I’m a Mother-in-Law, but I Dislike Conflict with My Daughter-in-Law - Chapter 31

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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 31

I looked back at Jace again. Though he was pretending to be polite with his hands clasped together, his eyes showed clear dissatisfaction and a desire to return home immediately.

“Among the educational methods I know… there’s something called Dining Table Education.”

Who would have thought I’d be implementing Korean-style Confucianism in a medieval fantasy world.

I ordered the servants to set the table not in the usual dining hall, but in a small dining room with only a narrow table and four chairs.

* * *

Jace, the young master of Baron Milo’s house, couldn’t understand his current situation at all.

‘Why am I here?’

He glanced around cautiously. Within arm’s reach, a scary-faced woman was silently eating cream soup without saying a word.

He couldn’t understand why he had come here, or why this woman who had introduced herself as the Grand Duchess had brought him to the dining hall.

Normally, by now he would be having dinner in the manor dining hall with the Baroness and her students.

And he would be complaining about why there was no meat, or grumbling that fish was annoying because of the bones.

But in front of this woman, he couldn’t bring himself to open his mouth.

“I don’t like celery though…”

When he subtly let slip words like this.

“Tomorrow we’ll have to eat celery tempura then.”

A terrible response came back. Wondering if she had said that for him to hear, he looked at her, but she continued eating celery deliciously with an unreadable expression.

‘She said I have to come here tomorrow too, right? Then… do I have to eat celery tempura? I don’t want that…’

If he didn’t finish all of this, tomorrow might be celery too. Feeling anxious, Jace reluctantly put celery in his mouth, and she muttered again.

“No, it would be better to just eat meatballs.”

There’s no boy who dislikes meatballs. Confident that his choice was right, Jace swallowed the celery without even chewing.

“Pfft…”

The Baroness sitting beside him let out a small laugh, but Jace, who had stuffed soup in his mouth to forget the taste of celery, didn’t notice.

After he finished the soup cleanly, a dish appeared with finely chopped meat on top of roasted cabbage and carrots. As he tried to push away the carrots and cabbage, Wilhelmina spoke.

“…Earlier, why did you push Rose?”

Jace blinked and glanced at the Baroness. She was just silently focusing on her plate as if she had no interest at all.

“Who’s Rose?”

“The girl you pushed and broke the flower pot.”

“She… was being rude!”

He had learned that answers should be given energetically. Jace straightened his shoulders and spoke confidently.

“A mere servant ignored my orders. So she got punished.”

“But the Baroness’s request came first.”

“But I gave the order later. And isn’t it a bigger mistake to leave a guest standing at the door?”

It was rather difficult language for a child to use. He must have learned it exactly as an adult had used it.

Wilhelmina seemed to notice something and spoke with a faint smile.

“Did you do the same thing at home?”

“At home…”

“I’m asking if you did the same to your father’s attendants.”

“Of course! All the servants in our house are my subordinates!”

Even though I deliberately added the word ‘father’s’, Jace didn’t catch on.

To Jace, servants were subordinates who had to absolutely obey nobles’ orders. It didn’t matter whose servants they were or what the orders were.

Anyway, if something didn’t please him, it was all the servants’ fault.

This time Wilhelmina turned her head toward the Baroness.

“…So you asked me to educate this?”

“That’s right.”

“…?”

Jace, who couldn’t understand what the two were talking about, tilted his head.

“Jace, do you have any siblings?”

“I have a younger brother.”

“How is that younger brother?”

“He’s stupid! He cries all the time, so I don’t play with him.”

“Hmm, I see. What about at the Academy? Who do you hang around with?”

He didn’t know why she was asking such things, but it wasn’t a difficult question. Jace continued explaining about the children he hung around with at the Academy in detail.

Baron House young master Neil, knight student Jonas, merchant’s son Sanson… and he added boastfully that he was their leader.

“What about others? I mean… aren’t there any children from families with higher status than you?”

