I’m a Mother-in-Law, but I Dislike Conflict with My Daughter-in-Law - Chapter 197

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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 197

“Were there no other clues? For example, information about her husband’s whereabouts or about the man claiming to be Windsor…”

“There weren’t any.”

It really seemed like she had come prepared to find a needle in a haystack.

In fact, rather than relying on such vague clues, it would have been more efficient to find an information broker or ask a major landowner in that region.

“Baron, is Baroness Emily’s personality perhaps a bit…”

“Yes, she’s passive. Ordinary, if you could call it that.”

Baroness Metokan frowned and let out a sigh.

“Before coming to see the Grand Duchess, I told her to try contacting the creditors or at least send correspondence asking the guards to investigate Windsor…”

‘How could I possibly do such things…?’

“…is what she said.”

“Hmm…”

She was exactly the type of person Baroness Metokan disliked most, but I wasn’t angry with her.

Even in this era, and even in modern times, people with her personality weren’t uncommon.

Taking on a proactive life required the right environment to support it.

For someone who had lived their entire life in the same way, who had been forced into it, the word “initiative” was a heavy burden.

‘Though the atmosphere in the Western Social Circle has changed somewhat since Helene and Chloe appeared… it’s still medieval times.’

Since I had no intention of discussing complex social issues with Baroness Metokan, I moved on to the next topic.

“Where is she staying now?”

“She’s staying at an inn on the territory outskirts. It’s a bit… dangerous for the Grand Duchess to visit, so if you’d like to meet her, I’ll bring her to the annex building.”

“Then please do that. Try to invite her without frightening her. Given her personality, she might be too nervous to say what she needs to say.”

“Yes, understood.”

I felt sorry for giving Baroness Metokan so much work, but she accepted without concern.

“Grand Duchess, may I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“What is your relationship with that man impersonating the Windsor Family? What are you hiding from us?”

“…”

‘As expected, she wouldn’t just let it slide.’

I let out a bitter smile and leaned back in my chair. The time to reveal the situation had come sooner than expected.

Since it would be difficult to deceive Baroness Metokan vaguely, I briefly explained my past, excluding the Emperor and Rohan’s secrets.

My past memories had disappeared for some reason, and my father’s death seemed connected to some incident. And the man impersonating Windsor held clues to that.

Though it was a brief explanation, Baroness Metokan, who quickly understood the situation, let out a sigh.

“So you’ve been enduring this without telling us again.”

“No, I just didn’t have a chance to mention it…”

“That’s an excuse. The reading club has met at least four times since returning to Layton.”

I shrank my shoulders under Baroness Metokan’s sharp gaze.

It seemed too late to make excuses that this was a story I would tell someday.

“Anyway, now that I know the situation… I’ll help too. I also have connections in the black market.”

“You don’t need to worry about it too much.”

I was about to ask her to restrain herself, since getting involved in such a turbulent place like the black market might lead to dangerous situations.

Then Baroness Metokan spoke with a sharp voice.

“…Grand Duchess.”

“Yes.”

The atmosphere became tense, and I unconsciously straightened my posture.

“If, among those who helped the Grand Duchess… let’s see, if Jane were secretly crying due to her superiors’ harsh words and behavior, what would you do?”

“I’d kil… no, I’d teach that superior a lesson.”

“What if Jane said there was no need for that?”

“I’d still help her somehow.”

“Yes, that’s exactly it.”

“…What?”

What’s exactly what?

When I blinked and asked back, Baroness Metokan sighed again and muttered.

“My feelings are exactly like that. When a friend who has shown me kindness is in trouble without even telling me about it, and then I’m told to take it easy, wouldn’t that make you angry?”

“…”

I maintained silence as if my mouth had a zipper on it.

It was a situation where I had nothing to say even though I had a mouth, something I hadn’t felt since my school days.

* * *

Emily was, as expected, a passive and modest noble lady.

It had been a while since I heard someone say it was an honor to meet the Grand Duchess, but it wasn’t easy to ease the tension of someone who had become as stiff as a stone statue.

Seeing her hands tremble as she held her teacup, I thought she at least wasn’t someone who would lie easily.

“My husband… liked cards.”

“Cards, you mean card games?”

“Yes.”

Though it was somewhat unfortunate, Emily’s story was a tragedy that could be easily heard anywhere.

Gambling was prevalent in this era too. Though Imperial law regulated excessive gambling, there were always exceptions everywhere.

Especially in regions like the south where there were few nobles and it was impoverished, it was even easier to avoid the authorities’ eyes.

Emily’s husband, Baron Vesta, would take the taxes from his small territory and frequent gambling houses every day.

Baron Vesta was said to be a man who had never lost at card games since childhood.

