The Villain Family Opposes Independence (13 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 8
It had already been two days since the Emperor’s birthday celebration ended.
Aside from official events, I hadn’t yet been granted permission to resume normal activities, so I was quietly staying in the guest wing.
Because I’d grabbed the servants like I was hunting mice right before regaining my past-life memories, everyone had been carefully avoiding my sight, staying strictly within their assigned areas—making my solitude even more peaceful.
Resting my chin in my hand as I read through society gossip sheets, I recalled the First Imperial Prince’s expression from the party.
Right after I stepped on his foot.
‘He had quite the expressive face.’
Yet after that, the First Prince said nothing further and merely escorted me courteously as my fiancé.
I did wonder if stomping on his foot had been a bit too harsh—but I wasn’t an object to be judged by my usefulness, so I couldn’t simply let it slide.
Even though my past-life memories had returned, my former self—foul-tempered as ever—hadn’t vanished.
‘After all, the Elodie from before was still me.’
If anything had changed, it was perhaps that I now saw situations with slightly more objectivity.
In any case, the First Prince’s refusal to call off our engagement was quite troublesome. From his perspective, breaking it off now would surely make things easier later.
“Just go bawl your eyes out to Estelle and cling to her skirts, begging for me to break off the engagement. Hmph.”
Though it was only imagination, such behavior truly didn’t suit the First Prince at all.
“I even read the part about Countess Pauft and the mansion butler sneaking into the stables…”
Just as I was about to reopen the gossip sheet and resume reading,
Martha rushed in, flustered.
“Miss, have you gone and caused trouble?!”
I hadn’t caused any trouble at all—in fact, I’d been holed up in the guest wing lately—so I immediately shook my head vigorously, feeling deeply wronged.
“Ah—no?”
“Look at you stuttering! You definitely did something! Otherwise, the Duchess wouldn’t have summoned you!”
“The Duchess? She called for me?”
“Yes! She wants you to come to the greenhouse!”
Unlike Martha, who was anxiously hopping from foot to foot, I beamed and slipped on my outer coat.
I had a pretty good idea why I’d been summoned.
“A-are we going?”
“Of course we are. She called, after all.”
Now I understood why Martha was so terrified.
Themis Ferdia—the Duchess—was the shadowy matriarch of power within the Ferdia household.
Though every member of the family possessed a cruel disposition, if one had to single out the most ruthless among them, it would undoubtedly be the Duchess herself.
She was infamous for feeding a slow-acting toxin to a spy infiltrating the family—a poison that inflicted a burning agony for an entire month.
Rumors claimed she never ceased torturing the spy even after he’d confessed every known secret, simply to savor his continued suffering—though the truth of that remained uncertain.
‘I’m still scared of the Duchess, just as before.’
I’d approached her only to secure independent funds; had it not been for that reason, I wouldn’t have dared address her first.
After all, our relationship had always been strained.
Having grown up in this estate since infancy—even before I could crawl—
I naturally retained my earliest memory of the Duchess.
Had I caught a cold, perhaps? For some reason, I’d been wailing inconsolably as a child, with no one around to comfort me—except the Duchess.
She stood over me as I lay crying,
staring as though I were an inanimate object.
That was all.
That memory occasionally resurfaced.
Still, the Duchess had never openly slighted or humiliated me.
She merely treated me with the same formal detachment she’d show an ordinary guest.
At most, a brief greeting if we happened to meet, or exchanging perfunctory pleasantries at the dinner table.
We’d never had a proper conversation beyond that—certainly not in recent times.
Anyway, I needed to calm Martha, who was acting as if I were marching to my doom.
“It’s fine, Martha. I’m immune to poisons now.”
“You mean your power to ‘destroy’ poison?”
“Yep, that one.”
Thankfully, Martha believed my lie without question. After assigning her a small task to ease her lingering worries, I headed straight for the Duchess’s greenhouse.
The sun beat down fiercely along the path to the greenhouse—so hot that even a brief walk outside made me scowl from the stifling heat.
Once inside, it was slightly better than outdoors, though hardly cool.
“Where could she be?”
I arrived at the spot where the Duchess kept her research desk, but no one was there.
