Because She Had A Time Limit, She Became The Villain’s Daughter-in-law - Chapter 74

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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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11. Removing Rosalin
The next morning, I woke refreshed and had breakfast with Evan for the first time in a while.
“I’ll take you to the Training Grounds.”
With nothing particular to do, I walked Evan to the Training Grounds as a pleasant stroll. The servants who saw us walking side by side broke into smiles.
They whispered things like, “The atmosphere between Evan and the Duke is different when Laria is here,” and such.
After stopping by the Mansion Garden and even eating an Occlasia Fruit, I was contentedly wandering through the Manor when I decided to return to my room.
“That won’t do.”
I had just turned the corner of the corridor when I heard Lisa’s troubled voice and stopped.
“This was a gift the Duke gave to Laria…”
“Then what about that one?”
“That as well.”
“Everything here belongs to the Duchess?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Lisa answered firmly.
“The Duke purchased all the items the Duchess favored at the Villa in duplicate, so I’m afraid I cannot give them to you even if you wish for them. I hope you understand.”
“Then there are two of them anyway.”
I peeked around the corner to see who was speaking.
“Since I’m leaving one at the Count’s Manor anyway, what’s wrong with moving mine to my room ahead of time?”
Rosalin was pressing Lisa with narrowed eyes.
“…It’s not about moving it ahead of time. These belong to Laria in the first place…”
“After all, she only got her position because she’s Matilda’s friend’s daughter.”
Hmm.
I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes.
“But I’m closer to Matilda than she is.”
“However…”
At the mention of Matilda’s name, Lisa flinched.
“The fact that you’re so firm with me suggests you weren’t on good terms with Matilda, were you?”
“That’s not quite it…”
“Then why are you like this with me? I’m the only blood relative of Matilda here.”
Lisa couldn’t bring herself to answer that.
I couldn’t let Lisa be troubled any further. I turned the corner and revealed myself.
“Hello, Rosalin.”
My instincts were bad from the start. As the saying goes, you can tell everything from one thing, and I’d felt uncomfortable since she tripped me up when I first arrived.
“Is something the matter?”
“Oh, hello.”
Rosalin pointed to a jeweled vase displayed beside the corridor and spoke.
“I thought it was quite beautiful, and I wanted to place it by my window.”
“Ah…”
Lisa shook her head subtly from behind Rosalin, clearly signaling that I should absolutely not give it to her.
“But the maid refused, which disappointed me. If Matilda were still alive, she would have naturally given me such a vase without hesitation.”
Her blue eyes gleamed with confidence. It was painfully obvious she regarded me as nothing more than a trivial child. That’s why she wore such a virtuous expression and behaved so demurely in front of the duke, yet showed her true colors before me.
‘A typical two-faced creature.’
Strong with the powerful, weak with the weak, feigning kindness for her purposes while harboring nothing but greed within.
But… you’ve made a grave mistake. In this domain, I’m the one who fits that description.
“Ah… yes, of course.”
I forced strength into my gaze and answered with apparent hesitation.
Sad thoughts, sad thoughts.
If Princess Elani happened to wear an emerald necklace contrary to the original story, my entire fortune would vanish into thin air. The mere thought brought tears to my eyes.
“That’s right…”
Lisa’s mouth fell open in sympathy. It seemed other maids and servants were watching this spectacle from the far end of the corridor.
“If there’s anything you desire, please feel free to take it, Rosalin.”
I fidgeted with my fingers and lowered my gaze.
“After all, I’ve only received more than my share…”
How dare she act this way toward me, someone with maxed-out intuition, acting, and public opinion manipulation.
If Duke Icard was the hidden hand of the Empire, then I was the hidden hand of this household. It was time to teach this girl what happens when she thoughtlessly touches little Laria.
“Thank you.”
Rosalin nodded triumphantly after seeing my pitiful appearance. She clearly regarded me as an easy opponent.
“By the way, Duchess.”
She smiled wickedly and looked at me.
“I heard there’s a family dinner this evening.”
“Ah, yes.”
Since I’d arrived yesterday, I was scheduled to dine with Olivia, Duke Icard, Evan, and myself. This particular combination was unprecedented, but it was indeed a family dinner.
“Would it be possible for you to invite me? Since I share blood with the young lord, I suppose I could be considered family as well.”
“Yes, of course.”
I had already planned to invite her myself, so this worked out perfectly.
“I’ll arrange it.”
My transmigrator’s instincts were screaming. This girl wasn’t just anyone. If she truly had nowhere else to go, she couldn’t possibly make demands so boldly and confidently.
Because in my past life, I had genuinely experienced having nowhere to go. Without some backing, such behavior would be impossible.
‘Could she be… someone targeting me?’
No one knows what I’ve done, but there are people who went to prison after trying to harm me.
As I wiped my tears and smiled, Rosalin extended her hand.
“Do your best, Duchess.”
What? Wait. This arrogant, patronizing attitude—what is this?
“I have a feeling we’ll get along well from now on. Let’s continue being on good terms like this.”
Hmm. In other words, if I continue acting like a pushover, she’ll be lenient with me.
‘This girl came here with some purpose, but according to my remarkable instincts, it doesn’t seem like I’m her target.’
I smiled weakly at Lisa’s regretful expression, then personally picked up the vase and handed it to Rosalin. I could see servants whispering in the distance, all straining to hear our conversation.
“Of course… You are Matilda’s blood relative, after all.”
I smiled in the most pitiful way possible.
“As you said, there’s no one in this manor who would be more recognized as family than you.”
