Woke Up And I'm A Married Woman (17 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 12
“Having such a pleasant fantasy makes even the wine I’m drinking taste sweet.”
Isn’t life truly beautiful? Not others’ lives—just my own.
“Cheers to Diana Periway, blessed with beauty, intelligence, and fortune.”
Diana thought to herself as she downed her champagne.
She had once resented her fate, wondering why life had to be so unfair, born to utterly insignificant parents—but in the end, fortune had sided with her.
After all, fate had granted her an utterly gullible older sister who would vanish after leaving behind a colossal inheritance.
“I really wanted to keep even her corpse by my side for constant surveillance, but that man insisted it was impossible—what a pity.
He doesn’t even expect her to fulfill the duties of a wife, yet insists she must stay at his house simply because she’s his wife—what nonsense is that?”
Diana pouted, already casually referring to her still-living sister as a corpse.
Just then, a familiar name reached her ears.
“Did you hear the news? The Azure Dragon Knights eliminated the monsters in the Nemere Mountains.”
“Of course—it’s Sir Cedar Grenit. He’s the nation’s greatest knight.”
They were speaking of Cedar Grenit, her sister’s husband and thus her own brother-in-law.
Cedar Grenit—the youngest Swordmaster in the kingdom.
The eldest son of the House of Grenit, descendants of the dragon who aided the founding emperor during the nation’s establishment.
Diana had first met him in person only when she’d begged her sister Nelly to enter into a contract marriage.
Just recalling his handsome face and ascetic aura made her lips go dry.
“Cedar Grenit is far too good for a heartless wretch like my sister. It’s slightly bothersome that he was born a bastard… but well, he isn’t one anymore anyway.”
Normally, even noble bastards who achieved the rank of Swordmaster were granted titles and lands.
That was how arduous a feat it was to become a Swordmaster—and how invaluable such a person was to the nation.
Having reached that pinnacle at such a young age, inheriting the dukedom of House Grenit was practically guaranteed.
Once the current Duke Grenit, bedridden and ailing, finally passed away, Cedar would immediately become duke.
“As Duke Grenit, he’d certainly be worthy of my status. It’s a bit annoying that he’s been married and divorced before—but I know better than anyone that nothing ever happened between him and Nelly.”
Thinking of Cedar sent an involuntary thrill through her body.
Diana shivered, imagining a future she’d never even discussed with him.
“I’ll have to settle everything soon and ask him to marry me. Last time I saw him, he looked like the type who’d cave helplessly if pushed aggressively enough. Besides, where in this empire could there possibly be a man who’d reject a beauty like me?”
With a confident smile, Diana looked up at the sky.
She wasn’t even afraid of her parents, who might be watching her from somewhere up there.
She firmly believed they’d want her—the clever one—to be happy, not that fool Nelly.
“I hope this month passes quickly so the inheritance comes into my hands.”
With that thought, she emptied her champagne glass in one gulp.
[This is the timeline separator]Diana Periway’s assumption wasn’t entirely wrong.
Cedar Grenit, who’d seemed as impenetrable as a fortress, was now being helplessly swayed by the aggressive advances of some bold young lady.
It was just that this bold young lady wasn’t Diana.
Quite some time had passed since Nelly had abruptly awakened from her coma-like state.
Which also meant it had been a long while since Cedar, who used to dine with his knights at the barracks, began faithfully eating all three meals each day at the mansion.
Those daily meals—more than twenty a week—had changed Cedar Grenit.
And not in the way anyone would have expected.
Hyle, wearing a pink, ruffled apron, shook his head as he kneaded dough alongside Cedar.
“I never knew Sir Cedar was such a romantic. I thought it was a miracle if you didn’t insult the mistress—let alone say sweet words to her.”
He never imagined Cedar would go so far as to personally knead dough for the bread served at meals.
‘He doesn’t even seem aware of what he’s doing.’
Hyle stared at Cedar with pity as the latter concentrated intently on kneading the bread dough. Cedar scowled fiercely and snapped back.
“What the hell are you blabbering about?”
“…Should I fetch you a mirror?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Ugh, better not say another word.”
Hyle knew love was a powerful emotion that could transform a person overnight.
But Cedar Grenit? The man who remained unmoved even by legendary beauties—why him?
‘Honestly, I thought he married the mistress while she was in that coma just because she was quiet and low-maintenance.’
Having served Cedar closely for years, Hyle knew him well.
He knew Cedar was not a man who gave his heart easily.
Yet ever since Nelly had opened her eyes, Cedar’s unusual behavior had left Hyle increasingly confused.
Wait—could he actually be in love?
‘Come to think of it, right after the mistress first woke up, he said he didn’t want it revealed because he feared other men would start flirting with her.’
Cedar had never actually said those words, but Hyle assumed it anyway. He muttered to himself.
“Love is truly mighty. It can even delude a rational man into seeing things that aren’t there. If even a Swordmaster can be blinded by love, then nothing else really matters under its spell.”
Yet kneading dough in the kitchen every single meal still filled Hyle with doubt.
After thoroughly kneading the dough, he placed it in a bowl, covered it with a plate, and grumbled,
“Did you get a job as a chef? Why are you suddenly cooking so earnestly?”
“It’s all because of that woman!”
Cedar, who had been admiring the stretchy dough with satisfaction, suddenly flared up and slapped the dough down hard onto the cutting board.
