I Plan to Repay Kindness with Enmity (1 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 8
The atmosphere grew strange, and my heart began to race. At this rate, I’d inevitably become a sacrificial pawn—a hollow princess used to blind the savages.
Besides, though unlikely, it would also be a problem if the marriage actually went through.
Considering the fury of the Fifth Prince if he discovered a false princess had replaced Princess Lalatu as his bride, staying quiet like this was no different from offering my own neck for the slaughter.
My throat felt parched.
“Would I do?”
I made my expression as worried as possible.
“I’m merely the adopted daughter of a viscount’s house, after all.”
Madam Emern raised an eyebrow.
“Are you saying our House of Viscount won’t meet the prince’s standards?”
“It’s not about the family—that’s fine. I’m worried about myself. As you’ve said, I was born in the streets and wandered them for years. Though I was fortunate enough to be taken in by the family, I must still carry the grime of the streets. Even you’ve remarked that my humble origins occasionally show—do you think the imperial prince won’t notice?”
“I didn’t realize you understood your place so well.”
Madam Emern said, surprised.
‘That’s infuriating too.’
My lips trembled slightly.
“Even if the royal family approves, if the prince is enraged, we won’t escape his wrath.”
“That’s easily solved—just hide it.”
“But signs of poverty can’t be hidden, no matter how hard you try…”
Madam Emern said sympathetically,
“You don’t need to belittle yourself so much. You may not meet my standards, but you’re decent enough to pass as a noble lady.”
“I also lack the refinement and dancing skills expected of noble ladies.”
“The savages will be even more lacking—what’s there to worry about?”
“The royal family will surely expect an enormous dowry too.”
“That’ll be resolved once you become a princess! Surely the royal house will provide at least that much!”
It felt like a clash between spear and shield.
‘Good grief, she argues better than a fence trying to offload shoddy goods.’
As I clicked my tongue and turned my head, it dawned on me—
Every pair of oily, gleaming eyes around me, like those of a hyena, was fixed squarely on me.
Goosebumps instantly rose on my arms.
It reminded me of the moment I’d picked a detective’s pocket. I recalled his eyes—knowing full well I was stealing, yet waiting patiently like a hawk watching its prey.
How had I survived back then?
“Do you think those desert folk, who eat scorpions for food, care about one’s origins? They say desert savages even share one woman among several men—whether she’s noble or lowborn won’t matter at all.”
“…….”
“Besides, acting for the sake of your house is both natural and honorable for a noble.”
They always brought up “as a noble” precisely at times like this.
Listening to Madam Emern’s nonsense, I suddenly remembered how I’d escaped that detective incident.
‘I’d used the direct approach.’
I’d immediately admitted I’d been caught and pulled my hand straight out of his pocket.
[You’re quick-witted.]The detective’s amused face flashed through my mind.
I stared directly at those plotting against me.
‘This isn’t home. That’s one thing I must never forget.’
Now this place was a battlefield filled with enemies—ready to use me as long as I was useful, then discard me without hesitation the moment I wasn’t.
In my naive youth, I’d dreamed of becoming a legendary thief—unbound by anyone, stealing from corrupt merchants without allegiance to any faction.
As I grew older, I realized that dream wasn’t so grand after all, but one thing remained unchanged: I never wanted to take orders or interference from anyone.
To achieve that in this world, I needed money and power.
Living as a mere maid with only the title of a viscount’s daughter would leave me treated as disposable forever.
And right before my eyes lay a diamond laced with poison—the very princess’s seat that had driven noblewomen to suicide.
‘Back when I took pickpocketing jobs from petty merchants, the greater the risk, the higher the reward.’
My cheeks stung. I gripped my skirt tightly with cold fingertips.
‘Okay. I’ve decided.’
“If you insist so strongly… may I ask just one thing? Will my doing this truly benefit our house?”
‘Poison? Just wipe it off. If I can digest it, who cares if it’s tainted? Even if I swallow poison, I just need to find the antidote before I die.’
If all else failed, I’d use my last resort—run away.
People rarely understood how labyrinthine the underground world’s alleys truly were.
‘If it really comes to that, I’ll just lie low in Amtein for a few years.’
“Th-then! If you do this for us, our house will finally be able to spread its wings. Will you give it a try?”
I stared silently at Madam Emern, who asked impatiently.
‘I’ll do it—but not without compensation.’
