Why Do You Obsess Even After Death (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 6
I had to confirm whether Laches was truly the one who killed me—and would kill me again.
My initial plan was to work nearby and, when the chance arose, naturally read his memories to verify it.
“I heard you needed a staff member.”
“I do. I certainly do need one.”
Laches didn’t even properly read the letter of introduction I handed him before closing it.
“But that doesn’t mean I’m desperate enough to hire just anyone.”
Arrogant and self-centered tone.
That attitude, showing absolutely no respect for others.
His inscrutable black eyes, legs crossed without hesitation, chin lifted haughtily as he looked down at me.
It sent a jolt through me, as if someone had ripped out my heart and shaken it.
“Why specifically here, of all places?”
“Do I need to state my reasons as well?”
“If you have a letter of introduction, you could’ve chosen somewhere more comfortable than the North.”
“I have personal circumstances.”
“And I’ll need to know exactly what those personal circumstances are before deciding whether to hire you or not.”
Laches sneered mockingly. At first glance, he seemed less like a noble and more like a thug wearing noble’s clothes—but he was absolutely not someone to underestimate.
Especially those pitch-black, utterly humorless eyes, like the inner depths of a beast.
“I ran away to the North.”
“Ran away? From whom, and why?”
“There’s someone following me. I came to the North because I wanted to escape.”
I wondered how Laches would react if he were indeed the murderer who killed me.
But Laches showed no reaction at all—his expression didn’t change even slightly.
“The North is my last option to flee within the Empire, as long as I don’t cross the border.”
“Whoever’s chasing you must be quite a villain, then? To drive you all the way to the North—the Empire’s last resort.”
What did he know?
“I don’t really understand, but if someone were following me like that, I suppose I’d want to run away too. Right?”
Laches nodded lightly, responding with surprising ease. It was contradictory—his face utterly devoid of laughter, yet speaking as if delighted.
Fortunately, he seemed completely unaware of who I was. If he knew my true identity, he wouldn’t be sitting there so calmly.
“You came because you heard the brewery position was open?”
“Yes.”
“Brewery work isn’t easy at all. Do you think you can handle it, Palo?”
Laches’s cold gaze settled on my thin wrists, utterly lacking in strength.
I’d reduced my meals recently to make my body appear frail and suffering, just before death.
“Human bones aren’t easily broken.”
“But ordinary strength won’t be enough.”
“Would anyone come all the way to the North with only ordinary resolve?”
If I could just grab his hand and read his memories, I wouldn’t need to sit here talking to him like this.
I quietly stared at his plump hand tapping his thigh.
Ice wine produced in the North.
I’d heard they hired staff temporarily during this short production period.
I’d assumed the letter of introduction would get me in easily—but apparently, I’d been too naive.
‘Should I find another way?’
After all, what I needed wasn’t just a place to hide—it was this man’s memories. Charging recklessly at him would give me no chance of winning.
‘Should I pretend to make a mistake and grab his hand?’
Just as I unknowingly reached toward him—
“Alright, fine.”
At the sound of his casual permission, Laches stood up, picked up the letter of introduction he’d set aside, and pulled the bell cord.
I folded my hand back as I watched Laches’s retreating figure.
“Does that mean I’m hired?”
“Why? Don’t you want to be?”
His lips were clearly smiling, yet those faintly twisted eyes were unsettling and awkward to meet.
Instead of answering, I subtly turned my head away. Moments later, the butler entered, summoned.
“You called, Your Grace?”
“The new staff member starting today. I’ve hired her—take her away.”
Laches haughtily pointed his chin toward me, seated on the sofa. His attitude showed not a shred of respect.
Of course. He was the master of Violentus Manor, and I was merely a maid. This would be our relationship while I stayed here.
Something I’d simply have to get used to and endure.
“Tell the head maid to show her where she’ll work and stay.”
“Won’t she need the head maid’s interview?”
“I hired her myself, so it’s unnecessary.”
From what I overheard, normally one had to pass the head maid’s interview before starting work.
Was it thanks to the letter of introduction, or was he truly desperate for staff?
Or perhaps it was just this man’s fleeting whim.
Laches had effortlessly skipped the procedure. And in this manor, no one could defy his baseless whims.
“…She doesn’t seem strong enough for the brewery, Your Grace.”
“I know. That’s why she won’t be assigned there.”
“What?”
The butler asked in confusion. I, too, was startled and quickly lifted my bowed head.
“There was a staff member who wanted to work in the brewery because it pays well, right?”
“That’s true, but…”
“You haven’t been able to send anyone because of the staff shortage, right? Ask that employee again if they still want to go, and if so, let them. While you’re at it, check if any other staff want to change positions.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Tell them to reassign the new staff wisely to avoid disruptions. I don’t need to micromanage exactly where she’s placed, do I?”
“…Understood.”
“Then both of you may leave now.”
At Laches’s firm command, the butler bowed without further protest.
I’d expected it to be difficult to work here, given how he’d practically shoved me away—but had I really passed?
“Follow me.”
The butler gestured toward me. I stood up awkwardly, bowed to Laches, and stepped out the door.
