The Beast Swallowed by the Flower (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 17
“The count’s family has come to visit?”
While Lisi was changing clothes, Krishina informed her of Zen’s arrival.
Lisi’s heart sank.
Her husband’s family.
In her previous life, her relationship with Viscount Fuchs’s family had been dreadful. She had no good memories of her in-laws at all—so much so that the Wittelo ducal family felt more comfortable by comparison.
They seemed to believe Lisi, unworthy as she was, had bewitched their brilliant and distinguished son into marriage.
Julianne, Alford’s sister and wife of Count Walter, was a woman whose behavior differed completely inside and outside the home. Outside, she was the refined and gentle Countess Walter, but within, she displayed a sharp-tempered and cruel side.
Whenever Julianne visited Alford’s mansion, she would inspect the household. Lisi had to follow quietly behind her like a maid while Julianne scrutinized every corner.
Even though housekeeping wasn’t Lisi’s duty, Julianne would blame her if even a single speck of dust was found on the window sills.
“You can’t even manage something as simple as this, despite being the mistress of the house? Did you spend your whole life as nothing but a flower in the Wittelo ducal family, learning absolutely nothing? You lack the basics—true basics.”
Then she’d order a maid to fetch a switch.
“If you’ve done something wrong, you deserve a beating.”
The sharp sting of the thin switch striking her calves—so vivid, as if it had happened yesterday.
Red welts would form on her pale, delicate skin, sometimes even breaking into bleeding wounds.
Blood would trickle down her calves.
Rather than being flustered, Julianne would offer a faint smile, as if this was exactly what she’d wanted.
Even after seeing Lisi’s swollen calves, Alford sided with Julianne.
“My sister values propriety and manners. You hardly have any upbringing, after all. You’re just called the ‘flower of the Wittelo ducal family’… If I’d known you’d be treated like that in your own family, I’d never have married you. Be grateful—I’m keeping you by my side instead of discarding someone like you.”
Her in-laws were no better—if anything, even harsher.
Lisi closed her eyes and steadied her quickening breath.
‘It’s all in the past. This time, none of that will happen.’
She hadn’t even considered that Kai also had a family.
Given that Count Kaelbrant Green, guardian of the holy relic, was so renowned, his family was equally famous.
His father, Marquis Wyvern Green, and his mother, Heraina.
His younger brother Eldhardt, second-in-command of the Holy Knights under the Holy Nation.
And his youngest sister, Jereshien.
As far as Lisi knew, Jereshien rarely attended social gatherings, yet everyone wanted to become close to her.
‘Jereshien…’
In her past life, Lisi had seen Jereshien two or three times at parties.
But she’d only ever observed from afar—never exchanged a word.
‘She gave off a cold impression…’
Though she called it her ‘past life,’ for Lisi, it had happened barely a month ago.
Right before her death, she’d been beaten by Julianne over her inability to bear children, leaving her with deep trauma regarding her ‘husband’s family.’
Outwardly, she showed nothing, but inwardly, her heart pounded so hard it made her temples throb.
“Lady Iris, are you all right? You look very pale…”
Lisi blinked as if awakening from a dream and stared blankly at Krishina’s face before snapping back to her senses.
‘Right—I’m not Iris Wittelo or Iris Fuchs. I’m Iris Green.’
Iris Wittelo and Iris Fuchs had silently endured unjust beatings, but Iris Green was different.
“You seem unwell, probably from exhaustion. Shall I call a physician?”
Krishina’s eyes brimmed with concern.
Over Krishina’s shoulder, Lisi saw Gillette pouting with pursed lips.
Her expression plainly said, ‘Physician? Please. She’s just acting weak.’
Erwell stared at Gillette with eyes that seemed to say, ‘Should I just kill her now?’—but Lisi decided she’d probably misunderstood.
The young lady of the prestigious Lutec family wouldn’t harbor such violent thoughts.
“I’m fine. It’s just a bit warm today.”
“You shouldn’t overexert yourself, Lady Iris. You’ll be dining with Lady Jereshien tonight… She’s a bit…”
Krishina trailed off before adding,
“The count’s guards all fumble helplessly whenever they’re in front of Lady Jereshien.”
Erwell nodded vigorously in agreement.
Lisi would have avoided it if she could.
But she couldn’t spend her whole life avoiding Kai’s family.
‘Besides…’
While drifting through death, Lisi had witnessed Kai’s family meeting their ends.
His parents, his younger brother, his sister—they wouldn’t live out comfortable, peaceful lives.
‘I don’t know the exact timing, but…’
If what she saw in death was truly the future, then she had to change whatever she could.
‘For now…’
Lisi cast aside her fear and regained her composure.
‘I’ll judge them myself.’
+++
Kai knew marriage wasn’t something one could arrange entirely alone.
Though love marriages were becoming trendy, he was well aware it remained a crucial alliance between noble houses.
Still.
“I completely forgot.”
When Jamie asked if he’d even informed the old marquis and marchioness about the marriage, Kai answered firmly.
Jamie stared at Kai in disbelief before speaking.
“If the captain is so absentminded, it’ll only make things harder for me, won’t it?”
“Sorry, sorry. But honestly… I completely forgot.”
“How is that even possible?”
“Yeah… I don’t know either.”
From the day Lisi arrived wearing a hood, Kai’s mind had been filled almost entirely with thoughts of her.
What was her true identity?
Why did she feel so mysteriously enchanting?
How could someone who appeared so proud and strong sometimes seem so fragile and precarious?
When would she finally open her heart?
What would she be like when flustered?
What would she look like in bed?
What would their wedding night be like?