I let out a deep sigh.
“Even if you say it’s fine, I’m still worried. If simply staying silent could hide my origins, would you have fretted over me all this time?”
“It looks fine on the surface, at least.”
Despite her soothing tone, I deliberately let my voice drip with gloom.
“But even at the recent banquet, people were whispering about me behind my back. I didn’t even realize the hem of my dress was frayed.”
“That’s because you wore cheap fabric…”
Madam Emern said sourly. I nodded vigorously as if confirming her point.
“Even if I wanted to buy a new dress, they’re so expensive these days—it’s hard to afford even one. How wonderful it must be to look beautiful in anything, like Miss Aris.”
Madam Emern glanced at Aris. It was true she was beautiful—but her dresses came from the capital’s finest ateliers, and her necklaces and earrings were studded with rare gems.
As a priestess, she was pampered like royalty, receiving jewels as gifts that rivaled those of any noblewoman.
‘I’ve been tempted more than once…’
I’d swallowed that regret many times.
Back then, I’d held back, thinking I shouldn’t steal from anyone connected to Hubert. Now, I bitterly regretted it—should’ve just stolen it earlier.
“I’ll buy you a few new ones.”
Madam Emern, after hesitating, finally spoke. I kept my face gloomy and shook my head.
“How could I shamelessly accept that? Besides, every dress in my wardrobe is worn out—it’d be a huge burden for you, and terribly bothersome too.”
Viscount Lorenst, seeing his wife still hesitating, suggested to her,
“How about increasing her allowance?”
‘That’s it.’
I cheered inwardly.
Though I handled many household affairs in this family, most were tedious and troublesome. Access to significant funds required approval from the Lorenst bloodline.
And Madam Emern held sole authority over expenditures for the female household members.
“Y-yes. Just raise her allowance—would one gold ingot suffice?”
My current allowance was half a silver ingot—ample for a commoner, but barely enough for a noble lady to buy a decent pair of earrings.
‘Tsk, so stingy. She spends two gold ingots a month on her hobbies without blinking.’
I remembered clearly how large a share of this month’s expenses she’d accounted for.
Conveniently, the Former Earl scratched my itch for me.
“Isn’t that far too little? Even a basic outfit at today’s dressmakers costs at least half a silver ingot.”
Half a silver ingot for a basic outfit? Did they weave gold thread into the fabric?
The Viscount, a scholar at heart, was utterly clueless about money matters. No wonder every business venture he touched ended in ruin.
Reluctantly, with a pained expression, Madam Emern said,
“How about two gold ingots?”
“That would be far too shameless of me.”
I lowered my gaze as if embarrassed.
“Then perhaps another solution…”
“But to improve my pitiful appearance, I have no choice. I’ll draw even more attention soon—if my appearance brings shame to the house, that won’t do.”
Madam Emern, about to retract her offer, fell silent.
‘I could buy several dresses with the money I’ve secretly saved anyway.’
But more money was always better.
I forced down the corners of my mouth, which threatened to lift, and dabbed at my dry eyes with my sleeve.
“How could I ever forget the kindness of accepting me—the daughter of a lowly nurse—as a member of this house? I always wanted to repay the Lorenst family through hard work, so if there’s another way to show my gratitude, I see no reason not to.”
I delivered the kind of gushing, loyal speech Igraine Lorenst, the devoted maid, might have made.
“Well then?”
I lifted my head. Gone was the earlier gloom; instead, the Lorenst “family” now watched me with hopeful eyes.
I deliberately gave them a sorrowful smile.
Hubert’s brow twitched slightly—he clearly knew he was asking something absurd.
In the past, I would’ve been touched, thinking he did it out of concern for me.
I suddenly recalled the time he’d tearfully begged for my help, and I’d resolved to sacrifice myself in Aris’s place.
The situation now wasn’t much different.
The only change was that back then, I’d let them push me along blindly—but now, I put “myself” first in everything I did.
“If that’s what you wish, I’ll do as you say.”
Though my outward demeanor appeared calm, my mind raced furiously.
‘Free social upgrade—thanks for the offer.’
[This is the timeline separator]That night, I sat before my dressing table. Absentmindedly flipping through the viscount’s ledger, I felt an odd emptiness at my head.
When I looked up, Jenny stood frozen mid-stroke, comb in hand, biting her lip hard.
“What’s wrong? Why are you like this?”
