Because She Had A Time Limit, She Became The Villain’s Daughter-in-law - Chapter 77

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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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‘I’ve certainly done something that pleases him. I deserve to be loved here.’
Rosalin smiled contentedly, wearing the luxurious dress Laria had sent her.
‘I should treat her well later too. How does she manage to stand in line so perfectly?’
It certainly seemed to be the finest garment among everything Laria possessed. She’d even sent an abundance of jewels, and they were all so beautiful that I was at a loss deciding which ones to wear.
‘Ah, this is truly wonderful. It would be even better if I became a duchess.’
The Capital, which I was visiting for the first time in my life, was bustling wherever I went, and Duke Icard’s Mansion was dazzlingly magnificent.
As Rosalin gazed contentedly at herself in the mirror, the tailor who had been adjusting her dress suddenly spoke.
“The Duke has sent a message.”
“…Pardon?”
The tailor, who had been silently adjusting her dress, was someone Laria had urgently arranged through the physician.
“I mean to say that I was sent by Duke Orlando. I was dispatched urgently regarding the special seating for the National Foundation Festival.”
Rosalin looked at the tailor in surprise and quickly responded.
“What is it?”
“Previously, Duke Icard and Matilda sat side by side in the special seating at the National Foundation Festival, and they brought chocolate at that time.”
The tailor quickly pulled a box of chocolates from her large bag and handed it to her.
“Take this with you and open it when the Emperor offers his congratulations.”
“Understood. Do I just eat it?”
“Of course, you must offer the first chocolate to Duke Icard. The message is: ‘I brought this thinking it might be tedious—would you like some?'”
“Understood.”
Rosalin accepted the box of chocolates.
The tailor glanced around and spoke again.
“Have you been observing carefully? Is there anything to report regarding Laria Icard? He’s most curious about that.”
“Oh, she’s just someone who does things to be loved and gets loved—a foolish sort.”
Rosalin spoke with a boastful tone.
“She understands her place well and clings desperately, plus she’s good at reading the mood. She doesn’t seem like someone worth being cautious about, and she’s rather kind and easy to handle.”
“I see. I’ll convey that for now. Is everything proceeding smoothly? Should you need additional assistance…”
“No, it’s all easy.”
Rosalin answered with confidence at the tailor’s kind words.
“I just need to act like Matilda, as I’ve been trained, and Duke Icard apparently allows whatever I say with a vacant expression.”
She didn’t even know if such a person as Matilda existed. She only learned after becoming an orphan that this distant relative bore a striking resemblance to her. And when a man approached her in her orphaned state, he asked, ‘Would you perhaps be interested in becoming an adopted daughter of a great noble house?’ In exchange for making her an adopted daughter, she merely had to consistently gather information about the House of Icard and report it.
“When he laughs at jokes that don’t even sound like jokes, he just goes along with it…”
From Rosalin’s perspective, there was no reason to refuse.
“If I may say so, he sometimes looks rather foolish at those moments.”
“I see. Are there any other accomplishments?”
“Hmm.”
Rosalin thought for a moment and added.
“Recently, it seems he’s been looking at documents related to the mines in the Everin Region, but I don’t know the details. Is something like this helpful?”
“Of course. Even the most trivial details are tremendously helpful.”
“Then I’ll observe more carefully until the next visit…”
Rosalin’s words trailed off.
The door burst open, and a sharp sting struck my cheek.
“You despicable, wretched, contemptible wretch!”
I barely had time to register what was happening.
“How dare you speak such nonsense!”
Olivia’s eyes blazed with fury as she unleashed every curse imaginable, landing another vicious slap across my other cheek.
“I… I… what…?”
In that moment, the Tailor suddenly hurled himself out the window.
“You’ll die jumping from there!”
Laria cried out in shock, and Evan quickly peered outside, but the Tailor had vanished without a trace.
“Search the entire Manor immediately and find him.”
Evan turned and issued orders to the servants, his eyes gleaming an eerie crimson.
“And.”
He then looked at Calaudin and spoke coldly.
“Send this child to Prison.”
His voice was utterly devoid of emotion.
Rosalin couldn’t even respond properly, her mind reeling from the unreality of it all. Calaudin stood outside the door with his eyes squeezed shut, pressing his forehead with his hand.
“If Father finds this taxing.”
Evan spoke in a chilling, blunt tone.
“I shall torture her myself. That would be preferable, wouldn’t it?”
“Yes, do as you see fit, Evan.”
Olivia seized my hair and hurled me onto the table as she spoke.
“Ahhh!”
“Oh my, what shall we do!”
Laria rushed to my trembling form and embraced me, then whispered low so only I could hear.
“This is what happens when you don’t know your place and keep overstepping.”
I gasped for breath, my mind spinning as I stared at Laria.
“This isn’t a place where you can survive by playing puppet so clumsily.”
“What… what?”
“You need to be at least like me, you fool. Who do you think you are to call anyone a fool?”
“You…”
“I overheard everything earlier, and I nearly laughed at how pathetic it was.”
At Laria’s whisper, I blinked furiously and raised my hand to strike her face.
“You… you insane…!”
“How dare you raise a hand against Laria, who’s being merciful!”
Before my hand could reach her, Olivia lunged forward, grabbed my collar, and slammed me to the ground.
“Ugh!”
With a sickening thud, my head struck hard, and blood began to flow as darkness claimed me.
Olivia turned away from my crumpled form toward Duke Icard.
“Calaudin, I’ve held my tongue all this time because Matilda was involved, but…”
Her red eyes gleamed with an unsettling light.
“You’re out of this. You know better than anyone that you’ve been acting foolishly all this time.”
“…No, that’s not true.”
Calaudin spoke slowly.
“I….”
His expression was twisted with anguish. After a moment of hesitation, his gaze drifted slowly toward Rosalin, who lay sprawled on the floor with both cheeks swollen and flushed.
“…It’s a problem I must overcome.”
He gave orders to the servants behind him in a measured voice.
“Lock her in the Prison for now. We must attend the National Foundation Festival, after all. Don’t give her any food. It seems she’s eaten far more than her share these days.”
The servants said nothing and immediately moved Rosalin’s limp body away. A trail of blood streaked across the floor.
Silence hung between them for a moment.
Laria, standing quietly outside the door, slowly grasped Calaudin’s arm.
“Father.”
She spoke with a trembling voice.
“I…I understand. Truly, I do. So please don’t blame yourself so much.”
“…No. I was foolish.”
Calaudin’s fingertips trembled faintly.
“I knew everything…I suspected all the strange things…but I turned a blind eye because I hated seeing that face wear expressions of sadness or pain.”
And looking at Laria, he spoke in a voice heavy with regret.
“I heard that because of her, you often turned away from the Study.”
“Oh, no…It’s just that, well, since Miss Rosalin draws well, I dared to….”
“Even knowing that girl was nothing but a shell, you turned away from your real family….”
Calaudin’s voice sank endlessly.
“We were just as helpless watching you as you were watching her.”
Olivia spoke coldly.
“We all knew but couldn’t do anything about it, so we’re equally at fault. But I never imagined that bastard Duke Orlando sent her deliberately.”
And silence fell once more.
Calaudin slowly checked his watch and spoke.
“Let’s go.”
“…Pardon?”
“We must attend the National Foundation Festival. We’ll be late.”
Leaving behind Evan, who remained expressionless as always, Olivia, who still huffed indignantly, and Laria, whose face was etched with worry, he turned away.

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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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