The Dark Lord Obsesses Over His Fake Wife (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 15
I dreamed of my childhood.
The orphanage I was in was a humble place.
‘Laviann Orphanage.’
Honestly, it wasn’t that terrible an orphanage. Among the Empire’s orphanages—where child abuse was all too common—the director, though indifferent to the children, never tormented them.
He just didn’t particularly like me.
“The doctor said you probably won’t live very long.”
To me, who was sick from stress, the director said it couldn’t be helped.
“Don’t you realize how much trouble your constant illnesses cause the other children?”
While the other children one by one found families of their own, I was always left alone at the orphanage. After all, no one would adopt a sick child, they said.
‘I wish I had a family too.’
Whenever I had time, I’d draw pictures of the family I imagined on the ground with a twig. Ridiculous as it sounds, I longed for a family who wouldn’t blame me whenever I fell ill.
“So you’re Estelle.”
“Hello, Duke Libertan.”
And on the day I first met Duke Libertan—an honor far beyond my station—I foolishly let my hopes soar too high. They already knew I was a child who fell ill often.
“…Just as I’d heard.”
I still thought I might be loved.
“Our Libertan Dukedom is a noble house of an entirely different caliber from common rabble. Now that you’ve been adopted as my daughter, you must never bring shame upon us.”
But my dream was nothing but a delusion.
‘I shouldn’t have even dreamed of having a family.’
It’s precisely because I dared to hope that everything became so painful and hard.
Erich had found the son of Sir Lexius Polmain. Now the new Baron Polmain, he teared up at the revealed truth.
“To think my father died at the hands of such a wretch… It’s truly fortunate that the truth has finally come to light. Thank you for clearing my father’s name.”
In the past, House Blanchet had been a family respected by many noble houses. And House Polmain had been among those loyal to House Blanchet.
But under Johan’s leadership, something about House Blanchet had changed, leaving them hesitant to act openly.
“So House Blanchet never forgot about us. I’m ashamed I let prejudice blind me and failed to show my loyalty.”
House Polmain stood at the very heart of those loyal families. If House Polmain moved to support them, House Blanchet could fully reclaim not only its current strength but also its former glory.
It was an incredibly fortunate turn for House Blanchet—even if it was glory Johan hadn’t personally strived to earn.
And all of this was done by that impostor, the Libertan girl.
‘Could this have been her intention too?’
The thought sent a chill down Erich’s spine. Baron Polmain, who had been rereading his father’s letter for a while, finally asked,
“But how exactly was the real culprit caught?”
“…That…”
Erich suppressed his discomfort and spoke.
“The new mistress found them.”
“You mean the Duchess of Blanchet? But she’s…”
Edgar’s expression faltered as he thought of Estelle. He, too, knew the rumors circulating in high society—that Estelle wasn’t a proper wife.
“So it was she who uncovered the truth about my father. I suppose rumors truly aren’t to be trusted.”
He nodded, carefully folding the paper bearing his father’s words and tucking it into his chest.
“But there’s one thing I’d like to ask regarding my father’s death. Do you happen to know which orphanage he was investigating at the time?”
“Oh, the orphanage. Yes, that’s right.”
Edgar nodded in reply.
“The day before he passed, he mentioned one orphanage in particular as being especially strange among those he was investigating.”
“Which orphanage was it?”
“It was called Laviann Orphanage.”
Erich’s face hardened. Laviann Orphanage. That orphanage was…
‘The very one where the Libertan girl was adopted from.’
Patricia Gilite, Baroness.
She had originally served Agnes Blanchet, the former duchess and Johan’s mother. Agnes trusted Patricia so deeply she even asked her to be godmother to her daughter.
Then came those few years when Patricia briefly accompanied her husband to the Eastern Kingdom.
When she returned after those years, the Blanchet Dukedom she held dear had vanished entirely—disgraced under the false accusation of treason.
Honestly, Patricia—a daughter of a minor baron who had married another of similar standing and lived a quiet life—could never have done anything about it.
Yet she couldn’t forgive herself.
‘What kind of friend can’t even visit her friend’s grave?’
To her, Johan was nothing short of her final chance at atonement. She deeply understood his desire for vengeance and wished to aid him.
Thus, she served as head maid in the Blanchet household, which lacked a proper mistress, doing her utmost.
