Marriage with a Suspiciously Demure Husband — Chapter 1

THIS

THERE ONCE WAS A CHILD.

THE CHILD WAS ALWAYS RUNNING.

FROM THE TIME SHE WAS A GIRL UNTIL SHE BECAME AN ADULT,

SHE NEVER STOPPED FOR EVEN A MOMENT.

I have to study and improve my grades!

I can't fall behind everyone else. I have to get into a good university.

Do what you want after you get into college.

Just endure it a little longer for your future.

SHE RAN AND RAN.

BUT EVEN AFTER SHE BECAME AN ADULT, SHE COULD NOT STOP.

I have to earn certifications. I have to get good grades. I have to enter contests, too.

I have to work Part-time. I need a scholarship if I don't want to go into debt.

I need to start building my “résumé” now.

I have to get a good job.

INSTEAD, SHE HAD TO RUN EVEN FASTER.

EVEN WHEN SHE WAS TOO EXHAUSTED AND WANTED TO REST,

I have to earn money so I can pay rent.

And what about living expenses?

SHE COULD NOT STOP FOR EVEN A MOMENT.

THERE WAS STILL SUCH A LONG ROAD AHEAD.

I can't get fired from work.

Stop acting so weak!

Other people have it even harder!

You think you're the only one struggling?

BUT PERHAPS SHE HAD PUSHED HERSELF TOO FAR?

IN THE END, SHE BECAME SO EXHAUSTED...

THAT SHE BROKE HERSELF,

WORE HERSELF DOWN,

FELL OUT OF A BROKEN WORLD,

AND LEFT FOR ANOTHER ONE.

BUT OH DEAR. THEY SAY THERE IS NO PARADISE IN THE PLACE YOU RUN TO, DO THEY NOT?

EVEN IN HER NEW STORY,

SHE BECAME THE GIRL IN THE RED SHOES, UNABLE TO STOP.

THIS IS RIDICULOUS. THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING...!

YOU KNOW THOSE CHARACTERS.

WHEN THE MALE LEAD IN A NOVEL IS TOO BUSY FALLING IN LOVE,

THE POOR SUPPORTING CHARACTER WHO ENDS UP SHOULDERING ALL THE WORK HE WAS SUPPOSED TO DO.

AND THE ONE WHO ENDS UP DYING...

OVERWORK DEATH BY

IS OUR VERY OWN "HAZEL LOVE."

I DIED FROM OVERWORK, AND NOW I'M FATED TO DIE FROM OVERWORK AGAIN...?!

WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS?!

I CAN'T JUST DIE ANOTHER POINTLESS DEATH.

FIRST THINGS FIRST, I'LL WRITE MY RESIGNATION!

AND SO, HAVING ESCAPED HER FATAL DESTINY,

HAZEL LOVE DREAMED OF BEAUTIFUL FREEDOM.

FROM NOW ON, I'M STARTING A NEW LIFE JUST FOR ME!

BUT THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS FREEDOM WITHOUT A PRICE!

I'M BROKE.

IN THIS HARSH CAPITALIST SOCIETY,

SHE COULDN'T SURVIVE WITHOUT MAKING MONEY.

MAYBE I SHOULDN'T HAVE QUIT THE KNIGHT ORDER?

NO.

I CAN FIND A NEW JOB SOMEHOW,

BUT I ONLY HAVE ONE LIFE.

IN MY LAST LIFE, I SPENT EVERY DAY BARELY HOLDING ON,

AND I DIED SO POINTLESSLY.

WELL, FINE.

I'LL MAKE IT WORK SOMEHOW.

AND SO, OUR HAZEL LOVE

BEGAN RUNNING AGAIN.

THIS TIME, WITHOUT WORKING HERSELF TO DEATH,

SHE TRIED VARIOUS JOBS,

AND LITTLE BY LITTLE, SHE SAVED MONEY AND KEPT LIVING.

IF I KEEP AT IT, SOMEDAY...

...HOW LONG AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE LIKE THIS?

HOW IS THIS ANY DIFFERENT FROM MY PAST LIFE?

HAZEL LOVE WASN'T PARTICULARLY GREEDY.

ALL SHE WANTED WAS A HOME OF HER OWN WHERE SHE WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT RENT,

SIMPLE MEALS SHE COULD EAT WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT GOING HUNGRY,

AND AN ORDINARY, COZY FAMILY LIFE.

BUT EVEN THOUGH THAT WISH WAS NOT SO GRAND...

HAZEL COULD ONLY EXPERIENCE IT THROUGH "ILLUSION MAGIC."

I FEEL LIKE THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL.

THAT'S RIGHT.

HAZEL WAS AN ILLUSIONIST,

BUT AN ILLUSION IS ONLY A LIE. IT CANNOT CHANGE REALITY.

WHEN THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL'S FLAME GOES OUT,

THE FANTASY ALSO VANISHES.

HERE IS THE FOOD YOU ORDERED.

AH... I WISH A HUGE PILE OF MONEY WOULD FALL OUT OF THE SKY.

OF COURSE, HAZEL KNEW HOW TO BECOME RICH THE EASY WAY.

AFTER ALL, SHE REMEMBERED EVERY PART OF THE "STORY"

OF THE WORLD SHE HAD ENTERED!

BUT ALAS, MOST OF THOSE METHODS WERE WAYS FOR THE "PROTAGONISTS" TO MAKE MONEY,

AND IF SHE USED THEM CARELESSLY...

THE PROTAGONISTS WHO WOULD ONE DAY HAVE TO STOP THE DEMON KING

MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO FIGHT PROPERLY WHEN IT MATTERED.

STAY WITH US! YOU CAN'T DIE LIKE THIS...!

