Because She Had A Time Limit, She Became The Villain’s Daughter-in-law - Chapter 45

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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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Karen was seething with irritation internally.
Her wastrel cousin didn’t matter to her in the slightest—he’d lived a dissolute life and died that way. The last memory she had of him was turning him away at the door when he’d come begging to borrow money before his death.
But the fact that his daughter had married into the House of Icard, one of the Empire’s greatest noble families, was something she absolutely needed to know.
Originally, she’d hesitated because Laria seemed to be languishing uselessly like an unwanted stepchild, but circumstances had changed.
Laria had developed a mild case of lung disease, and rumors began circulating that Duke Icard was lavishing money on a villa for her sake.
‘Regardless of how she managed it, I must exploit this. It’s an opportunity to live comfortably.’
Karen was a cadet branch of a fallen noble house in worse straits than most commoners.
Her cousin with the highest rank had died disgracefully without leaving a single coin. Still, the Rostri Family was a reasonably prestigious noble lineage, so she had no intention of earning money the way commoners did.
‘This is the moment to make my move!’
She was well aware that approaching too obviously for money would leave her with nothing to show for it. So she’d mortgaged her small house, purchased clothes and jewelry to appear quite wealthy, and then descended upon Duke Icard’s Mansion.
‘Surely they won’t turn away the only blood relative who’s come to find Laria?’
She dreamed big. Her best-case scenario was becoming the mistress of House Icard.
Then she could care for Laria like a mother. Duke Icard already had a stable heir, but becoming the mistress would be something at least.
And… if she happened to bear children, who knew what might happen? Even if that didn’t work out, couldn’t she become Laria’s live-in governess?
She had nothing to teach, but simply receiving the highest salary under the title of governess would be sweet indeed.
Naturally, as Laria’s blood relative, she should be assigned a maid, and she’d need to receive the finest room. She disliked going to the villa, but eventually she’d ascend to Duke Icard’s Mansion anyway.
As expected, the guest room assigned to her was spectacularly luxurious.
‘But why is she so ill? Is it really just a minor disease?’
However, whenever she tried to comfort her during conversation, Laria would cough and nestle into her arms.
“Whenever I coughed, my mother would always hold me like this.”
It was true that watching the small, cute child cough seemed pitiful.
“If you hold me, Karen, I think I can feel the warmth of family bonds even more deeply…”
It was nothing serious—just holding her while she coughed a bit. There was no harm in it.
However…
“Excuse me, Karen.”
Less than a day later, Serena, who claimed to be her physician, approached with a serious expression. It was the afternoon when Laria had gone out for a walk with Evan.
At that moment, Karen was leisurely consuming all the finest delicacies in the guest room while Laria was away.
“I heard you’re a relative from Laria’s maternal side of the family.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Karen answered smugly.
“If I’d only known sooner, I would have taken Laria in and wouldn’t have arranged such a hasty marriage.”
“That’s not what I’m asking about.”
Serena spoke firmly.
“Rather, in a recent paper on Laria’s illness…”
At Serena’s next words, Karen nearly spat out her tea.
“There was content stating that it’s contagious among blood relatives.”
“What, what did you say?”
“And if transmission occurs at your age when she developed it at hers, there could be permanent lung damage.”
“…Are you certain? I’ve never heard of contagion of that sort?”
“I am Laria’s personal physician, directly employed by Duke Icard himself.”
Serena’s response was cold, clearly displeased at having her competence questioned.
“I stake my entire medical career on this certainty.”
“Then… if Laria coughs like that while nestled against me, shouldn’t that be prevented?”
“Of course. Coughing in close proximity significantly increases the risk of transmission.”
“Then you should have stopped it immediately!”
“I am Laria’s personal physician, not the physician for every other trivial person.”
Serena shrugged as she answered.
“I determined that coughing while nestled against Karen would be beneficial for Laria’s mental health.”
Karen felt as though the world was collapsing. Just as Serena said, she was a physician directly employed by Duke Icard—the same man who readily purchased even genuine bottles of “Tears of the Verdant”—and there was no way to doubt her words.
“That’s why I won’t tell Laria. But out of my full conscience as a physician, I came to inform the person involved. Well then.”
