The Villainess' Joyful Married Life (59 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 9
“Which gutter rat dares sneak into the kitchen to steal food, hmm?”
Eshika reached out her hand toward Hemos, who approached menacingly with a knife.
Hemos’s brows furrowed—Eshika had caught his blade between her straightened index and middle fingers.
Thinking she was mocking him, Hemos flared up in anger.
“A filthy little rat—what do you think you’re doing…!”
He tried to yank the blade from Eshika’s grip, but it didn’t budge an inch.
It felt as though the knife were wedged between massive boulders.
Hemos twitched his eyebrows.
Then he tried pulling again with all his strength.
“…Huh?”
Yet the blade remained utterly unmoved, as if not held by a delicate maid’s hand at all.
He had no idea that merely channeling a bit of internal force could achieve this.
“L-let go of this…!”
“I merely stopped you from flailing about with that ugly thing—yet your frantic movements are rather undignified.”
A cold voice slipped from the maid’s pretty lips.
“How dare a mere servant!”
Eshika, who had been watching the bald kitchen chief struggle to free his knife, applied a little more pressure with her hand.
With a sharp *clang*, the kitchen knife snapped cleanly in half.
“…….”
Staring at the broken pieces falling to the floor, Hemos’s eyes widened in shock as he stumbled backward several steps.
Alarm and fear began flooding his eyes.
“…Who… who even are you!”
Just moments ago, her calmly pinching his blade between two fingers had already seemed strange—but now, it was clear she was no ordinary maid.
“Who sent you to find me? An assassin dispatched by Herald? About the gambling debt… just give me a little more time….”
Eshika narrowed her eyes.
Hemos had clearly mistaken her for a hired killer coming to collect money.
Everyone had weaknesses, and she was well accustomed to seeing straight through others’ vulnerabilities.
Hemos’s weakness was money—
One of the easiest kinds to manipulate.
“I am Eshika Klaus. Does a man who claims to work in the Duke’s kitchen not even recognize my face?”
At the mention of the name “Klaus,” Hemos flinched visibly.
After staring at her a while longer, Hemos belatedly furrowed his brow and asked hesitantly,
“Could it be… you’re the Duchess herself?”
Eshika lifted her chin slightly and gave a small nod.
Given her domineering and dangerous aura, he’d never imagined she could be the Duchess.
But if she truly was, everything changed.
Hemos quickly ran his hand over his sparse hair and looked at Eshika with an expression of deep exasperation.
“Why on earth would my lady come here… even dressed as a maid?”
Naturally, Hemos had underestimated her, assuming she was the powerless Duchess.
No servant in the Duke’s mansion refrained from mistreating her—
After all, showing her kindness might draw attention from the Dowager Duchess’s maids, and a beating would surely follow.
“I came because I need your help.”
At the word “help,” Hemos snorted quietly to himself.
He had no intention whatsoever of aiding a Duchess weaker than a scarecrow.
“Please stop speaking nonsense and return at once. If the Dowager learns you’ve been wandering about again, she’ll be furious—and I’m terribly busy.”
Just how did she pull off those feats moments ago?
Muttering under his breath, Hemos bent down to pick up the broken blade—but Eshika stepped forward a few paces toward him.
“In that case…”
Something shiny suddenly rained down in front of Hemos.
More than ten precious pearls—ones Cella had given her previously—spilled onto the floor.
“What about this? Surely you’re not so busy that you can’t spare a moment to pick these up.”
Seeing Hemos’s expression shift as he looked up at her, Eshika spoke softly.
“I need your kitchen—and your help.”
“…Well… if you insist, I suppose I have no choice….”
Hemos reached for the scattered pearls, casting cautious glances upward.
He figured he could just humor the clueless, naive Duchess’s nonsense and pocket the pearls anyway…
“Aaagh!”
But his hand, reaching for the pearls, was instantly stomped under Eshika’s foot.
“…What…!”
