The Villainess' Joyful Married Life (59 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 5
The next morning, Cella entered at the sound of a knock.
On the tray Cella carried were the freshest vegetables, bread, and a beverage.
Unlike before, Cella bowed respectfully to Eshika and spoke.
“I apologize for my meager skills—I could only bring this much, Madam.”
She knew the Dowager Lady had ordered that only stale bread be tossed to her for meals.
Thus, this must surely be food Cella had secretly taken at her own risk.
When Eshika gave a slight nod, Cella placed it on the table.
Just as she turned to leave, Eshika tossed something toward her.
Startled, Cella caught it and opened her hand to look.
A single, shimmering pearl lay in her palm.
Likely worth at least three months’ wages for a maid like herself.
“It’s bait for the head chef.”
At those words, Cella’s eyes flickered.
If she gave this pearl to the head chef, he would gladly set aside better meals for her.
“Take the paper on the table and deliver it to him. It’s a kind of recipe—just ask him to prepare it exactly as written.”
Of course, he might even be able to tailor dishes specifically to the Duchess’s tastes.
Cella bowed politely.
“Understood, Madam.”
In the past, she would have sold the pearl herself instead of giving it to the head chef, but now she knew better.
The Duchess saw through everything inside the household—including her own clumsy deceit—and could discern whether food was poisoned just by looking at it.
‘How could I not have realized what kind of person she truly is?’
Since last night, it felt as if her eyes had been newly opened.
A maid’s treatment depended entirely on the status of the lady she served, and as Eshika’s maid—though Eshika herself was the Duchess—Cella had been looked down upon even among the other servants.
But now, this Duchess might one day stand against the Dowager Lady… and if so, Cella’s own position might…
‘…No, surely that’s impossible.’
As such fleeting thoughts arose, Cella quickly dismissed them.
After Cella left the room, Eshika twisted the corner of her lips.
She had taken Cella in for a reason.
As Duchess, it was only natural to need eyes and ears within the household, yet she had entrusted everything solely to Yuri, leaving her with no one else reliable to depend on.
Cella, though greedy, was the type who knew her place and would submit once shown who held the upper hand.
Moreover, Cella had wide connections and could quietly gather all sorts of useful information.
Thus, she would prove useful during her time in the ducal household.
‘Perhaps it was fortunate I kept that pearl.’
Once a month, her brothers sent jewels from her natal home, which Yuri would then deliver to Eshika.
Unaware that Yuri had already taken the finest pieces, Eshika had even complained about it.
And whenever Yuri soothed her, saying, “I’ll sell the remaining jewels and get things for you,” Eshika handed over even what was left.
Of course, all Yuri ever brought back were old blankets, coarse cloaks, and terribly meager meals…
Yuri claimed she had bribed the Dowager Lady’s maids with jewels, yet their gazes remained perpetually cold.
Naturally, they likely received nothing at all.
Fortunately, the day before her wedding, she had hidden the pouch of pearls given by her father without telling even Yuri.
‘For now… whether the head chef can prepare the spirit medicine is the key.’
Martial artists in the martial world often consumed spirit medicines to accelerate their internal energy cultivation.
Young Ryung was no exception, and since she knew the ingredients of easily made spirit medicines by heart, adapting them with similar ingredients from this era was not difficult.
What she had requested the head chef to prepare was the “First Light Elixir”—a concoction that appeared at first glance like ordinary juice but contained the precise formula for enhancing internal energy.
If prepared smoothly and consumed once daily, it would significantly accelerate the growth of her internal power.
**
That afternoon, while diligently cultivating her internal energy through focused breathing and meditation, Eshika dressed quickly upon receiving an unexpected summons from Kalian.
The red dress she had worn since her natal home, though somewhat aged, accentuated her beauty like a captivating rose.
“You truly are stunning… Somehow, you seem more beautiful every day.”
Cella had marveled while adjusting the lace.
Indeed, as her internal energy circulated through her body, expelling impurities from her skin, her complexion could only grow clearer.
“You summoned me, Your Grace?”
Standing behind Kalian, who sat waiting for her at the tea table prepared for afternoon tea, Eshika lightly parted her lips.
She would have preferred cultivating her energy over sharing tea with someone she disliked—but in an unprepared situation, it was better not to draw attention.
‘Anyway, these people intend to fry me like a grasshopper on a hot pan—there’s no need to rush.’
“…”
Slowly, Kalian turned his head toward Eshika.
He paused, then gazed at her for a rather long moment.
It was Eshika Klaus—undoubtedly the same woman—yet from her eyes to her demeanor, something felt subtly different.
Her silver hair fluttered gently in the warm breeze, her skin held a healthy flush, and beneath thick lashes, her blue eyes sparkled like jewels beneath sunlight.
“…Sit.”
At Kalian’s words, Eshika took the seat opposite him.
Without touching her teacup, she simply looked at him.
Amidst profound silence, Kalian felt an uncanny sense of dissonance as he watched her.
“When you only drink tea with your close friends, it really hurts. I always want to be by your side, Kalian.”
Her round eyes would brighten exaggeratedly whenever near him, her voice dripping with childish pouts.
Countless small breaches of etiquette…
Tea time with Eshika had always been exhausting, and listening to her chatter endlessly about topics he cared nothing for had felt like torture.
“…”
But now, Eshika said nothing—instead, she merely regarded him with an atmosphere so awkward it bordered on unnatural.
Her gaze was indifferent, as if silently asking, ‘What do you want?’
Impossible, Kalian thought, then spoke.
“How is your health?”
“I’ve recovered fairly well, though I seem to require more rest than before.”
Eshika emphasized the word “rest,”
implying clearly, “Please don’t summon me again until I’ve had enough rest.”
