I’m a Mother-in-Law, but I Dislike Conflict with My Daughter-in-Law - Chapter 4

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

I’m a Mother-in-Law, But I Don’t Want Family Conflicts Episode 4

“…How annoying.”

Before leaving the room, unlike Wilhelmina who had spoken words of praise, Helene voiced her complaint.

How dare the daughter of a debtor who knows nothing of nobility praise her.

It was unbearable and made her shudder with disgust.

* * *

In my previous life, I was an academy teacher.

It was a small place with about 40 students, not specialized in college prep but more of an after-school program.

You could say it was an extension of the Taekwondo Academy where parents left their children until they got off work.

In fact, the Taekwondo Academy was right next door.

There, I taught upper elementary and middle school students, and one of the many hobbies those children were absorbed in was novels.

‘Regression and reincarnation – it’s important, so memorize it.’

‘U-uh, okay.’

When I asked what kind of novel it was out of curiosity, the child explained with eyes more serious than during exams.

At that moment, it felt like the kid was the teacher and I was the student.

When I showed interest, the child passionately lectured about clichés for a full 30 minutes.

Thanks to that, it was quite helpful when I was reincarnated as Wilhelmina.

‘No wait, is this possession? But Wilhelmina is me, and Kim Hana is also me… I don’t know.’

But while it helped with adaptation, understanding this world wasn’t easy.

It might have been different if I had been a world history teacher, but I taught math and science.

About medieval Europe, I knew nothing except the names of kings I memorized for the college entrance exam.

So… I knew nothing about human rights, working conditions, or culture in a fantasy world.

‘Child labor, 14-hour workdays, unlimited abuse of power…’

I had expected the irrationalities of a class-based society to exist, but watching the maids and servants work was truly hard to bear.

So I gradually changed their working conditions.

Since I was the owner of the Annex Building anyway, and the Main Castle didn’t seem to interfere much, I changed the schedule as I pleased.

Like having the morning service that used to include washing my face only handle meals, or telling them they could clean the bedroom corridor anytime instead of only during the early dawn when I was asleep…

‘Like how the children can enter my bedroom anytime now.’

Sitting in the large rocking chair that presumably belonged to the Late Duke, I looked at the children gathered in front of the fireplace.

The children huddled together sharing body warmth were munching on steamed potatoes.

They looked cute like a gathering of squirrels.

‘To think these little ones work to earn money.’

This group of little ones, with the eldest being only ten years old, were pages.

Most were commoners from Layton Territory, proper servants who lived and ate at the castle away from their parents.

It was supposedly somewhat easier if you were of noble birth or worked under a knight, but these children were stuck with all the menial tasks.

For example, the children would wash tablecloths and curtains that required cold water washing once a week with their bare hands.

Since there was no such thing as rubber gloves, they would repeat the miserable process of warming their hands with hot water nearby before going to do the laundry.

‘And they say Layton treats his servants relatively well… How terrible must other places be.’

I wanted to order them not to make the children do such things, but I held back, thinking that while it was fine for me to intervene for their comfort, meddling in their work would be overstepping my bounds.

In this era, taking away work meant taking away the children’s place here.

This was a problem with the society that made children work, rather than with the supervisors who assigned the work.

The reality was that if they didn’t do hard labor, they would starve to death.

“…Madam is making that stern expression again.”

“Hm?”

I suddenly noticed a child approaching me.

It was Mirinai, a seven-year-old servant boy with striking reddish-brown hair.

“What’s the matter?”

“Your expression looks stern, Madam.”

Did stern mean I was making a scary face?

I raised my fingers to touch my cheeks. Come to think of it, they did feel a bit stiff.

“It’s fine, it’s nothing. Did you finish eating your potatoes?”

“Yes.”

“Should I give you more?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Mirinai bowed clumsily at the waist as a gesture of gratitude.

But instead of returning to his friends, Mirinai stood hesitantly in front of me.

“…Do you want to come up?”

“Is that okay?”

