The Villainess Enjoys Her Married Life
Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Episode 10. Dreadful Food
2023.12.10.
‘She doesn’t give off the feel of the Empress Dowager.’
Kalian resembled the Emperor Yeongryeong had loved in her past life.
From the look in his eyes to his manner of speech and even his habits.
Because of that, she had wondered if Kalian’s mother, Riona, might also resemble the Empress Dowager.
Yet Riona bore no resemblance to the Empress Dowager she knew.
‘Is Kalian’s resemblance to the Emperor merely a coincidence, then?’
The resentment that seethed within her soul was unmistakable, yet the exact moment of her death refused to surface clearly.
Once all her memories returned, would she finally understand how she had ended up in this place?
‘In any case, this body is ill-fated, whether in this world or the next.’
Indeed. Whether this place was another world or hell itself, it was clear that she had made a terrible match in marriage, both then and now.
And just as before, her husband’s mother was hell-bent on tormenting her.
The Empress Dowager had persecuted Yeongryeong, scoffing at her as a wench from a lowly family of mere foot soldiers.
Her noble, handsome son was her sole pride, while the concubines were nothing more than vessels to bear heirs.
Yeongryeong had not come from a family of meritorious retainers; all she possessed were martial arts and beauty—things entirely useless for an Emperor’s woman—making her a perpetual thorn in the Empress Dowager’s side.
Hated by the Empress Dowager, she had endured countless petty indignities, but…….
‘I never once lost to the Empress Dowager. At least, not as far back as I can remember.’
The corners of Eshika’s mouth curved into a smirk.
‘Much less to someone like the Grand Duchess.’
Did the concubines fear her as the World’s Most Poisonous Villainess for nothing?
She was one who repaid petty tricks with petty tricks, and insults with even greater humiliation.
Naturally, her schemes were more flawless than anyone else’s.
She had once dreamed of being the only woman in the heart of the man she loved.
Though she only realized in her final years that such a dream was hollow and futile.
‘I care not if this place is hell. But one thing is certain…….’
Landing lightly on the windowsill as she slipped into the room, Eshika brushed off her clothes with an effortless flick.
‘They will receive twentyfold for what they have done to me.’
Making her enemies whimper like beasts in a slaughterhouse would take time, but it would come to pass.
After all, she was no longer the ignorant Eshika of the past.
**
Hemos was facing the greatest crisis of his life.
While preparing the meal and the spiritual elixir, he had been caught red-handed by Emilia, one of the Grand Duchess’s personal maids.
Succulent meat glistening with juices, fresh vegetables, and an orange beverage that appeared to be carrot juice……. Annie narrowed her eyes into sharp slits, looking back and forth between the tray and Hemos.
“What is the meaning of this, Head Chef?”
Of course, Riona had never openly ordered that rotten bread be served for Eshika’s meals.
She had merely clicked her tongue upon seeing the neat food sent to Eshika, remarking that it was unseemly for someone to lack frugality. With each repeated remark, Eshika’s meals grew progressively worse.
Everything provided to Eshika had deteriorated through that very process to reach its current state.
Under such circumstances, preparing such a splendid meal was nothing short of outright defiance against Riona.
“I can hardly believe my own eyes. I know you were disgruntled because the Grand Duchess hasn’t paid much attention to you lately, but to rebel so openly like this…….”
The maid raised her sharp voice.
“It seems the Head Chef no longer wishes to work at Klaus.”
A cold bead of sweat trickled down the back of Hemos’s neck.
Regret surged through him—wondering what kind of mess he had gotten himself into over a few pearls—but the milk had already been spilled.
Hemos called out to the maid as she turned away on her heel.
“Wait a moment.”
The maid looked back at Hemos with a piercing glare.
Hemos handed her the cup resting on the tray.
Frowning, the maid shot back.
“What are you doing? Are you telling me to drink this carrot juice meant for the Duchess and keep my mouth shut?”
“Don’t jump to conclusions; just take a sip first. Good grief.”
When Hemos spoke with a firm, assertive tone, the maid hesitated for a moment before taking the cup.
She had no idea what he was plotting, but she would just have to drink it and see.
Tilting the cup slowly, she tasted the carrot juice inside.
“…….”
She froze for a beat, then sprayed the juice right out of her mouth.
“Pfft—cough!”
Hemos barely caught the cup before the maid dropped it.
Her face flushed crimson, then turned pale as she spluttered.
The taste of the juice she had just sampled was beyond anything the word ‘dreadful’ could describe.
How in the world could anyone call this juice?
Even trampling over garbage and wringing out the liquid would taste better than this.
“Ugh…….”
The lingering aftertaste of the juice that had briefly coated her tongue made her dry-heave several times.
Only after witnessing the maid’s reaction did Hemos finally understand the meaning behind Eshika’s words.
‘Brew the spiritual elixir strictly according to the formula, but never taste it yourself. It is not something an ordinary person like you can endure.’
He felt profoundly relieved that he had followed her instructions.
‘Furthermore, if anyone suspects the food being served to me, let them have a taste. They will doubt no further.’
The maid scrambled for water and gulped it down frantically.
