Surviving as the Wife of the Swordsmanship Clan’s Troublemaker - Chapter 11
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 11
“…So you were that serious about it.”
But Francesca’s reaction was the complete opposite of what I had expected.
“Everything I said today, I meant it all.”
I’m serious about creating a new identity and leaving! Please let me go!
“I understand. That’s all the more reason I must bring you into the family.”
Why does she seem more and more satisfied with my answers as this goes on?
Something is going strangely wrong here.
“No. I won’t go.”
“You’ll join the family in a week. I’ll send a carriage, so settle your affairs here in the meantime. It’s not like you’ll be bringing the household goods from this house anyway.”
“Wait a moment.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll hold the wedding ceremony later when the situation allows.”
Francesca seemed like someone who couldn’t hear what I was saying.
***
Red hair gleamed darkly under the night sky.
“Ha.”
Docheop forced his body up, looking as if he might collapse at any moment.
The hem of his worn, shabby shirt was soaked with dust.
When he focused all his concentration, a single star twinkled before his eyes.
It was proof that he was a 1-star knight.
“Still the same.”
Everything was still the same.
The haphazardly built muscles.
The sword he held onto, whether rain poured or snow fell and froze.
His family’s contempt, and the single insignificant star that clung to him.
“But why is only that woman different?”
Along with words exhaled like rough breathing, his gaze shifted to a small house located below the hill.
A small house with smoke rising from its chimney all evening long.
It was Halara Seheb’s house.
“Everything else is the same, so why is only one thing different?”
Not long ago, Docheop had regressed.
After conquering the entire world, he stood at the edge of a world where only peace remained.
His companions each returned to their families to become heads of their houses.
Instead of rebuilding Bloodmere, Docheop ascended to the emperor’s throne as the people wished.
High position and enormous power, abundant wealth.
And people full of laughter always around him.
He thought he would have no more regrets.
Because he had everything.
But he gradually became ill.
He had no way of knowing what caused it, until just before his regression, he saw the reason in an old family photo.
Lingering attachment. Regret. Sadness.
Docheop needed family.
He missed them.
Even if they were people who had hated and resented him.
Whenever he saw the people he had saved, he kept remembering the family he couldn’t save, and it made him shudder.
Thus he struggled in anguish and returned.
To the past, before his journey began.
Everything was the same.
His family’s cold gazes.
Bloodmere Castle, as if covered in blood.
He moved swiftly. Preventing the family’s destruction was more urgent than reuniting with his family.
For that, he needed power.
With just 1-star, he wouldn’t even be able to serve as a proper shield.
So he had come down to the village to find a decent sword when he met Hallara.
“That apple.”
As soon as he saw her face, musty old memories came flooding back.
In the past, ignorant and knowing nothing, he had searched desperately for anything to achieve 2-star status.
Isolated flatland at night, dilapidated taverns where masters of swordsmanship were said to stay, fugitive swordsman’s hideouts, even ruined monasteries.
He hid himself, threw himself into danger, and didn’t hesitate to kneel.
The last place he knocked on was a reclusive old swordsman’s hideout.
There, for the first time, he encountered someone who said ‘the sword will not accept you.’
“To break through your sword energy, you need the power of a woman from the north who was born with demonic energy.”
It was an utterly absurd story.
But he had a mission to manifest sword energy. He was the only one born in the renowned swordsmanship family Bloodmere who couldn’t properly handle a sword.
With a weary heart, he set out to find the woman called a seductress.
It was a desperate hope that if he made contact with that seductress and his energy channels were opened, he too might be able to manifest sword energy.
‘It definitely didn’t feel like this back then.’
The Hallara he met again after returning seemed innocent and pure. Perhaps because she had removed her heavy makeup and wore crude clothes, she seemed like a completely different person.
She treated Docheop as if he were a stranger she was meeting for the first time.
“Is that also a trick, a strategy?”
Frowning, he went over the past several times.
