The Maid Hates Childcare (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 8
Hurry outside, and the entrance was packed to the brim with merchants, porters, and carriages.
“Oh, Lady Aileen. Good morning. Today we have bracelets crafted from diamonds and hair ornaments set with high-purity rubies.”
“One hundred pairs of shoes and seventy dresses! The custom-made ones are over here! They’ll suit you perfectly! Here, try on this lace made by a master artisan!”
“A chest filled only with gold coins. Even the chest itself is made of highly pure gold…”
The moment I stepped out, waves of gift introductions crashed over me.
I stayed silent, waiting for them to finish, having learned from days of experience that they wouldn’t stop anyway.
Finally, seizing the brief quiet, I asked,
“…So who sent these again?”
I knew what the obvious answer would be, but I still couldn’t believe it.
The merchants, eyes wide, replied in unison,
“That’d be…”
“Of course…”
“Duke Kashar.”
I wanted to believe I’d heard wrong, but the mountain of gifts piled before my eyes defied reason.
I ignored their glittering gazes.
‘What on earth is going on?’
When Kashar left, I’d thought it was finally over—like I’d died and passed on.
How shocked must I have been to grab a baseball bat from a dream supermarket?
Yet the next day, what arrived at the secluded palace wasn’t blades—but lavish gifts.
‘Wait, was serving breakfast really that moving?’
I might’ve been charmed by the unfamiliar food, but this was excessive.
Gifts kept piling up from morning till night.
At first, I’d tried sending them back.
‘His Grace has sent a letter.’
The letter Mikhail delivered read:
[If you don’t want to die, you’d better accept them prettily.]These were gifts I could never refuse from the start.
And so, on the third day,
more gifts from Kashar were about to pour out like delivery parcels.
“Careful, careful! It’s a silk dress!”
Madam Marong of the dress shop scolded sharply as her assistants unloaded dresses from the luxurious carriage.
‘No wonder the tailor measured my size on the first day.’
But dresses could be made this quickly?
The flowing hems shimmered with gold leaf, silver threads, and colorful gems arranged harmoniously.
After days of dazzling sights, my eyes spun just from looking at anything shiny.
‘How much does all that cost? Aileen’s collected gems wouldn’t even compare.’
I could sell those to buy beautiful clothes for our princes, feast them with delicacies from land and sea, hire staff, and make the palace sparkle…
I think I might’ve drooled without realizing.
Just then, one of Madam Marong’s attendants asked me,
“Yes, Lady Aileen. Where should we put these?”
“Oh, the room at the end of the corridor on the left should be empty.”
I hope they didn’t see me drooling.
Awkwardly recovering, I pointed, and the mountain of dresses was carried inside.
At this rate, every spare room would soon be filled with gifts.
‘It’s tempting, but…’
I practiced mental discipline using a meditation breathing technique I’d seen somewhere,
adding a bit of imagination to help.
‘I’m standing inside an ancient pyramid. Everyone knows from every movie series—touching treasure there ends your life.’
Ruination happens in an instant.
And I seemed to be standing right on the edge of disaster.
‘This has to be some new form of harassment. Or maybe laying groundwork for forced usury. Or… did he hit his head and actually go insane? In which case, would I have to pay his medical bills?’
My worries deepened, but I found no way to resolve this situation.
‘Surely I don’t have to meet him in person…’
His chilling voice still echoed in my ears.
I absolutely didn’t want to meet him face-to-face. He was a character I admired, but… he was far too handsome and far too terrifying.
‘If I see him again, I might have a heart attack.’
I did want to peek once under his shirt at those muscles—but that didn’t mean I wanted to die.
‘He’ll get bored of this soon.’
If he later demanded everything back, I’d just return it all as is.
I decided to keep things simple—otherwise, I wouldn’t survive till the end.
“Um, Lady Aileen.”
“Yes?”
I’d been so deep in thought I hadn’t noticed someone approaching.
It was Baron Chopin, who’d been delivering gems to me for three days.
“I’ve placed all the gifts inside, but there’s one thing I’d like to ask.”
“What is it?”
Chopin rubbed his palms together, then lowered his voice.
