The Villainess' Joyful Married Life (59 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 7
Afternoon tea with the Duchess—Kalian’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
On the palm of her hand, which held the teacup, a faint pink welt was visible.
“Your hand… were you injured, Mother?”
At Kalian’s words, the Duchess gave a faint smile.
“It’s nothing serious. Just…”
The garden where they were drinking tea was filled with the scent of roses.
“There was a child who grew insolent because I’d been too lenient, so I gave her a few lashes.”
At those words, Kalian’s eyes flickered.
Leona Klaus—the Duchess of House Klaus, a woman of mature grace and dignity.
“You are the one destined to become Duke Klaus, Kalian.”
Whenever I showed laziness, she would discipline me with the cane.
Through that strictness, she raised Kalian impeccably, shaping him into a worthy heir of a noble house.
Thus, Kalian always trusted and followed the Duchess wholeheartedly.
“Is that so? But seeing your hand wounded like this… you’re overexerting yourself, and it weighs heavily on my heart.”
He believed everything she did had its reason.
Even if it seemed slightly cruel or unfit to be revealed to the outside world.
“To this mother, there is only the Duke. If anyone stands in the Duke’s path… I will stop them by any means necessary.”
Leona’s gentle voice rang out.
“I understand. That the only one who truly cares for me… has always been you, Mother.”
“But…”
Leona narrowed her brows slightly, looking worried, and asked Kalian,
“You seem out of sorts today. Is something troubling you?”
At Leona’s question, Kalian’s hand gripping the teacup trembled faintly.
Leona, who always noticed her son’s worries first, was no different today.
“…No.”
Kalian set down his teacup.
For some reason, the tea tasted especially bitter today.
Eshika’s gaze flashed through his mind.
Those icy blue eyes, piercing straight through him, still stared unblinkingly from the depths of his subconscious.
Just recalling those blue eyes made his stomach churn again.
Kalian rose from his seat and said,
“I must prepare to receive His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, so I’ll take my leave now.”
“Oh, that’s right—he said he’d be stopping by again today.”
The Duchess smiled gently.
“Then go quickly, Duke.”
“Then I wish you a peaceful time, Mother.”
Kalian turned and strode briskly toward the mansion.
The Duchess watched his resolute back for a long while.
The warm smile on her lips slowly hardened.
Soon, a waiting maid approached the Duchess from behind, knelt down, and opened a medicine case.
“If you keep delaying treatment like this, it’ll leave a scar. It’s no good to apply ointment so late.”
She then began carefully applying medicine to the Duchess’s elegant hand.
The salve was meticulously spread along the welt on her palm.
“My son must understand just how much I sacrifice for our family’s sake.”
The Duchess clicked her tongue coldly.
After a brief pause, she asked,
“What did the head maid say… about her current condition?”
“You mean Yuri Anesis, ma’am?”
The three maids who had just drenched Eshika Klaus immediately reported to Duchess Leona everything they’d heard from Eshika.
And Leona’s reaction was exactly as expected.
“She’ll likely be unable to move about properly for about a week.”
In the strict House Klaus, it wasn’t uncommon for the mistress to discipline servants with the cane.
Yuri, beaten by the Duchess until her legs were drenched in blood, only escaped that dreadful punishment by losing consciousness.
“Yes, a week should be enough time for her to reflect properly.”
The corner of Leona’s mouth curled upward in a faint smirk.
How dare the daughter of House Anesis—who wasn’t even as competent as Bridget—utter such absurd words?
Those who didn’t know their place always needed proper correction.
The jewels Bridget regularly delivered to amuse the head maid certainly served their purpose; otherwise, she would have disposed of her long ago.
“How dare she covet my son…”
Leona took a final sip from the teacup and clicked her tongue.
“…What’s mine is mine.”
**
“Ah… hah… hah…”
In the dim room, Yuri pressed white cloths against both bloodied calves and wept.
The Duchess’s whipping had truly been horrifying.
Even as blood splattered, the Duchess hadn’t flinched once, relentlessly striking her.
No matter how much Yuri begged and screamed, the Duchess never stopped.
Only when she fainted did she escape that nightmare.
“No… wah… wah…”
And upon waking, the sight of her calves was dreadful.
Not only were there deep bruises, but countless thin cuts marred her skin.
This was the first time anyone had ever beaten her so badly she was left wounded.
At this rate, she’d surely be left with scars.
Then she wouldn’t look pleasing in Duke Kalian Klaus’s eyes.
