Because She Had A Time Limit, She Became The Villain’s Daughter-in-law - Chapter 159

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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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Side Story 5. The Capital Pacification Era Prequel
Our daughter was healthy, and remarkably, she bore no resemblance to me in appearance whatsoever.
Still, her jet-black hair and jewel-like crimson eyes, pale skin and delicate features were utterly adorable. But her expression held not a trace of gentleness—pure Duke Icard bloodline through and through.
After two months of deliberation, we named her Arienne. In the Carobantes language, it meant “God’s Blessing.”
“Our daughter is naturally blessed with the greatest blessing from God.”
Father, who had mocked the Temple and attempted to use dark magic, spoke with satisfaction.
“Of course.”
Evan, who had never received baptism until age twenty and had even used illegal dark magic drugs, nodded in agreement.
“Absolutely. She’s the most beautiful gift God could give.”
I, who had been given life once more because of a demon, shamelessly concurred.
In truth, Arienne’s name also concealed Evan’s tremendous worry.
Though he was bound by a demon’s contract, he was deeply uncomfortable with demons. So he deliberately gave his daughter a sacred name to ensure no demon would ever approach her. Of course, she received baptism from the High Priest the moment she was born.
‘Anyone looking at us would think we’re a truly devout household….’
Far from devout, our home even harbored a demon’s incarnation.
In the meantime, Olivia and Neo fought tooth and nail. The sight of a white-haired elderly woman and a cat engaging in hand-to-hand combat without yielding an inch was… truly… extraordinary.
“I heard they got along well at first… maybe thirty minutes? But now they’re practically sworn enemies.”
When I spoke with concern, Evan replied calmly.
“It’s not surprising. Everyone entangled with my aunt ended up the same way. But I’ve learned the new fact that even demons are no exception.”
However, Neo did nothing worse than scratch Olivia.
She disliked her, yet couldn’t bring herself to hate her. The reason was honestly that watching them was somewhat entertaining.
And when Arienne’s name was decided, Neo became terribly upset and went back to Sven.
―My name… don’t… sacred… next… disgrace… nooooo.
“Don’t give me a name? Coming after a sacred name is disgraceful?”
Thus, with Neo’s withdrawal, the middle name was decided as “Olivia.”
Of course, Father and Evan wanted to give a third name. But Olivia threw a tantrum, insisting the baby looked exactly like her.
Had she merely thrown a tantrum, Father and Evan would never have agreed. But Olivia immediately sensed their reluctance and lay down next to the baby, declaring she would go on a hunger strike.
Finally, only after I said, “I’m completely in favor,” did they reluctantly agree. In truth, I adored Olivia and was genuinely pleased.
“That’s our Laria! Truly my granddaughter!”
Olivia laughed with delight as if she owned the world, spinning around gleefully.
Some time passed after Arienne’s birth, and Evan inherited the Duke’s title. Father then went down to Podilene. So only Evan and I remained at the Duke’s Mansion.
Yet there was hardly time to feel lonely. Both Olivia and Father visited the mansion frequently, unable to keep their eyes off Arienne.
And as time went on, Arienne….
“It’s truly like watching Olivia’s childhood.”
The oldest servant in Duke Icard’s Mansion testified carefully.
Olivia too, whenever she visited, couldn’t take her eyes off Arienne and said:
“She’s becoming more and more like me.”
Evan and Father made expressions of absolute horror.
But I was delighted that our Arienne was growing into a striking beauty like Olivia. She would surely be much taller than me, with more refined features….
“But thankfully, her personality seems to resemble Laria’s.”
Evan held Arienne close, speaking warily of Olivia.
“She smiles so readily and has such a gentle temperament….”
“Well, Icard children rarely smile much from a young age anyway, so I suppose I must acknowledge that.”
If she truly took after me, whether she was genuinely gentle would only be revealed with time.
‘Perhaps she’ll become an intelligent character who possesses everything….’
Of course, I didn’t bother sharing that thought with anyone else.
“Bwaa, baabaa baabaa….”
Arienne, nestled in Evan’s arms, began squirming to go to Olivia. She didn’t discriminate much with strangers and would smile brightly in anyone’s embrace, but she had a particular fondness for Olivia.
‘Even this alone seems extraordinary.’
In any case, Evan, Father, and Olivia were completely smitten with Arienne and utterly preoccupied.
Evan took photographs almost daily with the camera he had ordered previously, and the servants diligently went to the tower to have them developed.
“This won’t do.”
One day, Olivia suddenly rose to her feet while looking at the mountain of photographs of Arienne that had accumulated.
“I’m going mad with the urge to boast.”
“Pardon?”
Since it was Arienne’s nap time and I had handed her over to her nursemaid, I asked cautiously, seized by an ominous premonition.
“You wish to… boast?”