With research notes and specimens scattered chaotically about—and wishing to avoid unnecessary suspicion—I wandered over to admire the flowerbed beside the laboratory.
‘Wow, it’s beautiful.’
Among the blooms, I spotted a single, enormous flower shimmering with vibrant, multicolored hues.
Its petals swayed gently, as if beckoning me to touch it—and without thinking, I reached out, entranced.
“If you stretch your hand just a little farther, it’ll rip your whole arm off.”
“Huh…!”
I jerked my hand back and turned around. The Duchess stood there—when had she arrived?
“That’s Halkaria, a carnivorous flower. It lures people in with dazzling colors and alluring pollen, then devours them whole. Be careful, Elodie.”
“I didn’t know.”
“Naturally. It was only recently discovered on an uncharted, uninhabited island in the Dubei Kingdom.”
Heh-heh. The Duchess let out a fond chuckle, gazing at the man-eating flower as if it were a beloved pet.
Ha-ha. I gave an awkward laugh and sat across from her.
I’d expected her to cut straight to the point, but instead, the Duchess offered me tea as though I were an honored guest.
It was a chilled beverage with rose-shaped ice cubes floating inside.
“Go ahead and drink.”
“I’ll enjoy it!”
Thirsty from the sweltering heat, I gulped it down in seconds. It was wonderfully refreshing—tart, sweet, and delicious.
But the Duchess’s reaction was anything but normal. She stared at me with a puzzled expression, as if witnessing something impossible.
“You… drank it all, just now?”
“Was I not supposed to…?”
I’d already finished it—down to the very last drop.
Flustered, I glanced back and forth between the empty cup and the Duchess’s face.
She’d told me to drink, so I did—but why was she so surprised I’d finished it?
“Few people drink tea I offer without hesitation.”
Ah.
Now I understood why she was taken aback.
‘Since she handles poisons, anyone would naturally suspect poison might be in the tea.’
But that didn’t apply to me. Any deadly toxin would be instantly neutralized by the Severes bloodline’s purification ability.
Of course, the Duchess didn’t know I created antidotes by ingesting poison myself.
I wiped the faint beads of sweat on my brow and casually waved it off.
“I was just really hot, so—”
“Your life matters more than heat.”
“The tea smelled wonderful…”
“It’s scentless.”
Every excuse I tried was instantly shut down. I realized at once that half-hearted explanations wouldn’t convince the Duchess.
What should I do? After a moment’s hesitation, I just blurted it out.
“We’re good partners! No one would poison their own collaborator, right…?”
“Partners?”
“Yes. You must have been impressed by my abilities. The antidote passed approval this time, didn’t it? That’s why I thought you summoned me.”
Worry struck me too late—what if I’d sounded disrespectful? But the words were already out.
I tensed up, waiting nervously for the Duchess’s response.
“Partners… Yes, partners. You’re absolutely right, Elodie.”
Relief flooded me—she didn’t seem displeased at all. As I silently exhaled, she continued.
“I didn’t put poison in your tea. If I truly intended to poison you, I wouldn’t have done it while conversing with you—it would’ve been in a different situation, to avoid suspicion.”
“Oh…”
“And besides, if I wished, I could eliminate you anytime.”
To me, her words sounded like this:
If I’d wanted you dead, you’d already be gone—so rest assured.
“You’re absolutely right, Duchess.”
I gave her a bright smile in reply, and she twitched her lips, offering a faint, knowing smirk.
“As you guessed, your antidote has received sales approval. All prepared stock has already entered distribution, and we’ve collected advance payments. The quantity was small, so the sum isn’t much—but here, take it.”
“Thank you.”
I forced down my rising grin and carefully tucked the purse away.
Though the Duchess called it a small amount, its weight and jingling sound suggested otherwise—far more than I’d expected.
I desperately wanted to open it right then, but summoned extreme self-control and held back.
“Check this document for a detailed ledger of income and expenses.”
“Yes.”
Given the Duchess’s immense wealth, the idea that she’d cheat me over money was absurd—so I skimmed the pages quickly and closed the file again.
“And I have another request.”
“Yes, please go ahead.”
“I’d like to place an additional order for the antidote. How long will it take?”
“It should be ready in about two days. The quantity won’t be large this time either—is that alright?”
