Surviving as the Wife of the Swordsmanship Clan’s Troublemaker - Chapter 120

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 120

In a dim corner of the Guest Room.
“Oh, just as the books described—an absolutely tremendous amount emerged.”
Elise stared at the azure mana circuits floating in the air, her eyes bloodshot with intensity.
I had extracted a massive quantity of mana from Freya’s mana stone. Next came the painstaking task of weaving tens of thousands of intricate incantations into a spiderweb pattern to create a dimensional distortion magic circle.
A single misaligned line could result in being sucked into the fissures of space and torn to shreds, demanding extraordinary concentration.
Yet despite the ordeal that lay ahead, my face remained radiant with exhilaration. When had I ever attempted such an incantation using Freya before?
“Come on then. Let’s do this, magic circle!”
My bold declaration lasted only a moment.
Suddenly, a sharp dizziness struck me.
The glowing incantations shattered and scattered like glass. I collapsed sprawled across the bed, my stamina completely drained from extracting all that mana.
‘I’m certain I ate plenty of the food Hallara prepared for me….’
My stomach growled audibly.
I rubbed my flattened belly repeatedly. I was ravenous—so desperately hungry that if a beast’s leg fell before me, I would devour it raw without hesitation.
Knock, knock.
A cautious knock sounded at the door. I hurriedly concealed the mana stone and asked in a sharp voice.
“Who is it?”
“…Elise, it’s me.”
It was Eva’s voice. I sighed, put away the mana stone, and erased all traces of mana.
Staggering to my feet, I opened the door with an annoyed expression, intending to give a curt response and send her away.
I cracked the door open just a hand’s breadth and asked irritably.
“What is it….”
But I didn’t even finish the sentence.
A scent came pouring through the gap like a wild animal, and my nostrils flared to twice their normal size.
“Meat?”
The sharp vigilance that had dominated my mind just moments before crumbled helplessly in the face of that single aroma.
Standing before me was Eva.
She wore her usual elegant dress, yet something about her face seemed different. Most notably, whatever lay concealed on the tray she carried was unmistakably unusual.
“What is this?”
“Elise, you seemed unable to eat properly in this unfamiliar place, so I prepared dinner for you.”
“Dinner?”
Eva smiled cautiously, her eyes puffy and swollen. At the sight of her, my jaw trembled involuntarily. I should have shut the door immediately, but that maddening aroma assaulting my senses was paralyzing my reason.
“Mm.”
Eva slipped into the room and lifted the cloth covering the food.
Thick beef short ribs glistened with succulent juices ready to drip, and a towering heap of spicy-sweet noodles coated in a savory red sauce lay piled high.
“Wow, amazing!”
I was momentarily stunned by the unfamiliar dishes.
I bit my lip, wavering in conflict, before finally reaching out as though bewitched.
“…I-I’m only eating this because throwing away food brings punishment.”
Without a second thought about propriety, Elise grabbed the ribs with both hands and tore into the meat.
Juices burst and sizzled!
The explosion of flavor and charred aroma made Elise’s eyes snap wide open.
“Don’t just eat the meat alone—wrap it in this noodle. I learned it from Hallara… you know that kimchi business I invested in? I made this with the red powder that goes into it, and it pairs perfectly with the meat.”
Eva carefully placed the bibim noodles on top. Elise could no longer maintain any semblance of composure.
“Meat and noodles? The combination is insane!”
Faced with delicious food, Elise abandoned all reason.
The sheer voraciousness with which she devoured the meat left Eva so shocked she covered her mouth with both hands.
“E-Elise…”
From Eva’s puffy eyes, thick tears suddenly began to stream down.
“Sob, sniff…”
“W-what? Why are you crying?”
Elise choked in surprise, and Eva wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, her voice trembling.
“I never knew you liked food so much… I’m sorry. I knew you were avoiding me, but I was too scared to approach you… and even though I knew you were locked in your room, I pretended not to notice because I didn’t want to fight with the Duke.”
