The Villainess' Joyful Married Life (59 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 4
Hanging her wet dress near the window, Eshika furrowed her brows.
Eshika had merely gone to wash herself.
For a martial artist, bathing in a lake was nothing unusual.
Of course, before Young Ryung’s past life had awakened, she’d never bathed in a lake.
At her natal home, the Bridget Barony, warm water had always been prepared for her, but here…
She had always been given ice-cold water to bathe with.
After washing with that water, she’d always suffered chills and frequently caught colds.
But since she couldn’t live without bathing, she’d had no choice but to do it anyway.
‘The more I think about it, the more absurd I find the Dowager Lady’s petty and childish sense of dignity.’
Eshika continued her thoughts.
‘Because of that, I ended up meeting the Crown Prince.’
Resban Deon Lusaine—the Crown Prince of the Turesean Empire—possessed jet-black hair and dazzling golden eyes.
Seeing his gaze somehow reminded her of a certain man.
“The eagle cannot be happy in a cage, Young Ryung.”
Had she paid closer attention to his words, perhaps things would’ve turned out differently.
Eshika, wearing a bitter smile, shook her head.
Their eyes merely resembled each other. She shouldn’t dwell on it.
‘In any case, drawing the attention of a master at this time will only bring trouble—I must be careful.’
The moment their eyes met, Eshika had instantly perceived Resban’s cultivation level.
‘He’s undoubtedly a master comparable to the peak of martial arts.’
Resban possessed innate martial bones and concealed strength far greater than he’d ever revealed to the world.
‘Even at my prime, I wouldn’t be confident of victory.’
As a martial artist, her current physical condition was no better than that of a complete novice.
Just as high-level masters could discern each other’s skill from mere posture, if she caught his eye too much, he might grow suspicious.
Moreover, Resban’s status and temperament—both reportedly combative—strongly suggested that getting entangled with him would be nothing but trouble.
Fortunately, in the original story, Resban had been at the forefront of conquests, spending very little time in the capital Torres. Once he moved the capital to his conquered lands, his connection with the Klaus family would end, and he’d soon forget this place.
‘Then I should go eat something.’
Eshika opened the door.
Outside stood a tray piled with various seasonal dishes.
Cella must have reluctantly stolen them from the kitchen.
‘Hmm?’
Eshika’s cold blue eyes gleamed.
**
On a dim night beneath a waxing crescent moon, Kalian stood on his balcony, holding a glass and letting the breeze wash over him.
Under the dark sky, only Kalian’s violet eyes glowed coldly and sharply.
It had already been ten days since Eshika Klaus had last left her room.
‘What on earth is she plotting?’
It would’ve been irritating to see her face, but her continued absence felt unsettling in its own way.
The Dowager had insisted on maintaining friendly relations with House Bridget, and Kalian agreed with that intention.
Though he certainly didn’t enjoy the thought of Eshika leveraging her natal family’s influence to act arrogantly.
‘Could she be planning to request a divorce?’
Eshika’s blue eyes had been brimming with tears when she’d rushed at him.
He scoffed.
‘Impossible.’
Kalian’s lips twisted arrogantly at the corners.
The Eshika he knew didn’t even have the courage to request a divorce.
“That woman believes the petty dowry she brought can purchase the ancient honor of House Klaus.”
She was always desperate to flaunt the wealth her family had handed her and took pleasure in tormenting those weaker than herself.
“Inside her resides a pitch-black snake—foolish enough not to know how to use its fangs. Though not truly dangerous, it’s clearly harmful, which is why even husband and wife must maintain proper boundaries.”
His mother had been strict and exacting, yet she possessed keen insight into people’s true nature.
Her initial impression of Eshika—frowning and disapproving after their first meeting—had matched Kalian’s own thoughts almost exactly, further solidifying his opinion of her.
‘I don’t know what you hope to achieve by hiding in your room like this.’
The chilly wind tousled Kalian’s hair.
‘But within this House Klaus, nothing will ever go according to your wishes.’
Kalian’s thoughts were briefly interrupted by a sound at the door.
Turning around, he saw Yuri standing there, tray in hand, startled to find him watching her.
Yuri Anesis.
She had entered the ducal household as Eshika’s maid, yet she was the complete opposite of Eshika.
Her warm golden hair and crimson eyes radiated a lively energy that clashed with the rigid atmosphere of the ducal estate.
After a moment’s hesitation, she stepped forward until she stood beside Kalian.
A faint scent of apples tickled his nose.
“What business brings you here at night?”
Yuri’s eyes flickered at Kalian’s voice.
Now that he thought about it, his mother had recently appointed Yuri Anesis as head maid.
Though Yuri was diligent, it was surprising she’d been granted such a position despite being Eshika’s friend.
“I… I just came from seeing Eshika.”
Yuri hesitated before speaking.
“But Eshika… she…”
“I have no interest in hearing about her.”
“But… she seems to misunderstand our relationship—because of the ring Your Grace gave me. I want to clear up the misunderstanding, but she only pushes me away with sharp words, and I don’t know what to do…”
“Yuri. Enough.”
