I’m a Mother-in-Law, but I Dislike Conflict with My Daughter-in-Law - Chapter 154

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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 154

Belua, one of the five fingers of Black Hand, survived alone.

After teleporting outside the Academy, she headed to the hideout before she could even sink into grief.

The Knights from the Imperial Palace and the Duke’s Estate had already begun searching the area.

No matter how skilled she was among the remaining assassins, confronting the full force of the Knight Order would be suicide.

‘Damn it, that woman…!’

Wilhelmina’s triumphant face came to mind, making her blood boil, but she quickened her pace to get away from the Academy.

Even with her hot temper, she knew now wasn’t the time.

The hideout was hidden in a grain warehouse on a deserted road at the outskirts of the capital.

Only after confirming no one was following her did she descend the stairs leading to the hideout.

When she lit the dark underground with candlelight, colleagues who had been waiting inside welcomed her.

“Belua, you’re back!”

“Was the operation successful? Are we finally going to find freedom?”

“Huh? Where’s Shirou?”

Shirou was Bean’s real name, and Belua’s fiancée.

Belua, who had been heading toward the weapon storage, gritted her teeth as she looked at her colleagues blocking her path and bombarding her with questions.

‘Acting worried now, when they were hiding in a safe place…’

Bang-!

Her fist savagely struck the wall.

“Get lost! All of you get lost!”

“Why, what’s wrong? Don’t tell me, Belua, did the operation fail?”

Those present here were Black Hand’s non-combat personnel.

Since more than 80% of the combat members had died at the Academy, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Black Hand’s organizational strength had virtually been annihilated.

Of course, there might be some taken as prisoners, but they couldn’t expect those people to return alive.

The Wolf of the Eastern Region, Duke Venice, wouldn’t let them off easy.

“That’s why I said we shouldn’t take this commission. Why did we do such a foolish thing…”

A Black Hand Elder who had realized the operation failed let out a lament.

Enraged by his words, Belua rushed toward him and grabbed his throat.

“Gak, gak!”

“Shut up! Don’t babble on, you old man who’s never even gotten blood on your hands!”

“Urgh…”

“Do you know what sacrifices we made!”

In the past, he had been an executive that Belua wouldn’t dare defy, but in the declining Black Hand, it was a position with no meaning.

Her colleagues stepped back in fear at Belua’s rampage.

She only released her grip just before the old man’s breath gave out, and he collapsed powerlessly to the floor.

“Huk, heok!”

Belua glared at him with cold eyes and walked toward the weapon storage again.

“Wh-where are you going?”

“I’ll get revenge. That bitch, I won’t let her be. I’ll definitely kill her.”

At Belua’s words, her colleagues finally grasped the situation and exchanged glances.

It was clear that the target of her curses was the Grand Duchess.

They had failed even at the Academy where security was lax, so there was no chance for them to get another opportunity.

Rationally, the right decision would be to retreat now.

However, none of her colleagues had the courage to oppose Belua’s opinion when she had lost her reason.

“Lord Ginua is… dead too?”

“That old man used teleportation magic twice. By now he must have melted away and died. But… Elder Brother is still alive.”

Just before Belua escaped, she had heard Wilhelmina shouting that Shirou should be kept alive.

She must be planning to keep him alive as a prisoner to extract information.

‘Then there’s still time.’

Although he had no combat ability, Shirou was an assassin who had risen to the position of ‘Ring Finger’ through his excellent disguise ability and conviction.

He wasn’t the kind of man who would succumb to pain and reveal information about his family and colleagues.

Since interrogation was a time-consuming process, there was still a possibility of rescue.

“Um, excuse me. Lady Belua.”

At that moment, one of the few remaining combatants cautiously approached.

“What?”

“Are you preparing for an assassination right now, Lady Belua? Without rescuing Lord Shirou?”

“Of course I have to rescue him! I’ll accomplish both!”

When Belua shouted with wide eyes, the man shook his head with a stern expression.

“You must give up on the assassination. Wilhelmina Layton is staying at the villa. Even for you, Lady Belua, infiltration would be impossible.”

“So you’re saying we should just watch with our eyes open?”

“No, I mean we should focus all our efforts on rescuing Lord Shirou. If you and he are together, Black Hand can continue to exist.”

The man grabbed Belua’s arm with a sorrowful expression.

“You know how much Lord Shirou has done for Black Hand. Even if the situation were reversed, he would have made the same choice. He would have prioritized Lady Belua’s life over the success of the assassination!”

“That’s…”

Belua’s heart was also swayed by the words of the man who had shared life and death with them.

Unlike the others who only cared for their own safety, the man’s words contained sincerity.

“Let’s calm down. If Lady Belua leaves too, we have no future.”

Belua’s fervor, which had lost reason due to her hatred for Wilhelmina, gradually subsided.

Seeing this, the man let out a sigh of relief.

“First, let’s organize the situation. What exactly happened?”

“…We were defeated by Wilhelmina Layton.”

Belua slowly explained the situation.

Everyone lamented when they heard that Wilhelmina had called Kenneth and Shirou had stood against him.

