Because She Had A Time Limit, She Became The Villain’s Daughter-in-law - Chapter 84

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

“When will you come up next?”
“Perhaps… at the Royal Palace banquet?”
I snapped back to reality at Evan’s question and answered quickly.
Though I usually stayed in Borotna, I found myself visiting quite frequently whenever there was an event. I’d come up for the masquerade ball this time and planned to return in about two weeks.
“A masquerade ball? That sounds exciting.”
I said, fidgeting with my teacup.
“They say it’s being held for the first time in ten years.”
The masquerade ball had originally been banned ten years ago for being too decadent. But this time, it was being revived after so long to stimulate domestic consumption and festival activities.
“They originally planned to call mask makers, but orders poured in so heavily that we have no choice but to go directly into the city.”
Since I spent most of my time in the South, even these small reservation matters fell entirely to Evan.
“So we have no choice but to go into the city. I’ve already made reservations at all the major shops, so let’s go together.”
“Sure, I’d like that. Will the Duke be attending as well?”
“He doesn’t want to go, so he’s sending us instead. You know he’s never been fond of that sort of atmosphere.”
“What about you?”
“Not particularly either. But someone from Icard has to attend. Great-Aunt will be coming too, but her surname is still Rivien anyway.”
“I see.”
If I recalled correctly, Olivia, the novel’s notorious villainess, completely falls out with Princess Elani at this masquerade ball.
“In any case, if you come again at the Royal Palace banquet, we’ll see each other again soon.”
Evan spoke matter-of-factly.
Our relationship hadn’t really changed in the meantime. We respected each other’s boundaries, got along reasonably well, and whenever we saw each other, we spent time together like close friends.
‘How much you’ve grown.’
I thought to myself, watching Evan, who had just turned twenty.
‘When did you grow so much?’
Back then, I’d thought he looked rather mature for thirteen, but now the age gap had narrowed considerably.
‘Back then he said he’d follow me in death if I died… Now it seems like he’d just offer kind prayers for my soul.’
Since I saw his face every two months without fail, I hadn’t noticed certain things until they suddenly became apparent. For example…
“Oh, that’s right. Laria.”
“What?”
“Some of your things are still left in my room. Both the servants and I found it awkward to sort through them arbitrarily.”
“Oh, really?”
“Come by sometime soon and help me organize them.”
“Understood.”
Evan had been about eighteen years old then.
One day around that time, he said he wanted to use a separate room.
“It’s the room across from mine. The furniture is already arranged the same way as in the villa, so you just need to move your belongings.”
He spoke in an unfailingly kind voice, yet drew a line so clearly that it was difficult to object.
“I was going to move them myself, but I was worried I might accidentally take some of your things. If something went missing, that wouldn’t be good. I think it’s better if you move your own things.”
“Understood. But why so suddenly?”
“It’s become a bit inconvenient to share a room with you every time you come up to the Count’s Manor.”
Evan said calmly.
“We’ve spent most of our time in separate rooms anyway. You must find that more comfortable too, right?”
“W-well, I suppose so.”
Even when we lay side by side in bed, Evan hadn’t held me for some time now.
Instead, whenever I came to the Count’s Manor, he’d use the excuse that he couldn’t sleep and tuck me in first. Then when I woke, he’d often be asleep on the sofa—as if he didn’t want even our fingertips to touch.
‘The young Evan was taciturn, yet he used to follow me around everywhere.’
No matter how differently I rewrote our childhood narrative, it seemed inevitable that he would grow distant from his wife. Just recently, he’d been pestering his tutors relentlessly to study before coming to Borotna, and now he was already saying he wanted separate rooms. I’d anticipated this, but watching my son drift away as he entered adolescence left me with an undeniable emptiness.
‘He’s grown up. He’s all grown up now….’
Serena had once told me that our relationship would change significantly as he matured. I’d let her words pass through me then, but I hadn’t expected this kind of change.
Evan acted as though an invisible line had been drawn between us, and I’d immediately sensed that distance.
‘It’s better this way than having lingering attachments that make me hesitant when I run away, I suppose.’
I rationalized while gazing at his beautifully sculpted face.
“Then let’s finish this before you go.”
We had certainly grown distant and awkward with each other.
Even in his usual manner, when we walked side by side, Evan never held my hand or placed his arm around my shoulders. When we were younger, he’d embraced me and held my hand without hesitation, but at some point, he’d begun maintaining a deliberate distance.
It wasn’t that our relationship had deteriorated—he was still as kind and gentle as before—but it felt like he was hiding something. It would be a lie to say I wasn’t hurt, yet I wondered what difference it would make to voice my hurt.
“Laria.”
While Evan and I were quietly having tea, Lisa came running from a distance.
“Lisa?”
Since the servants rarely disturbed us when we were together, I looked at her in surprise, wondering what had happened.
She quickly approached and handed me two letters.
“I’m not sure about the contents, but judging by who sent them, they seem like important correspondence, so I came right away.”
“Thank you.”
I smiled faintly to myself as I looked at the names written on the envelopes. Both were letters I’d been expecting. One was from ‘Fred Bernadi Rostri’—my older brother.
[Your parents passed away? Is that true? And you got married? At fourteen? And your husband was thirteen? Did you actually have a wedding ceremony?]
The letter, which filled nearly an entire page, contained nothing but questions.
‘Why is there not a single period in this letter, only question marks….’