“Are you… perhaps in some kind of relationship with His Grace?”
Suddenly, the surroundings fell silent. Everyone leaned in, ears straining for my reply.
Their faces all screamed, “I’ve been dying to ask that!”
“There’s no relationship at all.”
I don’t even know why Lord Kashar is doing this. Could you please ask him for me? Although you might lose your head.
‘That’s what I wanted to say.’
And I meant it with 100% sincerity.
“Oh dear, you can be honest—it’s fine.”
“I really have no connection with him.”
I clarified it outwardly and inwardly, but no one looked convinced.
‘I’ll just ignore them and go inside.’
No matter what excuse I made, gifts would keep arriving until sunset.
Just as I turned to leave,
“Wow! So many people again today!”
Louis came running out with a “dodo-do” and stood beside me.
The boy gazed curiously all around, fascinated by the crowd.
‘It must seem strange these past few days.’
Since no one had ever visited the secluded palace before, I understood Louis’s reaction.
But everything around here was untouchable.
I tried luring Louis inside with bait.
“Your Highness Louis, I’ll make you a snack…”
“Oh! Prince Louis! A pleasure to meet you. I am Baron Chopin Howard.”
He cut me off?
I shot him an incredulous glare, but Chopin was focused entirely on Louis.
Louis, bewildered by an adult addressing him directly, tilted his head in curiosity.
“Hmm?”
“Today, we also have gifts for Prince Louis and Prince Evan, sent by His Grace.”
Chopin pulled out a large box filled with wooden blocks—exactly the kind children would love.
“Woww!”
Louis’s eyes sparkled at the colorful blocks.
More toys for children were unloaded from the carriage, each an exquisite luxury item nobles would own.
While Louis brightened, my face grew paler by the second.
Louis held up a carriage-shaped toy and shouted at me,
“Aileen! All this is mine!”
“Y-Your Highness Louis, wait. I’ll give you something even better—please put that down.”
I forgot I was supposed to buy toys for you two myself.
I’ll bring the Shark Family and Pororo sets—I’ll get everything! Please give that back to the mister! Please!
I screamed this with my expression, but Louis was far too young to read my thoughts.
“Huh? Why? They said it’s for me!”
Louis asked innocently, but to me, the toy’s origin mattered most.
‘You can’t accept even one!’
To me, the toy Louis held looked like a death flag.
Perhaps frightened by my expression, Louis began to sniffle.
“…Can’t I play with it?”
“I’ll bring you an even better toy tomorrow morning.”
“But I want this one…”
Louis clutched the little carriage tightly.
‘No, Your Highness Louis. Once you’ve seen Boonboomger, you’ll regret saying that.’
The orange-goggled penguin was president of all children.
But Louis, who hadn’t yet encountered Boonboomger, already had teardrops like chicken droppings welling in his eyes.
“H-huh… I’ve been good, and I even ate eggplants even though Evan hates them…”
“Oh, Your Highness Louis…!”
I’d never seen him cry like this—it threw me into a panic.
I rushed over and hugged him tightly, but he still clung to the carriage model.
‘He must really want it.’
There weren’t any decent toys here in the secluded palace.
I sank into regret, remembering the things I’d brought from the supermarket these past days.
‘I should’ve brought toys instead of self-defense supplies.’
A baseball bat. Pepper spray. A tray.
I’d packed those, afraid Kashar might hold a grudge.
But against his sane self, I was painfully ordinary—a mere side character.
‘I’ll die without even getting to rebel once.’
I resolved to bring Boonboomger from my dream tonight.
Or at least a dinosaur model.
Chastising myself for my past neglect, I wiped Louis’s tears.
“…Just this one, okay? I’ll bring better toys tomorrow. Understood?”
“Yay!”
Louis nodded at my words and immediately stopped crying.
Seeing his bright smile, I couldn’t help but smile too.
While Louis rolled the carriage on the floor, I approached Chopin and whispered,
“How much is that?”
“…Excuse me?”
“I said, how much?”
“Well… 95 silvers.”
A tiny model cost two months’ worth of food for a commoner.
I suspected Chopin of scamming me, but considering the intricate craftsmanship of toys in this world, the price made sense.
