MLWG CH 01

Prologue  1

Her name was Kim Si-eom, 59 years old.

All she ever wanted was a daughter-like daughter-in-law and bunny-like grandchildren.

She was the epitome of a modest and ordinary Korean mother-in-law and a mother to two sons.

She lost her husband early and raised her sons alone.

It was no easy feat, but now both sons were grown and had respectable jobs.

As a mother, she felt she had completed her duties in life.

But—just one thing.

To be honest, there was one lingering regret.

Her sons’ marriages. Especially the younger son’s wife!

The eldest wasn’t married yet, but the younger was—and every time Kim Si-eom looked at her second daughter-in-law, she felt choked, and her temples throbbed.

There was something about the girl that felt gloomy, like she dragged down everyone around her.

The first impression was terrible.

She had a stiff way of speaking, not a trace of charm, and an atmosphere that screamed her orphan background—like it clung to her face and body.

So what if she earned more than her husband? She was raised with no refinement.

Does she think the stench of poverty disappears just because she’s making money now?

Ugh. What on earth did my son see in her?

She couldn’t understand, so she asked her son. His answer? “She’s kind.”

But looking at how she acts these days—kind? My foot.

Clearly, her naive, gentle son was duped into marrying her.

Three years into the marriage, and the rose-colored glasses had to be coming off.

With a wife like that, of course he’d start thinking about other women.

If he didn’t, would he even be a man?

She had married them off just because the girl seemed obedient…

Anyway, the long-standing headache that was the second daughter-in-law was finally going to be resolved.

And in this world where nobles and commoners were divided, she was now a noble, free from the drudgery of household chores.

No, not just noble—they called it “aristocrat” here, right?

Her second son had explained it, but her memory was already fuzzy.

“Seongmin, what was it that happened to us again?”

“It’s called possession. A group possession.”

Yes, possession.

She and her sons had been reincarnated into another world.

They now lived with new bodies and identities in a place completely unlike their old life.

The second daughter-in-law didn’t seem to have made it into this world… So what could she do?

She’d just have to find her son a new, more suitable bride here!

***

One Month Ago

The plane had plummeted during their trip.

Kim Si-eom, her two sons, and the manager of her second son’s café had all been aboard.

She screamed, thinking death was near—but when she opened her eyes, she was in another world.

Here, Kim Si-eom was the Marchioness of Florence—a noblewoman.

Her second son said that aristocrats were like Joseon-era nobles, with servants and all.

And he was right.

A grand mansion, luxurious furniture that once seemed too expensive to even touch, and cabinets full of high-end dishware.

Most of all, the sight of servants bustling about nonstop kept a smile glued to her face.

This is what you get for living a life of diligence and honesty!

Her body and face had changed too.

The colorful eyes and hair were unfamiliar, but she was younger than before—and she liked that.

Kim Si-eom was deeply satisfied with her new life.

“How do you know all this so well?”

“Dain used to talk about it sometimes—about possession, and starting over in a new life.”

And most satisfying of all—

“What about Dain?”

“Dain… well…”

Her eldest son had become the marquis of Florence. The second son, the second son of the Florence family.

“So only the three of us were possessed?”

Yes. Only the three of them—no second daughter-in-law, Dain.

And the café manager that Seongmin had secretly harbored feelings for wasn’t there either.

That girl had more charm than Dain and might make a better wife, but even she didn’t sit right with Kim Si-eom.

“So both of you are single in this world?”

Oh, how delightful.

Here, she would finally find the perfect daughters-in-law!

“Oh my, what a blessing!”

Kim Si-eom cheered with joy.

***

The Imperial Ball

At a lavish royal ball, Kim Si-eom—dressed in an extravagant gown—accepted a glass of champagne from an attendant.

Through the crystal-clear glass, her razor-sharp gaze scanned the noble ladies across the hall.

Here, it was common to find a match at the ball.

You dance, get to know each other, and fall in love—or something like that.

And apparently, the bride brought a dowry?

Of course. If a man is going to feed and house her for life, she should at least bring money when she arrives.

Satisfied, Kim Si-eom continued her observations.

