Because She Had A Time Limit, She Became The Villain’s Daughter-in-law - Chapter 13

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Evan watched me prepare to leave early in the morning, his lips moving silently, but he didn’t actually say anything. He could have casually asked where I was going, yet no questions came.
‘Well, he’s always been indifferent anyway.’
This was his original character—a man who showed no interest in what his wife did.
“Evan, what are you doing today?”
Still, I couldn’t bring myself to pretend I didn’t know him while we selected clothes from the wardrobe together.
“You’ve been at the Library constantly lately, so you’re going there again today?”
No matter what I asked, his response would be calm and measured, so there was no burden in striking up conversation.
“I’m going to meet the Knight Commander.”
“Hm?”
“I’ll be starting at the training grounds tomorrow.”
I’d heard that typically one had to be at least fifteen years old to begin training grounds.
“Already?”
“I just… like swords.”
“Is that so?”
Seeing this indifferent boy actually say he “liked” something made it seem genuine. Even though he emptied his dessert plate every morning, he always shook his head when asked if he enjoyed sweets.
“I didn’t know that. But then shouldn’t you make a good impression on the Knight Commander?”
“What…”
“Then wear something more dignified. How about this vest?”
I pulled a gray vest from the wardrobe and smiled softly.
[Choosing clothes for him when he had an important appointment.]
Being kind to Evan was incredibly easy. After all, wasn’t I starting with the answer already known?
Though he would likely remain indifferent to me as his wife, there was a certain joy in these small moments of caring for him.
I had been gentle with him out of pity, knowing he wasn’t being loved, but recently I found the Evan who wore an expression of “not disliking” things to be endearing.
I watched him silently take the vest I’d chosen, and I smiled to myself with satisfaction.
‘How cute…’
After I dressed appropriately as well, I left the Count’s Manor. Two escort knights and Lisa, my maid, accompanied me into the City.
‘It wouldn’t make sense for me to go out alone anyway.’
I wasn’t unaware that what they called attendance was actually surveillance.
I wandered around dress shops, toy stores, stationery shops, and jewelry stores, asking about various things but purchasing nothing.
By the time even Lisa and the escorts grew bored and weary, I headed toward the most famous Dessert Shop.
Their ganache was so popular that only one per person could be purchased. Even so, the line was extraordinarily long, and I was informed we’d need to wait at least another hour.
“Since Evan enjoys sweets, let’s buy some to take back.”
I said this while standing at the end of the line.
“It’s one per person, so everyone needs to get one. Understood?”
“Should I mention that you’re the young lady of House of Icard? Then perhaps we could receive them without waiting in line.”
“If we skip the line, we’d receive curses along with the dessert. I don’t want to bring the House of Icard into disrepute for no reason.”
Lisa scratched her chin regretfully but didn’t argue against my righteous decision.
After we’d stood in line for about twenty minutes.
“C-cough, cough!”
I coughed urgently and brought a handkerchief to my mouth.
Lisa, who knew well that I occasionally coughed up blood, rushed to support me in alarm.
“Young mistress! Are you alright?”
“Cough, cough! Cough! I’m, I’m fine! Cough! It’s okay….”
I grasped Lisa’s arm and breathed heavily in panic.
“I, I… need the restroom….”
“I’ll go with you!”
“No, you can’t! Cough, cough! Even if I don’t get any… cough! I need at least three.”
Lisa fidgeted helplessly, but I shot a fierce glare at the guards as well.
“I’ll go to the restroom and come back. You must bring them without fail.”
“But….”
“If you only bring one for Evan, I won’t eat any. We need at least three so the three of us—me, Evan, and Father—can share together. We’re going to have tea time together.”
I stopped coughing and spoke in a perfectly logical and measured tone.
“If even one person is missing, that one person ruins our tea time. Would you still go with just me and one other person?”
“That, that is….”
“If our tea time is ruined, then the family bonds we’ve rebuilt since visiting the Racetrack will shatter too. After all, the second time is always more important in human relationships.”
“Hmm….”
“Then we’ll gradually grow distant and become cold to each other, and the relationship between Evan and me will also drift apart,”
“Ah….”
“And then there will be no heir, and eventually the line will be cut off. The history of House Icard will end.”
“….”
“It’s all because you couldn’t buy ganache while following me to the restroom.”
“That, that is….”
“Cough! Coooough! Cough cough!”
The two guards and Lisa exchanged glances and sighed.
“Cough! Co, cough! So I’ll, cough! go to the restroom and wait ahead there, cough! Let’s meet over there….”
I roughly pointed to the back of a crowded line and quickly slipped away.
Once I was completely out of their sight, I swiftly turned down an alley and began scanning my surroundings. Now I needed to prepare to make my escape properly, and there was an appropriate place nearby that could cover my tracks.
