Chapter 4
Welcome to SeeWorld!
Philip felt an unusual stir in his chest as he met Ellen’s eyes for the first time that morning.
Those piercing blue eyes, usually radiating a venomous, snake-like intensity, appeared today uncharacteristically pure and clear.
Could she be plotting something new?
He imagined Ellen clinging to him, tears streaming freely from those same eyes. It had happened countless times before, yet somehow, this time, just picturing it made his resolve waver.
Get a grip.
Philip shook his head subtly, clenching his fists. If he showed even the slightest hesitation, Ellen would latch onto him immediately, her obsession dragging him into another night of pleading and temptation.
No leeway for the next hundred days. Not a single inch.
He focused intently on the path ahead, determined not to meet her gaze. In the distance, he could see Marlborough and Laila’s carriage approaching. Philip resolved to keep his eyes fixed on it until they arrived.
Yet Ellen’s gaze seemed incapable of looking anywhere but him.
He straightened his voice, calm and measured.
“Why are you staring at me so intently?”
“To… see if you’re alright after hitting me.”
Out of all possible moments—surrounded by their attendants—she brought it up. That fiend, he thought, was deliberately attempting to strip the family head of all dignity.
Philip shot her a cold, sharp glance, feeling a thrill of alarm at her audacity.
“I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”
The bruises from her assault were mostly healed, leaving only faint traces. Yet he averted his eyes, unwilling to answer.
He didn’t want to say he was fine—or admit he wasn’t.
He had always known her swordsmanship rivaled that of a knight, but he hadn’t realized her hand-to-hand combat was even more formidable. She knew exactly where to strike for maximum pain, and somehow, she had even managed to lift Philip, standing at 190 centimeters, into the air.
It was a relief that her hands and feet lacked the solid force of a man’s; otherwise, the damage would have been far worse.
Recalling that morning a week ago, Philip felt a tight knot of unease.
“That was your first time hitting me, wasn’t it?”
Ha!
A bitter, incredulous laugh escaped his thoughts.
“I’m sorry for hitting you,” Ellen said sincerely, which made it all the more absurd.
“….”
“It won’t happen again.”
Philip exhaled silently, curious despite himself. Ellen had often used violence, but never against him until now.
“Let me ask… why did you do that?”
“I was startled.”
Philip raised an eyebrow.
“Startled?”
“I woke up to find a man there.”
A man? The same husband who had stamped the divorce papers and yet could still share the bedroom at any time?
Her next words made him flinch.
“I… had forgotten what happened last night.”
Philip frowned.
“Forgot? You even insisted on it when signing the papers!”
Ellen averted her eyes awkwardly, twiddling at her ear with a delicate finger.
“Well… perhaps. But one can forget in a half-asleep state, right?”
“…!?”
How could she forget that passionate night? Her casual delivery, as if nothing happened, left Philip utterly bewildered. The temperature between her a week ago and today felt like fire and ice.
Unable to resist, Philip pressed further, ignoring the onlookers.
“You were… quite satisfied, weren’t you? By your own admission, it was remarkable.”
“Remarkable? What is?”
What else could it be? Philip thought. It was obvious from context, yet Ellen acted as though she had no idea.
“You truly don’t know? You said it yourself.”
Ellen’s eyes widened in shock. Finally, she realized what he meant and flushed red, lowering her voice to a near whisper.
“Are you… a pervert? Why would you ask that?”
“Pe… pervert?”
“Are you insane? I clearly told you it was meaningless!”
The barrage of insults left Philip reeling. He could still hear her words echoing: ‘You were so insignificant!’
Impossible! After enjoying it so much…
Philip quickly drew his own conclusion: Ellen must be lying to avoid divorcing him.
He remembered the second divorce document in his office—the one meant to finalize everything that morning. The shock of her attack had made him forget to sign it. Once the children arrived, he would return and stamp it for good.
Ha. Preposterous.
Ellen flailed her hands in mock disbelief.
“I can’t believe it either!”
