Only Wisdom Awakened - Chapter 185: Outsider

Delia's life was a cruel reality: the neglected and abused illegitimate daughter of a noble family, the Ellington family, she yearned for the love of her stepmother, Baroness Augusta, and younger sister, Lady Anne, who relentlessly mistreated her.Her world crumbled when she discovered a double betrayal: her beloved husband, Lord George had secretly pined for Anne, marrying Delia only to be near her sister. Simultaneously, her step mother framed her for a crime Anne committed.Overwhelmed and heartbroken, Delia's attempt to escape a death sentence led to a fatal carriage accident.But death was not the end. Delia awoke one year in the past, finding herself still engaged to George. This was her second chance, and the naive girl was gone, replaced by a woman consumed by a burning desire for revenge. Her first target: Duke Eric Carson, the powerful and wealthy man her sister Anne desperately pursued.Delia boldly approached Eric with a proposition for a contract marriage. To her surprise, Eric agreed, but with a condition: their fake marriage would become real and they can go their separate way after a year, hiding his own secret agenda. Now, armed with Eric's unexpected devotion and his willingness to lay down his life for her, Delia meticulously begins to dismantle her family's world. With Eric's help, she exposes the secrets they hide, manipulates their desires, and turns them against each other, orchestrating George’s demotion, Anne's downfall and seizing everything her sister coveted, including Duke Eric love and obsession.Will Delia and Eric be able to conquer all odds to get what they want? What happens when Eric doesn’t want their contract marriage to end? What happens when the last petal of that indicates her second chance falls?———————EXCPRET“I can’t return your feelings, your grace,” Delia whispered, her back against the cool wall.“But I can,” Eric murmured, stepping closer.Delia’s voice trembled. “It’s not the same.” She choked out. “ No one can love me without hurting me.”“Then teach me,” he said, his breath warm on her cheek. “Teach me how to love you the way you deserve to be loved. I’m a quick study.”When she stayed silent, he sighed contentedly, a soft smile playing on his lips.“It’s alright. Just… use me. Anything you need. if you want money, ask the treasury, take as much money that’s needed. if you want power, use my name. if you want security and love, use my body.”His breath warmed her skin, his chest rose and fell with hers. “As long as it's from you, I'm happy.”

[Are you crippled?][Did your fiancé break the engagement?][Did you lose your family to a demon attack? Are you the last surviving member of your clan, seeking revenge?][Does your family look at you with pity because you're the only one without any innate spiritual roots?][Are you tired of being told that you're a 'waste of resources'?][Are you stuck with no way to progress? Are you tired of being weak and helpless?][Well, have no fear! This Supreme Master is here to help you!]

[ADULT CONTENT WARNING: Explicit intimacy and mature relationship themes. 18+ only.]Seven years together. Two years married.To the world, Alexander Montclair is the perfect husband gentle, patient, and calm. A man who never raises his voice and believes love should be quiet and understanding.But behind closed doors, his silence speaks louder than anger.In our marriage, his family comes before everything. His mother’s wishes dictate our lives, while my own needs are expected to wait. Every compromise, every apology, every sacrifice, it’s always me who gives in.The only time I feel chosen is in our intimacy moment, when desire briefly drowns out duty and that's when he listens to me instead of his family’s voice.But sex moments can’t hold a marriage together.This is not a story about cruelty or violence.It’s about emotional neglect, quiet obedience, and the slow ache of realizing that love without choice will eventually break you.After seven years of loving him, I must decide: Remain the husband who is always second or finally choose myself.

I’m a high school student who became an author after debuting at Dengeki Bunko. After taking a year of hiatus from school to write my work, I transferred out to another high school to study, and met a girl called Eri Nitadori in school, a rookie voice actress cast as a character in the anime adaptation of my work.

In school, we treat our professions as a secret. However, Nitadori’s very popular in class, and I’m a loner…the only chance we get to talk to each other is when we take the Limited Express train together every Thursday, seated side by side as we head off for an anime, After Recording.

To improve her skills, she asked me questions regarding the profession. While I was answering the questions regarding the process–how did it end up like this.

This is what I last remembered before I lost consciousness, and the story of my near-death experience.