Strategic Marriage with the Mad Villain (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 12
Shanet seemed startled for a moment, then nodded as if she understood.
Wait, hold on. What exactly did you understand?
“If only you’d given me some notice, Reus. I’d have had the staff prepare everything in advance.”
“Since Lady Yveler will be staying here for the time being, there’s no need for you to worry about such matters.”
Who…? Me?
‘That’s not right…’
“Oh my! In that case, I shouldn’t be standing around here—I must hurry and tell the head chef to prepare more food. I’ll go ahead first; you and Lady Yveler come along slowly.”
“Understood.”
Shanet, having quickly finished her exchange with Reus, turned toward me.
“You’re certainly not a guest we expected so suddenly… I’m sorry, Lady Yveler.”
“No, I’m… I’m not at all a special guest…”
“Yes, that was my oversight. Next time, I’ll be sure to inform you in advance.”
I tried to correct the misunderstanding, but Reus cut in before I could continue.
“Then I’ll see you again shortly, Lady Yveler.”
Shanet glanced contentedly between the two of us, then quickly turned and headed toward the Grand Duke’s estate.
I stared blankly at Shanet’s retreating figure.
‘What on earth is all this…?’
The absurdity of the situation left me gaping mutely. Only after a long while could I barely manage to speak.
“Uh, excuse me… wha—”
The problem was that, out of sheer bewilderment, both my wits and my manners had gone completely AWOL.
To address the Empire’s one and only Grand Duke with “Excuse me…”!
I’d grown so accustomed to thinking of him in my head as “that guy,” “you know who,” and just plain “Reus” that the words slipped out without a second thought.
Knowing full well I’d made a mistake, I couldn’t bring myself to say another word—and seeing me like that, Reus calmly replied,
“Yes, ‘Excuse me’? I’m listening—please go ahead.”
“…Huh?”
In my fluster, every question I’d wanted to ask flew right out of my head.
‘Was my head really the worst injured part that day…?’
Ah, right. I’d been burning up with fever—my brain must have cooked a little. Otherwise, how else could someone behave so erratically?
I’d genuinely wanted to ask if he was feeling unwell anywhere. But I quickly shut my mouth again.
It was because of Reus’s expression.
Hard to explain, but… he just looked inexplicably pleased.
‘Yep, that’s it. He’s definitely lost it.’
I sighed inwardly, feeling sorry for him, before snapping back to my senses.
…Wait. That’s not even the issue right now.
The real problem was that Reus had tricked me!
Thinking back, things had already been odd since the drawing room—conversations didn’t flow as usual, he explained things I hadn’t even asked about, and back in the carriage, he’d even smiled, however briefly.
I should’ve realized something was off right then!
Then it hit me—the letter.
‘So… the letter was fake, too…?’
No wonder he’d been unusually chatty—he’d been deliberately distracting me so I wouldn’t read it!
This wasn’t something I could just brush off as coincidence or my imagination. And the carriage ride, too—Reus would never normally share a carriage with anyone!
Honestly, from start to finish, Reus had completely played me.
“Why did you trick me…?”
My words came out sharper than I’d intended. But Reus, unfazed, replied calmly.
“Didn’t you also deceive me?”
“…What?”
“I assumed you’d been lingering so long outside the door because you were wondering how to lie or escape. Am I wrong?”
“I—I don’t… I just… couldn’t believe the Grand Duke himself would visit our house! I was nervous, that’s all…!”
I defended myself earnestly, but he looked like he wasn’t even listening.
“Even if you’d told the truth, would anything have changed, Lady Yveler?”
“Of course it…!”
Reus let out an exasperated sigh, cutting me off before I could finish.
Actually—no, more accurately—it was his gaze fixed on me, pinning me in place, that kept me from uttering another word.
Though his eyes were relaxed, the pupils beneath gleamed with the sharp intensity of a predator’s.
“You seem rather skilled at running away.”
“……”
“Were you planning to flee right before my eyes this time as well?”
“…I don’t know what you mean by ‘running away.’”
“Not only good at escaping, but also a master at feigning ignorance. I’m impressed.”
His tone clearly said he’d humor whatever I said next, and without meaning to, I felt my frustration rise.
“That’s because you’ve always been like that…!”
“Me?”
Reus wore an expression suggesting he either truly didn’t remember or was pretending not to.
What followed was an insincere apology.
“In that case, I apologize. Please be understanding, Lady Yveler.”
Then, with a faint smile, he extended his hand toward me—as if to escort me.
Perhaps spurred by the urge to flee this utterly derailed situation, courage suddenly welled up in me. Firmly, I pushed Reus’s hand away.
“I-I’m going back.”
My voice trembled slightly from fear of his reaction, but I managed to turn away. Immediately, I heard a soft click of his tongue behind me.
‘Ah—nope, didn’t hear a thing. Absolutely nothing.’
Instead of grabbing me, Reus simply followed behind.
