I Became the Obsessive Male Lead’s Ex-Wife

A woman with waist-length black hair and sparkling beautiful eyes like stars sits in the center of the garden. She was the Duchess of Carlisle. She was a beauty who was more beautiful than pretty, haughty rather than reserved, and had decadent beauty flowing through her entire body. Several middle-aged nobles sitting across from her made embarrassed expressions in front of the woman, unable to hide their nervousness. The Duke of Carlisle, to whom they were related by blood, was a collateral line that split off from the imperial family, and the beginning was when Erwin Carlyle, the youngest prince of the 30th emperor, received the dukedom and founded the family. Contrary to the Emperor’s good wishes that the family would be blessed with fertility, the Duke of Carlisle had barely succeeded in the sixth generation, starting with the first Duke seeing his only son. For generations, the Dukes of Carlisle were precious, even though they married earlier than other nobles, and each time a new head of the family took over the dukedom, the blood relatives were anxious about the successor. And so did the current Duke of Carlisle. They were blood relatives of the Carlisle family, and had just finished a dull conversation with the Duke of Carlisle yesterday. As he faced the duchess, yesterday’s conversation came to mind. The topic of the conversation was that there was no heir to succeed the Duke of Carlisle. And that too for 4 years. To his relatives who were questioning the heir, the Duke of Pervin Carlisle cast a harsh gaze.

 

“The marriage period, which is an agreement between countries, has not yet ended, but everyone is extremely impatient.”

 

“I’m worried because I haven’t heard any news or signs in four years of marriage. If it’s because you don’t have a good relationship with your wife, please tell me honestly. Or have you reached a point where you can no longer bear her denial? If that’s the case…”

 

“I think you should ask Irwen, not me, about that. Because he was always the one avoiding me.”

 

For a moment, a look of sadness appeared on the Duke of Carlisle’s handsome face. His glossy platinum-blonde hair was nervously tangled, and his sharp green eyes were shadowed. The men all nodded as if they knew how he felt. It was a well-known fact in the Carlyle family that the Duchess of Carlisle was always irritable, unfriendly to her husband, and occasionally abusive. Occasionally, her servants would say that she would eat her husband with that evil look in her eyes.

 

“Who can withstand the duchess’s fiery temper? We know it too. We can submit a petition to the emperor, requesting divorce and remarriage to someone else. Everyone knows that Carlisle’s sharpening hands are extremely precious, so even His Majesty…”

 

“Divorce after less than five years is diplomatic disrespect. There’s still a year left, so you’re telling me to break a national treaty?”

 

“But this is a situation where you need to see the afterlife as soon as possible! For generations, the Dukes of Carlisle have rarely had an heir over the age of twenty-five, and your Majesty just turned twenty-five this year. The astrologer also said that if you don’t have a child by next year, there will never be an heir. So, you need to quickly find a proper Duchess and have an heir.”

 

“I know that I was born when my father was forty.”

 

“But the former Duke was in love with several ladies before that… He even built friendships. However, the Duke continues to lead an honest life like a monk…”

 

The vassals looked at the Duke of Carlisle and sighed. Everyone in the empire knows about the animal-like wild beauty hidden in that neat uniform, so why can’t he just take advantage of it? Look at those throbbing neck muscles, the solid fine muscles visible on the slightly rolled up forearms, and the dizzying chest muscles visible beneath the pulled down collar. Hundreds of women were anxious to catch his eye, and it is still ongoing. Of course, the fact that the Duke of Carlisle is cutting him off like a sword because he has a wife is currently in progress. To put it bluntly, if he wanted to, it wouldn’t be an easy thing for him to seduce a woman and make her child. But the Duke of Carlisle responded indifferently, as always, to these insults from his blood relatives.

 

“I have the power to create a child. “It’s just not the time to welcome a successor yet.”

 

“But the astrologer…”

 

“I don’t want to hear what he said again, so get out!”

 

In the end, the men of the Carlisle family came out without success, only covered by the fiery anger of the Duke of Carlisle. And today, the Duchess of Carlisle had called them together. The blood relatives of the Carlisle family swallowed their dry saliva. The Duchess called them, saying she had something important to say, and her mood was quite different from her usual violent mood. 

