The Credentials of a Couple (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 16
When I opened my eyes, I saw the familiar ceiling.
I slowly blinked my eyes a few times before opening them again.
My eyes felt oddly dry.
“Why am I still alive? I was certain I’d…”
Desperate to understand the situation, I hurriedly sat up.
My body had clearly been utterly destroyed, yet aside from feeling heavy, it wasn’t completely immobile.
I cautiously surveyed my surroundings.
And soon enough, I let out a sigh of relief.
“Of all the dreams to have… This has to be the worst dream I’ve had in a while.”
Dreaming that Meriel died—truly, that was utterly absurd.
I let out a hollow laugh at the ridiculous memory, then frowned unconsciously upon noticing the bandages.
The bandages looked freshly wrapped and were meticulously wound around each joint of my fingers.
I stared at them blankly for a moment, then suddenly screamed and bolted upright from the bed.
“Aaah-!!”
I was wearing a pitch-black dress.
“That can’t be… It simply can’t be real…”
With trembling hands like an aspen leaf, I gripped the bedsheet.
Bandages were also wrapped tightly around my ankles.
For an instant, my head felt as if struck by a hammer, and no further thoughts could form.
I hurriedly stepped out of bed, but my still-unhealed ankle twisted painfully. Though my body swayed unsteadily from forcing myself up so abruptly, I had no energy to care.
Even though my limping steps felt unstable, I couldn’t stop walking.
This had to be a dream. It absolutely had to be.
All I needed to do was leave this room, turn down the corridor, and descend just one flight of stairs.
I could find my daughter’s room even with my eyes closed.
“…Liviana?”
I turned my head at the voice calling my name.
There stood Bake, his face gaunt and weary.
Unable to hide my relief, I reached out toward him.
“Call Meriel for me, Bake.”
“…”
I smiled, but Bake did not.
He simply stared at me, lips twitching silently, offering no reply.
Yet the more he stayed silent, the harder I pulled my lips upward, forcing the brightest smile I could muster.
Meriel always loved seeing me smile.
“Huh? Let’s all go out together for strawberry shortcake—it’s been so long! You know Meriel would jump right out of bed for strawberry shortcake.”
“…”
Unable to wait any longer, I called out to Bake again, but his response remained unchanged.
Once more, I lifted the corners of my mouth and took another limping step forward.
“Actually—now that I think of it, Meriel’s at the academy right now, isn’t she? Then let’s just get the carriage ready-.”
“Meriel is dead.”
Bake sharply turned his head away, as if unable to bear looking at me.
I stared at him blankly for a moment, then laughed again.
“What are you talking about, Bake? That’s impossible.”
“…”
“Meriel couldn’t possibly be dead…”
My voice faltered, stumbling over the words until I collapsed weakly onto the floor, unable to finish.
Yes, I already knew the truth.
No matter how hard I pretended otherwise, no matter how many times I denied reality, nothing changed.
My daughter was gone.
Now, I would never again hold that lovely child in my arms.
“…Since you collapsed at the funeral, I’ve been alone—I just came back from watching Meriel’s coffin placed in the crypt beneath the cathedral.”
“…”
“Are you alright?”
Bake approached and wrapped his arm around my shoulder.
I swallowed the rising sob and clutched his arm tightly.
Tears poured down like a downpour, blurring my vision and choking my throat.
“…I miss Meriel. So much.”
“…”
“Please… take me to her…”
“Later. First, you need to recover. It won’t be too late to go later.”
“Meriel hates being alone… Even if she pretends otherwise, she’s such a frightened little girl…”
Every day, I regretted it—over and over again.
I shouldn’t have let that child leave my arms.
I shouldn’t have made her wait until her birthday just to learn how to cut a cake.
I should have let her play hide-and-seek as much as she wanted—the game she loved so dearly.
I shouldn’t have nagged her about acting like a proper lady.
If only I’d just let her eat cake to her heart’s content.
No—what did any of it matter now? No matter how much I regretted, I could never see my daughter again.
A tear fell onto the back of my hand.
Whether the wound had reopened or not, the bandages had already turned bright red.
Days passed idly after that incident.
Nothing felt real enough for me to accept it willingly.
But in the end, I had no choice but to accept this absurd reality.
Every single day unfolded exactly as I remembered it—too perfectly to deny.
And that was precisely why my frustration kept boiling over.
Among all the countless days in the world, why did I have to wake up again on the very day of Meriel’s funeral?
If someone was truly giving me a second chance, couldn’t they have sent me back to a time before Meriel died?
I slowly closed my eyes in Meriel’s room, still untouched and unchanged.
Honestly, it all felt like a dream—or at least, I desperately wished it were.
Now, I had nothing left.
I closed my eyes, holding Meriel’s teddy bear tightly against my chest.
The bear, which she’d cuddled every night, still carried the faint scent of milk.
It was Meriel’s fragrance.
Desperate to escape reality, I buried my face into the stuffed toy.
But of course, that changed nothing—or did it, truly?
“You’ll pay for killing you both in hell. So please, don’t resent me too much. The living must keep living, after all.”
