I’m a Mother-in-Law, but I Dislike Conflict with My Daughter-in-Law - Chapter 230

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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 230

Life in Venice was more satisfying than I had expected.

First of all, the biggest advantage was that all the duties of a Grand Duchess had completely disappeared.

Here, I didn’t have to wrestle with complicated documents or listen to requests from administrators.

Without realizing it, I must have felt a sense of responsibility for the position of Grand Duchess, because it was fascinating how much lighter my shoulders felt living as ‘Rohana’, my new identity.

Of course, that didn’t mean I was living a completely leisurely life.

‘I didn’t know I was someone destined for hard work.’

I had planned to start a business, but the problem was that the Venice Ducal House’s internal affairs were more precarious than I had thought.

If the Layton Family had a solid organizational chart and good division of labor due to numerous retainers and nobles, the Venice Ducal House had a strong tendency to rely on Rohan alone, making their operations rigid.

The Layton Family’s method was probably largely due to Mikhail’s disposition.

On the contrary, Rohan had little interest in changing the traditions of previous generations.

He must fulfill his duties as much as he was respected. With that simple logic, Rohan handled the enormous workload pouring in all by himself.

‘The previous generation couldn’t have endured this. That’s why the Eastern Region is in this state.’

Although things had improved by Rohan’s generation, the Eastern Region still bore the aftereffects of civil war.

Since Rohan’s predecessor was someone obsessed with monopolizing power, Rohan inherited all the consequences.

While I was proud of Rohan for managing his duties while traveling back and forth to the Western Region, I couldn’t help but sigh at his stubbornness.

Eventually, unable to just stand by and watch, I decided to reorganize the Venice Ducal House’s internal affairs and look for capable administrators… and that’s when the problems began.

“Lady Rohana, a new oasis has been discovered at the edge of the northeastern region. There are natives hiding and living there. Should we occupy it?”

“Is war all you have in your head? Tell them we’ll provide free road access and start with negotiations.”

“Lioness! There’s someone who wants to buy holy water. Should we capture them first?”

“Why are you so aggressive too… Send them to the tower later. Let’s talk and see what they’re up to.”

The more administrators I gathered, the more they began to rely excessively on Wilhelmina.

It somehow reminded me of the reading club.

What was better than back then was that I didn’t have a status that required maintaining appearances.

I could proceed with work according to my personality without anyone complaining, and I felt at ease since Rohan was openly backing me up.

If anyone had complaints, I could just cut them off by telling them to go talk to Rohan.

‘Still, I’d like to rest a little…’

I wanted to hole up in my bedroom and sleep like the dead for three or four days, but I couldn’t because of the administrators constantly coming to me.

It seemed like I was someone destined for hard work no matter which region I was in.

“Lady.”

After the administrators finished their business and left the tower, Anna came to find me with tea.

Anna, who had arrived in the Eastern Region one step later than me, adapted to her duties faster than expected and became the head maid of the tower.

Anna, whose expression looked much more relaxed than before, spoke carefully.

“The Duke asks if it would be alright for him to visit this evening.”

“Ah, is it already time for that? Tell him it’s fine.”

Currently, Rohan and I were living separately.

Since there might be talk if Rohan and I, who weren’t even married, shared a room, we separated our bedrooms.

While we had separated bedrooms to preserve Rohan’s reputation, it was actually for my convenience as well.

‘That guy is way too obsessed.’

It was because of his intense obsession that I couldn’t bring myself to tell Anna or Nata about.

Quite some time had passed since coming to the Venice Ducal House, but I still wasn’t used to my relationship with Rohan.

‘But if I run away, he just sulks again.’

If I even rejected him, he would clam up with such a menacing expression as if he was going to kill someone.

Others avoided him out of fear, but in reality, it was just a face dejected with disappointment.

Anyway, after separating our bedrooms like that, Rohan promised to visit the tower once a week.

Though we could meet anytime normally, the promise to meet alone at night seemed quite appealing to Rohan.

When the promised day came, he would…

“Mina.”

“…I told you it’s Rohana here. And why are you coming in through the window?”

Unbefitting his status as a duke, he came to the tower by climbing walls.

I sighed as I watched Rohan entering through the window.

He was still wearing his uniform, as if he had just finished his official duties.

“I told you so many times to come through the main gate.”

“This is most convenient for avoiding eyes. And the inspection on the first floor is bothersome too.”

Nata was standing guard around the tower.

Recently, so many people were visiting the tower that she had to personally filter them out to feel satisfied.

Naturally, Rohan couldn’t escape being a target of that either.

“I don’t want to waste time that could be spent meeting you.”

Well now, that’s quite a romantic thing to say that would make one blush, but I don’t know why his hands are unbuttoning his uniform.

I was lying diagonally on the sofa observing his behavior, and spoke in a lukewarm voice.

“Your words and actions don’t match.”

“Should I go to the bathroom?”

“Are you listening to me?”

I came to the Eastern Region to avoid the cold and hassle, but there’s some kind of beast living here.

I thought I should keep tomorrow morning’s schedule clear.