 

* * *

 

People just sipping tea for a while. After a heavy silence continued for a while, one of the retainers finally spoke.

 

“Ma’am, may I ask why you asked to see us?”

 

Irwen Lilias, the Duchess who had been married from a foreign country, indifferently turned her gaze from the teacup to the men. Middle-aged men gasped and trembled at those cold eyes.

 

‘What kind of order are you going to give today?’

 

Until now, when the Duchess called them together, the reason was clear.

 

‘Are you telling me to collect gold to send to the Principality of Verma?’

 

‘Collect precious jewels to send to the Principality of Verma?’

 

‘Collect and offer the special products of the Carlyle Estate to be sent to the Duchy of Verma?’

 

Wasn’t she a duchess who always wanted to give everything to her parents, the Duchy of Verma?

 

‘Why does His Majesty the Duke turn a blind eye to your wife’s illegal actions even though he knows about them?’

 

That time when everyone sighs. Irwen spoke to them as if nothing had happened.

 

“From now on, please stop providing monthly special products to the Principality of Verma.”

 

“…yes?”

 

“I told you not to send any of the jewels, special products, gold jewelry, etc. that you had been giving to the Principality of Verma every month. And tell the farmers especially, that something like this will never happen in the future, and that I have acted foolishly because of my extreme affection for my parents, so please forgive me.”

 

The men glanced at each other and talked with their eyes. It was very welcome news, but it was also scary at the same time.

 

‘Why is the Duchess suddenly having such normal thoughts?’

 

‘Have you finally learned that it is illegal to pay tribute to the Principality of Verma without going through normal trade?’

 

‘Did His Highness the Duke give you a word?’

 

‘No, your wife is definitely not the type to listen to what other people say.’

 

‘But why on earth do you make such a normal decision overnight?’

 

The men were filled with curiosity to the tip of their tongues, but they bowed their heads at the Duchess’ frost-like eyes.

 

“I will carry out your orders.”

 

“Please leave now.”

 

Irwen watched the men scurrying out and then sighed. The tension that had been building up her body went away, and she rubbed her sore neck. He looked disheveled, the complete opposite of his charismatic appearance from before.

 

“I feel relieved now that I’ve quit. You can only survive if you stop doing all the stupid things he did.”

 

* * *

 

Until recently, I was living a normal but tired life. In my current life, I have collapsed more than once due to irregular meals, non-stop part-time work, and arduous daily life that lasts until dawn. But this time was different. When I fainted and barely managed to get up, I felt something had changed. The fragrant scent of flowers passing by my nose, the luxurious pajamas I am wearing, and the soft blanket that wraps my body comfortably. It was an antique that everyone saw for the first time. I looked around in bewilderment at the splendor that seemed to be depicted in a nobleman’s mansion in a novel. Moonlight came through the slightly opened curtains and softly illuminated the room. What I saw in my confused vision was a large bed surrounded by red curtains, a huge blanket covering me, and a man kneeling on the edge of the bed, leaning his face on one arm. I squinted because I couldn’t see well in the dark. It seemed like he was asleep, as his sleeves were rolled up, his slender torso was unbuttoned, and his lovely platinum feet were moving rhythmically. Full of alertness, I ducked to the other side of the bed and covered myself with the blanket. Everything was confusing. What is this Western-style bedroom, why am I here, and what is this man sleeping on one side of the bed? At that time, I was so filled with anxiety that I was trembling involuntarily under the blanket. The sound of a man waking up was heard along with a yawn that seemed to be suppressed. As if taking care of my bedding, the man gently removed the blanket from my head. I closed my eyes tightly and remained still as if dead. He stroked my head for a while, and then a heavy voice rang out.

 

“Just wake up, please…”

 

His voice seemed to be a mixture of various emotions, including resignation, anger, affection, and obsession. The hand that made up the blanket and straightened the pillow was so kind that I wondered who this man was, but I kept my eyes closed. As I was shaking with anxiety, all sorts of thoughts crossed my mind. Judging by the handsome voice I heard earlier, I thought he might also be good-looking. I closed my eyes and waited for him to leave. I was planning to figure out what would happen once he left, but hot lips landed on my cheek. I opened my eyes in surprise and made eye contact with the man.

