Because She Had A Time Limit, She Became The Villain’s Daughter-in-law - Chapter 59

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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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‘In the end, I’m just a disposable card. There’s nothing I can compare to Matilda.’
Because of me, Duke Icard obtained the sacred relic far more easily and quickly than in the original story. It was only a matter of time before he seized control of the Nobility. Once he had Princess Elani in his grasp, his goal would be within reach.
‘But there’s no way he’d let me live…’
Even though I was fully aware of this fact, my spirits sank slightly. Had I grown so attached to the position of Icard Nobleman’s wife that I’d unknowingly surrendered a piece of my heart?
‘A fragment of affection that leaked out without my knowing… I need to reclaim it quickly.’
I pitied myself and gently patted my own shoulder.
‘Oh, poor me.’
The fact that I’d given away even a sliver of my heart was unbearable. This was my nature—I tended to pity my own small sorrows more than others’ great tragedies.
‘No matter how much I claimed to be callous and detached, I turned out to be softer and more sentimental than I thought.’
Therefore, what I had to do from now on was to prepare myself to be utterly ruthless without exception.
I was just reaffirming my original resolve for Plan A.
“Finally, we meet.”
I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I hadn’t noticed someone approaching.
I startled and looked at the man who suddenly plopped down beside me.
“I’ve been looking for you. My desire to talk wasn’t mere words.”
It was Simor, a man with delicate features, smiling prettily.
“I see.”
I spoke coldly.
“My discomfort wasn’t mere words either.”
Though I wore a haughty expression, in truth my entire body tensed before him like someone caught in wrongdoing.
It felt like I’d copied answers to my homework and been called to the teacher’s office. That feeling of dread that everything would be exposed if he asked how I’d solved it.
“I should take my leave. My husband will be looking for me.”
“Just a moment. Then let me ask you one thing.”
What if he asked whether I was a stalker? My timing had always been sharp, but being caught still stung.
“I’d rather not answer…”
“Laria.”
What? Regardless of my youth, could he really call the wife of someone with higher rank by her given name like that?
“Perhaps…”
I stared at him in disbelief, and he offered a breathtakingly beautiful smile as he asked.
“Do you believe in fate?”
Silence fell between us for a moment.
‘Good heavens.’
I’d just heard talk of black magic, and now he was spouting nonsense about fate. What was this… some new heresy? Like those “Do you know the way?” cults?
‘Wait. Was the male lead a cult member? I don’t think there was any mention of that.’
Did he make money off that too?
It seemed he’d done anything profitable, so naturally he wouldn’t hesitate to dabble in heresy.
“My apologies, Baron Ritshuar.”
I answered coldly.
“I believe in nothing but money.”
“As expected.”
Simor’s eyes gleamed with brilliance.
“It seems we are destined for each other.”
“…Pardon?”
“I too am a devout believer in money.”
That was something I already knew.
“Laria.”
“I find it unpleasant when you call my name so casually.”
“Everyone close to me calls me by my name.”
True enough—with that audacity, he had seduced Princess Elani herself. He approached her without hesitation, calling her by name as if it were the most natural thing, when everyone else stammered around her.
Princess Elani found such directness refreshing and let it be. Perhaps that was because she had been born with so much already. Those with sufficient authority understood well that their worth didn’t diminish over mere titles.
Usually, those who had nothing would become more arrogant once they gained authority, as if to justify their newfound position. Of course, that was precisely what I was doing.
“Speak properly. Everyone calls me ‘Laria.'”
“Very well, Laria.”
He asked with ease, unbothered by my stern expression.
“Have you ever read a book called ‘Hanua’s Afternoon’?”
My heart sank, but I quickly played dumb.
“I apologize. I’ve never heard of it. I have no interest in reading.”
“Then do you know of someone named Kail Dart Labonis?”
“I’m not familiar with him.”
Simor’s eyes narrowed.
“Well, even if that’s the case.”
He didn’t seem to believe me entirely. But so what? Do you have proof? Do you have any proof?!
“Just knowing about the Black Horse and Redian Cares is enough for me to…”
He looked directly at me and smiled deeply.
“I have no doubt that you are my destined one, Laria.”
What, what?
I wanted to doubt my own ears.
His destined one? What is this? His destined one is Princess Elani!
“The soulmate I believed could never exist in this world.”
“…Look, Baron. You see…”
Has he lost his mind? What is he saying?!
My heart raced with guilt, and the thought ‘this can’t be right’ began to form.
Is this… the kind of development where after possessing someone, the male lead falls for me instead of the female lead? Does this always happen when you possess someone?
‘But so suddenly, without any context?’
“I’m married!”
“Of course you must dislike Prince Evan. I understand. But couldn’t we continue our relationship in complete secrecy?”
Serena was right. I’d heard that nobles who married for political reasons thought nothing of infidelity.
Wait, in the original work, wasn’t he already in an affair with the princess anyway?
I had tried to steal the male lead’s role, but instead I’d stolen the female lead’s role. On top of that, I was even offered the role of the hidden mastermind… At this rate, it seemed I’d end up playing all the parts.
“We already share a love that Prince Evan could never understand.”
“What? No, what exactly are you sharing? Love? Don’t say such nonsense.”
