The Beast Swallowed by the Flower (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 2
A sticky hand choked Lisi.
The grip around her neck was stronger than usual.
He must have had a bad day today.
Whenever Alford was in a bad mood, he always took it out on Lisi.
“Ghh….”
A pained groan escaped through her parted lips, but Alford didn’t care at all.
“F*ck. F*ck.”
He only cursed and tightened his grip even more.
‘Ah, I see.’
Today, I’m going to die.
It had been quite a while since Lisi first noticed the change in Alford’s eyes when he looked at her.
Lisi was already approaching forty.
Many women wanted to become Alford’s wealthy concubine.
To Alford, Lisi—once brought from the ducal house and made his wife—was now nothing but trash he couldn’t even be bothered to throw away.
Her lungs, starved of air for too long, screamed in agony. Her vision blurred.
She’d always wanted to die but never had the courage. Well, dying like this wasn’t so bad after all. To die by the hands of a man she despised suited the miserable, pathetic end of her life perfectly.
Even in that moment, a bitter smile escaped her.
‘Why did I live like this?’
If only she’d known she’d die like this, she would have done something—anything—even at the cost of her life.
Why had she never spoken up, never resisted, never questioned, but just lived exactly as they, he, you, all of you demanded?
Britney’s face from a few days ago surfaced in her mind.
Now Empress, she had looked incredibly happy.
Britney had everything.
A husband at the pinnacle of power, healthy and adorable children, and even her former lover, Count Kaelbrant Green.
Though both were born as daughters of dukes, Britney’s and Lisi’s lives couldn’t have been more different.
‘You were always the protagonist.’
Iris was called the flower of Duke Wittelo’s house, yet she had never truly been a flower for even a single moment.
The real flower of the Wittelo ducal house was Britney.
Britney had trampled and broken Iris over and over again to ensure she’d never bloom.
Yet Iris had never screamed; she simply endured every step, every break, exactly as it came.
And this was the result.
Even her blurred vision had now vanished entirely. Fear struck her as darkness swallowed everything.
‘Is this truly the end?’
She’d thought she wouldn’t have regrets. After all, hoping for anything in this world was a luxury.
But as she suffocated in drowning death, only one thought remained.
‘I don’t want it to end like this.’
Not a single happy moment had she ever known.
‘I don’t want to die like this.’
To leave without ever tasting even a crumb of happiness was unbearably cruel.
‘Just once more…’
A fresh start.
‘Just one more time…’
Passionately.
‘Truly, just once…’
Happily.
She wanted to live that way.
Her earlobes burned. She’d expected it to be over—but the pain surprised her.
-Really?
A small voice seemed to whisper through the heat.
-Do you really want to live again?
It sounded like a little bird chirping.
She wanted to answer “Yes,” but no voice came out.
With a sense of something snapping, Lisi realized she had truly died.
So death was this easy and hollow.
The moment she acknowledged her death, countless images flooded before her eyes.
‘Is this what they call a life flashing before one’s eyes?’
It was both what Lisi had experienced and what she hadn’t—past, present, and future all at once.
‘I thought a life flashing before one’s eyes only showed past memories…’
Apparently not. Information crashed over her like a tidal wave, filling her mind completely. Even in death, she felt a headache and fear crept in.
She’d thought death meant the end—but what if it wasn’t?
Was this the beginning of a new torment?
Would even death deny her peace?
Was she condemned to an eternal hell?
-Live.
Again, the chirping voice reached her.
And then.
Iris opened her eyes.
+++
Lisi blinked.
It had already been a month since she died, rewound time, and came back to life—yet she still dreamed of that moment.
Every time she woke, goosebumps covered her skin. She couldn’t tell if the nightmare was reality or reality the nightmare.
At first, when she returned in time, she thought she’d merely had a very long, vivid nightmare.
But when the events from the dream began repeating themselves, she realized it wasn’t just an ordinary nightmare.
Incredible as it seemed, Lisi had lived a nightmare of a life, died, and been reborn by turning back time.
She stared quietly at the familiar ceiling, then noticed mold growing in the corner.
It had rained persistently the past few days—sure enough, mold had bloomed.
Bang-!
The door opened without a knock, and a maid entered.
“Young lady. Are you still lying in bed?”
The maid asked irritably.
