[Full] The Villainess Just Wants to Live Quietly! (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 8
Confusion flickered in Askan’s eyes. It seemed, without a doubt, the most flustered expression he’d ever made.
He opened and closed his lips several times as if trying to say something, then furrowed his brow. Somehow, his neck looked even redder than it had a moment ago.
‘What is this… why are you so darn cute?’
The words slipped out before I even realized I’d spoken them. But seeing Askan’s reaction to my words only made him seem even cuter—I felt like I might go crazy.
The last time Noxia had dumped water on me, he’d been the first to bring a towel.
Truthfully, it hadn’t felt like an act done specifically for me, more like something expected of him as a slave. Still, to me, it had seemed utterly loyal.
‘Since when did I have this kind of taste?’
I found myself reflecting on myself anew.
Whether in dramas or novels, even when the “bad boy” trend was in full swing, I’d always preferred pure, devoted men—especially those brimming with that lovable, puppy-dog aura.
Askan, the hidden mastermind from the novel, hadn’t matched my taste at all—but the man standing before me now felt like the very embodiment of everything I liked.
Loyal, devoted, and following only me—like a well-trained guardian dog.
I lifted my hand from Askan’s shoulder and gently patted his head, an absent-minded gesture, just as one might stroke a puppy.
“Thank you. You can get up now.”
At my words, Askan gave a slight nod and rose stiffly from his position, then stood quietly behind me as usual.
Noxia stared at Askan’s robot-like movements and at me, her expression filled with astonishment.
“I-I-I’m so sorry!”
The staff member who’d spilled the black tea, finally snapping out of her daze, bowed repeatedly in apology.
Michelle felt the same. Her face had darkened, likely from fear of my reprimand, as she spoke.
“I don’t even know how to atone for this… I’m truly sorry. It’s entirely my fault for failing to properly train my staff.”
I glanced down at my tea-stained dress. Thanks to Askan, the stain hadn’t spread further, but it didn’t seem like it would come out easily.
“You surely don’t intend to end this with just an apology, do you?”
“Of course not. We’ll absolutely compensate you. Please tell us what you’d like.”
“For now, I expect you to cover the cleaning costs for both my dress and my attendant’s clothes. And if the stains don’t come out, you may need to send me a new dress.”
“That’s only fair. And if you’d like to administer punishment as you did last time…?”
Punishment?
What on earth was she talking about?
I couldn’t understand why, but Michelle’s voice grew increasingly shaky. I could tell she had something else she wanted to say.
I’d already stated everything I expected in terms of compensation—what more could possibly be left?
Curious, I waited for her to continue, but she stood pale-faced, unable to bring herself to speak.
Finally losing patience, I spoke first.
“If you have something to say, say it.”
My tone must have sounded cold—Michelle flinched visibly before replying.
“L-Last time something like this happened, my lady personally disciplined the staff member herself. Couldn’t you perhaps be a little lenient this once?”
My jaw dropped involuntarily. That was the last thing I’d expected to hear.
Only then did I recognize the terrified staff member clearly. Looking closer, she was the exact same one who’d been trembling noticeably as we walked toward the fitting room earlier.
I’d never considered myself particularly kind-hearted, but when it came to Tanasia, I had to admit complete surrender.
I never imagined she’d personally beat a shop attendant over something so trivial.
I was utterly speechless. Misinterpreting my silence, Michelle nervously wiped her brow and began justifying what she’d just said.
“Of course, since this is our fault, it’s only natural for my lady to punish them, but—”
“That’s enough. You don’t need to explain.”
I’d known from the start that I was seen as a difficult customer here, but now I finally understood why the staff were so tense around me.
They knew that even the smallest mistake could result in merciless beatings.
People who are terrified are more likely to make mistakes—that must have been why the staff member’s hands were shaking when she carried the tea earlier.
I barely managed to suppress a sigh that wanted to escape.
Glancing sideways, I caught sight of Askan’s expressionless face. I felt utterly lost—should I be glad or sad that beating people wasn’t something I’d only done once?
Moreover, I felt embarrassed in front of Noxia and Askan, who stood quietly as if accustomed to this scene, simply awaiting my judgment.
I wanted to deny it wasn’t me who’d done those things—but since I’d possessed Tanasia, this was a burden I had to bear.
‘What sin did I commit in my past life to deserve this…?’
A sudden wave of self-loathing washed over me. But even so, the situation wouldn’t change.
As I remained silent, lost in complicated emotions, Michelle spoke again.
“If I’ve upset my lady, please accept my deepest—”
“It’s fine.”
“…Huh?”
Michelle looked genuinely surprised.
She clearly hadn’t expected me to accept her apology so readily.
“Is the staff member I punished last time still working here?”
