I Became the Obsessive Male Lead’s Ex-Wife

Pervin held on tightly to Irwen and led her away. When the attendant discovered the couple, he bent down and saw Irwen and was astonished.

 

“Oh my god…”

 

“Hurry up and tell me.”

 

The servant seemed to have finally come to his senses after hearing Pervin’s cold tone, and hurriedly opened the door.

 

“The Duke and Duchess of Carlisle are entering!”

 

“The Duke and his wife entering? So does that mean the Duchess is here too?”

 

“How many years has it been since this?”

 

As Irwen stepped inside, holding Fervin’s hand, all eyes were on her. Everyone was amazed by her beauty.

 

“Oh my god, it can’t be so beautiful!”

 

“I think she looks even prettier than she did at her wedding?”

 

There were two people in particular who gave Irwen her attention: Duke Sibelom and Countess Stella Belle. Sibelom, who was surrounded by countless women, flipped his silver hair and gazed at Irwen. He licked her lips and flashed an energetic smile that charmed many women. Irwen, who was coming in escorted by Pervin, caught her eye and seemed to think it was her timing. Sibelom raised the corners of her mouth as high as possible. And then. Pervin noticed his gaze and spoke to Irwen.

 

“Irwen, just a moment.”

 

When Irwen reflexively turned her head towards him, Pervin pursed her lips, pretending to fix her hair. Afterwards, she took a peek and blew her breath into her ear.

 

“Stop because there’s a bug sitting there.”

 

Irwen’s face turned bright red and she tapped his arm hard.

 

“I was shocked when I thought I could just take it off with her hands.”

 

Instead of answering her, Pervin put his arm around her affectionately. Several people who saw it whispered as if they were surprised.

 

“I thought the Duke was definitely not feeling well, but what happened?”

 

“That appearance now is the opposite of that.”

 

Pervin caught sight of Sibelom from a distance, and raised the corner of his mouth. It was a faint smile that could be seen or not, but it was a beautiful smile that could captivate the hearts of many women in the venue. However, it was read as a warning to Sibelom. An unspoken threat telling you not to dare touch her because she is mine. Sibelom could not act carelessly in front of Pervin.

 

* * *

 

I went to the center with Pervin, receiving a lot of attention from all around us. The place we went to with Pervin was where the emperor and his wife welcomed distinguished guests. The Emperor and Empress welcomed us. The Emperor flashed her playful smile to Pervin.

 

“I never thought you would come to this place, escorting her wife. No, isn’t this the first time you’ve been to a ball like this with Lady?”

 

“I was merely following Her Majesty’s orders to bring my wife.”

 

“It’s much better than the past days when you were alone and drinking miserably. The Duchess looks so happy too. Bring her out.”

 

The Empress, wrapped in a golden dress, welcomed me especially kindly.

 

“I’m glad you came, Duchess of Carlisle. To be honest, I didn’t see you until now so I was worried because I thought you weren’t coming.”

 

“It is the order of Her Majesty the Empress. How would I dare to do that?”

 

“Look, you’re wearing a beautiful dress today.”

 

The fashion-conscious Empress looked around at my dress and looked surprised.

 

“Oh my, isn’t this Madame Bertin’s? This is something I’ve been begging to wear for years. Your Majesty, don’t you remember? Didn’t I pester her Majesty to say that I wanted to buy this dress from Madame Bertin?”

 

At the Empress’s call, the emperor turned to look at her body. He looked at my dress and nodded.

 

“This dress, red as blood. Yes, it was the dress the Empress coveted. But the Duchess is wearing this.”

 

“Madame Bertin doesn’t give dresses to just anyone. I guess the Duchess persuaded her with her incredible charm.”

 

The Empress smiled strangely and covered her mouth with her fan. Now that the emperor and his wife are showing great interest in our couple, other people are also paying close attention to us. Many guests who were not invited to the Duke’s residence last time are also present here. I had to show up on good terms with the Duke of Carlisle before their eyes to put an end to the rumors that had been going around about me for the past four years. All I could think of was to change the image of her husband from being abusive, verbally abusive, and shooting him as if he would kill him whenever he made eye contact, to a kind and gentle image. So without realizing it, I held Pervin’s hand tightly, patted him on the shoulder, and leaned my head on it.

 

“If it weren’t for my husband’s help, I wouldn’t have been able to wear such a beautiful dress. It was him who connected me with Madang Bertin.”

 

“Oh, that’s right.”