“How can you be so calm, Miss?”
“Huh?”
Jenny stared at my reflection in the mirror, eyes brimming with tears.
“I heard everything Georgiana said—you might be appointed as princess.”
“Why is her mouth so loose?”
I clicked my tongue and set the ledger down.
“Don’t make that face. It’s not a bad thing.”
“Not bad? I heard everything! Becoming a savage’s wife—that’s truly terrifying! Haven’t young girls offered as tribute been left bleeding between their legs?”
The cruelty of the desert savages was a byword for terror among Riorsa’s maidens.
‘The rumors about savages really are horrifying.’
“It’s not wise to be afraid before anything’s even happened.”
“But Miss…”
“It’s alright, Jenny. I’m strong, remember?”
I gave a reassuring smile to my sniffling maid.
Male lead Asks for a Divorce Every Day
It’s not often you come across a plot like this in the female-dominant genre — make sure to check it out!
This is a novel I’m planning to reread as well.
The male lead is strong, skilled in martial arts, and not the usual fragile type you often see in matriarchal novels.
Meanwhile, the female lead is a scientist—rational and logical. Even when she falls for the male lead, she doesn’t let her emotions cloud her decisions.
If you push through the first few chapters, you’ll gradually find the story really intriguing.
It has a mix of mystery, detective elements, and romance.
The author’s writing style is like crafting a puzzle—except they deliberately leave out a few pieces, making it hard to predict what happens next, yet keeping you hooked.
In the end, everything will come together and be explained.
One-sentence summary: Wife, stop playing with beakers and look at me!
In a laboratory accident, research scientist Zhu Wansheng accidentally travels to a matriarchal world. The original owner of the body is an eighteen-year-old only daughter of a wealthy rouge merchant, already married with a handsome young man.
Zhu Wansheng grins: Nice! She always said she was heaven’s favorite granddaughter. After a life of toil in her previous life, she can enjoy blessings in this one.
However, her joy lasts no more than three seconds as bad news arrives: the original owner’s family is about to go bankrupt, and her husband wants a divorce.
Even worse, she’s stuck with a research system full of restrictions.
Zhu Wansheng: ? Is this the destiny of a research dog?
——
Faced with this mess, Zhu Wansheng pours herself a bowl of wine to drown her sorrows. In her drunken haze, her husband arrives.
His figure is imposing, holding a long sword, with a dignified air that captivates Zhu Wansheng.
Gu Yingqing, however, looks at the alcohol-reeking Zhu Wansheng with undisguised disgust and coldly asks, “Divorce or not?” The intoxicated Zhu Wansheng mumbles vaguely, “I think… it’s not… it’s not… impossible!”
——
The next day, after sobering up, Zhu Wansheng is full of energy, rolling up her sleeves ready to make a big move. As for yesterday? She has no memory of it.
Zhu Wansheng is ambitious; a research dog fears nothing!
Upgrading rouge, extracting fragrances, producing perfumes, researching lipsticks… all shall bow to the power of modern technology!
The original owner’s dying rouge shop is revitalized. Her mother is pleased and with a wave of her hand, passes on the family business to her. As she takes control and her experimental results gain popularity, it’s the pinnacle of her life…
——
But there are always those who can’t stand to see her doing well. Jealousy, scheming, assassination attempts – they want nothing less than her life.
The person who has always kept his distance from her suddenly holds her tightly in his arms, eyes full of concern.
She is unharmed, but he falls into a pool of blood…
Zhu Wansheng feels guilty, “I can grant you one wish.”
Gu Yingqing tentatively circles his arms around her, carefully resting his head in the crook of her neck, pleading softly, “I regret it. Can we not divorce?”
Zhu Wansheng: ? When did I agree to a divorce?
[Small Theater]
The newly developed rouge is beautifully packaged, and Zhu Wansheng is eager to try it.
Gu Yingqing suddenly appears: “My lady, may I apply it for you?”
Cool fingertips lightly brush her lips. His Adam’s apple bobs as he leans in for a light bite.
Zhu Wansheng: ?
Gu Yingqing: It smells so good, I wanted to taste it…
On a warm spring day, Zhu Wansheng tries a new perfume: “Spring Night.” Gu Yingqing corners her against a wall.
Warm breath lingers on her neck.
“My lady, from now on, may I test the fragrances for you?”
[Humorous female scientist vs scheming live-in son-in-law male lead]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
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