‘Now, let’s see. Who would be a good match for my boys?’

Before the ball, she’d crammed hard to memorize the noble class hierarchy.

All for her sons’ marriages.

If possible, she wanted a bride from a higher status.

But even if they were from a lower noble house, a girl from a wealthy family with a large dowry would do.

Let’s see, a suitable match for her eldest and youngest…

Just then—

While scanning the room with eyes full of ambition, she spotted her eldest son approaching a young and shy noble lady to ask for a dance.

Kim Si-eom rushed over and smacked his shoulder.

“Hey!”

“Ow! But she’s young and pretty!”

Her eldest, Byungmin, was nearly forty and still chasing girls in their twenties.

She had nagged and nagged him to go for substance, not just looks!

Dragging him to the corner of the ballroom, the Marchioness of Florence pouted.

“She’s from the same marquis family. Young and pretty—what’s not to like?”

“Same marquis? We’re from another world! Do you really think we’re the same? Smart people should match with smart people!”

Just then, someone else asked the girl to dance.

Byungmin scowled.

“Someone else took her! Ugh… I really liked how soft and pale she looked. Mom, you worry about Seongmin instead.”

“Listen. If you’d been born into a better family, I swear you could’ve been a president—or even a king! It’s only because I couldn’t support you more! Both you and Seongmin were geniuses as kids! So you need wives worthy of that, you hear me?”

At that moment, the doors on the second floor of the ballroom flung open.

“His Highness the First Prince and Her Highness the Princess are entering!”

At the announcement, Kim Si-eom’s head whipped around like a hunting hawk.

The girl at the top of her daughter-in-law wishlist had just appeared.

The Princess.

Rumor had it the first prince—favored as the next emperor—deeply adored his sister.

If she married her eldest son to the princess, they’d become part of the imperial family and have the future emperor as a powerful ally.

Reading her mother’s thoughts, the Marchioness’s son muttered,

“Mom, we’re just a marquis house—”

“So what! Aren’t we all nobles?”

Neither of her sons lacked anything. So why were they always shrinking back?

They were just too modest for their own good!

Then—

“Lady Riden McCurry of the Count McCurry family has arrived!”

The chatter that had quieted since the first prince and princess’s arrival resumed with a buzz.

Kim Si-eom’s eyes followed the crowd’s gaze upward.

A stunning noblewoman stood there, dressed in splendor.

Moonlight-colored hair and clear blue eyes. All eyes were on her.

But that wasn’t the shocking part.

The Empress herself stood beside her as a chaperone.

“The Empress? Personally?”

“Who is that lady…?”

Kim Si-eom narrowed her eyes in recognition.

Riden McCurry. She’d thought the Count’s family had collapsed when the couple died suddenly. But rumors said a duke’s house was courting her.

‘Would a duke’s family really want an orphan daughter-in-law for no reason? Of course not—it’s got to be money.’

Yes, that had to be it. So much money that even a duke would be tempted!

So, the princess for her eldest. The count’s daughter for her youngest.

That was Kim Si-eom’s plan.

‘Girls like that—overdressed, uneducated, but rich—they’re easy to handle.’

With a proud tilt of her head, Kim Si-eom prepared to act.

Now that the count’s daughter had arrived, it was time to move.

Before another man could ask her to dance, she shoved her second son forward.

But then—

“Dain…?”

Her son was walking toward the girl like he was under a spell.

“Why’s he looking for someone who’s not even here… Honestly. He’s so sentimental.”

Hearing her second son utter the name of his wife from their past life, Kim Si-eom pouted.

Never imagining that the Count’s daughter… was actually her former daughter-in-law, Jung Dain.

***

“Lady McCurry, may I have the honor of the first dance?”

“Please, dance with me!”

“Even if not the first, may I be on your dance card at all?”

—

“Hah… this isn’t as easy as it looks.”

Dain let out a sigh of relief in the powder room.

Surrounded by suitors, she had escaped the ballroom within five minutes of the ball starting.

Living her second life as a noble lady dressed in only the finest things was no joke.

But—

‘No awful mother-in-law, no creepy brother-in-law, no cheating husband—this life is the best!’

