The Villainess' Joyful Married Life (59 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 3
Knock knock—
The door to Eshika’s room opened with a knock.
Eshika, leaning against the bed and reading a book, coldly stared at the person who entered.
“Eshika.”
The woman wearing a neat sky-blue dress was none other than Yuri.
Looking at her as if she were pitiful—alone in this chilly room with little sunlight—Yuri stepped closer to the bed and stood there.
“How are you feeling? The doctor said you hit your head… Do you even recognize who I am?”
Although slightly annoyed by that loathsome smile, Eshika calmed her mind.
The neck of that ridiculous bird only needed to be slowly twisted.
After first thoroughly destroying the cage from which it hoped to escape.
“Yuri Anesis, my one and only friend.”
At Eshika’s stiff words, a smile formed on Yuri’s lips.
She must be thinking, ‘Has she lost her memory from hitting her head?’
Eshika continued speaking. Allowing such a misconception… was boring and displeasing to her.
“And… a shameless, despicable thief who eyes her friend’s husband with such brazen audacity.”
Yuri’s brow stiffened abruptly.
She was called a mere “petty thief” because the man she’d tried to steal held no real worth.
“A vulgar, uneducated, pathetic adulteress.”
Yuri’s earlier smile vanished completely as she watched Eshika continue speaking without even a flicker of her eyebrows.
It was Eshika who smiled first.
“Why, shall I say more?”
Yuri’s inner turmoil was only natural.
This reaction was completely unlike what she’d anticipated from Eshika.
Eshika would surely have lunged at her, grabbing her by the hair.
She’d even brought a small dagger on purpose, planning to use it in such a situation.
A tiny scar on that pretty face would look quite satisfying.
No one in the ducal household would investigate if the mad Duchess suddenly started brandishing a knife alone.
“A ragged little thing, Yuri Anesis?”
However, Eshika seemed utterly uninterested in physical confrontation, choosing instead to verbally scratch at Yuri’s nerves.
That blunt expression reminded Yuri of her childhood—those days of cowering under the Bridget Baron family’s influence—and her eyebrow twitched upward.
“Eshika!”
Yuri gritted her teeth furiously.
Eshika Klaus shouldn’t have looked this perfectly composed.
She’d heard Eshika hadn’t left her room for over ten days and assumed the shock might have reduced her to a helpless wreck.
Under the Dowager Duchess’s orders, she’d likely been surviving on nothing but stale bread, so her appearance must have been pitiful.
Yet Eshika’s complexion was even healthier than before her injury, and her eyes glittered with a sharp, malicious vitality.
As if she’d become an entirely different person.
“You!”
Yuri pointed her finger accusingly at Eshika.
“You’d better not speak to me that way. Just recently, the Dowager Duchess appointed me as head maid.”
Triumph flashed in Yuri’s red eyes.
In an ordinary noble household, a head maid wouldn’t dare oppose a duchess.
But within Duke Klaus’s household, all internal power belonged solely to one person—the Dowager Duchess, Leona Klaus, mother of Duke Klaus himself.
Her single word dictated the budget, food supplies, and the right to receive or invite guests.
Eshika, merely a figurehead duchess, had even needed to watch her step around the previous head maid.
“Of course, I do feel some affection for you, given we were once friends…”
Yuri continued with a faint, mocking smile.
“As head maid, I’ll do my utmost to follow the Dowager Duchess’s wishes. It’s only natural to remain loyal to someone who recognizes your worth, isn’t it?”
This statement clearly meant she intended to torment Eshika as much as possible.
“Besides… someday, the Dowager Duchess will become my mother-in-law.”
She added this deliberately to provoke Eshika.
Yuri considered herself the victor.
Eshika, whose only merits were her noble birth and passable looks, had always gotten everything she wanted. Watching her crumble within the Klaus ducal household was immensely satisfying.
Especially seeing her despair over losing her husband’s affection—this was the reward for all those years of enduring Eshika’s childish tantrums.
She planned to watch even more closely from now on.
“Well then, rest well. His Grace the Duke should be returning from the hunt soon, so I must prepare new clothes for him.”
Seeing Eshika remain silent, Yuri added another faint chuckle as she turned to leave, thinking:
‘I can always give her a scar on that face later.’
Duke Klaus already disliked Eshika; how much more would he recoil if her face became hideous?
Now that she was head maid, opportunities would surely abound.
“Yuri.”
Perhaps it was a final plea—Eshika’s voice came from behind.
Yuri halted and turned back toward Eshika, her proud smile still intact.
In the dim room, Eshika’s blue eyes glimmered brightly.
“About the jewels from my family… My brothers have been sending me gems every month. But now that I think about it, I no longer need them, so I’ve sent a letter saying I won’t accept any more.”
At those words, Yuri’s hand twitched.
“What… do you mean?”
“You used to collect those jewels for me at the ducal mansion’s front gate every month. I’m simply saying you won’t need to do that anymore.”
Eshika watched calmly as the corners of Yuri’s mouth trembled.
“Especially now that you’re head maid—you certainly shouldn’t be burdened with such trivial tasks.”
Yuri hastily objected.
