Because She Had A Time Limit, She Became The Villain’s Daughter-in-law - Chapter 175

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

* * *
Matilda and Esther were having tea time in the Rose Garden.
When Laria arrived with Evan, Matilda smiled brightly and waved her hand.
“My goodness, Laria! I hear you’re making your debut?”
Esther added to Matilda’s words while sipping her tea.
“It’s going to be absolutely magnificent and grand. We’ll make it a major event in the Capital Social Circle. Every nobleman will attend.”
“Ah… Every… nobleman?”
Laria didn’t miss the moment Matilda’s expression stiffened slightly. Of course, Esther, unaware of Matilda’s hesitation, continued excitedly.
“So Matilda, I want to make Laria look absolutely beautiful that day. Which clothing shop should we trust with it?”
Matilda examined Laria carefully, then answered with a bright smile, treating it as her own matter.
“The most popular place these days is the Ebinart Atelier, but their accounting seemed a bit off. The actual fabric quality was subtly different from what was advertised. Honestly, it was practically fraudulent.”
“My, really? But quite a few noblewomen have their dresses made there, don’t they? Lately everyone’s been wearing that strange lace unique to the Ebinart Atelier.”
“That’s why I inquired about something with Madame Ebinat… and she made me out to be a strange person in front of her regular clients.”
“Is that so? Then Ebinart won’t do. Of all things, a place that plays games with money is absolutely out of the question. And frankly, I don’t like that they use such distinctive lace either. It feels like they’re designating cliques through clothing.”
Esther reacted sensitively to the word “money” and immediately shook her head. However, Laria immediately grasped what was important in Matilda’s words and asked subtly.
“If you mean Madame Ebinat’s regular clients, are you perhaps referring to the Lespeia Ducal House circle?”
“Ah, well, yes.”
Matilda murmured as if embarrassed, then immediately changed the subject and added brightly.
“I think the Sorodale Boutique or Stiart Atelier would be good. The Sorodale Boutique does prefer rather revealing designs, but their designs are so elaborate that….”
“Stiart would be better.”
The one who interrupted Matilda’s words was Evan.
Matilda tilted her head as she looked at her son’s stiff face.
“Evan? You’re free to go, but today’s tea time topic isn’t something you’d find interesting.”
“I’ve always been quite interested in dresses.”
“… You can’t even tell the difference between lace and ribbons. That was just yesterday.”
“I’ve decided to take an interest starting today.”
Just then, a maid brought tea for Laria and Evan, and the conversation paused briefly.
Laria habitually placed the sweetest ganache from the afternoon tea set in front of Evan, then spoke to Matilda.
“Then I’ll try visiting Stiart! I remember seeing a dress that Miss Orne had made there last time, and I liked it.”
“Good, Laria. Let’s go together with your mother later. Now, what about accessories? We should probably have everything made new, don’t you think? Once we decide on that, it’ll be easier to match the dress color.”
Esther also agreed enthusiastically, and when the topic of accessories came up, Matilda chuckled and leaned forward toward Laria.
“Speaking of accessories… Laria, is there perhaps a young gentleman you have your eye on?”
“Pardon?”
“Where I used to live, there was such a tradition. At a debut, if you wear a jewel that matches the eye color of a young gentleman you favor, that love will be fulfilled.”
“My.”
Laria smiled with amusement.
Esther burst in with a giggle at those words.
“That’s right, Laria. You get plenty of letters from young gentlemen. If there’s someone among them you like, let’s match it to that. Who knows? A proposal letter might arrive from that man the very next day?”
Esther, speaking cheerfully, suddenly stiffened her face and murmured.
“Come to think of it… your father proposed to me the day after my debut. Blast it.”
The atmosphere suddenly became solemn.
Esther sighed and pressed her forehead with her hand.
“This is my karma for marrying for money alone….”
As Matilda began comforting Esther again, Laria’s debut was momentarily sidetracked from the subject.
Laria shrugged her shoulders and was about to place a macaron in front of Evan when she looked at him in surprise.
“Evan? You haven’t eaten any of the ganache?”
I had assumed Evan, who loved sweets, would have already finished all the ganache, so this was quite unexpected.
Evan furrowed his brow and asked.
“…Do you get a lot of letters from the viscounts? Who sends you the most?”
“They’re all just ordinary people, you know. You know I’m an influential figure in the Social Circle.”
Laria spoke casually and then observed Evan’s complexion.
“But what’s wrong with you? Why haven’t you eaten anything?”
The frown on Evan’s face, which had been forced into a formal smile beside Laria, now became positively menacing.
However, Laria knew his character was somewhat better than his expression suggested, so she remained unfazed and offered him a macaron.
“If you don’t like ganache, eat this instead. It’s delicious.”
Laria even placed the macaron directly into Evan’s mouth.
In fact, it was nothing out of the ordinary for Laria, and neither Esther nor Matilda noticed Evan’s ears turning bright red as they cursed Rostri Count.
“You eat some too.”
“Alright. I heard that Cafe Erelin, which opened a few days ago, was established by a famous chef from the Royal Court. Would you like to go sometime? I really want to try their macarons since they’re supposedly delicious. They don’t do takeout and the reservation wait is enormous, so it’ll probably be difficult to go for a while. But Evan.”
Laria rambled meaninglessly before lowering her voice and asking quietly, away from Esther and Matilda.
“Have there been any other recent visitors to Matilda besides us?”
“Hmm…. The Sebrun Count’s family and the Dietrin Marquis’s family? Now that I think about it, there haven’t been many visitors recently.”
At those words, Laria’s eyes rolled for a moment.
Evan chuckled softly as he gently tugged at her hair.
“What are you thinking about? What are you plotting now?”
“Plotting? I’m just… trying to understand something.”
Laria genuinely adored Matilda. I appreciated that she was bright and warm, and I highly valued her thoroughness and sense of justice in overlooking the irregularities of the Clothing Shop. Moreover, as Esther’s only friend, she cherished me like a beloved daughter. Even if I had become an orphan in my childhood, she would have embraced me without any ulterior motive—a second parent far more trustworthy than most relatives.
Furthermore, as the future shadow ruler of the Social Circle, I couldn’t simply ignore this.
‘Her expression clearly hardened when she heard that all the nobles would attend my debut, and the number of people visiting has noticeably decreased.’
It seemed that a faction within the Social Circle, centered around Madame Ebinat, had appeared to trouble Matilda, and as the future shadow ruler of the Social Circle, I couldn’t let this pass.
“But Laria.”
Evan asked seriously after finishing all the macarons.
“So which viscount receives the most letters?”
“Why does it matter to you?”
Laria sipped her tea indifferently and shrugged.
“You don’t even send me letters anyway.”
Evan’s words caught in his throat. Now that he thought about it, he had never written a letter to Laria.
Letters were typically written to check on someone’s well-being or maintain a relationship, but since Laria and Evan saw each other frequently, there was no need to think about such things.
Seeing that Evan’s face was still rigid, Laria asked mischievously.
“What, are you worried your sister will marry first?”
“What?”
“Don’t worry. I have no intention of marrying based solely on the flood of proposals that will come after my debut. I’m not that foolish.”
Laria laughed softly and reached up to ruffle Evan’s hair with her small hand.
“Do I need to live like Mother? If I don’t marry, then I simply won’t.”
“Yes, Laria!”
Esther interjected like a bolt of lightning at those words.
“You don’t have to marry at all. If it would make you unhappy, absolutely don’t do it! Either find yourself a man as excellent and dependable as Matilda has, someone who truly loves you, or else marry your fortune instead!”
Laria nodded brightly, as if she understood perfectly, her smile radiant.
It was Laria’s habit to always smile in front of Esther. She deliberately brightened her demeanor, fearing that if she herself appeared gloomy because of her parents’ discord, it would only trouble Esther further.
And Evan gazed at Laria’s profile for a long time.

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