Johan, newly named Duke Blanchet, had been the perfectly ideal master she’d imagined—until Estelle, the duchess who deliberately ignored him without even greeting him as planned, arrived.
Of course, Patricia never acted against Johan’s orders. She remained, above all, his loyal servant.
She merely held the right to delay acting on commands she couldn’t understand.
Then, unexpectedly, Anton ambushed the Duchess of Blanchet.
In a way, it was the natural course of events—but the outcome Patricia faced was utterly unlike what she’d expected.
Johan summoned Patricia, who had already been placed under house arrest by him, and announced flatly,
“Patricia. Thank you for all your hard work managing the household affairs of House Blanchet.”
Why? Where had things gone wrong?
“From now on, focus solely on your duties as head maid.”
Now Patricia was about to be driven out by the fake duchess who’d collapsed from illness—even though that impostor hadn’t even awakened yet.
“…Are you casting me out?”
“Cast you out?”
Johan, seeming utterly changed, looked at Patricia coldly.
“That’s a decision for my wife—the new mistress of this house—to make.”
The moment I woke, my forehead was soaked in cold sweat.
‘It’s been so long since I dreamed of that time.’
I rarely have nightmares to begin with. How strange.
“My lady, are you awake now?”
Through my anxiety, Betty appeared right before my eyes.
“…Betty?”
“Yes. Do you recognize me?”
“Well, I haven’t lost my memory.”
Betty’s face looked strangely thinner.
“How long was I unconscious?”
Right now, I only felt a slight ache in my body—nothing too difficult. Only the damp cold sweat on my forehead hinted at the pain I’d endured.
“You were unconscious for a whole week.”
“A week?”
I couldn’t help but widen my eyes in surprise.
“I slept that long?”
“It was truly serious. We feared you might never wake up…”
Betty trailed off with a bitter expression.
“Master was so worried about you. He stayed by your side the entire week. He only left after seeing you’d improved.”
“So I was that ill.”
“Yes. Do you feel any pain anywhere now?”
“None at all.”
Honestly, I don’t even remember how severe it was.
“That’s truly fortunate.”
Betty glanced cautiously at the doctor seated beside her—an elderly-looking grandfatherly man.
“This gentleman beside me is Baron Hanson, the Blanchet household’s personal physician. He cared for you while you were unconscious.”
“Good day, my lady. I am Baron Henry Hanson, the household physician.”
“Hello, Baron Hanson.”
I nodded in greeting. Henry waved his hand with a gentle chuckle.
“May I examine you right away, my lady?”
“Yes, that’s fine.”
Both Betty and Henry seemed unusually careful in their manner.
“Then I’ll perform a brief examination.”
Henry took my wrist to begin. My body tensed slightly—probably because he was unfamiliar.
‘Well, I suppose I should’ve seen a doctor before.’
The orphanage had never been a place where doctors could visit, and at the Libertan Dukedom, all my illnesses were dismissed as feigned.
Misinterpreting my discomfort, Betty squeezed my hand tightly.
“My lady, Baron Hanson has seen your scar.”
“Oh…”
Betty bit her lip, her expression filled with guilt.
“I’m sorry, but it was unavoidable during the examination.”
“It’s alright. These things happen.”
“But Master didn’t seem to notice the scar. I handled all your undressing myself.”
It wasn’t really that grave a secret. She didn’t need to feel guilty.
‘No—’
Even if others found out, Johan must never discover it.
If Johan saw the scar, everything would fall apart. I felt relieved that Betty, unlike in the original story, genuinely cared for me.
“I’m grateful just for your effort to keep it a secret.”
“My lady…”
“You did it because you were worried about me.”
She must have worked hard to keep it hidden from Johan, who’d stayed by my side the whole week.
Betty’s expression suddenly brimmed with emotion and sorrow. Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes.
“No, my lady… You shouldn’t thank me for something like this…”
Now I realized Betty was truly tenderhearted and tearful. How did someone so full of affection survive in this treacherous den of schemes?
“My lady, I’m asking just in case…”
“Yes, please go ahead.”
“Do you perhaps suffer from any chronic illness?”
I shook my head. Henry’s expression grew graver.
“Are you certain? What kind of physician would…”
“This is actually the first time I’ve ever seen a doctor.”
“Really…?”
Both Henry and Betty were shocked.
Even I would be surprised if someone who fell ill so often had never seen a doctor before.
“I’ve always had mild illnesses—nothing that required a physician.”
