My Mistress Became My Wife (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 5
“No matter how hard I look, I just can’t figure it out.”
Unable to find any connection between Viscount Benjamin’s household and the Second Prince, Harold slammed the documents onto the table and pressed his throbbing temples.
Dillon began tidying the scattered papers and said,
“It seems things aren’t going as smoothly as you’d hoped.”
“Yeah. It’s tough trying to understand the actions of an irrational person when you’re perfectly sane yourself.”
Dillon paused briefly, then asked again,
“You’re not suggesting that the sane person here isn’t you, are you?”
“Well… you’re right.”
“Good heavens.”
Dillon sighed deeply and slapped his forehead.
“If anyone else heard that, they’d be shocked—calling it utter nonsense.”
In knightly orders, the hierarchy was absolute. A subordinate questioning his superior or debating right and wrong was unthinkable—such behavior would earn immediate punishment or, at worst, dismissal from knighthood.
Yet Dillon spoke to Harold as if he were a friend rather than a superior, and Harold, instead of scolding him, merely chuckled amusedly and shot back,
“So you’re saying I’m abnormal?”
“Not exactly abnormal—but certainly not normal either. Or maybe I should just call you abnormal. After all, nobles of high birth rarely volunteer for the border garrison.”
And yet here was the second son of Duke Maximilian, the Empire’s Sword and the Emperor’s right hand, joining the border garrison—not as a punishment, but of his own free will. This had thrown Cardin’s entire border garrison into an uproar.
There had to be something behind it. Every border guard in Cardin eyed Harold suspiciously.
Dillon was no exception. Though his suspicions had lessened over the past four years, he still found the whole thing puzzling.
“I’m genuinely curious—why did you volunteer for Cardin’s border garrison, Captain? With your skill, you could’ve easily joined the Imperial Knights.”
Harold shrugged.
“I thought I’d already answered that before.”
“Do you mean that ridiculous reply about joining because the Imperial Knights were too boring?”
“Ridiculous? I was being perfectly serious—it’s disheartening to hear you dismiss it so lightly.”
“Don’t say things you don’t mean.”
Dillon snapped back curtly and stood up.
“If you’ve finished reviewing the documents, let’s go. The Duchess specifically instructed me to bring you back early for a small welcome party she’s hosting tonight.”
At the mention of a party, deep lines creased Harold’s handsome face.
“Do I really have to go?”
Harold made no secret of his reluctance, but Dillon stood his ground.
“The Duke himself also insisted that I bring you—no exceptions.”
Mentioning Duke Maximilian left Harold with no choice but to rise.
After leaving the café, Harold had just stepped toward the carriage when he turned his head. On a spring day bathed in sunshine, someone was walking down the avenue lined with blooming pink trees.
“…Liliana Benjamin?”
It was Lily herself. Harold had thought he ought to meet her in person—after all, she might share a deep connection with the Second Prince—but he never expected to run into her here. The coincidence caught him slightly off guard.
Still, at least this saved him the trouble of tracking her down.
Harold fully withdrew his half-entered body from the carriage and studied her carefully.
In her portrait, Lily had seemed like a lively, budding flower—but the real Lily before him looked utterly devoid of vitality, like a wilted bloom. Her deadened eyes, as if she’d weathered every storm in the world, left a different kind of impression.
Perhaps that was why Harold couldn’t tear his gaze away from her—until he sensed something odd and turned his head. Even in broad daylight, a pair of sharp golden eyes flashed from the shadows of a dark alley.
Someone was tailing Liliana Benjamin.
[This is the timeline separator]Because her family’s carriage had left without her, Lily had no choice but to rent a shared carriage.
Though she couldn’t afford even a single piece of her mother’s favorite fruit due to the unexpectedly high rental fee, she was at least relieved to arrive at the convalescent hospital right on time for visiting hours.
Her mother, Grace Benjamin, was currently hospitalized at Calvador Convalescent Hospital—the finest facility in the Empire.
The problem, of course, was that such quality came at a steep cost.
Moreover, due to security policies, the hospital allowed only one visit per week—and strictly limited to two hours. Other convalescent facilities operated similarly.
Thus, Lily had personally cared for her mother and had intended to continue doing so even after marriage, but Frederick and his family had strongly opposed it. Samantha, in particular, had thrown a fit, yelling that she couldn’t possibly live under the same roof as a “madwoman,” leaving a deep, lifelong scar on Lily’s heart.
Consequently, the very day Lily married Frederick, her mother was admitted to Calvador Convalescent Hospital.