* * *

Rohan’s mornings are early.

Whether duke or emperor, young family heads all seemed to be sleepless.

Even at dawn when I hadn’t even thought of leaving dreamland, Rohan would wake up and prepare for his daily routine.

Today was no different.

“…What time is it?”

I forced my sleepy eyes open and looked at Rohan crossing the bedroom.

Noticing that I had woken up, he held out the teapot he was carrying and asked.

“It’s 5 o’clock. Coffee or black tea, which one?”

“…Black tea. With milk and sugar.”

“Alright.”

While someone is so tired they can’t even get out of bed, he looks so perfectly fine.

I gazed intently at his back as he boiled water wearing only his pants.

‘Who would have thought I’d become accustomed to seeing a man’s bare back.’

Was it just my imagination, or did Rohan’s face seem to have a lively glow about it?

I wrapped the blanket around my body and spoke quietly.

“I don’t think we slept even 3 hours. Isn’t it too early?”

“There’s a meeting. If you’re tired, you can sleep more.”

“It’s fine, I’ll have some tea and then sleep.”

I yawned and sat up. When I shivered from the chill of the dawn air, Rohan came over and wrapped the blanket more tightly around me.

After drinking the black tea he made for me, I lay back down on the bed.

“…Hair.”

“Hm?”

I was blankly staring outside where the sun hadn’t risen yet, when Rohan muttered somewhat wistfully.

“As I thought, your original color suits you better.”

“Really? I’m just starting to grow attached to this one.”

Thanks to the treasure Oberon had given me, my hair always maintained its red color.

Ironically, red-toned hair, which wasn’t favored in the Capital or Western Region, seemed to be called descendants of gods in this region.

The redder it was, the closer to the Wolf God, apparently.

In that sense, I understood why rumors were spreading that I was the Wolf God’s Messenger.

My hair was as vivid as if it had been dipped in paint.

“Besides, Rohan, it’s the same color as your eyes.”

“…”

Rohan froze while holding his teacup. When he tried to lean his head toward me, I reached out my hand to stop him.

“Stop it. My back is killing me.”

“…It sounds exactly like you’re provoking me.”

“That’s strange, I’m clearly speaking in the Empire’s language, not beast language.”

We both burst into laughter.

Rohan sat at the edge of the bed in front of me.

As I watched him drink his tea, my hand unconsciously went to my hair.

“Come to think of it, there’s a lot of black hair in the Eastern Region. I rarely saw it even in the Capital.”

“It must be an ethnic characteristic.”

“It’s fascinating because it’s like where I used to live.”

“Did that place also have a lot of black hair?”

“In my country, there was mostly black or dark brown. Other countries were… similar to the Capital.”

We exchanged trivial conversation as I played with his hair.

Though short, the texture wasn’t bad, so it was quite fun to touch.

“Rohan.”

“Mm?”

“Sing something.”

Rohan frowned, asking what kind of nonsense that was all of a sudden.

I pressed my index finger against his brow, telling him not to make such expressions when he already had a fierce look.

“I heard from a girl named Livia this time that the Venice Ducal House originally holds ancestral rites every holiday. And the Family Head sings there.”

“It’s not singing, it’s poetry. There’s no melody in it.”

“I couldn’t hear it during the holidays, so I want to hear your song.”

“You want me to recite poetry?”

“No, I said singing.”

“…You did hear what I just said, right?”

Rohan, who finally realized that the holidays were just an excuse, furrowed his brow again.

I buried my face in the pillow and looked at Rohan with excited eyes.

Rohan wasn’t the type to hum songs even when he was happy.

He was a plain man who didn’t even whistle, let alone sing.

Perhaps because of that, I was curious about what kind of sound I could hear if he sang.

Perhaps sensing that I wouldn’t give up my stubbornness, Rohan slowly opened his mouth with a resigned expression.

Perhaps sensing that I wouldn’t back down from my stubbornness, Rohan slowly opened his mouth with a resigned expression.

“Cross the bridge-”

“The butterfly will hug you.”

The Eastern Region’s lullaby was quite different from what I had heard as a child.

It wasn’t a mother’s song to put a child to sleep, but a parent’s song to protect the child from evil things.

It was not a mother’s song to put her child to sleep, but a parent’s song to protect the child from evil.

“The wolf rides the wind and will block the fox’s teeth.”

“Hold my hand and close your eyes. The sand blanket will shield you from the moonlight.”

The lullaby sung by a man with a rough voice was quite worth listening to.

As I slowly closed my eyes while listening to the song, I felt as if I was really buried in a warm sand blanket.

Sleep began to pour over me. I put the hand that had been touching his hair back under the blanket.

As I slowly closed my eyes while listening to the music, I felt as if I was buried under a blanket of truly warm sand.

“Baby, baby, the wolf rides the wind, and will protect you today too.”

It seemed I could fall into quite a pleasant sleep.

How much time had passed?

It seemed like I could fall into a quite pleasant sleep.

I wanted to sleep a little more and tried to pull up the blanket, but someone blocked my hand.