Tears had even welled up in the corners of her eyes.
Just how atrocious was the taste for her to suffer like that?
And how on earth was the Duchess able to drink such a thing?
A sudden chill ran down Hemos’s spine.
“That is the most bitter, disgusting thing I have ever tasted in my entire life.”
The maid glared at Hemos with her brows sharply raised.
Snapping out of his daze, Hemos cleared his throat with a dry cough.
“Well, if a person eats rotten food every single day, they grow accustomed to it, don’t they? So one must change things up from time to time.”
The maid nodded slowly, glancing at the food meant for Eshika.
Just like that bizarre carrot juice, surely that fine-looking food possessed an equally dreadful taste.
“Imagine how amusing it will be when she takes a bite full of anticipation, only to be met with such a foul flavor.”
This was something worthy of praise if reported to the Grand Duchess.
She had thought Hemos was a terribly dull man, but perhaps he was not so rigid after all.
A smile replaced the maid’s earlier scowl as she spoke.
“I shall be sure to tell the Grand Duchess about the Head Chef’s delightful little prank.”
Hemos offered an awkward smile and nodded.
“Indeed. Be careful not to doubt people so rashly next time.”
“I apologize for earlier. The food simply looked so appetizing…….”
“Would you like a piece of the meat as well?”
“Ugh, get that horrifying food away from me.”
When Hemos deliberately pushed the plate toward her, the maid recoiled in utter disgust.
“I’ll take my leave now. Ah, the Grand Duchess plans to go out to the garden around evening, so make sure to bake some cookies.”
With that, she turned and left the kitchen.
Only after several seconds had passed since her departure did Hemos place a hand over his chest and let out a long sigh of relief.
The deception had been flawless. A grin spread across Hemos’s lips.
Now, no one would suspect him for the time being.
**
“……I see.”
Hearing Sella’s report, a faint smile played upon Eshika’s lips.
She had anticipated that the Grand Duchess would check on the food.
After all, her complexion had visibly improved as a result of her qi circulation.
Of course, eating genuinely fresh food played a part as well.
In the past, when she had subsisted on hard, stale bread of wretched quality, her stomach had turned ill nearly every other day.
Breaking out in hives had been a routine occurrence, yet she had had no choice if she wished to avoid starving to death.
There was even a time she had begged Yuri to take her jewelry and exchange it for fresh food, but Yuri had feigned concern, saying:
‘The Grand Duchess is punishing you right now…… If she catches you evading her punishment, she will be terribly disappointed. What if she speaks ill of you to the Duke?’
She had thought being disliked by the Grand Duchess was simply unavoidable.
Yet at the thought that her relationship with her husband, Kalian, might deteriorate further, she had resolved to endure, stubbornly forcing down the rotten bread.
That was how foolish and naive she had been before regaining her memories as Yeongryeong.
“At any rate, even if a lavish meal is set out now, no one will harbor any suspicion.”
Sella spoke in a tone of immense relief.
She had been on edge every time she secretly brought fine food to Eshika away from prying eyes.
“…….”
Eshika gazed out the window.
The expansive gardens of the estate stretched out before her.
Though beautiful to the eye, this place had always been a prison to her.
A prison where she could obtain neither proper clothes nor proper food.
The things she had initially deemed unjust gradually became familiar, eroding her spirit and rendering her helpless.
Since her marriage, she had left the Klaus estate only twice.
Even those occasions had taken place in the early days of their marriage, where she had stood like a decorative folding screen under Riona’s watchful surveillance before returning.
Beyond that, Riona had never permitted her any personal outings.
Even when news arrived that her father had fallen ill, or when a letter announced that her sister-in-law had given birth, it remained the same.
‘Eshika Klaus. Even if it concerns your maiden family, leaving the estate for personal matters without my permission is no different from showing contempt for Klaus.’
Tamed by that piercing glare and chilling voice, Eshika had lived like a sick dog kept inside the house.
Meanwhile, Riona attended all manner of functions and parties both within and outside Klaus, carrying on a vibrant social life while keeping Eshika’s feet bound.
No—she had subtly belittled Eshika so that she would bind her own feet.
‘You wish to attend a tea party? If a country bumpkin from Freehats sits there posing as the Duchess, how look down upon Klaus the other noble ladies will! Are you planning to smear mud on the face of Klaus?’
Yuri, who had stood by her side, had chimed in all the same.
‘Eshika…… the Grand Duchess is right. They say the noble ladies of the capital, Torres, hide razor-sharp intentions beneath smiling faces and refined speech. If you fail to grasp their true meaning because you are unfamiliar with the capital’s etiquette, you will only become a laughingstock.’
Because of that, despite suffering such unjust treatment, she had never dared entertain the slightest thought of informing her family or the outside world.
At some point, she had grown accustomed to the shabby quarters and rotting meals, accepting them as though they were her rightful lot.
Within the confined space of Klaus, she had been thoroughly broken and conditioned to endure the abuse.
After a moment of thought, Eshika picked up a sheet of paper and began to write something down.
Crumpling the parchment, she handed it to Sella.
“Take this to Hemos.”
