Because She Had A Time Limit, She Became The Villain’s Daughter-in-law - Chapter 81

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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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But something felt off. Evan seemed to already know this boy.
“Stop, stop!”
“Why.”
Evan’s voice was chilling.
“Are you afraid you’ll be bedridden for three months instead of three weeks this time?”
Three weeks? Three weeks meant….
While I paused in thought, Evan continued speaking.
“If you tell me what you did wrong, I’ll naturally stop.”
‘Ah.’
At the Academy’s graduation ceremony, Evan had apparently beaten some viscount named Yeong, saying he’d cursed him behind his back. I’d heard that person had been bedridden for three weeks. If “last time” referred to that incident, then this made sense.
“Don’t be vague. And don’t you dare speak in roundabout ways.”
“I-I’m sorry! Ugh! I’m sorry, young master! Argh!”
I’d definitely expected Evan to come looking for me if I took too long in the restroom. That was because I’d assured him I’d return quickly.
So I’d simply been stalling for time.
“Evan, stop….”
I grabbed Evan’s arm and pulled him away. Then I approached Yeong, who was being beaten, and offered him my handkerchief.
“You’re bleeding. Evan was a bit rough—please don’t hold it against him.”
Whether out of pride or stubbornness, he refused to take my handkerchief.
I pretended to wipe the blood flowing from the side of his forehead with the handkerchief, but actually pressed harder on the wound.
“Ahhh!”
And I whispered softly.
“You said you could speak that way even in front of the House of Icard’s family.”
“…What?”
“I was just listening to what you said. Now that you’ve taken a hit, has your perspective changed at all?”
Even if I spread rumors about what I’d said, few would believe them anyway.
‘They’d think I was just spreading false gossip to tarnish my own reputation.’
Because just moments ago, everyone had witnessed me trembling visibly, looking frail and weak.
“But it seems you’ve been beaten before. If I’d known you had such poor learning ability, I would’ve repaid you differently.”
Before he could answer, a response came from an unexpected direction.
“Forgive what? Unbuckle your belt and prepare to wet yourself, you pathetic wretch! Laria, you’re too kind—that’s your problem! You don’t suit House of Icard at all!”
Olivia came striding over and began striking the rest of the group’s heads with her fan—whack, whack, whack.
“Your hair’s barely dry and you’re already gossiping about others behind their backs? Though I did the same, of course!”
Olivia shouted with all her might.
“I can do it, but you cannot!”
I felt like these people weren’t entirely wrong.
“Stop. Please stop, Aunt.”
The person who immediately halted that chaos was Duke Icard.
I swear I’d only expected Evan to come, not the entire household to mobilize like this.
“The price for speaking carelessly about my son and daughter-in-law is.”
Duke Icard gazed at them, battered and bruised, and spoke with chilling coldness.
“Your parents will pay the price, one way or another.”
“…What?”
He let out a soft chuckle before continuing.
“I’m the sort of person who leans toward evil rather than good, you see.”
Everyone’s complexion grew even worse than when they’d been struck by Evan and Olivia.
“We’re terribly sorry! Please, we beg your forgiveness!”
“We were wrong. In our youth, we made a foolish mistake….”
In the end, they all knelt in the first-class seats and apologized with utter humiliation. Their parents had rushed over as well, weeping as they begged for mercy.
“It’s a shame they’re still children.”
Olivia clicked her tongue in disapproval.
“If they were adults, I’d squeeze out far more tears and snot from them.”
I felt the same regret. Since they were minors, pressing the matter too severely would only tarnish the reputation of House of Icard instead.
Still, the fact that an entire family had knelt and begged in the first-class seats—visible to even the commoners in the lower sections—was humiliation enough.
“The Viscount Jerdi house? Where exactly is that?”
Olivia declared she would never forget them, reciting each of their names one by one, then furrowed her brow as she asked. Duke Icard answered calmly.
“It’s a minor house… but lately Duke Orlando has been backing them, so they barely manage to maintain their noble status.”
“What the hell….”
Before Olivia could launch into her colorful profanities, I quickly spoke up.
“Great-aunt, let’s go.”
“Sigh, Laria… you’re almost too good for your own good.”