Kenneth was rumored to be the foremost among the Emperor’s knights, a knight whom no one could match.

“Then Lord Shirou must be in the Imperial Palace. We don’t have any information about the Imperial Prison…”

The organization member who had previously overseen Black Hand’s intelligence muttered with a dejected expression.

Black Hand, which originally had its headquarters in the Eastern Region, had little influence in the capital, and the Imperial Prison was a secretive space whose entrance wasn’t even known.

They only knew that it was located underground.

“Normally, I would buy information from the black market, but that’s difficult now.”

The black market where all kinds of information flowed, Black Hand used to buy information there too, but now their wallet situation wasn’t favorable.

A proper assassin should know all information about a building inside and out.

This was a problem that couldn’t be solved with momentum alone.

Then, Belua’s eyes lit up with a sudden thought.

‘I can just get it from that man.’

The client who had requested them to recruit Wilhelmina.

That man who revived the declining Black Hand and treated them as subordinates with freedom as bait.

He would have enough money to buy information.

“Wait, I’ll go out and come back.”

“Huh? Belua!”

Only Shirou and Belua knew the man’s location.

Despite the organization members’ attempts to stop her, Belua left the hideout.

Hiding her body with a robe and moving stealthily, she arrived at the man’s location in an instant.

“…What?”

He was ostensibly running a small general store, but for some reason, not a single employee could be seen inside the building.

The goods remained as they were, but there was no sign of human presence.

She hurriedly headed to the inner reception room where she used to have urgent conversations with the man.

Fortunately, the man remained there with his guard knight.

“I thought you had disappeared. Why was no one here?”

“Since you failed, I was thinking of going back.”

“Going back…”

“If I stay here, they’ll surely catch my trail. Shirou was captured, wasn’t he?”

It seemed information about their failure had already reached him, as the man slowly packed his luggage.

Seeing this, Belua’s eyes flashed with anger.

‘He drives us into a corner, and now he’s going to run away?’

Though that was the way with failed clients, Belua’s anger flared as she remembered the faces of countless companions who had been sacrificed.

Seeing Belua’s glaring eyes, the guard knight stepped in front of the man.

“That’s enough. She’s not foolish enough to attack here.”

In the dark reception room, the man whose face was hidden in shadows asked in an indifferent voice.

“What’s your reason for seeking me out? I said we’d cut ties when you failed. Don’t tell me you’re asking for help again.”

“Hand over the commission fee.”

“…Commission fee.”

Originally, the contractual relationship between the man and Black Hand didn’t involve money.

After ‘Thumb’ died, the man had been acting as Black Hand’s master.

Just saving them when they were being pursued by the Venice Ducal House could be considered a favor, but to Belua, whose eyes were clouded with anger, such things didn’t matter.

She accepted the simple principle that assassins should receive appropriate payment from their clients as if it were truth.

The guard knight frowned, angered by Belua’s stubbornness.

“How foolish, you failed and yet you dare to…”

“We failed this time, but we succeeded in everything before. Pay the commission fees for those. If you won’t give us the money…”

Belua drew a dagger from her bosom.

“Even if I die here, I will stop you.”

At her words filled with life-or-death determination, the guard knight revealed his killing intent.

In the precarious situation where no one knew who would draw their sword first, the man moved.

He took out gold ingots from the safe inside the desk and threw them to Belua.

“Master!”

“Enough. This will be the last time anyway, so think of it as charity.”

The man’s voice rarely carried emotion.

It was clear pity. Belua gritted her teeth and picked up the gold ingots that had fallen to the floor.

“With Shirou and Ginua gone, you’ll be nothing but a ragtag bunch. With that much money, you might be able to aim for a comeback. Of course, the Emperor won’t leave you alone.”

“…That’s none of your business.”

“If you’re going to run, I recommend the Southern Region. There are nothing but monsters to the west or east.”

The man seemed to think Belua would flee with the organization members.

It was a rational judgment. With 80% of their forces gone, Black Hand had no power to oppose the Imperial Family.

There was no need to tell him about their future plans.

Belua backed away while clutching the gold ingots to her chest. Seeing this, the man spoke quietly.

“Farewell, Black Hand. As a former companion, I wish for your peace.”

Belua left the shop without answering.

After that, Belua used all the money she had to buy information about the Imperial Palace.

Who had access to the Imperial Palace, what Wilhelmina’s movements were like… It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she mobilized every information broker in the capital.

And finally, the information she wanted came into her hands.

News that a man named ‘Bean’ would participate in a midnight tea ceremony with Wilhelmina.

The story that the Grand Duchess was bringing a partner caused a stir in noble society.

“Elder Brother? Why?”

The reason was unknown, but from the circumstances, it seemed certain to be Shirou.

When she investigated directly out of suspicion, there were even witness accounts of a man who looked exactly like Bean visiting a costume room in the capital.

“Could it be that Lord Shirou betrayed us…?”

“That’s impossible. How much does Elder Brother love his family!”

Belua snapped at the suspicious organization member.