Her tears and apology were sincere. Elise froze, still holding the bone in her hand.
‘I only found her unbearable because the doctor who killed my mother had the same name.’
Besides, whenever she grew close to someone, she unconsciously used magic, and she feared being discovered. She had simply decided it was better to live like a hedgehog, bristling with spines.
But now this noblewoman, raised with such refinement, was cooking for her?
“Stepmother… you’re actually this kind?”
“Not exactly… but I want to look good in your eyes.”
“Why? I’m always sarcastic with you.”
“Because we’re family.”
Family.
That ordinary, mundane word pierced her chest in an unexpectedly tender way. Since losing her birth mother, family had been nothing but a suffocating shackle to escape in this stifling Cardia Mansion.
“I’m sorry for being sharp with you too. It wasn’t that I disliked or resented you.”
Though her tone was gruff, Elise quietly pushed her plate of meat toward Eva.
Eva broke into a radiant smile. Seeing Eva’s puffy face clearly for the first time, Elise burst out laughing. The wall around her heart, so firmly sealed, crumbled down in a heartwarming moment.
“Eva, are you in here?”
It was then.
At the sound of a voice from beyond the door, both women went rigid.
“Where did the Knights guarding the room go?”
At that, Eva and Elise quickly pushed the tray into a blind spot. Elise wiped her mouth with her sleeve and hastily opened the window.
The door swung open and Duncan strode in.
“Were you two fighting again?”
Duncan looked between Eva and Elise, who stood as if nothing had happened, his expression carefully neutral. In that moment, wondering what they could possibly be doing at this late hour, his nose twitched.
Despite the open window, the aroma lingered stubbornly in the room.
Duncan’s nostrils flared as his brow furrowed sharply.
“But what is this smell?”
Elise and Eva froze in alarm. They stood with feigned innocence, but cold sweat trickled down their spines.
“How vulgar—the stench of food permeates the air. Elise. Were you hiding and secretly eating?”
Elise’s breath caught as the words struck home. She wanted to deny it, but she still had meat in her mouth that she hadn’t swallowed.
That’s when Eva stepped forward with a composed smile.
“Food? Oh, that’s a misunderstanding, dear.”
“Then what is this smell?”
“I just came from the Kitchen where I was learning to cook directly from Hallara. Since the Family has invested in this venture, shouldn’t I as the lady of the house verify firsthand just how remarkable this business venture truly is?”
At Eva’s ingeniously casual lie, Elise discreetly gave her a thumbs up.
Duncan’s eyebrows twitched.
“You cooked it yourself, madam?”
“If you don’t believe me, verify it yourself.”
Whoosh!
Without hesitation, Eva thrust both her hands directly under Duncan’s nose. They were the very same hands that had been frantically peeling garlic cloves just moments ago.
“Cough! W-what is this dreadful stench!”
Duncan recoiled in alarm, his nose assaulted by the pungent aroma of garlic. Eva continued with unflappable composure.
“This is the key ingredient for that business venture. I was just telling Elise in her room so she wouldn’t get bored, and then….”
Eva quickly pulled out a handkerchief and vigorously wiped Elise’s sleeve.
“I ended up getting the seasoning from my hands all over her clothes.”
She erased any remaining traces of Elise’s involvement.
“Now go wash those hands properly! My eyes are watering!”
Duncan pinched his nose shut and clicked his tongue in displeasure. Thanks to the overwhelming garlic stench, his suspicion that she’d been secretly eating seemed to have completely vanished.
“Madam, please maintain some dignity. Don’t lower yourself like this.”
Duncan said nothing more on the matter. In truth, he had far more pressing concerns at the moment than this smell incident.
“Madam, I have something urgent to discuss with you. Come to the Study for a moment.”
“Ah… yes, dear.”
As Duncan left first, Eva glanced back at Elise. When she gave a small wink, Elise quietly curved her lips in a smile.
‘Thank you, stepmother.’
Eva followed her husband with a relieved, gentle smile.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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