I’m a Mother-in-Law, but I Dislike Conflict with My Daughter-in-Law - Chapter 141

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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 141

“Th, that’s…”

“You don’t need to say more.”

Kenneth, who had turned pale, stammered his words.

Since there was no point in hearing pointless lies, I waved my hand to stop him and moved to the window on the opposite side again.

“Sir Nata, did you hear that?”

“…Yes.”

Nata, who had transformed into a fierce demeanor, watched the front intently.

The atmosphere suggested he would cut down any enemy the moment they appeared.

“Don’t be too tense. Probably nothing will happen in this area.”

“You seem certain.”

“Mikhail wouldn’t make such a mistake.”

Though not immediately visible, I heard that reconnaissance soldiers organized by Mikhail were checking the roads beyond the plains.

Whoever the enemy might be, they wouldn’t be reckless enough to attack while evading the army’s eyes.

If they had any sense at all, they would target the moment after Mikhail’s influence disappeared, that is, when we left the Western Region.

“The problem will be when we enter the Capital Region. I’ll be counting on you then.”

“Of course.”

Perhaps to ease my worries, Nata answered with a resolute voice.

I smiled slightly and headed back toward Kenneth.

“…You trust that knight quite considerably.”

“Yes, I always entrust my life to him.”

Whether my strong trust was surprising, or whether he hadn’t known of Nata’s skill, Kenneth opened his eyes wide as if unexpected.

“Anyway, can you tell me what the danger is?”

“I don’t know.”

‘This one seems genuine.’

Through our conversation, I could roughly guess what kind of person Kenneth was.

He was an honest person with a strong sense of justice who couldn’t hide his emotions.

But this answer contained firm conviction.

“I only received orders from His Majesty to protect the Grand Duchess.”

“Then did other people besides Sir Kenneth receive the same orders? Or are there others besides this group of companions?”

“I cannot answer that.”

It seemed he wouldn’t reveal information about the Emperor.

It was obvious he was being wary of me since I had probed for secrets while even acting with my expressions.

‘Well, since he seems to be on my side, there’s no need to dig further.’

I had no intention of having a battle of nerves with a knight who was even hiding his identity for my sake.

I reassured him that I wouldn’t ask more questions, then looked at the Layton knights who were glancing this way and asked.

“Wouldn’t it be better to make introductions?”

“It’s fine, I’m on a secret mission. In fact, I shouldn’t even be having this conversation with the Grand Duchess…”

“You can wear the helmet, but since it’s boring, let’s stick close to the carriage and chat. If you’re guarding me anyway, it’s better to stay close, right?”

“…Understood.”

He looked confused about whether this was right, but since he had no grounds to refuse, he nodded.

‘Well, if I don’t introduce him, he won’t know who Kenneth is anyway.’

Kenneth had an extremely ordinary appearance.

Even when he visited House Layton before, despite all his elaborate attire, his impression itself was faint.

If not told, no one would think he was the Captain of the Imperial Guard.

His platinum hair that had been dyed was cut and regrown, now short gray hair, making him look like an ordinary young knight you could find anywhere.

“Come to think of it, Sir Kenneth, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask.”

“About the mission, there’s nothing more to say.”

“It’s not about the mission. …Earlier you said you’d guard me until we arrive at the Imperial Palace, right?”

“That’s what I said.”

“But my lodging is at the Duke’s Mansion on the capital outskirts. By any chance, have you prepared a room for me at the Imperial Palace?”

“….”

“I never said I would stay there, did I?”

“That’s… yes….”

After that, answers filled with a knight’s sense of justice followed, saying the Imperial Palace room would be better than the mansion, that he would serve me without any inconvenience.

I quietly listened to those answers and thought.

‘He could just say it’s to escort me to the Imperial Palace for safety, but he really can’t lie.’

Perhaps knowing the Emperor’s personality too well, he couldn’t bring himself to think otherwise.

I listened to Kenneth’s excuses for quite a while.

The honest confession of a knight with poor speaking skills was decent radio entertainment for the boring journey.

* * *

Emperor Theorne was spending his days incredibly busy.

“My birthday is right around the corner, but instead of having a drink, I’m staying up all night drinking coffee. How terrible.”

With one hand he quickly read documents, and with the other he wrote letters in elegant handwriting.

He was reading reports from the Intelligence Department while personally writing replies to nobles who had sent massive gifts for his birthday celebration.

“Really, I shouldn’t have become Emperor.”

Muttering this half-sincere joke, he continued reading the top-secret documents.

“Observing the movements of Black Hand’s middle and ring fingers… Tsk, so they are targeting Wilhelmina after all.”

Black Hand.

A historic assassination family that once operated in the Eastern Region, an organization that Rohanos had extensively purged during his succession struggle.

At the time, they thought they had completely eliminated the roots by killing the leader and his successor, but it seemed the remnants had revived the organization in other regions.

‘I thought it was a coincidence, but it wasn’t after all.’

Traces of Black Hand were first discovered during the investigation of the criminal Edwin Tilim, whom Wilhelmina had reported.

He hadn’t paid careful attention at the time.

It wasn’t strange for a criminal organization to collude with villains, and anyway, whatever dealings they had with Edwin Tilim were mere drops in the bucket compared to Black Hand’s past criminal activities.

