I’m a Mother-in-Law, but I Dislike Conflict with My Daughter-in-Law - Chapter 205

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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 205

The Count Couple readily accepted the banquet proposal.

At first, they hesitated due to the financial burden, but when I offered to sponsor it to commemorate Jace’s engagement, they were delighted.

Especially the Countess, who seemed to be thirsting for a banquet as I expected, even openly mentioned the amount.

Thus, a banquet was planned to celebrate Jace’s engagement and reconciliation with the Duke’s Estate, and I took this opportunity to order Jace and Gideon to search every corner of the mansion.

‘Fortunately, the security level is low compared to how suspicious things are.’

While the Countess busily decorated the mansion and prepared for the banquet with the servants, the two boys reported the clues they had discovered so far.

“First, I saw a maid coming up from the basement carrying dishes after a meal was finished. They were high-quality dishes, so the person who ate was probably a noble.”

The first clue Gideon brought was that someone was living in the basement of this mansion.

“I secretly went down while the maid was away and looked around, but the basement was entirely a wine cellar, with no signs of human habitation. There must be a secret room.”

Though it was a secret room that would only appear in novels, such spaces could actually be found quite commonly in noble mansions.

Usually they were used as emergency exits or treasure storage rooms, but it was surprising that someone was living in such a space.

The next report was from Jace.

“I followed Sophia when I heard she was receiving education before the banquet. She’s still strange.”

“Specifically, in what way?”

“She reviews too frequently. Even if her learning ability is low, it’s excessive.”

Jace reported the second clue while making a sharp criticism.

“I think it’s probably practice to perfectly act as the past Sophia.”

“Don’t you have more concrete evidence?”

“She memorizes the content of letters with me word for word, but when dancing the waltz, she doesn’t even know whether to extend her right hand or left hand. There’s a severe discrepancy in her memories.”

To summarize, Jace’s opinion was that the current Sophia was acting like she was the past Sophia.

She seemed to have somehow memorized records related to herself, but was still clumsy with basic noble posture and etiquette.

At first it was suspicion, but the more he met her, the more certain he became.

“The same appearance but a completely different person…”

They say there are three people in the world who look exactly alike – could they have brought such a person to act as their child?

Though it was a development that would only appear in novels, since this was a household that even bought sons-in-law with money, I couldn’t rashly predict what they might have done.

As I was lost in thought, Jace frowned and spoke.

“This isn’t about secrets or anything, is it?”

“What?”

“You know, among family members…”

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

When I gave permission to enter, Nata came in with a salute.

“Grand Madam, the investigation is complete.”

“Ah, yes. Can you tell me right away?”

This time I had assigned investigation not only to Jace and Gideon but also to Nata.

Of course, no matter what, a knight in armor walking around the mansion would be conspicuous, so his area of activity was the territory outside the mansion.

I decided to hear Jace’s deduction later and first received Nata’s report.

“The Territory Residents know that the Count Couple have three children. When they were young, all three used to march together in a line.”

“Have you seen him recently?”

“He hasn’t shown his face except when his first daughter got married. Territory events themselves have become rare to begin with.”

“Hmm….”

It wasn’t particularly useful information. The fact that he had three children was already recorded in the registry.

Nata continued with a suspicious expression.

“But a few years ago, there was apparently a big commotion at the mansion. Someone was injured, and they called in dozens of healers.”

“Healers?”

For some reason, Raymond came to mind and I felt uneasy.

But it didn’t seem to be about that, as Nata shook his head briefly.

“They weren’t of suspicious status. Most were renowned healers from the territory.”

“What was the reason for calling them to the mansion?”

I had never heard of nobles calling commoner healers who used superstitious treatment methods. There must have been some special reason.

Nata answered with a troubled expression.

“I don’t know. I went to meet them, but they said they couldn’t speak even if I held a knife to their throats. The Count Couple seemed to have sealed their lips tightly.”

Did this mean an urgent incident had occurred that made them rely on commoner healers?

Hearing the timing, it was roughly after Jace got engaged.

‘If I organize the sequence, after Jace got engaged, an incident occurred that required calling healers, and after that Sophia changed… I suppose.’

I continued my deduction while combining the clues reported by the three of them.

But no clear answer emerged.

‘It’s like there’s fog in my head. These clues clearly seem related, so why won’t they combine?’

I felt like I had taken some medicine that made my brain worse.

As I was lost in thought, frowning at the unpleasant feeling, Gideon carefully spoke to me.

“Grand Duchess, actually Lady Sophia’s identity is… isn’t it?”

“What?”

Suddenly there was interference in his voice.

When I asked again, wondering what I had heard, Jace who was nearby spoke again.

“…right? Well, that would explain it. If she was injured and they used a substitute….”