“Of course.”

I had let him sit on my lap once or twice before, so it seemed that’s what he wanted.

I lifted the lap blanket to seat Mirinai and covered him with the blanket.

“Madam, will you stay here forever?”

“Yes, it looks like I will.”

“That’s a relief…”

It seemed the children thought I would soon leave the annex building.

Perhaps they had overheard conversations among the servants?

They were perceptive too, so they probably thought I was someone who would be kicked out before long.

‘Should I say it’s thanks to the Emperor?’

I had never felt patriotism toward the Peon Empire, but I was somewhat grateful to the Emperor.

Who knew that not having to worry about finding employment would be such a relief.

“What work are you doing today?”

“We’re going to the garden to pull weeds. The weeds that grow from autumn are tough, so we have to use a lot of strength.”

“That must be hard.”

“But it’s good because there’s someone who’s good at pulling them. Johan pulls them well.”

“Johan?”

It was a name I had never heard before.

I thought I had memorized all the servant boys’ names, but was there still a child I hadn’t met?

When I tilted my head, Mirinai hesitated for a moment about whether it was okay to speak, then opened her mouth hesitantly.

“Johan is… an errand boy. He only gets paid daily wages.”

Daily wages seemed to mean day labor.

“The Gardener hired him, but while there’s a lot of work in spring and summer, there’s no work from now on, so he was troubled. That’s why we suggested he work with us, but he refused.”

“Why?”

“…”

Mirinai glanced up at me and whispered.

“Because he’s afraid of nobles.”

“Ah.”

“He thinks if he makes a mistake, they’ll take a whip and beat him. We told him our lady isn’t that kind of person, but after seeing the previous master…”

It seemed Johan had directly witnessed the Late Duke’s violence.

Since he was said to be a merciless person not only to servants but also to servant boys, it was understandable that a child would be afraid of nobles.

“Errand boys have little work. In winter, unless it’s a day like today pulling winter weeds, he can’t even earn money. Johan has no parents, so we’re worried.”

“Does Johan live alone?”

“He lives with his younger sister. His sister is too young, so Johan earns money alone. But lately there’s nothing to eat, so he said he’s been eating tree bark porridge.”

Mirinai seemed very concerned about Johan.

‘No, it’s not just Mirinai.’

The children sitting by the bonfire were stealing glances this way.

They had reacted to Johan’s name, and their eyes held undisguisable desperation.

“Are you all close with Johan?”

“Johan is strong and smart, so he helped us a lot. Even when it wasn’t his business.”

He must be quite popular. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be sending such obvious looks for help.

Come to think of it, I had been needing my own errand boy to go out and about, rather than a servant.

“…Is it true that Johan works well?”

“Yes.”

Then shall I meet him once?

I braved the cold and stood up from my seat.

* * *

Johan did not trust nobles.

‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry.’

‘This is why lowborn scum are!’

When Johan first came to work in the garden, he witnessed a child being whipped under a tree.

A frightening old noble with white hair sticking out like a mane was severely beating the child, and despite many adults being around, not a single person tried to help the child.

The bloodied child was led away by a man’s hand and driven out of the mansion.

The Gardener said that child was beaten for the crime of getting weeds on the noble’s shoes.

He had become covered in blood just for accidentally failing to pull out weeds that had sprouted in the garden.

‘Nobles are scary.’

Though the Gardener had recommended several times that he become an apprentice, Johan continued to refuse, unable to forget the shock of that incident.

‘If I die, Lily will be left alone.’

Johan had already realized at a young age that life was more important than money.

‘Still, having work is something to be grateful for, so let’s work hard.’

Though the Gardener wasn’t there, Johan began his work in a familiar posture.

He put on his gloves and dug out weeds, poking at the hard ground with his fingertips.

His fingertips stung every time his cracked nails touched the dirt, but he was used to this much.

“Huh?”

As he continued moving forward step by step like that, he discovered a woman crouched in front of a clump of weeds.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————