Kalian cut her off with an icy expression.
“Ahh…”
Yuri briefly covered her mouth, then spoke in a subdued voice.
“I’m sorry. As head maid of the ducal household—not as Eshika’s friend—I have a duty to obey Your Grace’s orders… I momentarily forgot my place.”
Yuri Anesis was fundamentally different from Eshika.
Even when Eshika was in the wrong, she would stubbornly refuse to admit it.
She had often disregarded the ducal household’s hierarchy and protocols, insisting on having her own way.
She’d slapped anyone she pleased and made Kalian’s life difficult.
“Please forgive me. From now on, I won’t act against Your Grace’s will.”
Yuri watched him cautiously with her warm crimson eyes,
as if trying to breathe warmth into his frozen heart.
After a brief silence, Kalian’s lips twitched.
“You truly are foolish.”
“…Pardon?”
Kalian swallowed the words he’d almost said—“How can you defend such a woman, even as her friend?”—and spoke in a low voice instead.
“And… I’m somewhat hurt.”
Yuri’s eyes shimmered.
“By the misunderstanding. That you took the ring that way. To me… it wasn’t entirely a misunderstanding when I gave it to you.”
Yuri stared blankly at Kalian for a moment before her cheeks flushed.
It was the season when lovers, newly united, grew ever more expressive of their affection day by day.
Soon, Kalian’s voice came again.
“The night is cool—how about a walk together?”
Yuri, gazing shyly at Kalian, dipped her head slightly in agreement.
A faint smile graced her lips.
**
Having placed the food tray outside the door, Cella had just begun to peek inside when someone from within yanked her forcefully in.
The door slammed shut behind her, and Cella hit the floor forehead-first, squeezing her eyes shut.
“P-please… please spare my life…”
Her body trembled violently.
Someone brought a chair and sat cross-legged before her.
Then, in a low voice, spoke.
“Though you tremble pitifully, do you know why I feel no pity for you?”
“…M-My… my lord…”
The person extended a foot and pushed the tray Cella had just delivered toward her.
Seeing the untouched food, Cella’s face turned ashen.
“Eat.”
The voice whispered into her ear.
Cella’s hands shook uncontrollably.
“Eat it yourself, Cella.”
Hearing her own name called felt like a death sentence, so Cella squeezed her eyes shut even tighter.
The seated figure reached out and seized Cella’s hair.
Cella pressed her eyelids shut harder, refusing to look.
“Countless fools have mixed deadly poisons into my food—Consort Yingbin, Consort Gavi, Concubine Xiao Gui… all contributed to enriching the Poison Sect’s treasury through their schemes against me.”
The voice—impossible to identify as male or female—sounded as if it were tightening around her throat.
“Yet my body, as daughter of the Heavenly Demon Sect’s leader, is impervious to all poisons—hard as diamond, immune to toxins. Even the deadliest venom, brewed from snakes, toads, and centipedes devouring each other inside a sealed jar, dared not approach my dantian.”
She had countless enemies.
Her skill had reached a level where she could detect poison merely by observing the color of food.
“And not a single person who poisoned my food has ever lived to tell the tale.”
“…Hic…”
“Circumstances prevent me from tearing your flesh and bones apart, so I’ve decided your penance shall be to consume your own crime. Eat.”
She then grabbed Cella’s hair and shoved her face down toward the tray.
Before Cella’s eyes lay the salad she’d poisoned.
If she ate it, she’d surely die, eyes rolling back in agony.
Cella clasped her hands together, begging desperately.
She realized the woman already knew she’d poisoned the food.
“Please… please spare me, my lord, my lord…”
“Now that you mention it, even the word ‘my lord’ grates on my ears.”
Eshika, frowning, yanked Cella’s hair upward.
When their eyes met, Cella’s face twisted in shock.
“M-Mistress…?”
The person staring at her with icy blue eyes—utterly devoid of mercy—was none other than Eshika Klaus, mistress of this modest room.
“You called me ‘my lord’ knowing exactly who I am?”
Come to think of it, Eshika had never once claimed to be anyone else.
The notion that the duchess was being threatened by some hidden assassin had been Cella’s own assumption.
‘She is the mistress… yet she’s changed…’
Like prey before a predator, Cella instinctively sensed it.
This woman, calmly forcing her head toward poisoned food, was not the duchess she knew.
This face belonged unmistakably to a ferocious beast.
But she couldn’t die like this.
“M-Mistress… why… why are you doing this to me…?”
Cella trembled as she confronted Eshika.
“You… you weren’t like this before…”
Yet Eshika answered with eyes as cold as ice, not even twitching an eyebrow.
“Are you referring to my foolish past self, who stooped so low as to watch the moods of vermin like you?”
The blade-sharp voice made Cella flinch violently.
Eshika Klaus had been young and pliable.
She’d bought her position as Duchess Klaus with money, yet no one acknowledged her—forcing her to grovel even before lowly maids like Cella.