No one outside would ever guess that Iris, known as the flower of Duke Wittelo’s household, received such treatment within the estate.
In the Wittelo ducal house, Lisi’s status was lower than that of the maids.
“I was just about to get up.”
Lisi obediently climbed out of bed.
“Get up earlier, earlier! Important guests are coming today, and we’re busy.”
The maid tossed a rag at Lisi.
Lisi subtly dodged it; the rag hit the edge of the bed and fell to the floor.
“Go out and clean the corridor windows. Change your dress afterward.”
“Understood.”
“Ugh, seriously. You never take initiative with anything. Does she really think she’s the Duke’s actual daughter?”
Muttering, the maid left the room.
Lisi picked up the rag from the floor and smiled coldly.
“The position of the Duke’s daughter? I’ll gladly reject it myself.”
Duke Gloven Wittelo had two daughters:
the elder, Britney, and the youngest, Iris.
Among them, Iris especially was praised for her beauty and grace, earning her the title “the flower of the Wittelo ducal house.”
Duke Wittelo openly declared his deep affection for his youngest daughter Iris, saying he never wanted to give her away and wished to keep her with him for life.
Openly—and only outwardly.
In truth, Iris was born from an affair between Duke Wittelo and a maid.
Though it was common for nobles to have mistresses and children with them, those children were rarely recognized as legitimate heirs.
And a child born to a mere maid? Even less so.
Duchess Wittelo wanted to erase the horrifying incident of her husband fathering a child with a lowly maid.
But the moment she entered the shabby room—intending to kill them both—and saw the newborn in the maid’s arms, the Duchess changed her mind.
“I’ll kill the maid and claim the child as my own.”
She declared this before the Duke.
“You… will raise that child?”
“Yes. The child looks like she’ll grow up beautifully.”
“We already have a lovely daughter. And it’s not even a son—why go through the trouble…?”
“My daughter won’t be given to just anyone. But that maid’s daughter is different.”
A cruel smile formed on the Duchess’s lips.
“Raise her well—gracefully, beautifully—so we can sell her off at the right moment.”
Thus, Iris became the officially recognized daughter of Duchess Wittelo.
Raised as Duke Wittelo’s cherished youngest daughter, Iris received countless lessons to become a “valuable commodity” ready for sale.
Yet the ducal family never truly cherished Lisi.
They treated her worse than a maid—abusing, beating, and starving her.
Their attitude toward Lisi spread among the household staff as well.
Small harassments, initially done discreetly to avoid the family’s notice, gradually grew worse. Britney even deliberately ordered maids to kick Lisi or force her to kneel before them.
Britney took immense pleasure in humiliating Lisi.
-Make her do something. She needs to learn housework if she wants her husband to love her.
That’s how the abuse worked.
At first, someone might have pitied Lisi.
Another might have thought, “But she’s still the Duke’s daughter…”
But once one person took the lead, saying, “It’s fine—go ahead, do more,” cruelty settled into everyone’s hearts.
To the people of the Wittelo ducal house, Lisi was someone they could mistreat without consequence.
After finishing cleaning, she changed into a dress.
Since “important guests” were arriving, the maids brought her the finest gown and assisted her.
As they tightly laced her corset, the door swung open without a knock.
“Iris!”
Britney entered, calling out cheerfully.
Unlike with Lisi, the maids bowed respectfully to Britney.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. Hurry up and help Iris change. It’s her first meeting with her future husband—she must look beautiful.”
Britney’s face radiated unrestrained delight.
“Iris, you’re so lucky. Marrying Alford, the owner of that huge trading company? Everyone will be so jealous.”
Alford.
‘So I really have turned back time.’
Everything had felt so ordinary lately that she’d doubted whether her regression was real.
But Alford’s visit today confirmed it.
She had lived until nearly forty, died by the hands of her husband Alford, witnessed countless revelations within death itself, and returned to the age of twenty.
‘It was a good thing I went straight to Kai back then.’
A month ago, upon waking anew, Lisi had immediately sought out Kai.
She didn’t want to live the same life again.
She refused to stain this new life with the same horrifying blood.
Armed with knowledge gained while drifting through death, she negotiated with Kai.
She’d been beaten severely after returning home—punished for disappearing from the estate for several days—but she had no regrets.
And today.
Alford was coming.
In her past life, he had come on this very day as well.