“Well, but…”
The doctor’s gaze drifted toward the scar.
Logically, calling that scar “mild” was absurd—but I had no choice. I gave an awkward smile and excused myself.
“It’s not as bad as it looks.”
In an uncomfortable silence, the doctor nodded.
“It’s fortunate, truly—but now, my lady, you must take better care of yourself. Do you even know the state your body is in?”
“What state?”
I tilted my head in confusion.
Honestly, if you get sick once, it can last a week, right? Since I feel no lingering symptoms now, it seems I’ve fully recovered.
“Am I terminally ill or something?”
Of course, I do think my life is on borrowed time.
If I can’t escape this mansion, my life will end here. But having an actual illness is another matter.
“Until you regained consciousness, your fever never broke. Your health was already poor, and your nutrition was inadequate, so recovery wasn’t easy.”
“…”
“You might have lost your life this time.”
That thought sent a slight shiver through me.
‘Just how careful do I need to be?’
It’s true I went through something serious, but I wasn’t stabbed or injured anywhere.
Though my wrist still ached from swinging it to scold Anton. I frowned slightly at the sharp pain now rising.
‘Is this basically telling me not to move at all?’
Perhaps being practically confined in the Libertan Dukedom all this time actually extended my lifespan.
“So I’m not suffering from any specific illness, then.”
“That’s correct. But we can’t be certain. There are too many concerning symptoms…”
“It’ll be fine. I’ll just take better care of myself from now on.”
As I said this, I glanced at Betty, who nodded in agreement.
Henry seemed troubled by my calm attitude as a patient.
‘But I’m not in pain right now—what am I supposed to do, cry?’
After hesitating, Henry finally spoke.
“I may be employed by Master, but as a physician, I respect my patient’s wishes above all. Still, my lady—are you truly certain you won’t tell Master?”
“Tell him what?”
“That…”
His hesitation suggested there was more than one thing.
In the original story, Johan had acted as if he could be trusted with everything—but later changed his stance. So it was better to draw the line from the start.
‘If I say I’m terminally ill, he might eliminate me even faster.’
It would be disastrous if his target died before he could exact his revenge.
“I don’t want to burden him with unnecessary worries. The Duke is a busy man.”
“My lady…”
“And it’s already in the past.”
At that, the hand clasped with Betty’s trembled. With tears welling in her eyes, Betty spoke.
“My lady… perhaps… it’s not something that can be dismissed as just ‘the past.’”
“Why?”
“Well…”
Betty rolled her eyes, struggling to force out an answer.
“Now that you’re married, wouldn’t it be right to share everything—even your ailments—with him?”
Seeing her distress, I guessed she believed Johan would change if he knew I was unwell.
‘Unfortunately, that won’t happen.’
He’s far too ruthless for that.
“Ailments?”
Just then, a voice came from the doorway.
A presence so intense and radiant it seemed to darken the entire room.
Johan stood leaning lazily against the doorframe, arms crossed. His gaze pierced straight into me, seated on the bed.
“What is it you’re trying not to tell me?”
His smooth face was oddly unsettled.
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
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MANGA DISCUSSION
5 Comments
Chapter Comments (7)
There are many diseases in the world for which there is no cure.
I pray for healing for patients. 🙏🏻Estelle, you have gained a new ally. Congratulations.
Walk along beautiful roads with a gentle breeze.What do you want Estelle to say?
Would you feel better if Estelle said she felt bad and was sick?
Inline Comments (21)
Estelle was a greater villainess than even the Libertan ducal couple. Leandro al
Leandro sees himself as a chivalrous knight who will save even the wicked and bring them back to their senses. Arrogant.
‘She doesn’t understand what’s truly precious.’
What is valuable? An arrogant fiancé abandoned her.
All the composure he’d so skillfully maintained was utterly useless before such
Love works wonders. Johan is still unaware of his true feelings.
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agustus_orchid
Patricia was a responsible and good friend. Even though it wasn’t her fault, she did her best to help Johan.
It was an admirable behavior.
agustus_orchid
Erich, your little world is very nice.
Stay in your little world and don’t come back to the real world.
agustus_orchid
Estelle wasn’t pretending to be sick.
Estelle didn’t fake it. I was angry.
agustus_orchid
Could Eleon fruit be among the causes of a week-long unconsciousness?
agustus_orchid
Johan, don’t poke your nose into everything.
Respect some privacy.