With that confidence, he made quite a profit at gambling houses for a long period, but…

‘The ending is obvious.’

Eventually, he fell for the gambling house’s tricks and ended up having not only his money but even buildings and barns put up as collateral.

Emily, who had naively believed her husband’s words that he would win it back, finally sought help from her family when even the mansion they lived in was about to be lost…

“…The person your father arranged was Lord Windsor.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Even her family, though they had formed a marriage alliance with a baron house, didn’t have the means to pay such a large sum.

In the end, they too reached out to the black market that lent large sums of money, and the man who appeared was ‘Lord Windsor’.

“When he saw my son, he said he could arrange the money if we sent this child to be adopted elsewhere. Of course I refused, but… while I wasn’t looking, my husband apparently stamped his seal on it.”

“What did your husband say?”

“I don’t know either. It was Lord Windsor who showed me the contract with the seal stamped on it, and my husband had already left home by then.”

“He left… leaving you and Lord Windsor at home?”

“Yes. He did leave a letter, but it only said he would return once he earned money.”

I barely managed to hold back a sigh as I examined Baron Vesta’s letter that Emily had handed me.

The letter, with clear tear stains, contained words of apology saying he was ashamed, along with a pledge to definitely earn money and get his son back.

‘It could have been written under threat though.’

I wanted to ask her to tell me more details about the situation at that time, but judging by her expression, it seemed difficult.

She was probably thinking the same thing as me.

The suspicion that her husband had actually been kidnapped or murdered, and that letter and contract were fabricated by Lord Windsor.

It was a story with enough possibility.

I handed the letter to Baroness Metokan who was beside me. It meant I wanted her to find any clues I might have missed.

“Lord Windsor left like that. He said he would give an advance payment by the end of this year, and come to take the child in spring next year…”

“Which family was supposed to do the adoption?”

“Well…”

Emily paused for a moment to recall her memory.

“He said it was Count Jormon’s family.”

“…What?”

And an unexpected family name popped up.

Count Jormon’s house – the name of the family that Jace, who had once been a troublemaker but helped rescue Mabel, was engaged to.

“Grand Duchess, do you know Count Jormon’s family?”

“Ah… a little. Though I’m not personally acquainted with them.”

Baroness Metokan asked with a puzzled expression.

Well, the Jace incident had happened before I met Baroness Metokan, so it made sense she wouldn’t know.

Count Jormon’s territory was located in the northwestern region, so it wasn’t easy to encounter them either.

“The Count Jormon family I know is said to be a family that greatly values tradition.”

“Yes, but since they don’t have a son… they apparently wanted to adopt a bright child. That’s how my son caught their eye.”

Pride showed in Emily’s eyes as she spoke about her child.

“Then have you tried contacting Count Jormon’s family? Lord Windsor might have gone there.”

“I sent a letter but got no reply. And to go all the way to Zormon Territory, I… lack the travel funds…”

Emily moved her lips hesitantly, then hung her head low.

From what I gathered, she was staying at a shabby inn, and it seemed she had sold everything from her dowry to her dresses to raise travel money.

Since she had never dealt directly with trading companies, she naturally received low prices, and as a result, traveling to other regions was unimaginable.

Even her family wouldn’t help, fearing they might get caught up in trouble.

‘I should help her, if only to find this man called Lord Windsor.’

At this rate, far from finding clues, the only witness might die away from home.

I suggested lodging in a roundabout way so she wouldn’t feel burdened.

“I’m also pursuing Lord Windsor. If you promise to help me, I could offer you a guest room at Layton House.”

“R-really? I’ll help you! I don’t know much, but I’ll tell you everything!”

I calmed her down as she looked ready to kneel at any moment.

“A-and Grand Duchess. My son is also at the inn with me, so perhaps…”

“…Bring him along too. You can use the same room.”

“Thank you!”

I patted her as she even shed tears and gave Anna a look.

Excluding Emily’s past, it was a short conversation, but I had gained quite a few clues.

“Anna, could you call Jace for me?”

“Yes, I’ll contact him. But right now Western Academy is in the middle of the semester…”

“Tell him to skip for field study. I’ll write his absence letter for him.”

“…Have you ever written such a thing before?”

“Yeah, I’ve used it a lot.”

Baroness Metokan looked at me with slightly cold eyes, but I was confident.

The statute of limitations on my past life’s sins had long since expired.

“If he really won’t come, you can even use Mirinai as an excuse. He likes Mirinai.”

“There’s such a thing as a boy’s pure feelings…”

“That’s exactly why I’m saying I’ll help.”

Though I won’t reveal until the end that Mirinai is a man.

Anyway, I gestured to Anna, telling her to hurry up and call him.

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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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