I’m a Mother-in-Law, but I Dislike Conflict with My Daughter-in-Law - Chapter 108

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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I’m a Mother-in-Law, But I Don’t Want Family Conflicts Episode 108

 

“Such ridiculous nonsense….”

 

Ilina trailed off, so furious that her vision turned red.

 

Her childhood speech patterns almost slipped out.

 

She wanted to unleash a torrent of curses at the guards right then and there, but barely managed to restrain herself.

 

‘Stay calm, stay calm. It’s not these people’s fault. The problem is whoever gave the orders.’

 

And the culprit was probably Count Tilim. There was no point in getting angry here.

 

Since Chloe was kind even to servants, she had asked Ilina to return to avoid causing them harm.

 

If she forced the issue, the gate could be opened, but the guards’ necks wouldn’t remain intact.

 

‘But she’s not a child, and to confine the mistress in the mansion.’

 

This went too far to be called mere obsession.

 

Given this situation, it made sense why she couldn’t reply to Ilina’s letters.

 

“Wait… I can’t even meet with her?”

 

“I’m sorry, Miss Ilina.”

 

“We could at least have a cup of tea.”

 

“…I’m sorry.”

 

Continuing to receive Chloe’s apologies would only worsen her mood.

 

Ilina took a deep breath and returned to the carriage.

 

She heard Chloe’s farewell, but ignored it. She had no intention of leaving in the first place.

 

“M-Miss Ilina? What is that?”

 

“A cushion.”

 

Ilina emerged carrying a cushion from the carriage.

 

Moreover, her other hand held a small box and a tea cup set.

 

It was a spare tea cup set she sometimes used when going on outings.

 

“You just can’t open the gate, right? Being there is fine?”

 

“Y-yes, that’s right.”

 

“Good. Then let’s have tea here.”

 

“…What?”

 

Ilina spread the cushion on the ground and plopped down on it.

 

It was unimaginably improper behavior for a lady with a fiancée.

 

Not only the guards watching nearby, but even the maid observing from the carriage couldn’t hide their shock.

 

“Miss Chloe, sit in front of there too. The iron bars are wide, so we should be able to pass tea back and forth.”

 

The gaps between the iron bars were wide enough for a fist to easily pass through.

 

With this space, even a kettle spout could pass through, Ilina calmly reasoned as she set down the spare teacup on the ground.

 

“N-no, Miss Chloe! For a lady to sit on the street like this… What if someone sees!”

 

“There’s no one passing by here anyway, right? It’s just the two of us. Think of it as an outing, like when we had tea while riding the boat last time. It’s nothing special.”

 

“Good heavens….”

 

Chloe covered her mouth with an expression of disbelief.

 

Regardless, Ilina opened the box and showed its contents.

 

Two pieces of strawberry cake were neatly placed on plates.

 

“Miss Chloe, you like strawberries.”

 

At Ilina’s suggestion, Chloe’s eyes widened. Then she lowered the hand covering her mouth and muttered in a trembling voice.

 

“How is it that only at times like this… you two are exactly the same.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“No, it’s nothing.”

 

Chloe shook her head vigorously.

 

“But this won’t do, Miss Ilina. What if your reputation gets ruined because of this?”

 

‘…She speaks as if her own reputation doesn’t matter.’

 

If Wilhelmina had been here, she would have sharply retorted.

 

Ilina, lacking in speaking skills, regretted her inability to do the same and opened the teapot lid. After pouring in the water she had brought, she dropped in two yellow sugar cubes instead of tea leaves.

 

The lukewarm water didn’t dissolve them well, but as she shook it earnestly, a fragrance gradually began to emerge.

 

“That’s not fruit sugar, is it?”

 

“It is. I secretly brought some.”

 

“Such a fattening snack…”

 

Made from dried fruit powder mixed with sugar, it was a snack known among noble ladies as the enemy of dieting.

 

But Ilina had decided not to worry about such things.

