I’m a Mother-in-Law, but I Dislike Conflict with My Daughter-in-Law - Chapter 59

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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 59

“What?”

“How long are you going to keep playing house like a child? Just because you sold some oil, do you think you’ve become a real merchant?”

…This was strange. This kind of response wasn’t in her imagination.

“Stealing clients from the Doman Trading Company? Do you know how embarrassed I was because of that? You don’t even realize how much trouble you’ve caused everywhere while wearing the Goldrail Trading Company nameplate!”

“I was… doing what I should as a merchant…”

“I entrusted you with a branch, not told you to become a merchant!”

She had no idea what he was talking about. When she opened her eyes wide, Yulkes spoke in an irritated voice.

“You’re a daughter. Don’t you understand? You’re not a merchant, you’re a daughter!”

She had to face a reality she didn’t want to hear, didn’t want to realize.

“Sales went up? The sales of this measly branch don’t even amount to 5% of the Goldrail Trading Company’s total revenue! What exactly is there to be proud of for earning such petty change!”

No. You shouldn’t look at total sales, you should consider profit.

Considering this shop’s operating profit, the profit margin for the past six months was incomparable to other branches. That meant there was that much growth potential.

“And Chelosi Restaurant is a place only commoners frequent! What’s so special about making a deal with such a place. Don’t forget that we are nobles!”

Although Chelosi Restaurant was mainly used by commoners, it was a famous place that held a spot in gourmet travel guides.

Just the name alone of having food ingredients distributed there could provide excellent advertising effects.

Make deals with famous places even at a loss. This was one of Wilhelmina’s pieces of advice.

“You went around bragging about beating the Doman Trading Company? Thanks to that, I became ‘a father who can’t even manage his daughter.’ The other branch manager said you threw a tantrum at the Doman Trading Company!”

It was the Doman Trading Company that threw the tantrum. She had never done anything illegal. Anyone could see that the other branch manager was clearly sowing discord out of jealousy toward Jane.

There was much she wanted to say. She wanted to fire back sharp rebuttals at Yulkes who was spouting nonsensical words.

But for some reason, her mouth wouldn’t open. Jane realized this phenomenon wasn’t due to anger or confusion, but frustration.

“Don’t you still understand why I gave you this branch? Ugh, this is why you shouldn’t rashly educate them…”

“Then, what’s the reason? The reason you gave me the branch…”

“You still don’t know.”

Bang-!

Yulkes slammed his palm against the neatly organized storage cabinet and shouted.

“You’re a daughter. My only daughter at that. Don’t you understand that value? Are you still a merchant’s child after all this?”

“I am…”

Surely it couldn’t be that.

Jane covered her mouth with trembling hands. It was a future she had never once thought about.

“I educated you in mathematics and personnel management so you could lead a household well. I also entrusted you with a branch to leave behind the career of being ‘someone who worked at a trading company.’ Who did I tell you to struggle carrying flour sacks and throwing tantrums at other trading companies for?”

For whose benefit? Of course it was work I did for myself.

I only tried to earn money with my own strength and become an honorable merchant.

She suddenly recalled the letters of reproach that Yulkes had been sending all this time.

Letters with harsh and cruel content. But she thought she could change even her father’s attitude. Because that was the reasonable thing to do.

‘Reasonable?’

…Did she really think she could persuade Yulkes, her father?

‘You shouldn’t compare common sense with reason.’

Wilhelmina’s words echoed in her mind. As if she had seen through what was to come, her forlorn expression also flickered before her eyes.

Perhaps Jane had wanted to turn away from the worst-case scenario.

She had deliberately ignored the fact that Yulkes was someone you couldn’t reason with.

“Father… what did you want me to do?”

“Didn’t I tell you!”

“I’m asking where and what exactly!”

“Obviously, in the family house where you’ll become the mistress!”

Her breath caught with a gasp.

‘Mistress? Don’t tell me… he wants me to get married?’

Jane confirmed Yulkes’s intention.

A merchant’s daughter who had experience running a branch store, with excellent calculation skills and interpersonal abilities.

…And an education level suitable for marrying into a noble house.

Yulkes hadn’t been trying to raise Jane as a merchant. He had simply needed a daughter to marry off to a noble house.

