The Credentials of a Couple (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 14
“If this state continues any longer, it’ll truly become dangerous.”
The doctor kept glancing nervously at Bake while administering another nutrient injection to Liviana.
“Surely she’s receiving the most expensive and finest nutrients available.”
“Even the best nutrients have their limits, my lord. Moreover, whenever the mistress regains consciousness, she refuses to accept the injections altogether…”
“So you became a doctor just to fail at managing your patient’s mood?”
“I apologize! But the mistress is incredibly stubborn. It seems she’s suffering greatly in her heart.”
“It’s not just her who lost a daughter.”
He glared at the doctor accusingly, but the only reply was a deeply bowed head.
Bake dismissed the doctor with a curt, indifferent order, then stared at Liviana lying motionless on the bed.
Her pale, lifeless face made her look scarcely different from a corpse.
Even without the doctor’s words, it was obvious to anyone—Liviana’s face was heavily shadowed by death.
“What on earth are you trying to do? Don’t tell me you seriously plan to die. Is Meriel truly everything to you? What about me? Am I invisible to your eyes?”
“……”
Though he knew no answer would come, Bake roughly swept his hair back from his forehead.
Through the window, Duke Pierne’s carriage was still visible, having not yet departed.
“……So this is your true intention, after all.”
“……”
“I want to ask you just once—if Meriel had really been my daughter, would you have gone this far?”
“……”
“No, that doesn’t matter anymore. I knew everything from the start, so what’s the point of dwelling on it now?”
Bake gently stroked Liviana’s cheek with the back of his hand, then slowly moved downward to grasp her neck.
True to her reputation as the “white deer” of high society, his wife’s slender, elegant neck was breathtakingly beautiful.
Back when Liviana stood at the pinnacle of society, men had whispered excitedly just at the sight of that delicate white nape.
“Whether you have a man you love, or countless men desperate to have you—it doesn’t matter. In the end, I’m the one who wins.”
“……”
“So it’s fine if your heart wavers a little. Even if you don’t love me, I’ll always love you.”
“……”
“Because I’ll never, ever let you go to that man.”
No matter the cost.
Bake slowly withdrew his hand from Liviana’s neck.
He then neatly adjusted the slipped blanket over her and smiled faintly.
“Where is it? Why can’t I see it? How come?”
“My lady, please calm down!”
“Why isn’t it here!”
I shoved aside the maid clutching my arm and scoured the room once more.
But nothing was there. There wasn’t a single trace of Meriel—despite how she should have been everywhere in this space.
“My lady must rest and—”
“Stop your nonsense and put everything back the way it was right now.”
This was Meriel’s room.
It should have been the place filled most with her traces.
Yet now, nothing remained.
Aside from the wallpaper I hadn’t managed to tear off yet, there wasn’t a single sign of Meriel anywhere in the room.
“I-I’m so sorry! His Lordship ordered us to clear out the young mistress’s room before you woke up!”
“……He said that?”
“Yes! Yes! He thought that if traces of the young mistress remained, you might—”
“Where’s Bake right now?”
“Yes?”
“I asked where he is!”
I grabbed the maid’s shoulders roughly and growled.
Tears brimming in her eyes, the maid timidly pointed in one direction with a trembling finger.
At the far end of the corridor, Bake was walking toward me.
Without a moment’s hesitation, I strode straight to him.
“What gives you the right to clear out Meriel’s room?”
“It’s all for your sake.”
“For my sake?”
“Meriel’s death is tragic, but you must let her go now. Otherwise, you’ll truly be in danger yourself.”
“Let her go? How can you say that! It hasn’t even been a year since Meriel died—how dare you speak like that!”
I glared at Bake, forcibly swallowing the surge of anger rising in my throat.
It hadn’t even been a full year since Meriel’s death.
Forgetting her was unthinkable—and clearing out her room was even more so.
“Then what am I supposed to do?”
“What?”
“You scold me for skipping every meal, for barely sleeping, for locking myself in this room until I collapse—so what else do you expect me to do?”
“……”
“I’m struggling too. I’m exhausted.”
