I’m a Mother-in-Law, but I Dislike Conflict with My Daughter-in-Law - Chapter 26

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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 26

“Are you alright?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry. This is my oversight.”

“…No, it’s fine.”

After checking Wilhelmina once more and confirming she wasn’t injured, Nata finally turned around.

The sword’s owner, Derek, was already looking this way with his black horse mask removed.

His face was also stained with confusion, but it gradually transformed into a smile.

“Out of bounds… You’re out.”

‘This damn bastard.’

Of all things to say at this moment, that’s his victory declaration?

The judges’ seats extended outside the arena. Nata, who had flown to protect Wilhelmina, naturally had no choice but to land outside the arena.

“What a shame, Sir Pie. This match is my victory. It seems…”

Just as the spectators were frowning at Derek’s words, Wilhelmina stood up.

“Wait. Sir Derek. Why did you throw your sword at me?”

* * *

When Derek’s sword came flying at me, I thought.

‘Am I going to die by the sword here too?’

But soon that worry became meaningless as Nata appeared.

Spreading fairy wings that seemed straight out of a fairy tale, he flew over in an instant and saved me.

Then, another worry came to mind.

‘This is out of bounds.’

My judgment about the match came before my startled heart.

Sure enough, while Nata was worrying about me, Derek removed his mask with a triumphant expression.

“Out of bounds.”

‘Wow, how petty.’

A man old enough to know better, ignoring the spectators’ disapproving glares and savoring his victory. He was worse than middle schoolers making excuses to skip academy.

If things continued like this, Nata would be a hero who saved the commentator, but would ultimately lose the match.

Meanwhile, Derek would be the winner who claimed victory through underhanded means. That wasn’t the ending I wanted.

“This match is my victory. It seems…”

If this was going to be such an absurd development, I needed to use unreasonable methods too.

“Wait. Sir Derek. Why did you throw your sword at me?”

I stood up from my seat and stepped onto the arena.

“What, what did you say?”

“At the last moment, I saw it clearly. You throwing your sword at me. Were you trying to assassinate me?”

“…What are you talking about? It wasn’t me who struck with the sword, it was that guy.”

Derek, who didn’t know my identity, spoke down to me as if it were natural. That was actually better for me.

“I didn’t see it. And in the end, isn’t the sword here yours, Sir?”

I maintained my ignorance. Of course, I saw it clearly too. That Nata had parried Derek’s swinging sword, and this situation had occurred from that impact.

‘But what are you going to do if I say I didn’t see it? The evidence is your sword, isn’t it?’

Derek frowned and pointed to the surrounding spectators.

“Everyone saw it. Rather, the one who caused the problem was she…”

“Not ‘she.’ Address her properly as Sir. Count, does your knight order have a rule that allows calling comrades carelessly?”

At my question, the Margrave slowly shook his head. With a voice that showed not the slightest hint of confusion, he answered politely.

“There is not.”

Normally I would have spoken respectfully to him, but the Margrave seemed to have caught on to my intention and responded naturally.

A small commotion arose among the spectators about the fact that I had spoken informally to the Margrave and about the name Nata.

“W-wait. Did you just say Sir Nata?”

Regardless, I still stubbornly continued speaking.

“Even if they saw it, so what? The undeniable fact is that I felt a threat to my life, and the evidence is your sword.”

“Ha, you’re not making sense. Why would I target you? Why would I target a woman I don’t even know? Stop making false accusations!”

“A woman you don’t even know…”

I wasn’t even raising my voice like a commentator now, yet he couldn’t figure out my identity. I held back the laughter that was leaking out and removed my mask.

Then I pulled back the hood I was wearing and faced Derek with my bare face. The hair tie that had bound my hair to hide my identity must have come loose, as my navy blue hair flowed down below my shoulders.

“That can’t be right. You definitely know my identity.”

“Wh… what?”

“That’s why you targeted me. Isn’t that right?”

“G-G-Grand Duchess?”

Derek’s stammering appearance was quite amusing.

“Count, it seems Sir Derek tried to assassinate me. What do you think?”

“I can assure you that my knight would never do such a thing. However… since Your Grace is concerned, an investigation will be unavoidable.”

