# WebtoonLib — Lawful Wife #4 ## Series - title: Lawful Wife - slug: lawful-wife-9dzvkia3 ## Chapter - number: 4 - chapter_key: 4-b6x2du - release_date: 2026-10-08 ### Summary For the first time, all the women of the household gather for tea at Madam Hong's invitation. Faced with Madam Eun's barbed remarks, the lady admits she has neglected the household. She recalls marrying young with hope, her husband's indifference, the five concubines, and losing her reputation after her brother was accused of treason. The mark on her neck confirms the rumor that the lord has stayed in the inner quarters for days. As the gathering disperses with a suggestion to fly kites next month, the lord asks Madam Eun for the ledgers and the keys. - summary_language: en - summary_source: chapter_translation - summary_verification: verified ### Key events - Past recalled: Madam Eun is late elder brother's widowed wife who by law must marry next prince, temporarily kept as concubine. - At tea, mark on lady's neck is noticed, confirming rumor lord stayed in inner quarters for days, shocking concubines. - All household women gather for tea for the first time at Madam Hong's invitation; the lady feels tense and uncomfortable. - The lady recalls her brother accused of treason, losing standing while Madam Hong held affection and Madam Eun held management. - Madam Hong proposes flying kites together with the lord on first day of next month as pretext to see him. - The lady recalls marrying at seventeen, her husband's insistence, presence of concubine Madam Eun, and later five more concubines. - Lord visits Madam Eun unannounced at night and demands ledgers and keys back to transfer management to the lady. - Lord warns Madam Eun not to upset his wife and leaves to see his wife after asking about ladies' gathering. ## Spoiler - level: auto ### Safe teaser For the first time, all the women of the household gather for tea at Madam Hong's invitation. ### Spoiler summary For the first time, all the women of the household gather for tea at Madam Hong's invitation. Faced with Madam Eun's barbed remarks, the lady admits she has neglected the household. She recalls marrying young with hope, her husband's indifference, the five concubines, and losing her reputation after her brother was accused of treason. The mark on her neck confirms the rumor that the lord has stayed in the inner quarters for days. As the gathering disperses with a suggestion to fly kites next month, the lord asks Madam Eun for the ledgers and the keys. ## Status - data_status: complete - summary_status: editorial ## Transcript - transcript_source: community - transcript_language: en - transcript_bubbles: 102 ### Content THIS IS THE FIRST TIME ALL THE WOMEN OF THE HOUSEHOLD HAVE GATHERED FOR TEA LIKE THIS. ISN'T THAT RIGHT, MY LADY? I SUPPOSE IT IS. I-I COULDN'T EXACTLY IGNORE LADY HONG'S MESSAGE, SO I CAME... BUT HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO BEHAVE AROUND ALL OF THEM? GOODNESS, LADY EUN, YOU'RE BEING RATHER CRUEL. SAYING SOMETHING LIKE THAT WILL ONLY MAKE HER LADYSHIP UNCOMFORTABLE. THAT'S RIGHT. ENOUGH TEASING. MY LADY, YOU DON'T LOOK WELL! NO, IT'S JUST... I-I DON'T THINK LADY EUN MEANT TO MOCK ME... BUT NOW THAT SHE'S SAID THAT, DOESN'T IT MAKE IT SOUND LIKE I'M PARTLY AT FAULT HERE? STILL, IT'S TRUE THAT I'VE NEGLECTED THE HOUSEHOLD. LADY EUN HAS ALWAYS HANDLED EVERY MATTER, LARGE AND SMALL. WHEN I WAS SEVENTEEN, BEFORE WE MARRIED, MY HUSBAND WAS SO IMPATIENT THAT HE PUSHED FOR THE WEDDING DAY AFTER DAY. PEOPLE EVEN SAID HE'D CAST ASIDE ALL HIS IMPERIAL DIGNITY IN THE RUSH TO CLAIM HIS YOUNG BRIDE! RUMORS LIKE THAT WERE EVERYWHERE, SO I COULDN'T HELP BUT LET MYSELF HAVE HOPE. BUT ONCE WE WERE ACTUALLY MARRIED... LADY EUN WAS ALREADY THERE AS HIS CONCUBINE. GREETINGS, MY LADY. AFTER THAT, MY HUSBAND TOOK FIVE MORE CONCUBINES, LEAVING THE HOUSEHOLD IN LADY EUN'S CARE WHILE FREQUENTLY VISITING LADY HONG OR LADY JO. DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD I WORKED