“Yes. Our Arienne, whose middle name is ‘Olivia’ and who looks exactly like me—I want to show everyone how adorable she is! Especially….”
Olivia exhaled sharply and continued.
“Those worthless nobles in the Capital who used to curse me behind my back, saying I had a terrible personality and was utterly despicable!”
“There were people like that? Who exactly?”
“Nearly all the nobility in the Capital….”
“….”
“No, rather, everyone….”
To be honest, it wasn’t entirely untrue.
“Especially that clique from the Daniac Viscountess’s salon, who gossiped that all I knew how to do was boast!”
Olivia cried out indignantly.
“I want to boast to those insignificant creatures about how beautiful our Arienne is!”
In the end, it was simply that she wanted to boast.
“Those people I despise most! I usually show my face more frequently to those I dislike, but I’ve been forgetting to do so lately, lost in happiness.”
“….”
“I’ve been quiet for quite some time. I think it’s time I went and caused some trouble.”
This was something we couldn’t possibly stop.
Olivia ultimately declared that she would visit the salon uninvited, purely for the sake of boasting.
“I have many grievances with that salon! I’ll go there and boast to my heart’s content!”
Then she strode out of the room, saying she would find out the nearest date and location of the salon’s gathering. Watching her leave, I blinked slightly.
‘That’s strange.’
According to Olivia’s account, she should have caused a scene at that salon every time she came to the Capital. Yet, as far as I knew, that had never happened.
‘Something seems off.’
I hadn’t paid much attention to the salon since it wasn’t currently the mainstream gathering of the Capital’s social circles, but it seemed I should look into it.
“Lisa.”
“Pardon?”
“I’d like to learn about salons right now. How should I go about it?”
Lisa, the veteran exemplary maid of a great noble house, immediately found the answer.
“Ah… I believe there’s someone perfect for this. Please wait a moment!”
Lisa promptly brought Dila, the oldest maid in Duke Icard’s Mansion. She was the very maid who had said Arienne resembled Olivia.
“Salons, you see… they originally began as lectures and developed into social gatherings where people participated in various small-scale events together.”
“But it’s rather unfamiliar to me. Even my mentor, the Eldspie Viscountess, never explained it in depth.”
“They’ve fallen somewhat out of fashion now, and many salons have disappeared. Nowadays, who’s interested in salons besides merchants? But back then, they were the easiest means of forming factions.”
She began her explanation with a nostalgic gleam in her eyes.
“Particularly during Olivia’s generation, salons were at their peak. All the famous salons that remain now are gatherings that have maintained their lineage from that era. In other words, the members are quite elderly.”
That’s why the merchant Simor had focused intensely on salons when selling Redian Kears’s paintings. Fundamentally, they had deep histories and members of considerable age, so their capital reserves were substantial.
“When Olivia was as young as Lady Laria… those truly were the golden days of salons. There wasn’t a single person in the Capital who wasn’t a member of at least one salon.”
“That one person couldn’t possibly be…”
“Yes, it was Olivia.”
Lisa and I both let out a long sigh simultaneously.
“Well, even without being a member of any salon, if there was an interesting lecture or auction, she would simply show up regardless.”
“Is that allowed?”
“Of course it shouldn’t be.”
Then the excursion Olivia was currently planning must certainly be something that “shouldn’t be allowed.” The conclusion was clear. In any case, salons were essentially gatherings of the elderly.
“Among them, regarding the Daniac Viscountess’s salon—could there be something unusual about it?”
“Hmm…”
Dila let out a small sigh.
“…I don’t know the details since it’s a matter among my superiors, but I understand that Olivia brought Matilda from that salon.”
It seemed I hadn’t lost my brain and intuition along with giving birth to Arienne after all.
‘There’s something there.’
After dismissing Dila, I immediately wrote a letter to Sven. Wasn’t the information guild’s original function to uncover information?
* * *
Originally, Calaudin and Olivia were scheduled to return together on the same day to Podillin and Rivien respectively.
However, on the scheduled departure day, Calaudin, who naturally expected to leave the Duke’s Mansion alongside Olivia, found her among the group seeing her off.
“Aunt, aren’t you leaving?”
“No, I’m not.”
“Why not?”
“I have a salon gathering tomorrow. I’ll go there first, then return to Rivien.”
“…A salon? No, how many years has it been since you’ve gone there? Why on earth would you go to a place where the elderly spend their time in peace…?”
“It’s the Daniac Viscountess’s salon. I’m going to show off our Arienne.”
“…I see.”
Calaudin simply nodded quietly at those words. Then, without another word, he boarded the carriage alone.
The Daniac Viscountess’s salon—it was truly a name he hadn’t heard in a long time.
The reason he rode in the carriage rather than on horseback, contrary to his preference, was that Matilda’s thoughts kept threatening to surface. Calaudin quietly closed his eyes and began to reminisce about the past.
Back when they were even younger than Laria and Evan are now.

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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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