I’m a Mother-in-Law, but I Dislike Conflict with My Daughter-in-Law - Chapter 67

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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 67

“….”

This request seemed difficult for even Mikhail to accept, as I could sense his contemplative mood.

He fidgeted with his teacup with a troubled, complex expression.

“First of all- I don’t understand. This method won’t benefit Jane Goldreail at all. She won’t be able to prepare any treasure in just two months….”

“You’ll find out when the evaluation meeting is held. Be patient until then.”

Then he would approach whatever Jane had prepared without much expectation.

The lower the expectations, the greater the shock one receives.

“But this isn’t good for the ducal house either. You may not know this, Mother, but we already have trading companies we do business with. There’s no need to do something that would tarnish the ducal house’s reputation.”

As expected, he meant he didn’t like openly receiving bribes.

This was also a situation I had anticipated.

So the next card I played was bait that even Mikhail couldn’t refuse.

“I’ll turn over all my profits to the main house.”

“…What?”

“Change the name on this business plan to yours, Mikhail. From now on, this business plan and the reports are all yours.”

I got up from my seat and approached the desk that appeared to have been used by Richt.

I picked up the fountain pen and snatched the documents Mikhail was holding.

“Wait, Mother….”

“Now, I’ll erase this name and… write it here.”

I changed the author from Wilhelmina Layton to Mikhail Phil Layton. I had deliberately left a long blank space knowing this would happen.

When I handed the modified documents back to Mikhail, he looked at me with a dumbfounded expression.

“Here, take it quickly.”

“What is this… This business will bring enormous profits.”

“I don’t need it. I’m satisfied with my current lifestyle.”

Jane had said the expected profits from this business would be tremendous.

I was briefly tempted by the talk of being able to buy another mansion like the annex building before long, but it was only momentary.

Coveting things beyond my station would only lead to trouble.

I forcibly pressed the documents into his arms. With such a huge benefit appearing, given Mikhail’s personality, he would have no justification to refuse the request.

Mikhail quietly looked down at the name written on the documents, then let out a hollow laugh.

“Really… You’re quite unpredictable, Mother.”

“Stop the flattery. Is it acceptance or rejection?”

“Of course it’s acceptance. As the head of the family, I can’t let such profits slip away.”

Then that was the end of our discussion.

I returned the fountain pen to the desk and moved toward the office door to leave. It was almost time to get off work.

“Are you leaving already?”

“I’m tired, I talked way too much today.”

“Haha, even joking.”

It wasn’t a joke though.

I was tired, so even my way of speaking was returning to its original form.

I glanced at Mikhail.

Come to think of it, I had heard that this guy was a workaholic who worked day and night without distinction. Not only his personality, but his lifestyle was completely different from mine.

“Mikhail, you should rest when it’s time to rest too.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. …Ah, but Mother, may I ask just one more thing?”

“What is it?”

Just before leaving the room, I stopped walking to answer his question.

“Mother, you could have helped her in a much simpler way, so why did you choose such a troublesome method? …Your hand too, it couldn’t have been an easy plan.”

Only now he asks that.

I frowned and looked back at him. I could sense curiosity in his innocent face.

I had said the same thing to Nata before, but I never thought I’d be repeating it here.

“Because revenge must be done with your own hands to be satisfying.”

“….”

“If you get revenge through someone else’s hands, only regret remains. Don’t you think so?”

At that moment.

The innocence disappeared from Mikhail’s face.

The smile, warmth, consideration—all of it vanished into a cold expression.

I stopped breathing for a moment.

It felt like I had become a small animal facing a predator.

‘Who is… that?’

It wasn’t Mikhail. Someone who wasn’t my adopted son, nor Helene’s husband, nor Duke Layton was looking at me.

I thought I should immediately open this door and run outside—but I couldn’t escape from his gaze.

His blue eyes were completely empty. The fact that I could see myself reflected in them was chillingly unpleasant.

“You….”

Before I could ask why, warmth returned to his face again.

