I Became the Obsessive Male Lead’s Ex-Wife

After a night that seemed like it would never end, a dazzling morning came. I woke up squinting and biting my lip as the pain stabbed my lower back. When I raised my head and looked around, I saw Pervin nodding and burrowing towards me. Yesterday, he clung to me like that, swallowed me up, and begged me as if I meant everything to him in the world. He has a peaceful face, as if it’s never been that way. I stared at his expressionless face for a long time. Who could imagine that a man who looks so demure was the beast from last night? Who could imagine that he was the man who lusted after my body so much last night, who caressed my body so thickly, who covered my body with his rough lips, who poured all his strength into me as if he was giving his all to me? My face turned red as I tried to recall what happened yesterday. I squirmed in his arms, trying to get out, but eventually gave up due to his strong strength. Yeah, let’s just wait for someone to wake us up. I let out a small sigh and relaxed. When I blink, what comes into view is Pervin’s white face. I lay like that for a while looking at his face. His face, in deep sleep, was much softer than usual. The corners of his mouth were always straight and his eyebrows were either frowned or frowned, but now the corners of his mouth were slightly raised. His platinum-blonde hair, which was always neat, was very tangled, and a light breathing sound came out of his lips that were always closed. The lustful sound coming from slightly parted lips somehow sounded tempting.

 

“Oh.”

 

My face turned red without me knowing. To avoid the sounds of temptation, I closed his slightly opened lips with my fingers. But it happened again. Closed again. It happened again. He even twitched my fingers. I looked closely at his face. My eyelids fluttered. By any chance, this man… Did he intentionally pretend to sleep while he was awake? I leaned down deeply and brought my face close to his.

 

“Sleep?”

 

“…”

 

He wrapped his arms around my waist as if he was trying to sleep. I felt like my ears were turning red for some reason, so I whispered quietly in his ear.

 

“You’re awake, right?”

 

There was silence for a moment. His body in my arms became heavy, as if a lot of strength had been exerted on it. His lips were pursed, but his eyes were not open, indicating that he did not want to wake up yet.

 

-Hug me tight, Irwen. No matter how much I hug you, it’s not enough.

 

Thinking about what he had repeatedly pleaded with me last night, his face suddenly became hot. I turned my gaze to his face. Per Vin was sleeping soundly with his eyes closed. After making sure his breathing was even, I cautiously lunged closer to his face. The moment when our noses meet. I was amazed again when I looked at his face.

 

“The face is really a sculpture.”

 

I tried to go back again, but Pervin seemed to be struggling to sleep, so he pulled me forward even further. It became a situation where our noses were touching each other again. I wriggled in panic, but the only thing that came back was his strong arms. A heavy hand kept wrapping around my waist, so I reached out to take it off. But he clasped my hand. Is this man’s sleeping habit of cuddling? Was he really sleeping? I fidgeted to remove the pod. As I struggled to overcome his strength with my whole body, my foot touched his leg and ended up pushing him away. This action started with me wondering if I could beat Pervin. I exerted all my strength, repeatedly pushing Pervin away with my feet. And then.

 

“You could have kissed my finger and I would have woken up right away.”

 

“Hmm. You woke up?”

 

Pervin was staring at me, his transparent green eyes blinking.

 

The ears were still red. Feeling ashamed of the effort I had made earlier, I shook my hand and held his hand.

 

“Release me now, Pervin. You get up and go to work, and I also have to get up.”

 

“Alfred hasn’t arrived yet.”

 

As soon as he finished speaking, the dutiful Alfred knocked on the door. His face was filled with a refreshing look, as if he had won a fierce battle with Mrs. Tilly.

 

“Sir, it is time for you to wake up. Even if you prepare now, you will likely arrive at the palace 10 minutes late.”

 

“Ah, wouldn’t it be okay to go a little late on days like this?”