The reason was obvious. To escape from being a first-generation noble whose status wasn’t hereditary.

“Have you been deceiving me all this time?”

“Deceiving? You’re the one who got your hopes up on your own.”

“But…”

Then why hadn’t he revealed his true intentions from the beginning? She couldn’t understand.

If he had just told her from the start that he was giving her educational opportunities to send her to a noble house, she wouldn’t have received such a shock.

“…”

Jane bit her lip and lowered her head. The rising frustration made it difficult to speak logically.

She had always engaged in debates with trading partners on equal footing, but had never wrestled with words against someone who was both her superior and parent.

Seeing Jane’s silent figure and looking satisfied, Yulkes snorted and said:

“If you understand, then close up the store and come back. You need to fix that delusional mindset of yours and go around apologizing to the other branch managers you’ve caused trouble for.”

“…”

“And bring back all the profits without missing any! Since I gave you this branch store, I should receive compensation for taking it back. If there are any promissory notes left, settle them and…”

“…right?”

“What?”

She slowly raised her head. When he met her eyes filled with sharp, murderous intent, Yulkes unconsciously took a step back.

Meanwhile, having caught the contradiction in that brief statement, she spoke with venom:

“A family house to sell me off to has appeared, hasn’t it?”

“This girl…”

Having been hit right on target, Yulkes furrowed his brow.

‘The deal must have been finalized only recently. That’s why he suddenly came barging in.’

It would have been difficult to find a noble house willing to accept the youngest daughter of a nouveau riche merchant.

Even if he claimed it was preparation for marriage, Yulkes wouldn’t have failed to consider the risk of failure. If the marriage fell through, there would have been the option of accepting Jane as a merchant.

‘Then who is it? Someone who recently formed ties with the Goldrail Trading Company and would be willing to accept a commoner like me as a daughter-in-law…’

Even while glaring at Yulkes, her mind continued calculating rapidly.

‘It must be the eldest daughter-in-law. If it’s not the heir, marriage would be meaningless. And they need money urgently, but shouldn’t be a first-generation noble. At a level where Goldrail can exert influence…’

And one more thing. Yulkes had always wanted to do military supply business dealing with nobles.

‘Thanks to the mine discovered by Baron Milo’s house, a large quantity of minerals will flood the market. And there’s a craftsman family targeting that.’

Most craftsman families that make weapons or armor have military supply trading companies under them. However, there were also families that existed without trading companies or lacked funds, only providing techniques.

In other words, families that couldn’t keep up with the booming mineral market due to lack of funds.

“The Billow Family?”

“…!”

“That household definitely had one son.”

A family that fell behind the times despite their predecessors’ outstanding abilities. The reason was that the heir was a wastrel.

Because of the son who squandered the old family head’s money recklessly, the family was walking the path of decline.

It was a family of just the right size for the Goldrail Trading Company to devour.

“You’re… thinking of selling her off to that wastrel?”

“Wastrel? Watch your tongue! He’ll be your fiancé!”

Despite saying that, there wasn’t a trace of respect visible on his face. Jane gritted her teeth.

‘My worth is only this much?’

She had never been overconfident, but at least she wasn’t at the level of being sold off to a wastrel from a declining family. She took a step closer to Yulkes.

“I can’t accept this. Did you really look at the account books? I achieved higher profit margins than elder brother, than father’s cherished Western Branch Manager. That’s results from just one year. If you give me just one more year, when the other restaurants’ contract renewal time comes, I’ll…”

“That’s exactly why those damn contracts aren’t the problem!”

Yulkes shouted angrily.

“Do you know what’s more important than money in this world? Honor? Trust? No, the most precious thing is status. With status, there’s no need to do such foolish business!”

“It’s not- foolish!”

Jane’s emotion-filled voice was smaller than Yulkes’, but contained stronger power. Yulkes, unconsciously overwhelmed by her presence, flinched his shoulders.

“I understand the thought that status is important. I also know that what I do is small matters. But it’s valuable work. Success doesn’t betray, and effort doesn’t crumble. No matter how trivial, success is never foolish.”

“…”

“Even if I gain such status, would that be my power? My success? When I haven’t achieved anything myself, how could it be precious?”

“How foolish.”

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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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