After the Wicked Wife Leaves

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Translated by: Sienna

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“I can’t see that pest around. She’s always been following you around.”

 

In response to the elegant middle-aged woman’s question, Erich answered with an indifferent voice.

 

“She said she wasn’t feeling well today.”

 

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged woman slightly furrowed her eyebrows.

 

“That’s right, he must have lost his temper and gotten sick from being so vicious.”

 

Erich’s eyes flickered with a dark glow for a moment.

 

Without noticing her son’s expression, the madam continued speaking.

 

“Still, not seeing that troublemaker around makes my heart feel at ease. It would be nice if she didn’t show up at the dining table like this continuously.”

 

Erich’s hand paused at her words, but she continued, seemingly oblivious.

 

“Today, the oysters taste even softer and more delicious. Don’t you think so?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

In response to her son’s firm denial, the madam furrowed her brows.

 

“Erich, are you going to…”

 

At that moment, a familiar figure entered the dining room.

 

“Oh… you’re still here?”

 

The madam grimaced harshly at Cornelia’s voice, which seemed to carry a hint of displeasure.

 

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As soon as I entered the restaurant, the sight of the middle-aged woman and my husband caught my eye.

 

I should have waited a little longer, but it was too late.

 

“I heard you weren’t feeling well today, but you look better than I thought.”

 

My mother-in-law, the madam of the house, made sarcastic remarks as soon as she saw me, and I felt more puzzled than annoyed.

 

‘Does she still not know about my pregnancy?’

 

But only for a moment.

 

“Cornelia, are you feeling alright?”

 

Suddenly, Erich called me, so I looked at him, and he was staring at me with a cold gaze.

 

‘Oh, so you’ve already started investigating me.’

 

Given his distrustful nature, it seemed like he intended to keep my pregnancy a secret from the madam and the outside world until he could verify the truth of my words.

 

Perhaps he feared that the madam might collapse if it was revealed that I had cheated and conceived a child outside of our marriage.

 

‘Well, she probably won’t collapse. She’s harbored venom for a long time.’

 

What to do, the dilemma was fleeting.

 

‘I don’t really need to accommodate that person’s whims.’

 

Even before the regression, Madam didn’t particularly welcome my pregnancy. I don’t know how much she meddled during my pregnancy.

 

‘If I say it’s not her grandchild inside me, she’ll surely push for a divorce, citing infidelity, right?’

 

The thought of speeding up the divorce process with my mother-in-law’s help made me smile involuntarily.

 

At that moment,

 

“Why aren’t you answering? Did you catch a speech disorder because you’re not feeling well?”

 

Although her nagging words were quite irritating, I held my tongue for now.

 

First, I had to tell her I was pregnant.

 

“Oh, Madam, actually I…”

 

As I was about to speak, envisioning the madam collapsing upon hearing the news, a servant brought a plate of food.

 

“Why are you stopping mid-sentence? Can’t you give a proper answer?”

 

The madam continued to nag, but I couldn’t respond.

 

The smell of the oyster dish on the plate seemed more repugnant than usual.

 

‘Is this the start of morning sickness?’

 

Even before the regression, I found it particularly challenging to endure the smell of oysters due to morning sickness.

 

My mother-in-law forced me to eat oysters, urging me not to be picky.

 

Although I didn’t particularly like oysters, I tried to endure the situation because I wanted to please her.

 

However, now there was no reason to endure discomfort while forcing myself to eat something unpleasant.

 

“I’ll just go. Honestly, I’m not a big fan of oyster dishes.”

 

However, the madam, who excelled at being difficult and stubborn, didn’t easily let me off.

 

“What? So, you’re blaming me for eating oyster dishes you don’t like because of me?”

 

“Mother, that’s enough.”

 

Whether she wanted to get rid of me or not, Erich intervened to stop her, but she became more agitated.

 

“What? Stop? Is that how you speak to your mother? You, since a while ago, you keep…”

 

“Mother.”

 

“Because you come out like this, that troublemaker is behaving like that!”

 

I could hear them arguing, but I turned my back.

 

They were people who I no longer considered family. They are people who never thought of me as family in the first place.

 

Now, it didn’t matter how they thought of me.

 

“Now, I’ve reached my limit… Ugh!”

 

I covered my mouth and stormed out of the dining room.

 

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“How dare that brat speak to me like that?”

 

From the beginning, Madam Blant never liked Cornelia.

 

She was a royal, but she was a mutant with dark hair, and if that wasn’t enough, she was also the worst kind of human being in the world, with a disreputable reputation.

