I’m a Mother-in-Law, but I Dislike Conflict with My Daughter-in-Law - Chapter 216

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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 216

“Ah, anyway! I won’t overlook this matter. I’ll officially hold the Venice Ducal Family accountable. Setting aside my relationship with Mother, I’ll start by questioning the crime of traveling to the Western Region without permission.”

Helene cleared her throat to change the atmosphere and spoke with a determined voice.

I was quite pleased that her anger was for my sake, but I couldn’t grant her wish.

“Helene, would you help me with something instead?”

“Do you mean not to protest to the Venice Ducal Family?”

“Well, that can be done later. What’s important now is recovering my memories.”

“Memories, you say…”

Helene’s expression hardened at the word ‘memories,’ as if she had heard something from Mikhail.

I had told Mikhail that I lost my memories from just before leaving the Windsor Family.

The perceptive Mikhail would have probably noticed that some kind of incident had happened to me.

And he would have shared his deductions with Helene.

“I want to investigate my father’s death. Won’t you come to the Capital with me?”

As if sensing this wasn’t a matter to postpone, Helene slowly nodded.

“You mean to go right now?”

“Yes, I need to check while the sensation still remains.”

“Sensation, you say…”

“An important clue to restore my memories came to mind, and I want to act before I forget it again.”

I didn’t want to talk about Rohan’s ability.

It was not only hard to believe, but also difficult to explain logically.

So my proposal might sound rather sudden.

“Very well.”

But Helene agreed without a moment’s hesitation.

“If it’s Mother’s matter, I’ll help. Besides, regarding the past… the Layton Family owes Mother a great debt.”

Helene still seemed to feel indebted about the Late Duke buying me.

I smiled bitterly and shook my head.

“I’m not asking for help from the Layton Family. I’m asking because I need Helene.”

“You need me?”

“Yes, what I want is Helene’s help, no one else’s.”

Helene hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath. And with a resolute expression, she said:

“…I’ll pack my luggage right away. Let’s prepare.”

It was a reliable declaration.

* * *

We decided to head to the Capital on horseback.

It would be difficult to gain speed with a carriage.

Setting aside the discomfort, I wondered if traveling long distances on horseback might be dangerous, but Helene assured me there was nothing to worry about as she would use the Knight Order to secure the roads.

“You mean just the two of us going means you don’t want to attract people’s attention, right? In that case, horses are perfect. The saddle will be a bit uncomfortable, but please bear with it.”

It was a journey where not even attendants followed, except for guards secretly trailing from afar, but Helene didn’t mind and urged us to depart.

The horse she brought was coincidentally the prized horse from the annex building that had caused problems when I first had a conflict with Helene in the past.

It was a prized horse that wouldn’t tire even after running through ten nights, making it perfect for this journey.

And so I mounted the horse together with Helene.

Since my horseback riding was only at a refined level, Helene took charge of controlling the horse.

‘Besides, it’s incredibly comfortable… She seems to handle horses better than Sir Nata.’

Even though we used a magically enchanted saddle, I was amazed by the comfortable travel that felt like riding in a carriage.

Mikhail had said that Helene was stronger than most knights, and it didn’t seem to be an exaggeration.

“Is our destination… here?”

“Yes, you did well.”

We finally arrived at our destination. It was a small village on the capital outskirts.

As autumn approached and the harvest began, the vast plains were filled with golden wheat.

Unable to believe that clues to the incident would be found in such a peaceful place, Helene furrowed her brow.

I reassured her not to worry since this was definitely the right place, then approached the villagers.

After a brief inquiry, I found the house I was looking for.

The person I was seeking lived in a small house at the edge of the village.

“Excuse me.”

I knocked on the door, but there was no answer for quite a while.

Just as I was about to look around thinking someone had gone out, I heard a small voice from inside.

“Please come in-”

I slowly opened the door and looked inside.

A woman was sitting in front of the fireplace, gazing at me intently.

Facing a woman who looked much older than in my memories made me feel bitter.

“…It’s been a long time, Nanny.”

“Oh my, Young Miss Wilhelmina?”

Her identity was the nanny who had taken care of me during my childhood.