“…There aren’t any.”

Jace’s eyes wavered greatly for a moment. Then he spoke hesitantly, worried she might ask again.

“Th-those kids play separately. They’re different from me.”

“Hmm, I see.”

After listening to Jace’s story while emptying her plate, Wilhelmina put down her tableware and muttered.

“Strong against the weak, weak against the strong, and a gang leader who only hangs around with subordinates… I get the picture. Jace?”

“Yes?”

“You don’t have any friends, do you?”

Wilhelmina suddenly made a dagger out of words and stabbed the child.

“You haven’t called anyone a friend so far.”

“That’s…”

“You don’t need to say it. I know. I’ve seen many children like you.”

And with a refreshing expression, she took a sip of water from her glass and said.

It was a bright expression that even the Baroness had never seen, one that didn’t suit Wilhelmina.

“You’re actually a loner, aren’t you?”

Jace could only breathe heavily like a boiling kettle.

* * *

‘Kids like Jace are common.’

Nasty gang leaders exist everywhere. In the modern world, it was usually boys who were strong or tall who had that tendency, but in this world it was a bit different.

It was because of the absolute indicator called ‘status’ that even ruined children’s ecosystems.

Children with status naturally become the leader, and those of lower standing must follow them.

It’s a cruel story, but overturning such hierarchical relationships is impossible for a mere educator.

‘Still, I can at least show some consideration.’

That’s exactly what the Baroness requested.

Since I get along well with servants, she must want me to teach Jace the consideration and sense of responsibility he should have as a noble.

‘There are several ways to handle a gang leader, but…’

The academy I attended was attached to a taekwondo academy, so we could just leave the boys to the instructors there and it would roughly work out.

Nothing was as effective as physical education for the mental training of that energetic age.

‘Is this why nobles make their children learn swordsmanship when they reach adolescence?’

Even at the Capital Academy I attended, noble sons would boast about learning some swordsmanship in their youth. In this world, knights might be doing what taekwondo academies do.

But that wasn’t a method available to me. So I was pondering what to do during the meal… when I happened to obtain some meaningful information.

The fact that Jace had no friends until now.

‘Peer friends, social education, guilt… Good, this looks promising.’

If I had done something like this in Korea?

I would have been fired before the disciplinary committee even convened. But this was a world without such gentle educational rights.

‘First, let’s give him punishment for breaking the flower pot.’

It’s been a while since I acted, so it seems somewhat fun.

* * *

The next day, Jace, who had slept at the Baroness’s manor and came to House Layton from the morning, was in high spirits unlike the previous day.

This was because he had heard information about Wilhelmina from other noble children who were boarding together.

‘What? She was a fallen noble!’

Something had seemed strange. The duchess he knew should be a woman with golden hair reminiscent of the sun and charisma that overwhelmed the audience.

In contrast, Wilhelmina was a woman who gave off a heavy and calm atmosphere rather than glamorous. She reminded him more of a scary academy teacher than the wife of a great family.

So he couldn’t understand why she was called a duchess… but after hearing about Wilhelmina’s background, he understood.

‘She was a parasite!’

He didn’t know what kind of insect a bedbug was, but it was a word his academy seniors often used.

They would call their low-status fiancées or incompetent attendants parasites.

Those who, despite their humble status, clung to nobles without knowing their place.

Jace didn’t know what a bedbug insect was, but he understood the meaning perfectly.

If Wilhelmina was such a person, Jace didn’t need to be afraid either. His father was a famous noble in the northwestern region.

‘My father is greater!’

In Jace’s mind formed a baseless conviction that his father was higher than Wilhelmina, who was a fallen noble parasitically attached to the ducal house.

Armed with such confidence, Jace headed to the annex building. His shoulders were so excessively straightened that an attendant who happened to encounter him let out a laugh.

‘Then first… I’ll make her apologize! And quit the tutoring too!’

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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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