Because She Had A Time Limit, She Became The Villain’s Daughter-in-law - Chapter 94

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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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With Elani in good spirits and me in a foul mood, we exited the tent side by side and ventured into a secluded corner of the garden as she guided me.
“The path here is rather difficult, so few people venture this way.”
“I see.”
I retrieved the music box from my hand bag and presented it to Elani.
“Here you are, Your Highness.”
Beneath her white butterfly mask, Elani accepted the music box with a vacant expression.
“…Thank you.”
She caressed the music box with trembling hands.
“The Emperor burned everything that belonged to my mother.”
“Ah….”
“I heard this was something my mother brought from her family home, and since it appeared valuable, Ronald must have smuggled it out. But he didn’t want to put his own belongings on display at a charity event, so he simply offered this instead.”
I simply maintained my silence and nodded. I had no interest in hearing such personal details.
‘Well then, let her indulge in her sentiments, and I’ll slip away.’
I had spent enough time with her and silently bid her farewell, intending to distance myself, when Elani continued speaking.
“You know.”
“Yes.”
“Everyone calls me a promising candidate for the next Emperor, but it will take far too long before I ascend the throne.”
“But surely you will ascend someday.”
“His Majesty is still young…and if I fall out of favor, I might even lose to Ronald.”
Indeed, no matter how legitimate one’s bloodline or how firstborn, falling from the Emperor’s favor meant complete ruin. Since it was difficult to end the conversation given the current atmosphere, I simply listened to her while rolling my eyes.
“So I…grew up unable to speak a single word of complaint, even before His Majesty who tormented my mother throughout her life and ultimately betrayed her by bringing a bastard into the fold.”
Elani released a heavy sigh.
“One face in front, another behind…isn’t it rather chilling, even if it’s all for survival?”
No, if I found that chilling, what would become of my own life?
“Not at all, I understand perfectly.”
I shook my head with all my might, unable to bring myself to condemn her.
“If one harbors a greater ambition, bending one’s spine is only natural.”
For instance, my grand ambition was a domain overflowing with wealth and glory.
“I knew it.”
Elani suddenly grasped my hand.
“Thank you for understanding.”
“It’s less about understanding and more about common sense….”
“Whenever I grow disillusioned with myself, I remind myself of my grand ambition.”
“Your grand ambition?”
Did Elani even have a grand ambition? Surely it was ascending to the throne as Emperor?
“Yes. The passage of divorce legislation.”
“…Pardon?”
I nearly hiccupped in shock.
Wasn’t the order somewhat different? From what I knew, after marrying Evan, she worked toward passing divorce legislation in order to marry Simor again.
“My mother would have lived truly well on her own…but this cursed Empire refused to permit divorce, so she ultimately resorted to an extreme choice.”
“Ah.”
“It’s my mother’s final wish. To pass a divorce law.”
“I see….”
“Unhappy couples shouldn’t have to cling to each other anymore. The Empire is overflowing with infidelity precisely because there’s no divorce system.”
Elania continued with passionate fervor.
“You understand, since you’re in a political marriage too. Without a divorce system, you have to spend your entire life with a man you never even saw before marrying him at fourteen.”
I pondered this carefully. If a divorce system existed, I wouldn’t need to run away at all. I could simply be divorced at an appropriate time and reclaim the Lostrey estate….
‘That’s not so bad, is it?’
I wouldn’t have to hide and live in secrecy.
“Your Highness.”
So I grasped her hand and nodded.
“I’ll support you.”
“…Really?”
“Yes. Honestly, it’s obviously a system that should exist, but I’ve been too preoccupied with my own future to think that far ahead.”
“Thank you.”
Elania spoke shyly.
“I hate the Emperor…. I don’t even think of him as my father. I just want to inherit the throne as quickly as possible.”
“I, I see.”
“But His Majesty is still far too healthy….”
As Elania said, the Emperor was still young and remarkably healthy. It would take a very long time for her to inherit the throne.
“I’ll strengthen my own power and negotiate well with the nobility to pass the divorce law as quickly as possible.”
“Will it take long? I hope it happens as soon as possible.”
“Really? Since you say so, I’ll do my best. But still… it won’t take less than a few years, will it?”
My shoulders, which had been swelling with anticipation at Elania’s words, slumped in disappointment.
A few years? I’m supposed to disappear within this year, and she’s talking about a few years? My enthusiasm suddenly vanished.
“Laria, the truth is….”
She added as if about to reveal a great secret.
“The Empire, the throne, the greater good, principles—all of that matters less than my mother’s final wish.”
So knowing the original story, I simply responded without much sincerity and offered a slight smile.