‘A dark cafe with no proper sign, just an ugly horse statue standing in front… Ah, there it is!’
I found the place I was looking for without much difficulty.
I pushed the door open without hesitation and entered.
“Who is it?”
An old man sitting alone at a dilapidated table, with no other customers around, asked grumpily while nodding off.
“I’m looking for Sven Bestian.”
I held up a newspaper from the table. On the front page was a headline reading “Black Horse Syndrome – Who is the Owner of These Remarkable Odds?” with photos of two people in profile.
I pointed to my photo in the newspaper, which showed an innocent smile, and thrust my face forward.
“Tell him this is me. Then he’ll want to meet me right away.”
The old man immediately stood up and headed to the kitchen, then soon politely guided me inside.
* * *
Evan was in private conversation with Knight Commander Ludba di Carto.
The House of Icard’s knight order uniforms came in two designs: black or blue.
However, the blue uniform design was so overwhelmingly poor that every knight except Ludba wore the black uniform.
Because Ludba alone wore only the blue uniform, he was called “Ludba of the Blue Uniform.”
With brown hair and black eyes, he had served as vice-commander of the House of Icard’s knight order for a long time. Then he became commander while Evan was at the Academy.
Once he became commander, the blue uniform made him stand out even among crowds of people.
And because of this, the blue uniform became something no one else would wear except him.
“I see. So you wish to begin sword training starting tomorrow.”
Ludba’s black eyes regarded Evan carefully.
“That’s right. Young Master, you will need to work very hard indeed.”
Evan’s brow furrowed slightly.
He had been first place in the juvenile sword competition. Hard work was expected, but it was not a word the future commander of the House of Icard’s knight order should casually utter to someone beneath him.
Just as he was about to retort, Ludba’s indifferent voice continued.
“Because the Young Master caused the Lady’s death.”
At those words, Evan froze entirely.
“And the Duke has become truly unhappy. The atmosphere of the Count’s Manor has become dreadful as well.”
I naturally knew everyone whispered such things behind my back, but this was the first time I’d heard it said so openly.
“It’s all because of the Young Master.”
Evan suddenly felt his breath catch. His chest grew tight.
“You understand, don’t you?”
The moment I recalled my mother Matilda, who had passed away giving birth to me, my body stiffened.
I had heard that when Matilda was the Duchess at the Count’s Manor, the atmosphere was completely different from now.
They said Matilda was a warm person, like sunlight on a spring day. Just having a few conversations with her would lift everyone’s spirits.
Duke Icard and everyone in the Count’s Manor loved her deeply.
But after her death, everything changed. The atmosphere of the Count’s Manor grew dark and gloomy, and Duke Icard began clinging obsessively to power like a madman.
Of course, he didn’t appear happy doing so.
They said he had never been the type to stake his life on wealth and power from the beginning.
Growing up under Duke Icard’s neglect, I had heard the servants whisper such things since childhood.
Then I was sent to the Academy, so I had more than enough to infer what my significance was to this manor and to Duke Icard.
Ludba’s words continued.
“So the Young Master must never be happy.”
Without realizing it, my hand, which had been reaching to adjust my gray vest, stopped.
“You’ve made the Duke so lonely.”
When Laria chose my clothes for me… honestly, I felt a bit happy.
But thinking of the Duke, who would have to choose his clothes alone, I suddenly felt guilty.
“There is nothing better than sword training to clear your mind and strengthen your body. From now on, you will come right before breakfast and stay until evening.”
Having breakfast with Laria was nice too, but…
Suddenly thinking of the Duke, who would eat breakfast alone every day since my birth, Evan slowly nodded his head.
“…I understand.”
Evan enjoyed sword training, but not to the point of doing it all day.
Still, he had no choice but to answer that way. No matter how high his nominal status was, he was only thirteen years old.
No one had ever openly stated that the Count’s Manor had fallen into this state because of him.
So Evan had only harbored such thoughts alone all this time.
But hearing it spoken directly by another person dealt a tremendous blow. He could only shrink before someone pointing out his trauma head-on for the first time.
“You must grow quickly and become a source of strength for Duke Icard. That is all you need to do.”
At Ludba’s words, he cast his gaze downward.
“If you have any sense of shame, you cannot turn your eyes elsewhere.”
Evan, who had spent more time at the Academy than at the Count’s Manor, could not bring himself to deny those words. Especially since they were facts he already knew.
When Laria first saw him, she had smiled first, saying “let’s live happily together,” and he thought the Count’s Manor might change somewhat.
Certainly, the everyday life spent with her was good. But that was something he shouldn’t do. Because of him, his father and mother had parted ways forever, and if he got along well with Laria, everyone would blame him just like Ludba did.
“You must.”
Evan gripped his sword tightly.
“Spend your entire life in the shadow behind Duke Icard, and be as miserable as he is.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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