‘And I obediently married him, just as Duke Wittelo wished—without even the slightest protest.’
This life, Lisi had no intention of dying after living so pathetically again.
‘This time, whether I live or die—it’ll be my choice.’
Whoosh-!
Britney suddenly grabbed Lisi’s hair and yanked hard.
“Hey! I’m talking to you—pay attention!”
Lisi only moved her eyes to stare at Britney.
Britney frowned.
“How dare you stare at me with your eyes wide open like that?”
“You told me to focus on you, sister…”
Whack-!
Britney punched Lisi on the head.
“Who told you to call me sister? You’re supposed to address me as ‘young lady’!”
“Yes, young lady.”
Lisi answered meekly, and Britney released her hair with a satisfied smile.
“Anyway, that old man—I saw him at the last party. He’s got a huge belly, grease just dripping off his face. Honestly, at least you’ll eat well and live comfortably in his house. Though I do worry you’ll end up just like him—belly bulging, grease oozing everywhere.”
“…….”
“But really, who else would want someone like you as a wife? Be grateful and serve that old man well. Understand?”
“Yes, I will.”
“Just don’t do anything to embarrass our family. Though… with your capabilities, what could you even do? Still…”
Britney leaned close to Lisi’s ear.
She whispered softly so the maids wouldn’t hear.
“Your mother was a loose woman, after all. I worry you’ll turn out the same. Blood never lies.”
It was a phrase Lisi had heard hundreds of times—so it no longer hurt.
In the past, she would have silently endured such words, but not anymore.
With a smile as if she’d just uttered the most brilliant phrase in the world, Lisi stepped toward Britney—who was still glowing with self-satisfaction—and whispered into her ear:
“If we’re talking blood, then your father’s just the same.”
“What…?”
Britney’s eyes widened in utter disbelief at what had just happened.
Too shocked to even get angry, Britney stood there, lips flapping wordlessly—when suddenly a maid burst in.
“Young lady, young lady! Something terrible has happened!”
“What is it?”
Britney snapped at the maid, but the maid paid no heed.
“Count Green! Count Kaelbrant Green has arrived!”
Lisi smiled.
Kaelbrant Green.
So he’s accepted the deal.
Male lead is reincarnated to save his wife
I’ve also read this one twice already. The female lead is kinda soft and gets embarrassed easily—not really my type, but the plot is definitely worth reading. Hurry up and read it, y’all!
Intro
When Shen Yuan encountered Su Jin again in his previous life, she had already become the Prime Minister of the current dynasty. As for him, the former top young master of the capital, he had long since fallen into the abyss, becoming a singer on a pleasure boat.
After a song ended, he was redeemed and sent to the Su Residence.
Su Jin respected and cherished him, gave him a roof over his head, and bestowed him with warmth. Shen Yuan fell deeper and deeper, but before he could express his feelings, Su Jin passed away.
Shen Yuan died to follow her in death, but instead, he returned to when he was fifteen years old.
At that time, he was not yet engaged, and Su Jin was just a poor scholar.
Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, casting aside all his pride, and thought of ways to coax and entice her every day.
The colder and more indifferent Su Jin was towards him, the more proactive Shen Yuan became.
He was not afraid of being mocked by the world, only wanting to marry his Wife-master early, to hold her hand and never let go for a lifetime.
[Note: This story will not specifically point out the male lead’s reincarnation time point; it’s all in the details. Whenever you feel that the male lead is acting strangely, he has most likely been reincarnated.]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
MANGA DISCUSSION
13 Comments
Chapter Comments (16)
britney, don’t be too upset.
iris will send you an invitation.
please come to the wedding.😁🥰😘the duke was going to perform the wedding ceremony immediately when he heard about the gold mine.
shameless duke. are you a human being?
should britney get the best of everything?
YOUR COMMENT
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agustus_orchid
i wouldn’t want to live in a country ruled by britney.
is our country capable enough to be governed by her?
agustus_orchid
britney, you’re a bad guy.
we’re all human and we’ll all die.
there’s no need to upset people.
agustus_orchid
you could have given iris to another family for adoption, but you chose to abuse her.
agustus_orchid
can’t iris go out by herself?
is Iris a slave?
even slaves are treated better.
agustus_orchid
The lives of bad people are always better. The lives of good people are always bad.