Compared to her old one, this life was glorious.

Just then, a shadow fell over her as she smiled to herself.

“Gasp!”

“M-Mother?”

It was Samantha Kenwolf—matron of the Kenwolf Ducal Family, the most powerful house in the Eastern Empire.

And, once, Dain’s would-be mother-in-law.

“My dear, I’ve been searching for you.”

“For… me?”

“Yes. Has anyone been bothering you again? Like that Marchioness of Florence, perhaps?”

Her smile faded, replaced by a cold glint in her eyes.

Then, as if nothing had happened, she presented a velvet jewel case with an eager smile.

Inside was a dazzling diamond tiara.

But Dain had already broken off her engagement with the Kenwolf family.

‘If I accept this, I’ll never be able to escape!’

Horrified, Dain waved her hands.

“Mother, I’m not yet confident dancing… If I wear such a precious thing and drop it—”

“Oh?”

Samantha tilted her head, feigning confusion.

“If it’s from me, and one of my people breaks it—what’s the problem? I’ll just buy you another.”

That’s definitely a problem!!

Dain screamed internally.

‘I don’t want to be “your” person! Your son is the regretful male lead!’

She thought of Ethan Kenwolf, the male lead of this novel—and the man who almost became her husband.

His deep black eyes that always seemed to regard her strangely…

“We don’t need to get along. This is a political marriage—we just need to give and take what’s required. That’s all.”

Even with such a handsome face, those cold, indifferent words made her determination firm.

And above all—

If her in-laws in the past life were average, the ducal family were the very definition of the word “in-laws.”

She had once barely survived that storm, living with only her mouth above the surface.

Now she had to go through it again? But worse?

Faced with the glowing eyes of her eager mother-in-law-to-be, Dain could only shut her eyes in terror.

Prologue  2

As she walked out of the apartment complex with her laptop sleeve under her arm, Dain’s phone rang.

– Mother-in-law –

The name on the screen made Dain frown.

Since getting married, Dain had been living in the same apartment complex as her mother-in-law.

Every day, her mother-in-law treated Dain’s house like her own and visited without hesitation—probably why this call came.

“Yes, Mother.”

“Are you outside? I came home and you weren’t there. What about Seongmin?”

“Seongmin is working right now, so he’s probably at the café—”

“Did you go to a café other than Seongmin’s?”

The already cold voice sharpened even more.

Dain’s husband, Hwang Seongmin, two years her senior, was the owner of a café.

As a freelance designer, Dain often worked at cafés—but deliberately avoided her husband’s.

Wouldn’t the staff feel uncomfortable with the boss’s wife hanging around?

And honestly, Dain preferred cafés where nobody knew her.

“I didn’t go to another café. I’m on my way there now.”

“You really… sigh.”

The words came out fast like a mutter, but Dain heard everything.

She grew up without parents, so she only thinks about herself—was the clear implication.

Dain quietly bit her lip.

“While you’re sitting comfortably tapping away on your laptop, your husband is slaving away at the café trying to earn a living—and you’re skipping over to other cafés, humming along? Don’t you think being there and helping when it gets busy would be better?”

She disagreed.

Before marriage, and even now as someone’s wife, Dain believed she had the right to choose where she worked.

But three years into marriage, she was exhausted—explanations, arguments, it was all tiresome.

“Yes.”

At least she was lucky.

If she had run into her mother-in-law barging into her home unannounced, she would’ve had to hear the usual nag: why leave the house to work when you can do it at home and save money?

Her mother-in-law begrudged even the coffee Dain bought while working.

“I put some herbal medicine in the fridge.”

“Herbal medicine?”

Dain’s schedule had recently gone haywire, overlapping deadlines forced her to juggle two projects at once.

She had joked about needing two bodies to keep up—but she hadn’t expected herbal medicine for it.

“Mother, thank y—”

“Seongmin’s face has gotten so gaunt lately! That’s what happens when the wife doesn’t take proper care of him. You’re so lucky, Dain. What kind of mother-in-law lives next door and does everything a daughter-in-law should be doing? I mean, really! Are you even listening to me?”

“…Yes, Mother. I’m listening.”