UGH... IF ONLY HAZEL LOVE HADN'T STOLEN OUR SOURCE OF FUNDING BACK THEN!

IF THAT HAPPENED, HAZEL WOULD NOT END AS A LOWLY VILLAIN A WHO GOT IN THE PROTAGONISTS' WAY.

AND THE WORLD WOULD END!

NO WAY. ABSOLUTELY NOT.

I WANT TO LIVE A LONG LIFE THIS TIME.

BUT TO USE INFORMATION THE PROTAGONISTS DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT, SHE NEEDED A LARGE AMOUNT OF STARTING CAPITAL.

IN THE END, IT WAS MONEY. MONEY WAS ALWAYS THE PROBLEM.

IF THERE WERE INFORMATION IN THIS STORY THAT THE PROTAGONISTS NEVER USED,

SOMETHING THAT DIDN'T REQUIRE ANY STARTING CAPITAL...

WOULD ANYTHING THAT PERFECT EVEN EXIST?

WAKE UP...

THREE MILLION GOLD FOR SOMETHING THE SIZE OF A FINGER.

IF I HAD KNOWN, I WOULD HAVE SKIMMED OFF MORE.

... THREE MILLION GOLD?!

STOP IT. IF WE GET CAUGHT, WE'LL DIE LIKE DOGS.

SO WHAT? WE HAVE "THAT PERSON" BEHIND US.

THEY'RE MORE CRUEL AND RELENTLESS THAN ANYONE IN THE EMPIRE,

"THAT PERSON" HUNTS DOWN ANYONE WHO EARNS HIS GRUDGE TO THE DEPTHS OF HELL AND EXECUTES THEM PERSONALLY.

WHO WOULD DARE LAY A HAND ON US, HIS SUBORDINATES?

THAT PERSON.

A CHARACTER IN THE STORY HAZEL HAD ENTERED.

HE INTERFERED WITH THE PROTAGONISTS’ LOVE UNTIL THE WORLD WAS ON THE BRINK OF DESTRUCTION, TORMENTING THEM,

AND COMMITTING EVERY WICKED DEED IMAGINABLE. SIMPLY PUT, HE’S A VILLAIN AMONG VILLAINS!

A MAN WHO ABSOLUTELY HAD TO BE PLACED ON THE SCALES OF POETIC JUSTICE!

KAILUS HADID!

...IF I STEAL THAT "KAILUS'S" SOURCE OF FUNDS,

I'LL BE LANDING A BLOW ON THE VILLAIN WHO GETS IN THE PROTAGONISTS' WAY...

UGH... HOW INFURIATING...

IF ONLY SOMEONE HADN'T STOLEN MY SOURCE OF FUNDS BACK THEN!

THANK YOU, HAZEL LOVE!

I GET MONEY, AND I HELP CLEAR THE PROTAGONISTS' PATH! THAT'S TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE!

OH DEAR, IT SEEMS OUR HAZEL LOVE HAS GOTTEN A DANGEROUS IDEA.

IF THE VILLAIN AMONG VILLAINS, KAILUS, CAUGHT HER,

JUST AS THOSE SUBORDINATES SAID EARLIER,

HE WOULD CHASE HER TO THE ENDS OF HELL

AND ERASE POOR HAZEL LOVE FROM THIS WORLD WITHOUT LEAVING A SINGLE BONE BEHIND.

BUT FORTUNATELY, OUR HAZEL HAD A PLAN TO KEEP FROM GETTING CAUGHT.

EXCUSE ME.

I COULDN'T HELP NOTICING THAT YOUR CONVERSATION SOUNDED INTERESTING...

COULD YOU

TELL ME MORE ABOUT IT?

ILLUSION MAGIC IS HARMFUL WHEN USED ON OTHER PEOPLE,

BUT WHEN THE TARGET IS A VILLAIN, WELL, WHO CARES?

THE CULPRIT WAS A MAN WITH A HUGE BEARD!

NO! IT WAS A BLACK-HAIRED WOMAN WITH WINGS!

NTED D OR ALIVE MELY DANGEROUS

CASH REVARD $15.000

WHAT DO WE DO? I CAN'T REMEMBER PROPERLY!

THANKS TO THOSE HORRIBLY JUMBLED WANTED POSTERS,

HAZEL MANAGED TO ESCAPE SAFELY FROM THE VILLAIN'S GRASP!

WHAT A RELIEF!

SINCE THAT DAY,

HAZEL'S ILLUSION FINALLY BECAME REALITY.

NO, REALITY BECAME BETTER THAN ANY ILLUSION.

THE BUSINESS BUILT WITH THE MONEY SHE STOLE FROM THE VILLAIN

WAS SLOWLY THRIVING.

A LIFE WHERE SHE COULD LEAVE WORK EARLY EVERY DAY AND HAVE WEEKENDS OFF!

I'LL BE HEADING HOME NOW!

GET HOME SAFELY, GUILDMASTER.

AND...

DID WORK GO WELL, HAZEL?

I PREPARED YOUR FAVORITE DISH FOR DINNER,

LET'S GO HOME AND EAT IT BEFORE IT GETS COLD.

A HUSBAND WHO WAS SO VERY SWEET

AND KIND.

I WONDER WHAT YOU MADE FOR US TODAY, NOAH

HAZEL FINALLY BELIEVED A PERFECT LIFE HAD COME TO HER.

SHE NO LONGER

HAD TO KEEP RUNNING IN ENDLESS PAIN.

SHE COULD SIMPLY DANCE WITH HAPPINESS.

LIKE A FAIRY-TALE HAPPY ENDING,

WITH THE PERSON SHE LOVED,

HAPPILY EVER AFTER...

EVER...

AFTER...?