I’m a Mother-in-Law, but I Dislike Conflict with My Daughter-in-Law - Chapter 76

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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 76

“Tell me if you’re uncomfortable.”

“…Pardon?”

“You’re using fairies as a promotional tool. Whether it’s true or false, Sir Nata is also a fairy, so he might feel uncomfortable. When that happens, don’t hold back and tell me.”

“…”

At my words, he stared at the promotional flyer for a moment. Then he raised his head and showed me a bright smile.

“Yes, I understand.”

His refreshing answer was satisfying.

After about 2 hours, we finally arrived at Dahlia Lake.

I got out of the carriage and faced the large lake shining brightly in the sunlight.

“Wow…”

I let out an exclamation without realizing it.

The natural scenery untouched by human hands offered a grandeur that was on a completely different level from what you see in paintings or photographs.

Wherever I turned my eyes, I could see the lake, and perhaps because my field of vision had widened, I felt a refreshing sensation as if my chest had opened up.

I could somewhat understand why nobles would come here to ride boats whenever they had the chance.

“Grand Madam, your party is over there.”

Anna pointed to the dock.

I could see the reading club members gathered at the dock where colorful boats were moored. I slowly walked over and approached them.

“I’m sorry, am I late?”

“Not at all, Grand Duchess. We just arrived as well.”

The Baroness, wearing an elegant purple dress, greeted me with a mature smile.

“And you look beautiful today as well.”

“Thank you for the compliment. Purple really is a color that suits you well, Baroness. It’s an elegance I could never imitate.”

“Hoho, thank you.”

Afterwards, I exchanged greetings with Ilina and Chloe as well.

Ilina wore a healthy-looking yellow dress, while Chloe wore white-toned clothing similar to mine.

Just then, Jane, who had rented a boat from the boatman, came running over with a bright face.

“You’ve arrived, Grand Duchess.”

Jane was wearing the same uniform that Richt used to wear, as if she had been working before coming to the lake.

Behind her, the still tall man, Rohan, followed.

While Jane and I were exchanging greetings, Rohan and Nata faced each other.

“…”

The two briefly bowed silently to finish their greeting. I felt so embarrassed by the awkwardness between the two knights that I averted my gaze.

“Are they on good terms?”

“Well, perhaps they have something in common?”

“What do they have in common? The fact that they’re good with swords?”

Although Rohan, who was supposedly a worker and guard, had a sword hanging at his waist, I had never seen him draw it.

Such characters are usually sword masters, so I wondered if that’s what they meant.

Then Jane looked at Nata, Rohan, and me in turn, and smiled bitterly.

“That… yes, that’s similar.”

“…?”

Setting aside my questions, after the introductions ended, we gathered in front of the dock.

There were more people than expected. Even though there were only 6 reading club members, the number of servants who accompanied them was quite substantial.

I brought three people including the coachman, but the others brought at least four as standard.

The only exception was Chloe, who brought her elderly nanny.

“Nanny, sit over there. Your legs hurt, don’t they?”

“But miss…”

“I’m not a miss anymore. I’ll call you when it’s over, so rest.”

‘She has such a kind heart.’

The nanny went to sit on a chair placed along the lake perimeter path with Ilina’s group.

It seemed Chloe had come in the same carriage as Ilina, and as if this was a frequent experience, Ilina’s attendants skillfully took care of Chloe’s nanny.

Perhaps noticing that I was watching, the nanny politely bowed her head.

‘But isn’t Count Tilim’s family quite a renowned house? Even if she’s going with a friend, to send only one servant…’

Chloe’s family was Count Tilim’s house. I didn’t hear who she married, but Count Tilim’s name was famous enough that even I had heard of it.

I think they were a craftsman family that created fashionable dyes, and since the servants liked the brand so much, I naturally became familiar with the name.

For someone from such a family to wear achromatic clothes and bring only one servant… either way, it seemed that side had complicated circumstances too.

When Chloe rejoined the group, Jane, who had rented the boats, checked the headcount again.

“I rented a total of four boats. We’ll be divided between two boats – one for 4 people and one for 3 people. There’s one empty seat…”

She looked at me as if asking what to do, so I shifted my gaze to Nata.

“Would Sir Nata like to ride?”

“Me?”

“I thought it would be better if someone we know took the seat.”

