I Taught You Carefully, So Why Are You Obsessed?

My life is ruined.

 

I’ve calmly thought it over about ten times, but it’s really ruined.

 

“What is this?!”

 

I slammed my palms against the full-length mirror in front of me.

 

“Does this make any sense? It would have been better to reincarnate as some nameless extra. No, even being reborn as a pebble on the street would be a hundred, no, a thousand times better!”

 

A cry of frustration burst out.

 

Of all the characters in the novel, how could I possibly end up reincarnated as Ian Cloud’s ex-wife?!

 

“This can’t be happening…”

 

I was pounding the innocent mirror when a thought suddenly struck me, making me lift my head.

 

“Wait, maybe… maybe this is before the marriage?”

 

Yes, it’s too early to jump to conclusions.

 

It’s true that I’ve reincarnated as Eloise, but if I haven’t married yet, there’s still a way to fix this.

 

Just as I clenched my fist, I caught sight of a curtain reflected in the mirror.

 

It bore the family crest of a fierce hawk with its wings spread wide.

 

“Damn it…”

 

The tension in my clenched fist slowly unraveled.

 

The blue hawk was the symbol of the Duke of Cloud’s family, a description so exhaustively detailed in the novel.

 

“So it’s already done.”

 

Yes, it’s done.

 

I’m screwed.

 

At this point, reality hit me hard.

 

This is no dream. I’ve been reincarnated as Eloise, who has already married Ian Cloud, all because I was hit by some reincarnation truck or cursed truck or whatever.

 

The Fates sure have a cruel sense of humor!

 

If you’re going to reincarnate me, could you at least have made me Diana’s passing friend #1 or something? Would that have been so bad?

 

“Shit…”

 

“Madam?”

 

Just as I banged my head against the mirror, a small voice came from the slightly open door.

 

A maid with brown hair, who had caught my eye, gasped and quickly lowered her head.

 

“I didn’t see anything! I just got here, really.”

 

You saw everything.

 

“…What is it?”

 

I adjusted my voice and asked calmly.

 

Normally, I couldn’t imagine myself acting like this, but since I’m in Eloise’s body, my voice and demeanor naturally exuded elegance.

 

‘Oh, so this is what it’s like to be reincarnated?’

 

The hesitant maid carefully began to speak.

 

“It’s almost time for breakfast. You should head down soon.”

 

“Breakfast? Ah.”

 

I recalled the original storyline a beat later.

 

Before the divorce, Ian and Eloise’s married life was as dry as a desert.

 

To be honest, they were more like housemates—really hostile ones.

 

The unusual part was that despite everything, they always had breakfast together.

 

The reason was simple: Ian thought it was the most efficient way to handle all necessary communication.

 

It was also the only time they spent face-to-face in the mansion.

 

‘The more I think about it, they were quite a pair.’

 

After finishing my reflection, I clicked my tongue.

 

‘I suppose… I should go down?’

 

“Let them know I’ll be down shortly.”

 

“Y-yes! Understood.”

 

The maid, nodding so vigorously it seemed her head might fall off, quietly closed the door and left.

 

She was so cautious that I couldn’t even hear the sound of the heavy wooden door closing.

 

“…”

 

I looked back at the mirror.

 

Eloise’s cool yet delicate face was reflected.

 

I sighed softly.

 

Eloise, you had terrible luck with men, too.

 

With that face, why did you have to marry Ian?

 

‘If you’d met someone else, you could have lived a much happier life.’

 

Ian, who had buried his emotions, and Eloise, who had dried up—of course, their ending wasn’t going to be good.

 

Ian, upon realizing his feelings for Diana, coldly demanded a divorce, and the House of Marquis Alpheus, Eloise’s family, almost became enemies with the Duke of Cloud.

 

When you think about it, Eloise was a pitiful character too.

 

‘Eloise was aloof, but at heart, she wasn’t a bad person.’

 

It turned out that Ian was quite the troublemaker, causing problems everywhere he went. It wasn’t just Diana who suffered from his antics—this guy was a walking disaster.

 

“…Anyway, it seems like I have to go meet that bastard Ian now.”

 

I glanced at the door. Of course, I didn’t want to see even a single hair on Ian’s head right now, but I couldn’t help but feel a bit curious.

 

The author of this novel had spent an excessive amount of time describing Ian’s appearance throughout the story. Silky silver hair, eyes like a mix of the deep sea and the dawn, a graceful nose sculpted by a master, skin as pale as if it were carved from snow, and full, alluring lips… the list went on.

 

Even for a male lead, it was too much. The author described Ian’s beauty so frequently that by the time I reached the later chapters, I started skipping those parts entirely.

 

“I told you, the author is obsessed with the male lead,” I muttered, though that obsession had certainly helped boost the novel’s popularity.

 

But now, instead of reading about Ian, I was about to see him in person. The thought was more enticing than I wanted to admit. After a moment of contemplation, I clenched my fist with determination.

 

“Fine, let’s see what he really looks like. No matter how handsome he is, the first thing I’ll do is spit in his face.”

 

❖ ❖ ❖

 

…Or so I decided, just 30 minutes ago.

 

“……”

 

Is that even a human? Really?

 

The moment I entered the main dining hall on the first floor, I froze in place like a statue.

 

Seated inside the vast hall was a man so handsome that it almost made me dizzy.

 

His silver hair shone brilliantly under the light, and his pale skin seemed to glow in the sunlight streaming in.

 

His half-lidded eyes, a mesmerizing blend of deep blue and purple, were languid and enchanting.

 

Below those eyes, his straight nose and full, red lips were bold and exquisite, giving him a striking yet refined appearance. Every move he made was graceful, like a living sculpture.

 

‘This is insane….’

 

I hadn’t lived a long life, but I could confidently say that no matter how many handsome men I’d seen, they would all pale in comparison to him. Honestly, it felt like I was looking at a CG-rendered character.

 

‘…So that’s Ian Cloud.’

 

Seeing him in person made me somewhat understand why the author had spent so much time praising his looks. I found myself so mesmerized that, instead of spitting in his face, I had to remind myself not to let my mouth hang open in awe.

 

While I was lost in admiration, Ian looked up and our eyes met. He stared at me intently before tilting his head slightly.

 

“What is it?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Are you planning to eat while standing?”

 

In that moment, the awe I felt vanished as if someone had smacked me on the head. This was the first time I realized that someone could ruin another person’s mood while speaking in polite language.

 

‘That’s right… this guy’s nickname was also the Duke of Poison. Duke of Poisonous Words.’

 

Ian didn’t just become known as a jerk to Diana because he ignored and mistreated her. He was, in fact, a truly insufferable person.

 

He had no manners at all. Since he approached everything without emotion, he always communicated in a blunt, straightforward manner, and he had a habit of being sharp and condescending in everything he did.

 

Just look at him now. He was the kind of guy who would ask, “What is it?” out of the blue, first thing in the morning. How charming.

 

While I was lamenting my situation, Ian gave me a quick glance and then resumed eating as if he didn’t care whether I stood there or not.

 

“If you’re not interested in breakfast, you’re free to head back upstairs.”

 

“No, I’ll eat.”

 

And yet, his voice was so pleasant that it made me even angrier. If he was going to be a jerk, the least the universe could do was give him an annoying, whiny voice.

 

Irritated, I stomped across the hall, pulled out a chair, and sat down. Then, I made sure to stare directly at him.

 

Noticing my gaze, Ian’s hand, which had been moving steadily, slowed down.

 

“My lady.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“No matter how much you stare, it won’t make a person get a hole in them.”

 

…Give me that voice if you’re not going to use it properly.

 

♧♧♧

 

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