“B-but still… it’s help from your family. Wouldn’t it be better to accept it?”
Her red eyes wavered.
Eshika had already guessed why Yuri had suddenly been appointed head maid.
She also understood why the Dowager Duchess had summoned Yuri so frequently lately.
Every month, the Bridget Baron family—Eshika’s natal house—sent high-quality jewels meant for her.
Yuri must have been secretly stealing the finest among them…
“No, I don’t want to. I’m tired of jewels.”
“…”
“The letter should have reached my family by now.”
At Eshika’s words, Yuri tightly gripped her skirt.
The stolen jewels had surely all been offered as bribes to the Dowager Duchess.
And the Dowager Duchess never kept anyone around who brought her no benefit.
What she expected from Yuri was a continuous supply of top-grade jewels.
“In any case, do your best in your role as head maid.”
When Eshika grinned, Yuri’s eyebrow trembled.
Seeing Yuri’s face already turn pale, Eshika nearly laughed.
In the novel, Yuri Anesis would marry Duke Klaus one year from now, only because she’d be carrying his child at that time.
Until then, she must have been embezzling the jewels sent to Eshika and flattering the Dowager Duchess with them.
But if Yuri wanted to keep the Dowager Duchess’s favor, Eshika’s jewels couldn’t stop flowing.
“…”
Gone was her earlier confidence. Yuri turned sharply and left with a stiff expression.
‘That foolish girl will take action to ensure the jewels keep coming.’
Not realizing she was digging her own grave.
**
After Yuri left and the pitch-black night fell, Eshika sat cross-legged on the floor.
While it was important to thoroughly discipline those who overstepped their place, Eshika’s current priority was cultivating her internal energy.
The ambient energy here was denser than in the martial world, but for Eshika—whose body had never undergone even a single day of training in her past life—it was proving extremely difficult.
Through the lower dantian, she practiced Taoist breathing to gather inner energy, circulating it through her meridians to unblock the pathways.
She had already spent a full week just trying to take this first step.
‘This won’t be easy.’
Training the demonic sect’s way might have been faster and smoother, but pushing too hard with her frail body would likely result in energy backlash.
In simple terms, her body was too weak; improper cultivation methods could easily drive her insane.
Thus, though it wasn’t quite her style, she resolved to steadily build strength using orthodox orthodox sect methods.
Thanks to Cella—who, under threat, reliably brought her decent meals—she could nourish herself well and train with a strong mind.
Of course, once her internal energy finally began flowing properly, progress would accelerate.
After all, retracing a path once already traveled wouldn’t be difficult.
‘Even the Ten Thousand Great Mountains begin from their first peak.’
Focusing her mind on her dantian, Eshika gathered her inner energy.
Slowly circulating her internal strength, she began clearing the energy channels.
It was as arduous as carving a path through thick wilderness, yet Eshika maintained her concentration.
Sweat poured from her body, carrying out accumulated toxins.
“…”
After a long while of strenuous effort, Eshika’s expression gradually softened.
She had succeeded in opening the first channel of internal energy within this notoriously frail body.
If even this basic step was so difficult…
A short while later, Eshika opened her eyes, bathed in moonlight filtering through the window.
Her clothes were slightly damp, but her skin appeared clearer and smoother than before.
Stretching, Eshika murmured to herself.
“I need a bath.”
**
After seeing off an uninvited visitor, Kalian spoke.
“I’ll escort you all the way to the Imperial Palace.”
Resban raised his left hand in polite refusal of the ceremonial offer.
“Your words are appreciated, but I must decline.”
Resban Deon Lusaine, Crown Prince of the Turesian Empire.
A breathtakingly handsome man of similar height and robust build to Kalian, with jet-black hair and striking golden eyes.
At twenty-nine years old, he remained unmarried.
Though many rumors circulated about why he stayed single even past the proper age, the most credible claimed he simply hadn’t found a woman as captivating as war itself.
After the “Eunivus Conquest War,” Resban had earned the reputation of a ruthless warmonger.
Today, this warmonger had visited the ducal mansion because the Emperor had ordered him to inspect the Klaus ducal family’s relief supplies bound for Sorbe.
The Dowager Duchess’s plan to mix excessive husks into the relief grain had been foiled.
“It’s not just the relief supplies that require thorough security.”
At Resban’s cold words, Kalian’s eyebrow twitched.
It was a clear command to manage everything meticulously without causing further trouble.
Soon, Resban mounted his white steed with a nimbleness unbecoming of his large frame, and his blue cloak billowed dramatically.
With a grim expression, Kalian watched him for a moment before bowing respectfully.
“Then have a safe journey, Little Sun of Turesia.”
Resban gave a slight nod and urged his horse into motion.
His black hair fluttered in the chilly night breeze.
The horse galloped, and the scenery of endless straight trees blurred past in rapid succession.
The road leading to the Klaus ducal mansion was exceptionally well-maintained.
He’d heard management had been lax before the Duke’s marriage, but finances had improved considerably afterward.
‘Wasn’t she the daughter of the Bridget Baron family?’
Marrying to compensate for one’s family’s shortcomings wasn’t particularly unusual.