The servants would board the remaining boats and follow, so safety wouldn’t be an issue, but it seemed wasteful to leave the empty seat unused.

Nata seemed to consider for a moment, then nodded, saying he would do so.

Now we needed to discuss how to divide the 7 people, when Ilina suddenly pulled out a bundle of sticks from her bosom.

“Then let’s draw lottery sticks!”

“Did you make this yourself?”

“Yes! I thought something like this might happen, so I carved tree branches to make them. Besides this, I also have a coin toss game, spoon breaking, and a surprise box…”

It seemed Ilina was the one who looked forward to this gathering the most.

Ilina’s servants smiled awkwardly with expressions that said they couldn’t stop her.

All the toys Ilina had prepared seemed handmade, and their cute, charming shapes were adorable.

I patted Ilina’s head to show appreciation for her hard work, then held up the lottery sticks for everyone to draw one by one.

And an unexpected combination emerged.

Jane announced the results in a flustered voice.

“Oh, so… the Grand Duchess, Sir Nata, and Rohan are in the same boat.”

The Baroness, Jane, Ilina, and Chloe ended up in the 4-person boat.

‘The atmosphere is so different.’

That side was a cheerful outing, while this boat was surrounded by awkwardness.

Glancing at Nata and Rohan, both clearly looked flustered as if they hadn’t expected this to happen either.

But this was good news for me.

‘In front of these two, I can practice comfortably.’

Jane, Chloe, and Ilina were all good children, but still, there was such a thing as adult dignity.

In front of Nata or Rohan, I’d feel less embarrassed even if I recited somewhat clumsy poetry.

Ilina seemed to want to be paired with me, looking at the lottery stick she was holding with dejected eyes, but Chloe beside her comforted her well.

“But you can row the oars by yourself. Didn’t you say you wanted to row last time?”

“…That’s right! The boys always took them away from me!”

Being best friends, she knew well how to console her.

Just before getting on the boat, Ilina suddenly ran over and handed me a small box.

“Grand Duchess! Please take this.”

“What did you prepare this time?”

“It’s a lunch box! Since a fairy is appearing, I made it with ingredients that fairies like.”

Are there ingredients that fairies like?

I glanced at Nata, but he only smiled bitterly without answering.

Anyway, I couldn’t ignore her sincerity, so I accepted it.

I got on the boat with Nata and Rohan.

“The person in the middle can hold oars too? Then one more…”

“No, two are enough.”

“Please sit.”

“Really?”

Though they seemed awkward with each other, they were two people whose opinions matched well.

It was a narrow boat anyway so I didn’t think it would make much difference, but since they both wanted it that way, I got on the boat empty-handed.

It was a boat that looked like a canoe on the outside, but with a somewhat wider interior. Nata sat in front of me holding oars, and Rohan sat behind me.

I suddenly found myself receiving the attention of both people alone.

“Then we’re departing-!”

Ilina waved her hand and shouted from the dock beside us.

I waved back to show I understood, and at the same time the boat slowly moved forward.

It was my first time riding a boat, so it felt fascinating.

While rowing quickly to pick up speed, the boat swayed a little as if the center of gravity shifted slightly.

“Ah.”

My body swayed too and I tried to grab the railing, when two hands came to my shoulders from both sides and caught me.

“Grand Madam!”

“Are you alright?”

They were the hands of the two people who had been rowing.

“Ah, I’m fine.”

My bottom had only lifted slightly.

I lowered the two hands that had come to my shoulders and tried to straighten my posture again, when the two people gave worried advice.

“It would be better to sit in the center. There’s a handle over there.”

“Grand Madam, it’s safer to keep your legs pressed against the chair.”

‘No, that’s a bit much….’

I thought it was a bit of an overreaction, but since I wasn’t particularly good at swimming either, I quietly followed along.

For a beginner on the water, it was best to follow the expert’s advice.

Having ended up riding the boat in a tense posture, I blankly stared at the boat moving vigorously in the distance.

“One, two! One, two!”

“Um, Miss Ilina. Going a bit fast….”

Ilina, sitting in front, rowed the oars vigorously, and Jane in the back seat, fired up with competitive spirit, moved her oars to match.

The flustered Baroness was holding Chloe and trying to calm Ilina down.

‘This boat was the winning ticket.’

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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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