Marriage with the Younger Brother of the Man Who Betrayed Me (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 8
‘Queen’ referred to the strongest monster lurking in this vicinity.
And the mana crystal we had to destroy was always guarded by this Queen.
In other words, to destroy the mana crystal and seal the rift, we first had to eliminate the Queen.
That was precisely why I had already warned the Captain that I might be susceptible to mental manipulation—because of this monster.
Meanwhile, the Captain pulled out the mana-detection item he’d prepared in advance.
He seemed intent on using it to locate the Queen, but before he could, I spoke first.
“No item is necessary. I can sense where the Queen is. She’s currently guarding the mana crystal on the topmost floor of that castle you see over there.”
“Are you certain?”
“Yes, absolutely certain.”
I could be sure.
Even before my regression, the Queen of Rift Four had been atop that very castle.
However, I obviously couldn’t admit I knew the Queen’s location because I was a regressor.
So once again, I covered it with the same old lie—that I could detect mana—and surprisingly, the Captain seemed to believe me.
“Your detection ability truly is remarkable. To sense mana from such a distance…”
“Thank you. Shall we hurry, then? This place feels unusually thick with poison.”
“Agreed. Let’s move quickly.”
With our destination set, we immediately set off.
The path was quiet.
But that didn’t mean we could let our guard down.
After all, aside from the Queen, all manner of monsters roamed freely around here.
Come to think of it, didn’t a few hound-shaped monsters appear around here last time?
As if on cue, something large began slinking out from behind a nearby withered tree.
Its form and movements matched exactly what I’d encountered before my regression.
Thanks to that, I identified it without difficulty.
“It’s nothing special. I’ll handle it.”
“Isn’t your arm still stiff?”
“My forearm injury healed long ago. I think it’s time I loosened up a bit.”
Hearing that, the Captain readily stepped back.
I glanced at his face, wondering if he might be worried, but saw no such sign.
He simply watched me as impassively as ever.
I gave him a single nod, then grasped the sword at my waist.
Ssshhh—
As I channeled my ability and gripped my blade, frost began creeping over its white steel.
Soon, cold radiated outward in a circle around me, and the ground at my feet froze over lightly.
This was my ability.
My power to freeze all things chilled my sword, the air, and even the earth itself.
Watching the grayish ground steadily turn white with ice, the Captain murmured,
“I always say this, but your ability really is exceptional. Few can manifest their power as visibly and distinctly as you do.”
“It’s not just my ability that’s exceptional. As you well know, swordsmanship is truly where I shine.”
Just then, a pack of hound monsters began emerging one by one, surrounding us.
And in that moment, I had a realization.
The time had come to show the Captain the skill of Yulia, now thirty, honed over the past five years.
By then, the monster pack had fully encircled us.
Each hound was several times larger than an ordinary dog, with razor-sharp fangs.
They clearly viewed the two humans who’d invaded their territory as nothing more than prey.
Despite their usual caution, they charged straight at me without further scouting.
Grrrrr!!
The first to rush forward appeared to be their leader.
The gray-brown alpha swiftly closed the distance, then leaped off the ground.
No doubt, it planned to pin me down from above and tear out my throat.
But its fangs would never reach my neck.
Whoosh!
I waited until it was airborne, then instantly swung my sword.
The blade itself didn’t directly strike the monster.
Had an ordinary person swung like that, the creature wouldn’t have taken any damage.
But my case was different.
From the sword I swung through the air, mana charged with cold surged forth and struck the monster.
Thwack!
The sharply emitted mana—commonly called sword qi—severed the monster’s neck midair.
The first attacker, their leader, was thus cleanly dispatched.
Grrr…
Seeing their leader fall lifelessly, the other hounds hesitated, clearly frightened.
I hoped they’d retreat, but they proved dumber than expected—two of them charged at us instead.
They likely assumed a simultaneous assault would prevent me from dodging, but once again, I showed them how wrong they were.
Kraaang…!!
Grrk!!
First, I twisted my upper body slightly to dodge the one directly ahead.
Then, using the momentum, I slashed the one on the left.
Leveraging my body’s recoil, I cleanly split the left hound in two.
Maintaining my sword’s momentum, I kept rotating, and cut down the one that had just charged from the front.
Kyaaang!
There was a common misconception among those who’d never seen the Silver Knights in battle.
Since the order consisted solely of Awakened individuals wielding abilities, people wrongly assumed their non-ability skills were mediocre.
But that was precisely a misconception.
While a powerful ability certainly gave an advantage in combat, it alone couldn’t defeat monsters.
