She Became My Friend’s Mother-In-Law - Chapter 13

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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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Chapter 13. The Osburn Family’s Misdeeds (2)

“…”

Instead of answering, Wendy lowered her head.

It was taboo for a servant to speak ill of their master to an outsider.

Cecilia bit her lip.

‘I knew the treatment wasn’t good, but…’

It hadn’t been this bad when she was there.

Because Cecilia had stepped forward and taken the beatings instead.

Wendy tried her best to smile.

“I’m fine, Miss! I’m getting along better than expected. I’m just embarrassed that you had to see me like this. Ahaha…”

“…”

But Cecilia didn’t miss the sad emotion hidden behind that smile.

She let out a deep sigh.

“You don’t have to try so hard, Wendy. I already know all about that household.”

If she had known it would be like this, she should have brought Wendy along from the start.

She felt sorry for not taking care of Wendy because she had been too focused on her own affairs.

Cecilia firmly grasped Wendy’s hand.

“Wendy, come with me. You’ll be able to work at the Hays Ducal House.”

“What? The Hays… Ducal House?”

Wendy’s eyes widened.

Cecilia nodded and said.

“Yes, I married Rainer Hays.”

“Whaaaat? Then right now—”

“Shh.”

When Wendy’s voice grew loud from shock, Cecilia hurriedly covered her mouth.

All of Brisen was curious about Cecilia’s identity, but it wasn’t time to reveal herself yet.

That’s why she had gone out wearing a robe to assess the situation around her.

There was still no one at the Hays Ducal House whom she could trust with important matters.

Meeting Wendy in such circumstances was like sweet rain after a drought.

‘Right, I can trust Wendy.’

Even if a knife were held to her throat, Wendy would never reveal Cecilia’s secrets.

Cecilia slowly removed her hand from Wendy’s mouth.

“I’ll tell you the details later, but let’s go to the Duke’s Mansion first. You don’t need to stay in that house anymore.”

Wendy stared at Cecilia blankly for a moment.

Then she slowly opened her mouth.

“I’m so relieved that you’re safe, Miss. But…”

Wendy hung her head low.

“If I suddenly disappear, the master and madam will take their anger out on the other servants. They already asked me about your whereabouts.”

Wendy’s expression became gloomy.

The viscountess who beat her mercilessly, the viscount who just watched, and Rosena who kicked her with her toes.

Just thinking of them made her hands tremble with fear.

But she couldn’t run away alone knowing her colleagues would suffer.

“I can manage to get by cleverly. Just knowing that you’re safe is enough for me. I absolutely won’t tell anyone about you.”

Wendy raised one hand as if making a vow.

Cecilia looked at Wendy with mixed feelings.

“Right, I know better than anyone that you’re not the type to escape alone.”

But bringing all the other servants was realistically impossible.

The Duke’s Mansion already had sufficient staff.

Most importantly, the rights to the servants belonged to the Osburn Viscounty.

If they were driven out without letters of recommendation, no other noble household would hire them.

But she couldn’t just leave Wendy in that hellish place.

‘…It’s frustrating, but this isn’t something I can solve alone right now.’

To safely bring Wendy out, she needed a more meticulous plan.

Cecilia firmly grasped Wendy’s hand again with a determined expression.

“Wendy, just wait a little longer. I’ll definitely get you out of that house.”

* * *

The next day.

“His Grace is arriving.”

Rainer was on his way back from visiting the Hays Estate.

Since they were married anyway, it was a formal visit to inform Elise.

Upon hearing that her husband had arrived, Cecilia immediately went to the front gate.

Rainer was getting out of the carriage that had just arrived.

As he stepped onto the ground with his long legs, his black hair sparkled like obsidian in the sunlight.

When his blue eyes spotted Cecilia, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

“My wife came to greet me personally?”

His words sounded like a joke, but there was an undertone of ‘we’re not really that kind of relationship, are we?’

Cecilia responded calmly.

“Of course I should come out when my husband returns.”

Rainer’s eyes widened slightly at her bold answer, but he soon chuckled and extended his hand.

He was clearly conscious of the servants watching.