Rosalin hadn’t said such things, but rumors were about to spread among the servants that “Rosalin told Laria she deserved greater recognition as family.”
‘Rumors always grow bigger when you give them a sensational headline.’
“Then I’ll see you at dinner.”
I bowed politely, met Lisa’s gaze with a melancholy smile, and passed by Rosalin.
“Cough, cough.”
I made sure to add a few coughs to the performance.
‘If not me, then what could she be after? Who else could be her target?’
Well, it wasn’t really my concern what others did, but there were aspects of this situation that irritated me.
The way she’d questioned my origins when arriving at the manor, how she’d coveted my jade vase, and now her disrespect toward me.
I’d always been generous with myself and merciless with others.
‘Does she really think she can sell my credentials and slip into this manor so easily?’
So I made my decision swiftly. I would expose every detail of her true identity and drive her out, regardless of whether she intended to harm me.
I discovered what Rosalin truly wanted that very evening, during the family dinner.
* * *
Rosalin entered the dining room with confidence.
Calaudin, Evan, and Olivia regarded her with calm eyes, as if they’d already heard the news.
“You’ve arrived.”
Only Laria greeted her with a somewhat pitiful smile.
“Yes, I’m afraid I’m the last one here. My apologies.”
Rosalin smiled back at her, then took the final seat.
With her seated, the servants began bringing out the food. The servants’ glances seemed somewhat unfavorable as they moved back and forth, but it didn’t matter to her.
Whenever she mentioned being “Matilda’s blood relative,” everyone grew uncomfortable and granted nearly every request she made. It couldn’t be otherwise.
Her red hair cascading to her waist, her blue eyes, and her white dress bore a striking resemblance to Matilda in her childhood.
Rosalin had groomed herself meticulously so that everyone who saw her would think of Matilda. She’d even added a beauty mark on her right cheek to mimic Matilda’s charm. And it was certainly effective.
‘Even Duke Icard flinched when he first saw me.’
The insignificant ones weren’t worth her attention anyway.
For example, someone like Laria—a girl with nothing but a pitiful appearance—hardly deserved consideration. Most people with her lung disease were away at sanatoriums, and while her complexion wasn’t particularly poor, she was clearly unremarkable.
“That girl Laria seems odd. She has no background, no abilities, and she’s always sick, yet somehow she brings good fortune with her. That’s why she’s apparently quite favored in House Icard.”
The way she prostrated herself before her proved she was spineless and good at reading the room—a perfect fool.
It seemed she was favored because of her cute appearance, her fidgety movements, and her appropriate sense of propriety. But it was only a matter of time before she’d be overshadowed by herself, who would soon become the true power in this manor.
Each time a dish arrived, Rosalin picked out the vegetables with her fork. Every time she did, she felt Calaudin’s gaze settle upon her.
Evan and Laria, who’d never seen Matilda, wouldn’t understand, but everything was Matilda’s habit. Ultimately, Calaudin wouldn’t be able to let her go.
“You really do resemble Matilda quite a lot.”
Olivia stared at Rosalin as she spoke.
“How does a distant cousin look so much like a daughter?”
“That’s a compliment, isn’t it? My parents always said Matilda was the most beautiful in our family.”
Rosalin answered with a bright smile.
“As I grew up, everyone said I looked like Matilda had come back to life. They said Matilda would have adored me if she were still here, and they regretted it deeply.”
A brief silence fell over the table. Since Matilda’s passing, her name had rarely been mentioned so openly during a meal. Evan in particular seemed to lose his appetite, setting down his fork.
Then, Laria, who had been quietly eating, gently smiled and interjected.
“I see. Then you must have known from childhood that you were someone worthy of being loved at Duke Icard’s Mansion. Welcome.”
Rosalin laughed inwardly with satisfaction. She was beginning to understand why someone who carefully selected only the words she wanted to hear had adapted so well here.
“I’ll make sure you’re comfortable here. It’s nice having someone my own age arrive, too.”
After I’d been a bit dismissive earlier, she seemed to have made up her mind to rely on me completely.
At Laria’s words, Olivia sighed and muttered, “That kind girl…”
“Could you stay at the mansion until I return to Borotna? If this place is inconvenient and you’d like to leave soon, perhaps we could go together to Borotna’s Villa…”
Ah, she’d been saying such pleasant things, but that was going too far.
Rosalin, who had no intention whatsoever of going to that countryside, quickly interrupted Laria.
“No, it’s not inconvenient at all. I want to stay for a long time.”
“But… by custom, people our age don’t stay as guests for long. Since I’ve also lost my parents, I can’t help but sympathize…”
Laria rolled her violet eyes and added pitifully.
“Isn’t there a good way?”
Rosalin’s mind raced quickly. Originally, she’d planned to let the words come out naturally and slowly, but she didn’t want to miss this opportunity for such active support.
Especially since Calaudin cherishes Laria so much… If Laria pressed forward with this momentum and made an earnest request, things might go faster and easier than expected.
“Well…”
So Rosalin answered slowly.
“Since you’ve taken the position of Crown Princess, for me to stay here, I would also…”
I wished she would pick up on the hint and finish my sentence quickly, but Laria genuinely looked confused.
“I would also need to take the Icard name…”
At those words, Olivia’s brow furrowed, but after looking between Rosalin and Calaudin, she sighed and said nothing.
Even after I’d said this much, Laria stared at me with expectant eyes, as if she still didn’t understand.
Finally, Rosalin spoke slowly.
“Like becoming an adopted daughter…”

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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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