I’m a Mother-in-Law, but I Dislike Conflict with My Daughter-in-Law - Chapter 174

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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 174

The reason Rohanos kept those books in the study of his Capital villa was simple.

Taking them back to the Eastern Region might arouse unnecessary suspicion, and since the genres were so diverse, many of the books could only be obtained in the Capital.

Since he never thought he would be discovered, he had collected the books used in the reading club on an empty bookshelf in the study.

Reading novels instead of dictionaries was unfamiliar work, but for Wilhelmina’s sake, he read them repeatedly to deepen his understanding.

And now those books had caught Rohanos by the ankle.

Rohanos silently sat across from Wilhelmina.

Wilhelmina, with her back to the moonlight, was beautiful today as well.

Her hair, bathed in moonlight, shone transparently, reminiscent of a fairy.

“Rohan.”

But her voice was colder than usual.

“Right?”

“…”

Rohanos couldn’t readily answer.

He had an intuition that she had already grasped the truth, but he couldn’t carelessly affirm it.

“I examined all the books. The errors pointed out in the reading club and the impressive points were all recorded. In detail, as if someone had been right beside us.”

Wilhelmina put down the book she was holding and stared at Rohanos.

Her eyes, deep and still as a lake, shone sharply as if trying to see through Rohanos’s lies.

“Duke Venice, you are Rohan. Aren’t you?”

Wilhelmina’s conviction was solid.

It seemed that no excuse Rohanos could make would work.

When Rohanos maintained his silence, Wilhelmina continued with a short sigh.

“Yes, I expected that you were a noble hiding your identity. I didn’t know you’d be a duke… Anyway, I thought you had a remarkable status. Every one of your attitudes was aristocratic.”

But, she murmured, resting her chin on her hand.

“I never imagined that the reason you hid your identity was because of me.”

Wilhelmina had guessed that Rohanos’s purpose was connected to the Layton Family.

With the intuition that his purpose wasn’t to harm the Layton Family, she had quietly observed.

Never dreaming that his purpose was herself.

“So I thought about it. What was the reason for changing your hair color and troublesomely volunteering to play the role of a merchant’s worker, acting as Rohan.”

She got up from her seat and headed to the window.

The season was already changing to autumn. She closed the window to block the cold night breeze. Then she leaned her back against the window frame and looked up at the ceiling.

Her shadow, bathed in moonlight, stretched long toward Rohanos.

“I lost my past memories. And the cause of that loss would be either you or His Imperial Majesty. I don’t know what means you used, but it would be the same method used to erase Blackhand’s memories. Am I right?”

Rohanos still remained silent.

Wilhelmina had already noticed the gap in her memories and identified who the culprit was.

Even though her memories hadn’t returned, her wisdom had already reached near the correct answer.

“If you were the one who erased my memories, naturally you would want me not to recall them. So the reason you acted as Rohan and stayed around me was… actually for surveillance, wasn’t it?”

It was a direct hit.

Even if there was some good intention, that act could only be described as surveillance.

“You infiltrated Layton Territory to confirm whether I had recovered my memories, didn’t you?”

Looking back, the meeting between Wilhelmina and Jane was purely coincidental.

Thanks to that coincidence, Rohanos gained a justification to enter and leave the duke’s castle, and was able to monitor Wilhelmina more closely.

For Rohanos, it was a fortunate miscalculation.

It was both an opportunity to meet Wilhelmina, whom he loved, again, and a chance to confirm that her memories had stabilized.

“As you wished, I lived peacefully without recalling my memories. I couldn’t even see through your clumsy disguise, and I felt no déjà vu at the name Rohan. …How ridiculous, that I met Rohanoss Phil Venice and couldn’t connect him to Rohan.”

Now she could understand the reason for those novel-like misunderstandings and mistakes.

“It was because you erased the existence of ‘Rohanos’ and all memories associated with him.”

“…Wilhelmina.”

“When you erased Rohanos, the nickname Rohan disappeared, I forgot the memory of my own nickname he used to call me, and even our Academy life together became distorted. How fascinating. To think that erasing one person would make all the memories he influenced disappear.”

The blank memories made her mistakenly think she had spent her Academy days alone, and prevented her from thinking of Rohanos even when hearing the name Rohan.

“Wilhelmina, I…”

“Don’t call me that. Call me as you used to.”

Wilhelmina lifted her head to face Rohanos again.

At her dry but resolute gaze, Rohanos slowly moved his lips.

“…Mina.”

“Yes, Rohan.”

Like a painful tooth being pulled out, Wilhelmina smiled refreshingly.

“How strange. I don’t have any clear memories, but hearing that nickname from your mouth puts my heart at ease. We must have called each other that often.”

No. Wilhelmina had found being called Mina burdensome.