Eshika leaned forward, locking eyes with the grimacing Hemos.
Meeting her icy gaze, Hemos felt his heart drop into his stomach.
Earlier, he’d dismissed her two-finger blade grip as mere trained dexterity.
But this Duchess standing before him now…
“Hemos.”
Her eyes gleamed with unmistakable killing intent, yet her lips curled into a natural, chilling smile.
This wasn’t some amateurish expression she’d practiced once or twice—it was something impossible to mimic.
Back when he’d accompanied the Dowager, he’d often broken into cold sweats seeing that very look on a woman’s face…
But the abyss staring back at him now was far deeper.
“Registering these pearls as stolen goods won’t be difficult at all.”
“…What… what do you mean by that…?”
“You’ve already sold off three of my pearls to fund your gambling. Those were among the finest from the Bridget family’s collection—each discreetly engraved with a tiny serial number…”
Cold sweat trickled down Hemos’s spine.
“Meaning it’s very easy to trace who sold them.”
At those words, Hemos’s blood ran even colder.
“My lady… why are you doing this to me? You gave them to me as a gift—why…?”
“They weren’t a gift. They were currency entrusted in exchange for service. But you failed to meet my expectations.”
A sharp, throbbing pain pulsed through Hemos’s stomped hand.
Service… He recalled Cella giving him a recipe, which he’d carelessly thrown together for breakfast.
After all, Cella was just a maid serving the Duchess—no powerful backing—and complaints from her could simply be ignored.
“I didn’t want the garbage you whipped up by eye. I expected food prepared with precise measurements and proper combinations to yield the correct medicinal effects.”
“My… my lady…”
“Therefore, you’ve essentially stolen my pearls. And furthermore…”
She pressed down harder with her foot on Hemos’s hand.
“You’re still lusting after noble treasures right now—which alone is a grave offense deserving of having both wrists severed.”
More cold sweat rolled down Hemos’s back.
Stealing from nobility carried the brutal punishment of wrist amputation.
In the past, he would’ve brazenly blamed the Dowager’s influence—but now, with her favor withdrawn, she wouldn’t even acknowledge him.
‘Was the Duchess… always like this?’
The Duchess he’d briefly seen before had been an artless, innocent woman who didn’t seem to belong with the Klaus name.
But the woman now crushing his hand beneath her foot radiated such intense killing intent it scrambled his memories.
“…Alright, I was wrong. But what exactly do you want from me that you’d come all the way to the kitchen…?”
He finally asked Eshika outright.
With an arrogant glint in her eyes, Eshika’s lips curved faintly.
“I am not afraid of the Dowager.”
“…That’s… impossible.”
“Whether it’s possible or not will be decided through confrontation. But if you offer me your sincere loyalty…”
As Eshika lifted her foot from his hand, he clutched his numb fingers with his other hand.
Despite the pain, her voice flowed as sweetly as rolling jade beads—and carried unmistakable danger.
“You’ll surely gain far more than you’d lose.”
Pearls rolled about where her foot had just been.
Picking up what’s been discarded requires no great skill.
“But if you choose to do nothing at all, cutting off the hands of a chef who’s lost his way won’t be difficult for me at all.”
The corners of her lips lifted into a faint, cruel smile.
**
“Keep a close watch on whether Eshika’s meals are being properly prepared.”
At Leona’s command from the balcony, where she was having her nails filed by a maid, another maid bowed her head in reply.
“Yes, understood, Madam.”
Rumors among the maids claimed Eshika’s complexion was steadily improving.
How could that be possible if she was surviving on nothing but stale bread?
Unless someone pitied her and offered help—which seemed impossible.
If anyone in the mansion dared defy her orders, she wouldn’t let it slide.
Once the maid departed with her orders, Leona gave another command.
“Annie.”
“Yes, Madam. Please speak.”
“Have the musician play a song. I’ve just driven an unpleasant face from my mind…”
Leona’s delicate brow furrowed.