“I’m disappointed, Count. I held a grand celebration at your request, yet such an unfortunate incident occurs.”

“It is my oversight. I apologize.”

The Margrave rose from his chair and bowed politely to me. Only then did the spectators and Derek realize the power structure in this garden.

Even if I was a figurehead Grand Duchess… it was actually natural.

I am the Grand Duchess, and he is a Count. And this is a celebration I prepared for him. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say all responsibility lay with the Margrave.

“N-no! I really didn’t know! I never imagined you were the Grand Duchess…”

“Then what about this sword? Isn’t it evidence that you tried to kill me?”

“That’s not true! That was… she… no, Sir Nata’s mistake…”

“I said I didn’t see it. Don’t you trust my word?”

“But other people also…”

“Then you’re saying they’re accomplices too?”

“…”

He would have nothing to say. Even I thought it was unreasonable logic. I couldn’t expect common sense from this logic that forcibly used my status.

‘But you’re the one who used underhanded methods first.’

I didn’t like using such methods either. After all, abuse of power comes back as karma when misused.

But Derek was the one who crossed the line first. If he hadn’t made that petty victory declaration, I wouldn’t have stepped forward.

‘No matter how much you make excuses, in the end, this sword is the only physical evidence.’

The rest was only testimony. And testimony could be easily refuted in the face of overwhelming social status.

Even the Margrave was taking my side, so neither knights nor soldiers could possibly object.

‘Since you resorted to unreasonable means first, you should experience some absurdity too.’

“However… I can’t dampen such a joyous celebration.”

“What? Then!”

As I trailed off, a light of hope appeared on Derek’s face, which had instantly become haggard.

He too must have been picturing his own dismal future. A knight who tried to assassinate the Grand Duchess – even if his innocence were proven later, his life would obviously become a thorny path.

“Sir Nata, what are your thoughts? Do you think all of this was coincidence and mistake?”

Nata slowly removed the pie helmet. When I faced that sweat-stained face, I nearly forgot my dignity and stopped breathing for a moment.

Good grief, one should be reasonably pretty.

The audience was equally surprised.

“It, it really is Sir Nata?”

“…”

He briefly gauged my reaction. He seemed to be pondering what answer he should give. Actually, whatever he answered didn’t matter since I’d spin it my way anyway.

“I think it was coincidence.”

“Huh!”

At Nata’s words, Derek let out a sigh of relief as if it were a godsend.

“Sir Derek dropping his sword was coincidence.”

“Is that so? If Sir Nata says so… Then because of the coincidence of Sir Derek throwing his sword at me, Sir Nata saved me while prepared to be disqualified.”

“That’s…”

Does it work that way? Both Derek and Nata’s expressions changed to bewilderment.

“I’m sorry about this. Sir Derek didn’t know he would throw his sword, and I was wrong to be here so obliviously. If everything was coincidence, nothing would have happened if only I hadn’t been here, right?”

“Uh…”

Oh dear, it’s all my fault. The problem was me being here, you two did nothing wrong. Right?

It was a Korean-style boss’s blame-shifting rhetoric, full of such intention. Derek’s expression showed discomfort, as if experiencing this for the first time.

‘This should be enough.’

Now it was time to use that sense of injustice.

“Then there’s no choice. Since it’s all my fault, I’ll take responsibility and… hold a rematch.”

“What?”

“If it’s the result of overlapping coincidences, it’s hard to consider it a fair match, isn’t it? Then we have no choice but to reset all results to zero and compete again.”

“No, that won’t do! Then my victory!”

“Wasn’t your victory thanks to my mistake? It was a coincidental victory created because I was there – how is that fair and square?”

Having already said that threatening me was coincidence, Nata had no choice but to answer that his disqualification from trying to save me was also coincidence.

There was no greater unreasonableness than this. But what could he do? If you don’t like it, why don’t you be the Grand Duchess?

“So Count, I strongly request a rematch. What do you think?”

“There’s no choice. That seems to be the most just conclusion.”

It was a sarcastic remark that all of Derek’s schemes were unjust, unreasonable tricks. Derek’s face turned bright red.

‘Now you must have roughly realized, right?’

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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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