She had said it was an embarrassing, childish nickname, and had even tried to set a limit on how many times it could be used per day.

Yet now she was saying the nickname Mina felt comfortable.

Did this mean that, even though she didn’t show it outwardly, she had actually liked being called Mina?

Rohanos clenched his fist at the sweet past that could never be returned to.

“Thinking about it that way, I could understand why you deliberately stayed by my side. You planned to first observe me as Rohan, then appear as Rohanos and compare my reactions.”

If Wilhelmina acted differently from usual when seeing Rohanos, that would be a sign that her memories had returned.

Of course, the reason for staying by Wilhelmina’s side wasn’t solely because of her memories.

Any man would want to stay even one second longer by the side of the person he loved.

It was just that there was no way to express those feelings.

“How cowardly.”

Wilhelmina’s sharp words, now devoid of laughter, pierced Rohanos’s heart.

“You erased the memories yourself, yet you arbitrarily monitored and even tested someone. How truly cowardly.”

The words of reproach from Wilhelmina were sharper than any sword. She slowly approached Rohanos.

“And yet you approached me to win my favor? Did you enjoy watching me, who couldn’t remember anything?”

“…That’s not true.”

“Didn’t you feel any guilt watching me flutter with excitement and struggle because of traces of memory?”

“I…”

Even though he had prepared hundreds of answers in preparation for this situation, he couldn’t readily open his mouth.

He didn’t want to make excuses to her. It seemed like a corner of his heart was crying out to just give up now.

Rather, an impulse arose to tell the truth and be comfortable, to do as she wanted.

‘…No, I can’t do that.’

Being hated was already expected. I couldn’t back down here.

“Tell me the truth, Rohan. What are you hiding from me? What’s the reason you erased my memory? Back then, you… what did you do to me?”

The reason why memories shouldn’t be recalled. What incident happened in that blank memory. She wanted to know the answer.

Looking at Wilhelmina who had approached right before his eyes, Rohanos slowly parted his lips.

“I cannot tell you.”

“…”

“No matter what question you ask, I won’t answer.”

Wilhelmina’s face drew closer. At a distance where they could feel each other’s breathing, she spoke quietly.

“It’s a futile act. The time when you could keep secrets has passed. I will somehow regain my memories. Even if you don’t tell the truth, the result will be the same.”

Wilhelmina’s fingers wrapped around Rohanos’s neck. They were thin fingers, far too inadequate to strangle his thick neck.

“I’m giving you a chance. Before I uncover the secret with my own hands, as a final atonement.”

‘Right, she must think I erased her memory because of some sin I committed.’

She seemed to think that Rohanos had committed some crime and erased her memory.

When excluding their relationship, it was the most rational deduction.

The reason a duke would tamper with the memory of a mere fallen noble house’s Noble Lady would be nothing but to cover his own flaws.

“Even so, I cannot tell you.”

He wrapped his hand around Wilhelmina’s wrist that was caressing his neck.

A chill could be felt from the thin wrist that fit in one hand.

“You have the right to judge me. I respect your choice. However, you cannot take any truth from me.”

“…Even if I say I’ll expose your crimes and harm you, you’ll accept it?”

“Yes. If it’s you, anything.”

“Even if I tell you to die?”

“If that’s what you want.”

As long as you can live instead.

Determination settled in Rohanos’s red eyes.

As she said, it was already too late to keep secrets.

Unless he used force to stop her directly, she would find the truth before long.

At least until then, he could protect her life.

He could prevent the ending you desired.

“You really…”

Wilhelmina reached out her hand.

The hand caught by Rohanos slowly rose to his face. Rohanos’s hand that held her wrist followed along, not applying any force.

Wilhelmina, who cupped his rigidly hardened cheek, slowly continued speaking.

“Every time you open your mouth, it’s a lie.”

“…?”

And she mercilessly pinched Rohanos’s cheek. She stretched his cheek as if playing with clay.

Rohanos, whose cheek was suddenly stretched to both sides, opened his eyes wide.

“With that expression, do you think I’ll be fooled again? What? I should judge you?”

“Mi, Mina. What is this… wait, don’t put your finger in my mouth…”

She applied so much force that Wilhelmina’s thumb dug into the corner of his cheek.

Before the pain, he was flustered by the finger entering his mouth.

Wilhelmina burst into laughter as she looked at Rohanos’s reddened face.

“It’s the other way around, you idiot. You didn’t do anything wrong, did you? The truth is, you erased my sins.”

“…!”

“Trying to deceive me? You’re a hundred years too early. Do you think you can fool me with that level of acting skill?”

You see, she said as she leaned her face closer.

“I may not look it, but I have good intuition.”

Making a sound that would have horrified Nata and Anna if they had heard it, she sat down on Rohanos’s lap.

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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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