She Became My Friend’s Mother-In-Law - Chapter 122

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

Chapter 122. A Man Who Lost Everything (1)
“Come in, please.”
To speak away from prying eyes.
Cecilia led Katarina to her Music Room.
The moment they stepped inside.
Katarina carefully set down the bag she had been carrying.
Cecilia’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Surely this isn’t…”
“Yes, it’s the money the Hays Ducal Family gave to Evan Machi.”
Katarina nodded in confirmation.
The moment we left the Grand Theater.
I emptied the Hotel Room and took the bag with me.
“That man Evan is simply blinded by greed. Being unable to endure himself with not a single coin will be the most painful thing in the world for him.”
Though the time spent with Evan wasn’t particularly long.
Katarina had already come to understand him completely.
“You’re right.”
Cecilia nodded in agreement.
“Evan has neither a home nor anything else left now.”
“But still…”
Katarina’s expression grew suspicious.
“Evan Machi still has a son left, doesn’t he? And from what I saw earlier, the Duchess seems to treasure him greatly.”
“Ah, you mean Jeremy.”
Cecilia let out a soft laugh.
She could immediately understand what Katarina was worried about.
Perhaps he might use his status as Jeremy’s father to return.
To the Hays Ducal Family once more.
And she was worried that I might soften my heart because of the child.
“You don’t need to worry.”
Cecilia spoke with unwavering resolve.
“If I could erase the very fact that such trash is Jeremy’s father, I would do so without hesitation.”
Not just in my past life, but in this one as well.
Evan had never been a good father to Jeremy for even a single moment.
In my past life, he simply abandoned him to my care and neglected him.
In this life, he treated him as nothing more than an obstacle.
For the child’s sake, it was better that such a parent didn’t exist.
From now on, I would care for Jeremy as his parent.
“Hmm…”
Katarina studied Cecilia’s expression for a moment.
One thing was certain.
The Duchess would never forgive Evan.
‘There must be deeper circumstances than what’s known to the public.’
After all, in just a few weeks, I had already seen the depths of Evan’s true nature.
How much more must the Duchess have witnessed?
“Very well.”
Katarina exhaled as if relieved.
“Then my revenge against Evan ends here.”
She laughed lightly.
“I’ll leave the rest to you, Duchess. Please ensure that Evan Machi spends his entire life mired in filth.”
“Of course.”
Cecilia nodded in agreement.
“The moment he lifts his head even slightly, I’ll press it back down.”
For a conversation between ladies, it was quite ruthless.
Yet the two women faced each other and laughed with genuine delight.
Katarina pushed the bag resting on the table toward Cecilia.
“I’m returning this to the Duke’s Mansion.”
“…Is this all of it?”
“Yes.”
Cecilia had naturally assumed Katarina would keep it for herself.
She blinked in surprise for a moment.
“You’re welcome to take it.”
She was sincere.
Considering it compensation for her assistance in the revenge, it felt like no loss at all.
Moreover, she felt a kinship with Katarina over the loss of her parents.
She wanted to provide her with anything more.
“No.”
But Katarina shook her head.
“What I wanted wasn’t money. It was revenge for my father.”
“Katarina…”
“My father did wrong the House of Hays, after all. Consider this my atonement.”
Katarina added with an awkward smile.
Yet her expression appeared far more at peace.
“I’m leaving Brisen now.”
“Where will you go?”
“South.”
A faint smile graced Katarina’s lips.
“My father’s homeland is there. It’s a truly beautiful place with sparkling emerald waters.”
“I see.”
Cecilia nodded quietly.
Her parents’ homeland.
Seeking out one’s roots was not a bad choice at all.
“Katarina, you’ve worked so hard all this time. Thank you.”
“Please, don’t mention it.”
Katarina shrugged her shoulders.
She rose from her seat, saying she should be going, and turned to leave.
“Well, even so….”
Katarina, who had been heading toward the doorway, suddenly stopped in her tracks.
Then she turned back toward the table.
Cecilia’s eyes widened in confusion.
Katarina spoke with an embarrassed smile.
“Now that I think about it, it would be a shame to leave all this money behind. Would it be alright if I took a little?”
“…Pfft.”
At her brazen words, Cecilia burst into laughter.
“You can take it all if you’d like.”
“No, really, I’m fine. Just this much.”
Katarina clenched exactly one fistful of gold coins.
It was still a considerable sum.
But compared to the rest, it was pitifully small.
“I’ll compromise my conscience for exactly this much.”
Katarina held up her fist to show.
“If I took more, I’d end up like that scoundrel Evan Machi.”
“Ahahaha.”
Along with Katarina’s playful banter,
laughter echoed through the Music Room for a while.
* * *
However, unlike the warm and cheerful Cecilia and Katarina,
at that very moment, Evan stood before the Hotel Room door with a vacant expression.
“H-How is this possible?”
The door was already wide open.
But contrary to his expectations, there was no sign of Katarina.
Instead, the room was filled with housekeepers in aprons.
They were stripping the bedding, drawing back the curtains, and clearing glasses left on the sofa.
“What, what are you doing?”
Evan shouted.
The housekeepers startled and looked up.
Evan strode into the middle of the room.
“What’s the meaning of leaving the door wide open in a guest’s room! Are you thieves here to steal something?”
“Pardon? Ah, that’s not it….”
The housekeepers were equally flustered by the appearance of this unfamiliar man.
Evan pushed past them and looked around the room.
This room contained the large sum of money he had brought from the Duke’s Mansion.
If they had laid even a single gold coin on anything, I would not let it slide.
“I….”
Then someone approached me cautiously.
I whirled around with a fierce expression.
“What?”
“Are you perhaps Evan Machi?”
“That’s right! I’m the guest of this room!”
The other person recognized me.
I puffed out my chest even more and declared triumphantly.
“Now that you know, all of you get out!”
“Ah, well, you see….”
But contrary to my expectations.
The housekeeper rummaged through his pocket and produced an envelope.
“The person who stayed with you asked me to deliver this.”
“What?”
I snatched the envelope from his hands.
The fine envelope carried the scent of the perfume Katarina habitually wore.
‘What on earth is happening? Where did Katarina go?’
I furrowed my brow sharply and withdrew the letter from the envelope.
Inside was a single, brief letter.
I hurriedly began to read.
But I had barely read a few lines before my fingertips went rigid.
「To Evan Machi.
By the time you’re reading this letter, you must be facing an empty room.
Congratulations, Evan.
From this moment on, you have become a penniless beggar.
All the money you received from the House of Hays not long ago—I took it all.」
“W-what…!”
My hands trembled violently at the sarcasm dripping from the handwriting.
But what followed was even more shocking.
「Don’t feel too wronged.
At least you still have your life, don’t you? Unlike our father.
Do you remember?
The craftsman who worked so hard to make fake jewels for you in the past.
The one who was skilled enough to imitate not just wedding rings, but even the heirlooms of the ducal house.
That person was our father. …」
Along with the confession of identity.
The letter ended with a curse wishing me lifelong misery.
It felt as though my head had been struck a heavy blow.
“Th-this can’t be….”
Just this morning alone.
That woman had given me a good morning kiss.
She hadn’t nestled against me with a smile, excited about our theater date?
‘Was that… all just an act?’
Evan found himself unable to accept this reality.
He crumpled the letter in his fist and lifted his head.
And he cried out as if possessed by rage.
“This doesn’t make sense! It was all a lie!”

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