“Ah, no. We’ve ensured she’ll never set foot in the atelier again, so you needn’t worry—”
“That’s unnecessary.”
While it had been wrong to mistreat household staff of House Brelrop, it was even more unacceptable to resort to violence in someone else’s place of business.
Until now, everyone had stayed quiet due to House Brelrop’s influence, but now that I knew the truth, I had no intention of repeating such mistakes.
“If Madam wishes, you may rehire her. And please send the dress compensation I mentioned earlier to that staff member as consolation money.”
I could have formally paid the consolation myself, but doing so might draw excessive attention to how differently I was acting compared to before.
Thus, this was the appropriate compromise—using a dress I wouldn’t be able to wear anyway instead of intervening directly.
“Y-Yes…?”
Even the usually composed Michelle, who rarely showed emotion, gaped in astonishment.
Noxia, Askan, and the other staff nearby all shared the same stunned reaction.
I wasn’t particularly kind-hearted, but I disliked causing others harm.
Though this act of kindness felt unlike me, it wasn’t difficult—I intended to take responsibility for having cost an innocent person their job.
“I’ll let this matter go. Just be more careful not to repeat the same mistake next time.”
“Then… the punishment…?”
Michelle asked again, as if unable to believe it. I answered firmly.
“It’s unnecessary. Just bring me the bill.”
“Ah, yes.”
Michelle, still looking dazed, handed me the invoice listing the priced garments.
I signed the document confirming payment would be made by House Brelrop, then rose from my seat. Noxia and Askan followed me out.
Michelle and the atelier staff accompanied us to the entrance to see us off.
As we walked toward the exit, Michelle, seemingly lost in thought the whole way, spoke softly to my back.
“Thank you… truly.”
Though brief, her words carried unmistakable sincerity.
I didn’t feel I’d done anything worthy of her gratitude, but I couldn’t ignore it either—so I simply gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.
And so, I boarded the carriage once more, heading back to the Brelrop manor.
The moment the Brelrop family’s carriage vanished from sight, the staff member who had spilled black tea on Tanasia’s dress collapsed onto the floor.
All her tension had drained away—she simply couldn’t stand any longer.
“I… I survived.”
Though she’d always been known as timid, seeing a fellow staff member punished by Tanasia had made her fear even worse.
Tanasia was infamous in these circles for her venomous gaze and cruel temperament—utterly unbelievable for a mere fifteen-year-old girl.
As the eldest daughter of House Brelrop, no one dared stop her, and that fact only deepened everyone’s terror.
She’d repeated to herself thousands of times not to make a mistake—but the moment she saw Tanasia’s face, her whole body would tremble like an aspen leaf.
When the glass cup of black tea shattered, she’d thought her life was over.
Yet unexpectedly, Tanasia had forgiven her without a single word of reproach.
She still couldn’t believe it—was this a dream or reality?
“Are you alright?”
A coworker asked worriedly, looking at the staff member who’d spilled the tea.
The girl nodded, her expression dazed as she stared in the direction where the Brelrop carriage had disappeared.
“But… what happened? Why did she forgive me?”
This behavior was completely unlike the Tanasia she’d always known. And to even send consolation money to the staff member she’d punished before? It was unbelievable.
“How should we know? Noble whims change like the wind. Maybe she’s just in a good mood today.”
“I… guess so.”
Though she didn’t understand why, she was immensely relieved that nothing bad had happened.
She’d feared not only Tanasia’s punishment but also being fired from the atelier and never allowed to work here again.
Michelle, who’d stood silently until now, spoke softly.
“I don’t know why Lady Brelrop suddenly changed, but perhaps the rumors about her will completely reverse.”
At first, Michelle’s words didn’t make sense—but soon, she understood.
Today, Tanasia had exuded a strange charisma. Watching her speak and act so boldly made one lose themselves in admiration.
Michelle and the atelier staff all stared blankly in the direction the Brelrop carriage had vanished, as if by unspoken agreement.
The return carriage ride was quiet.
Though Noxia, who seemed unusually cheerful, tried to start conversation a few times, I remained silent, and Askan only gave brief, one-word replies—so the conversation never lasted long.
Upon arriving at the Brelrop manor, Noxia stepped out of the carriage first.
“Thank you for today, sister.”
I waved dismissively, as if it were nothing, and bid her farewell.
My mind was completely filled with thoughts of Tanasia’s past misdeeds.
I didn’t know how the original Tanasia would have felt in this situation, but seeing Noxia and Askan’s faces now made me feel deeply embarrassed.
Noticing I hadn’t gotten out of the carriage, lost in thought, the coachman asked cautiously.
“Where shall I take you?”
“I’d like some time to think. Just drive around the area once more.”
“Yes, milady.”
Reflecting while watching passing scenery was an old habit of mine.
Deep in quiet contemplation, I suddenly remembered Askan’s presence.