“…Hmph.”
After the two left and closed the door, Laches reopened the letter of introduction once they were gone.
Frowning slightly, he lightly traced the family name ‘Niriel’ written on the letter with his finger.
‘…Niriel Family.’
The moment he received the letter bearing the Niriel name, Laches had gone to see for himself who had arrived. Normally, he wouldn’t personally conduct interviews, but he’d been determined to confirm the visitor’s identity.
And the instant he saw the face entering the waiting room, Laches nearly stood up in shock.
“She really did look unwell—was the terminal diagnosis true? That’s never happened before.”
No, aside from that, many things that had never occurred before were now happening.
“A variable? Or perhaps…”
The image of her boldly hiding her true identity and lying just moments ago was vivid in his mind.
“Why did she come to Violentus Manor?”
She looked as if a light tap would topple and shatter her—but her audacity seemed greater than any man’s.
It was the first time they’d actually spoken face-to-face, and the feeling was strange.
“She’s clearly alive—so why hold a memorial service and live under another identity?”
He’d figure out her motives by keeping her close and watching.
“More importantly, she’s survived quite a while this time.”
Laches smiled as he placed the recommendation letter into his drawer and closed it.
“I wonder how long she’ll last this time.”
[This is the timeline separator]As planned, I began working as a maid in the Violentus estate.
Fortunately, I was assigned not to the brewery but to the laundry room.
Relieved that it would be easier than brewery work, I sighed—only to find it was anything but.
The unseasonably cold weather meant the woolen blankets needing washing were extremely thick, and the well and stream were frozen, leaving my hands and feet numb.
‘Did he assign me to an even worse job?’
Recalling Laches’s mocking smirk, that possibility didn’t seem unlikely.
“They said she passed immediately without even the head maid’s interview.”
“The letter was from a guardian family.”
“With such a powerful connection, why come all the way to the North? It’s freezing here, and monsters appear often.”
“She’s kind of pitiful… The head maid’s probably giving her extra chores on purpose.”
“Shh. Quiet. We don’t want to draw her anger either.”
Because I’d skipped the head maid’s interview, the other maids looked at me with clear disapproval.
In practice, the real authority wasn’t Laches—it was the head maid. Naturally, the maids had to tread carefully.
They excluded me from meals, and my bed was right by the coldest window.
‘Anything’s better than dying.’
I steeled my weakening resolve as I looked at the blisters forming on my hands after just a few days of work.
Late at night, when everyone was asleep.
I moved carefully so as not to wake the sleeping maids, took the medicine Pesoor had given me from my belongings, swallowed it, and returned to my spot.
My eyes reflected in the window were still violet.
‘…Places with little sunlight have less melted snow, too.’
Sitting on my rather stiff mattress—made of straw, rags, and a bit of wool—I gazed out the window at the dark night sky.
Without curtains, the biting winter wind slipped through the window cracks, clinging to my body like frost.
The desolate North.
In this place, seemingly unfit for human life, I felt more at peace than ever before.
After all, in a world that believed me dead.
‘Not bad.’
The timing of my deaths had always differed.
Death always began from my wedding date—sometimes the very next day, sometimes a week later.
The longest I’d ever survived was barely two months.
Two months spent in anxious torment, fretting over when death would come.
‘This time, I’ll live longer… much, much longer. No more returning to repeat it.’
I hugged my knees to retain warmth and listened to the quiet chirping of night insects.
Even in the freezing North, night insects existed.
I lowered my gaze from the sky.
That’s when I saw a man standing below my window—how long had he been there? Laches stood still, muttering something quietly to himself.
But of course, I couldn’t hear a word.
‘What’s he doing down there?’
Just then, the man suddenly looked up. Our eyes met—or so it seemed.
It was only a fleeting instant.
With the room lights off, he couldn’t possibly see clearly into my window from below.
Yet Laches stood motionless, staring fixedly at the very window of the room where I stayed.
‘I’ve watched you for so long, Referentia. Why won’t you recognize the day I love you? When will you finally understand?’
The murderer’s words echoed suddenly in my ears—
spoken over the image of Laches watching me.
In that moment, as if possessed by a monster, I reached out my hand. It was an utterly impulsive act.
Pushing against the cold surface with my palm, the closed window silently swung wide open—
as if it had never been shut.
“Your Grace, what are you doing?”
Afraid of waking the other maids, I leaned out as far as possible and whispered softly.
Laches, hands in his pockets, gave no answer. Instead, he lifted his chin higher, meeting my eyes to acknowledge he’d heard me.
“Everyone’s asleep.”
Worried he hadn’t heard, I leaned out further. Laches quickly pulled his hands from his pockets to stop me.
“If you fall, I won’t catch you—go back inside.”
“If Your Grace doesn’t catch me, I’ll fall and die.”
“It’s not high enough to kill you. You’d just lie there for quite a while.”
Such gentle words.
“Do you remember me?”
This was the first time we’d spoken since the interview. At my light question, Laches paused, then frowned slightly.
“…You came with that letter of introduction—how could I forget?”