 

Moving as much as you eat makes you healthier.

 

This was a truth Wilhelmina had taught her.

 

‘And the Grand Duchess would have acted this way too.’

 

Wilhelmina would surely praise her for being bold for the sake of a friend.

 

“Even if Miss Chloe doesn’t join me, I’m going to have tea time here. Then I’ll become someone drinking tea alone on the street, won’t I?”

 

Two is better than one, right?

 

When she asked with a tilted head, Chloe looked around with a tearful expression.

 

The guards seemed unwilling to restrict even this, turning their heads away pretending not to notice.

 

“You said no one comes by here anyway… Oh, fine. I’ll sit too. But we have to leave right after drinking tea.”

 

“I know. And after finishing all the snacks too.”

 

“…You sound just like the Grand Duchess.”

 

‘Because I’m imitating the Grand Duchess.’

 

Ilina smiled playfully as she poured tea into the teacup.

 

Chloe reached through the iron bars to bring over the remaining cushion and spread it on the floor.

 

An attendant from the mansion approached with a troubled expression, but eventually seemed to understand Chloe’s situation of being unable to leave and withdrew, pretending not to see.

 

Whatever the case with Count Tilim, it was evident that the family’s servants still respected Chloe.

 

They each took a sip of tea.

 

As the sweetness moistened their throats, the boiling anger seemed to subside a little.

 

“Miss Chloe, have you been well?”

 

At Ilina’s quiet question, Chloe hesitated before slowly opening her mouth.

 

“Yes, I’ve been healthy. How about you, Miss Ilina?”

 

It was obviously a clumsy excuse. She was reminded anew that Chloe wasn’t good at lying.

 

“We’ve been well. Actually, the reading club has become a bit livelier too.”

 

Since Chloe seemed reluctant to open up, Ilina began speaking in an exaggerated manner to lift her spirits.

 

The incident when Baroness Metokan and Mabel joined the reading club, the commotion when Wilhelmina’s nap made her look exactly like she was dead, Mabel pointing at Nata in surprise calling her a fairy…

 

As the story progressed, Chloe’s expression only grew more complicated.

 

‘Is she in a bad mood?’

 

She was quite different from her usual self.

 

It didn’t seem like she disliked hearing it, but her strangely melancholic gaze was concerning.

 

“With so many people, it must have been a delightful time.”

 

“Yes, well…”

 

Just as she was about to agree, the words caught in her throat.

 

She had an intuition that this wasn’t what she should say.

 

“No.”

 

“…?”

 

“It wasn’t that enjoyable.”

 

So she changed her mind.

 

She wanted to answer sincerely, not with shallow pleasantries.

 

“I missed having you there.”

 

“…”

 

“It would have been more enjoyable if Miss Chloe had been with us. And it’s not just me—the Grand Duchess, Baroness Rollan, Miss Jane… they all think so too.”

 

Ilina thought about Chloe’s situation.

 

A frustrating life confined to the mansion, unable to even hear news from outside.

 

How would she feel if a close friend suddenly appeared and cheerfully talked about gatherings she had missed?

 

While admiring how enjoyable it sounded…

 

‘She must feel lonely.’

 

Wouldn’t she have that childish wish for her friends to have felt her absence?

 

Chloe quietly set down her teacup and looked at Ilina.

 

“…Thank you, Miss Ilina. You’re still my friend.”

 

“Of course. I’m sure everyone in the reading club feels the same way.”

 

Finally, it seemed like the walls around Chloe’s heart had crumbled a little.

 

Chloe slowly began explaining her daily life.

 

“I’ve been making dyes recently.”

 

True to being a child of a craftsman family, she was skilled at developing and handling dyes.

 

It was thanks to this that her clothes always radiated an elegant glow.

 

So she didn’t find it strange when Chloe said she was making dyes.

 

Not until that phrase was repeated about five times.

 

‘This isn’t how a lady of the house should be.’