 

Pervin then came out, unclasped his hands, and stood up. When the blanket that covered his body fell, I quickly wrapped myself in a white blanket. Since the only thing I had on my body was a thin nightgown, I planned to call Mrs. Tilly to get dressed as soon as Pervin left. The blanket was tightly draped over Pervin’s lower body as he got up from the bed. As he slowly stood up, the white blanket that was hanging on his lower body fell down. When his body, which I had not been able to see properly yesterday because it was buried in the dark, was clearly revealed, I involuntarily took in a breath. My face started to feel hot in the morning. He casually put on the gown that was hanging on his chair and walked to his window. His slim and strong body shone in the sunlight. The front of the gown is wide open due to the loose gown. A blush appeared on his face when he saw the marks of my nails on his chest. I covered my entire body with a blanket and looked at him closely. He came towards me, waving his long legs. The closer he got, the tighter I clung to the blanket.

 

“Is it because it’s cold? Should I warm you up with my body?”

 

“No, I’ll just cover myself with a blanket and I’ll be fine.”

 

Pervin looked at me with strange eyes. Then he suddenly came up to me and kissed my nose. The kiss that started out lightly turned into a tight hug, which made me worry even more about my aching back.

 

“Oh!”

 

With a single scream, Pervin pulled his sluggish body away from me.

 

“It hurts?”

 

“I’m a little tired from having someone clinging to me all night.”

 

Pervin’s languid gaze frowned as if he were sorry. He reached out to touch my hair, but with a start, he withdrew his hand.

 

“…Does it hurt a lot?”

 

Seeing his cautious appearance for the first time, I stuck out my mouth.

 

“I feel like my back will break.”

 

“Then how about I give you a massage?”

 

“No, I can ask Marianne for that. You should hurry up and go to work.”

 

“Why do I think you’re trying to get rid of me?”

 

Pervin sat down next to me as if he was about to pounce on me. He tickled my chin and his dark green eyes blinked.

 

“Why, after one night, did I become useless? Was I that kind of person to you? I’m going to be sad, Irwen.”

 

He even looks sly when he says something like that with an expression that doesn’t make him sad at all. I spoke calmly with an effort to keep a calm expression.

 

“Why do you talk like that? When did I think that?”

 

“That’s right. I gave everything to you, and you chase me away after one sweet night. Honestly, I’m sad.”

 

That man looking at me with moist eyes, my heart is melting. Even though I feel like I’m caught up in his pace, I’m saying this without even realizing it.

 

“So, what are you asking me to do?”

 

“Instead of a massage, will you allow me to kiss you?”

 

And soon, hot lips land on mine. I rubbed my lips together so hotly that I felt like swallowing them, and then barely managed to pull them away. He sighed and caressed my cheek.

 

“Then take care of yourself.”

 

Pervin turned around as if nothing had happened, then returned to me as if he had forgotten something. And what he says to me.

 

“I love you.”

 

Small but clear words buzz in my ears. My heart was pounding and I was in an uproar at the sudden confession. Although I was making a fuss inside, I pretended to be calm on the outside and just kept my lips soft.

 

“Go out quickly, Alfred is waiting for you.”

 

“It’s not easy. After all, you don’t let sweet words get you down easily.”

 

He opened the door with a smile and went out. I heard Alfred making a loud fuss.

 

“Now that I think about it, master. It’s a historic night the two of you spent together, so refuse to go to work! This should be a national holiday!”

 

The commotion outside soon subsided. I touched the still hot feel of my lips. Overnight, he changed so much. And, I think I’ve changed too.

 

“I think I like Pervin…”

 

At the words that came out without me knowing, I grabbed his pounding chest. 

 

* * *

 

After Pervin left for the imperial palace. I was embroidering handkerchiefs with Mrs. Tilly. There were still a few more weeks until Duke Lilia left, but he was preparing a gift in advance. He came to the Theresia Empire and stayed at the Duke of Carlisle’s residence, but the only time he actually met me was on the day he arrived. The Principality of Verma was a country where art was particularly developed and many talented artists were produced. Perhaps that is why there was a flood of invitations from nobles who wanted to interact with the Principality of Verma. Duke Lilias, who had been busy interacting with many of Theresia’s nobles, was scheduled to leave for the final time at a ball held at the imperial palace in a few weeks. Still, it was true that he was my half-brother and that I could somehow rely on him. So when he left, he wanted to give a meaningful gift, so after consulting with Mrs. Tilly, he ended up embroidering a handkerchief. He decided to embroider L.L., the initials of Leon Lilias, and go shopping downtown to buy a gift for his pregnant wife before the ball.

 

“Aya!”