 

‘Moreover, she’s… quite audacious.’

 

Despite finding Cornelia somewhat irritating, she has a considerable fortune, so she restrained herself from kicking her out immediately.

 

But…

 

‘Now, I’ve reached my limit…’

 

With her face contorted, Cornelia left the restaurant without saying a word to her.

 

This was blatant disregard for her elder.

 

Trembling, the madam turned to her son and asked, “Why did you suddenly defend that good-for-nothing?”

 

“Did it seem like I was defending her? You were the one concerned about my reputation, weren’t you, Mother?”

 

Erich’s words made his mother sigh.

 

“Well, there’s no way to defend that brat.”

 

After marriage, Erich never once treated Cornelia kindly.

 

However harsh she might be, even the madam advised her son to treat the princess appropriately in front of others, considering his reputation.

 

‘But…….’

 

Soon, the madam’s gaze, which had been fixed on her son, turned icy.

 

‘How dare she defy me?’

 

The godmother turned to Erich and said it coldly.

 

“You shouldn’t express dissatisfaction with the oyster dish. That’s not a behavior befitting my son, Erich.”

 

She approached her son and whispered.

 

“Don’t forget. Stick to your duties.”

 

Unable to contain her simmering anger, she stood up and stormed out of the restaurant.

 

For a moment, as Erich watched her leave with dark eyes, someone whimsical popped into his mind.

 

<I’ll just leave; honestly, I’m not really a fan of oysters.>

 

For a moment, he recalled Cornelia not having her meal.

 

“Landon, inform the chef to prepare a new dish for the Duchess’s meal, excluding oysters and seafood. And…….”

 

After a brief hesitation, Erich spoke.

 

“For dessert, make sure to send peaches.”

 

A while later, the butler returned from the kitchen, bowing his head as he conveyed the message.

 

“Your Grace, as the Duchess requested a light meal, the meal has already been sent to her room. Unfortunately, we couldn’t immediately procure peaches.”

 

Hearing that, Erich’s brow crinkled slightly in inexplicable discomfort.

 

It was then.

 

“Even so, we’ve obtained peach preserves, and peach sorbet for dessert has been prepared. We’ll send it up.”

 

At those words, Erich’s furrowed brow relaxed.

 

“Alright, understood.”

 

Gradually, Erich made his way to his study, but suddenly, he realized something.

 

He had completely forgotten the fishy smell, discomfort, and his mother’s words—everything that bothered him just a moment ago—as soon as he thought of Cornelia.

 

‘No, that was just me…’

 

At that moment, a bird flew in through the open window.

 

It was a letter from Heit, the informant.

 

[I’ve investigated as you ordered, but there is no record of a man named Demian associated with the Duchess within the capital.]

 

Reading the letter, Erich stifled a bitter laugh.

 

‘So it was a lie after all?’

 

Although he tried to dismiss the thought, something strangely continued to bother him.

 

<Demi… Demian.>

 

It was the name she called out with deep emotion.

 

‘Yes, maybe it’s too early to conclude that it was a lie.’

 

Her violet gaze had always pursued him, craving affection as if it were a matter of course.

 

However, at some point, her eyes no longer looked at him.

 

As if she no longer needed him.

 

‘No, she wouldn’t be like that…’

 

Despite denying it, irritation and frustration lingered.

 

In a restless state, Erich unconsciously clenched his fist and narrowed his eyes.

 

‘I should find out for myself.’

 

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Back in my room, away from the smell of fish, I was eating a simple meal of bread and soup.

 

The meal was ordinary, but the dessert turned out to be peach sorbet.

 

Due to my mother-in-law’s allergy, I had never been able to enjoy peaches, so this brought me great happiness.

 

However, there was something puzzling.

 

Why would the chef prepare a peach dessert? Considering my mother-in-law’s personality, she would never allow such a dessert.

 

As I pondered this mystery for a moment, the image of my mother-in-law’s last appearance came to mind.

 

Her eyes were wide as if she had seen something unbearable, and her whole body was shaking.

 

‘Still, thanks to going downstairs, I had a good sightseeing experience.’

 

I smirked, then remembered the smug face that had been staring at me so intently in the restaurant.

 

‘By the way, I should make that person believe I had an affair…’

 

I can’t have my affair with a nobleman.

 

‘To be involved with the royal family’s mischievous raven wasn’t sufficient; to play the role of a father to my child, there should have been some interaction with him after I got married.’

 

The problem was that, after marriage, I hadn’t attended any social gatherings or noble events, let alone interacted with others.

 

 

𝑺𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝑲𝒐-𝒇𝒊