The Maid's Contract Marriage (1 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 10
While Marina was cleaning the bathtub and handing it over to the servants, Brody, who had gone upstairs to answer the bridal chamber’s summons, returned only after a long while.
“Why are you so late?”
Asked Marina, and Brody replied,
“I was seeing Doctor Lorenson back.”
For a moment, Marina was speechless upon hearing this, but after a pause, she finally spoke.
“…You took Doctor Lorenson to the young lady’s bridal chamber?”
“Yeah. Sir Arthur asked me to call the physician…”
Marina’s expression grew increasingly strange as she stared silently at Brody.
“…”
“Marina? Why that look on your face?”
Marina muttered,
“Does Doctor Lorenson know?”
“Know what?”
At Brody’s bewildered reply, Marina lowered her voice and hissed,
“She isn’t the young lady sitting beside Sir Arthur as his wife! Isn’t Doctor Lorenson obviously going to realize right away that she’s not Miss Christina? How could you even let him go in there!”
“!”
Brody froze, eyes wide, and dropped the cookie she’d been about to put in her mouth.
[This is the timeline separator]Have my eyes been getting blurry these days?
Lorenson, the family physician of House Julius, stared intently at the young lady, blinked once, and pushed his glasses up.
Then he narrowed his eyes and looked carefully at “Christina.”
“???”
Frowning, he took off his glasses to clean them and rubbed his eyes once.
Something about the young lady seemed different from usual.
“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Physician.”
Arthur extended his hand toward the physician from beside him.
“Oh! Sir Arthur.”
Lorenson quickly tore his gaze away from the young lady and clasped Arthur’s hand firmly with both of his.
An involuntary, beaming smile spread across his face.
“It’s an honor to meet you. I am Alvin Lorenson, personal physician to House Julius. Please accept my heartfelt congratulations on your glorious return, bathed in such brilliant honor.”
“Thank you.”
“Please speak at ease—you’re family to the Marquis’s household, after all.”
Arthur answered with a faint smile.
The physician’s eyes sparkled with an emotional smile, deeply moved.
His heart swelled with a mixture of sentiment and warmth.
That such an extraordinary son-in-law had joined House Julius…
Having served House Julius for over thirty years, Physician Lorenson held a certain affection for them.
But it wasn’t quite loyalty or reverence.
It resembled more the parental fondness of someone helplessly watching their foolish child—“If I don’t take care of my own messed-up kid, who will?”
Having witnessed the family’s turbulent history for so long, this feeling had simply grown in him over time.
Lorenson beamed happily, grasping Arthur’s hand tightly—their handsome and proud new son-in-law.
His duty as the Marquis’s personal physician was to care for the Julius family,
but the Julius household consisted merely of the Marquis and Marchioness, their one daughter, and the Dowager Marchioness who lived far away in a villa—so in truth, Lorenson spent more time tending to the mansion’s servants.
The maids struck by ashtrays thrown by the Marquis, or the servants whipped by the young lady—
these were mostly the patients he treated.
Normally, a family physician would only attend to the immediate family and perhaps their closest aides,
but with only three individuals to care for—the Marquis, the Marchioness, and their daughter—the role of personal physician was rather idle.
Moreover, the Dowager Marchioness, who had long cared about the family’s public image since the previous generation, had arranged for a resident physician specifically to ensure even the ill servants received proper care.
Thus, Lorenson earned respect from the staff and received generous additional compensation from Julius himself, making it a win-win for him.
In fact, the reason all servants and maids—including Doctor Lorenson—received such generous wages was publicly attributed to staff welfare, but in truth, it was to ensure their silence about secrets.
Thanks to this, Julius managed to maintain a decent public image, however precariously.
Though Lorenson often worried himself sick alongside Head Maid Mrs. Hurst and Head Butler Jim whenever Julius caused trouble, he still felt proud—like a parent watching their once-irresponsible child finally stand on their own two feet.
It pleased him that this glorious son-in-law, hailed as a triumphant hero of the age, would carry on the lineage of a family once anxious over lacking heirs,
and that the whole world celebrated the “couple of the century”—the beautiful Christina and the heroic Arthur.
Our young lady is indeed lovely.
Her temper could use some work, though.
Doctor Lorenson smiled contentedly.
He’d been worried about who could possibly handle her—but with such a warrior as her husband, he could rest easy.
Even that formidable young lady wouldn’t dare act recklessly around such a man.
Besides, he was strikingly handsome.
They made a fine match.
How beautiful their children would be!
Already, Doctor Lorenson’s mind began picturing the next generation of Julius heirs he’d one day tend to.
Arthur spoke.
“I called you here because… I fear I may have overexerted my wife last night.”
Doctor Lorenson was inwardly startled.
Well, however skilled I may be as a physician, this might still embarrass the young lady.
He deliberately avoided looking at her and focused on Arthur’s words.
Rumors had already spread like wildfire across the entire estate about how, at dawn, Sir Arthur carried his exhausted young lady in his arms into the mansion amid an atmosphere promising a heated night.
Doctor Lorenson had only heard the gossip himself, never witnessing it directly.
He’d assumed the tales were exaggerated and refused to believe them—yet here it was, true after all.
Hadn’t they said it was a political marriage where the two barely exchanged glances before parting after the ceremony?
Anyway, it was fine. Affection between spouses was a good thing.
Arthur continued,
“She was out all night in the triumphal procession, wearing only a thin dress. Standing the whole time in a swaying carriage must have been exhausting. She insists she’s fine, that she was merely tired—but since she collapsed suddenly, I’d like you to examine her.”
Ah… So that’s what he meant?
Right—he did say they’d been out all night for the procession. My mistake.