But the woman before her now…
“You’ve repeatedly committed grave disrespect by bringing me garbage disguised as food.”
Her tone was as frigid as frost and as threatening as a knife held to the throat.
“And yet you brazenly discarded your chance to atone by bringing me quality food once more.”
As Eshika’s grip tightened, Cella felt a sharp pain in her scalp.
The strength in that slender wrist was unimaginable—Cella couldn’t even turn her head.
That murderous gaze stole her breath away.
“You poisoned my food, trying to kill me.”
“Mistress… please spare me. Forgive me, I beg you… hic…”
Tears streamed down Cella’s cheeks.
They were tears born of primal fear welling up from her chest.
She’d only meant to silence the assassin who knew her secret.
“You’re already as good as dead. If it becomes known that a mere maid attempted to poison the Duchess Klaus, your entire family will not die peacefully.”
Cella’s trembling body jolted again.
Imperial law was absolute.
Even if the duchess was an unloved outcast…
If Eshika had died after eating that food and the truth came out, Cella—and her entire family—would face execution without mercy.
And even if she died now, there was no guarantee her family would be spared.
Eshika already knew all about her corruption—and she’d counted exactly how many lives she’d need to take.
“Hic… I was wrong. I was wrong, Mistress… please…”
Cella wept uncontrollably, begging for forgiveness.
“Please spare my family…”
She didn’t understand how it had happened, but this Eshika Klaus before her was not the mistress she’d once known.
Her eyes burned brighter and deeper than even the Dowager Lady’s—eyes that chilled to the bone even in midsummer.
They evoked an instinctive terror, as if from a lion returned from hell itself.
Regret, now far too late, flooded Cella’s heart.
“Please… if you’d only grant me one more chance…”
With tear-filled eyes, Cella pleaded for one last mercy from Eshika.
“I’ll live for you from now on.”
When the male lead is punished by carrying the female lead’s child and having periods like a woman
“I’ve given birth to two children for you, yet you still think about him.
Was I nothing but his substitute to you from beginning to end?”
Synopsis:
Meng Huan, a scumbag who has dated countless girlfriends, transmigrates to a female-dominated country.
Day 1: Whether it’s female dominance or not doesn’t matter. The beauties here are passionate and amorous. Isn’t it easier to date them than in modern times?
Day 2: After a night, Meng Huan discovers the differences in the female-dominated world. Men here actually have chastity locks and menstrual cycles. This hinders his ability to perform, damn it!
Day 3: What’s wrong with sleeping around? I don’t want you to marry me. I’m meant to be a playboy. I don’t care about male virtues… What? You want to drown me in a pig cage? Marry, I’ll marry!
Day N: Meng Huan inexplicably vomits and receives the shocking news of his life… He’s pregnant.
_____
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MANGA DISCUSSION
11 Comments
Chapter Comments (355)
Side note: Eshika isn’t becoming a villainess. She’s becoming someone who understands power.
In her first life, Young Ryung had enormous personal power but still destroyed herself chasing someone’s love. As Eshika, she initially has almost no physical power, but she has something she didn’t have before: foreknowledge. She knows exactly what happens if she keeps behaving the way she did.
So instead of rushing toward revenge, she’s doing: survive → recover → cultivate → gather information → build allies → remove resources → let people expose themselves → retaliate.
Meanwhile everyone around her is still operating under the assumption that she’s the same spoiled, emotionally dependent Duchess.
That’s why the story is so satisfying. They’re all making decisions based on the old Eshika while the person they’re actually dealing with is Young Ryung 😂 and Kalian’s reaction at the end is basically the first little crack in that illusion.
(Eshika’s mindset)
There’s something really satisfying about watching Eshika realize that she doesn’t actually need Kalian’s approval anymore. Her old self built her entire happiness around being loved by him, while Young Ryung already learned the hard way that relying on a man’s affection can destroy you. This second life is giving her the chance to finally choose herself.
(THE ENDING)
“Nothing more than a common, worthless stone”.
Oh, he is absolutely going to notice that change eventually 😂 Kalian spent years taking her attention for granted, and now that she’s withdrawn it, he’s already wondering what happened to her. She hasn’t even started her revenge properly and he’s already uncomfortable.
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
(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.
Onigirimamireads
(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.
Onigirimamireads
(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
Onigirimamireads
(On Eshika bathing in the lake/her realization about the Dowager)
The fact that Eshika is casually bathing in a lake because she refuses to tolerate the way the Dowager Duchess treated her is honestly sending me 😭. She really went from “I have to endure this household”to “actually, yknow what? I can just do things myself”
The change in her mindset is already so satisfying.
Onigirimamireads
(On Eshika cutting off Yuri’s jewelry supply)
Eshika quietly cutting off the jewelry supply instead of immediately exposing Yuri is probably my favorite kind of revenge. She doesn’t need to scream or make a scene. She just removes the resource Yuri depends on and watches the consequences unfold😂 Sometimes the best revenge is simply letting someone’s own plan collapse.