So he thought it was just minor crimes by Black Hand remnants who only had the name left….

‘Their purpose wasn’t Edwin Tilim, but making contact with the Layton Family.’

The more he investigated, the more he realized that Black Hand’s purpose lay elsewhere.

Edwin hadn’t been the first to contact Black Hand.

Black Hand had approached Edwin and made him become Count Tilim.

Since the Layton Family was planning a wool fabric business, they had placed their minion in the Tilim family, who were dye craftsmen.

If things had gone according to plan, Edwin would have become close with the Layton Family, and Black Hand could have approached that relationship as well.

‘The problem is I don’t know the reason for their approach.’

If they were targeting someone, they should target Rohanos who destroyed them, so why target Layton who has no connection whatsoever.

And he couldn’t predict what they would specifically do after making contact with the Layton Family.

Speaking of the intersection between Rohanos and the Layton Family, the only person he could think of was Wilhelmina Layton.

After that, he continued investigating centered around Wilhelmina, but no matter how much time passed, he couldn’t find any connection between Black Hand and Wilhelmina.

The only intersection that existed was the single fact that she was an important person to both the Layton Family and Rohanos.

Even that was a story that only held true under the premise that they knew about the hidden connection between Rohanos and Wilhelmina.

‘They can see through even the past from Academy days? Impossible. Maybe if Marquis Valtanas were still alive, but that’s too extensive an information capability. But seeing how Black Hand moved as soon as Wilhelmina left the territory, she must be the target…’

‘No, is it not Wilhelmina but that position that’s the problem? But then why didn’t they act sooner? To say they hid themselves after noticing Rohanos’s existence, they got their tail caught too easily.’

‘Or was the Late Duke’s previous wife the target? …That can’t be, it’s not like there are two Wilhelminas, there’s no way they’d mistake her. Such a woman isn’t common either.’

With the reasoning becoming complexly entangled, Theorne finally put down his pen and rubbed his forehead.

“…My head hurts.”

At times like this, rather than continuing to worry pointlessly, he needed some fresh air.

He rang the bell that was beside his desk.

On the bell was written ‘snacks’ in small letters.

“Excuse me.”

And a few seconds later, a sharp-featured butler opened the office door and entered.

He was holding a small tray in his hand, on which was roughly piled a heap of coldly frozen chocolate.

When he placed it on the desk, Theorne reached out and put them in his mouth one by one.

Crunch-

And he boldly chewed and swallowed them without even being able to taste them.

“…Your Majesty, I’ve placed tableware beside you.”

“I don’t need it. I don’t even have the strength to hold tableware.”

“I see.”

Perhaps sensing Theorne’s mood, the butler said no more and began organizing the documents on the desk.

Even though the documents contained top-secret information about Black Hand’s intelligence, Rohanos’s whereabouts, traces of Marquis Valtanas, and so on, he didn’t bat an eye.

Instead, he spoke in an indifferent voice.

“Middle and ring fingers, he must be skilled.”

“Well, they have Kenneth over there, and Rohanos is running around everywhere, so they can’t do much.”

“But caution seems necessary.”

Theorne washed down the chocolate pieces remaining in his mouth with cold coffee. Then he spoke in an irritated voice.

“I know that. That’s why I prepared a room in the safest place in the Imperial Palace. There, assassins or whatever can’t touch her. I’m also thinking of increasing guards in the city.”

“…About that room.”

The butler, who had neatly organized the documents, frowned.

And looking at Theorne who was swallowing chocolate while rudely crossing his legs, he spoke.

“Would it be alright to offer such a room to the Grand Duchess? That place is a villa that was once used by the First Prince.”

“It’s luxurious, safe, and nice, isn’t it? Considering the Empire’s hierarchy, they’re at similar levels anyway.”

“That’s not the point… The symbolism of staying in such a villa might be burdensome, so the Grand Duchess might refuse.”

Offering a villa that belonged to the Emperor’s brother to the Grand Duchess of a ducal house, who was a political enemy—such a special exception was unheard of.

Villas were only offered to close friends who shared deep friendship with the Emperor, relatives, or lovers.

The Butler didn’t know Wilhelmina’s personality, but common sense dictated that she would obviously refuse, finding it burdensome.

“No, that won’t happen.”

However, Theorne firmly denied the Butler’s words.

“First of all, she won’t refuse the favor I’m bestowing.”

“…Where exactly does that confidence come from?”

At the Butler’s tone, which seemed to have reverted to his younger days, Emperor Theorne snorted.

“My face.”

“…”

“Anyway, secondly, Wilhelmina is a woman who’s quick at calculating gains and losses.”

Theorne continued with a confident smile.

“She would have roughly guessed by now why I dispatched knights. In such a situation, she won’t give up the safe zone that is the Imperial Palace.”

“Isn’t that overestimating her? To infer assassination threats from just a few knights…”

“You say that because you haven’t met her. My eye is certain.”

As if disgusted by the sight, he pushed the empty plate to the corner and muttered.

“She’s probably seeing something similar to what I see.”

Theorne’s blue eyes sparkled with curiosity and anticipation.

“So she absolutely won’t refuse my proposal.”

It was the intuition of one who stands above, which had never been wrong since he became Emperor.

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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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