Hallara had come to the family claiming she was pregnant, using that one night as leverage. And that was the starting point when the family began to fall apart, leaving only Docheop behind.
Since that woman had changed, he couldn’t act recklessly.
But the suspicious woman showed not a single suspicious sign. Docheop looked up at the sky with the full moon in frustration. As he was doing so.
“Found you, Young Master Docheop. So you were here.”
The family’s soldiers sent by his mother came looking for him.
“The Duchess earnestly seeks you, young master.”
“For what reason.”
Even as he asked the reason, he still couldn’t take his eyes off Hallara’s house. Seeing that smoke continued to rise from the chimney, he thought it probably wasn’t about her, and turned his head.
“The madam is preparing for your marriage, young master.”
Once again, something different from the past had occurred.
“Marriage? Are you saying I’m getting married?”
What kind of out-of-the-blue nonsense is this?
In the past,
“A woman claiming to be carrying your child has come. The entire ducal house is in complete uproar. You must come immediately.”
The soldier had grabbed him while saying these words. A full five soldiers had clung to him and dragged him away like an arrest, but this time was different.
“Mother said that?”
Whatever had changed, it had changed completely.
Instead of answering, the soldier just nodded roughly. The soldier, who had no loyalty whatsoever, tilted his head in confusion. This was because Docheop’s voice, which had been endlessly light, had become heavy, and his manner of speaking was also different.
The soldier’s eyes quickly scanned over him. His dirty clothes, as if he had been rolling around somewhere, were no different from usual, but his expressionless face felt unfamiliar.
“What is it?”
The soldier hesitated under some unknown pressure.
“I’m the one asking what it is, not you.”
“Yes? Ah, ah.”
“About mother pushing for my marriage. Did I hear wrong?”
“No, no. That’s correct. Yes, it’s right.”
“Who’s the other party?”
“I don’t know that either. I was just told to persuade you and bring you back. If you refuse, I’ll drag you by force, so…”
Thud-.
Docheop placed his hand on the soldier’s shoulder. After placing it, he said:
“I’ll go on my own feet, so follow me comfortably.”
He had no intention of running away anyway. He was more curious than anyone about what had changed, why, and because of what.
***
Francesca’s sigh deepened after sending a soldier to find Docheop.
“He’ll probably return around dawn.”
Docheop’s escape speed only grew faster each day. She wondered what he was doing wandering around the dominion, but to think he got a woman pregnant and was frequenting that house.
‘I was complacent. My heart softened when I heard he was getting beaten up by Nikolai and Helbern and wandering around.’
Out of guilt for not raising Docheop to be a fine soldier like the other children, she had neglected him. Even when receiving reports that he returned drunk every time, she pretended not to know. It was better than him causing major trouble. But that indifference had brought disaster.
“Now that it’s come to this, there’s no choice. I have to save the baby first.”
Hallara’s old house kept flickering before her eyes.
Giving birth in that house would be absolutely impossible. Moreover, seeing the sign in front, it seemed men frequently came and went, and proper prenatal care would be impossible in such circumstances.
She didn’t know what the Duke would say when he returned from war, but bringing her in was the best option for now.
‘Docheop wouldn’t try to leave with that child, would he.’
That was the problem.
Hadn’t Hallara also refused to come to this family?
He might take her and leave altogether.
“Shopkeeper, put surveillance on that child’s house too. If they try to run away, report immediately!”
“Yes, madam. I’ll secretly assign soldiers right away.”
“Thank you. By the way, still no news from Docheop’s side?”
“Madam, it’s only been about an hour since we sent someone to find the young master. Don’t you know the young master well… At least.”
He was about to say it would take half a day.
Creak-.
“You were looking for me.”
“Docheop?!”
Docheop entered the Duchess’ study. Usually he was dragged in by soldiers, but this time he came proudly on his own two feet.
“Why are you so surprised? I came because you called for me.”
Francesca calmed her startled heart at his too-early appearance and rose from her seat.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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