Then again, if I were Fred, I’d be equally bewildered. After years without news from home, everything I’d sent must have been shocking.
“My brother was quite surprised.”
I sighed as I spoke, thinking that answering his questions alone would fill an entire book.
“So the connection to the Eastern Continent has finally been established, it seems.”
Evan replied slowly.
“Yes, though it’s only through Bedis Port for now, trade does appear to be possible.”
Reading Fred’s letter once more, I abandoned the idea of writing a reply. It would be faster to hear everything directly when he came here in two months.
“On the way up to the Capital, everyone was lined up at every shop trying to buy Eastern Continent diamond necklaces.”
“Well, Eastern Continent diamonds are certainly high quality.”
“I even had Lisa inquire at the shops, and everything was sold out everywhere.”
The moment trade opened, Simor quickly monopolized the Eastern Continent diamonds. As soon as commerce with the continent began, he’d smelled the opportunity and acted faster than anyone else.
It was fascinating how the situation unfolded exactly as in the original story. When I asked Lisa to confirm, she said that indeed, items were out of stock everywhere and prices were being set by demand. Thus, I marveled anew at Simor’s money-making prowess and rationalized that giving up half of Hanua Estate to him in my younger days was nothing.
“I’ll get you one.”
Evan said matter-of-factly.
“I ran into an Eastern Continent merchant on estate business some time ago, and they mentioned they’d give me one anyway.”
“Really? Then thank you.”
So it was Icard after all. Others desperately sought such things and couldn’t find them, yet there were people who offered them willingly. I gave a casual response and returned to reading Fred’s letter, reconsidering how events would unfold from here on.
Fred had no particular role in the original story. The maritime route to the Eastern Continent became completely blocked when magical beasts began nesting there. However, due to climate changes, the beasts migrated elsewhere, and now the sea route was opening again.
Fred would be contacting me for the first time around now, and he’d board a ship to the Empire about two months later once the waterways were repaired. And before that, I would be dead.
‘Come to think of it, he’s a pretty pointless character. Why was he even included? Was it to emphasize Laria’s tragic life?’
I thought seriously about it.
‘The original work really was terrible….’
As I stared at the letter lost in thought, Evan asked again.
“You must miss him, since it’s been so long.”
“Yeah, I suppose so.”
Though it was before my possession, Fred had been quite a good older brother in my vivid memories. He wasn’t particularly exceptional in any way, but he was kind and gentle. However, to be honest, Father sent him to the Eastern Continent so quickly that I didn’t have many memories of him.
“What kind of person is he? Do you remember?”
“Yeah. Pure and cute….”
I narrowed my eyes, trying to recall my memories.
“…though he seemed to complain a lot and was rather noisy.”
Just from the letter full of question marks, it was likely he still had that personality.
“I’m not sure how he’s changed, but he said he’d come straight back after getting his degree. In about two months?”
I folded the letter and placed it back in the envelope as I spoke.
“I really do want to see him. After all, he’s my only direct blood relative.”
I’d managed to survive thanks to Fred’s muttering, so if I did see him, I wanted to at least offer some gratitude for this twisted turn of fate. I thought that once enough time had passed and I no longer needed to disappear, it would be fine to see him once.
“Well, two months isn’t that long. You’ll be heading to the Capital anyway because of the Royal Palace banquet then.”
Evan spoke affectionately.
“I could invite you to the Duke’s Manor then.”
“Huh? Oh, well….”
The reason I couldn’t answer immediately was because I was wondering if I’d need to flee before then.
In the original story, my death occurred on the day of the Royal Palace banquet. Probably on that day, Princess Elani and Simor would slightly misunderstand each other at the banquet. They had already imprinted each other through repeated coincidences, and now they’d experience what was called a period of disillusionment.
But right on cue with that, I would die, and Princess Elani would declare her intention to marry in a fit of anger. From then on, she’d receive recommendations, and she’d choose Evan to marry.
In other words, I wasn’t supposed to survive past the day of the Royal Palace banquet. Princess Elani would declare her intention to marry not long after the banquet ended, so if Evan wasn’t alone by then, he wouldn’t even be considered as a candidate….
‘Duke Icard will eliminate me.’
No matter how much affection I received, no matter how much I was adored. Because nothing could compare to Matilda. And once the dark magic succeeds, time would return to the past anyway.
Just as he’d moved past his indifference to Evan by saying ‘it can be undone,’ he could rationalize murdering me by saying ‘it will be undone anyway.’
‘But I know that dark magic fails. There’s no way to turn back time.’
The Nobility was already completely under Duke Icard’s control. So all that was needed was the Royal Palace’s permission for the dark magic that summons demons. The last time the Royal Palace had permitted dark magic was centuries ago.
Even if I wanted to fulfill Duke Icard’s long-cherished wish myself… unless I were of royal blood, there was no way I could obtain the Royal Palace’s permission.
Honestly, it was a dead end. If I didn’t want to die, there was no other way. I’d simply have to abandon everything and disappear to the place I’d prepared, becoming missing.
And once Evan and Princess Elani divorced, I planned to quietly return to the world. So I wasn’t really expecting to meet Fred anytime soon.
“Your older brother is naturally part of our family.”
But when Evan said something like that….
“He’ll probably be shocked about your marriage, but the Duke’s household should treat him well so he can accept it.”
Deep within my chest, a tender chord resonated, and I found myself yearning to live on just like this, forever.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————