Callian turned away from Riona angrily.
Riona called Callian’s name, but Callian walked away without looking back.
“Your Grace…!”
“Apologize… to Esika. After that, I will greet mother again.”
Leaving only those words, the son departed without a proper greeting.
Riona sat for a long time with a dumbfounded expression.
“…What misunderstanding are you talking about?”
Riona was brought out of her reverie by Esika’s words.
There before her was the thorn in her side that had caused a rift in her close relationship with her son.
Such distrustful eyes… It was a defeat Riona had never experienced before.
Riona opened her mouth with venomous eyes.
“I mean the misunderstanding that you, Esika, abused Yuri and the maids.”
“…Ah.”
The corner of Esika’s lips curled up.
Even that blatant smile seemed to mock her, and Riona wanted to throw the teacup at that face, but she had to restrain herself.
Insolent wench. The daughter of that vulgar Brigitte family, no less.
Swallowing the curses rising from within, Riona continued.
“So I cleared up the misunderstanding the Duke had. I told him he must have misunderstood my educating the maids.”
Esika just looked at Riona with a silent, smiling expression.
“The Duke has also let go of his unpleasant feelings towards you, so don’t worry too much.”
Like an audience watching an obvious stage play.
“If that incident upset you, I’m sorry.”
It was a laughable apology.
If this could be called an apology, then slapping someone’s cheek, spitting on them, and then handing them a handkerchief could be called a friendly greeting.
However, Esika knew.
The fact that Riona, who was smiling, was feeling the greatest humiliation of her life at this moment.
And that quite pleased Esika.
“There was a time when I too thought the whip was medicine.”
Esika’s lips moved with a cold smile.
It reminds me of the days when I used to strike down enemies as a spirit.
If you tied them upside down and beat them with a stick a few times, they became docile…
“But that’s not always the case.”
Indeed, one cannot obtain true surrender with swords or sticks.
“I hope there won’t be any sparks flying at me in the future, Mother.”
At Esika’s words, Riona’s eyes trembled with anger.
Riona hid her hands, trembling with rage, under the table.
Esika Klaus, the daughter-in-law from that vulgar Brigitte family!
That child who couldn’t even raise her head under her cold gaze was now holding her head high and talking back to her.
When she heard that Esika had been cold towards Callian, she thought it was just a trampled worm wriggling.
So she had Yuri teach her a lesson.
But causing a commotion at Alhemitz’s tea party, and then returning the false accusations…
And now this behavior today…
‘You seem to have grown quite bold.’
Riona looked at Esika with angry eyes, no longer even smiling.
Klaus is entirely Riona’s domain, and the queen of this small kingdom is clearly Riona.
There cannot be two queens in one kingdom.
‘You dare to challenge me.’
Riona, who had been staring at Esika, raised her hand to pick up the teacup.
She took a sip of tea elegantly, calming her boiling insides.
She couldn’t remember when was the last time she had to make such an effort to control her emotions in front of someone.
Riona barely regained her indifferent expression and asked Esika.
“How about you prepare the tea next time?”
“I will do so.”
Esika answered obediently.
The corner of Riona’s lips twisted coldly.
She intended to give her a proper education before driving her out of Klaus someday.
Esika, observing her leisurely, knew what Riona was thinking.
She probably thinks it’s no big deal to trap such a green girl in trouble and pitfalls.
Like pushing something annoying that came out in the sun back into a dark room.
But what she doesn’t know is that Esika’s past life as a spirit was the greatest villainess of her time.
Like a venomous snake swallowing a flower snake in one bite, the spirit had devoured countless enemies.
“The weather is nice.”
As always, the fragrant scent of flowers wafted through the garden.
**
“What do women like?”
At Callian’s question, Gaben’s eyebrow twitched.
“A gift that can move their heart.”
Gaben Pellopé, Callian’s close friend, tilted his head for a moment and then clapped his hands with an “Ah!”
“Ah! Perhaps it’s a gift for that pretty maid of honor?”
“No, it’s a gift for my wife.”
At Callian’s words, Gaben seemed surprised and froze for a moment.
It’s a widely spread story among the nobles of the capital that Callian hates his wife, Esika Klaus.
The only reason he can’t divorce the wife he hates so much is that if he divorces her on a whim, he would have to return the enormous dowry she brought.
Gaben, knowing this too, deliberately avoided bringing up the topic of Esika.
“…Is there some big event?”
Callian asked Gaben back with a cold gaze.
“Is a husband giving a gift to his wife something to ask if there’s a big event?”
“Ah, no. Of course not… but it’s the first time I’ve heard that Your Grace is giving something to your wife, so I was surprised and asked.”
Callian’s eyebrow twitched at the word ‘first time’.
It’s common for a husband to give something to his wife.
And Callian had never given anything as a gift to Esika even once.
“…”
To Callian, who was lost in thought for a moment, Gaben carefully asked.
“If you tell me about the situation, I think I can give you good advice.”
Callian moved his lips with a stiff expression.
“…It seems I’ve been misunderstanding her.”
**
Three years ago, the Klaus mansion was busy.
It was because the young master of Klaus, Duke Callian Klaus, was welcoming his new bride, who would become the future mistress of the ducal family.