Others might be one thing, but she was certain Shirou would never betray his family.

The organization member seemed to feel the same way, as they closed their mouth and stepped back.

“First, let’s try to make contact. The location isn’t the Imperial Palace either. We’ll watch from afar, and if it’s not Elder Brother, we can just come back.”

“What if it’s a trap?”

“If it’s Elder Brother, he’ll give us a signal. There are signals that only the ‘fingers’ know.”

If Shirou noticed her presence, he would convey the situation through dozens of signals used only by Black Hand.

They were signals that could be used as long as one’s eyes were intact.

“And I’m confident I can escape no matter who’s there, so it doesn’t matter.”

Belua was confident in her skills.

Even against a knight like Kenneth, she could easily escape if there was enough distance. She hadn’t earned the position of ‘middle finger’ for nothing.

“Still, just in case, you guys watch the escape routes. Help us get away at any time.”

The organization members seemed to realize they couldn’t break Belua’s stubbornness, so they agreed with understanding.

And so the day of the tea party approached.

Perhaps because the birthday celebration was just around the corner, countless people participated.

‘Actually, this is fortunate. It’ll be easy to hide.’

When there are more people, vigilance naturally drops accordingly. Belua thought this was a golden opportunity.

The tea party was held at a count’s estate not far from the Imperial Palace.

Belua infiltrated the large garden with gorgeous flowers and fountains bathed in moonlight. This was the place with the most lax security.

‘First, let me go to the tea party venue. The location must be…’

While thinking of places where Wilhelmina might be, she happened to spot a man standing in front of the fountain.

“…Elder Brother?”

She couldn’t have seen wrong. Even though he was wearing fancy clothes, it was definitely her fiancé, Shirou.

Belua hastily looked around.

It was a large garden that seemed to be 500 meters in diameter, but she couldn’t sense any presence of people.

Everyone seemed to have entered the mansion for the tea party.

Belua urgently used the mirror she had brought to send signals to Shirou.

When she reflected the moonlight several times to indicate that she was a Black Hand companion, Shirou placed his hand on his chest and made hand signs.

‘This place is safe… it’s not a trap!’

She didn’t know why Shirou was there alone.

She couldn’t understand where Wilhelmina had gone, or why he was waiting for someone with such a peaceful expression.

But rather than such doubts and worries, her determination to take Shirou away was stronger.

“Shirou!”

“…Huh?”

Belua ran toward Shirou and urgently grabbed his arm.

“Thank goodness, you’re alive!”

“You are…”

“Hurry, let’s run away quickly. Right now, we can escape the capital. I’ve already prepared escape routes! The Watchdogs won’t be able to catch us this time either. So quickly…”

It was strange. No matter how much she pulled, Shirou didn’t budge.

As if he didn’t want to go, he forcibly kept his feet planted on the ground and resisted Belua’s strength.

“Why, why are you like this? We need to go quickly. If the tea party ends like this, Elder Brother will again…”

“Elder Brother… you say, who are you?”

“…What?”

At that moment, Belua’s mind went completely blank.

“I only know one Belua. You’re not Belua.”

“What are you saying, Elder Brother. I’m Belua. Your fiancée is me.”

“Don’t lie. The Belua who helped me in prison is somewhere else.”

‘Helped?’

Her thoughts couldn’t organize themselves.

Belua had never been to prison. Likewise, this was her first attempt to rescue him.

Then who was the Belua that Shirou was talking about?

Who on earth is he mistaking for Belua?

“Ah, right. You must be from Black Hand too? Then let’s apologize together. It’s okay, Belua will forgive us. Since we’re family, she promised she would definitely prepare a place for us to live.”

“Wh-what are you talking about right now? Apologize? A place to live…?”

“It’s okay. Belua has the power to save us. There’s no need to make contracts with some mysterious man. Everyone just needs to leave it to Belua.”

“Ah, aah… Aaaaah!”

The runaway Belua released Shirou’s arm and tried to move away.

But this time, Shirou didn’t let her go.

Upon realizing she was from Black Hand, he instead grabbed Belua’s hand.

With strong force, as if this was his mission.

“Come to your senses, Elder Brother Shirou! This isn’t right. This isn’t you, Elder Brother!”

“You’re the one who needs to open your eyes! This is where we belong! We need to trust our family-”

“What family are you talking about…!”

Could it be that he has no memory!

Only then did Belua realize something was wrong.

Shirou’s memory was clearly strange.

Just as she was about to open her mouth to tell him the truth… a woman entered the garden.

Though she was quite far away, her eye-catching navy blue hair immediately drew attention.

Wilhelmina Layton was walking toward the two assassins.

Like a snake constricting its prey’s throat, she moved very slowly and leisurely.

“That woman is…”

“Ah, you’re here!”

Shirou also spotted Wilhelmina.

He greeted Wilhelmina with a completely different expression from when he looked at Belua, yet one that was all too familiar to Belua.

He spoke with eyes full of affection, trust, and familial love.

“Belua, over here!”

Belua felt her soul and emotions shatter into pieces.

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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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