 

“I am just grateful to my husband. I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you, Pervin.”

 

When I smiled shyly at him, Pervin stared at me with shaking eyes, probably embarrassed. I felt his hand trembling as he held mine. However, everyone around us, the emperor and his wife burst into laughter as if they were very satisfied with our friendly appearance. The emperor looked at Pervin and gave her a playful wink.

 

“Why are you acting like a stone like this? Shouldn’t you respond quickly?”

 

Pervin made no reply and dropped his gaze on her. He looked up from the hands he was holding and turned back to my face, and his face seemed to slowly turn red. The Emperor burst into laughter at him, who was speechless.

 

“This-this… It was you, not your wife, who was the obstacle to your marital life, Pervin?”

 

Pervin moved his lips as if to answer, then turned his head towards me. Confused emotions were flashing in his eyes. 

 

* * *

 

After saying hello, I stepped back from in front of the emperor and his wife. The moment when everyone glances at us. He took two glasses of wine from a passing servant and offered them to Pervin.

 

“Do you want a drink?”

 

Pervin casually took the wine and bowed to me. It was a small voice that no one else could hear, only me. His low voice gently enveloped me like water on the edge of a clear pond. My vision was trapped by his nimbly moving neck.

 

“What on earth are you thinking?”

 

“Well. I just want to enjoy the ball.”

 

“That’s not what I’m asking. Why are you doing this outside? Didn’t you decide to do this only at home?”

 

“Are you talking about the time I praised you in front of His Majesty the Emperor earlier? What’s wrong with that?”

 

“Not only did you praise me, but why did you take me first…”

 

Pervin laughed, as if he himself was dumbfounded.

 

“Do you mean touching, like a loving couple? I heard that married couples live by touching each other.”

 

“That was when it was just the two of us.”

 

As he was about to answer, I noticed noble ladies in fancy dresses looking at us with interest. When my eyes met one of them, she quickly lowered her eyes as if she was scared. Oh my, I came here to get rid of my scary image. I hastily relaxed my facial muscles, which had been tense from confronting Pervin. I looked up at Pervin with a gentle smile like that of a noble lady. Even though I looked up at him with my eyes looking as innocent as possible, it was as if I was having a snowball fight. Who blinks first, but I didn’t blink because I was tired. Because of this, my eyes became slightly moist. Per Vin bit her lip, looking slightly embarrassed.

 

“Don’t cry, Irwen. Then I’m so embarrassed.”

 

Come to think of it, this man was weak to my tears, right? For no reason, I opened my eyes and let the tears well up even more. Just as the tears in my eyes were about to flow, Pervin wiped the moisture from the corners of my eyes with her finger. She was surprised by his sudden kindness, but took my word for it.

 

“I think it’s my job as a Duchess to make my husband and I look good in front of others.”

 

A blush appeared on his face.

 

“There’s no need to go out of your way to do that, I never asked for it. There’s no need to pretend like that.”

 

“Is it okay for a married couple to come to a place like this and just frown? Now get used to me. You said you would respect my ways.”

 

He looked at me intently, and soon nodded, perhaps surprised by my strength. I twisted my head slightly to the side. The wind blew the long hair that was covering her bulging chest to the side. Pervin held out her hand without hesitation.

 

“I want to tidy up my hair.”

 

When he blinked as if asking me if I was okay, I nodded without realizing it. He carefully ran his hand through his hair with his long, slender fingers. The hand that neatly caressed my hair was so kind that I felt like I wanted to keep receiving it. The way he gathered his disheveled hair to one side, the look in his eyes that contained me entirely was warm. Just as I was concentrating on him, a group of ladies passed by, clearly observing us.

 

“You’re so sweet, aren’t you?”

 

“You’re not going to divorce. Is there any way you could break up when you’re so close?”

 

“It definitely doesn’t seem like acting.”

 

The attentive ladies who came to us could not hide their surprise at Pervin’s friendly behavior. Yeah, I think it’s okay to look like this. The appearance of a friendly duke and duchess. The image of a kind wife who treats her husband well is also a good way to impress the ladies here. I used this momentum to point her finger at the corner of Pervin’s mouth. That’s when I lightly traced a few drops of wine on the corner of his mouth with my right hand. Pervin’s white face turned red like paint dipped in water.

 

“Why all of a sudden?”

 

“There’s wine on the corner of your mouth.”