Serena turned coldly and left, while Karen’s appetite vanished as she set down her teacup.
Not long after, Laria returned from her walk with Evan and came rushing over to embrace Karen.
“Cough, cough, cough!”
“Laria, are you alright?”
But this time, Evan was with her.
“If you want to be held, you should say so… I would have embraced you.”
“Y-yes. Laria, it might make your husband feel hurt.”
Karen spoke hastily, but Laria shook her head.
“No, Evan. I want to be held in the arms of my blood relatives, cough.”
With Evan watching, I couldn’t simply push Laria away. There was no good excuse to give when she wanted to be held by her relative and cough. But still…
“Cough, cough. Cough, cough.”
…I didn’t want to catch lung disease.
“Um, Laria. Just in case, well, if it’s a contagious illness, well, I’d feel so sorry toward you…”
“Well, cough. Serena said it was fine, cough, cough.”
Being a duchess of a great noble house was nice, and being a honey-tongued tutor was nice too, but…
Still, nothing was more precious than life itself. So Karen made her decision.
To choose money now rather than money in the distant future. If she carelessly touched something belonging to the Duke’s household and got caught, she could be traced immediately.
‘But if it’s just a simple substitution…’
She had clearly said she would wear it for the first time at the banquet, so it would take quite a while before Laria noticed, and in that time she could easily flee abroad.
And she had a good excuse. The day Laria departed for Borotna was approaching.
* * *
“I received an urgent message.”
It was the day right before I was to leave.
Karen sighed as though regretfully and spoke.
“A friend is in critical condition and begged me to be there at the end… I’m sorry, but it seems I won’t be able to go to Borotna with Laria.”
I had never intended to go with her anyway, so there was no telling how far she was fabricating this story.
“But I spent several pleasant days with Laria, so that’s enough.”
She had enjoyed herself well enough, playing and eating at the Count’s Manor for about five days and receiving all sorts of treatment.
“Then… farewell…”
Karen greeted me respectfully, dressed exactly as she had been when she arrived.
“Well.”
Duke Icard spoke bluntly.
“It’s unfortunate that Laria has taken to you so well, but if that’s how circumstances stand, there’s nothing to be done.”
I too sighed beside him, my expression growing melancholy.
“Ah… I’ve grown quite fond of her. It’s such a shame.”
“There’s nothing for it. Well then, I shall take my leave…”
It was the moment Karen, unlike her awkward entrance before, bowed hastily and turned to leave.
“Lady Laria!”
The reception room door burst open as Lisa rushed in. She had only just returned from her vacation today.
“Lisa? Without even knocking…”
“The ‘Tears of Verdant Green’ is wrong!”
“What?”
I gasped in surprise, and Lisa thrust the box toward me with trembling lips.
“Serena wanted to see it and was peering at it when she dropped it, and now it has a scratch.”
Serena, well done indeed.
“But diamonds absolutely don’t scratch from a fall from that height. This looks like an emerald. Emeralds damage so easily.”
I trembled and brought my hand to my lips, performing an act of shock.
“And the color is definitely somewhat different from when I first received it…”
I interjected quickly.
“…Isn’t that right, Miss Karen?”
Karen’s face had already gone ashen.
“When you came to the Duke’s Mansion, you wore a counterfeit ‘Tears of Verdant Green’ emerald that looked exactly like this one.”
Evan and Duke Icard already looked as though they knew well enough, but they said nothing.
I continued in a trembling voice.
“You also knew where I had placed the ‘Tears of Verdant Green.'”
To be precise, it was as good as if I had told you myself.
“L-L-Laria, that’s…”
“Since Lisa happened to be on vacation, her room was often empty, making it the perfect opportunity for a switch.”
Having provided that perfect opportunity, she acted exactly as expected. Karen’s eyes darted frantically around the room, but there was nowhere to escape.
“The necklace hanging around your neck now shines quite brilliantly, more than I expected…”
I wiped away tears and continued.
“Surely a relative who came all this way claiming she wanted to take me in wouldn’t betray me twice like this.”
Unable to bear it any longer, Evan sighed. Then he spoke slowly.
“Confess and just quietly disappear.”

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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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