So wouldn’t it be natural for the woman’s sin to be heavier even if both husband and wife had affairs?
That was Callian’s obvious thought.
But if he voiced such thoughts aloud, it was clear that Esika’s hatred for him would only grow deeper.
Even in his drunken state, he has that thought.
“…So, do you love the Crown Prince?”
It was what Callian most wanted to know at this moment.
He wanted to rip the Crown Prince’s ring off Esika’s hand and throw it away.
Whenever he saw the two of them whispering together, he wanted to douse them with water.
A terrible jealousy coiled around his heart like a snake.
Especially seeing how cold Esika was to him, while treating the Crown Prince kindly, that anxiety had grown as big as a mountain.
“…I’m not sure.”
Esika’s red lips moved slightly.
Even in the dim night, her beauty shone distinctly.
Esika – a beautiful woman that any man would covet.
Such a woman gives pain as if cutting his chest with a knife.
She utters cold words from lips that seem like they should exude a sweet fragrance.
“…What do you think?”
More painful than a definite answer is being made to imagine agonizing possibilities.
She had spent many sleepless nights in painful imaginings about Callian.
On those nights when she soaked her pillow with tears, she felt a terrible chest pain with every breath.
Now it’s time to return the pain she received from him.
“Esika… Damn it, Esika!”
Callian cried out as if wailing. Everything had changed.
A fish that didn’t need to be fed, she was once just such an existence.
Now that woman was saying she might love another man.
One answer saying it wasn’t so would be enough, but she couldn’t give that answer.
His chest aches, stings, feels like it’s burning.
“…You must not…”
Callian said in a seething voice.
“You must love me. I am your husband…”
“No, Callian.”
Esika’s cold voice brought him back to reality.
Even in this moment, she appears resentfully beautiful.
“I told you. I don’t love you anymore.”
“Esika!”
Anger rose to the tip of his throat, and the hands that had tightly gripped her shoulders lost their strength and fell.
But those hands did not fall completely, because Callian raised his hand.
How should he deal with this anger?
How should he release this frustration and desire, this resentment, this jealousy, this rage?
Esika stood still without flinching even as he raised his hand threateningly.
In the darkness, her brightly shining eyes showed not a trace of shame.
Callian’s hand trembled as he faced those cold, calm eyes.
“You are a cruel woman.”
He could not bring himself to strike Esika’s cheek.
“And a filthy woman. Esika… Esika Klaus! If I had known you were this kind of woman, I wouldn’t have married you. Damn it, damn it…”
Though Callian himself may not realize it, not hitting her is an instinctive judgment.
The aura emanating from Esika was calm but sufficiently intimidating.
“When drunk, a person’s true nature is revealed.”
Esika’s lips moved coldly.
The Callian Klaus she once loved was an immature child.
A child with no hope of growing up, who would grow old and die making only self-centered thoughts.
“So pathetic.”
Callian’s brows furrowed further at Esika’s sudden informal speech.
But Callian could not continue speaking.
Because Esika had grabbed him by the collar.
“…!”
Callian’s eyes shook at the unbelievable situation.
The fierce killing intent shooting from Esika’s blue eyes was raw and unfiltered.
A blue aura could be seen flowing around Esika.
It was the flow of mana that only appears in battles between high-level knights.
“…Y-you… Who are you!”
Callian’s pupils trembled.
Esika’s posture as she gripped his collar was surprisingly balanced.
Even someone who hadn’t reached the level of Sword Aura would be able to tell now.
The fact that Esika possessed power surpassing that of an average knight.
“My wife… Where is my wife? You are not Esika.”
Callian cried out in confusion as he met Esika’s eyes.
But all that came back was Esika’s cold voice.
“Callian Klaus, listen carefully.”
A chilling shiver conveyed her voice.
“The innocence that was inside me.”
“…Esi…ka…?”
Esika’s lips moved.
“Is dead. And if you bother me one more time.”
Callian’s pupils shook violently.
“I might not be able to hold back and end up killing you.”
“…No, Esika…”
Callian shook his head. His vision was blurring.
Even in this situation, she is beautiful.
But there is not a hint of warmth in those cold eyes.
He wants to embrace and comfort her, to persuade her, but his arms feel limp and won’t rise.
Is this reality, or a dream?
Having finished speaking, Esika roughly removed her hand from Callian’s collar.
After staring at Callian with a contemptuous gaze for a long while, she turned away.
Callian stared blankly at Esika’s retreating figure before collapsing to the ground.
“…Esika…”
And he fell asleep just like that.
**
Esika slightly regretted grabbing his collar out of that frustrating urge to punch.
‘Maybe I shouldn’t have done that.’
It might cause more trouble, couldn’t it?
Like calling in priests saying Esika is possessed by a demon…
‘…But he was drunk enough, so I can just insist he saw and heard things.’
Just like before when he entered her room and she knocked him out by pressing his pressure points, then lied that he had collapsed from being too drunk when he woke up.
Esika sat cross-legged on the floor for meditation and muttered to herself.