As if entranced, I slowly lifted my head.
It wasn’t over yet.
Meriel was dead—but the murderer who killed my daughter still lived.
The moment that thought struck me, my eyes fixed on the vase.
The flowers I’d placed there for Meriel had long since withered, dry and lifeless.
Without hesitation, I yanked out the dead blooms and hurled the vase to the floor.
Crash!
Shards of broken porcelain scattered in every direction.
With my bleeding hand, I picked up the largest and sharpest fragment.
There was one last thing I could do for my daughter.
“My lady, what are you-“
“Do exactly as I say, unless you want to die.”
The man who saw me snarling, shard in hand, recoiled in shock.
It was Septer, Bake’s aide.
“But, my lady—your hand, it’s bleeding-“
“Prepare the carriage immediately.”
“The—the carriage?”
“Now.”
When I aimed the shard at him again, Septer panicked further and raised both hands in surrender.
But instead of calming down, I tightened my grip.
The bare ceramic shard cut deep into my flesh without any protection, yet I felt no pain.
Only the dripping blood felt bothersome.
“I’m going to Margaret right now. Get it ready.”
“Viscountess Fisher has already left the capital-“
“I know Margaret hasn’t left. I know exactly where she is—everything.”
At my preemptive words, Septer clamped his mouth shut.
I glared at him coldly before speaking again.
“Don’t even think about lying to me. Just do as I say. If you don’t, you won’t end up well.”
“My lady, please calm down. You can’t possibly overpower me with just that.”
“Maybe I can’t overpower you—but I can certainly slit my own throat.”
“M-My lady!”
To prove my point, I pressed the shard against my own neck.
The sharp edge left a mark with even the slightest brush.
“I won’t repeat myself again. Prepare the carriage.”
“…”
“If you don’t, I’ll stab myself right here—and testify that you harmed me.”
“His Lordship would never believe such a thing.”
“It doesn’t matter if he believes me or not. What matters is that my body will bear a wound—and you’ll be tied to it. You know better than anyone how badly that would end for you.”
Though I was the one risking my life, it was Septer who grew increasingly uneasy.
I locked eyes with his wavering gaze and pressed the shard even closer to my throat.
“If you understand, don’t speak—just nod. Then turn around.”
“…”
“Good. Move right away. I’ll follow at a distance. If anyone approaches, handle it yourself. Understood?”
Again, Septer replied only with a nod.
Still tense, I followed his steps.
But the moment I stepped out into the corridor, my feet stopped.
It was too convenient—no one had been in the hallway this entire time.
Just like that day when I’d discovered Bake and Margaret’s secret meeting.
I let out a hollow laugh, recalling the empty corridor.
It seemed impossible—but my suspicion had already grown too large to ignore.
“…Is Margaret here right now?”
“W-What?!”
His panicked expression alone was answer enough.
I suppressed the laugh bubbling up and steeled my gaze.
“My lady, I think there’s been some misunderstanding-“
“Where is she?”
“My lady-“
“Where are the two of you right now?”
My face twisted into a grimace as I gritted my teeth, unable to laugh anymore.
No answer was needed this time either.
Given where I’d encountered Septer, there was only one possible conclusion.
Ignoring Septer—who stood frozen, neither stopping me nor alerting Bake—I walked on.
The path led straight to our marital bedroom.
“How are you feeling? Any better?”
“We shouldn’t be doing this.”
“So what? You can’t be sad forever. You need some rest too.”
“What if Liviana sees us?”
“She already has—she’s been holed up in Meriel’s room all day without coming out. Isn’t that exactly why you called for me?”
A familiar place, familiar voices, and familiar people.
I let out a weary sigh as I peered through the slightly ajar door.
“I suppose… but it still feels terribly strange.”
“Honestly, your kindness is your downfall. Meriel wasn’t even your real child, after all.”
“Still, I cared for her deeply.”
“I understand how you feel—but stop dwelling on sorrow. It couldn’t be helped, anyway.”
Margaret settled naturally onto Bake’s lap and cupped his face.
Bake, seemingly accustomed to such affection, rested his head comfortably against her chest.
“Meriel’s death was tragic, but unavoidable. With her gone, everything falls into place—the engagement between Liviana and Duke Pierne, the succession issue, everything.”
“…”
“That’s why you left me to deal with it alone.”
“I only wanted to protect my child.”
“And that child is ours—yours and mine.”
“…”
“Don’t make that face. It’s alright. I understand completely. After all these years together, how could I not know your intentions?”
Margaret gently stroked behind Bake’s ear with tender fingers.
Bake closed his eyes and surrendered himself entirely to her.
“…Even trying to pretend is hard. Just seeing Liviana’s face hurts too much.”
“It’s alright. If we’re being honest, it’s my hands that are stained with blood—not yours. At least you can stand tall before Liviana.”
After all, your wife knows nothing.
Margaret whispered into Bake’s ear and deliberately pressed her lips against his neck.
In that instant, she caught sight of me—and smiled.
Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.
The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…
Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.
Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.
The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”
When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…
The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced
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