Her cheeks, where age spots had begun to appear, seemed to barely move as she fumblingly opened her mouth to greet me.

“Pl, please come in. My goodness, to see you, Young Miss…”

I told Helene to wait for a moment, then entered the house.

Fortunately, she didn’t seem to live alone, as traces of family could be seen here and there inside.

Nanny tried to stand up and bow, but I waved my hands saying it was fine and approached her.

“You’ve grown so much. I don’t know how long it’s been.”

“About 10 years? Since Nanny left the mansion.”

“I’m sorry, back then I had no choice…”

“I didn’t come to blame you. It was our family’s problem for not being able to pay wages.”

Nanny had left the mansion not long after I entered the Academy.

Around that time, our family was so poor that it was difficult to even employ a commoner nanny.

Of course, that didn’t mean it was a fond or regretful parting.

The relationship between Nanny and me was rather dry.

I had matured early, and Nanny also didn’t give much affection to a family that paid meager wages.

Like in Chloe’s case, there are places that accept nannies as family members, but to me, a nanny was just one of the servants working for the family.

Perhaps because of that, Nanny blinked her eyes as if my visit seemed strange.

“Young Miss, what brings you here…?”

Since I didn’t think we were close enough to exchange pleasantries, I got straight to the point.

“I came because I have something to ask. Nanny, did Father’s brother… I mean, did Uncle ever visit the mansion when I was young?”

Nanny’s flustered expression momentarily darkened.

Judging by her reaction, it seemed her memory remained intact.

‘Even if Rohan had reached this place, he wouldn’t have been able to erase Lord Windsor’s memory.’

It was natural since he wouldn’t have known Lord Windsor’s identity when he manipulated the memories of people around me.

‘From my memory, whenever Lord Windsor came to the mansion, Nanny would guide me outside. She must have seen Lord Windsor.’

And my prediction was correct.

“Young Miss… you noticed too. Yes, that’s right. Windsor Family Head’s older brother used to visit the mansion quite often.”

“Was his business about borrowing money, as expected?”

“I don’t know what conversations they had. I just received orders to send Young Miss outside whenever he came…”

Well, it was natural since Nanny wouldn’t enter the office anyway.

The information I really wanted was the answer to my next question.

“Then, did that Uncle ever pretend to be Father?”

“How did you know that…?”

As expected, this was also as I predicted.

My mind brightened as if I had found the last piece of a hidden puzzle.

‘When I saw Gideon’s contract, Lord Windsor had used the family seal long before the incident occurred. In other words, that guy had been acting like a noble for a long time.’

However, it was difficult to pretend to be a noble with just one family seal.

Nobles are a breed that values appearances above all.

Carriages and horses to travel between regions, aristocratic clothing, and so on – quite a lot of money was needed to act like a noble.

But Lord Windsor had a means to act like a noble without spending a single penny.

My father, who looked exactly the same as his identical twin.

“That’s right. Uncle used to go out wearing Family Head’s clothes. He also took the only horse we had.”

‘No wonder when I returned home after graduating from Academy, the stable was completely empty.’

Even though he had no reason to go out, I wondered if he had sold the horse, but it seemed Lord Windsor had taken it.

Lamenting Father’s gullibility, I continued with my next question.

“In Nanny’s opinion, how identical were that guy and our Father?”

“You wouldn’t be able to distinguish them with your eyes. Uncle even copied Family Head’s hairstyle exactly.”

Click, click, the puzzle pieces were falling into place.

Now only one thing remained.

“I’ve never seen that person coming and going through the main gate. Do you happen to know how he entered the mansion?”

From Rohan’s memory, I saw myself left alone in the empty mansion.

And during the Emperor’s birthday celebration, some space in the mansion that Mikhail had messed up and left.

“Ah! Young Miss doesn’t know. Actually, Windsor Mansion has a secret passage.”

A secret room, or passage.

A hidden space that existed in my annex building and Count Zormon Family, which any noble family mansion would naturally have, also existed in the Windsor Family mansion.

“Where is that?”

“It’s in the kitchen. If you open the lower cabinet and pull the knife holder section properly, a door will open. Uncle entered the mansion through that place.”

It matches the memory Rohan had given me.

And so the final puzzle piece was completed.

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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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