The End Of The Special Contract Marriage (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 10
If they won’t listen, there’s no way to win.
At the dinner with the Duke’s family, Aracila seized victory by either interpreting things however she pleased, regardless of what anyone said, or delivering retorts so sharp they left her opponents utterly speechless.
Her tactics generally fell into two categories.
“The more you oppose us, the more our love burns.”
Whenever they directly or indirectly hinted at opposing the marriage, she’d reply just like that.
“So you’re saying you won’t see me after I marry? Fine—I’ll gladly grant you your wish.”
And whenever they nitpicked her relentlessly, she’d respond with a sullen expression like this.
Thoroughly outmaneuvered and unable to gain the upper hand against Aracila, the Duke’s family eventually left the dining hall with weary, defeated looks.
“I came prepared—how’d I do?”
As Aracila exchanged greetings with Damian, who’d come out to see her off, her eyes sparkled brightly.
In truth, just before entering the dining hall, she’d eavesdropped through a slightly ajar door and overheard the Duke’s family’s conversation.
When she heard them suggest marrying Iris to Oscar, a chill ran down her spine, and fury surged within her.
How dare they so shamelessly target my sister!
Thus, she ended up engaging far more aggressively at dinner than she’d originally intended.
“Well done. It seems you possess a remarkable talent for leaving people utterly at a loss for words.”
Damian praised her sincerely. Even he had never seen the Duke’s family rendered speechless so frequently before.
Ever since childhood, he’d always faced their absurd, unreasonable demands alone—but having just one person on his side truly made all the difference.
This must be what it felt like to have reliable support. And it felt even more so because that person happened to be the extraordinary Aracila Hugo.
‘Is this why people live in groups?’
He gazed thoughtfully at Aracila’s face, flushed with pride despite pretending otherwise at his compliment.
He still preferred living alone, but having just one person share his space didn’t seem so bad after all.
“I’ve never lost a verbal argument in my life. If I may offer advice, sometimes you have to abandon logic to win a battle of words.”
“Indeed, just now you spoke like an untamed colt.”
“That’s the most insulting comparison I’ve ever heard in my life. Would you like to get trampled by a foal?”
A carriage arrived just behind Aracila as she narrowed her eyes. Damian politely opened the door and gave a respectful nod.
“I’ll pass. Please go home safely.”
“Fine—may you have an utterly miserable evening.”
Grabbing Audrey’s hand, Aracila climbed into the carriage and slammed the door shut.
Damian watched quietly as the carriage departed, its flag fluttering proudly with the Marquis Hugo crest, then slowly turned around.
As he ascended the marble steps, he paused upon spotting someone waiting above.
“Damian, do you really think taking things this way will let you steal what belongs to Oscar?”
The Duchess glared coldly down at her stepson. Damian let out a faint chuckle.
“You’re laughing? Don’t be so arrogant, Damian Vandermir. No matter how you spin it, you’re still a loser!”
“For now, perhaps, Duchess.”
Damian leisurely climbed the stairs until he stood directly before her.
“But with enough effort, maybe someday I’ll become a victor just like you—by taking what belongs to someone else.”
“You—how dare you—!”
The Duchess’s face flushed crimson with rage.
She had once been the closest friend of the late Duchess. Yet not only had she betrayed her friend and stolen her husband, but she’d even borne him a child and ultimately seized her friend’s very position after her death.
She knew exactly what Damian was implying—and shot him a look of utter humiliation.
‘Why must he look so much like him…!’
Her beloved son hadn’t inherited a single trait from the man she adored, yet Damian—whom she loathed—was the spitting image of the Duke.
And those eyes, like molten gold, reminded her so vividly of the former Duchess that her fury burned even hotter.
“Well then, I have matters to attend to.”
Damian gave her a light nod, brushed past, and continued up the stairs. The Duchess clenched her fists, glaring furiously at his broad back.
‘Damian Vandermir, do you really think I’ll let you marry without a fight?’
Damn them both—I’ll never let either of them have peace. Her tightly clenched fists trembled with rage.
[This is the timeline separator]The House of Duke Vandermir exhausted every possible method to win over the House of Marquis Hugo.
They offered gold and jewels, proposed lucrative business deals, and dangled sweet temptations promising to grant any wish.
But the House of Marquis Hugo remained unmoved. In fact, acting upon Aracila’s request, they even went so far as to inform the Emperor directly about the marriage.
