply absorbed in her work.
But after thirty minutes passed, I began to suspect her intentions.
‘What has her so angry?’
Madam Emern considered herself a cultured noblewoman.
Summoning someone only to keep them standing indefinitely was her aristocratic method of punishment. I’d endured this frequently years ago.
After an hour, my calves started aching dully. I felt the urge to rub them.
True-born nobles might stoically endure such punishment, but someone like me—raised on the streets—would immediately cry out “I’m dying!” and collapse at the slightest discomfort.
‘After all, that’s how you create confusion to escape if caught stealing.’
But here, if I feigned agony and cried “I’m dying!”, I’d only earn contemptuous stares—so I endured stoically.
Just then, Madam Emern finished her embroidery. My eyes lit up.
Surely she’d state her business now? But instead, she simply pulled out a new piece of fabric.
I clicked my tongue inwardly.
‘Of course.’
Years ago—and even right before my death—I’d bowed my head and silently endured Madam Emern’s torment.
Despite various complaints, she was the senior elder of this household, and unlike me, she was born an elegant noble.
But after facing the executioner’s blade, my perspective had shifted slightly.
‘What’s the point of all that? When you die, everyone’s the same.’
Do nobles have gemstones scattered over their ashes instead of plain dust? No. They become the same ashes as everyone else.
Though I couldn’t reject the existing rules and customs of this society, choosing to comply was another matter entirely.
“What did I do wrong?”
Only then did her gaze, which had been fixed solely on her embroidery, finally turn toward me.
When the male lead is punished by carrying the female lead’s child and having periods like a woman
“I’ve given birth to two children for you, yet you still think about him.
Was I nothing but his substitute to you from beginning to end?”
Synopsis:
Meng Huan, a scumbag who has dated countless girlfriends, transmigrates to a female-dominated country.
Day 1: Whether it’s female dominance or not doesn’t matter. The beauties here are passionate and amorous. Isn’t it easier to date them than in modern times?
Day 2: After a night, Meng Huan discovers the differences in the female-dominated world. Men here actually have chastity locks and menstrual cycles. This hinders his ability to perform, damn it!
Day 3: What’s wrong with sleeping around? I don’t want you to marry me. I’m meant to be a playboy. I don’t care about male virtues… What? You want to drown me in a pig cage? Marry, I’ll marry!
Day N: Meng Huan inexplicably vomits and receives the shocking news of his life… He’s pregnant.
_____
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