 

“Irwen?”

 

The moment when the freezing cold green eyes trembled and stuck into me. The moment when the name Irwen was deeply embedded in my heart. A heavy feeling of anxiety and confusion struck me, and my vision went black. 

 

* * *

 

After being unconscious for several days, I finally woke up. Grabbing my dizzy head, I stood up and the dazzling sunlight came on. This time, it was again the same bedroom, but instead of the man, people who appeared to be his employees were surrounding him. Under their guidance, she was examined by a doctor, Dr. Moffari, and was diagnosed as having ‘nothing wrong with the Duchess of Carlisle’s body.’ The people next to me sighed in relief and looked at my body, but they did not approach me carelessly. They looked at me and lowered their heads, looking at me and not knowing what to do.

 

“You sent a message to the imperial palace, right? When will the master come?”

 

“He’s on his way now.”

 

I gathered my thoughts several times while listening to the sounds of words echoing around me. The man I saw before fainting called me ‘Irwen’, and the doctor said ‘the Duchess of Carlisle’. No matter how much I thought about it, it was clear that this was neither reality nor a dream, but a situation in a novel. I never thought about it. I never thought I, who was just a struggling trainee aspiring to become a singer, would become a character in the story. ‘Irwen Lillias’, whom I possessed, was an evil woman who appeared at the beginning of the popular romance drama ‘Pervin and Stella’ and exited as a result of her death. She was a princess of a defeated country and a sacrifice offered to the royal family of the Theresia Empire. She was the only daughter and illegitimate daughter of the Grand Duke of Verma, offered as a peace offering by the Duchy of Verma, which had been defeated after five years of war with the Theresian Empire. Grand Duke Verma’s last name, ‘Lilias’, was something she had only received a few years ago, at the urging of her half-brother, who had found her at her age. However, as she was the only daughter of the Grand Duke of Verma by blood, the Theresa imperial family accepted her as a gift of peace and married her to the Duke of Carlisle. Pervin Carlisle, the cruel outlaw who pushed the Principality of Verma to the brink of destruction, the emperor’s right-hand man and a powerful figure in the empire. With the Duke of Carlisle pushing hard for his marriage to Irwen, things moved quickly. In the novel, it was briefly stated that Irwen hated Perwin almost as much as he hated her. However, in order to make peace with the Principality of Verma, the couple had to remain married for at least five years. The marriage, which had been creaky from the beginning, continued to be creaky for the next four years. Not only had there been no news about the most important heir, but there were rumors that Irwen was not doing her minimum duties as a duchess. It was common for Irwen to spew harsh words at her household servants, she never appeared in social circles, and she even illegally sent the finest specialty products from the Carlisle estate to the Duchy of Verma. And one day, not long after marriage, The Duke of Carlisle, the Emperor’s right-hand man who was called the Conqueror, suddenly collapsed while drinking wine in his bedroom. And the duchess, Irwen, was pointed out as the person behind it, and although she protested against her injustice, she was soon arrested as a prime suspect. The fact that she had illegally taken goods from her Carlisle estate to the Duchy of Verma, and that she was always verbally abusive to her husband, made her a prime suspect. The Empire concluded that she had colluded with the Duchy of Verma to kill the Duke of Carlisle and seize his fortune. It is only a matter of time before Irwen Lillias, who attempted to kill Perwin Carlisle, a relative of the imperial family and a hero of the Theresian Empire, is executed. No one believed her words as she trembled at the injustice. Even her husband, the Duke of Carlisle, with whom she had a contract marriage. In the end, Irwen was destroyed by her death, but Pervin Carlisle remarried Countess Stella Belle, who nursed him with utmost care. Why did I come into Irwen’s body? I complained and resented it countless times. The body of such a stupid evil woman, such an evil woman destined for death! However, I promised myself that I would not live like this once I entered Irwen’s body. According to what the employee said, four years had passed since her marriage. So, my goal was to live quietly for a year, then get divorced, receive a villa as alimony, and live in peace. Yes, I will simply remain the Duke of Carlisle’s ex-wife, and thus preserve my life. After taking the first step, making the next plan was a quick decision. My current priority as ‘Irwen’ was to understand the situation I was in and make a plan to survive well. After much thought, this is the conclusion I came to. First of all, I need to build up goodwill around me and change the perspective of those who are afraid of me. At that time, the sound of the door breaking open was heard, and a man came inside. Everyone lowered their heads except me, who was staring at him.