“I need music to soothe my spirit.”
The maid bowed immediately in response.
“Understood, Madam.”
She quickly left again—
To summon the expensive musician they’d recently hired.
Moments later, a sweet melody floated up from below the balcony.
Leona closed her eyes and listened intently.
The graceful tune seemed to blow gentle warmth into her irritated heart, which had been rankled by thoughts of that vulgar merchant-born girl who’d wormed her way into the Duke’s household.
“Prepare a dress. I’ll need to choose something suitable for tomorrow’s tea time.”
“Understood, Madam.”
The maid filing her nails replied.
**
Resban’s gaze lingered on a white butterfly in the garden.
Ripples rising over the lake, shimmering eyes, fluttering hair.
And… a dream that had lasted far too long.
Ever since that painful childhood day when he first met her, he’d wandered endlessly, chasing the silhouette from his dreams.
At some point, he’d even lost track of whether she truly existed in this world or not.
“Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince.”
His aide, assigned to investigate, delivered his report.
“I’ve completed the inquiry regarding Duchess Eshika Klaus.”
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
_____
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MANGA DISCUSSION
7 Comments
Chapter Comments (305)
(The darker part is Eshika remembering what happened to her)
This was probably the most important section of the chapter for me..until now, we’ve mostly seen Eshika’s revenge through the entertaining parts:
1. snapping knives
2. threatening servants
3. humiliating Yuri
4. manipulating Hemos
5. provoking LeonaThen the narration reminds us: she really was imprisoned.
She wasn’t merely an unpopular Duchess.
She was deliberately isolated from her family.
She wasn’t allowed to leave.
She couldn’t visit her sick father.
She couldn’t attend family events.
She couldn’t even obtain decent food or clothing without asking someone else’s permission.
The most insidious part was that Leona and Yuri convinced her that this was somehow for her own protection. “The noblewomen of the capital hide blades beneath their smiles…”
That is such a nasty manipulation because there’s a kernel of truth inside it.
Yes, court society probably is dangerous.
Yes, Eshika was inexperienced.
They weaponized that truth to convince her:
“You are incapable of navigating the world without us”& eventually she internalized it.
That’s how the cage worked.
The physical confinement was only part of it.
They convinced her that she belonged in the cage.
That’s disgustingly cruel.Side note: So Leona is already suspicious of her improving health, Eshika needs to make sure the household’s surveillance actually works in her favor.
She’s playing defense while quietly building offense.
Honestly, I think that’s my favorite thing about these chapters so far- Eshika isn’t rushing the revenge.
She could probably cause a lot more chaos immediately, but she knows she’s physically weak right now and doesn’t have enough allies.
So she’s doing what an experienced martial artist and strategist would do..
cultivate → observe → gather resources → build allies → identify weaknesses → strike.Meanwhile Kalian thinks she’s finally stopped bothering him. Leona thinks she’s still an insignificant merchant born Duchess. Yuri thinks she’s going to steal everything from Eshika. Hemos thinks he’s simply trying to save his job.
Eshika is quietly looking at all of them like:
“Thank you for showing me exactly where to begin” 😭🤣(Hemos has officially become my favourite accidental accomplice)
The carrot juice prank was PERFECT.
Leona’s maid: “let me taste this suspiciously good food”
Hemos: “absolutely. Please do.”
Her: “🤢 WHAT IS THIS?!”
Hemos internally: “Thank God.”🤣🤣
The fact that Eshika specifically warned him “never taste it yourself”makes it even better.Plus she understands that the medicinal concoction isn’t designed to be pleasant. It’s designed to produce a particular effect.
So now Hemos has realized something really important-Eshika isn’t just frighteningly strong. She actually knows what she’s doing.
He went from “why would I listen to this useless Duchess?”
to:
“I am going to follow this woman’s instructions VERY carefully.” 😂
I love that he’s now participating in her deception rather than merely obeying her because he’s scared.