“All because of that damned Eshika…”
Her resentment was directed not at Leona, who had actually beaten her, but at Eshika.
Gripping her aching legs tightly, Yuri’s tear-filled eyes flashed with fury.
Eshika had clearly known this would happen—and yet spoke those very words deliberately within earshot of the Duchess’s maids.
“I’ll kill you… for sure…”
Creeeak—
Just then, the door opened.
She’d asked a maid earlier to bring ointment that wouldn’t leave scars—so this must be it.
Yuri, lifting her head halfway, saw the hem of the maid’s dress and thought,
The maid seemed to carry a bucket, likely filled with plenty of medicine.
“Quickly, the medicine…”
“Heh.”
But Yuri flinched at the sudden, dismissive snort that cut off her plea.
She immediately looked up—and her expression froze.
“…Eshi… ka?”
Eshika stood before her, silver hair tied high, wearing a faint smile.
With evident delight, Eshika parted her lips.
“Poor little Yuri.”
Yuri’s face trembled violently.
Why was Eshika standing before her in a maid’s uniform?
Just seeing her face ignited a surge of rage.
“Looks like your future mother-in-law treated you quite well.”
“You… you…!”
Yuri glared at Eshika, snarling with fury.
“Do you even realize how much trouble I’ve gone through because of you? All because of what you said!”
“Oh—the bride of House Klaus? The position you so desperately desire… mine?”
Yuri grew even more infuriated at Eshika’s condescending gaze.
“I’m nothing like you. If I stand by his side, I won’t foolishly lose Duke His Grace’s favor like you did. Even if the Duchess doesn’t accept me now…”
“That’s what you truly want? So you sharpened your knife behind my back while wearing the mask of a friend…”
Eshika continued calmly.
“You struck me from behind. Impressive effort.”
Eshika’s composure only provoked Yuri’s insecurity.
Everything Yuri strained to grasp always slipped through her fingers—while Eshika effortlessly claimed it all.
Even the position beside Duke Kalian Klaus, that perfect man.
“I’ll take everything from you one day.”
Yuri ground her teeth as she spoke.
“…By the way, Yuri.”
Eshika leaned down slightly to meet Yuri’s eyes.
Then, with the hint of a smile, she clicked her tongue.
“To me, Duke Klaus is nothing but a golden carriage filled with horse dung.”
“…What?”
Yuri’s eyes twitched.
“I’d shove that dung-filled carriage right off a cliff,” she wanted to shout in Eshika’s distorted face—but held her tongue.
An enemy who willingly walks into the fire deserves to be watched leisurely, legs crossed.
Watching Yuri sob hysterically amid the wreckage of that broken dung-carriage would certainly be a pleasant sight.
“You… what nonsense are you…”
Anyway, she was the type who always repaid what she’d received.
“Oh, I brought some water to disinfect you.”
Eshika lifted the bucket she’d been carrying and poured its contents over Yuri’s head.
The water streamed down Yuri’s hair, soaking her entire body—
just as the maids had done to Eshika earlier.
“Aaahh!”
Yuri shrieked loudly.
She clutched the soaked cloth wrapped around her wounds.
A searing pain surged through her—because the water was saltwater.
“It hurts! Aaahh!”
“It’s saltwater—great for disinfection.”
At Eshika’s amused remark, Yuri’s drenched eyes trembled.
Pouring dirty saltwater on such severe wounds would surely leave terrible scars.
“No! No! Aahh!”
Yuri screamed, tearing off the wet cloth—but the saltwater had already seeped deep into her wounds, intensifying the agony.
Her injuries burned unbearably.
“Please! No! Aaahh!”
Eshika watched Yuri’s pained thrashing with clear enjoyment before turning away.
Even with the door closed, Yuri’s screams echoed far into the distance.
“Ah, maid outfits really are comfortable.”
Eshika stretched with a refreshed expression.
Her former self would have detested it—but being able to move about freely like this made it useful for now.
‘Now then, shall I visit the kitchen…?’
Just as she turned the third corner with light steps after leaving Yuri’s room,
Thud—
Eshika instinctively halted, startled by the sudden solid obstacle appearing before her.
Her body lurched forward, and as she prepared to roll with the fall, something firmly gripped her waist and pulled her back.
“…”
Her eyes met those of the tall man now supporting her.
Eshika’s eyes flickered—and so did his, faintly.
The man with raven-black hair and brilliant golden eyes.
His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince, Resban Deon Lusaine.
