I’m a Mother-in-Law, but I Dislike Conflict with My Daughter-in-Law - Chapter 70

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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 70

They needed time to manipulate the account books, silence the employees, and burn all documents that could serve as legal evidence.

Unlike Jane who appeared perfectly armed, they couldn’t even hold up a shield to protect their heads from arrows.

The first to finish assessing the situation was an elderly merchant of advanced age.

“…Duke.”

The accusations were already entering their latter half.

Just as the merchants began to gauge the Duke’s mood, the elderly man whose turn to be accused had not yet come approached the Duke and acted out a face filled with guilt.

“I believe I have made a grave mistake. Would it be alright if I returned to my trading company for a moment? If you give me just three days, I will bring evidence proving my innocence.”

It was Wilhelmina beside him who let out a laugh.

“…What crime hasn’t even been mentioned yet?”

“I can guess what crime it might be. That woman seems to have misunderstood. Would you give me just one more chance? At the next evaluation meeting, I will come to see you with an honest appearance and precious gifts.”

The elderly man thought he had made his request as politely as possible.

He even deliberately mentioned precious gifts, adding a footnote that he wanted a reduced sentence.

When spoken to this extent, nobles would become curious about what gifts he might bring.

And a merchant like the elderly man who had maintained his position for a long time would inevitably have dozens of treasures hidden away that nobles would love.

However, contrary to the elderly man’s expectation that he would agree, Mikhail let out a bitter smile.

“No, everything that happened at the evaluation meeting will be decided here.”

“…What?”

“That’s what we promised.”

Mikhail turned his head to look at Wilhelmina.

Only then did the elderly man realize who the mastermind behind this evaluation meeting was.

Though the elderly man couldn’t know it, Wilhelmina and Mikhail had made a promise.

‘You will evaluate objectively and select targets on the spot.’

She had no intention of letting those who participated in the evaluation meeting off easily.

Selection meant not only choosing merchants to handle business, but also included the meaning of selecting criminals.

‘Could it be that the moment we entered the evaluation meeting, we were…’

The elderly man looked toward the outside of the banquet hall with a despairing expression.

He could see dozens of guards who hadn’t been there before guarding the exits.

Realizing there was no corner to escape to, the elderly man returned to his seat with dragging steps.

“And the last trading company, Goldrail.”

Before long, the accusations had reached the twentieth.

Goldrail had much more detailed documents waiting than other trading companies. Since it was the trading company Jane had been part of, the information that could be brought was also vast.

However, Yulkes was not just standing there taking it quietly.

“…How about it, Duke? Don’t you think Goldrail is the most trustworthy trading company?”

Yulkes, who had risen from his seat, looked at the Duke with feigned cheerfulness.

As he showed a shameless appearance as if all of this was his plan, the anger of the surrounding merchants turned toward him all at once.

Wilhelmina let out a quiet chuckle at Yulkes’s quick thinking.

‘So this is how he’s going to play it.’

He was trying to turn crisis into opportunity.

“Our Goldrail Family is the most honest and upright trading company in all of Layton! My daughter, Jane Goldreail, has proven this. Duke, please give my daughter a chance.”

‘After all, his daughter’s achievements are his own,’ he must be thinking.

It was the best choice to make all other trading companies into criminals while Goldrail survived.

At his attitude of seeming to concede this deal, Jane frowned as if finding it absurd.

Yulkes was speaking to Jane in a roundabout way.

“Thank you for listening to this lengthy accusation, Duke.”

‘End the accusations here.’

“Please make a wise choice. My daughter is Goldrail’s finest employee!”

‘I’ll take you back as a Goldrail employee.’

Despite having kicked her out, he planned to take credit for the accusations in exchange for taking her back as an employee.

But Jane had no intention of letting the spotlight be stolen.

“You won’t regret your choice…”

“Goldrail Trading Company, 4 counts of tax evasion using Southern Region tax havens, 2 counts of transaction manipulation, 5 counts of fee delinquency exploiting noble status.”

“…Jane!”

Not expecting her to defy his words, Yulkes raised his voice to call Jane.

He was about to scold her to stop immediately, but being mindful of Mikhail’s gaze, he couldn’t bring himself to speak harshly.

Instead, he tried to compose his voice and said.

“I understand how much you care about Goldrail. But beyond this…”

The merchants seemed to believe that Yulkes had ordered Jane to do this.

In this atmosphere, Jane’s accusations would naturally lose their credibility.

Yulkes, aiming for this, tried to bring up family again, but…

The merchants couldn’t say another word as they watched Mikhail’s expression, and the splendid treasures beside them lost their luster.

‘Still, they’re seasoned merchants, so they must be thinking of other means.’

Though it appeared to be Jane’s victory at first glance, she didn’t become complacent.

The merchants were only maintaining silence while pretending to be defeated, but it was obvious they were racking their brains for a reduced sentence.

If she let them go like this, they would offer their hidden treasures to get their sentences reduced and return as wolves devouring the market again.

What she had prepared to prevent that was the sheepdog.

Jane turned to the last chart board.

[Plan for Market Improvement in Layton Territory]

Anger flickered in the merchants’ eyes when they saw it.

“So you’re planning to curry favor after all.”

“The accusation must have been for this purpose. No different from her cowardly father.”

But even those complaints turned to silence after they read the content written below the title.

What was written there wasn’t a business plan, but a self-introduction.

Writing that was like a resume. However, the following content was shocking.

It described rigidly, like passages from a legal code, how she would manage, monitor, and punish the market.

The problem was that the subject of all this was Jane Goldreail herself.

“Duke, my accusation is no different from a sudden shower. While it can wash away the filth from the streets, its effects won’t last long. Therefore, I propose this. I recommend myself, Jane Goldreail, as the merchant who will manage and monitor these merchants.”

“…!”

“What is that wench saying now!”

Leaving the merchants’ anger behind, she gazed at Mikhail and spoke.

“These people will certainly receive lenient punishment. The Empire’s commercial law is soft on economic criminals. But if we leave this bad practice alone knowing about it, the market won’t change. We need a regular watchdog to purify and punish them.”

“And you, Jane Goldreail, will do that?”

“Yes.”

Jane removed her hat.

Yulkes’s eyes widened at her appearance.

He had always forced Jane to maintain her appearance. Since she was to become the lady of the house, she always had to be neat and beautiful.

But her current appearance was different from what Yulkes usually wanted.

Her hair that used to fall below her shoulders was now cut short to above her neck, and her always-neat bangs were also crudely cut, revealing her forehead.

Her androgynous charm stood out, but it was far from the beauty of a lady of the house that Yulkes had wanted.

It was the same for the other merchants.

“I have severed ties with my family. For justice, for the righteous way of commerce, I can abandon both family and honor.”

“Your father in front of you doesn’t seem to think so.”

“Do you believe the words of a criminal?”

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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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