“Ugh, so frustrating. Anyway, it’s in the bottom drawer of the fridge. Don’t forget to give it to Seongmin!”

“Yes.”

“I’m hanging up now.”

Dain stood still, looking down at the ground as kids zipped past her on scooters.

She used to think marriage was a good thing.

That it was about creating new people to love—and that she needed it.

“You idiot, Jung Dain. You’ve still got a long way to go.”

If she could go back in time, she’d smack herself the moment she decided to get married.

“Haa…”

Her sigh lingered in the air long after the kids had passed.

Dain entered the café, greeting brightly.

“Hello.”

“Ma’am, you’re here! Would you like an iced drink?”

It had been three years since she got married, so the café was in its third year too. But she still couldn’t get used to being called “ma’am.”

She laughed awkwardly and replied, “Thanks, Min-young.”

After sipping her latte, she looked around the unusually quiet café.

“It’s quiet today, huh?”

“Ah, yes…”

The always cheerful part-timer Min-young hesitated.

“It’s restock day from headquarters, but something went wrong. So the boss and the manager went out to handle it together.”

“Oh, I see.”

Dain had been referring to the number of customers, but so be it.

They were out for work.

She nodded and opened her laptop, but Min-young continued nervously, as if trying to defend herself.

“As a manager, she should be able to handle things alone in the future—so they said it’d be good for her to go along.”

“Thanks for letting me know, Min-young.”

The former manager had quit, and it had been five months since the new one started.

If they were going to entrust her with the café, she needed to be shown the ropes.

Dain smiled warmly at Min-young, then turned her attention to her laptop.

She had to draw a cover for a romance fantasy novel.

Skimming through the proposal, she opened the attached file—an unreleased copy of the novel from the author.

Title: “No Problem with the Regretful Male Lead”

“Looking forward to it, author.”

Reading at least the beginning helped her capture the character and atmosphere for the cover.

Plus, this was one of her favorite authors. Heart fluttering, she dove into the first line.

“…Oh no.”

She ended up reading the entire first part of the book in one sitting, tears brimming in her eyes.

As the title suggested, it was a story full of misunderstandings and concealed feelings between the heroine and the male lead, ultimately leading to mutual understanding.

There were cathartic moments too, where the heroine boldly stood her ground—it was exhilarating.

“Author, this is amazing. The heroine is so lovable! I’ll draw this really well.”

Unlike Dain’s loveless reality, the novel overflowed with characters and stories she wanted to cheer for.

Having overcome so much, the protagonists deserved to be drawn beautifully.

Dain’s hand glided smoothly over the tablet.

And then—one month passed.

Her husband, mother-in-law, and brother-in-law had gone on a trip together.

Her husband was furious when Dain declined to go.

He accused her of being inconsiderate—his mother would be uncomfortable without another woman, and as her daughter-in-law, Dain should be going.

But with her heavy workload, Dain simply couldn’t.

So the three of them left, and a few hours later, Dain headed to the café to hold down the fort in her husband’s absence.

But—

“Where’s the manager?”

“She… took a week off.”

Her husband’s trip was also a week.

Something felt off.

Dain’s heart dropped as a sense of dread washed over her.

She left the café immediately.

On the run back home, she checked her card’s transaction history.

Her husband had insisted that if she couldn’t join the trip, she should at least pay for it. So she had bought the plane tickets on her card.

When she saw the charges, she thought, “Three tickets sure are expensive,” and hadn’t thought much of it.

Now home, she powered on the computer and clicked the airline’s website from the browser history.

She didn’t know her husband’s login—but luckily, the account was still logged in.

When she pulled up the ticket info, her eyes widened.

Business class – 4 passengers.

The flight hadn’t taken off yet.

She checked the time and immediately called her husband.

She had to know who the fourth person was.

He answered—but the voice on the other end wasn’t her husband.

It was her mother-in-law.

“Of course there are four of us. What, just an old lady and her two sons going on a trip together? That’s strange, right?”

“…Mother?”

“Since you said you were too busy, we brought someone else along. The new café manager—she’s so sweet and capable. Consider it a reward.”

“Mother… What are you saying…?”