 

While playing with a needle on her handkerchief, where Mrs. Tilly had drawn a sketch of her, she ended up pricking herself.

 

“Oh my, did you get stabbed? Wait a minute, Marianne! Bring me some bandages!”

 

“Yes!”

 

When Marieanne came in with her bandages, Mrs. Tilly looked pitiful and carefully wrapped them around her fingers.

 

“You shouldn’t shed blood like this, my lady. Now you need to save your energy, so what if you waste your blood like this?”

 

“Yes?”

 

Mrs. Tilly smiled sinisterly. It was a smile that somehow made me feel more embarrassed.

 

“Don’t be shy, ma’am. I know you had a hot night last night~.”

 

“I don’t intend to deny it, but it’s embarrassing to express it so blatantly.”

 

I couldn’t hide my shyness even in my tone of voice, and my face. I couldn’t stop the burning feeling. And, of course, the experienced Mrs. Tilly noticed the change in me. She continued chatting.

 

“I changed the bedroom sheets earlier, and you can see that they are really wrinkled and have marks…”

 

“Mrs Tilly!”

 

“I’m sorry, ma’am. We just thought that the relationship between the owner and his wife had improved. By the way, the elders in the family will really like it. I have missed the best auspicious day for conception many times, but this time, I was able to conceive successfully. I’m sure we’ll hear some good news soon, right?”

 

Mrs. Tilly asked me with certainty that I had slept with Pervin. No, does it make sense to believe that pregnancy happens in one shot in the first place? I don’t know why I’m so confident. Still, there was no reason to deny their hopes, so I decided to just ignore them for now. I mumbled while fiddling with the bandage.

 

“Oh, well, I don’t know…”

 

“Now we can stop Marquis Celestine’s servants from teasing us like that! A baby’s cry will soon be heard at the Duke of Carlisle! Oh ho ho!”

 

I felt uncomfortable listening to Mrs. Tilly say that she was hoping that my relationship with Pervin would improve quickly and that we would have a child. I think we’ve come too far to say it can’t happen. I thought I could get through the year without any problems, but that was my mistake. Instead of being indifferent to me like before, my husband gave off a seductive vibe, the heroine’s presence seemed quieter than expected, and the favor and welcome shown to me by the Duke of Carlisle. More than anything, my desire to miss Pervin is growing. After last night, my heart became stronger.

 

-I want to have…

 

I tried to calm my racing mind and thought. Since this is what happened anyway, I need to take a closer look at my situation. Although we were married due to national needs, it is clear that Pervin and I are emotionally attracted to each other. That’s why I wanted to know more clearly. It was clear that Irwen did not love her Per Vin before I possessed her, so she could have even put a condition in her contract that she would divorce him. In the past, I would have overlooked the clause even if it was there, but now I can’t just leave it alone. … … I decided to erase the option of unconditionally leaving Pervin’s side from my plans. I coaxed Mrs. Tilly out of her way.

 

“Mrs Tilly. I have a question: How did the two of us get married? What was the trigger?”

 

“Oh my, don’t you remember? My master wooed my lady so passionately before marriage.”

 

Courtship? Somehow she thought it was a word that did not fit Fervin, but it also seemed to make sense when she thought of Fervin she had seen last night. Clinging to me, giving me that languid look in her eyes, and seducing me with lips that I couldn’t help but bite, if this wasn’t courtship, it was something else. Ah, thinking about it again makes her face get hot.

 

-Enjoy it to your heart’s content, it’s a body made for that.

 

My whole body tingled as I remembered her clinging to me as she fell underneath me. I managed to put this thought aside and continued asking questions.

 

“After I collapsed last time, there were a lot of things I couldn’t remember.”

 

Mrs. Tilly looked at me kindly, as if she felt sorry.

 

“Oh, I forgot that part. Anyway, in fact, the war between the Principality of Verma and the Theresian Empire had been going on for several years, so my master only focused on ending the war peacefully. Although he had no time for dating or love, he always made time for his wife. He looked at books such as love writing books, so much so that the covers of all the related books in the study were worn out. With his sweet words, he’s probably the best in the world.”

 

“Is it so? Is that how Pervin made me woo him?”

 

“Oh my, my master told me not to mention this. My mouth is free.”

 

Mrs. Tilly rambled in her panic.