It had been so quiet I’d almost felt alone—but then I realized Askan was still in the carriage with me.
When I turned my head, I saw him looking at me. I wondered how long he’d been watching but didn’t mind much.
“Maybe I should’ve asked you to get out with Noxia? I just wanted a moment alone to think…”
I noticed a beat too late that Askan’s eyes had darkened slightly. I trailed off, unable to finish my sentence.
Right now, he looked exactly like a predator observing its prey before the hunt.
‘What’s this?’
I couldn’t help but feel puzzled by the sudden shift in atmosphere.
“Do you have something to say to me?”
At my question, Askan replied in a voice noticeably lower than usual.
“I believe I’ve mentioned this once before.”
What?
“I don’t know your intentions, milady, but this only makes me uncomfortable. If you want something, please just say it plainly.”
What on earth had I done?
Askan had always been obedient—so why was he suddenly saying this?
Then it hit me.
It must have been when I called him cute and patted his head.
‘Could it really be because of that…?’
I was momentarily speechless, utterly baffled.
In my dreams, even when whipped, he never made a sound—but now he was reacting like this over a simple “you’re cute”?
Now that I thought about it, even that one time when he’d shown me the stars—despite his usual obedience—he’d frowned and clearly shown his displeasure.
Back then, I’d assumed he simply disliked my sudden change in attitude—but now I realized there might have been more to it.
“Ha… haha.”
I couldn’t help but laugh softly.
Maybe this was the first time someone had ever called him cute.
At my unexpected laughter, Askan’s expression twisted in a strangely conflicted way.
‘What am I supposed to do with you?’
He seemed so mature I’d momentarily forgotten—he was still just a boy, despite being the terrifying villain from the novel .
Just moments ago, I’d been lamenting my fate, stuck as Tanasia and suffering pointlessly…
But now, his unexpected reaction made me burst into laughter.
Outwardly, he seemed bristling with thorns—but in truth, he simply wasn’t used to being treated kindly.
His childish innocence was so glaringly obvious that his words, meant as a warning, sounded more like endearing complaints.
“What’s that? If you talk like that, I’ll just want to treat you even better.”
Confusion flickered in Askan’s eyes at my words—he seemed genuinely flustered by such an unexpected reply.
At that sight, I laughed again, unable to help myself.
It felt like I’d finally cracked open a hard walnut shell and glimpsed what lay inside.
When Noxia returned to the Brelrop manor and entered her room, her waiting maids immediately crowded around her.
Knowing Tanasia and Noxia had gone shopping together, their worry had been immense.
“Miss, everything went alright?”
“It’s obvious, isn’t it? Lady Tanasia probably made you try on the ugliest dress in the entire atelier after insisting on picking it out herself.”
“She definitely recommended the most unflattering dress they had.”
Truthfully, based on the original Tanasia’s past behavior, their assumptions weren’t far off.
But today had been different—and so Noxia spoke firmly.
“Don’t say things like that. Thanks to sister, I found a dress I absolutely adore. They were all so beautiful I couldn’t decide!”
“Oh dear, how will you ever manage, Miss, being so kind-hearted?”
Since they hadn’t witnessed it themselves, the maids clearly didn’t believe a word Noxia said.
Frustrated but unable to prove it, Noxia could only sigh.
They’d be speechless once they saw the dress from the atelier—but it wouldn’t arrive at the manor for several more days.
“You’ll be surprised when the dress arrives.”
“Miss, please don’t be naive—Lady Tanasia might interfere. There are rumors she plans to ruin the dress you’ll wear at the imperial ball.”
If the original plot had continued unchanged, the maid’s warning would’ve been correct.
Given how often Tanasia had tricked Noxia into trouble before, their suspicions were understandable.
But this time, Noxia felt certain—she couldn’t quite explain it, but somehow, she just knew.
“She’s different from before.”
Even last time, when Noxia’s poor control had caused Tanasia to get drenched, she’d simply let it go.
Under normal circumstances, that incident alone would’ve caused an uproar throughout the entire household.
Most of all, Tanasia’s words from that day still echoed clearly in Noxia’s mind.
—“Don’t ask the soft-hearted Noxia to show her power just anywhere from now on.”
Soft-hearted Noxia.
Tanasia had never once called her that—not since she’d matured.
And it wasn’t just that.
When Ol lande gifted her a set of red diamonds, Tanasia had tried to give them to Noxia, resulting in Noxia receiving an accessory she’d never expected.
Noxia already owned jewels—but the fact that Tanasia had willingly offered hers held special meaning.
Having always wished to grow closer to Tanasia, Noxia cherished this change deeply.
When Tanasia had offered to help pick out a dress together, Noxia had nearly shouted for joy.
At the atelier, Tanasia had chosen Noxia’s dress before her own and sincerely recommended designs that truly suited her.