 

“Duke.”

 

“How are you feeling?”

 

The man came next to me and made eye contact with me, looking surprised. The man seemed to have rushed in, his coat was unbuttoned, and his hair was a mess in the wind. His dazzling white blond hair, tall height, slim build, and captivating green eyes. It was clearly Duke Perwin Carlisle, Irwen’s husband, now my husband. When I first opened my eyes, was this the man who stayed by my side on the side of the bed? As I was still looking at him, I saw Pervin’s face suddenly harden. It was obvious that he was uncomfortable making eye contact. Only then did I remember that Irwen’s position in the novel was precarious. Wasn’t she someone who had a bad relationship with her husband and was later suspected of being behind a poisoning incident that led to her death? He barely survived, so he can’t die again. I never want to feel that horrible feeling again. Well, the first priority is to gain the notoriety of ‘a woman worth killing her husband’. As I was staring at him with these thoughts in mind, Pervin averted his eyes as if he was uncomfortable.

 

“It seems okay, so let’s go.”

 

“Excuse me…”

 

Without realizing it, I grabbed his sleeve and pulled him. People around me looked at them in silence as if they were watching a horror movie, but only a cold look came back from Pervin, as if asking why I was like this. The face he had when I opened the door earlier has disappeared, and now only his cold eyes are facing me, as if he were looking at an enemy. His heart is pounding under his freezing gaze.

 

“Why?”

 

To him who could barely answer in a short, low voice, I opened my mouth with the feeling of ‘I don’t know.’ I have to live and see.

 

“Thank you for coming here.”

 

I could hear several people around me collapsing in shock at the words I mustered up the courage to say. Employees said, ‘How can you say something like that?’, ‘Oh my god, I never thought I would hear a sentence like that from your lips.’ etc. Pervin was no exception, frozen on the spot with a bewildered expression. He looked at me with a bewildered look, as if asking me if I was crazy, and for a moment his eyes shook violently. He pursed his lips as if he were about to say something, but then he finished biting. He turned around and left the room. 

 

* * *

 

Pervin arrived in the study and rubbed his sweaty face with both hands. After her collapse, she never imagined that the countless times she would visit her at night and whisper to her to wake up would have this result. Even when people change, they change too much. He immediately asked Mrs. Tilly, who followed him into the study.

 

“Have you lost your memory?”

 

“The doctor said it was still too early to judge, but it is clear that you are acting like a different person. The proof is that your personality has changed and you have become more positive.”

 

“Why has it changed now?”

 

Pervin bit his lip nervously. Irwen asked her maid, Madame Jean Tilly, who had taken care of Irwen from the time she collapsed until she woke up, about her wife’s condition, and she asked her again. He wasn’t the only one curious about the duchess’s changed condition. So did everyone in the mansion. It was only natural that Irwen, who always had an angry aura like a thorn stuck in her body, suddenly became kind. Moreover, her husband, who was no match for her, even said ‘Thank you for coming’ when she saw the Duke of Carlisle. Mrs. Tilly suggested cautiously as she saw the owner pacing by the window as if anxious.

 

“Maybe you’ve made a big decision? You know the saying, that when a person gets sick, they become a different person? You may be tired of living surrounded by thorns, and you may be trying to restore your relationship with your master.”

 

“It’s just a useless hope.”

 

The sunset light that came through her window dyed Per Vin’s beautiful face red. Thanks to this, I was able to hide his turbulent heart from his face. He did not think that his heart, which had been shaking for several days, would calm down easily. He fell in love with her, proposed to her, and started married life with her determination, but his heart hardened due to her coldness. For four years he thought he was frozen solid, but he promised himself he wouldn’t hurt anymore. It seems like there was a crack in his frozen heart. It has been a long time since my heart, which betrayed my cool-headed mind, began to pound. It was from the moment when Irwen looked at him with those blue eyes. She was embarrassed, she wanted to push away, but she couldn’t stop. As if her confused mind had taken over his entire body, he muttered involuntarily.