 

“If you want to marry a woman, isn’t it natural to woo her? Courtship here means observing natural etiquette, such as giving flowers, madam. “I wasn’t talking about any other courtship.”

 

I nodded generously at her. Yes, I mean, Pervin did his wooing to Irwen. It’s really hard to believe. Madame Tilly was so good at exaggerating that it’s hard to believe everything, but she has seen him as a close associate since Pervin’s childhood. She decided to keep the information coming out of her mouth in her head for now.

 

“My master is so polite that he attacks you so openly like Duke Sibelom… Anyway, he didn’t court you that actively. Before he got married, he met Madame several times in the presence of Duke Lilias. So you even wrote a contract, a contract that guarantees your rights as much as possible. My master put a lot of effort into making such a contract for his wife who was marrying from a foreign country. I once heard that it was probably the most elaborate contract written between an aristocratic couple. I heard he put in all kinds of clauses, like if you give birth to a son, you get paid a certain amount, if you give birth to a daughter, you get paid a certain amount, alimony and things like that…”

 

When people talk a lot, they tend to spill information they didn’t intend to. For example, the ‘contract’ that came out of Mrs. Tilly’s mouth. Could it be that it is a prenuptial agreement? My eyes sparkled. I need to find out what provisions are in the contract.

 

* * *

 

The days continued for a while, peaceful but sometimes straining my heart. Pervin held my hand as a rule, and when our eyes met, he gave me a pretty smile and even boldly pressed his lips here and there. Even in front of Duke Lilia, he held my hand and pressed his lips, so Duke Lilia seemed relieved. Before we knew it, Duke Lilia’s return was only a few days away. After folding up her handkerchief, which she had embroidered with great care but poor skill over the past few weeks, she took Marie Anne out to do some shopping. It was to gift her baby clothes for Duchess Lilias, who was pregnant. Marieanne, who was out with me for the first time, was scrambling to get her bearings.

 

“Ma’am, aren’t you hot? Would you like me to hand you the fan?”

 

“I brought some ice water, so if you’re thirsty, let me know!”

 

“I gave you a steam bath in the morning, but if your back still hurts, I’ll call a carriage any time!”

 

“Don’t your legs hurt from walking too much? Wouldn’t it be necessary to take a carriage for this distance? You collapsed not long ago.”

 

From the duke’s residence, we rode a carriage for about twenty minutes and walked for five minutes to the clothing store. Marianne was restless with me. That look was cute, like looking at her younger sister.

 

“It’s fun to see women like this, Marianne.”

 

“Yes… yes?”

 

“Let’s quickly go into the clothing store. The sun is hot.”

 

We immediately entered the clothing store. It was a clothing store specializing in baby clothes using only high-quality fabrics. Because we had not contacted in advance, the hostess and staff who were busy serving customers at the clothing store were surprised to see us.

 

“The… The Duchess of Carlisle!”

 

Several women who were paying at the store bowed sharply when they saw me. Marieanne was seen behind her, shrugging her shoulders. I gave them a quick greeting and spoke to the hostess.

 

“Hello, I’m looking at some baby clothes.”

 

“Wi… Willingly! I will take you here.”

 

Soon the hostess and her staff straightened themselves and showed their respect. After they brought out some baby clothes, I consulted with Marie Anne to choose one she liked.

 

“Isn’t this too monotonous? Wouldn’t it be nice to be a little more lively?”

 

“How about clothes like this? It’s a decent piece of clothing that can be worn regardless of gender.”

 

The elderly woman next to me kindly chose one for me. Yellow, cheerful baby clothes that look like chicks. Since she didn’t know her nephew’s gender yet, a neutral color like yellow would have been better. In my head, I could not help but imagine a cute little baby wearing a yellow dress.

 

“It looks cute, really…”

 

I didn’t even notice. That customers who left the store misunderstood. If I could know their thoughts, I would probably be amazed.

 

‘Oh my, I guess the Duchess is already preparing baby clothes.’

 

‘Didn’t she get pregnant a long time ago?’

 

‘I heard that the marriage took place not long ago, so how can you already have a child? Can you succeed in one shot?’

 

‘It’s possible with the Duke of Carlisle. In that body, in that power.’

 

‘Anyway, there will be an announcement soon. The announcement of the successor.’

 

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Translator Note: