I Wish My Husband Were Dead - Chapter 1



Only Krnovel

Prologue
2023.11.01.

Prologue

When Cordelia opened her eyes in the morning, she realized that today was her twentieth birthday.

When she was seven, she had wished for a big teddy bear.

When she was ten, she wanted to be a happy princess from a fairy tale.

When she was fifteen, her only wish was to escape the miserable poverty that weighed her down.

“Holy morning star that protects Vasquez.”

She put her hands together and prayed for her twentieth birthday present. She

mixed in a fervent wish that if you had a conscience, please listen to her just this once.

“Please kill my husband.”

* * *

“He’s not dead.”

As she looked at her husband with sad eyes, the maid next to her offered comforting words.

“Don’t worry too much, little lady. The master will wake up soon.”

“Yes. That’s right.”

She forced herself to smile with the corners of her lips raised. The maid soaked a towel in water and began to wipe the hands of the man lying there like a corpse.

It had already been five months since Cordelia’s husband, Craig Abrams, lost consciousness after falling from a horse.

The doctor who first examined Craig said he wouldn’t last ten days, but time had passed and five months had passed.

‘I’d rather die cleanly when I fell from my horse. How long do I have to be this corpse?’

Cordelia muttered the scary sentence to herself without thinking.

Sometimes, when they were alone in a room with no one, she felt the urge to press her pillow against his face.

‘You’re Vasquez’s daughter? Your face is okay, but I wonder what your body is like.’

On the first night, Craig licked his lips and looked his bride up and down with dirty eyes.

Cordelia’s face turned bright red from the insult she had suffered for the first time in her life. Craig’s two mistresses laughed at the sight.

‘Today is our first night as a married couple. How could I bring another woman into the bridal chamber… . ‘

‘Yes. I know. I prepared this especially for you. Say hello. This is Alicia. This is Elizabeth.’

It didn’t take long to figure out what kind of person Craig Abrams was.

He was the kind of man who, on his wedding night, would invite his mistress into the bedroom and have a wild affair in front of his bride without any shame.

“Your Majesty, you should get up.”

“Yes.”

As she blurted out the words she didn’t mean, the door opened without a sound.

“Oh my!”

The sound startled the maid, who was holding a washcloth and spilled it. The water soaked the quilt and dripped onto the floor. The maid’s face turned pale.

“My goodness, how wonderful.”

“What are you doing?”

A nervous woman’s voice was heard behind her. Cordelia quickly got up from her seat.

“Your Majesty. You’re here.”

“You’re pouring water on my son when I’m not here? You’re crazy!”

“Madam, actually… …”

The maid hurriedly stepped forward to confess her sins, but Cordelia stopped her.

“I’m sorry, Madam. It was my fault.”

“Is that all you’re sorry for? Craig’s body is covered in water! Sob, my poor son. That fool is called a wife… … . Get up quickly, this mother is so angry that she could turn to ashes.”

The woman in fancy attire forcefully wiped her dry eyes with a handkerchief. Cordelia stood silently with her eyes downcast.

“If anyone knew, they’d think you were her own child.”

Although she pretended to take care of him, Helena and Craig actually despised each other.

Not long after Craig’s biological mother died, Helena took over as Abrams’ mistress and openly criticized Craig’s debauchery.

However, when the previous earl died suddenly and she was left without a trace, Helena’s attitude completely changed.

“Why are you standing there? Why don’t you wipe off the water? How cold must Craig be?”

At her nagging, Cordelia bent down and wiped the overheated quilt herself. Still angry, Helena said to Cordelia spitefully.

“You shouldn’t eat today and go to the temple to pray until tomorrow morning. I want Craig to wake up safely.”

“I will do so.”

“Useless thing. I shouldn’t have let you into the mansion in the first place. Everything has been a mess since you entered the castle!”

“… … .”

Helena glared at Cordelia with eyes filled with contempt. As if Cordelia was the cause of all her misfortunes.

“What do you do with the Holy Eight? Huh, they’re all ruined and falling apart. Do you have any idea how much money Abrams put into your family?”

“… … I am always grateful, my lady.”

Cordelia forced a smile and tried not to reveal her decaying inner self. That was the only way she could survive in this household.
The sacred eight families.

The eight families that founded Ershe with the first king, Wilhelm. They are also called electors because they have the right to vote to elect the king of Ershe.

However, one of the eight families, Vasquez, has long since lost its splendid glory and is now nothing but a shell.

