I’m a Mother-in-Law, but I Dislike Conflict with My Daughter-in-Law - Chapter 265

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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 265 Special Side Story

“Mm, that’s right. Grand Madam is kind, after all. She must want me to be even happier.”

Anna murmured with slightly reddened cheeks, looking a bit embarrassed. Then she looked up at the sky. The autumn night sky was studded with countless stars.

“…Do you know, Grand Madam? Before I met you, I had never once left Layton Territory.”

“Never once?”

“Yes, my parents are probably the same. They were born here, got married, had children, and have lived here all along. For us, that’s natural.”

Even though this wasn’t a story about happiness, Anna’s expression was bright. As I gazed at her quietly, she continued with the corners of her mouth turning up.

“But meeting Grand Madam changed everything. You took me out into the world.”

“Travel is… something that’s always possible, if there’s an opportunity.”

“I don’t just mean going out. Grand Madam, you eliminated my preconceptions and prejudices.”

Anna lowered her head again and looked at me, who had fallen silent.

“Actually, I used to think nobles were people who deserved to be unhappy. I thought it was unreasonable for those born with everything to always be happy.”

In this society where inequality was natural, Anna’s thoughts were understandable.

People feel jealous even toward family they’ve been with since birth, so how could they remain calm seeing the absurdity of social status?

“So I enjoyed gossiping about nobles’ unhappy stories. I often said things like ‘serves them right’ and ‘how satisfying.'”

But, she said, taking a deep breath.

“After meeting Grand Madam, my thoughts changed. I realized that people are the same people regardless of their social status.”

“Anna…”

“Once I understood that, my way of seeing things changed too. Everyone has their own different unhappiness. Mocking smaller misfortunes because mine was greater, or trying to find comfort by looking at those with greater misfortunes – none of that helped me at all.”

Just as your pain is yours alone, my pain is mine alone.

Each person’s emotions deserve to be respected.

“In the past, just using the word sympathy for nobles made me feel bad. I thought ‘who’s sympathizing with whom, they don’t deserve sympathy.’ But… I learned how happy and good it is to help someone and empathize with them.”

She squeezed my hand tightly.

“Grand Madam taught me the obvious truth that good people should be happy, whether they’re commoners or nobles.”

Those who work hard deserve to be rewarded.

Good people should be happy.

It was my brief personal belief that I had told Anna about before.

“That’s why I’m proud to be by Grand Madam’s side. When I see the people you’ve saved, I’m happy too. So you don’t need to feel guilty. My serving Grand Madam… no, being with you, is because I…”

Anna took a deep breath.

“It’s because I like the human Wilhelmina.”

I looked down at Anna’s hands. Though her skin was rough from hard work, her hands were far more beautiful than mine.

“If I’m with Grand Madam, I’d be happy anywhere – the capital, the desert, anywhere. My dream is to get along well with Grand Madam forever.”

‘…I can’t handle this.’

I composed myself watching her comfort me repeatedly, telling me not to worry. At this rate, I felt like I might cry.

Looking at Anna’s face, I felt like those touching compliments would continue, so I deliberately turned my gaze away. Then Nata’s face came into view.

He was making exactly the same expression as when I had teased him earlier.

My ears were probably burning red too.

‘Two losers out of three. Did only Anna win?’

The knight and employer were defeated, and the servant was victorious.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

* * *

After our conversation ended, we resumed walking. Since Anna had earnestly pleaded with me saying “Please don’t say such things again!”, I made an effort to change the topic.

We discussed Nata and Helene’s recent winning streak match rates, as well as the relationship between Mirinai and Jace, while searching throughout the castle.

After about an hour had passed, Anna, who had grown bored, asked me.

“Grand Madam, so who exactly are you looking for? Wouldn’t it be better to send someone else to do this?”

“If we send someone else, they’ll definitely hide. We need to search quietly among ourselves so we won’t be discovered.”

“Just who could it be…”

Anna still seemed clueless, but Nata appeared to have caught on from our recent conversation.

“…Ah. It’s that person, isn’t it. Have they come to this place?”

“Probably.”

I didn’t have any particular evidence. It was just intuition. Actually, I could have interrogated Mikhail, but I wanted to catch them with my own hands.

‘The training ground, military camp, and empty rooms… then there’s only one place left.’

There was now only one place left where someone could hide without being spotted by others and definitely conceal themselves.

This time I headed toward the administrative quarters where the administrators handling the Duke’s estate business were located. Just then, a soldier who was standing night watch at the entrance of the quarters spotted me and tried to salute.

“G-Grand Madam!”

“Shh! Don’t make a commotion.”

“Ah, understood.”

“Could you go inside and call Sir Jane for me? Without letting others know.”

The soldier, who had also lowered his voice following my lead, nodded vigorously and went inside.

Then Anna muttered with an even more confused expression.

“Did you come here to find Jane?”

“No, but she’s hiding someone.”

Shortly after, Jane came rushing out to the entrance of the administrative quarters. She wasn’t sleeping, as she was still wearing her work clothes.

“Grand Madam!”

“You must be very busy, Jane. Working until this hour?”

“The new business we started is struggling a bit, so I was revising the business plan… What brings you here?”

For reference, Jane was currently working not only as an administrator but also as a merchant.

With her outstanding skills, she had become House Layton’s proxy merchant and was participating in all sorts of businesses.

Now she was more famous as “Merchant Jane” than as an investigation officer.

‘Someone who used to hold an administrative position suddenly became a business owner – isn’t there an issue of fairness?’

I had the same thought, but anyway, business ethics in this world were all like this.

“There are empty rooms in the administrative quarters too, right? I’d like to go into one of them.”

“What? Suddenly? Those are small like storage rooms, so there’s nothing for you to see there, Grand Madam…”

“You know what I’m talking about, Jane. Just show me the way.”

“Ah, um…”

As expected, was Jane hiding them?

Judging by her reaction, my intuition seemed to be correct.

‘Did Mikhail use his head? He’s quite clever.’

When guests come to the main castle, rumors are bound to spread. No matter how clever Mikhail is, it would be difficult to avoid my eyes as the Grand Duchess.

But this place, the administrative quarters, was different. External guests occasionally come and go here, and quite a few employees aren’t from the ducal house, so he could avoid my notice.

Of course, getting in wouldn’t be easy…

‘He must have asked Jane.’

He had worked with Jane before, so making such a request wouldn’t have been difficult.

“There’s no helping it. As expected, it was impossible to deceive Grand Madam.”

Jane let out a sigh.

“I’ll guide you. Oh, but are Sir Nata and Miss Anna coming in too?”

“No, you two wait here. If he’s inside, safety is guaranteed, and I don’t want to show you our conversation.”

Nata nodded in understanding. After waving to Anna, who still couldn’t grasp the situation, I stepped into the administrative quarters and headed toward the empty room.

‘Calling it a storage room wasn’t an exaggeration.’

The empty room was located in a corner on the first floor of the administrative quarters. Around the corridor, desks and materials were scattered messily. Judging by the considerable dust that had accumulated, it was obvious this area wasn’t being maintained.

Seeing such an untidy sight after so long, I unconsciously muttered.

“Don’t they clean here?”

“Haha, everyone’s been busy.”

Jane smiled with a troubled expression.

Somehow, I felt like a superior who had suddenly visited a subordinate’s home to meddle. I apologized with an awkward voice.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean it that way. Anyway, he’s inside here?”

“Yes, but he said he was going to sleep about 2 hours ago…”

“It’s fine, he would have woken up sensing people nearby.”

After gesturing for Jane to go ahead, I stood in front of the door. Then I cleared my voice and knocked on the door.

Knock knock, as soon as the knocking ended, a familiar voice came from inside.

“Who is it? Jane?”

“…”

“Sorry, but I believe work hours are over… It’s inconvenient to open the door right now.”

I knocked again, knock knock.

“…”

Since there was no answer, I knocked again.

Finally, I could hear him inside approaching the door.

“Who is it?”

He seemed to have finally realized it wasn’t Jane.

I held back my laughter and lowered my voice, pretending not to be myself.

“Duke Rohanos, what are you doing here?”

“What…!”

As if he never expected to be discovered, he flung the door open.

And I immediately…

“Found you!”

I shouted while embracing his body.

Perhaps because it was my husband I was meeting after so long, I unconsciously applied force.

“…Huh?”

But there was one problem.

It was good that I hugged him as a surprise, but the sensation felt strange.

“…Why are you undressed?”

The owner of the empty room, Rohan, was standing there with his upper garments off. Thanks to that, I had become a pervert with my head buried in his smooth abs.

Rohan squeezed his eyes shut, and I admired the firm and smooth skin I was touching after such a long time.

“…If you noticed I was undressed, then stop touching me.”

“Ah, sorry.”

I quickly pulled my hands away, feeling like something that shouldn’t happen outside might occur at this rate.

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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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