 

He stuck out his tongue and flicked his lips. The moment my red lips became moist with saliva, I met his eyes. His eyes were shaking wildly, probably because he was drunk. The moment I met his eyes that seemed to be in deep confusion, he hugged me. A grumbling voice came from him as he hugged me deeply.

 

“Show this kindness only to me.”

 

* * *

 

The sweet change in his wife was very welcome. As Pervin, who went to many events and balls alone without a spouse, was just happy to have Irwen with him. However, unexpected events continued to occur. Wouldn’t Irwen come to him in public, holding her hand, crossing her arms, and bumping her head affectionately? She was so ashamed of herself that her face would turn red with just a single touch, and it was also very annoying to see the men’s glances at her from behind. At this banquet hall, men cast wolfish eyes at her, who was by far the most beautiful. She won’t know. That her every action is now drawing the attention of the banquet hall. And whether she knew it or not, she wiped the corner of her own mouth with a graceful gesture of her hand. It was clearly a motion of hers that had no special meaning, but the motion of wiping the corner of her mouth was also unique, so it caught the attention of many men. She was like a butterfly, languid, elegant, and dazzlingly fascinating. Because he didn’t want Irwen in their eyes, and because he was ashamed of himself being shaken by her every gesture, Pervin complained to her Irwen for no reason.

 

“Show this kindness only to me.”

 

As he hugged her tightly, her fragrant scent filled the tip of his nose. A confused voice returned to him.

 

“Are you drunk?”

 

It was his wife’s reaction, which he expected. Because she always reacted in the wrong way to every word he put forth with much thought. Last time she said it was arrhythmia, but now she even suspected him of being drunk. Perhaps if she knew how much he drank, she would have noticed that this much wasn’t going anywhere. He had no intention of making an excuse. Because he wanted to hug her even if it meant making excuses for it.

 

“Okay, I think I’m drunk, so please stay like this for a while.”

 

Irwen wriggled in his arms. Her heat rose to her face, but he continued to hug her. He felt a hand patting his back.

 

“If you drink alcohol carelessly outside, you’ll be in big trouble. If you look at your face, you look fine, but since her drinking habit is to hug others, you might be mistaken for not drinking.”

 

Since he was not drunk, of course this wasn’t a drinking habit. Pervin looked down at her, slightly distancing himself from her, with his arms wrapped around her waist. He decided to match her rhythm for now. Taking two glasses of wine from one of the servants as he passed by, she shared one of her glasses and one of her own. He smiled languidly, linked his arm with her wife’s arm, and raised a glass of wine. It was a love shot.

 

“Are you going to do it?”

 

Irwen was seen glancing at the others. While everyone was looking her way, she nodded her head.

 

“There’s nothing I can’t do for you.”

 

She was concerned about being as conscious of other people’s opinions as she was of herself. Why do you treat me more kindly in front of other people than when we are alone? Are you saying that you value her appearance as the Duchess of Carlisle more than Irwen? The moment when each other’s arms were twisted like vines and the wine was passed down the back of the neck. You became Irwen, right? The moment she was about to fall on him with a look in her eyes. Pervin didn’t let go of her arm. Her drunken voice rang out lazily.

 

“Instead of just being like this outside, why don’t you be nice to me when we’re alone together?”

 

Irwen’s eyes shook greatly at his sudden confession.

 

“Do you think I’m still not treating you well enough?”

 

“Only hold hands and lean your head in front of others. You don’t even touch me at home.”

 

“That…”

 

She looks confused, as if asking why he would want that. That nonchalant expression, as if she thought it would be okay as long as she did her duties as a duchess, always pricked her heart painfully. Yes, showing affection is not your duty as a duchess. But I want it. She was the one who felt anxious every time, and it was she who trembled at each of her movements. When she stands in front of her, she realizes that she has always been a loser in love. But now, his shattered pride raised its head.

 

“Don’t leave me too chaste, Irwen. You can covet me as much as you want, so try whatever you can.”

 

The moment Irwen’s lips softly touch again. Pervin lazily caught her gaze.

 

“I want it.”

 

* * *

 

“Oh my, oh my, oh my. It’s a love shot, love shot.”

 

There weren’t many couples who took love shots in a court where etiquette was highly regarded. Even the Marquis Celestine and his wife, who are famous for their good manners, do nothing but clink their glasses outside. But Pervin, who did not accompany his wife normally, makes a love shot for her? The noble ladies who were glancing at the Duke and Duchess of Carlisle around them covered their mouths with fans and whispered.