‘Damn, that’s outrageously expensive.’
I’d have to sell Aileen’s collected gems.
Tears in my eyes, I paid Chopin the amount.
“This was bought by me—not a gift from His Grace. Understood?”
“Huh? Y-Yes, of course.”
Seeing my serious expression, Chopin nodded nervously.
With a witness secured, I felt slightly relieved.
‘As long as it’s not from Kashar.’
That way, I could return everything at once.
“Emma, are you managing the gifts well?”
“…Huh? Oh, of course! I’ll help move them too!”
Having been distracted, Emma replied a beat late.
As I watched her hurry off, my eyes narrowed slightly.
Something tugged at the hem of my clothes from below.
It was Evan.
“Aileen, look at me.”
His small face was utterly serious.
I nodded absentmindedly, and Evan pulled me by my sleeve toward the backyard.
“What’s the matter?”
What could be so important that he came all the way here?
I was curious, but also dazed—Evan had never spoken to me directly before.
The child standing before me took a short breath, then mentioned someone I never expected.
“Do you have a problem with the Duke?”
“How did you know the visitor that day was the Duke?”
When I asked, wide-eyed, Evan replied calmly,
“Emma wouldn’t stop chattering about it. She said the flood of gifts is from him. Plus, among the imperial family, only the Duke has red eyes.”
I’d forgotten Emma had been grilling me all day about whether I was seeing the Duke.
But Evan seemed to know even more than what he’d overheard.
‘Right—they both received formal education before turning four.’
I’d underestimated the child’s memory.
Now Evan’s behavior made sense.
With the disgraced heir suddenly visiting, he must’ve feared something serious had happened.
First, I needed to reassure him.
“Don’t worry too much. I’d never dare lay a finger on you princes…”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Despite his gentle tone, Evan was firm.
He hesitated briefly, then spoke in a tiny voice.
“…You just seem… strange.”
“Me?”
Until that moment, I hadn’t understood what the child meant.
Evan looked anxious even as he spoke.
‘This is the first time I’ve seen Evan like this.’
He’d never initiated conversation or touched me before.
A flicker of hope stirred inside me.
I crouched down to meet Evan’s eyes.
“Are you… worried about me right now?”
“…”
Evan didn’t answer.
But his small ears had turned bright red.
‘I’m going crazy—it’s too cute.’
I struggled not to hug him.
I feared ruining this precious moment.
But my twitching body had already…
“Your Highness Evan—!”
“What are you doing!”
Poof. His small frame filled my arms.
Evan squirmed immediately, but not with enough force to push me away.
That gap was unbearably endearing.
I rubbed my cheek against his repeatedly.
“Oh, I’m so happy Your Highness Evan is worried about me!”
“I’m not worried!”
Evan’s face flushed red.
My mind knew I should let go now, but I couldn’t contain my joy—he’d finally opened his heart to me, even a little.
“Thank you, Your Highness Evan. Truly.”
My gratitude carried many meanings.
Evan held my gaze for a moment, then abruptly turned his head away.
The squirming in my arms stopped. I held him like that for a long time.
“Let go now.”
“Hehe, okay.”
Time’s up.
‘If I don’t back off now, he’ll never let me hug him again.’
Knowing when to appear and disappear, I quickly stepped back.
Evan brushed his crumpled clothes and shot me a glare.
“What’s really going on with the Duke? You don’t seem to have actually been seeing him.”
Evan seemed to sense I’d been acting.
‘But he doesn’t know I knocked Kashar out.’
How could I explain this?
Honesty felt awkward, so I unconsciously scratched my cheek.
“Well, the thing is…”
“Tell me honestly.”
“It’s not… that we’re dating or anything…”
While I hesitated under Evan’s stern gaze,
a low voice cut between us.
“Not?”
“Y-Yes, exactly—not like that… Wait, huh?”
For a second, I thought I’d misheard.
My stiff neck creaked as it turned toward the voice.
I met a pair of red eyes.
“Hello.”
Kashar’s refined face wore a lazy smile.
“Eeek—!”
Without thinking, I scooped up Evan and stepped backward.