She was speechless.

Dain couldn’t even get a word in as her mother-in-law kept talking.

“If a woman doesn’t do her job, of course a man will look elsewhere. That’s just how the world works! Sigh. Let’s talk when we’re back. It’s almost time to board. Hanging up now.”

Click.

The call ended.

“You… you bitch!”

She wanted to scream, “You bastards!”—but her body suddenly swayed.

Her blood pressure had shot up and then crashed.

Dain collapsed onto the sofa like a battery drained dry.

Who knows how much time passed.

Her heart began pounding violently again.

She thought she should drink cold water to pull herself together.

But then—

As she tried to stand, she stepped on the remote and slipped.

Her head slammed into the edge of the table.

A searing pain flared at the back of her head, and her vision blurred.

“…Am I going to die?”

If she died, the cause would be listed as cerebral hemorrhage.

But really?

It should be death from in-law-induced stress.

Blood trickled down, soaking the red carpet into a darker hue.

Dain stared blankly at the scene as she faded.

“…He really betrayed me.”

She had been so blind.

More than the fear of dying, what haunted her was the betrayal of the man she trusted.

Their relationship had grown cold—but she never imagined he’d cheat.

This is unfair.

If she knew she’d die, she should’ve divorced him.

No—never should’ve married him in the first place!

Was building a family worth this?

Was it worth sacrificing herself?

“So… unfair…”

Then, from the TV she’d accidentally turned on while falling, a breaking news report played:

“A passenger plane departing… suffered an accident…”

But Dain didn’t hear anything except a loud ringing in her ears.

And then—she lost consciousness.

~Chapter 1~

Beeeeeep—

The sound, which seemed like it would ring forever, finally stopped.

What followed was a familiar sound—knock knock.

“May I come in?”

So even grim reapers knock before collecting souls these days. How polite.

Yes, please come in, O messenger of hell.

I am ready to pay the price for failing to protect my happiness.

Dain, prepared to be dragged to the afterlife, calmly asked with her eyes still closed:

“What kind of hell will I be sent to?”

“…Excuse me?”

Which is the greater sin—dragging others into misery or abandoning yourself to it?

Dain wanted to believe the latter was lighter, but she wasn’t sure.

“Is my crime severe? How many years will I get?”

“……”

“They say even a village dog can recite poems after three years at the Confucian school. You must’ve been a reaper for a while—any guess? A little tip?”

“…Your crime is very grave indeed.”

Ah. So it’s like that.

As Dain inwardly swallowed her tears at the thunderous response, the voice suddenly snapped:

“You didn’t even touch your dinner! If you’re going to sleep, at least close the window, or you’ll catch a cold. The golden daughter of Count McCurry’s house has to show her future husband that she’s in good health! What, are you going to start coughing the moment you meet the Duke?”

The scolding voice mentioned a name that caught Dain’s ear.

Golden daughter of Count McCurry’s house?

“Riden McCurry?”

Dain’s eyes shot open at her own response.

She sat up in bed and looked around. It was a room in an old-fashioned wooden house.

A middle-aged woman was shutting the window.

“Why are you speaking as if Lady Riden is someone else?”

My name… don’t tell me…

Riden McCurry was the villainess from the novel cover Dain had recently illustrated.

She instinctively reached to the back of her head.

Instead of a dried blood-stained wound, her fingers slipped through long, soft hair.

No way… did I die and enter the novel?!

Riden was the antagonist in “No Problem with the Regretful Male Lead.”

To explain simply: she was the one the male lead was forced to marry due to a family curse, which made her a kind of sedative to calm his violent episodes.

Since she had just read the novel, she remembered everything vividly.

“Hah.”

In the novel, the female lead happens to help the male lead during one of his episodes. Through that, they fall in love.

But due to his family’s situation, he treats her coldly to protect her from misfortune.

Eventually, the male lead is forced into a political marriage with Riden.

The female lead watches his wedding from afar, unable to let go.

The male lead, equally unable to forget her, meets her again and again despite being married.

That’s where he drives both women to madness.

The female lead, because of his cold indifference despite loving her.