He remembered me. Among so many maids, he remembered me, who’d only just started working.
When I pulled my upper body back inside, Laches waved his hand as if urging me to hurry.
After confirming the other maids in my room were still sound asleep, I whispered softly.
“I’ll come down.”
Laches’s hand, cutting through the air, froze mid-motion.
“Just wait a moment.”
His hand slowly lowered.
He didn’t answer.
I carefully closed the window so the sleeping maids wouldn’t catch cold, threw on a thin robe, and stepped outside.
Having come straight from indoors, my breath formed white clouds that scattered in the wind with every exhale.
As I left the annex, I saw Laches leaning against a large tree, arms crossed.
“You didn’t leave?”
“I told you to wait.”
Like the tree—unyielding even in fierce winds—Laches had waited for me.
His unwavering steadfastness frightened me.
Was this the man who would kill me?
“Not sleeping? Taking a walk?”
I walked toward where Laches stood.
Then I subtly looked up to check my bedroom window, just as he had.
Worried someone outside might see in, I was relieved to find it completely dark.
Then what exactly had this man been looking at here?
“Just passing by. It’s late—why are you out?”
“I couldn’t sleep either.”
Laches no longer looked up at my bedroom window.
As if he no longer cared about it.
“Thank you for arranging my assignment away from the brewery.”
This was a rare opportunity.
For days working in the manor, I hadn’t seen him once. If not today, when else would I get another chance to meet him alone, so close?
I couldn’t let him leave just yet.
“It was efficient placement—no need to thank me.”
“You could’ve hired someone else for the brewery instead of me. Then you wouldn’t have needed the complicated reassignment.”
I recalled conversation techniques taught by my childhood tutor and pressed on earnestly.
“No one else came for the interview.”
But my efforts were in vain—the awkward conversation ended abruptly.
Though I was shy myself, Laches seemed equally unskilled at conversation.
“Yes, but thanks to you, I think I’ll adapt to the North.”
“…You don’t seem adapted to the North’s weather yet.”
“What?”
“Your clothes. They’re too thin.”
Laches pointed at my attire. I’d changed into nightclothes and, in my haste, grabbed only the nearest robe—making my outfit quite thin.
‘Coming out in just nightclothes…’
Something I’d never have imagined doing as a noble lady.
“Your Grace’s clothes are thin too. Aren’t you cold?”
Embarrassed, I tightened my thin robe.
“This is spring to me. I live here even in deep winter with heavy snowfall.”
Now aware of my light clothing, even the gentle breeze made me shiver.
“You seem cold.”
“I’m fine.”
“I’m just saying—if you catch a cold, it’ll affect your work tomorrow.”
“Even this breeze feels familiar. My bed’s right by the window, far from the fireplace, and the wind slips in constantly—so I’ve been forced to get used to it.”
“…Really?”
After my words, Laches fell silent. He seemed lost in thought, so I didn’t disturb him.
Now.
There wouldn’t be another chance.
“Your Grace, there’s something stuck here.”
I boldly reached toward Laches—without the slightest hesitation.
Something no mere maid would ever dare do. Manners be damned.
Right now, knowing whether this man intended to kill me was all that mattered.
Tap.
Finally, my hand touched Laches’s cheek.
“…!!”
In that instant, Laches’s eyes—previously gazing into empty air—locked onto mine.
Meeting his gaze felt like being swallowed whole by a pitch-black nightmare.
Why? How?
“…Why.”
“What?”
Laches smiled slowly.
“Why…?”
“Is something strange?”
All I could manage was a desperate, strained whisper.
It felt like I’d fallen into an inescapable, cruel trap.
The icy winter wind blew.
Frozen in place, I couldn’t pull my hand away from Laches’s face.
When yandere male lead believes she loves him — but she never did
“How dare you!”
“How dare you make me love you, only to cast me aside as nothing more than a friend?!?
“I will never accept that.”
“I will never let you return to him.”
“Even if I have to burn myself to ashes.”
“Even if I must shatter my purity, my dignity, my very soul.”
“I will never let you escape me!”
This was the first novel that introduced me to the matriarchal genre. I’ve read it three times already!
At first, the male lead despised the female lead. Later, he misunderstood that she liked him, so he condescendingly and reluctantly reciprocated her feelings.
Then, he suddenly discovered that she was kind to everyone in the same way, and there was already someone she cherished in her heart, and that person was not him.
The male lead couldn’t believe it, he became angry and crazy. He was determined to capture her body and heart by any means necessary.
Synopsis:
Want to see how a green tea bitch male lead falls in love with the female lead?
Want to see how he flirtatiously pursues the female lead?
Want to see how he gets slapped in the face repeatedly?
The male lead is a green tea bitch, a poisonous lotus, jealous, ruthless, unscrupulous, with a venomous heart, and he’s also a delusional maniac.
The female lead is righteous, positive energy-filled, kind, a holy mother.
Let’s see how two people with extreme personalities come together~
_____
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YES IT WAS MISS NIRIEL! You should’ve just left the country at this point
Huh????? This dude might be dummer than she is, sigh
Literally where are you getting this from girly pop?