“But you already said it yourself?”
I was at a loss for words and questioned him back, and Simor blinked as he spoke.
“You said you trust money. Of course, that’s love for money.”
“…What?”
Huh?
I froze in place.
“Our tastes, instincts, and goals all align perfectly. So….”
He spoke with earnest eyes.
“Would you not become my business partner?”
“A business… partner?”
I asked carefully.
He wasn’t calling me a stalker’s obsession, nor was he suggesting an affair by talking about soulmates and destiny—he was actually proposing a business partnership?
“While I do undertake various ventures, most of the time I lack certainty.”
Well, no. Everything you touch succeeds.
“But if I could discuss things openly with you, I believe I could invest with confidence.”
I felt embarrassed at my own momentary confusion. When he spoke of soulmates and kindred spirits, I’d fallen into the common misconception others would make.
‘Simor is a complete capitalist monster—I misjudged him.’
For Simor, such grandiose descriptions would apply to money, never to love.
“What do you say? Would you join hands with me?”
“Hmm.”
I rolled my eyes for a moment.
“For example?”
“As I mentioned, I’ve taken some interest in gemstones lately.”
“…I see.”
“The Founding Festival is approaching. At this juncture, which gemstone would you like to invest in?”
Of course, I knew the answer.
“Ruby.”
“Why? Princess Elani always wears an emerald necklace at the Founding Festival.”
It was common knowledge that Elani favored emeralds.
Whenever Elani appeared at the Founding Festival adorned with emerald jewelry, the price of emeralds would skyrocket instantly. So most gemstone merchants considered it a guaranteed investment opportunity whenever the Founding Festival approached.
“Well, emeralds are used as tools for magic stones.”
I spoke calmly.
“Given the unstable situation in the Riba Kingdom right now, border tensions will likely rise, and demand for magic stones will inevitably explode.”
“Hmm.”
“Princess Elani surely knows this, and being as astute as she is, she’ll naturally think she should wear something other than emeralds this time.”
“But is there any guarantee that other gemstone will be ruby?”
“Ruby has many production sites within the Empire, so we can at least stimulate domestic demand.”
At my flowing explanation, Simor’s eyes sparkled.
“Since she’ll be wearing jewelry not of her preference, there’s a high likelihood she’ll decide in a direction most beneficial to the Empire. Even if all these predictions prove wrong….”
I spoke calmly.
“Emerald is already an investment target everyone anticipates, so it lacks the appeal to rush into.”
“As expected.”
He shook his head with a delighted smile.
“Your thought process is remarkably similar to mine.”
Of course it is. These are your thoughts, after all.
Simor continued speaking, his expression showing admiration for me.
“Furthermore, ruby always has steady demand, so its price holds well. It’s worth taking a chance on.”
Simor spoke without hesitation, as if he’d already determined the answer.
“Well, yes. That’s what I think.”
I nodded in agreement readily, and he broke into a broad smile.
“How about we build our wealth steadily by consulting with each other like this? It would be better than taking risks based on solitary deliberation.”
I fell into contemplation.
It wasn’t bad. Rather than avoiding him out of fear of being caught imitating Simor, wouldn’t it be better to contribute my thoughts from beside him and openly share the results?
In other words, I was saying I’d add my spoon openly, in plain sight.
“Of course, it’s not as though the Icard Nobleman lacks funds, but…”
“What are you saying? You lack the proper mindset about money.”
“It was merely idle talk. There is no such thing as sufficiency when it comes to capital.”
He spoke quickly and showed an expression of greater favor toward me.
“I think I could open my heart to you, Laria. The truth is, lately… it seems people only care about my money…”
His words flowed smoothly.
“It’s quite fulfilling. I think, ‘So I’ve earned that much,’ you know?”
“Well.”
I spoke with composure.
“What meaning could such vast wealth have? Only the meaning of joy, happiness, love, and delight.”
“As expected.”
He smiled softly.
“My soul resonates with yours. So, would you become my business partner?”
Since I had just been thinking about earning money more diligently without losing my original resolve, I nodded slowly.
“I’ll accept that proposal.”
Relying too heavily on the Bestian Information Guild wasn’t ideal. As the saying goes, one shouldn’t put all their eggs in one basket.
Since I couldn’t move freely anyway, having more collaborators was better. And if the other party was Simor, who had sufficient protagonist buffs!
‘If it’s money-related work, he’ll run around with incredible effort, so I can just say a few words and reap the benefits.’
It felt like being in a group with an incredibly enthusiastic and capable group leader…
Moreover, my role here was simply to answer, “Yes, I think so too.” It seemed like it might be more efficient than the Bestian Information Guild, where I had to give individual instructions.
“I’d prefer if this remained between just the two of us.”
“Of course, you’d want to keep it secret from Prince Evan. It could become a burden to House Icard.”
“Right. I naturally don’t want this to surface. I’d really appreciate it if you kept that secret absolutely.”
“Understood.”
Simor extended his hand and smiled brightly.
“I look forward to working with you from now on.”
“What.”
I grasped his hand lightly and smiled for the first time.
“The feeling is mutual.”
And so I brazenly claimed my share of the male lead’s role.

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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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