Bake sighed deeply, pressing his fingers to his forehead.
I clenched my fists tightly, deliberately avoiding his eyes filled with resentment.
Every time I stood before my husband, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being a sinner.
“……I’m sorry. From now on, I’ll eat properly and sleep well. And if you wish, I’ll even stop coming here.”
“……”
“I’m also sorry for getting angry just now. I must have overreacted at seeing Meriel’s room emptied. So…”
“……”
“Just restore Meriel’s room to how it was.”
I exhaled sharply and covered my face with both hands.
Honestly, everything was falling completely apart.
The rational woman I once prided myself on being no longer existed.
All that remained was a version of me helplessly swept away by emotions that swung wildly with every passing moment.
Eight years was far too long a time to simply forget.
My daughter had filled every moment of my life.
Every time I tried to eat, I saw her eyeing my food across the table; whenever I sought solace in the garden, I remembered her love for flowers; even glancing into a mirror brought her back—because Meriel had inherited everything from me, from her hair color to her eyes.
I could never forget my daughter.
“Fine. But I’ll only restore the room after you keep your promise. Is that acceptable?”
“Yes. Just restore the room, and I’ll do anything.”
There wasn’t even a moment of hesitation.
If anything, I hurriedly nodded my head, afraid Bake might change his mind.
I couldn’t lose this too. I had to preserve at least Meriel’s traces.
“How’s her appetite?”
“I confirmed she finished the entire bowl again today.”
“And sleep—any other issues?”
“Not particularly, though she hasn’t gained any weight, likely due to psychological strain. The physician suggests continuing with both nutrient injections and meals while monitoring her condition.”
“Spare no expense—only the finest preparations. Oh, and prepare nourishing dishes as well.”
Bake smiled contentedly as he stroked his chin.
He’d worried he’d pushed too hard, but now he realized it had been an excellent decision.
Ever since sealing off Meriel’s room, Liviana had returned to her former self, and her condition was gradually improving.
She wasn’t fully recovered yet, but given time, she’d surely get better.
“But… is it really alright?”
“What is?”
“The young mistress’s belongings. They’ve already been incinerated—”
“If you value your life, keep that mouth tightly shut. If Liviana hears any of that nonsense, you’ll be the first to go.”
Septer, Bake’s aide, hastily rubbed his hands together at his superior’s sudden shift in expression.
There was never anything good in provoking his superior’s ire.
“Of course I’ll keep my mouth shut, but if she notices the items have been replaced…?”
“They’re all made by the same artisan—no one will tell the difference. As long as you hold your tongue.”
“My lips will stay sealed tighter than a dead clam.”
“You’d better. And prepare that matter in advance too.”
“That matter…?”
“Are you still discussing it?”
Startled by the sudden, gentle voice, Septer reflexively turned his head—then quickly looked away again.
Margaret, apparently just out of the bath, stood there with her damp hair draped over her chest and clad only in a thin chemise.
“No. We’re done with the important matters.”
Bake dismissed Septer, then reached out toward Margaret.
Margaret set the tea tray down as if she’d been waiting, then smoothly settled onto Bake’s lap.
She knew well how men’s eyes couldn’t tear away from the sight of her skin visible through the wet fabric.
“How’s Liviana?”
“Not bad. And she’ll only get better from here.”
“See? My advice helped, didn’t it?”
Margaret grinned as she loosened Bake’s cravat.
Bake’s eyes narrowed slightly as he watched her crimson-painted lips. He was in an exceptionally good mood.
“Yes. Quite helpful indeed.”
“Didn’t I tell you? Few know Liviana as well as I do.”
The cravat fell to the floor, and a pale hand slipped through the gap in his unbuttoned shirt.
“Do you like the house?”
“It’s yours—it’s bound to be to my liking.”
“Stay here and rest until you give birth. You must deliver a healthy child, after all—it’ll be the future Marquess Crayton.”
“Don’t worry. The child will surely meet your expectations. A true child of yours, perfectly resembling you.”
Margaret’s lips drifted downward, and buttons began to pop open one by one.
