I’m a Mother-in-Law, but I Dislike Conflict with My Daughter-in-Law - Chapter 246

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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 246 Special Side Story

“Ah, no. Still, you need sufficient guards for safety…”

Nata, who had been stammering, finally closed his mouth after seeing Helene’s expression. There was a mischievous glint in her eyes as she smiled coldly.

‘It was a joke!’

He belatedly realized it was a story she had made up to tease him.

“Ahem, your jokes go too far.”

“Hehe, don’t worry. I won’t have any reason to dismiss Sir Nata. But it’s true that I’m training in preparation for that time. As Mother said, there’s a lot a companion needs to take care of for an intimate trip.”

Moreover, she wiped away her sweat with a towel.

“Guard knights are bound to stay closer than family. That position is quite tempting.”

“…”

The words “Don’t you love Mother a bit too much?” almost came out, but he held them back with effort. Helene’s love for her mother had been well-known for a long time.

“Then I’ll take my leave now. Please train hard.”

“Yes, thank you for your hard work.”

Exhausted, Nata gave a brief greeting and saw Helene off.

Helene walked toward her next appointment.

* * *

After her morning schedule ended, what awaited Helene was Wilhelmina’s reading club schedule.

Normally, she would have been excited about the reading club she attended with Mother, but today was different. Wilhelmina had to miss it.

The reason was none other than Mikhail.

‘Making the first move.’

Mikhail had been unable to participate in dinner recently. He had been going out frequently due to overlapping banquet schedules.

So he had relatively less time to spend with Wilhelmina compared to Helene, and on this afternoon when his schedule was free, he suddenly called for Wilhelmina.

The reason was patrolling the territory’s shopping district. He needed Wilhelmina’s wise counsel to meet with merchants and hear about market conditions.

‘And Jane would be with them. If she had suggested it together, Mother would have endured the inconvenience.’

Of course, all of this was just an excuse. It was something Mikhail had concocted to go out with Wilhelmina.

After all, Mikhail had muttered the night before, ‘It’s unfair that only Helene gets to play with Mother.’

Still, of all things, to steal away the reading club schedule.

Helene’s expression remained coldly hardened throughout her walk to the library.

When she finally arrived at the library, Baroness Rollan, who had been preparing the seating, blinked when she spotted Helene.

“Duchess? The Grand Duchess hasn’t arrived yet…”

“Something came up, so she won’t be able to attend. I’ll be participating alone today.”

“Ah, I see.”

Though Helene didn’t explain the detailed circumstances, the Baroness seemed to roughly understand the situation from her atmosphere.

The Baroness smiled bitterly and offered Helene the head table.

With Grand Duchess Wilhelmina absent, the person to sit at the head table was her daughter-in-law, Helene.

“Though I may be inadequate, I’ll conduct the reading club. Mother wouldn’t want the reading club to stop because of your absence.”

“Yes, of course.”

The Baroness nodded readily and took her seat.

Eventually, time passed and reading club members began arriving one by one.

Today’s reading club had a total of ten participants.

Since the membership had gradually increased over time, the reading club had grown quite large. The fact that the number of eccentrics increased along with the growing membership was also very much Wilhelmina’s style.

“Oh my, Duchess?”

The last to enter was Ilina, the Young Lady of Baron Millize. The moment she spotted Helene, she froze while holding a large bundle.

‘Her manners are still lacking.’

There were many things to criticize: carrying that large bundle herself instead of having an attendant do it, her dress being a mess because of it, and her surprised reaction without greeting the Duchess properly upon seeing her.

Sure enough, the Baroness frowned and quietly called her name.

“Lady Ilina.”

“Ah, I’m, I’m sorry! I greet the Duchess!”

“…It’s fine. Please put down your luggage.”

In the past, she would have looked at her with cold eyes, but the current Helene knew how to act kindly.

Ilina made an awkward expression and set the bundle down on the table.

The Baroness sighed and seated Ilina, then looked at the bundle and asked.

“What is this, Lady Ilina?”

“These are the dolls that the Grand Duchess mentioned last time.”

‘Dolls?’

When Helene sent a questioning look wondering why there would be dolls at a reading club, the Baroness answered instead.

“We were preparing a puppet show as the reading club’s charity activity. The children made the dolls.”

It wasn’t uncommon for noble ladies to hold events as charity activities. Concerts, plays, exhibitions, and so on – these days it could be said to be part of one’s refinement.

Some people would sneer at such events as hypocritical, but Wilhelmina always used to say this.

‘Hypocrisy is still goodness, and it’s better than people who do nothing but run their mouths.’

She was someone who always did good deeds while pretending otherwise.

Though whenever this topic came up, she would make an unpleasant expression and brush it off saying, ‘I’m also a contradictory person, so don’t overestimate me.’

She particularly hated packaging herself as a ‘good and righteous person.’

“The theme is about the adventure of a fairy and a cat… are you familiar with it?”

“I know it. It was about a cat who saw the illusion of a fairy due to extreme hunger and hunted mice underground.”

The Baroness spoke in a slightly flustered voice.

“…It’s about a fairy helping a hungry cat find the treasure cake of the underground kingdom.”

Was that it?

Since it was such a fantastical subject, she seemed to have remembered it roughly.

“It’s an adventure fairy tale, but it’s popular with children because it features a cat and a fairy. Today’s schedule was for the reading club members to memorize the script and practice.”

“I see.”

It seemed to be a puppet show with active participation from the reading club members. However, the main characters, the cat and fairy, would be acted by real actors.

The Baroness handed Helene the business plan for the charity event.

As Helene read through it, her eyes widened when she saw Wilhelmina’s role.

“Mother is playing the role of the cat’s grandmother…?”

“Ah, you saw that. We tried to dissuade her as well.”

The Baroness sighed with a troubled expression.

While actively participating in charity events was considered proper etiquette, having the Grand Duchess of a ducal house play the role of a grandmother cutely doting on “our grandson~” was another story entirely.

As Helene quietly read the business plan, Ilina beside her spoke as if making an excuse.

“W-we told her it would be fine to just supervise, but she said she felt bad being the only one doing nothing and asked us to give her this role at least.”

Preparing the puppet show venue, recruiting actors, and so on – the other members each had their assigned duties. So Wilhelmina must have felt she needed to do something too.

Even if she just stayed still, the credit would go to Wilhelmina anyway, yet she was going out of her way to find work to do.

‘That’s just like Mother.’

Helene smiled invisibly.

“I-it really won’t work, will it? We should try to dissuade the Grand Duchess again…”

“It’s Mother’s choice. It’s not my place to interfere.”

At Helene’s permission, Ilina let out a sigh of relief.

‘So that’s why she was startled when she saw me when I first entered the library. She must have thought I would be angry.’

Now Helene finally understood the situation.

“But since Mother is absent today, how do you plan to practice?”

The Baroness answered Helene’s question.

“Someone else will take on two roles. The lines are a bit much, but if we take turns handling them, it should be perfectly manageable.”

“Why don’t I do it?”

“…Pardon?”

The Baroness was flustered again and lost her words.

“I’ll take on Mother’s role. I’ll memorize the lines, so please wait just 3 minutes.”

“…”

Silence fell over the reading club, but Helene paid no mind and began memorizing the lines.

If it was to fill Wilhelmina’s absence, her dignity as a Duchess didn’t matter at all.

She resolved to help the reading club wholeheartedly.

* * *

In conclusion, the practice ended successfully. Helene’s passionate performance was particularly outstanding – it was so realistic that all the members watched with their mouths agape.

When one member commented that she might be trying too hard, Helene answered like this:

“Whatever you decide to do, it’s only natural to put forth your best effort.”

It was truly an exemplary noble’s mindset.

The members who heard this buried deep in their hearts the fact that Wilhelmina, lacking in acting ability, had performed as if reading from a book. It didn’t seem like something to mention in front of Helene.

Thanks to this, after practice ended, the members’ gazes toward Helene had completely changed. Especially in Ilina’s case, her favorability seemed to have increased dramatically.

‘I should start making my move soon.’

Having finished all her scheduled activities, Helene headed toward the dining hall. If everything went according to plan, Wilhelmina and Mikhail would arrive soon. At the thought of having dinner together after so long, her steps became a little lighter.

To get to the main palace more quickly, she cut across the garden.

Just then, she spotted a familiar person’s silhouette in a corner of the garden.

“Mother?”

Now she could recognize her just from her shadow.

Perhaps hearing Helene’s voice, Wilhelmina in the distance noticed her.

“Helene! Are you on your way back?”

“Yes, I just finished the reading club. Mother is….”

“I went out with Mikhail and I’m on my way back. Mikhail went to the main palace first, and I came to the annex building to change clothes.”

Come to think of it, Wilhelmina’s outfit had already changed to indoor clothes. Since she had come straight out from the library, it seemed they had missed each other.

“You’re going to the dining hall? Shall we go together?”

“That sounds good.”

Helene naturally stood beside Wilhelmina.

As they walked together, she belatedly noticed that something was strange about Wilhelmina’s gait.

“By any chance, do your feet hurt?”

“Ah, you caught me? Actually, the new shoes I bought don’t seem to fit quite right.”

Wilhelmina smiled bitterly and lifted her foot. They were clearly custom-made shoes, but perhaps she had lost weight recently, as the area near her ankle bone was red and inflamed from rubbing.

“I’ll have different shoes prepared right now….”

“It’s fine, I don’t have any plans to go out after this anyway. I can endure this much.”

Helene frowned with a displeased expression. Wilhelmina’s “it’s fine” was her stubborn way of saying not to make a fuss about it.

“I understand. Then at least let me support you on the way there. Please take my hand….”

“Really? Thank you. I’ll trouble you for a bit.”

Then Wilhelmina casually linked arms with Helene.

For her, it was a habit she had naturally developed with friends in the modern world, but for Helene, it came as a tremendous shock.

“…!”

Helene’s eyes widened as she stopped walking abruptly.

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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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