Though Lily took comfort in knowing her mother was receiving expert care in a well-equipped facility, she couldn’t help but feel conflicted each time she saw the bleak, gray building enclosed by high iron fences—it felt more like a prison than a hospital, worsening her mood.
“Wow, big sister!”
Her mother, unable to recognize her own daughter and cheerfully calling her “older sister,” broke Lily’s heart. She bit her lip hard, fighting back tears that threatened to spill over.
“Why the sad face? Are you hurt somewhere?”
“Huh? No, I’m fine… Mom—”
“Mom.” Lily barely managed to swallow the word that had almost slipped out, forcing a strained smile instead.
Grace, having suffered severe burns across her entire body in an accident two years prior, had regressed mentally to the age of eight and remembered nothing—not even Lily, nor anything related to House Benjamin.
Desperate to restore her mother’s memory, Lily had repeatedly called her “Mom” and talked about family matters—but each time, Grace would shriek or claw at her own head in violent fits.
“The trauma likely stems from the sudden loss of her husband,” the attending physician had explained after observing Grace’s symptoms.
“Anything associated with him seems to trigger distress. Until she stabilizes, it’s best not to call her ‘Mom,’ discuss family, or especially mention her late husband.”
Not being able to call her own mother “Mom” felt like the sky was collapsing—but for her mother’s sake, Lily did her utmost to be careful.
Still, she couldn’t perfectly suppress the instinctive slip—after all, she’d called Grace “Mom” for twenty years.
At least now, she usually caught herself before finishing the word. When she didn’t, Grace inevitably suffered another episode.
“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry, Mom…”
Whenever this happened, Lily would lock herself in some secluded place like a restroom and sob uncontrollably.
Her tears carried both the guilt of hurting her mother through her own mistake and the sorrow of being forbidden to call her “Mom.”
“Big sister, don’t cry.”
“I’m not crying.”
I’ll never cry in front of you, Mom.
Hiding her melancholy behind an awkward smile, Lily embraced Grace tightly. The familiar scent that seeped deep into her lungs with every breath gently soothed her heavy heart.
What comforted her most was her mother’s warmth. The steady thump of her heartbeat was also a great solace—it was undeniable proof that she was still alive. Because Grace had returned from the brink of death, Lily wasn’t left completely alone.
If Grace had also passed away in that accident two years ago, Lily would have left this world without a second thought.
So please… stay by my side, Mom. It’s okay if you don’t remember me… Just don’t leave me. I’ll do my very best to endure…
Lily pressed the vow—repeated countless times before—deeper into her heart and held her mother even tighter.
[This is the timeline separator]Early evening, as the blue sky turned crimson with sunset.
“…”
After bidding her mother a reluctant farewell, Lily returned to Viscount Benjamin’s mansion and paused upon seeing the carriage being diligently polished by the coachman.
It was Frederick’s private carriage—unused by either Lily or Samantha. Its presence here meant Frederick had returned.
“Has he come back?”
Wanting confirmation, Lily asked the coachman. Startled by her sudden appearance, he bowed deeply and replied,
“Yes, my lady. The master returned an hour ago.”
“I see…”
Though she’d suspected as much, hearing it confirmed left a bitter taste in her mouth. Lily trailed off and stared at the mansion’s entrance. She’d never liked entering this place—and now that Frederick was back, she disliked it even more.
If asked to name the most difficult person in this household, the answer would unequivocally be Frederick. It wasn’t as if he’d done anything particularly wrong to her. True to his word on their wedding night—that he wouldn’t interfere in her affairs—he’d done nothing at all. Yet she still hated him.
After all, he was the one who’d dragged her into this hell.
Ironically, he was also the one who’d rescued her and her mother from another hell.
“Young Lady?”
Startled out of her daze by the coachman’s cautious call, Lily blinked hard—so wide-eyed that her pupils stung.
“Good work.”
Smiling as if nothing were wrong, Lily entered the mansion. The grand hall bustled with servants, yet not a single one paid her any mind. Everyone treated her as if she didn’t exist, focusing solely on their own tasks—even the maids who normally attended to her.
“…”
Their deliberate indifference clearly bore Samantha’s influence.
Could it be that Samantha—not Brian—was the one who’d ordered the coachman to leave without her?
Correcting her earlier suspicion in her mind, Lily ascended the central staircase. Her steps, heading straight for her bedroom, halted abruptly when she spotted a man standing before her door.
“…Frederick?”
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
_____
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