“I had no idea you were usually so cold.”
“I—I don’t understand what you’ve been talking about this whole time, Your Grace.”
I deliberately lengthened my strides, walking quickly, but he caught up in an instant.
Reus stepped directly in front of me, slowly leaning forward until I had no room to retreat.
“If I stop you from leaving… are you planning to hit me again today?”
“Huh…?”
He gently tapped the corner of my eye.
“That—!”
“That?”
“……”
He looked down at me, leisurely, as if inviting me to say more.
I bit hard on my lower lip.
I nearly blurted out that it had been an accident out of surprise—not intentional at all.
Part of me wanted to slap him again, just to test whether he’d really felt it, but I forced myself to stay calm.
‘First things first… let’s just disengage.’
Instead of reacting the way he wanted, I spoke with deliberate composure, as if I’d never been flustered.
“Your Grace.”
“Have you finally remembered what you wanted to say?”
“No. I’d just like to offer my rather dull condolences. I don’t know who you ran into, but it seems you were assaulted by some reckless ruffian. How audacious—and brave—of them to lay hands on the Grand Duke.”
“Ah, the type who grows calmer by referring to themselves in the third person.”
His continued refusal to take me seriously nearly made me snap again, but I swallowed my anger and spoke evenly once more.
“…Anyway, it clearly has nothing to do with me.”
At my second denial, one of Reus’s eyebrows arched slightly.
“What I’m trying to say is, I believe Your Grace is mistaken. I am absolutely not the ruffian who attacked you. So, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll return to Count Yveler’s residence now.”
“Yes. No.”
“……”
I’d expected him to agree after the first word—but instead, he flatly and confidently refused.
‘Why is he doing this to me!’
Reus clearly remembered that day.
So why go to such lengths to deceive me just to bring me here?
If he’d wanted to compensate me, he’d have done it long ago. If he’d wanted to thank me, he should’ve done so back at Count Yveler’s estate.
Yet he’d done neither!
‘Whatever’s going on, I just need to run.’
I broke the tense standoff first.
“I wish to return to my own home…”
“How about we go to the Grove of Silence instead?”
I tried to protest, but his blunt suggestion made my shoulders flinch.
Reus murmured quietly,
“That’s also within Count Yveler’s domain, isn’t it?”
“If you dislike that, you may accompany me to the Grand Duke’s estate.”
“…And if I dislike both?”
I shot him a weak glare, brimming with resentment. But Reus held my gaze without flinching, forcing me to look away first.
‘Ugh, my pride’s hurt… but I’m scared…’
If I’d known things would turn out like this, I really should’ve hit him one more time that day.
Seeing me fall silent and refuse to meet his eyes, Reus sighed resignedly.
“I suppose we have no choice but to return to Count Yveler’s residence.”
“…Really?”
I quickly snapped my head back to face him.
“Now that I think of it, I never properly thanked you for your kindness. Since Lady Yveler seems utterly indifferent to my gratitude, I’ll express my thanks to the Countess instead.”
“……”
“Unless… she already knows everything? That might explain why you keep insisting on going back.”
Be exposed to Peria, trapped forever in her grasp, and meet the same fate as in the original story—or find some way out of this tangled mess.
‘Obviously… the latter.’
Making my choice swiftly, I hesitated only momentarily before pulling Reus’s hand back in front of me.
Afraid he might react sensitively to being touched, I was relieved when he simply watched me in silence.
Carefully, I took his large hand in mine.
“L-Let’s go, Your Grace… Shanet is probably waiting…”
Reus gently closed his fingers around my hand, wearing a look of satisfaction greater than I’d ever seen before.
Male lead fell into her trap — and shattered when she walked away
This is also on my reread list!
This one is a slow burn, but when it burns, it burns hard.
Definitely worth a read, y’all!
The story follows a thousand-year-old seductive spirit who, on a bet, sets out to charm the male lead—a once-promising but unfortunate cultivator.
But just when she succeeds in making him fall for her, she heartlessly leaves, driving him to madness.
Determined to find her at all costs, he captures her, keeping her by his side no matter what, even if she hates him.
I love this kind of trope—I enjoy watching the male lead suffer in agony.
The ending drags a bit with unnecessary filler, but that’s fine.
As long as I enjoy the beginning, I’m good.
Intro
As an enchantress, Su Heng possesses captivating eyes and charming beauty, easily manipulating the joys and sorrows of living beings at her fingertips.
But to enchant a god, making him taste the bitterness of love’s separation, long-lasting resentment, unattainable desires, and inability to let go…
Do you dare?
Su Heng assists a divine lord in his cultivation, aiming to make him experience all the sufferings of love, so that he can attain the Great Dao.
Only after being chased down from the heavens by the divine lord, confined and completely possessed by him, does she realize how successful she has been.
The once gentle and polite youth has transformed into someone she no longer recognizes.
[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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