These unanswerable thoughts crowded his mind so thoroughly that the idea of informing his family about the marriage never even crossed it.
“Zen aside… Do you really think the old marquis and his lady will stay calm once they find out?”
“Hmm. That is troublesome.”
“Troublesome isn’t the half of it, is it?”
Jamie smiled while gritting his teeth, growling softly.
“I should talk to Zen first.”
Knowing well how strong-willed his younger sister was, Kai planned to placate her first.
“Save your breath and sit down, Captain.”
Jamie pointed to a chair with his index finger.
“Sometimes I wonder who’s really in charge—you or me. What did Zen say?”
“‘I don’t want to see my idiot older brother, who carries his head around like mere decoration, for longer than necessary. Just call me for dinner!'”
“…She said that.”
“Even though she’s grown, why does she still talk like that…?”
“Well, can you blame her?”
Kai fell silent.
He could easily imagine how harshly Zen had treated his shadows during his absence.
He had no excuse.
“Write a letter to the old marquis before dinner, Captain. You should at least tell him about the marriage now—otherwise, how will you be a good son?”
+++
“I’m sorry, Lisi, for not warning you that my sister will be joining us for dinner. Oh, that dress—it suits you well.”
Before dinner, Kai came to fetch Lisi.
She wore a deep wine-colored dress—simple yet elegant.
“Don’t apologize. You didn’t know either.”
Lisi lightly rested her hand on Kai’s arm as they walked down the corridor.
“There’s… something I should mention beforehand.”
“Go ahead.”
“I have two younger siblings. The one coming today is my younger sister—the youngest in our family.”
“I see.”
“So she’s rather… immature, and her personality is quite… how should I put it…”
“An absolute brat.”
The reply came from behind them.
Nathan had been following them unnoticed.
Every time Lisi saw Nathan, she mistook him for a girl.
He had a build similar to hers, fair and pretty features, and slightly long, light golden hair.
Nathan pushed his hair back impatiently with one hand and added,
“I’m joining dinner too, Captain. I need to see what absurd things that brat of a girl will say to my sister-in-law.”
Kai didn’t correct Nathan for calling his own sister ‘that brat of a girl.’
Lisi recalled that Kai’s relationship with his shadows wasn’t that of a typical noble and his knights.
As far as she knew, Kai’s shadows were practically family to him.
“That works.”
Kai nodded.
Lisi felt the anxiety she’d barely shaken off begin rising again.
What kind of personality did Jereshien have that everyone worried so much about her potential rudeness?
“Sister-in-law.”
Nathan quickly stepped to Lisi’s side.
“Whatever Jereshien says, just let it pass through one ear and out the other. It’s not worth paying attention to.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. She really… doesn’t know how to say what’s on her mind without blurting it out bluntly.”
When Lisi smiled faintly, Nathan tilted his head in curiosity.
“Why are you smiling?”
“You seem just the same.”
Nathan grinned, showing his even teeth.
“You’re no pushover yourself, sister-in-law.”
When he smiled, Nathan looked even more like a girl.
“Anyway, sister-in-law—just let unpleasant words drift past you and only truly listen to the pleasant ones. Zen’s the same way, so she can’t complain if you do that. If she does, I’ll kick her for you.”
“Kick her? But she’s a lady.”
“A lady? Jereshien?”
Nathan widened his eyes in astonishment and looked at Kai as if saying, ‘Just listen to how our sister-in-law talks!’
Kai spoke.
“Lisi, Jereshien isn’t so much a lady… as a warrior.”
+++
Zen was already in the dining hall when they arrived for dinner.
Seated at one end of the long table, she turned her head at the sound of the door opening.
Lisi entered slowly, her hand resting on Kai’s arm.
Nathan walked just beside her on the left.
Zen didn’t seem to mind Nathan’s presence.
Kai headed toward the head seat, and Lisi stopped directly opposite Zen.
After observing Lisi for a moment, Zen turned to Kai.
“Wanna switch seats?”
“What?”
“What makes you think you get the head seat, brother? Isn’t your wife the guest of honor today?”
Surprised by the unexpected suggestion, Lisi’s eyes widened.
Kai was equally taken aback.
“Oh, right.”
Kai readily agreed and swapped seats with Lisi.
Having never sat at the head of a table before, Lisi approached the seat with awkward hesitation.
When Lisi stood before her chair, Zen rose from her seat.
“This is…”
Kai began to introduce them, but Zen raised a finger to cut him off.
“I’d rather hear your wife’s voice than yours, brother.”
Lisi was flustered.
What did Zen want?
Was this some new form of harassment?
Zen raised one eyebrow at Lisi, clearly signaling, ‘Go on—introduce yourself.’
Deciding she had nothing to lose, Lisi complied.
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Iris Green. I recently registered my marriage with Kaelbrant Green, Jereshien’s older brother. Before that, I was known as Iris Wittelo.”
“I’m Jereshien Green. Call me Zen—informally is fine.”
Zen spoke expressionlessly.
Then she added,
“Would it be okay to call you older sister?”
This time, Zen’s face lit up with an expression.
The older sister-in-law, older than Lisi, now wore a hopeful look like a puppy waiting for someone to toss her a ball.
Why She Is Still Unmoved (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: He uses various methods to seek her affection, but she remains unmoved.
Synopsis:
Si Qingyu is a doctor who has saved countless lives and enjoys tranquility.
Luo Shaoxuan is ruthless, deeply scheming, and the top young master in the capital. He admires Si Qingyu.
Luo Shaoxuan: I want to be the only one in your eyes and heart.
Features a cold and calm female lead vs A noble and scheming male lead.
There will be both sweetness and torture towards the male after their marriage.
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