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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Desire My Husband
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Roje sensed that Doana's gaze upon Eric was far from ordinary. Doana, stroking her lips as she gazed at Eric with an overt look, was exhibiting her habitual gesture when she coveted what belonged to others. At Doana's attempt to covet her husband for the second time, Roje couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh. Of course, she felt not an ounce of anger, having no feelings for Eric whatsoever. It was simply amusing. To think she desired a man Roje herself was planning to discard.
‘What should I do? Should I stop you?’
If you get involved with this man, your life will be over. Roje swallowed the words she didn't utter aloud.
‘No. Why should I help you?’
You're nothing but a betrayer who deceived me and stole my husband. Roje watched Doana with cold eyes. She simply observed silently, waiting to see what choice Doana would make. After a long moment of not being able to tear her eyes from Eric, Doana smiled shyly at him. She subtly nudged Roje aside, took a step forward, and introduced herself.
“My name is Doana. Roje and I are friends.”
At Doana's blatant display of affection for Eric, Byeolha was left speechless.
‘You're really twisting your own fate, Doana.’
There were no surprises. This life, too, showed signs of her husband being stolen. No, Doana would clearly take Eric, inevitably.
‘Why don't they realize that those who make others shed tears will eventually shed tears of blood themselves?’
Roje quietly watched Doana. Then she let out a bitter laugh and thought,
‘Now she'll truly understand how terrifying her karma is.’
Roje simply stood by, watching Doana throw herself headfirst down a thorny path.
‘Do similar types gravitate towards each other?’
Doana's gaze at Eric was far from ordinary, but Eric was no different. Though he was in a disheveled state, Eric paused when he saw Doana, who had a pretty face and ample curves. He had been spending many nights alone lately, and seeing her stirred his instincts. Doana was speechless at Eric's unexpectedly handsome appearance. His neatly swept-back black hair and deep sepia eyes made Doana's heart flutter. Even just from the neat fit of his shirt, she could tell his physique was quite solid. To her eyes, Eric seemed like a perfect prince. A handsome face, a good physique… and a Count, no less. A sprawling mansion, numerous servants, and the lavish dress Roje was wearing—even from these superficial details, it was clear that this man was capable.
‘He's perfect, isn't he? Someone like that would suit *me* much better.’
Why did she transmigrate as a maid, and that girl transmigrate as the Countess? Doana, who had been gnawing on her lips out of jealousy towards Roje, belatedly noticed his intense gaze. He was sending her an overt look, his eyes raking over her body.
‘Of course. Naturally, his eyes would be drawn to me.’
The world revolves around me. Doana had lived her entire life believing that. Having grown up under a father who was the CEO of a mid-sized company, she had wanted for nothing. She was, quite literally, a princess. She could have anything she desired and had never been denied anything. Perhaps that was why she found no interest in ordinary love. Only secret, thrilling relationships, where discovery was always a possibility, truly stimulated her. The thrill of secretly having an affair with someone who was already taken—those who hadn't experienced it wouldn't know how enjoyable it was. As if responding to Eric's gaze, Doana smiled. Then, sweeping her hair back with one hand, she revealed the curve of her pale neck that had been hidden. She gazed at Eric, seductively. Eric couldn't tear his eyes away from Doana's actions. His body was heating up from Doana's overtly seductive actions. Roje watched the two of them sending signals to each other, realizing she didn't need to lift a finger.
“I'll head inside first. I'm not feeling well.”
Neither Eric nor Doana tried to stop Roje from leaving. In fact, they seemed to welcome it. Roje left them behind and gracefully exited the garden. As soon as Roje disappeared, Eric and Doana, without either waiting for the other, began to explore each other's lips. Starting with light kisses and exchanging glances, they soon shared a deep, lingering kiss. Eric moved closer to Doana, his fingers tracing her jawline.
“Ugh… just a moment…”
Eric pushed Doana, who was crying “Wait!”, down into the bushes. Doana tried to stop Eric, who was relentlessly pressing against her, but Eric seemed to have lost all reason, unbuttoning his shirt one by one. Doana clutched Eric's now unbuttoned shirt. He grew annoyed by Doana's repeated attempts to stop him. They had clearly exchanged signals and even shared a passionate kiss, so…
‘Was she saying no now?’
To make him this aroused and then think of backing out. But then, Eric's annoyance melted away like snow at Doana's next words.
“Not here. Let's go inside, shall we?”
At Doana's sultry voice, Eric let out a soft laugh and said,
“You're a bold woman. To seduce me first.”
“Oh, I don't know, Count. I think *you* were the one who started the seduction.”