Kalian, taking her words at face value, lightly parted his lips.
“The reason I invited you for tea today is to issue a warning.”
In truth, Kalian didn’t even want to exchange words with Eshika.
But after seeing Yuri weep last night, distressed by Eshika’s oppression, his conscience had been troubled.
There was no guarantee the cruel Eshika wouldn’t slap Yuri again.
“A warning?”
At Eshika’s question, Kalian suppressed the irritation slowly rising within him and continued.
“Please refrain from words or actions that tarnish the Klaus name.”
“Concubine, please refrain from your petty complaints.”
“…”
Eshika looked at Kalian with cold eyes, though he avoided meeting her gaze.
He spoke brusquely.
“Suspicion only torments oneself.”
“My relationship with them is purely political.”
Then Kalian downed the cooled tea in his cup.
“As my Duchess, you need only fulfill your duties.”
Eshika simply stared at him with an expression no different from moments before.
He had expected her—as always—to beg for his love or hurl insults about Yuri, but neither came.
Instead…
“Heh.”
The corner of Eshika’s lips lifted, and a soft laugh escaped.
Soon, she chuckled several times, as if she had just heard the most amusing tale.
Watching her, Kalian’s eyebrow twitched.
“You’re not listening to me at all.”
Frowning, Kalian felt he’d wasted his time.
This laughter, too, was surely just another ploy to gain his attention.
Any moment now, she would shift her tone and demand he confess his relationship with Yuri.
Her face would flush red and pale by turns, her eyes brimming with tears.
Truly, a woman incomparable to his friends.
Yet Eshika still showed no sign of hiding her amusement.
“…”
She laughed so long that Kalian began to feel something was genuinely strange.
After laughing her fill and a long pause, Eshika finally spoke again.
“Your Grace is truly consistent.”
In Eshika’s judgment, Kalian possessed stubborn pride that would break before it ever bent.
Because of this trait, he had despised her even more—the woman who had bought her way into his wife’s seat with money.
Yuri, wearing Kalian’s alliance ring, had deliberately provoked Eshika—but that, too, had likely been calculated.
She’d known exactly how Kalian would view Eshika if she rashly sought to confirm the truth.
After all, a man’s heart ignites most fiercely when faced with an obstacle.
“I shall heed Your Grace’s words and focus solely on my duties as Duchess.”
At Eshika’s next words, Kalian’s eyebrow twitched again.
“May I take my leave now that your business is concluded?”
“…!”
An unexpected reply—and a question—slipped out. “Now that your business is concluded”?
Irritation welled up inside him for no reason, and he looked at her.
In Eshika’s cool blue eyes, a calmness rested that he had never seen before.
“Given our current relationship, even this conversation seems a waste of both our time.”
Her lips parted coolly.
Kalian felt even more frustrated.
Today, Eshika seemed unlike herself—as if another soul resided within her, making her utterly unfamiliar.
Eshika met Kalian’s unwavering gaze with a dignified smile, then lifted her teacup.
She sipped the tea leisurely.
Kalian could not comprehend this demeanor.
“…Still, I’ve enjoyed the tea’s fragrance enough—that’s good.”
Clack—the sound of Eshika setting down her cup.
“I shall take my leave now. My injuries from that incident still require rest.”
Eshika Klaus—the woman before him—had never once risen from her seat before him of her own accord.
She had always begged for his love, followed him around shamelessly, and lingered long after he left.
But in Eshika’s eyes as she stood, there was none of that unpleasant, clinging desperation.
No longer did she look at him like a precious jewel she longed to possess—instead, her indifferent eyes, shadowed by thick lashes glinting in the sunlight, regarded him as though he were nothing more than a common, worthless stone.
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
_____
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
MANGA DISCUSSION
11 Comments
Chapter Comments (344)
Side note 3: The maid’s outfit scene is especially clever because something intended to strip her of status accidentally gives her greater freedom. She’s no longer obsessed with looking like the Duchess. She’s thinking practically—and that makes her much harder to control.
Cella is becoming such a fun little barometer for the reader, too. She’s constantly going, “wait… this isn’t the woman I thought she was”. Every chapter she’s discovering another layer of Eshika. LOL
Side note 1: Young Ryung’s past life really changed what Eshika considers humiliating. In her first life, she was willing to sacrifice almost everything for love and status, but now she seems much more concerned with survival, freedom, and usefulness. A maid’s dress that would have devastated the old Eshika is practically a blessing to the woman she has become. That’s actually such a good way of showing how fundamentally her values have changed.
(The maid’s dress)
I love how Eshika doesn’t even view the maid’s dress as an insult. Everyone else sees it as humiliation, while she’s basically thinking, “waaait a sec… this is actually comfortable and practical?” Haha
After a lifetime of being dressed up for appearances, she’s finally discovering the joy of clothes that are actually useful.Just like me, who finds joy in pockets in my dresses 🤣
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
YOUR COMMENT
2. Inline comments are now available. Tap the end of any line in a chapter to share your thoughts instantly.
Log in to comment.
Onigirimamireads
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.
Onigirimamireads
(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.
Onigirimamireads
(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.
Onigirimamireads
(Yuri’s thefts)
The more we learn about Yuri’s “help”, the worse it gets. Eshika was literally handing over her own family’s gifts and trusting Yuri to take care of her, while Yuri was apparently keeping the best pieces and giving Eshika scraps. That realization is going to make her revenge against Yuri so satisfying.
Onigirimamireads
(Cella’s little promotion)
Cella is learning very quickly that Eshika is someone worth being loyal to. I actually like that Eshika doesn’t simply punish her and throw her away after the poisoning attempt. She recognizes that Cella is greedy, but also observant and well connected within the household, which makes her useful.