As he rode, Resban frowned and suddenly tightened his reins.
“…”
He’d sensed someone nearby.
When his horse came to a halt, Resban dismounted lightly and landed on the ground.
Though still within the Klaus estate, he felt compelled to investigate.
It was then, as he ventured deeper into the dense undergrowth, that he saw it.
Beneath the half-moon and star-strewn sky of the thick forest lay a lake, brimming with silver light.
And in the center of the lake stood someone’s back.
“…”
Her silver hair fluttered in the breeze, and droplets falling from her soaked white gown sparkled like jewels.
Sensing his gaze, she slowly turned her head.
Her straight nose and elegant jawline cast soft shadows, and beneath eyebrows as fine as a painting, her azure eyes shimmered like rippling pools containing blue stars.
Though he saw only her profile, Resban stood rooted, his brow furrowed as he stared at her.
Then, in an instant—splash!—her body vanished into the lake.
“…!”
Resban immediately stepped closer to the lakeshore.
The lake lay perfectly still, as if the woman he’d just seen were merely an illusion.
There was no trace of her anywhere.
For a long time, he stood there, his cold golden eyes intently fixed on the tranquil lake.
Male lead says he’s pregnant — and it’s female lead’s child
Something seems a bit off about this world.
Wang Zhao thought as she watched a pregnant man walking towards her…
Intro
Female lead finds herself in a world where the men who possess the ability to bear children.
As she navigates this unfamiliar reality, she is caught off guard by the sudden appearance of her boyfriend, who reveals that he is pregnant.
Is this truly her boyfriend?
Why can’t she recall any details about their time together?
She begins to doubt whether the child her boyfriend is carrying is even hers.
Is there a hidden reason behind her amnesia, or could it be a side effect of her sudden arrival in this strange new world?
Just when it seems the protagonist’s life couldn’t become any more entangled, her ex-boyfriend makes an unexpected appearance, raising questions about the protagonist’s past.
__________
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MANGA DISCUSSION
9 Comments
Chapter Comments (366)
(On Resban resembling the man from her past)
Ohhh, so Resban is already giving her that familiar feeling because of his resemblance to the man from her previous life. Heh 😼 I actually like that she doesn’t immediately romanticize it, though. She recognizes that he’s dangerous and powerful and basically goes, “Interesting….. Anyway, I need to stay away from that man😂”
Young Ryung has learned her lesson.(On Kalian’s assumptions about Eshika)
Kalian’s perspective here is actually interesting because he is so convinced that he understands Eshika. He interprets her silence as plotting, her pride as arrogance, and her wealth as something she uses to control people. Meanwhile, she is literally in another room rebuilding her internal energy and planning how to dismantle his entire family 😭 The irony is immaculate.
(On Resban seeing her at the lake)
The lake scene feels like such a deliberate first encounter. Resban just happens to sense someone, finds a mysterious silver haired woman standing in the middle of a lake, and then she disappears before he can even figure out what he saw. Sir, congratulations, you’ve just encountered the one woman in this story who is probably more dangerous than you are LOL
Inline Comments (39)
“You betrayed your friend, stole her jewels, and now you fawn over the Grand Lad
Why did they become friends to begin with? It’s not like yuri knew eshika would marry him
Cella spat out bloody saliva and glared at Yuri.
Does cella know martial arts at this point or no? I remember she asked
“This mother… can’t bear living under such injustice… uuhuhu….”
This guy is hopefully just gonna be an endgame final boss or something
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Onigirimamireads
Side comment: Oh, so we’re ending the chapter with a mysterious lake encounter AND a curious Crown Prince? Someone is absolutely going to investigate this woman😂😂
The contrast here is interesting too though. Eshika is quietly rebuilding herself while the political plot is already moving around her. Resban noticing something unusual on Klaus territory feels like the first indication that her private transformation isn’t going to stay private for long.
Onigirimamireads
(And… Resban)
Zzz here comes the Crown Prince. The story really said, “congrats on your second life, here’s another extremely powerful man entering the narrative” 😂
But I actually like that his “first”encounter with Eshika is so mysterious, he doesn’t even properly meet her, he just sees someone impossible standing in the middle of a lake and leaves with more questions than answers.
Onigirimamireads
For the line: (The jewelry trap)
Oh, Eshika is smart smart. She didn’t need to accuse Yuri of stealing a single jewel. She simply cut off the supply and watched Yuri’s entire position collapse on its own. That’s much more satisfying than immediately exposing her- because now Yuri has to reveal what she’s been doing through her own reaction.
Onigirimamireads
For the line: (On Yuri actually bringing a dagger)
The funniest part is that Yuri genuinely brought a dagger expecting Eshika to lose control, meanwhile Eshika is sitting there calmly dissecting her with words. The fact that Yuri came prepared for a physical fight and still somehow ended up being the one psychologically cornered is delicious.
Onigirimamireads
(On Eshika beginning cultivation)
I really appreciate that she isn’t magically overpowered just because she remembers her previous life. She has the knowledge and experience of Young Ryung, but this body still has to catch up. Having to rebuild her cultivation from essentially zero makes her revenge feel much more earned.