“Your Highness, the Empire will gain a divorce system because of you. I have a feeling about it.”
I was about to leave, but Elania grabbed my hand and wouldn’t let go. Even if I had come this far with an open mind about money….
And even if, being born a sycophant, I naturally preferred to cling to those in power….
Still, she was going to be my husband’s next wife, and being close to her just felt wrong.
“Won’t you stay longer?”
“Pardon?”
“Our meeting was already agreed to be fate in our last encounter.”
It did seem like I had sold my soul and destiny for money in that previous meeting. But I didn’t need to take responsibility for who I was then.
“Yes? Ah… I apologize, but I made a bet with Evan.”
“What kind of bet?”
“Whoever finds them first gets their wish granted.”
“If you find Evan first, what wish will you make?”
I answered without hesitation.
“1,000 gold.”
“…Your wish is 1,000 gold?”
“Yes. Honestly, I don’t really want anything from Evan, so I figured I’d just take some money and be done with it.”
At my words, Elani cried out eagerly.
“Then I’ll give it to you!”
“…What?”
“How much do you need?”
“….”
“I’ll pay you more than the time it takes to find Evan Icard!”
Suddenly, a memory from my childhood surfaced. When I first left for Borotna, Duke Icard had said something like this while worrying I wouldn’t have any friends.
“Then buy your friendships with money.”
At this point, it wasn’t just Duke Icard—the Empire’s power holders had fundamentally flawed thinking. How could friendships be bought and sold for money?
“How much per minute?”
Of course, my friendships were the exception.
Just as Elani was about to eagerly begin negotiations, I jolted upright at the sound of drums booming loudly. Boom, boom, boom, boom.
“Your Highness?”
“Hmm?”
“What is that?”
“Oh.”
Elani spoke leisurely.
“The Imperial Palace Guard selected some members to create a performance. They’re normally in gold uniforms, but we changed them to blue for the masquerade ball.”
In the garden, a line of knights in blue uniforms marched while brandishing their swords.
‘Wait.’
Blue uniforms, swinging swords….
“Whenever he encounters people in blue uniforms, he breaks out in cold sweat and hyperventilates.”
Ludba’s situation naturally came to mind. He seemed to suffer just from being mentioned, so I had stopped asking about it at some point as well.
“Is it still difficult for him to see people in blue uniforms?”
“I once asked one of the knights to put on a blue uniform, and he was fine until he picked up a sword.”
“And then?”
“When that person drew the sword, his limbs went rigid.”
A person in a blue uniform wielding a sword. It was the symbol of Evan’s abuse trauma. And the House of Icard had chosen avoidance rather than proper healing.
My heart pounded fiercely.
‘This won’t do.’
I released Elani’s hand and shot to my feet.
“Your Highness.”
“Yes?”
“I think I need to go.”
“Why?”
I couldn’t speak of it—it was the sort of matter that could become a weakness for Evan, the heir to House of Icard.
“My family… something urgent seems to have come up with my family. I apologize.”
I bowed politely and then bolted toward the garden without hesitation. I had an overwhelming feeling that Evan must be sitting somewhere in a daze.
‘Even Great-Aunt doesn’t know.’
I weaved through the throng of masked revelers, glancing about frantically.
‘I’m the only one here who knows that Evan has a trauma related to people in blue uniforms wielding swords.’
I couldn’t leave him alone. No matter how grown he was now, in my memories there remained that small child clinging to me, begging me not to abandon him.
Setting aside whether I could even find him in this chaos, I simply couldn’t bring myself to stay put. My pace quickened, and my breath grew ragged.
“Laria.”
Just then, someone approached my side and whispered my name against my ear.
“Found you.”
“Evan!”
Fortunately, the Knight Order procession was still far away. Seeing that his limbs moved without injury, he clearly hadn’t spotted the procession yet. I grabbed his body and quickly turned him away from the direction of the approaching knights.
“Huh?”
“Wait, just wait. Let’s go somewhere else.”
I seized his hand and dragged him toward a secluded spot I could see nearby.
Evan followed silently without protest. A grass field appeared where we could sit comfortably side by side among the tall shrubs.
“Let’s stay here until the procession passes.”
“Why?”
“Well… I just think it’s better if you don’t see it.”
Not wanting to mention it outright, I offered a vague excuse.
“Why? Are you afraid I’ll think of Ludba?”
As I was forcibly pulling his hand to make him sit on the grass field, I was so startled that my foot slipped. The high heels I wore to disguise my height made it even harder to maintain my balance.
I thought I would fall, but instead my body was caught gently.
“Be careful.”
And so I found myself suddenly sitting atop Evan, held in his embrace.
“…!”

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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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