Still, the young lady collapsing suddenly did worry Doctor Lorenson.
She’d never done anything like that before.
At any rate, Sir Arthur seemed deeply considerate—that pleased him.
“Understood. I’ll take a look.”
“And there’s a wound on my wife’s forehead. Please examine that first.”
“A wound?”
What kind of wound? A scar on a noble young lady’s face?
Startled, Doctor Lorenson quickly turned his gaze from Arthur toward the young lady.
Arthur gently swept aside her right bangs, revealing the wound on her forehead.
Doctor Lorenson hurriedly stepped closer, adjusted his glasses onto his head, and examined the spot Arthur indicated.
“?”
Then again, that strange sense of déjà vu washed over him.
Did the young lady look like this before?
He pushed his glasses back down, then lifted them up again.
“?”
She definitely looked familiar—but somehow not quite the face he remembered seeing often…
“!!!!!”
Doctor Lorenson suddenly gasped, eyes wide with shock.
What—what is this?
How could this be?
This girl…!
He was horrified.
The “young lady” was sweating cold beads of sweat, unable to meet his gaze and clearly flustered.
It was unmistakable.
Five years ago—he’d treated a maid who’d been struck by an ashtray carelessly thrown by the Marquis.
He couldn’t recall her name, but…
Doctor Lorenson’s hands trembled violently.
‘She’s not Miss Christina!’
He wished he could doubt his own eyes,
but right beside the new wound Arthur had pointed out was the clear, crescent-shaped scar he himself had stitched five years ago.
[This is the timeline separator]Alvin Lorenson stormed down the corridor, his face flushed crimson.
Servants and maids who had been about to greet him cheerfully with “Doctor Lorenson!” froze like startled rabbits at the sight of his expression.
It was rare for their kind and gentle physician—the very picture of benevolence, respected by all estate staff—to wear such a face.
Without warning, Alvin Lorenson slammed open the door to the study where the Marquis and Marchioness were.
“My Lord and Lady!”
Inside the study sat the Marquis, hand pressed to his forehead in his chair, and the Marchioness, pressing her fan’s tip firmly against her brow.
Also present were Head Maid Mrs. Hurst, her usual blank expression intact, and Head Butler Jim, who looked as though he’d aged ten years in just two days.
Before them stood two maids, shifting nervously in place.
One of them was the maid who had fetched him earlier.
From their chaotic, guilty faces, Doctor Lorenson instantly grasped the situation.
So everyone already knew—only I was left in the dark!
“Alvin…”
Lorenson slammed the study door shut, turned around, and hissed in a low, furious voice.
“What is going on here! Where is the young lady!”
“…”
The Marquis, slumped motionless in his chair like a painting, moved only his lips to mutter,
“For heaven’s sake, say nothing. I’m about to lose my mind.”
[This is the timeline separator]‘…’
Reina awkwardly touched her forehead while looking in the mirror.
Back when she’d been hit by the ashtray the Marquis threw…
Even then, Doctor Lorenson had treated the mere maid with kindness far beyond what she deserved.
But clearly, treatment given to a noble young lady was different from that given to a lowly maid.
She could definitely feel he’d applied far better medicine this time—meticulously and thoroughly.
He’d even given her a special ointment to apply regularly on the wound.
He’d promised to come every day to ensure no scar would form,
as if it were a matter of utmost importance.
It had sounded miraculous then—back when she was injured five years ago, such things hadn’t mattered at all.
Though it was in an inconspicuous spot, the old wound had left a small scar on Reina’s forehead.
“…”
It’ll be fine, right?
Doctor Lorenson is discreet…
Otherwise, the honor of House Julius would have long vanished into oblivion.
“…”
Reina clearly felt it.
There had definitely been a moment when the physician recognized her.
But the seasoned Doctor Lorenson had swiftly regained his composure, addressing her politely as “Miss Christina” without a single slip of the tongue—displaying remarkable calm and quick thinking.
He was probably already on his way to speak with the Marquis and Marchioness… and might end up knowing even more than the maids did.
“…”
It’ll be alright. It has to be.
Unconsciously, Reina anxiously fiddled with her wound, muttering to herself.
…Nothing will happen.
I’ll be able to return to Grandmother…
“I told you not to touch it.”
Arthur gently pulled Reina’s hand away from her forehead.
Startled, Reina flinched and shrank backward like a snail retracting into its shell.
“…”
Her hand remained caught in his, unable to fully escape.
Unable even to look at it, Reina shifted her gaze awkwardly elsewhere.
“…”
Arthur watched her silently for a moment, then gave a soft chuckle and asked with a crinkled-eyed smile,
“You said you wanted to be alone together.”
To emphasize his point, he interlaced their fingers.
“…!”
Reina nearly leapt out of her seat.
“Now that it’s happening as you wished, you’re pulling away.”
Arthur tugged her interlaced hand toward him.
Helplessly, Reina was drawn forward and tumbled into Arthur’s arms.
Strong arms and a broad chest.
A faint, dizzying fragrance brushed her nose.
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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Chapter Comments (37)
Inline Comments (172)
I wanted the time we spent together to remain good memories.
Not possible brother… you two can’t be on equal standing. Reina has a bigger threat looming over her and she can’t even be her self around you
"Say it again, but longer."
This is the second time he has said this lol 😆 , blunt isn’t he
After long hesitation…
Ohh that’s a whole other can of worms waiting to be opened
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Omgosh I forgot how much I dislike the misunderstanding trope
Oh my gosh my heart aches for reina… everyone is just tossing her around
Oh gosh reina 🥺… even in this day and age taking contraceptives mess you up … I can’t even imagine how it was back then. ( yes I’m aware it’s fiction but sympathy is free)