Our foes were far stronger than ordinary beasts.
Thus, we had to perfect every aspect we possessed.
Our ability, our martial skill, our weapon—none could fall short.
Kyaaang! Klang!
The two remaining hounds began retreating cautiously, then bolted to flee.
I briefly considered letting them go, but ultimately raised my sword.
They might bring another pack back after all.
So I held my blade upright, perpendicular to the ground, and drove it forcefully into the earth.
Instantly, the ground around the blade began freezing with a loud crackling sound.
Krrrrrzzz!
From the frozen earth, sharp ice pillars erupted.
As they spread outward, they impaled the two fleeing hounds.
Thud! Watching the monsters instantly slain by the ice, the Captain showed interest beside me.
“What was that technique just now?”
“I devised it recently. As you saw, it makes sharp ice erupt from the ground to pierce monsters.”
I told him it was newly devised, but in truth, I’d created it before my regression.
Was I twenty-eight then?
I’d originally started using it three years later, but there was no reason I couldn’t use it now.
“Not bad. But it has one flaw—it only works against ground-bound enemies.”
As he said this, the Captain took his halberd from his back.
Then, just as I had earlier, he infused mana into his weapon and swung it through the air.
The mana from his halberd transformed into pitch-black, searing flames that shot toward a nearby tree.
Kyaaang!
The last hound, hidden in the tree, was cleaved cleanly by his sword qi.
Its corpse, falling to the ground, was instantly engulfed by black flames and burned to nothing.
Having eliminated the final hound with what sounded like advice, the Captain turned to me.
“When using that technique, always check above. It won’t work on elevated monsters.”
“I saw the one in the tree earlier—I left it for you in case you got bored.”
“Tch. Your mouth’s still sharp.”
Seeing him stow his weapon without smiling, even at my light jest, I couldn’t help but smile faintly myself.
He hadn’t changed a bit.
Even before my regression, he’d been a man of few smiles, living up to his nickname ‘the Cold-Blooded.’
Perhaps it was precisely because of this that I hadn’t realized he cared for me until the moment I died.
Of course, unlike the Captain five years from now, the current Captain probably genuinely disliked me—but it didn’t bother me.
After all, if we spent the next five years together, his feelings toward me would change anyway.
For now, his unwavering demeanor simply felt comforting.
Then, in his usual curt tone, he urged me on.
“Stop spacing out and move. Don’t you sense any other monsters?”
“No. Aside from the ones we just dealt with, there’s nothing nearby. All that’s left is—”
“The Queen.”
The Queen of Rift Four—a formidable monster with the ability to manipulate minds.
Because of her, half the squad we’d brought with us had perished in my previous life.
Recalling that moment, my facial muscles stiffened involuntarily.
Seeing me like that, the Captain abruptly said something unexpected.
“There’s no need to be tense. Nothing worrisome will happen.”
Though it was just a simple remark, it cleared the fog of anxiety that had filled my mind.
Right—this time, the past wouldn’t repeat itself.
Believing that, I followed the Captain as he walked ahead.
[This is the timeline separator]The mana crystal and the Queen were located on the highest floor of the old castle.
Thus, we had to endlessly climb a spiral staircase just to meet Her Majesty.
Stone steps stretched on and on.
As I mindlessly kept walking, lulled by the repetitive scenery, my thoughts began to blur.
“We’re here. This is the final floor.”
Hearing the Captain, I looked up and indeed saw the end of the staircase.
Climbing up, we found a corridor—and right ahead, a door.
I remembered that old, rusted door clearly.
Because even before my regression, a monster had waited for us beyond it.
Before opening the door, the Captain gestured for me to suppress my presence.
Having already done so, I gave a small nod and gripped my weapon.
Just as he was about to enter, the Captain oddly added a few more words.
“I have one warning to give.”
“What is it?”
“Though it shouldn’t happen—if I lose myself to the Queen’s ability and attack you—”
“You’ll tell me to stab you without hesitation, right? I won’t do it.”
The Captain looked slightly surprised.
Whether it was because I’d guessed his words or because of my reply, I couldn’t tell.
But his next words suggested it was the latter.
“Why wouldn’t you kill me? Don’t my orders count?”
“Yes, but that order seems unreasonable. Why would I kill you, Captain?”
“You’re the one talking nonsense. I thought you secretly wanted to kill me.”
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]
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Yulia is exceptionally intelligent and always finds creative solutions to difficult problems.
Took you so long!! I suspected him when he sneek up on you at the river and finally confirmed my suspicion of him since the Ball!!