‘If it weren’t for my father, I would have avoided this miserable state.’

Unfortunately, it was not of Cordelia’s will that she became a couple with Craig Abrams.

Her father, blinded by gold, sold his daughter to pay for her ailing father’s medicine, or more precisely, ‘to earn money for my medicine.’

The Vasquez’s misfortune grew due to the barren land and foolish investment failures. The wheat from the few remaining estates was their only source of income.

With only a few servants left, the Vasquez Castle gradually became a gloomy old castle. Even meat was served less and less on the table.

Nevertheless, her father, Elector Vasquez, did not let go of his pride.

Instead, he sold his daughter.

‘Cordelia. My daughter. You are finally going to do something worthwhile.’

‘What do you mean? No way. Are you going to send me to Abrams?’

When Abrams first proposed marriage, Vasquez was furious.

He shouted that a ‘vulgar new nobleman’ who had not even been promoted to count for 20 years did not know the subject.

However, his pitiful pride was easily broken by the large or small sum of five hundred thousand ringgit.

‘The wedding date has already been set, so prepare properly.’

‘But father!’

‘How dare you contradict your father’s words.’

‘No. There are rumors that the man already has five mistresses. If it’s because of the medicine cost, I should talk to Baron Nicksan… … .’

‘Shut up! What do you know about something like that? Tsk tsk. You’re just reading useless books and getting your hopes up. It’s all your mother’s fault.’

Her father clicked his tongue and looked at her dead mother’s scar.

He seemed to have forgotten that Cordelia’s mother’s finances, which had been relatively sound when she was alive, had gone bankrupt.

‘Sister. Listen to father. You know this is the best you can do.’

‘The best? Dennis. How can you say that to me of all people?’

‘I’m the one saying this. Why are you so selfish, Sister? Then how are you going to pay for father’s medicine? You have to get married anyway. Can’t you do that for your family?’

Her younger brother, Dennis, who was two years younger than her, snapped annoyed.

Cordelia was more dumbfounded than angry at the word selfish.

The money Dennis spent on calling her sword master was equivalent to several years’ wages for servants. Cordelia had to mend the hem of her torn dress several times to earn the money.

‘Don’t even think about coming back.’

Her father had completely ruled out his daughter running away home.

‘You should die there. This is no place for you to return to.’

‘Father… ‘

It was too cruel for a father who was sending his daughter off to get married.

She clung to the small window of the carriage and watched the house she had lived in all her life turn into a dot. She

cried bitterly and then dried up. Cordelia, who had been sold to a bum for a mere few pennies, realized that day.

‘The only person you can trust in this world is me… ‘

“Don’t be so stupid, at least rub Craig’s arm. Oh my, do I have to tell you all this?” ”

… Understood, ma’am.”

“Don’t even think about being lazy because I’m not here.”

Only after venting her frustration did Helena go out. After the door was completely closed, the maid hesitated and then opened her mouth.

“Young lady. I’m really sorry. Because of me.”

“No. I’m used to being scolded by the grand lady anyway. Emily, if you fall out of favor with the grand lady, you could be kicked out. The wedding is just around the corner.”

“But it’s not your fault, young lady, and you can’t even eat and have to pray until tomorrow morning… ”

“I’m fine.”

Cordelia comforted her with a faint smile. Emily’s eyes instantly turned red.

“I, thank you very much, young lady.”

“Don’t cry and tell me how the wedding preparations are going.”

“Hmph. Yes. I have a dress that Kevin’s mother used to wear, so I’m going to use that instead of a wedding dress.”

It was easy to gain favor and sympathy from the servants.

A mother-in-law who couldn’t eat her, a husband who lived with the government every day, and the Abrams bloodline who looked down on her. It was the perfect situation for people to sympathize with her.

After Cordelia learned that such public opinion was flowing among the servants, she even imitated the ‘poor and pitiful’ mistress

on purpose. ‘If I’m going to be pitied anyway, I should take advantage of it.’

She thought very realistically.

It was important to receive favor in any way, and it was even more important that it not be seen as a weakness.

Fortunately, Cordelia had the talent to maintain the gap between a pitiful mistress and a sly mistress.

Behind the face of her mistress who smiled gently, Cordelia was more calm than anyone else in terms of the situation.

‘If this man dies, I’m free.’

If Craig died, the earldom would pass to another heir, and then no one would care where Cordelia went.

So Cordelia prayed every night.

Please kill her husband.