“…I want to sleep a little more.”

How much time had passed?

I didn’t open my eyes, but when I felt the hand, it was soft and slender, unlike Rohan’s.

I wanted to sleep a bit more and pulled up the blanket, but someone blocked my hand.

“…I want to sleep a little more.”

Her eyes weren’t open, but when I took her hand, it was soft and slender, unlike Rohan’s.

It seemed like Anna, so I refused in a sulky voice.

“There’s no schedule today… leave me alone.”

The hand that paused for a moment pulled the blanket forcefully again.

The strength was so strong that even the blanket I was pressing down with my knees was completely pulled away.

“What, what?”

I opened my eyes wide in surprise at the sunlight and cold air pouring onto my face. And I discovered someone I never expected standing in front of me.

“Helene?”

My daughter-in-law was standing with her back to the sunlight. And with a very determined expression at that.

“The sun is high in the sky, Mother. Please get up.”

“Uh… why are you here…?”

I wondered if I had been moved to House Layton while I was sleeping, so I looked around, but the room looked the same as yesterday.

The desert outside the window was still there too.

‘Am I dreaming?’

I unconsciously pinched my cheek, but the pain was real.

Helene answered my confused question.

“It seemed like Mother had no intention of coming home at all, so I came to find you myself.”

“You came to find me… without treasure? You crossed the Empire?”

“Yes. It took quite a while.”

To think that a Duchess would cross the Empire, not for travel but for this.

When I looked up with disbelief, Helene spoke shamelessly as if asking what was wrong.

“Does a daughter-in-law need a reason to return to her in-laws’ house?”

“In-laws’ house… well, since I’m here, it is the in-laws’ house…”

A daughter-in-law returning to her in-laws’ house – are these words the right combination?

Helene grabbed my arm as I was too flustered to speak properly and helped me up.

“What about Mikhail? Don’t tell me you came alone?”

“Yes, this is my personal vacation. The Duke remained in Layton.”

It was such irresponsible behavior that I would believe it if someone told me this wasn’t Helene but Oberon acting as her.

At that moment, I noticed something strange in Helene’s words.

‘…Wait, she said “the Duke”?’

When we were together as family, we called each other by name, but today she was using honorifics.

With unnecessary suspicion, I asked carefully.

“Did you two have a fight?”

“…”

Helene’s shoulders flinched as she was organizing the blanket to prevent me from lying down again.

Seeing her subtly avoid my eyes, it seemed I was right.

“You fought with Mikhail and left home?”

“…I was worried about Mother. I also heard rumors that you were being treated like a witch…”

“Don’t change the subject. So you fought with Mikhail and came to me?”

“…Yes.”

A daughter-in-law who fought with her son ran away to her mother-in-law’s house.

I couldn’t even begin to grasp what kind of situation this was.

Was this a new form of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conflict?

“When are you going back? If rumors spread about you being here, it’ll be a disaster.”

“I’m not going back until Mikhail apologizes first. I’m going to stay here.”

“Here? In this tower?”

“Yes. Where else would I go?”

Helene pointed with her chin toward a corner of the bedroom as if it were obvious.

There, bags that appeared to be Helene’s luggage were piled up like a mountain.

Anna stood in front of them with an expression that said ‘what am I supposed to do about this?’

“Well… Helene, I may not look it, but I’m a newlywed.”

“Congratulations. That aside, Mother, do you know that next week will mark the 3rd anniversary of when we first met?”

I’d never kept track of such things.

Besides, bringing that up at this timing—did she mean to say ‘the 3rd anniversary is more important than being newlyweds’?

“A daughter-in-law should follow where her mother-in-law goes. …Oh, and the book club members said they’re coming to the Venice Ducal House for summer vacation.”

“…It’s summer right now.”

“Yes, so they arrived yesterday. Should we hold this book club meeting in the tower, or should we find a separate location?”

It seemed I was completely screwed when it came to escaping my roles as mother-in-law and Grand Duchess.

I let out a sigh without realizing it.

“I think mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conflicts would be more comfortable.”

“There’s no mother-in-law and daughter-in-law pair as close as us.”

“Mmm, yes, I suppose so.”

I wondered how many people would actually believe those words.

Regardless, Helene politely took my hand and led me.

“Let’s go, Mother.”

“Here, don’t call me Mother, call me Rohana.”

“No matter what you look like, no matter where this place is, you are my mother. I don’t care about other people’s opinions.”

“…Are you hitting on me?”

Somehow my daughter-in-law’s way of speaking was as romantic as a newlywed husband’s.

The situation overlapping with last night made me smile without realizing it.

I didn’t like mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conflicts or complicated family fights, but… the fact that I was Helene’s mother-in-law was quite nice.

“Yes, no matter how my status changes, you are my daughter.”

“That’s right.”

“Mikhail is my son too.”

“…Did you really have to say that right now?”

I burst out laughing at the sight of Helene frowning.

Now that I’d resolved the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conflict, it seemed like it was time to help resolve the marital conflict between the son and his wife.

【The End】

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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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