However, Callian had no particular expectations for Esika, who was coming as the bride.
“His Highness the Crown Prince has sent his congratulations.”
Callian, after reading the formal congratulations from Crown Prince Resban, who would probably be on the battlefield today as well, folded it casually and put it aside.
A few servants came to check Callian’s collar and buttons.
“And this is…”
Callian frowned as he received the paper.
The envelope, marked as an anonymous letter, had come from Frihatz where the Brigitte family was located, and was written in red letters.
‘The ugly truth about Esika Brigitte.’
Callian opened the envelope and skimmed through its contents.
Inside were expressions full of how promiscuous and pathetic a woman Esika Brigitte was.
It also wrote that she enjoyed tormenting people and causing all sorts of problems.
Judging from the red letters, it seemed to have been written by a man who held a grudge against her or his wife.
Given the handwriting was that of a woman, the latter was more likely.
“Burn it.”
“Your Grace… An investigation into who dared to write such a thing…”
“There’s no smoke without fire.”
As his mother Riona had anticipated, Esika was undoubtedly an ill-mannered woman.
Callian had no choice anyway.
He had to marry that woman for the sake of the family’s finances… and he had no expectations for a woman who tried to buy the position of duchess with money in the first place.
When the time came, Callian left his office and entered the hall alone.
The hall, decorated as a ballroom for the wedding party, was filled with familiar faces of nobles waiting.
And in Callian’s eyes, he saw a woman in a dress.
“…”
Callian flinched for a moment at the sight of her in a white dress.
Her silver-like beautiful hair made it confusing to tell what was the veil and what was her hair.
Her blue eyes shone like jewels from the ocean, and a faint blush that looked innocent rose on her cheeks.
At that moment when he almost forgot who Esika Brigitte was…
Someone grabbed Callian’s hand.
When Callian looked to the side, reality set in.
He saw Riona’s cold gaze, as if telling him to come to his senses.
“…Your Grace.”
Callian remembered the anonymous letter that had flown to him earlier.
Yes, that woman is just a vulgar and ill-mannered woman as described in that letter.
The moment he thought that, Esika’s face, which had been beautiful, began to look a bit different.
Soon he strode towards Esika.
Everyone was focused on Callian.
Callian stood in front of Esika.
“…Your Grace.”
Esika’s peach-colored lips moved, and a delicate and somewhat high voice flowed out.
Women who tried to impress him usually made such a thin voice.
But his emotions weren’t shaken at all.
He lifted Esika’s left hand with a stiff expression.
And he stared straight into her wavering eyes.
“…Welcome.”
Esika’s shoulders, which had been full of love and excitement, flinched.
It was because she felt a chilling coldness in Callian’s voice.
“To becoming a woman of the Klaus family.”
Callian slowly raised Esika’s hand and kissed the back of it.
Esika looked at Callian, hidden behind her hand.
Callian was such a handsome and wonderful man, but all her family members were reluctant about the marriage to the Klaus family.
They said that the temperament of the duchess, Callian’s mother, was not good, and that Callian was swayed by her.
Also… rumors about the duke’s seemingly respectable but not-so-good relationships with women, unlike his clean face, were one of the reasons for their reluctance.
But Esika, who couldn’t forget him since falling in love at first sight, had begged her father for the marriage.
Even to the naive her, lost in daydreams, the unusual atmosphere was conveyed.
“…”
Soon after, Callian removed his lips from the back of her hand and let go of Esika’s hand.
Esika slowly lowered her hand and looked into Callian’s eyes.
Those purple eyes still looked as cold as ice.
It was the moment she sensed that her future married life would not be easy.
Cold Male Lead Became My Clingy Husband (Female-Dominant)
Feng Bai Su transmigrated into a matriarchal novel, becoming the sister of the female protagonist and the Seventh Princess of the Feng Ling Kingdom.
After working herself to death in her previous life, finally reincarnating as a princess, she only wanted to be a lazy fish who could eat, sleep, and play.
Until she met the male protagonist from the book, Wei Jing Mo, and he took a liking to her!
Wei Jing Mo is the top young man in Feng Ling City, talented in both appearance and ability, from a prestigious family, with a cold and otherworldly appearance, a figure like the bright moon in the hearts of noble ladies. It was thought that only the most powerful and talented noble lady in Feng Ling City would be worthy of such a brilliant young man. Who knew that this young gentleman would secretly admire the infamous Seventh Princess?
Short scene 1:
Feng Bai Su looked at the young man crying like a pear blossom in the rain before her, and couldn’t help but doubt her life.
Wasn’t the male lead described as a cold and otherworldly figure in the book?
Then who was this poor little thing crying with swollen red eyes and tear-stained face?
Short scene 2:
Wei Jing Mo stared intently at Feng Bai Su who was about to go out, wanting to say, “Be careful on the road.”
Before he could speak, Feng Bai Su suddenly bent down and bit his cheek.
Her peach blossom eyes were full of disdain: “Tsk! You’re so clingy!”
Wei Jing Mo: “…”
A talented fox spirit female lead with a flirtatious appearance but actually abstinent VS A cold-looking but actually naive and clingy little jealous male lead