Olivia clicked her tongue at me, folded her arms, and offered a rebuke.
“Why do you meddle when you’re not even capable?”
It was painfully obvious who between her and me was truly incapable, but I maintained my composure with a weak smile, staying in character.
“…I simply couldn’t bear to listen.”
Of course, the person wearing the most complicated expression was Duke Icard. He’d likely been wounded once more by my words.
“Laria.”
He spoke quietly, with evident strain.
“…You didn’t say anything wrong, yet you took my side….”
Oh no—it seemed the Duke had heard more of the earlier conversation than I’d realized. I could guess which words had prompted this reaction.
“They say the Duke’s residence became completely desolate after the Duchess passed away. It’s a place where the dead make life unbearable for the living.”
“Wasn’t that fourteen years ago? It really doesn’t seem normal….”
The words were painfully true—the kind that strike bone and ache. Duke Icard hadn’t been struck even once, yet he already appeared utterly shattered.
“…Thank you.”
This wasn’t what I’d intended to hear.
‘I only let him speak because I found it irritating that he couldn’t even open his mouth while spouting nonsense.’
Though admittedly, my own whimpering act hadn’t prevented his words from becoming harsher.
“Especially on a day like today… you must think I’m a madman, and perhaps you’ve lost all affection for me….”
“No, Father.”
I shook my head.
“I… actually prefer Father far more than my own father, who was such a scoundrel. I never thought that way about you. I mean it sincerely.”
And without thinking, I added more.
“Besides… family doesn’t think such things about each other. Olivia, Evan, and I—we were all simply heartbroken for you. We never once thought you were lacking.”
As I spoke earnestly, I suddenly felt Elania’s gaze upon me from a distance and flinched. Wait, why was Elania looking at me like that?
Our eyes met, and Elania’s expression turned peculiar for a moment before she turned away.
‘Something feels… strangely nostalgic somehow.’
It was unexpected, but I had no time to dwell on it further. When we returned to the Count’s Manor, we were met with rather grim news—Rosalin had taken her own life.
* * *
The Count’s Manor remained in chaos until the dead of night.
Duke Icard immediately pursued Viscount Hiellin, who had brought her in after the warrant was issued. But it wasn’t long before word came that Viscount Hiellin himself had been struck dead by a flowerpot that came flying from somewhere. So the trail had been completely severed.
We gathered in Duke Icard’s Office to hear the news.
“I was reckless.”
Olivia ground her teeth as she spoke.
“Because it involved Matilda, my heart grew weak… I should have grabbed him by the collar and demanded his true intentions the moment he laughed at that wretched joke.”
I shuddered at the thought of what might have happened to me if I’d made a mistake back then.
“It’s my fault for pretending not to notice something suspicious. From now on, I’ll act purely on instinct.”
“P-purely on instinct?”
“Yes. When he said he’d paint in the study, I should have dumped a bucket of water over his head and beaten him with an easel.”
I had to make a conscious effort not to imagine that scene.
Olivia wrapped her head in her hands, fuming with frustration.
“If I’d known she’d just die like this, I should have slapped her a few more times…”
While Olivia wallowed in regret, Duke Icard stood silently before striding purposefully toward the desk.
There, scattered among my own terrible drawings, were several exquisite portraits. The subject of those portraits was Duke Icard himself, and it was easy to tell who had painted them.
‘My drawings are really just making Rosalin’s skill stand out even more.’
Duke Icard unhesitatingly removed all of Rosalin’s paintings.
“To think I hung these here.”
Then he let out a soft laugh and muttered to himself.
“I really did act like a fool.”
“Well, what can you do about it, you fool.”
Olivia muttered dejectedly.
“That was originally where Matilda’s paintings hung, after all.”
Ah, that’s right… which made it all the more clear that my paintings shouldn’t be there either.
“You two are still young, so go get some rest.”
Olivia pushed Evan and me toward the door.
“Don’t worry about this anymore.”
“But…”
“Besides, he’s not known for holding his liquor well. If he can’t get his wits about him, just pour a glass of wine down his throat and put him to bed.”
And so we stepped out into the Corridor. But Morand was standing there with several servants, looking anxious and restless.
‘What’s going on?’

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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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