‘He’s scary! And handsome!’
My heart pounded violently from this conflicted feeling.
Soon, he stood crookedly, apparently displeased that I’d pressed myself against the wall.
“Should you be this startled to see your lover?”
“Oh, right. That’s how it is. Indeed.”
Was it because Evan was here?
He still seemed to be playing the role of my lover.
“What brings you here…?”
I asked cautiously, and he leaned in with a disappointed look.
“I came to ask you on a date.”
He flashed a grin.
His cool face now wore a delighted smile.
Male lead Asks for a Divorce Every Day
It’s not often you come across a plot like this in the female-dominant genre — make sure to check it out!
This is a novel I’m planning to reread as well.
The male lead is strong, skilled in martial arts, and not the usual fragile type you often see in matriarchal novels.
Meanwhile, the female lead is a scientist—rational and logical. Even when she falls for the male lead, she doesn’t let her emotions cloud her decisions.
If you push through the first few chapters, you’ll gradually find the story really intriguing.
It has a mix of mystery, detective elements, and romance.
The author’s writing style is like crafting a puzzle—except they deliberately leave out a few pieces, making it hard to predict what happens next, yet keeping you hooked.
In the end, everything will come together and be explained.
One-sentence summary: Wife, stop playing with beakers and look at me!
In a laboratory accident, research scientist Zhu Wansheng accidentally travels to a matriarchal world. The original owner of the body is an eighteen-year-old only daughter of a wealthy rouge merchant, already married with a handsome young man.
Zhu Wansheng grins: Nice! She always said she was heaven’s favorite granddaughter. After a life of toil in her previous life, she can enjoy blessings in this one.
However, her joy lasts no more than three seconds as bad news arrives: the original owner’s family is about to go bankrupt, and her husband wants a divorce.
Even worse, she’s stuck with a research system full of restrictions.
Zhu Wansheng: ? Is this the destiny of a research dog?
——
Faced with this mess, Zhu Wansheng pours herself a bowl of wine to drown her sorrows. In her drunken haze, her husband arrives.
His figure is imposing, holding a long sword, with a dignified air that captivates Zhu Wansheng.
Gu Yingqing, however, looks at the alcohol-reeking Zhu Wansheng with undisguised disgust and coldly asks, “Divorce or not?” The intoxicated Zhu Wansheng mumbles vaguely, “I think… it’s not… it’s not… impossible!”
——
The next day, after sobering up, Zhu Wansheng is full of energy, rolling up her sleeves ready to make a big move. As for yesterday? She has no memory of it.
Zhu Wansheng is ambitious; a research dog fears nothing!
Upgrading rouge, extracting fragrances, producing perfumes, researching lipsticks… all shall bow to the power of modern technology!
The original owner’s dying rouge shop is revitalized. Her mother is pleased and with a wave of her hand, passes on the family business to her. As she takes control and her experimental results gain popularity, it’s the pinnacle of her life…
——
But there are always those who can’t stand to see her doing well. Jealousy, scheming, assassination attempts – they want nothing less than her life.
The person who has always kept his distance from her suddenly holds her tightly in his arms, eyes full of concern.
She is unharmed, but he falls into a pool of blood…
Zhu Wansheng feels guilty, “I can grant you one wish.”
Gu Yingqing tentatively circles his arms around her, carefully resting his head in the crook of her neck, pleading softly, “I regret it. Can we not divorce?”
Zhu Wansheng: ? When did I agree to a divorce?
[Small Theater]
The newly developed rouge is beautifully packaged, and Zhu Wansheng is eager to try it.
Gu Yingqing suddenly appears: “My lady, may I apply it for you?”
Cool fingertips lightly brush her lips. His Adam’s apple bobs as he leans in for a light bite.
Zhu Wansheng: ?
Gu Yingqing: It smells so good, I wanted to taste it…
On a warm spring day, Zhu Wansheng tries a new perfume: “Spring Night.” Gu Yingqing corners her against a wall.
Warm breath lingers on her neck.
“My lady, from now on, may I test the fragrances for you?”
[Humorous female scientist vs scheming live-in son-in-law male lead]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
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