“Wait, right now-”

The more I listened, the more my head ached.

Nata, who noticed the change, approached and supported my body.

“Grand Madam, are you alright?”

“Sir Nata, did you hear what they just said?”

“Yes.”

“There’s a word I couldn’t hear, but do you think that’s the answer too, Sir Nata?”

“…That’s right.”

It was a sensation I had grown familiar with.

I twisted the corner of my mouth and muttered.

“It wasn’t a coincidence that I came here.”

“Pardon?”

Instead of answering, I let out a low laugh.

A strange situation where I clearly heard it with my ears but couldn’t recognize it.

It was a phenomenon that appeared when I touched the gaps in my memory.

If I stayed still like this, I would forget this sense of déjà vu, but this time the conditions were good.

Two boys who had discovered the secret instead of me were right before my eyes. And it was a good opportunity to not only hear but also see and experience it directly with my own eyes.

Sophia’s identity and the truth of the Zormon Count family seemed like they could be triggers that would stimulate my past memories.

* * *

Time passed, and the day before the banquet approached.

While the Count couple were rehearsing all day in the banquet hall, I followed Gideon down to the basement.

This was because Jace had discovered Sophia heading to the basement and informed me through Gideon.

After confirming that there were no servants around, I carefully went down to the basement.

“It’s here.”

Jace raised his index finger as if telling us to be quiet and guided us to where Sophia had gone.

Behind a large wine barrel, when he pulled the extinguished candlestick like a handle, the wall slowly opened.

Whether it was underground stairs leading to the sewers, the stench of stagnant water greeted us.

As we carefully watched our footing and slowly descended, a long corridor appeared at the end of the stairs.

In the middle of that corridor, a young girl was sitting collapsed.

The young girl, Sophia, was crying with a lantern in her arms and her forehead pressed against the stone door.

“…I’m not Sophia.”

The moment we heard those words, we froze and held our breath while crouching down.

“As expected, …was.”

Jace muttered, but again I couldn’t hear it.

However, the clue to the answer seemed to be gradually within reach.

Seeing that just hearing with my ears caused such a headache, I was curious what kind of shock would come if I faced it directly with my eyes.

Professor Fortran had said.

Memories don’t disappear, so if you grasp the clues and continue stimulating them, you can surely recall them.

“I, I want to go back to that place again. I hate it here. I am…”

‘Ah, so that’s how it was.’

Why hadn’t I known until now? The answer to this tragedy was very simple, yet I had only continued with wrong deductions while avoiding the conclusion.

Perhaps I had instinctively pretended not to see because I didn’t want to touch the gaps in my memory.

A young girl identical to Sophia, an unidentified young girl trapped beyond the stone door, and the word that Sophia kept muttering.

‘Sister.’

There was no need to hear more now.

I slowly approached Sophia.

Sophia, who discovered me belatedly, was startled and fell backward.

“…Grand, Grand Duchess?”

Seeing her face stained with tears and snot, I could tell how great a despair this child was engulfed in.

Instead of answering, I faced the stone door in front of Sophia.

There was no lock. Whether they didn’t bother to put one on, or whether they knew there was no thought of escape.

As I placed my hand on the handle to open the door, a sharp voice came from inside.

“Ah, no! Don’t open it!”

It’s the exact same voice as Sophia. Hearing that gave me even stronger conviction.

What’s in front of me is the ‘Real Sophia’ and Second Daughter. And her relationship with Fake Sophia who’s here is…

“You two, you’re twins?”

The two children were identical twins.

The family relationship I had forgotten all this time finally surfaced.

It wasn’t even that rare a relationship, it was a problem I could have easily deduced, yet I had been excluding the concept of twins all along.

I turned my gaze back to Third Daughter who had been acting as Sophia.

“The reason you were acting as Sophia is because Real Sophia can’t come outside, right?”

Young Girl didn’t answer and kept her mouth tightly shut.

They must have had their own tragedy too. I could tell just from their eyes.

But what confused my mind more than that was why I couldn’t remember the word twins.

The gap in my memory – what meaning could the word twins possibly have within it?

‘It’s obvious.’

I felt like I was going to lose consciousness from the continuing headache.

Thinking I couldn’t faint in front of Children, I gritted my teeth and did everything I could to recall the memory.

There were three people total erased from the gap in my memory.

Rohan, Father, and ‘Lord Windsor’.

Excluding Rohan since he’s the one who erased the memories, if I apply the current Clues to the relationship between Father and Lord Windsor…

‘The two were twins.’

Lord Windsor was Father’s twin brother, which makes him my Uncle.

‘Uncle with a face that looks exactly like Father.’

And the murder case that Rohan erased.

…Finally, I felt like I could see the end of the story.

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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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