Bake exhaled softly as he stroked Margaret’s head, buried against his neck and nuzzling his collarbone.
She wasn’t ideal in terms of conditions or appearance, but for a fleeting indulgence, she wasn’t bad.
And above all, she possessed exactly what he needed.
His gaze briefly settled on her slightly rounded belly.
Margaret, noticing his look, gave a shy smile.
“Foolish Bake.”
Margaret chuckled softly as she removed the maid’s hood fixing her hair.
While the foolish man was content with surface appearances, she was not.
She deserved compensation for all the years she’d endured.
And to claim what was rightfully hers, obstacles needed to be eliminated.
Margaret’s eyes gleamed as she watched Liviana’s back.
How foolish—husband and wife alike. Liviana, oblivious to Margaret’s arrival, remained lost in a blank stare out the window.
“Liviana.”
“……”
“Hello. Have you been well?”
Their eyes met as Liviana slowly turned her head.
Margaret swallowed hard, struck by the jewel-like eyes visible through Liviana’s thick lashes.
Unlike her disheveled state before, Liviana now appeared neatly adorned—but that only made her seem more like a doll than a person, unnervingly artificial.
“……Margaret?”
After a long pause, as if only just noticing her, Liviana murmured slowly.
Contrary to Bake’s claims, she showed no sign of improvement.
Margaret hesitated briefly, then stepped forward.
This was even better. Had Liviana been in her right mind, things might have gotten complicated—but seeing her like this, it seemed she could handle matters far more easily than expected.
Instead of a reply, Liviana’s gaze remained unfocused, like a candle about to flicker out.
Margaret moistened her parched lips with her tongue, then reached out a trembling hand toward Liviana.
“I came because I thought you must be suffering terribly. I want to help you find peace so you won’t have to struggle anymore.”
“……”
“This is better for all of us.”
Just as the sky cannot hold two suns, Liviana’s presence meant she could never achieve what she truly wanted.
For her to become Marchioness and stand proudly beside Bake, Liviana had to disappear.
Margaret smiled faintly as she glanced at her own belly.
It would happen soon.
The life she’d longed for all these years was now just within her grasp.
She had lived wretchedly, but her child would never inherit such a life.
Her child would have everything.
Her child alone would be the perfect heir to Crayton.
For that, she would do anything.
Male lead is a Love-Obsessed Merman
When he discovers she has gone, he risks everything to pursue her on land, enduring agonizing pain to transform his tail into human legs…
One-line summary: Male lead chases female lead. The male lead’s love is a bit sick, an invincible love brain.
Synopsis
During a voyage at sea, Jiang Yang accidentally captures a merman.
Servant: I heard that mermen are fierce and brutal.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman obediently rubbing her palm like a puppy: “You call this fierce and brutal?”
Servant: I heard that mermen have no human nature.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman with wet puppy eyes, obsessively calling her ‘A Yang’ like a childish infant: “You call this having no human nature?”
With great difficulty, she releases the merman back into the sea and returns to shore.
Who would have thought that in less than half a month, the merman, who should have been freely wandering in the South China Sea, would shed his scales, endure the pain of losing his tail, transform into human legs, and come ashore to find her?
He kneels at her feet, rubbing her palm, with merman tears rolling down: “A Yang, don’t abandon me.”
_____
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
Most Commented This Week
The Villain Has Gone Mad For Me (Completed Main Story)
I’m The Lowest-Ranking Daughter Of A Martial Arts Villain (2 Chapters Left to Complete)
I Became the Assassin Family’s Foster Daughter (Completed Main Story)
Men of the Harem (137 Chapters Left to Complete)
The Duke Only Needs My Child (Completed Main Story)
At the End of Ruin, There You Are (56 Chapters Left to Complete)
She’s a Villainess but her Husband is Handsome (Completed Main Story)
People Aren’t Meant to Be Fixed! (4 Chapters Left to Complete)
My Discarded Fiancé Returned (Completed Main Story)
Summer Must Die (16 Chapters Left to Complete)
I Received The First Time Of My Extraordinary Superior (9 Chapters Left to Complete)
Regret With All Your Might (Completed Main Story)