When the Emperor heard the proposal come not from an individual’s lips but from an entire noble house, he welcomed the news with delight and summoned both family heads.
“Ho ho! So the marriage between your two houses is finally happening! And a love match at that—truly wonderful news! Congratulations, Duke and Marquis. Your second son and second daughter have formed a fine bond.”
The Emperor stroked his snow-white beard, beaming with satisfaction.
He had shared a deep friendship with the late Duke Vandermir.
That was precisely why the current Duke couldn’t back out of this political marriage—the Emperor himself was honoring the late Duke’s final wishes.
“I shall attend the wedding in person. Congratulations once again.”
Thus, Damian and Aracila’s marriage was officially confirmed and preparations had to move forward without delay.
As they departed after receiving the Emperor’s blessing, Duke Vandermir seized Marquis Hugo’s arm.
“Marquis, I oppose this marriage. To be precise, I oppose my second son. How about our firstborn, Oscar, instead?”
The Duke pleaded with desperate urgency, but the Marquis gently pushed his hand away and shook his head.
“Your second son is far better suited to my second daughter.”
After sharing just one meal with Damian, he’d realized it instantly: Damian was the only man capable of accepting Aracila’s values and marrying her.
“Then let’s marry your eldest daughter to my eldest son! Damian has caused endless trouble since childhood—his wife finally gave up and sent him abroad to study. Are you truly certain he’s fit to marry your daughter?”
“Oh, it’s perfectly fine.”
“But why is it fine?!”
Frustrated by the Marquis’s good-natured refusal to listen, the Duke shouted.
He couldn’t let Damian marry—but everyone in the House of Marquis Hugo, father and daughter alike, was impossible to reason with.
“Marquis, think carefully. As you well know, marriage isn’t decided by looks alone.”
“My wife married me for my looks alone.”
The Marquis, one of the rare nobles to have married for love, seized the chance to boast with a cheerful grin.
That smile was so uncannily like his daughter’s that the Duke’s blood pressure shot up at the mere thought of Aracila.
“But your daughter might be different! Please, persuade her—”
“Duke, it seems you’ve never raised a daughter.”
Placing a serious hand on the Duke’s shoulder, the Marquis continued.
“People say daughters are easier to raise than sons—but once a daughter sets her mind on something, no one can change it.”
“So you’re saying your child would dare defy their father’s orders?”
“Not defiance—simply that at twenty-one, whether son or daughter, one should be living independently.”
He gave a hearty laugh and patted the Duke’s shoulder lightly.
“Besides, if it must be a political marriage, isn’t this better than forcing unwilling children into it?”
“But—”
“The Emperor has already given his consent—let’s not argue further. I’m off.”
Watching the Marquis stride ahead with a breezy smile, the Duke ground his teeth in fury.
Having failed once again to convince the Marquis, he was left with just one option.
He had to find a way—any way—to make Aracila Hugo abandon this marriage.
[This is the timeline separator]The wedding date for Aracila Hugo and Damian Vandermir was swiftly set.
The primary reason was to prevent interference from the Duke’s family; the second was that both parties wanted to marry as soon as possible—so they could divorce just as quickly.
“Aracila, even so, getting married in a month seems too soon, doesn’t it?”
Iris asked, watching her younger sister prepare to go out while seated on the bed. Her voice was thick with worry and concern.
“What does it matter? His Majesty specially offered us the imperial palace as the venue. If we can do it quickly, why drag it out?”
There truly was no reason to delay. The venue was arranged by the Emperor, and everything else could be prepared with money.
Fortunately, both sides had ample funds, so rushing the wedding caused no issues.
“But a month is still too fast.”
“Sister, you changed your mind and accepted my marriage after just one day. A month is plenty.”
She understood her sister’s sadness at seeing her go, but Aracila remained firm in her resolve.
This was, after all, the only way to save her sister.
“Sorry, but I’m meeting the Duchess today. I must go now.”
“Alright, Aracila.”
Iris adjusted her sister’s slightly crooked hat and took her hand, giving earnest advice.
“If the Duchess says anything unpleasant, don’t engage with everything. Let trivial things pass—and if her requests aren’t unreasonable, just agree. That way, they won’t hound you.”
Having heard from their parents that the Duke’s family opposed the marriage, Iris offered this counsel.