“Yes. While I’m at it, I’d also like to purchase the antidote’s formula—would that be possible?”
“Uh… No. It’s a trade secret.”
I gave an awkward laugh and fidgeted with my hands.
Revealing the method would risk exposing my use of the Severes bloodline ability.
Predictably, the Duchess moved on without pressing further.
“There are several other potent poisons awaiting analysis—I wonder if you could produce antidotes for those as well.”
“I can, but the stronger the toxin, the more difficult it becomes—and it takes longer.”
Truthfully, stronger poisons meant prolonged agony, which I’d rather avoid if possible. Plus, there was a strict limit on how much I could produce at once.
As I rose from my seat, I suddenly remembered the previous dinner gathering.
The Duchess had firmly shut down Yansi’s attempt to investigate the new apothecary.
“Duchess, thank you for keeping my secret from Elder Brother Yansi before.”
“I gave my word, so of course I kept it. We’re partners, after all.”
‘We…’
For someone who was a Ferdia by name but not by blood, that word felt unexpectedly poignant.
Of course, the Duchess likely meant nothing special by it.
[This is the timeline separator]To return to the guest wing where I stayed, I had to pass through the western corridor. Leaving the greenhouse, I headed in that direction.
Beside the corridor lay the family’s underground prison—and just as I passed by,
“Lock this traitor up.”
“Y-your Grace! This is unjust! I’ve sworn my life and loyalty to House Ferdia and to you—why—?!”
“Silence.”
Thud!
The dull thump of a boot striking flesh made me freeze in my tracks.
Turning toward the prison entrance, I witnessed a grim scene.
A man lay battered beyond recognition, his face a bloody pulp, while Duke Ferdia stood over him—surrounded by the family’s private guards.
Though his features were too mangled to identify clearly, I recognized the collapsed figure.
It was Hector Arald, the Duke’s own advisor.
“I’ve already gathered proof of your collusion with the Second Prince.”
“No! It’s a conspiracy! His Highness the Second Prince is clearly orchestrating this scheme to fracture House Ferdia!”
I couldn’t help but marvel at Lord Arald’s claim.
Look at that spineless scrap of paper—ready to sell out even his true master mid-betrayal.
On the other hand, if the Duke had genuinely trusted his advisor, he might’ve reconsidered the punishment, given how plausible the accusation sounded.
“A conspiracy, you say…?”
A sneer curled the Duke’s lips. In the next instant—
Slash!
The Duke’s blade plunged unhesitatingly into the floor.
And there—
“Aaah! Aaaargh!”
—lay the advisor’s hand.
He screamed at the sight of his impaled hand, but the Duke left the blade embedded.
“Please… spare me… I beg you… spare…”
After wailing for some time, the advisor finally collapsed unconscious—only then did the Duke withdraw his sword.
Drip… drip…
Crimson blood trickled from the blade’s tip.
Having unintentionally witnessed this horrifying scene, I held my breath and tiptoed toward the nearest tree to hide.
But my attempt failed.
“Elodie Ferdia.”
At the low summoning, I slowly lifted my head.
Golden, icy eyes locked onto mine.
My whole body instinctively froze—his gaze alone was enough to overwhelm anyone.
In that moment, a chilling thought struck me:
‘If he discovers I’m not his true daughter, that blade might turn on me next.’
I’d fought so desperately to avoid that fate—but would things really go as I hoped?
Primal fear surged through me.
Then, after a pause, the Duke stepped forward—and passed right by me.
“I have something to say. Follow me.”
A metallic stench of blood clung to him as he walked past.
“…Yes!”
Without a word of protest, I hurried after him.
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.]
MANGA DISCUSSION
1 Comment
Chapter Comments (61)
Hahaha, the Duke is really funny. He looks like he’s giving something away, not his own children. Poor Lily.
Hahaha, yes, yes, you made a great choice, Lily. Teach him a lesson; I like his responses; he’s completely transparent.
Poor Carlot, she’s been tricked. Where did she go? I hope she wasn’t kidnapped.
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Miioo
Oh my God, it’s terrifying, but it’s worth it. Poor Lily, I hope she can escape this family. But I don’t think they’re evil; I think they have some affection for her.