Woke Up And I'm A Married Woman (17 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 1

The man was like a black panther—noble and aloof, striding through vast grasslands with his head held high.

Each step he took made his large muscles ripple sensually beneath his skin.

His lightly tanned face bore a small, knife-like cut on his chin. His thick eyebrows were deeply furrowed, giving him a heavy aura, yet a closer look revealed surprisingly delicate features. His eyes, framed by sharp black lashes, were a silvery gray tinged with pale blue—like a sea dusted with snow.

“Haaah.”

He walked over with heavy footsteps and sat beside me, letting out a deep sigh. His large hand swept tiredly across his face. His tousled black hair tumbled down with a soft rustle, casting shadows over his features.

He remained seated like that for a long while, head bowed, before straightening his back and muttering in a low voice,

“It was my choice, but I’m exhausted.”

His voice, smooth and rich like melted chocolate, sent involuntary tremors through my fingertips. His gaze turned toward me. I tensed up, bracing myself in case he reached out to touch my face—but he didn’t extend his hand toward me at all.

He merely chuckled softly.

“You’re just lying there, so you probably aren’t tired. But isn’t it about time you got up from your lazy lounging, Miss Lazybones?”

Lazybones? Me?

I had been silently listening to him until now, but slowly opened my mouth.

“Miss Lazybones? That’s a bit too harsh. I didn’t even expect you to call me Sleeping Beauty.”

“…?!”

Startled that I had replied, he abruptly jumped to his feet. Even in that brief moment, his hands rose instinctively into a perfect defensive stance.

“What? An assassin?”

At the word “assassin,” I couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh. What could I possibly do against him? His biceps looked as thick as my thighs.

“If someone wanted you dead, they’d send someone far more imposing than me.”

“…Are you the one speaking right now?”

“Who else would it be, if not me?”

I slowly rose to my feet. My arms trembled slightly, probably from lying down for so long.

“I answered your question honestly, so will you answer mine now?”

I smiled gently and asked,

“Who are you?”

Just who on earth are you to walk so casually into someone else’s bedroom and strike up a conversation with me?

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A brilliant mage with no magic power.

An immense inheritance—with even more people scheming to claim it.

In this situation, how best could one protect both life and legacy?

“Sister, what are you thinking about?”

What do you think I’m thinking?

‘I’m wondering whether you poisoned this tea or not.’

I sighed and looked down at the cup of black tea before me. When I raised my head again, a cute face with rich golden hair and ruby-red eyes blinked curiously at me, tilting her head slightly.

Diana Periway—my beloved younger sister.

There was once a time when I cherished Diana as much as my own life. How could anyone not adore such a lovely child?

But now, facing Diana again, the only thought running through my mind was:

‘How despicable.’

Her smile, her starry eyes—everything about her seemed like hollow pretense to me.

In my past life, she killed me to seize my inheritance.

‘She’s definitely poisoned this too. Since poisoning me outright would raise suspicion, it won’t be a fast-acting poison—but poison nonetheless.’

There are plenty of slow poisons she could use—ones that blind you or paralyze your legs.

‘That way, she can push me down the stairs again, just like last time.’

Weakened and helpless from the toxin, I tumbled helplessly down the stairs.

‘I won’t endure that nightmare twice.’

Seeing me silently stare at my teacup, Diana urged me impatiently,

“Why are you just sitting there? Drink up, Sister. It’ll warm you up and make you feel better.”

“It’s summer.”

“Huh? …Ah! Did you want cold tea? You should’ve said so! Wait, I’ll have someone bring ice.”

“No need.”

Right before Diana’s eyes, I flipped over the teacup. The untouched tea spilled out, staining the white tablecloth.

Diana’s brow furrowed. For just an instant, her true self slipped through her mask—and I couldn’t help but smile.

“I only ever drink plain water.”

Plain water, my foot. I used to adore tea—so much so that I’d spend all my pocket money on high-quality black tea and fine teacups. During my magic research, tea breaks were my only moments of peace; colleagues wanting to calm me down would always bring a teapot.

Well, that was all in the past. After dying once from poisoned herbs, even the sight of a teapot made my stomach churn.

‘At least I’m saving money now.’

I met Diana’s twisted glare with a gentle smile.

“Thank you, little sister.”