Doana sensually traced his shoulder. Back in her room, Roje smiled with satisfaction. It was obvious what the two, who had been exchanging glances, were doing now. To think they were so perfectly in sync without her even lifting a finger.
“Indeed…”
Roje's gaze turned cold. And then she murmured the name of a friend she never wanted to speak again.
“Lee Gyeoru…”
Why on earth did *you* fall into this novel with me? I thought I'd never have to face someone like you again. Even amidst all this, Lee Dohyeon, left alone, came to mind. But she quickly shook her head.
“What does it matter? That kind of guy, he deserves to die with Gyeoru.”
At Doana's actions, coveting her husband in her previous life and now in this novel, Roje let out a hollow laugh.
“Go ahead and desire him to your heart's content.”
Roje murmured, a faint smile on her lips.
“Because I'll be escaping this place.”
To have her worries resolved in an instant, she couldn't help but feel good. It seemed God wasn't indifferent, but rather intended to give Roje a chance. A chance to stop being a fool and to take her revenge. The first step had been successfully taken. But there remained a problem. After abandoning her position as Countess and getting a divorce, how would she live? Roje was the lady of a fallen house. And by marrying Eric, she had cut ties with her parents. It was because Roje had stubbornly insisted she would die if they didn't let her marry, leading her parents to sever ties with her. Therefore, the novel didn't mention where Roje's family home was or how they were doing. Even if she were to track them down, there was a chance she'd be turned away at the door.
“If I get divorced, will I inevitably end up on the streets?”
She didn't want that… Roje recalled the tiny studio apartment she had fled to in her previous life. She didn't want to live like that in this life. Of course, the Wenst Count's family would eventually fall, so she wouldn't have to watch them live ostentatiously for long, but shouldn't she live well herself?
“…Should I demand a huge alimony?”
Roje seriously considered getting a quick divorce while the Wenst Count's family was still financially stable.
‘To live well in this world, I need information. It would be best to study up beforehand.’
Roje carefully opened her door and called out to the maid standing outside.
“Excuse me.”
“Yes, Countess.”
“Would you please tell the Butler that I'll be waiting for him in the reception room? I have something to discuss.”
“The Butler, ma'am?”
Why was the Countess, who always sought out Eric, suddenly looking for the Butler? The maid was puzzled but nodded and replied,
“Yes, I understand.”
Roje watched the maid leave, then prepared to head to the reception room. But she had to pause.
“…But where is the reception room?”
Having only transmigrated a day ago, she hadn't yet grasped the full layout of the house.
***
“You wish to hire a tutor?”
“Yes.”
At Roje's words, the cup in the Butler's hand nearly slipped. Quickly setting the precious teacup down, the Butler asked Roje,
“May I ask the reason for this?”
“Even so, as the Countess, I believe I should understand how the world works. If I'm to venture into high society, I should be at a level where I can mingle with them, shouldn't I?”
The Butler's eyes widened as if they might pop out.
“High society, you say?”
“Yes.”
Unlike the astonished Butler, Roje sipped her tea with a rather relaxed expression. It wasn't hard to understand the Butler's surprise. Although Roje and Eric had officially married, she had not been acknowledged by the members of the Wenst Count's family. They deliberately excluded Roje from banquets and acted as if Eric were still unmarried. As a result, Roje naturally fell out of favor in high society, but she didn't care about such things. All she needed was Eric. If one were to ask why Eric, who harbored no feelings, insisted on marrying Roje despite his family's opposition, the answer was simple. He was the type to not refuse women who came to him, nor to hold back those who left. Amusingly, the reason he married Roje was simply because, among the many women, Roje was the first to propose. Even though their families were at odds, Roje and Eric's marriage had absurdly come to pass.
‘Still, it was fortunate that the Count's employees didn't treat her like an invisible person.’
Of course, on the days the Wenst Count's parents visited, they treated Roje with caution, but otherwise, they treated her humanely. While there were certainly one or two employees who openly disregarded Roje, far more treated her with respect. This must be the female lead's advantage. Roje enjoyed a life not much different from other countesses, save for the lack of ladies-in-waiting and being ostracized in high society. At Roje's words, the Butler nodded seriously. He had always felt sorry for Roje's plight, as she was around the same age as his own son. It was truly pitiful to see her treated as invisible by her in-laws, ignored by her husband, and constantly begging for love. ‘Is she finally thinking of moving forward, instead of just looking to her husband?’
“I'll speak to the Count about it.”
“Thank you.”
Roje gave the Butler a relieved smile. She had worried he might refuse, but it seemed things were going well. While Eric and Doana were tangled together, rolling around in bed, Roje took a step towards a new beginning.