Riden, his wife, goes mad thinking the female lead is the reason for their unhappy marriage—and begins to torment her.

Eventually, the female lead leaves him.

Only then does the male lead realize he cannot live without her and confesses everything.

Even if it meant dying from the curse, he begged to stay by her side.

And Riden’s end?

She was cast away after her abuse of the heroine was revealed—scorned by her in-laws and abandoned by her husband.

Dain felt an indescribable mix of emotions.

She had died the day she discovered her husband’s affair and her in-laws’ betrayal.

Now she wakes up in a story where the same fate of scorn and betrayal awaits?

It felt like some sick cosmic joke.

But!

Dain jumped out of bed and ran to the window.

She flung it wide open and took a deep breath.

The evening air of a new world filled her lungs and chest.

Nice to meet you!

This world—the one inside the novel—felt refreshing and full of promise.

She had no lingering attachments to her old life.

She had tried, but there was nothing left to love.

This world, at least, didn’t yet have a wretched mother-in-law or cheating husband.

Sure, that might happen later—but for now, nothing was set in stone.

And Riden was still staying at an inn, which meant the story was still in its early stages.

“You feeling stuffy, milady? Still, I’ll keep the window closed. It’s almost night, and you wouldn’t want evil spirits sneaking in, would you?”

Now that she realized she was inhabiting Riden, she also recognized the woman: the long-time, veteran nanny—Corel.

Dain gave her a warm look and asked,

“Say, Corel. Where’s Lady Hern?”

Corel paused at the question.

“I only saw one dinner prepared—did Lady Hern eat elsewhere?”

In the early part of the novel, the female lead Marie Hern and Riden were on their way to the capital for their debutante ball. They stayed at an inn and shared a room.

But now, Marie was nowhere in sight.

“Lady Hern?”

Corel looked puzzled and responded with something Dain did not expect.

“Milady, Lady Hern returned to her baron family. Don’t you remember?”

Dain was stunned.

The heroine had fled… at the start of the story?

“That’s… not how it’s supposed to go.”

Hours later, Dain sneaked out, having shaken off the nanny. She wandered the dark woods, guided only by a flickering lamp.

Marie, why?!

Tonight, the heroine was supposed to meet the male lead for the first time—after saving his life.

That event would spark their whole story.

But now that the heroine was gone…

Dain had no choice.

I’ll have to save the male lead myself.

Tonight was no ordinary night.

It was known as “Feeding Night”—a night when hungry spirits would consume your soul if you lingered in the dark too long.

To ward them off, people smeared animal blood on their doors.

But Dain marched forward anyway, repeating like a mantra:

Nothing happened to the heroine, so nothing will happen to me either…

She wasn’t afraid of old legends—what terrified her more was the idea of the male lead dying before the story even started.

He must be panicking right now…

With the full moon tonight, it was the worst possible scenario for the male lead.

In the novel, he briefly lost consciousness, only to come to his senses with his favorite dagger in his hand.

The blade, always razor-sharp, was covered in his lieutenant’s still-warm blood.

And the understanding lieutenant, clutching his wounded side, apologized for not stopping him in time.

But the male lead… was not okay.

Yes, he had lost his temper before due to his family’s dark curse.

But tonight was the first time he had blacked out.

Afraid of hurting someone dear, he fled into the forest to isolate himself.

There, he was supposed to run into the heroine, who had also fled Riden’s bullying.

They spent the night talking, and the heroine’s chatter kept him sane.

So where is it…?

The mist began to cling to her skin—she was close.

But still no sign of the male lead.

…!

Suddenly—splash!—a sound of something falling into water.

Dain spun around, holding her lantern high.

A dark lake spread out beneath her feet.

Ripples danced across the water.

“W-who’s there?”

Her voice trembled like a bleating lamb.

As she tried to calm her breath, ripples deepened and then—

A large figure rose from the lake, right in front of her.

Fear gripped her like chains, freezing her in place.

She squinted.

The man emerging from the water was walking toward her.

When he finally stepped into the lantern’s glow, and his face came into view—

Dain gasped.

Beneath the darkness now swept away…

Wet hair clung to his face—and sharp eyes stared right back at her from beneath them.