Though she still felt regretful and uneasy about Aracila’s wedding, she wanted to support her sister since it was what Aracila truly desired.
“You want to marry quickly, right? Then know when to hold back—and never give them an opening. Understood?”
“Yes, sister. Thank you. I’ll be back soon.”
After sharing a brief hug with Iris, Aracila left the house and headed to a quiet café.
She was to discuss marriage matters with the Duchess there today.
Arriving right on time, she took a seat upon noticing the empty table.
‘Well, I was three minutes late when I met Lord Vandermir too.’
And so she waited.
The Duchess finally appeared a full thirty minutes past their agreed time.
“Hello, Duchess.”
“Nice to see you, my lady.”
Without even a word of apology, the Duchess brazenly sat across from her. Aracila opened her mouth to object—but remembered her sister’s advice and held her tongue.
This much, she could let slide.
“The reason I asked to meet today is that I have something to give you.”
“For me?”
At the Duchess’s signal, a maid handed over a document envelope. Aracila silently accepted it.
It was surprisingly thick and heavy—clearly packed with papers.
“Read it right away.”
“Yes.”
What the Duchess had given her was documentation detailing the dowry and wedding gifts.
Precious jewels, extravagant dresses, even a new mansion in the capital…
The sheer scale and value left Aracila momentarily speechless.
‘At this rate, the Duke’s family isn’t noble—they’re a gang of extortionists!’
Ex-husband Wants Reconciliation
One-line summary: Chasing the wife to the crematorium (making an effort to attract someone who has become indifferent), the female lead doesn’t look back, the second male lead takes the position.
Intro:
To repay the kindness of the older generation, Su Mu crossed into a female-dominated world and became a live-in daughter-in-law of the Yan family, single-handedly saving the Yan family from fire and water.
But her husband, Yan Jiyue, the eldest son of the Yan family, treated her with sarcasm and never showed her a good face.
It wasn’t until after Su Mu’s death that this pampered and arrogant young master shed a few fake tears and pretended to want to die for love.
This life’s kindness was enough. If there was a next life, she would definitely kick Yan Jiyue away.
Who knew that the heavens would be so kind as to allow her to be reborn, returning to the time when she had just married into the Yan family.
Su Mu glanced at the Yan eldest son, who still spoke coldly to her, and threw a divorce letter in front of him.
“Let’s divorce!”
***
Yan Jiyue never imagined that he would be reborn. He happily went to find Su Mu, wanting to make up for the mistakes he had made in his ignorant youth.
Wasn’t the reason the heavens allowed him to be reborn to let him reconcile with Su Mu?
But when he pushed open the door to Su Mu’s room, the person lying on the bed was another man.
Su Mu’s personal attendant, Xie Yi.
Yan Jiyue hated him so much that his teeth itched. In front of Su Mu, Xie Yi was a gentle and considerate whisperer of sweet nothings, but in reality, he was vicious-hearted and deliberately sabotaged their husband and wife relationship.
In the previous life, it was he who secretly hid in Su Mu’s coffin and committed suicide, stealing a step ahead of him to be buried with Su Mu.
Yan Jiyue’s eyes were filled with hatred as he cursed, “What kind of thing are you? Your background is lowly, what right do you have to occupy Su Mu?”
Xie Yi looked at the sleeping Su Mu and no longer pretended to be a whisperer of sweet nothings.
He proudly stuck out his belly, “I have the right because my belly is capable of giving the Wife-master a daughter.”
***
Yan Jiyue was consumed with jealousy. He spread rumors that Xie Yi had once been branded with the mark of a “harlot” on his chest.
But on the night Xie Yi cut off the flesh bearing that mark, Su Mu suddenly realized something was amiss.
“How did you know the exact moment I was poisoned? And why did you show up a month early?”
Xie Yi remained silent, blood from his wound soaking through his robes. His sapphire eyes brimmed with anguish – or was it just a flawless act?
Between a once-arrogant husband now seeking redemption, and a gentle soul willing to die for her – who truly held the darkest secrets? And could it be that Su Mu and Yan Jiyue weren’t the only ones given a second chance at life…?
[Reading Guide]
1. True divorce, chasing the wife to the crematorium, the female lead doesn’t look back, the male lead is Xie Yi.
2. The ex-husband did not cheat, he just realized too late and didn’t realize that he liked the female lead.
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Thank you for translating/sharing this. Such an adorable story!