He was holding Eshika’s waist.
My Arch-enemy Sealed My Memory and Said That He is My Husband
This is an incredibly captivating story that you absolutely shouldn’t miss! I’ll give a brief introduction here, and below you’ll find a detailed synopsis of the plot.
The female lead is a fierce and powerful demon king. The male lead is a once-in-a-millennium celestial lord, admired by the entire cultivation world.
They are equally matched, legendary rivals who have battled for centuries.
In the final duel, the female lead is gravely injured. The male lead saves her, seals her memories, and hides her true identity. He tells her that he is her fiancé. His entire life has been flawless—except for the one thing he never expected, never controlled, and never wanted to control: falling for his greatest enemy. She is his inner demon, his obsession.
When the female lead regains her memories, she is furious at his deception.
She makes his life a living hell.
And somehow, the male lead—possibly a total masochist—doesn’t mind at all. In fact, he’s happy she’s paying attention to him.
Yep, we’re back to my favorite trope: male lead suffering. If you love this kind of story, jump into the pit with me now!!!
Intro
Dong Xia lost her memory.
Her handsome and extremely powerful fiancé Li Qing comforted her: “It’s okay if you can’t remember. I’ll always be with you.”
Everyone thought Dong Xia’s ancestors must have burned incense to get such a perfect fiancé. He was the number one person in the immortal realm, yet he remained chaste and only loved her.
…
The day before marrying her fiancé, Dong Xia finally remembered everything.
She wasn’t suffering from memory loss at all.
Her arch-enemy had made her fake her death, destroyed her cultivation, replaced her memories, and pretended to be her deeply in love fiancé.
No wonder he said, “It’s okay if you can’t remember”!
Dong Xia laughed coldly as she pulled out her long knife: Li Qing, prepare to die 🙂
*
Li Qing, as the supreme being of the immortal realm, was the people’s shining beacon.
The only unknown stain in his life was his affection for Dong Xia, the ruler of the demon realm.
In the final battle of the war between immortals and demons, the sky collapsed and the earth shattered. The ruler of the demon realm was finally slain under the sword of the supreme being of the immortal realm, and everyone in the immortal realm applauded.
The cultivation world lost a ruler of the demon realm.
And in the back mountain of Li Qing’s cave dwelling, he secretly hid away a fiancée.
Notes:
1. The female lead is white on the outside, black on the inside, and the queen of flattery; the male lead repeatedly tests the edge of darkness, a VIP guest at the crematorium.
2. Fantasy cultivation world setting.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
MANGA DISCUSSION
9 Comments
Chapter Comments (322)
(Resban is already suspicious of her)
This is probably my favourite part of the chapter.
Resban doesn’t just see a pretty maid and move on. He immediately notices that her body reacted like someone trained in combat.
That little detail about her instinctively twisting her waist to prepare for a fall is important because Eshika doesn’t even realize how revealing her martial instincts are, & then:Him: “What’s your name?”
Eshika: “I’m a maid.” 😭
That answer is PERFECT for her personality right now.
She knows exactly what he’s asking and simply refuses to give him anything useful. Resban actually seems amused rather than angry.
The fact that he experiences that strange déjà vu afterward makes me even more suspicious about the reincarnation connection. We obviously don’t know yet whether there’s anything supernatural tying them together, but narratively the author is very deliberately putting those similarities there.Especially because Eshika herself already noticed the resemblance between Resban and the man from Young Ryung’s past.
So now it’s:
Eshika: *Don’t attract the Crown Prince’s attention*
Also Eshika: *immediately crashes into him.*
Girl😭(NOW WE HAVE HEAD CHEF HEMOS)
Oh, this man is about to have a terrible afternoon.
The description of him is basically: arrogant when protected by the powerful, cowardly when confronted by someone stronger—-& Eshika immediately recognizes exactly what kind of person he is.
That’s becoming one of the most satisfying aspects of this story. Young Ryung has decades of experience dealing with schemers, bullies, traitors, martial sects, assassins, poisonous food, political factions, etc.
The Klaus household thinks they’re dealing with an emotionally unstable spoiled noblewoman.
They’re actually dealing with someone who spent an entire lifetime surviving the Demonic Sect and imperial harem politics.
That’s like sending a high school bully after someone who’s survived organized crime. 😭(My favourite overall thing so far)
Everyone keeps interpreting Eshika’s changes through the lens of the old Eshika.
Kalian thinks she’s trying to manipulate him.