 

“Look at the Duke and Duchess. They said the Duchess was bad, but it wasn’t at all?”

 

“That’s what I said. Especially look at the way he looks at the duchess. Where do you look? That’s a husband’s attitude toward a bad wife?”

 

“Ha… There was a reason why the Duke of Carlisle had never been seen with his wife before. Even though she has such a beautiful appearance, she probably didn’t like the attention of many men.”

 

“Look, even now, Duke Sibelom keeps glancing at the Duchess of Carlisle while talking to the Lady of Baron Rassendyll.”

 

“Still, I’ll just wait for the Duke’s divorce. There is still no heir, so why would the Carlisle family, which values heirs so much, continue to have a childless wife?”

 

“Hey, is that a problem now? Look at the way the Duke of Carlisle looks at the Duchess. It doesn’t look like they will break up easily.”

 

“Even if she gets divorced, the Duchess will quickly remarry. All noble nobles with eyes can’t take their eyes off the duchess. Ugh… After weeks of putting together a dress and getting dressed up for today, it was all in vain.”

 

“By the way, the look in Duke Sibelom’s eyes… Isn’t it really passionate?”

 

“I wish I could receive those kind of passionate gazes~.”

 

Even when the Emperor tells him to speak, Sibelom turns away, pretending to let the words go through one ear. He has fine silver hair, good looks, and is the only brother of the emperor who has no sons. As an unmarried man, he was surrounded by numerous ladies, but the one who caught his eye was Irwen. Is it because Irwen doesn’t pay attention to him like other women do? He was staring at me as if he wanted me to look at him. Duke Sibelom, a single man in his late 20s, is considered a popular groom and playboy within the empire. Sleek and handsome appearance, tall height, and a gentle smile that made many women cry. Now that the emperor and his wife still had no male heir, there was a clear possibility that he would inherit the throne. Because of this, several noble families were trying to establish ties with him. However, Sibelom did not show any interest in the women around him, and only had eyes for Irwen.

 

“I heard that the Duke of Sibelom coveted it so much when the Duchess of Carlisle was Princess Verma. She sent diplomatic missions several times and even proposed marriage, but now the Duke of Carlisle has stolen it, hasn’t he?”

 

“No, the marriage was clearly a contract marriage concluded between His Majesty the Emperor and the ruler of Verma. She was not a matter in which the Duke of Carlisle could intervene.”

 

“Yes, we all know that the Duke of Carlisle is the Emperor’s right-hand man.”

 

“There are many theories that she expressed her intention to marry His Majesty the Emperor.”

 

“She must have loved you so much. Even now, honey drips from the way she looks at her wife. It’s really something that the world doesn’t even know about. I can’t believe that the icy Duke of Carlisle could look like that.”

 

“That’s right.”

 

The ladies looked at Sibelom once again. His eyes were on Irwen, who was still involved with Fervin. They looked sideways as if they were comparing Sibelom and Pervin without realizing it, then fixed their gaze on one side and nodded.

 

“I don’t think anyone would dare covet the Duchess of Carlisle. The Duke is stamping it as his.”

 

* * *

 

It was nice to do a love shot and have people look at us as if they were a loving couple. But the problem is what happens after that. Pervin is being too kind to me. Does she ask you to not only be sweet in front of others, but also be nice when the two of you are together? Besides, I’m dying because I keep remembering Pervin’s last words.

 

“Don’t leave me too chaste, Irwen. You can covet me as much as you want, so try whatever you can.”

 

Heat rose to her face, and her heart pounded as if it would explode. As she analyzes the speaker’s intentions, her head is so complicated that it feels like it’s going to explode. Should I just accept it as is? Per Vin quickly handed his wine glass and the wine glass in her hand to a passing servant, and then wrapped his hand around her waist. He spoke quickly, as if answering my question.

 

“There will be plenty of time later to think about my answer. Now is the time to dance.”

 

In the midst of the confusion, he quickly took me and mingled with the crowd. He couldn’t meet his gaze and just glanced to the side. In the distance, the brown-haired Lady Stella Belle could be vaguely seen. Judging from her cute fairy-like appearance and sparkling silver-grey eyes, anyone can tell she is the original Stella Belle. Surrounded by numerous noble people, she was looking at us, and when her eyes met mine, her face blushed. In the original work, it was said that you were childhood friends with Pervin. Yes, my heart feels like it’s going to burst while I’m with Pervin, so I’d rather hand it over to someone else. I gently suggested to Pervin.