Suddenly, she diverted the conversation, her sapphire-blue eyes sparkling.
“Oh! The children are here.”
Ha… I only meant to apologize for a minor scuffle last week.
Philip, who had been a composed and elegant secondary character in the original story, had unexpectedly brought up marital matters. My own first experience, though not truly my first, had been unwittingly revealed.
I wanted to deny it even in dreams, sleeping for days to avoid accepting the possession of my body. But even without rational explanation, Philip had impressed me—there was no denying it.
But why ask so openly? Was he really a pervert?
I feigned ignorance, stunned.
I must be shameless now; too many people are around…
Philip, oblivious, pressed on about the most embarrassing detail, his gaze indicating exactly where.
Pervert! Madman!
Sometimes blunt honesty was best. I had intended to keep certain thoughts private, but the words escaped in succession. Like the economic sanctions Philip would impose post-divorce, once released, they couldn’t be taken back.
His disbelief was evident. Understandably so—the original Ellen had clung and flattered him relentlessly. But Philip remained unfazed.
Improving our relationship was impossible in this story; he would only drift farther if I tried.
Thus, I resolved not to pester Philip and to behave properly with the children. That was the wisest course. Just staying put was enough.
Right. Keep quiet. No more conversation with Philip.
I gestured to stop speaking and pointed toward the approaching carriage to divert his attention.
“The children are here!”
The carriage still had some distance, so I called a nearby maid. Philip would be unable to continue prying if the maid was nearby.
“How’s my hair? Is my outfit neat?”
The maid rushed over, eyes wide, quickly inspecting me.
“Yes, my lady. You are more beautiful than anyone.”
I felt Philip’s gaze from behind, a small sigh escaping his nostrils as he returned his eyes to the path ahead. I straightened, and the maid hurried back to her place.
Soon, a carriage drawn by four white horses stopped gracefully before us. Marlborough stepped down first, golden hair swept elegantly, immediately taking his wife’s hand to escort her. His bright smile toward Laila, broad shoulders, and prince-like demeanor were unmistakable.
Yet I felt no awe. Perhaps because I had already seen Philip, my perception filtered everything through relativity: Marlborough was handsome, but only like a fresh-faced sixteen-year-old in my eyes.
However, when I looked at Laila, descending with her gaze toward the ground, I was overwhelmed. I covered my mouth in astonishment.
My goodness! Oh my!
Her lavender braids swayed luxuriously. Long eyelashes lifted, her clear, gentle eyes met ours. Her hair-colored irises radiated calm elegance.
What on earth…
Was it because she’s the heroine? Laila seemed more goddess than human.
My adorable daughter-in-law… I’ll only pour clear water over her from now on.
As I made this resolution, Laila met my eyes and flinched, paling. Understandable—Ellen had treated her cruelly for so long.
From insults to assaults to fake love letters via detectives, Ellen had tried to sabotage the couple, even ripping her wedding dress before the king. Philip had noticed first, rendering her efforts useless.
In the original story, I would have criticized her, drained her tears, and reported it to Marlborough. But now, I had no intention of following that path.
I ignored the narrative dead flags. I would survive on my own terms.
Laila’s small shoulders trembled; Marlborough called gently.
“Laila?”
Her sweet, soft voice barely responded.
“Yes… yes.”
Still intimidated, she clearly found me, her mother-in-law, imposing.
No more past mother-in-law—stand tall, heroine.
I placed my hands on my chest, took a deep breath, and moved forward. Now was the perfect moment to send a strong message with my actions.
I opened my arms wide and embraced the timid Laila.
“Welcome to SeeWorld!”
She flinched. The woman who had seemed ready to kill her now welcomed her enthusiastically. It felt awkward, insincere, and cringe-worthy—mutual, even for me.
Normally, it would have been a night of kicking blankets in frustration. But survival required shamelessness.
Now is the time to be bold.
Suppressing the urge to vanish, I amplified my affection.
“Come on in, our daughter-in-law!”
“….”
“….”
For a moment, the silence felt as if the world itself had ended.