The fact that they were a contract couple was top secret known only to his aide Harry.

“Ahem, I’ll go to the office first.”

“Good, disappear immediately.”

Harry shook his head as if turning away from his superior’s acting and entered the mansion first.

“Thank you.”

Cecilia acted like a shy newlywed noblewoman and took his hand.

Then she paused for a moment.

‘His gloves…?’

The hand Rainer extended was bare, without gloves.

The removed glove was held in his other hand.

The moment their skin touched, each other’s body warmth was subtly transmitted.

“So.”

Cecilia, who had been looking at the glove with curiosity, raised her head again at Rainer’s voice.

There was a hint of mischief in his eyes.

“My wife wasn’t waiting for the Dowager Duchess’s message, I assume.”

“Hmm…”

Elise’s message – what a horrible thing to even hear about.

When Cecilia frowned, Rainer let out a low laugh.

“It seems my wife has something to say. Shall we walk through the garden together?”

* * *

Cecilia and Rainer strolled through the Duke’s Mansion garden together.

From a distance, they looked like newlyweds spending intimate time together.

But their conversation was closer to a strategy meeting.

“You want to get the Osburn Viscounty servants out of there?”

“Yes.”

Cecilia nodded and calmly explained the plan she had pondered all night.

The key was letters of recommendation.

For noble household servants, letters of recommendation were lifelines.

Since nobles only wanted to hire people with verified backgrounds, letters of recommendation vouched for by other nobles were essential to find work.

Because of this, the Osburn Viscounty servants couldn’t easily speak up even when facing injustice.

The Viscount and Viscountess Osburn used exactly that point to control and manipulate people.

“So I want to write letters of introduction for them under the Duke’s family name. So they won’t be bound to the Osburn Viscounty anymore. And once they all disappear at once, that household will come to a complete stop.”

Cecilia looked into Rainer’s eyes with earnestness.

“Would it be alright for me to do such things in the name of the Duchess of Hays?”

“What kind of big deal is that supposed to be.”

Looking down at Cecilia who gazed up at him like a deer, Rainer chuckled.

“Do whatever you want as much as you like. According to the contract anyway, all the duchess’s authority belongs to you.”

At those words, Cecilia’s complexion brightened.

“However…”

Rainer looked down at Cecilia with serious eyes.

Throughout listening to Cecilia’s story, one question had been bothering him.

“Let me ask just one thing. Did the Osburn Viscounty abuse you as well, by any chance?”

“That’s…”

At the unexpected question, Cecilia lowered her head.

She needed a moment to open her mouth.

After taking a brief deep breath, she nodded with difficulty.

“…Yes. I was beaten countless times. My face, shoulders, arms, legs – there wasn’t a place that wasn’t hit.”

The reasons she was beaten were truly varied and absurd.

The most ridiculous was the day she was beaten for having an intact face when she woke up.

‘Your face looks good, so you must have stolen something to eat during the night! Tell me the truth right now!’

‘Back then I thought it was all my fault, but…’

Now she knew.

How unjust their treatment had been.

So all the more, she could only think about having to save Wendy and the others.

“…”

Rainer looked down at Cecilia with a hardened expression.

His gaze slowly swept over Cecilia’s delicate shoulders and wrists.

Rainer had also grown up being beaten by Elise, but still, wasn’t he a man.

‘To treat such a weak woman that way…’

Strength unconsciously entered the hand he held with Cecilia’s.

If she wanted it, he could write letters of introduction a hundred times over.

But he didn’t want to end it with just that.

“…My lady.”

Rainer quietly looked down at Cecilia.

Waves rippled in his blue eyes.

“You’re not thinking of ending it with just that much, are you?”

“…What?”

At the sudden words, Cecilia opened her eyes wide.

Rainer still held her hand while quietly looking down at her.

“The servants who left can just be re-employed and that’s it.”

“That’s… true.”

At Rainer’s point, Cecilia made a dejected expression.

Indeed, if they hired competent servants, the Osburn Viscounty would regain its place.

“So, let’s do it properly this time.”

Rainer’s tone became firm.

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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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