Yuri thinks she’s trying to provoke her.
Leona thinks she’s a foolish daughter in law who needs discipline.
The maids think she’s suddenly become frightening.
Cella is beginning to realize she’s completely different & Resban is the first person we’ve seen who seems to think:“Wait… this woman doesn’t move like an ordinary person. How CUUURIOUSS” 🤣
That’s a REALLY good setup. Cliché but HEY *shrugs*
Eventually somebody is going to have to realize that the woman they knew died emotionally the moment Eshika regained her memories and the person walking around in her body now is Chun Young Ryung.
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
(THAT Resban ending…)
This is the part I’m most interested in.
Cuz we’ve already established that:
1. Resban is an extremely powerful martial artist.
2. Eshika immediately recognized his cultivation.
3. He has characteristics that remind her of the man from her previous life.
4. She specifically thought drawing his attention would be dangerous.
5. She is currently disguised as a maid.
6. And now… BAM. He catches her by the waist 🤣🤣🤣
Unlike Kalian, Resban actually seems capable of noticing things.
So I’m wondering whether he’s going to recognize that something is off about this supposedly ordinary maid.
Cuuuz Eshika has already demonstrated that she’s dramatically different from the woman everyone knew. Her posture, eyes, movements, cultivation, awareness—all of it has changed.
Resban is precisely the sort of person who could potentially notice those tiny inconsistencies.
That’s what makes their encounter exciting. It’s not simply “Oh, handsome male lead catches beautiful female lead”
It’s potentially “oh sh*. A person capable of detecting masters just physically caught the reincarnated former Demon Sect heiress who is desperately trying not to attract attention”😂
Meanwhile Eshika is probably internally going
“…Of ALL the people I could have collided with” 🤣🤣🤣
Onigirimamireads
🤣 (Also, Eshika calling Kalian a golden carriage filled with horse dung)
That was chef’s kiss— it shows just how completely her perception has changed.
She doesn’t want Kalian anymore.
She doesn’t want his approval.
She doesn’t want Yuri to lose him because Eshika wants him back.
She wants to watch the entire structure that once imprisoned her collapse under its own weight.
& that’s the revenge arc I think we’re responding to so strongly. It’s not really about winning Kalian back. It’s about Eshika realizing “I wasted an entire lifetime trying to obtain this man’s love. I’m not making that mistake twice”
Which makes every subsequent interaction with him increasingly funny because he’s still operating under the assumption that she desperately wants him 🤣🤣
He’s going to have a very interesting time when he eventually realizes that she genuinely doesn’t care anymore.
Onigirimamireads
(Yuri’s consequences are deliciously ironic)
Yuri blaming Eshika for getting whipped instead of realizing that she herself openly declared her intention to become Kalian’s wife is such a perfect illustration of her character.
Then Eshika walks in wearing a maid uniform like: “Oh, you got beaten because of me? Anyway, here’s some water”
Girl…😭
The saltwater was absolutely petty, but narratively it works because Eshika is basically showing Yuri ~You wanted to play the role of my enemy while I was powerless. Now you’re going to learn what happens when I actually fight back~
aaaaans I REALLY like the distinction between Eshika’s revenge and her old behavior.
Old Eshika would have screamed, cried, attacked Yuri, and created exactly the spectacle Yuri wanted.
New Eshika just calmly says things that make Yuri destroy herself.
That’s muchhhh more satisfying.
Onigirimamireads
(Leona is terrifying)
I actually think this chapter makes Leona more interesting than the earlier chapters suggested.
Her conversation with Kalian is almost sweet on the surface…
“The only one who truly cares for me… has always been you, Mother”.
Kalian genuinely believes she’s sacrificing herself for him. But meanwhile, she is actively manipulating the entire household around him.
The Yuri situation is especially telling. Leona isn’t simply punishing Yuri because Yuri offended her. She’s thinking: “You are trying to take what belongs to me”
That possessiveness over Kalian is wild. Kalian’s inability to recognize how deeply his mother controls things is going to be a huge problem.
What’s also hilarious is that Kalian is sitting there thinking Eshika is the dangerous one while his mother is literally running a miniature dictatorship.
Onigirimamireads
HAHA I knew Chapter 6-7 was going to be fun.
This is the chapter where Eshika really starts demonstrating that the old methods of humiliating her simply don’t work anymore.
I adore that she doesn’t just retaliate physically- she immediately understands the political danger of exposing Yuri too soon and instead makes her squirm.