All while not even trying on her own dress before deciding.
It wasn’t just her attitude toward Noxia that had changed—she’d also easily forgiven the staff member’s mistake, something utterly unlike Tanasia.
The change wasn’t dramatic enough for everyone to notice, but something was definitely different.
‘Maybe we can return to how we were before.’
When they’d been young, Tanasia had cared for and loved Noxia more than anyone.
Noxia still remembered vividly how Tanasia always called her “my little sister” and looked at her with eyes full of affection.
Everything had changed the day Noxia awakened her power over water.
Noxia would never forget the look of utter despair on Tanasia’s face when she first moved water—like she’d lost the whole world.
She’d always prayed: Please let me and Tanasia return to how we once were.
Perhaps the gods had truly answered Noxia’s wish.
Maybe now, they could return to those days when it had felt like just the two of them against the world.
Suddenly, she remembered Tanasia gently stroking Askan’s hair at the atelier.
‘I wish she’d stroke my hair, too…’
She couldn’t help but think how wonderful it would be if that were her.
Noxia felt incredibly envious of Askan.
Male lead Asks for a Divorce Every Day
It’s not often you come across a plot like this in the female-dominant genre — make sure to check it out!
This is a novel I’m planning to reread as well.
The male lead is strong, skilled in martial arts, and not the usual fragile type you often see in matriarchal novels.
Meanwhile, the female lead is a scientist—rational and logical. Even when she falls for the male lead, she doesn’t let her emotions cloud her decisions.
If you push through the first few chapters, you’ll gradually find the story really intriguing.
It has a mix of mystery, detective elements, and romance.
The author’s writing style is like crafting a puzzle—except they deliberately leave out a few pieces, making it hard to predict what happens next, yet keeping you hooked.
In the end, everything will come together and be explained.
One-sentence summary: Wife, stop playing with beakers and look at me!
In a laboratory accident, research scientist Zhu Wansheng accidentally travels to a matriarchal world. The original owner of the body is an eighteen-year-old only daughter of a wealthy rouge merchant, already married with a handsome young man.
Zhu Wansheng grins: Nice! She always said she was heaven’s favorite granddaughter. After a life of toil in her previous life, she can enjoy blessings in this one.
However, her joy lasts no more than three seconds as bad news arrives: the original owner’s family is about to go bankrupt, and her husband wants a divorce.
Even worse, she’s stuck with a research system full of restrictions.
Zhu Wansheng: ? Is this the destiny of a research dog?
——
Faced with this mess, Zhu Wansheng pours herself a bowl of wine to drown her sorrows. In her drunken haze, her husband arrives.
His figure is imposing, holding a long sword, with a dignified air that captivates Zhu Wansheng.
Gu Yingqing, however, looks at the alcohol-reeking Zhu Wansheng with undisguised disgust and coldly asks, “Divorce or not?” The intoxicated Zhu Wansheng mumbles vaguely, “I think… it’s not… it’s not… impossible!”
——
The next day, after sobering up, Zhu Wansheng is full of energy, rolling up her sleeves ready to make a big move. As for yesterday? She has no memory of it.
Zhu Wansheng is ambitious; a research dog fears nothing!
Upgrading rouge, extracting fragrances, producing perfumes, researching lipsticks… all shall bow to the power of modern technology!
The original owner’s dying rouge shop is revitalized. Her mother is pleased and with a wave of her hand, passes on the family business to her. As she takes control and her experimental results gain popularity, it’s the pinnacle of her life…
——
But there are always those who can’t stand to see her doing well. Jealousy, scheming, assassination attempts – they want nothing less than her life.
The person who has always kept his distance from her suddenly holds her tightly in his arms, eyes full of concern.
She is unharmed, but he falls into a pool of blood…
Zhu Wansheng feels guilty, “I can grant you one wish.”
Gu Yingqing tentatively circles his arms around her, carefully resting his head in the crook of her neck, pleading softly, “I regret it. Can we not divorce?”
Zhu Wansheng: ? When did I agree to a divorce?
[Small Theater]
The newly developed rouge is beautifully packaged, and Zhu Wansheng is eager to try it.
Gu Yingqing suddenly appears: “My lady, may I apply it for you?”
Cool fingertips lightly brush her lips. His Adam’s apple bobs as he leans in for a light bite.
Zhu Wansheng: ?
Gu Yingqing: It smells so good, I wanted to taste it…
On a warm spring day, Zhu Wansheng tries a new perfume: “Spring Night.” Gu Yingqing corners her against a wall.
Warm breath lingers on her neck.
“My lady, from now on, may I test the fragrances for you?”
[Humorous female scientist vs scheming live-in son-in-law male lead]
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Isn’t he is being cute, just let him be …ufff….