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Truly furious this time, Diana stormed out of my room without even attempting a fake smile. I exhaled sharply through my nose.

“It felt satisfying, but it wasn’t the wisest move. Now that she knows I don’t drink tea, she’ll try poisoning my meals with more variety.”

I’d turned a simple situation—just avoiding tea—into one where I’d have to avoid every dish.

“But some things in life are simply unbearable—and the tea Diana offers me is exactly that.”

Still, I didn’t regret spilling the tea. In fact, I was impressed by my own restraint.

“At least I didn’t splash it right in her face—that’s something.”

Ever since I traveled back in time, just seeing Diana made my hands itch to slap her—but I had to hold back. Acting violently would only put me at a disadvantage. I could easily picture Diana outside, putting on her pathetic, tearful performance:

“Sister clearly came back from the academy with a mental illness! She throws things randomly and hits people for no reason…” (@italic)

She’d keep painting me as unstable until she finally got what she wanted:

“We can’t trust the future of House Periway to an unstable sister! Your Majesty, please recognize me as the heir instead of my mentally ill sister!” (@italic)

“Oh, but convincing His Majesty would take too long—she’ll likely choose another route.”

Locking me up as “mentally ill” and then poisoning me seemed far more practical. After all, it wasn’t uncommon for someone declared mentally frail to gradually weaken physically and die early.

“Either way, the ending is death.”

How did my life become this dramatic spectacle of constant threats to my life? Not long ago, I was still at the academy, worrying whether turning my head right or ducking left would help me avoid the books my professors kept throwing at me.

“…Though, come to think of it, wasn’t that academy life itself a daily threat to my survival?”

Those spellbooks targeting the back of my head were certainly thick enough to be weapons.

I recalled the academy’s magic professors, who treated their students like unruly beasts.

“Ugh, I feel nauseous. I need some fresh air.”

Just moments ago, I’d been missing the academy—but remembering those days of relentless abuse made my whole body ache.

I walked to the window of my room and opened it. At that exact moment—

“Nelly! It’s your aunt! Call me Aunt! Didn’t we play together when you were little?”

“You two are far too young to fend for yourselves! You need a strong protector—someone like me!”

“Everyone else scram! When times are tough, it’s your maternal relatives who matter most!”

The moment my face appeared, relatives clinging to our garden wall began shouting, demanding to be let in.

“…!!”

Panicked, I hastily slammed the window shut and yanked the heavy blackout curtains closed, completely sealing off the window. Darkness instantly filled the room.

“Ha.”

What on earth am I doing?

The absurdity of it all made me laugh bitterly. My legs gave out, and I sank slowly to the floor.

I roughly ran my fingers through my hair. Even though this was the second time dealing with relatives swarming like mad over a hidden inheritance, I still couldn’t get used to it.

“…Is everyone really this shameless?”

When my sister and I lost our parents, they all pretended not to know us—but the moment the hidden inheritance came to light, they came running, pounding on the door.

“Still, the one who hurts me the most is Diana.”

We were sisters who’d leaned on each other after losing our parents—once hailed as the closest, most loving pair of sisters in the world.

But everything flipped the moment our long-lost ancestor’s hidden inheritance was revealed to be mine.

To claim it all for herself, Diana fed me a paralyzing poison. Then, while I was too weak to move properly, she pushed me down a steep flight of stairs.

My skull cracked, my limbs twisted—but my breath didn’t stop immediately. With dazed eyes, I looked up at my younger sister gazing down at me.

[Diana… How could you do this to me…?] [Sister, you always said you loved me more than anyone in this world. Was it all a lie—that you only ever wanted my happiness?]

As I coughed up blood and collapsed, Diana gave me a soft, smiling glance and whispered,

“This is my happiness, Sister. Farewell.”

My past life—a life betrayed by the sister I loved, all because of a mysterious archmage’s inheritance I never even asked for.

That was my past life.

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House Periway.

A noble lineage descended from the great Archmage Periway, who had aided in founding the Empire long ago.

Yet talent isn’t guaranteed by blood—it only has a higher chance of appearing. In truth, Periway’s descendants never surpassed their ancestor and gradually drifted far from their magical roots.

But I, Nelly Periway, was entirely different. The first to recognize my talent in childhood was none other than my private tutor.

“Your daughter is a genius.”