 

“Hey, how about sharing the joy of reunion with Lady Belle by dancing? I’m not the kind of petty person who pouts when you happily reunite with your childhood friend, so don’t worry.”

 

In a ballroom like this, there were hardly any wives who would sulk and sulk because their husbands were dancing with other noble ladies. Rather, it was considered strange to choose a partner and hang out at a ball where various nobles scattered all over the place gathered in one place. Today, it was customary for nobles to enjoy dancing freely without deciding on a wife or girlfriend. There will definitely be no disrespect in what I say. But Pervin seemed to be displeased with something I said.

 

“If I dance with Lady Belle, does that mean you also dance with another man?”

 

“I am willing to apply if an application comes in. So, don’t worry about me and have fun. The reason you worry about me is because I feel sorry.”

 

“Then I guess I’ll have to take your only dance.”

 

Pervin put his clasper in my hand and gently dragged me. Even though she tried to loosen his grip, her firm fingers wouldn’t let me go. I was so embarrassed that I stuttered out something.

 

“You weren’t planning on dancing with me today, right? Didn’t you enjoy it the way you do, and I enjoy it the way I do?”

 

“You just have to make a plan. And I asked you to be nice to me and do something to me when we are together.”

 

A handful of brilliant platinum hair fell gently on Pervin’s forehead. From that corner, I could hear the sound of a waltz being played by a orchestra. Each man was holding out his hand to the ladies, asking them to dance. The emperor and his wife, the organizers of this ball, were seen dancing in the center. Pervin naturally led me to the side of the emperor and his wife. Naturally, it was the central location that received everyone’s attention. The Emperor, who had his hands around the Empress’s waist, spoke to Pervin as if it were amusing.

 

“You, who always spends your days drinking against the wall, are now dancing with your wife who is new to society? Can you dance?”

 

“I’m not bad at dancing.”

 

Pervin grabbed my left hand, which was at a loss, and placed it on his shoulder. Sibelom, who had come this way with his arm around the noble lady’s waist, suddenly appeared in sight. Behind Pervin, Sibelom looked at me and greeted me. At that moment, Pervin bowed his head towards me. His hand around my waist felt hot for some reason. He placed his lips on my silky smooth head and whispered.

 

“Just looking at me.”

 

To avoid Sibelom’s gaze, I danced close to him. In times like these, his large size was of great help. Although it was an unfamiliar route, I followed Pervin’s skillful lead. He wrapped his arms around me as if protecting me from something. Is it to avoid bumping into countless couples crossing the wide ballroom? But for something like that, he’s hugging me too tightly. I ended up just struggling while being held tightly in his arms. I looked up at him. His eyes were sharp, as if he was so uncomfortable. I spoke to him cautiously.

 

“You hugged me too hard, Pervin. It’s suffocating.”

 

Pervin looked down indifferently at my shout. He probably didn’t realize that he was hugging her so tightly, so he quickly pulled away from her.

 

“Is this okay?”

 

The gap was barely enough to fit two fingers.

 

“This too is unnecessarily close.”

 

“No more than this. If I don’t catch you, you could cause harm to others.”

 

His eyes wavered as if he was forcing a reason. He also noticed that I was following the steps lightly and without any confusion. It was absurd, but there was no need to argue here.

 

“All right.”

 

I obediently accepted Pervin’s offer and fell into his arms. I think I saw Pervin slightly smiling, but was I mistaken? I danced while being held in his arms. I wanted to turn around because I felt a stinging gaze on my back, but I couldn’t because Pervin was hugging me so tightly. We danced under the envious gazes of noble ladies and noblemen. 

 

* * *

 

The first dance with Pervin was over. Other noble ladies do well by receiving dance requests from noble families. I was sitting alone in the corner of the banquet hall. No one spoke to me or asked me to dance. Pervin asked me for a second dance, but he had to leave because the people who were looking for him kept discussing important issues with him. Before leaving for the people looking for him, he grabbed the back of my hand and made a threat disguised as a favor.

 

“I promise I won’t let another man’s lips touch the back of this hand. I’ll be back soon, so please wait until then.”

 

“So you’re saying I shouldn’t even talk to other men?”

 

“All men are sneaky wolves, Irwen.”

 

“Then since you are a wolf too, you shouldn’t hang around me.”

 

Pervin looked at me with a strange expression. He made eye contact for a moment as if he really didn’t know, and then he let out a deep sigh.

 

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Translator Note: