Because She Had A Time Limit, She Became The Villain’s Daughter-in-law - Chapter 19

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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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“Serena, did you have a good trip?”
Sven immediately asked the question upon seeing Serena return from Duke Icard’s Mansion.
“Yes, it was a good trip.”
Serena answered cheerfully, curling her frizzy red hair around her finger.
“He was quite adorable, actually.”
While Sven stroked the black cat, Serena began reporting on what had happened today.
“But Duke Icard asked me to lie and say I have an illness that will kill me before I turn twenty.”
“Hmm?”
Serena blinked her eyes and continued speaking as if something seemed odd.
“And Duke Icard didn’t seem particularly surprised when he heard that either… Well, since he knew she was sick, he probably decided to assign a personal physician to the little one, didn’t he? What on earth is going on here?”
The more details Sven heard, the more he scratched his chin with interest and laughed deeply.
“I think she’s someone with the potential to eventually control and shake even the Royal Court itself.”
When I first heard that statement, I wondered if this child truly understood the weight of those words.
Marriage was the easiest way to control and shake the Royal Court.
When Duke Icard arranged the marriage between Laria and Evan, opinions among people split into two camps.
The majority thought he wouldn’t be so ambitious and were merely being cautious. A minority believed there was something more calculated at play.
But now it became clear. Laria herself, the actual person involved, belonged to the latter group, and she was thinking that Duke Icard might abandon her. So she was probably planning to escape while pretending to have a limited lifespan.
The Empire did not recognize divorce. Then the easiest way for Duke Icard to abandon Laria would be…
It was surprising that at her age, she had thought that far ahead and was already devising countermeasures.
If she could deceive the great Duke Icard, her acting skills must be quite impressive. The Laria I saw at the racetrack seemed perfectly content with Duke Icard and Evan.
“Extraordinary for such a young age.”
Sven murmured thoughtfully.
“She bears watching.”
Serena finished her report and, after fidgeting with the ends of her hair, looked up.
“If we’re watching her… how far are you thinking?”
“See, perhaps even to our master.”
“What?”
Sven spoke while looking down at the black cat sitting on his lap.
“Neo has reacted.”
Shock flashed across Serena’s face.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Sven spoke with a thoughtful expression.
“Not only did he sit on my lap, but he even purred twice.”
At first, I had only taken interest out of curiosity about the affairs of House Icard, but if Neo, the incarnation of a demon, had reacted, the story was entirely different.
“My goodness.”
“When so many conditions align like this, it’s rare to encounter it again. A noble whom Neo has reacted to…”
Serena also wore a very serious expression.
Neo appeared to be a cute cat, but regardless, he was a demon temporarily staying in the human realm.
Neo’s response meant that the demon and Laria’s wavelengths were aligned. And aligned wavelengths meant there was some connection to dark magic, one way or another.
“I’ll need to observe her carefully from the sidelines.”
“But isn’t she still too young?”
“Ten years is hardly a long time for us.”
“True… it would be rare to find someone with these conditions. Especially since Neo has responded.”
Sven stroked the back of the black cat, Neo.
Neo yawned languidly once, then closed his eyes.
“Her ability to read situations and handle things with a long-term perspective seems innate… but I need to see whether she actually has the nerve to move the board herself.”
“I’ll watch carefully.”
Serena’s eyes sparkled with interest.
“Since I’ll be staying close to her anyway.”
“Good. Observe well. I didn’t assign someone of your caliber for nothing.”
In fact, Serena was also the vice-guildmaster of the Bestian Dark Information Guild. They had been watching House of Icard from the beginning, and it had worked out quite well to naturally deploy a guild member.
But right now, Laria was far more intriguing than the Duke’s true intentions.
“Oh, that’s right. Sven, Laria asked me to pass along a message.”
“What message?”
“When she visited our cafe last time, she noticed a burning smell coming from the rear building… she wants you to look into it.”
“What?”
Sven’s brow furrowed sharply. He was already concerned about a suspicious mage renting the lower floor of the building where his mother lived.
“I banned experiments using fire, but I should check just in case.”
“Yes… you could have overlooked it, but Laria said she considers us precious connections and wants to show her care.”
“…Is that so? Precious connections?”
“Yes. Since she’s practically confined to Duke Icard’s Mansion… she says we’re precious to her.”
“I see….”
Sven stroked Neo while falling into thought. He had thought she was a shrewd and cold child, but she actually possessed such a warm heart that she cared about even these small things.
He found himself naturally wanting to continue this connection.
“Hmm, but somehow I think Laria….”
Serena whispered, narrowing her eyes.
“Will stand out, won’t she?”
Sven touched his chin thoughtfully for a moment. Certainly… creating an alias, buying an estate, feigning illness—it all pointed to one clear intention. Evading suspicion by pretending to be terminally ill, then disappearing.
Given how thoroughly she’s moving, she must have laid out even more meticulous plans ahead.
“Probably?”
“Then… she’ll naturally separate from Evan as well?”
“Right?”
“Phew, that’s good.”
Serena clapped her hands together as she spoke.
“What kind of marriage is it to marry someone at fourteen without even seeing their face… I felt the worst about that, but if she’s planning to leave anyway, she’ll have the chance to meet various men.”
“Don’t meddle unnecessarily. Various men, what various men?”
“You said she could become our master.”
Serena’s face brightened with vitality.
“Why cling to a political marriage destined to end anyway? Perhaps as you learn about each other gradually, a genuine connection could blossom.”
“Enough.”
Sven waved his hand dismissively.
“If Evan truly cared for Laria, there would be real bloodshed.”
“But it’s a political marriage.”
“Duke Icard’s was also a political marriage.”
Sven’s voice turned very serious.
“But if Matilda had done something like this… I don’t even want to imagine it. He would have searched the entire continent to find her.”
“From what I hear, Evan spends all day training with his sword. He doesn’t seem particularly close to Laria…”
“That remains to be seen. Ah… speaking of men, another possibility just occurred to me. There was something strange on our end too.”
“Something strange?”
“A Commoner Youth came by, claiming he was the one who won money on Black Horse.”
“Hmm?”
“And he said he wants to purchase the Hanua Estate along with a title using that money.”
“My?”
“Since he didn’t have enough funds, he could only buy the remaining estate that Laria didn’t purchase. But when I heard that half of it has already changed hands, I was rather taken aback.”
“Is he handsome?”
“Quite presentable.”
Serena withdrew her fingers from her hair and furrowed her brow seriously. Two people who had won money at the same racetrack were now making identical moves in the same location.
“…Doesn’t it seem like Laria has acquired an incredibly competent stalker? Someone who’s copying her every move exactly.”
“Well… that’s the most likely possibility, but we should keep watching. Report this to Laria and see how she takes it.”
“Yes, I’ll make my own judgment.”
Serena spoke slowly, her green eyes gleaming.
“To see if she’s truly the person Sven has been waiting for all this time.”

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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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