That’s the beginning of an actual network of people working for Eshika.
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
(THEN RESBAN…)
Okay, THIS is the part I’m most interested in bc Chapter 8 established that Resban immediately noticed something strange about the maid.
Chapter 9 ends with “I’ve completed the inquiry regarding Duchess Eshika Klaus.”
SIR. 😭
You cannot tell me this man didn’t immediately go “That maid is suspicious. Investigate every single thing about the Duchess.” Unless he saw her beautiful fluttering hair and noticed it was her already bc ML plot verdict 😭& considering his reaction to her physical movement, I suspect his investigation is going to uncover something that makes the situation much more interesting.
Especially because Resban already has that strange sense of familiarity with her.
The butterfly/dream imagery at the end is also a pretty blatant signal that Eshika isn’t merely a random woman he’s encountered. There’s something connecting them that predates this life—or at least connects to Young Ryung’s past.
So I really like that the story is contrasting Kalian and Resban here.
Kalian sees Eshika and thinks, “Why is my wife acting strangely?”
Resban sees Eshika and thinks “Why does this woman feel familiar, and why does she move like that?” (Probably thinks she’s gorgeous too lol)
Kalian is emotionally anchored in his assumptions about the old Eshika.
Resban is actually observing the new Eshika.
That difference is going to matter enormously.
The fact that Eshika is walking around in a maid uniform thinking she’s finally gained some freedom, while the most dangerous man in the empire has already started investigating her identity…🤣🤣🤣
Girl, you have approximately five minutes of freedom left.
Onigirimamireads
(Eshika vs Hemos)
The knife scene was so satisfying 😭
Hemos comes in thinking “filthy little rat”and within seconds she’s casually holding his knife between two fingers and then snaps the blade.
That is such a good way of revealing her martial ability because Eshika doesn’t need to announce, “I am actually an incredibly powerful martial artist”. She just does something completely impossible for an ordinary maid and lets Hemos figure it out himself.
Then she immediately pivots from physical intimidation to financial leverage.
That’s what I really like about her characterization so far. She’s not relying solely on strength. She’s basically thinking “What does this person want? What are they afraid of? What can I use?”
Hemos = money + gambling + fear of punishment.
Cella = greed + self-preservation + desire for security.
Yuri = ambition + jealousy + obsession with Kalian.
The three can be handled completely differently.
Onigirimamireads
(Meanwhile, Leona being and feeling suspicious)
Leona has noticed Eshika’s complexion improving despite supposedly receiving nothing but stale bread.
Which means Eshika’s plan isn’t completely invisible anymore.
So now she’s specifically ordering someone to watch Eshika’s meals.
That’s exactly the sort of consequence I was expecting after Eshika started manipulating the kitchen because Eshika is becoming stronger and more independent, but she’s also becoming more noticeable.
She’s basically accumulating resources:
1. Cella’s loyalty
2. the kitchen
3. better food
4. her hidden pearls
5. her martial knowledge
6. her internal cultivation
7. knowledge of the household
8. information about everyone’s weaknesses
So meanwhile, Leona is beginning to realize“Something is wrong with that woman”.
That tension is going to be delicious 😂
Onigirimamireads
(The pearl trap was especially good)
I laughed at: “What about this?”and then Hemos immediately tries to pocket them.
Eshika “Absolutely not” LOL
The fact that she already knows he sold three of her pearls and that they have identifying marks makes the whole thing even better.
She’s essentially telling him: “You thought I was giving you free money. I was actually giving you enough rope to hang yourself” and I LOVE that she doesn’t even need to threaten him with some dramatic punishment herself. She simply explains what the law says and lets him realize how exposed he is. That’s much more intimidating.
Onigirimamireads
HAHA yes!! 🤣 We are officially at the point where Eshika has stopped merely surviving the Klaus household and has started quietly turning it into her personal chessboard.