 

“…I’m going crazy.”

 

* * *

 

The next few days were peaceful but busy. Although she was resting well, she learned various duties related to the mansion from her maid-in-law, Mrs. Tilly, and got to know her servants with her own eyes, calling them by name and trying to give them a friendly impression. Of course, they were repeatedly surprised by my change, but they didn’t turn me off like they did at first. I wanted to show my changed side to Per Vin, but I didn’t get the chance to let her know. And this evening, for the first time in a long time, the Duke of Carlisle’s residence was crowded. The kitchen was busy because the Duke of Carlisle, who usually eats outside for breakfast, said he would eat at home today. They say you have to eat from a pot to become friends, so I was thinking of having dinner with him.

 

“Lady.”

 

A young maid came in with a basket full of freshly picked flowers. Her first day in Irwen’s body, I stared at her, memorizing the names of all her maids. The head maid here, Madam Tilly’s niece, did you say Marianne? When I smiled at her, Marie Anne avoided my eyes due to her anxiety. And she hastily said what she had to say.

 

“Dinner is ready. And since the master is here today, I will serve dinner here as always.”

 

“No. Tell them we’ll eat together.”

 

“Yes… yes?”

 

“Why is it strange that we eat together?”

 

“No, that’s not it… It’s been a long time since you two had a meal together. No, it might just be the first time.”

 

Marie Anne nervously shook her hands without realizing it. I was equally worried, but I got up and got ready to get dressed. As I was rummaging through various clothes in my closet, what caught my hand was a bright red dress. Still, it’s our first dinner together, so it wouldn’t hurt to leave a good impression. I saw Marianne holding a red dress with a V cut. She was still looking at me blankly.

 

“Can you help me get dressed?”

 

“Ah… yes!”

 

I put on my dress with Marie Anne’s help and watched her expression. It wasn’t the first time I’d seen a surprised expression since I woke up here, but Marianne had a particularly confused look on her face. She asked her as gently as she could.

 

“Are you scared of me?”

 

“No… no. That’s not it, my wife always wore a black dress, but she chose a different color… Ma’am, if you don’t like us, please tell us directly instead of expressing it through our clothes.”

 

I swallowed a deep sigh as I watched Marie Anne bravely speak out in the crucible of her confusion. Even though I told myself countless times that it wasn’t like that, the employees were scared by my changed appearance. I will have no choice but to prove my changed appearance through my actions in the future. Finally, it was my turn to put on makeup, so I sat down at the dressing table and let my black hair hang down. Marie Anne carefully picked up her powder. But once, twice, three times… It felt strange for me to count the minutes ten times. And the eyebrows were thickly coated with charcoal soot ten times. Weren’t my lips covered in blood?

 

“Why are you painting it so white?”

 

“Ma’am usually puts on her makeup like that.”

 

“And the eyebrows, well, they’re not charcoal soot. I think it’s too dark.”

 

“You always did this…”

 

Marianne’s voice became increasingly trembling, as if she thought I was testing her. I was appalled by Irwen’s bizarre makeup method, which was not described at all in the novel. It would be better not to wear makeup. In the end, I removed all my makeup with water mixed with flour. Meanwhile, Marie Anne brought flowers from her basket and held them out to me.

 

“Please choose a flower for your hair, ma’am.”

 

“…flower?”

 

I slowly looked at the flowers. These are the many flowers blooming in the garden. I hesitated for a moment as the numerous flowers were showing off their beauty. Marie Anne looked at me and picked up her bright red rose.

 

“Would you like me to put a rose on it for you?”

 

“Hmm… That’s good too… oh! It’s my favorite flower.”

 

The lily of the valley lying in the corner caught my eye. Lily of the valley is a flower that I have loved ever since I was a child, with a delicate scent that captures my heart. I picked up a bunch of lily of the valley and stuck it into her half-tied hair. My reflection in the mirror looked pretty good. At least a bare face is better than makeup-level makeup. I picked up the hem of my long dress and went down to the living room. I heard Marianne muttering next to me, glancing curiously at my bare face.

 

“I don’t know if I should send a message to my master to at least prepare his heart…”

 

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Translator Note: