I’m a Mother-in-Law, but I Dislike Conflict with My Daughter-in-Law - Chapter 15

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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 15

Wilhelmina threw back the exact same words that Jane had said earlier.

More investment brings more challenges.

Even if there’s no substance right now, once the money is prepared, you can try anything. Didn’t she think the same way?

‘It’s not just about receiving more investment. In the early stages of business, you pay less taxes, and depending on growth potential, collateral loans are possible too. Credit rating also improves…’

“Besides, if you have a paper company, you can even use double bookkeeping.”

“A paper company?”

“A company that exists only in name… you know, a trading company. A subsidiary that pretends not to be one, a fake that pretends to exist somewhere without substance.”

Seeing Wilhelmina tilt her head as if to say ‘Haven’t you heard of it?’, Jane felt a chill run down her spine. Countless loopholes were swirling through her mind right now.

‘Double bookkeeping… creating a fake trading company that only receives investment to hide funds, while disguising the head office as steadily growing.’

Young Jane was merely inexperienced, but she was an exceptionally brilliant person.

Though she had only worked at the grain shop for a year, her ability to apply knowledge was incomparable to ordinary merchants.

Meanwhile, Wilhelmina, unaware of what Jane was thinking, muttered peacefully, ‘I’m getting a bit hungry.’

Jane didn’t even glance at Wilhelmina, calculating rapidly like a true merchant.

‘This person… is real.’

Wilhelmina didn’t know. That this brief encounter would become the first trigger for leaking clues about sophisticated corporate crimes from 21st Century Earth.

Fortunately, Jane was not a villain but a righteous person who wanted to condemn those who would abuse such knowledge.

Unaware that Jane had begun to regard Wilhelmina not as a naive noble but as an eccentric hiding something, Wilhelmina pleasantly finished the remaining quince tea.

* * *

‘I’ll visit often.’

Jane left with a bright face, unlike when she arrived.

I was the one who gained useful information from our conversation, but she kept expressing gratitude, saying she would come to learn more.

‘Merchants must have a hard time trying to look good to investors.’

Since she was someone who had given money, I thought it might be unavoidable courtesy, so I casually brushed off her words.

“Next is the celebration banquet?”

From now on, there was legwork to be done.

Since it was cold, I didn’t want to go out unless necessary, but this wasn’t something that could be resolved from home.

I called Anna to get my overcoat. The destination was the military camp where the Margrave was staying.

It was quite far to walk, so I needed to call for a carriage.

I was about to move with one of the knights guarding the annex building when I heard Anna’s loud voice from the stable area.

“Why can’t we!”

“Well… the horses belong to the master…”

“We’re not going far, it’s just somewhere within the territory, so why this fuss?”

I slowly approached the stable. A gentle-looking stable master was facing Anna with a troubled expression.

Anna was holding my overcoat while glaring at him with clenched fists, looking indignant.

“Anna, what’s the matter?”

When I called her, Anna whipped her head around. She was so angry that despite the cool weather, her face was flushed red with heat.

“I’m sorry, Madam. What happened was….”

Perhaps thinking she couldn’t show anger in front of me, Anna calmly caught her breath and explained.

The incident began with renting a horse to pull the carriage.

My going out wasn’t a problem in itself. The only issue was that there was no horse available to carry me. Horses were one of the precious assets.

If women in this world adorned themselves with jewelry and clothing, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that men revealed their status through horses.

The horses in the annex building were prized horses that the Late Duke had cherished, with each one worth as much as a decent mansion.

With the Late Duke’s death, ownership of these horses had passed to Mikhail, and I was in a position where I had to ask Mikhail’s permission to borrow a horse.

‘How ridiculous this situation is.’

A mother having to request her son to borrow a horse just to go outside. This wouldn’t be a common situation even in noble houses.

‘Since he doesn’t really think of me as the Madam, he can’t just lend them out carelessly.’

Losing one’s head for mismanaging horses was the reality of a stable master’s life. He wouldn’t want to face unnecessary trouble by lending out horses without Mikhail’s permission.

Even if they called me Madam in words, to them I was just a guest of the annex building, not a distinguished guest who could borrow horses. They had no way of knowing about my deal with Helene in the first place.

Anna had gotten greatly angry upon sensing such prejudice from the stable master, which was the scene I had just witnessed.

‘It’s not that I don’t understand.’

Perhaps because I had lived an ordinary life for so long, I found myself empathizing with the stable master’s position before my own.

“It can’t be helped. We’ll have to walk.”

“What? Madam!”

Anna stamped her feet at my words.

After patting her shoulder to tell her to stay calm, I took the overcoat from her hands and draped it over my shoulders.

The rough but thick overcoat was filled with warmth. It seemed she had gathered warmth from the fireplace before coming out.

This is why I can’t dislike Anna. I smiled softly and looked at the stable master.

“Then can we call a carriage from outside?”

“Yes, yes! Of course. I’ll call the finest carriage.”

Even if they couldn’t compare to the Duke’s estate, there were several carriages in the city that carried distinguished guests.

They were like a kind of taxi service. He hurriedly called over a passing attendant and told him to summon a carriage.

“But Madam, if you ride in such a thing, your reputation will….”

Anna looked upset, as if she had much she wanted to say.

“It’s fine, who’s going to see us just going out for a moment? People are more important than some reputation.”

At my words that seemed to understand his position, the stable master’s face brightened. Watching him quietly, I spoke clearly as if for him to hear.

“But I don’t understand why there should be horses in the annex building that I can’t ride.”

“Uh….”

“I should contact Helene and have the stable removed. We’ll move the horses to the castle’s stable and change your duties as well. There’s no need for a stable in the annex building, is there?”

“….”

His face turned pale white in an instant.

‘Did he think no one would know he’s working comfortably here?’

The servants of the annex building were enjoying a comfortable work life unlike those at the castle.

In my view, even that was unreasonable working conditions, but anyway, it was clearly better than the castle. And that was entirely thanks to me.

‘I showed them kindness, but I can’t forgive overstepping bounds.’

The reason the annex building servants worked more comfortably was because they acknowledged me as their Madam.

I provided conveniences to them in proportion to how they treated me.

Just because I made things comfortable for the servants didn’t mean I was magnanimous enough to embrace everyone.

I’m an ordinary noble who only wants to keep good people by my side.

If there’s someone who chooses their own safety before respecting me, I simply send them back to where they belong.

Not wanting to be kicked out of the comfortable annex building, the stable master hurriedly pointed to a horse in the corner of the stable.

“M-Madam. How about using that horse instead?”

“Whose horse is that?”

“It belongs to the master, but…”

Then Anna approached and cut off his words.

“Madam, that horse is the oldest one here. It’s also the cheapest.”

“Oh really.”

In the midst of all this, offering the cheapest horse because he didn’t want to be kicked out – his consistent attitude of not wanting to respect me was almost admirable.

When I smiled slightly, the stable master’s shoulders shrank even more.

“But… if the other horses get injured, my life will be…”

“You’re right. I respect your professional spirit. So I’ll send you somewhere that won’t compromise that professional spirit, so don’t worry. Did I say I’d send you to prison? Straighten that frown.”

“Madam!”

“Lower your voice. A servant who defies their master receives greater punishment than a stable master who won’t provide horses.”

“Uh, uuh…”

With those final words, I took Anna with me and walked toward the castle gate.

I could feel a gaze mixed with despair and resentment from behind, but I didn’t look back.

Anna, who was sticking close to my side, spoke with sparkling eyes.

“That man doesn’t even show up for morning roll call. Since he works alone, no one says anything even when he takes naps.”

“Is that so?”

“Originally, coachmen and stables are very strict workplaces. If he goes back to the castle, that man will probably be worked to the bone.”

“So Anna, do you think it’s excessive for me to send him to the castle?”

Then Anna shook her head vigorously.

“No, not at all. I think that’s what should be done. It wouldn’t even be strange to punish him.”

“Good, that’s a relief.”

‘That you’re not disappointed in me.’

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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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