 

Of course, being devoted to the family business wasn’t bad, but the frequency was excessive.

 

Perhaps because she couldn’t leave the house, her daily routine consisted entirely of meals, work, and brief conversations with family.

 

It was such a monotonous routine that it would be awkward to ask what had happened.

 

“…Unlike you, Miss Ilina, it’s nothing special, is it?”

 

“Oh, no.”

 

Though she had resolved not to lie, this time she couldn’t bring herself to speak her true feelings.

 

Watching Ilina roll her eyes around, Chloe laughed briefly.

 

Then Chloe suddenly stood up as if something had occurred to her.

 

“Wait just a moment. I have something to bring.”

 

And shortly after, she came back from the mansion carrying an armful of wool fabric.

 

She struggled to pass it through the gap in the gate.

 

“What is this?”

 

“It’s fabric dyed with dye I made myself. Could you pass it along to the reading club members?”

 

The fabrics looked luxurious at first glance.

 

The colors were so beautiful that even though they were just fabric, they were captivating to look at.

 

As if giving gifts brought her great joy, Chloe’s face regained its color.

 

Just as their conversation was about to regain its former liveliness, a familiar voice came from the mansion.

 

“Chloe? Dear, where are you?”

 

It was Chloe’s mother’s voice.

 

Ilina had met her several times before.

 

She remembered her as a delicate but caring noble lady.

 

‘Ah, should I start wrapping up?’

 

Though she hadn’t been able to investigate the Count Tilim family’s situation, it had still been a meaningful time.

 

She was about to say she would visit again when the opportunity arose, but Chloe spoke first.

 

“You need to go back.”

 

“Oh, yes. I was just about to…”

 

“Quickly, quickly!”

 

And she hurriedly gathered up the cushion and teacup and handed them to Ilina.

 

Her forceful attitude, as if demanding Ilina leave this place immediately, made Ilina step back in bewilderment.

 

And Chloe tried to return to the mansion without even saying goodbye.

 

Seeing her uncharacteristically urgent steps, Ilina hurriedly blurted out the words she had wanted to convey at the end.

 

“The, the Grand Duchess asked me to tell you! What you said last time is still valid! Don’t forget!”

 

“…”

 

Chloe’s steps faltered.

 

She turned her head slightly and muttered something.

 

Though her expression was hidden by her hair, Ilina could roughly read the shape of her lips.

 

“I’m sorry…?”

 

It wasn’t agreement or thanks, but an apology.

 

Ilina stared blankly at Chloe’s retreating figure.

 

Her mother’s voice calling for her disappeared as soon as the door closed. As if she had been waiting.

 

‘Something’s strange. Was Count Tilim’s family always like this?’

 

When she had visited before, it hadn’t felt like this atmosphere.

 

Pushing aside her uneasy feelings, Ilina also tried to return to the carriage.

 

“Lady Ilina.”

 

At that moment, the guard who had been maintaining silence carefully called out to her.

 

“Yes?”

 

“Young Miss… no, thank you for helping Lady.”

 

“Not at all, we’re friends.”

 

Ilina tried to brush it off casually, thinking it wasn’t something she deserved thanks for.

 

The guard continued with a bitter voice.

 

“I can’t tell you much… but there’s one thing I want to convey to you.”

 

And then he gulped, swallowing once.

 

“It wasn’t the master who ordered the gate not to be opened.”

 

“What? If not Count Tilim, then who…?”

 

“It was the Grand Madam.”

 

Grand Madam. In other words, Chloe’s Mother.

 

“…!”

 

“And the Grand Madam has been… watching all of you from the third floor window since Chloe arrived.”

 

Shocked, Ilina hastily turned her gaze toward the mansion.

 

Not even a shadow could be seen in the window. The mansion was as silent as if no one lived there.

 

It seemed… her impression of the colorfully decorated mansion looking like a prison wasn’t mistaken after all.

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