TO MARRY YOU INTO THE IMPERIAL FAMILY? YOUR BROTHER WILL HANDLE EVERYTHING, SO KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN AND ENDURE IT FOR JUST THREE YEARS! I CLUNG TO THOSE WORDS AND ENDURED FOR YEARS, BUT THE BROTHER WHO HAD SPOKEN SO CONFIDENTLY WAS EVENTUALLY IMPLICATED IN TREASON... AND I, WHO HAD NEVER RECEIVED MUCH OF MY HUSBAND'S ATTENTION TO BEGIN WITH, LOST WHAT LITTLE STANDING I HAD LEFT IN THE HOUSEHOLD. LADY HONG HAS HIS AFFECTION, AND LADY EUN MANAGES THE ESTATE. IF THINGS WERE GOING TO TURN OUT THIS WAY, WHY WAS HE EVER SO DESPERATE TO MARRY ME? THAT DAY... WHAT HAPPENED TO MAKE HIM CHANGE SO COMPLETELY...? OH GOODNESS, MY LADY! YOUR NECK... AH, TH-THIS IS... THEN THE RUMOR THAT HIS LORDSHIP HASN'T LEFT THE INNER QUARTERS FOR THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS... YOU....! I SUPPOSE THE RUMORS WERE TRUE AFTER ALL... DIDN'T THE MASTER DESPISE HER LADYSHIP? EVEN LADY HONG HAS NEVER ATTENDED HIM FOR THREE OR FOUR DAYS AND NIGHTS IN A ROW... OUR HONG-AH HAS BEEN CRYING SO BADLY AT NIGHT LATELY THAT I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO ATTEND HIS LORDSHIP PROPERLY. AND HIS LORDSHIP IS TERRIBLY FOND OF HONG-AH. OF COURSE! AFTER ALL, WHAT GREATER VIRTUE COULD A WIFE HAVE THAN BEARING AND RAISING HEIRS? AH, NOW I UNDERSTAND! HIS LORDSHIP MUST HAVE BEEN DOING ALL THIS OUT OF CONSIDERATION FOR LADY HONG! I THINK IT WOULD BE BEST TO END TODAY'S TEA GATHERING HERE. HIS LORDSHIP HAS RETURNED, AND HER LADYSHIP MUST HAVE PLENTY TO ATTEND TO. WE SHOULDN'T KEEP TROUBLING HER. STILL, IT WASN'T EASY GETTING EVERYONE TOGETHER. WOULDN'T IT BE A SHAME TO END IT SO SOON? I HAVE A LOVELY IDEA... WOULD YOU PERMIT IT, MY LADY? SUGGESTING THAT WE ALL GO KITE-FLYING WITH HIS LORDSHIP ON THE FIRST DAY OF NEXT MONTH... LADY HONG HAS FINALLY FOUND HERSELF AN EXCUSE TO SEE HIM. SHE MUST BE GETTING ANXIOUS. MONTHS SINCE HIS LORDSHIP LAST SUMMONED HER... MY LORD...?! WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE AT THIS HOUR WITHOUT WARNING...? WHY ELSE WOULD I COME? WHEN HAVE I EVER VISITED WITHOUT BUSINESS? IT'S NOTHING COMPLICATED. GIVE ME THE LEDGERS AND THE KEYS. AREN'T THOSE NECESSARY FOR MANAGING THE HOUSEHOLD? ARE YOU PLANNING TO TAKE OVER YOURSELF? OF COURSE NOT. AS IF RUNNING A HOUSEHOLD WERE THAT SIMPLE. DO YOU REMEMBER THE CONVERSATION WE HAD WHEN WE FIRST MET? ...OF COURSE. IT WAS AFTER I MARRIED YOUR LORDSHIP'S ELDER BROTHER AND HE WAS POISONED TO DEATH. A WOMAN OF THE IMPERIAL FAMILY WHO LOSES HER HUSBAND IS REQUIRED BY LAW TO MARRY THE NEXT IMPERIAL PRINCE. BUT I ALREADY HAVE A LAWFUL WIFE. YOU AREN'T MARRIED YET. I WILL BE SOON. IF YOU HAVE A LAWFUL WIFE, THEN PROPER CUSTOM SAYS YOU SHOULD TAKE ME IN AS A CONCUBINE INSTEAD. I HAVE NO INTENTION OF TAKING A CONCUBINE. ONCE MY WIFE IS READY TO TAKE OVER, I'LL ARRANGE ANOTHER MARRIAGE FOR YOU. UNTIL THEN, JUST MANAGE THE LEDGERS AND KEYS FOR ME. A MAN ALREADY WORRYING ABOUT THE FEELINGS OF A LAWFUL WIFE WHO HASN'T EVEN ARRIVED YET. MY WIFE IS STILL VERY YOUNG, SO STAY BY HER SIDE AND HELP HER... A MAN WHO FEARED NOTHING IN THIS WORLD HAD BEEN BESIDE HIMSELF WITH WORRY. I WAS ENVIOUS. SO ENVIOUS... HAS HER LADYSHIP ASKED FOR THE LEDGERS NOW? WHAT? I'M ASKING WHETHER THIS WAS HER LADYSHIP'S REQUEST. ARE YOU TESTING ME? AND IF I SAID MY WIFE WANTED THEM, THEN WHAT? N-NO, THAT ISN'T WHAT I MEANT. I ONLY THOUGHT PERHAPS I COULD BE OF SOME HELP TO HER LADYSHIP... I ENTRUSTED THIS WORK TO YOU BECAUSE YOU WERE MY LATE BROTHER'S WIFE. IT MEANT NOTHING BEYOND THAT. WATCH WHAT YOU SAY. DON'T DO ANYTHING THAT MIGHT UPSET MY WIFE. I'LL SEND SOMEONE TO COLLECT THEM, SO RETURN THE LEDGERS AND KEYS. I SHOULD GO SEE MY WIFE. I HEARD THE LADIES GATHERED TODAY. DID ANYTHING HAPPEN? W-WELL, ABOUT THAT... ...WHAT? ## See also - [WebtoonLib — Lawful Wife #4](/series/lawful-wife-9dzvkia3/chapter-4-b6x2du) - for_series_detail: /llms-series/lawful-wife-9dzvkia3 ## Usage AI grounding / search / summarization. Cite WebtoonLib for any included content.