“From tomorrow, Klaus might not even have time to worry about such things.”
Finally tomorrow, the article will be spread throughout the empire.
An article that will be fatal to Klaus’s honor.
It will have been worth working hard to prepare the party.
And soon the western base will be announced.
Klaus will become a pauper, and conversely, Esika who has become rich will be able to absorb this mansion and Klaus’s assets as is.
Just kick out the original homeowners amicably.
Thump thump thump-
“X#$@#!”
“What are you doing! Go back right now!”
But it seemed today was destined to not go smoothly, as if cursed.
Judging by the loud noises coming from outside the door.
Yuri’s shrill voice was extremely agitated, and Sella seemed to be blocking her.
It’s obvious why she’s so upset.
Esika eventually got up and called out to Sella.
“Sella, let her in.”
Sella hesitantly let Yuri into the room.
Yuri stomped in, panting heavily.
And she started confronting Esika, even pointing her finger.
“How can you be so shameless! Esika!”
Yuri’s appearance was not the same as before.
There were dark circles under her eyes, and her skin had become rough from the cold of the cell.
Her hands were chapped from washing with cold water.
A wretched appearance reminiscent of Esika’s former self.
“Why didn’t you invite me to Mother’s birthday party!”
The whites of Yuri’s eyes were red in places. As if blood vessels had burst from anger.
“I deserve to be there. I was Klaus’s head maid, and I’m carrying Klaus’s child in my belly!!”
She was truly throwing a fit as if she had received unfair treatment, which was utterly ridiculous.
“Yes, Yuri… Klaus.”
Yuri’s eyes flickered at Esika’s words.
Soon she smiled, her face brightening.
“Now, now you acknowledge it too?”
And she said, pointing at Esika.
“That position is mine. I, who am pregnant with the Duke’s child, should become the real Duchess!”
Yuri’s veins were bulging and her eyebrows were sharply raised.
Her red pupils within those hate-filled eyes were full of greed.
“Someone like you… Someone like you shouldn’t be in this position! You don’t deserve it. You know?”
“Is that so?”
Yuri was further provoked by Esika’s unemotional response.
Esika, who was no better than her, had been born with more than her from the start.
Luckily becoming Klaus’s duchess, only to have her worthless true nature revealed and be shunned…
“Sounds nice, Yuri Klaus. Suitable as the mistress of this idiotic family.”
“You, are you insulting Klaus?”
Yuri’s eyes bulged.
More despairing to Yuri than the Duchess who couldn’t say a word to Esika was…
Duke Klaus who belatedly fell for her and was floundering.
“I told you before, Klaus is a carriage full of horse dung. And you’re perfect to ride in it.”
“Ha, what you said today. I’m going to tell His Grace everything. How lowly you think of him, how you’re insulting Klaus.”
“It’s fine. I’ve already pushed Klaus off the cliff.”
Male lead is a Destined Young Husband (Female-dominant)
One-sentence summary: Wife-master, listen to my explanation!
Li Ruantang, a young lady from a prestigious family, stumbled and fell. When she woke up, she saw a noble and beautiful young man sitting by her bedside, wiping away tears.
The young master had slightly reddened eyes, and his every move exuded charm.
The sight made Li Ruantang’s eyes hot and her heart flutter. After all, she had made a bet with the young master Meng from the neighboring family. If she couldn’t marry a husband before the end of the year, she would have to admit defeat and give up the jade she had worked so hard to obtain.
Outside the window, the flowers were in full bloom.
Rather than losing the bet, the jade, and her face, Li Ruantang calculated that it would be better to seek marriage with the young master in front of her, killing three birds with one stone.
…
Meng Jun never thought that an accident during a spring outing would lead to them rolling down a cliff and into a river, yet still survive.
Now they were trapped in an unknown village, and Meng Jun had overheard that the family who had rescued them had their own intentions.
After all, it was Li Ruantang who had lost her mind and sought marriage first. He was only trying to protect himself!
Glancing at Li Ruantang, who was listing her own merits, the young husband’s voice softened, and he blushed as he lied, “W-wife-master, Wife-master, don’t you remember me?”
The young husband’s voice was clear and handsome, coaxing Li Ruantang’s heart to be soft and sweet, and she spared no effort to protect him.
It wasn’t until they returned to the capital that Li Ruantang suddenly remembered.
When they had fallen off the cliff, in order not to implicate Wei Yunruo, whom he secretly admired, the young husband had instead pulled her, who was slightly farther away, down the cliff with him…
Short summary by Yuushi L: Initially, the male lead (ML) liked another girl, while the female lead (FL) liked the ML. Both fell off a cliff. The FL temporarily lost her memory, and the ML, fearing others might take advantage of him, claimed FL was his wife while they were staying in a village. Later, when they returned home, the FL regained her memories and remembered that the ML liked someone else, so she kept her distance from him. However, during their time living together in the countryside, the ML’s view of the FL had completely changed. From this point, his pursuit of the FL begins.
Link to read