He then began pounding the dough aggressively with his thick arms, grumbling,
“She claims she’s only ever eaten boiled eggs, so why is she so picky? Can’t she just eat any bread? If it’s even slightly coarse or has whole grains that require chewing, she complains her jaw hurts and refuses to eat it. She’d rather starve than chew—does that make any sense?!”
‘It doesn’t. You could just hire a chef.’
Though he said that, it was obvious he cooked himself because he loved his wife deeply.
‘But why drag me into this?’
The dough needed sufficient rising time to make delicious bread, so it had to be kneaded and left to ferment for about a day.
Thus, the kitchen of Cedar’s residence was now filled with bowls of dough at various fermentation stages, each waiting for its appointed mealtime.
Wasn’t that the very definition of devotion? Freshly baked bread at every meal—
Not even His Majesty the Emperor probably enjoyed such treatment.
And bread wasn’t even the only thing Cedar cooked. Hyle sighed and shook his head.
“Yes, yes—I get it. You’re tailoring your cooking to suit her tastes. You’re the same man who’d beat knights with your scabbard if they complained about side dishes.”
“Oh, what am I supposed to do? I’d actually prefer if she gained a bit of weight—right now, there’s nowhere to hit!”
Cedar’s pitiful complaint, delivered as if he were truly suffering, only made Hyle’s eyes grow colder, like frozen mackerel.
In a completely emotionless tone, Hyle replied,
“Yes, yes, of course. My deepest apologies. They do say one should never add a spoon to couples’ lovey-dovey moments.”
“Lovey-dovey?! Where do you see any lovey-dovey nonsense here? Can’t you hear my anguish?!”
“Yes, yes—you’re absolutely bursting with lovey-dovey angst.”
Where else could you find such an overly fussy husband? Even if he had a daughter someday, he wouldn’t fuss this much over her meals.
Truthfully, aside from being slightly eye-roll-inducing, Cedar’s flustered love-struck behavior wasn’t entirely bad for Hyle.
The Azure Dragon Knights, who’d long been annoyed by their captain’s constant 24/7 presence, were now thoroughly pleased—and watching Cedar’s antics was rather entertaining.
Yet there was one thing about Cedar’s behavior that Hyle just couldn’t understand.
“If you love the mistress so much, why keep her awakening a secret? Don’t you want to openly dote on her before everyone’s eyes?”
Specifically, the fact that Archmage Nelly Periway had awakened—and Cedar refused to announce it to the world.
‘I suppose his delusion is so deep he thinks any man who meets the mistress’s eyes will instantly fall for her.’
As far as Hyle knew, Cedar was a lifelong bachelor.
He’d started his apprenticeship among knights—surrounded only by men—from an extremely young age.
House Grenit was notoriously insular; Hyle had heard there wasn’t a single female knight in the entire Grenit Order.
So in truth, aside from the marriage itself, Cedar had never properly interacted with a woman before.
‘But it’s been ages since the mistress woke up! And I’ve been coming and going constantly, meeting her eyes all the time—and I haven’t fallen for her!’
Wasn’t it about time Cedar snapped out of this delusion?
Once he’d started, the words spilled out like a broken dam, his lips flapping wildly.
Hyle interrogated Cedar like a mother-in-law grilling her daughter-in-law.
“I’ve told you before! Yes, the mistress is beautiful, but she’s not some legendary, peerless beauty! A healthy mind resides in a healthy body. Snap out of your delusion and resume a normal life! And normal life begins by proudly introducing your wife to the world, you married man!”
So frustrated had he been that his nonsense now flowed as smoothly as sensible speech.
‘After all this, the captain will probably throw a fit, shouting about whether to kill me or spare me.’
Cedar was precisely the type who couldn’t stand subordinates overstepping their place.
Hyle watched him nervously, heart pounding.
“Come back to your senses, you hopeless mess. Let’s just live normal lives!”
After all, two highly skilled individuals personally preparing meals for the mistress was already far from normal! Just hire a chef! I didn’t take up a sword to wield a kitchen knife!
Male lead fell into her trap — and shattered when she walked away
This is also on my reread list!
This one is a slow burn, but when it burns, it burns hard.
Definitely worth a read, y’all!
The story follows a thousand-year-old seductive spirit who, on a bet, sets out to charm the male lead—a once-promising but unfortunate cultivator.
But just when she succeeds in making him fall for her, she heartlessly leaves, driving him to madness.
Determined to find her at all costs, he captures her, keeping her by his side no matter what, even if she hates him.
I love this kind of trope—I enjoy watching the male lead suffer in agony.
The ending drags a bit with unnecessary filler, but that’s fine.
As long as I enjoy the beginning, I’m good.
Intro
As an enchantress, Su Heng possesses captivating eyes and charming beauty, easily manipulating the joys and sorrows of living beings at her fingertips.
But to enchant a god, making him taste the bitterness of love’s separation, long-lasting resentment, unattainable desires, and inability to let go…
Do you dare?
Su Heng assists a divine lord in his cultivation, aiming to make him experience all the sufferings of love, so that he can attain the Great Dao.
Only after being chased down from the heavens by the divine lord, confined and completely possessed by him, does she realize how successful she has been.
The once gentle and polite youth has transformed into someone she no longer recognizes.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
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