However, unlike when it had changed color, it returned slowly and gradually.

Like a predator putting on a clumsy disguise to hide its true nature.

“You’re absolutely right, Mother.”

“….”

“Everyone dislikes having their own affairs taken away from them.”

He stood up from his seat and approached me.

I was still unable to move due to shock, but he naturally reached out and opened the door behind me.

“I’ll see you next time, Mother. Then we can finally have a meal together. Helene will be waiting too.”

“Uh-”

“Well then, goodbye.”

Click.

When I came to my senses, I was already out in the corridor.

Unable to bring myself to look back at the office door, I slowly walked toward the annex building.

* * *

Time passed in an instant.

Under Mikhail’s orders, the business began preparations in earnest.

First, we conducted several more practical tests based on the prototype I had made, and demonstrated the manufacturing process in front of the House Scholars and officials.

Since these weren’t particularly difficult products to make, the process didn’t take long.

After that, I exchanged letters with Jane to narrow down the 20 trading companies that would participate in the evaluation meeting, answered several more questions from Richt to perfect the business plan… and so two months passed.

The third month I had promised Jane arrived.

On the promised day, evening.

I stood with Mikhail in front of the banquet hall where the evaluation meeting was being held.

“Mother, shall we enter?”

“…Yes.”

Though I had said I would watch from behind the banquet hall, Mikhail recommended I enter, saying that since it was my business, shouldn’t I see it directly?

Since he even offered to escort me, I couldn’t very well refuse.

Helene, who was originally supposed to accompany him, had declined to participate.

I didn’t hear the reason directly, but according to Anna, she always seemed to have business around Sunday evenings.

She was in the castle, but couldn’t be found.

I placed my hand on Mikhail’s arm.

‘Today he’s the usual Mikhail.’

The shocking version of Mikhail I had seen before was nowhere to be found.

The kind and gentle Mikhail, in whom I couldn’t sense even a trace of malice.

‘This appearance isn’t like a mask… though.’

I wasn’t confident in my ability to judge people, but at least I could distinguish whether daily life was an act or not.

Mikhail was exactly the person he appeared to be.

If he were someone who put honey on his lips while hiding a knife in his belly, I surely would have felt something off somewhere.

‘But back then, he seemed like a completely different person.’

It wasn’t just his expression that had startled me.

His entire atmosphere had changed completely, as if he had cast magic.

‘…Come to think of it, it really was like magic.’

It was similar to the mysterious shock I felt when I first witnessed magic directly.

Had Mikhail used magic? Or perhaps, like Nata…

“Mother?”

“…Let’s go in.”

My thoughts had gone on too long.

Before Mikhail could ask what was wrong, I slowly led his arm toward the inside of the banquet hall.

The banquet hall, which I was visiting for the first time since the New Year banquet, still boasted its usual splendor.

When the attendants announced our arrival, the merchants who had been chatting focused their attention on us.

“We greet the Duke!”

Receiving their polite greetings with a smiling face, Mikhail led me to the head table.

The banquet hall was arranged like a seminar room, with a stage at the front and chairs lined up in rows behind it.

At the very back, chairs so ornate they were almost burdensome were our seats.

Before we could even take our seats, merchants approached us to promote the treasures they had brought.

“Duke! It’s such an honor to meet you like this…”

“The items I brought this time are porcelain imported from the Southern Region.”

“I have jewelry that would suit House Layton…”

‘Their greetings were polite, but in this aspect they’re different from nobles.’

Nobles would approach while asking about one’s well-being at least, but the merchants swarmed over without such formalities.

It was quite rude, but seeing their expectations and desperation, I couldn’t even get angry.

Well, this evaluation meeting was a life-changing opportunity for them.

Just participating in a business venture run by the ducal house could bring them tremendous wealth and honor.

Mikhail gently pushed back the eagerly approaching merchants with his words.

“Haha, thank you for participating. But since this is a gathering for evaluation, let’s continue our conversations at the banquet afterward.”

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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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