She Became My Friend’s Mother-In-Law - Chapter 14

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

Chapter 14. The Empty Osburn Household (1)

“Listea Law states that those who assault or abuse others using their status shall be subject to heavy fines or forced labor.”

Of course, this was a law that existed in name only, rarely applied in noble society.

It was common for victims to keep silent, worried about their future livelihood.

But this time was different.

Cecilia, who caught onto Rainer’s intention, lifted her head with a sparkle.

“If we help them, they’d have nothing to worry about in filing charges against the Osburn Viscounty, would they?”

Rainer nodded with a satisfied smile.

“Tell them this. To speak as they wish and act as they wish. In the name of the Duke of Hays, their next employment will be guaranteed.”

* * *

“Wendy! You there! Where did you go!”

Several days after Cecilia and Wendy’s reunion.

Trisha Osburn had been noisily stirring up the mansion since morning.

Cooking, cleaning, laundry.

Rummaging through every corner of the house and tormenting the servants was both her daily routine and pleasure.

Seeing them tremble before her gave her a strange satisfaction.

But today something was odd.

“Hey! Come here for a moment!”

“….”

Not a single servant who would normally come running and bow their heads was to be seen.

The corridors that were usually filled with the busy footsteps of maids were eerily quiet.

“Where on earth did everyone go?”

Frustrated, Trisha rang the bell incessantly.

Despite the sharp ringing sound, no one came in the end.

“Are these people ignoring me now?”

Trisha ground her teeth and went down the stairs.

She planned to mercilessly beat up anyone she laid eyes on.

Just then, Rosena urgently shouted from the first floor drawing room.

“Mother! Come here quickly! Hurry! Something terrible has happened!”

“Rosie. What’s wrong? You’re not hurt, are you?”

Thinking something might have happened to her pregnant daughter, she hurriedly rushed to the drawing room.

But Rosena was standing perfectly fine on her own two feet.

Trisha blinked her eyes with a puzzled expression.

“Rosie?”

“Mother, look at this!”

Rosena pointed to the table with a flustered face.

White papers were piled high on top of it.

“This is….”

Trisha picked up one of the papers.

Her expression gradually contorted as she read through it.

“…Resignation letters? So they all quit?”

“That’s right. Head maid Mariel, head cook Joanna, laundry supervisor Ebi…. Mother, they all left!”

“What did you say?”

Trisha was speechless at the shocking fact.

How could so many servants leave at the same time!

And leaving behind only a single resignation letter!

“What is all this about? Did someone put them up to this? This is ridiculous!”

“What do we do, Mother? I’m supposed to meet Evan today. Who’s going to help me dress up!”

Rosena burst with frustration and stamped her feet.

Trisha felt dizzy at this unprecedented situation.

“What’s all this commotion from the morning?”

Just then, Count Cloud Osburn entered in his pajamas.

The two women’s commotion seemed to have reached the bedroom on the second floor.

He plopped down on the sofa with a face that looked forcibly awakened from sleep and clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“The wash water wasn’t prepared. How exactly have you been training the servants?”

“Ha, is that measly wash water the problem right now?”

“What do you mean measly wash water? What are you even saying—”

“All the servants who would bring that water have quit!”

Trisha shouted irritably.

Really, in a situation like this, all he knew how to do was throw tantrums, not being dependable in the slightest.

Cloud gaped with a stupid expression at his wife’s words.

“They all quit? Why?”

“How would I know?”

“If you don’t know, who would! And why are you being so cranky!”

Cloud was also starting to get angry.

“Mother, I have to go out today! At least quickly bring me a maid to brush my hair!”

“They all left, so where exactly am I supposed to bring one from!”

“Oh, there must be somewhere!”

“Such stubbornness!”

Here, even Rosena, who had inherited both parents’ personalities.

The three members of the Osburn Viscounty family couldn’t control their irritation and nervousness, shooting arrows at each other.

“Now, everyone calm down and let’s at least eat breakfast first.”

Cloud sighed and called for a temporary ceasefire.

But no one moved.

The Count poked his wife’s side with his elbow.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to prepare food?”

“What? Me?”

Trisha looked back at her husband with an incredulous face.

She was also from a baron family.

She only knew how to harass and nag servants, but had never prepared food with her own hands.

But Cloud didn’t care at all.

“Then should I do it? I’m a man though?”

“Really! What does that have to do with—”

Trisha was dumbfounded by her husband’s shameless attitude and couldn’t continue speaking.

At that moment.

Bang bang bang.

The sound of someone loudly knocking on the viscounty’s door was heard.

Trisha was about to call for a maid, then soon remembered that they had all quit.

“Damn it. What damned bastard is it, this early in the morning!”

Trisha grumbled and strode toward the entrance.

Cloud and Rosena followed behind her.

A faint hope appeared on all three faces that perhaps the servants had returned.

But….

“Good day to you?”

At the door stood a short man in a neat suit.

In his hands was a leather bag containing documents.

“Countess Osburn, Count, and Lady Osburn.”

The man made eye contact with each person and immediately flashed a wide smile.

But that smile didn’t reach his eyes.

Trisha looked at him with suspicious eyes and spoke curtly.

“Who are you?”

“Oh my, I’m late with my introduction. I’m Abraham Rockwell. I’m affiliated with the Central Court of Brisen, dispatched directly by His Imperial Majesty.”

“Ro, Rockwell? You mean the House of Rockwell?”

Trisha and Cloud’s expressions hardened simultaneously.

House of Rockwell was a family that had served the Emperor at the Central Court for generations.

Particularly because they handled the punishment of noble families, nobles feared their visits most of all.

Cloud was no exception.

“What, what brings Your Grace here…?”

His attitude became noticeably more respectful.

Abraham shrugged as if such reactions were familiar to him.

“A complaint has been filed regarding servant abuse that occurred in this house. An investigation is underway, so please appear in court to cooperate.”

“What, what did you say? Abuse?”

The viscount couple and Rosena’s faces turned pale instantly.

“That, that can’t be…!”

“That’s right! We’re innocent! This is slander!”

The three Osburn family members protested, but Abraham quietly shook his head.

“Make your arguments in court. I’m just here to deliver the message.”

Abraham rummaged through his briefcase and pulled out a document to hand over.

It contained the charges against Osburn Viscounty related to this case.

“If found guilty, you’ll need to pay compensation to the victims. In my experience… the chances of losing look high, so it would be wise to prepare in advance. It will be quite a large sum.”

“What? Com, compensation?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Or you could go to prison and do hard labor instead.”

“Are, are you calling that reasonable? Hard labor! How could we possibly do such a thing!”

Trisha looked like she was about to faint.

“Well, the court doesn’t consider such circumstances.”

Abraham answered indifferently and snapped his briefcase shut.

His attitude showed he couldn’t care less about the despair this family was facing.

“If you feel wronged, hire a lawyer and appeal. Just make sure not to be late for the scheduled investigation date.”

* * *

Despite hiring a lawyer as Duke Rockwell had advised.

The subsequent proceedings consistently went against the viscount’s family.

With public opinion already unfavorable toward Rosena due to Evan’s affair.

When the servant abuse allegations surfaced, people uniformly clicked their tongues, saying “Just how severe must it have been.”

Moreover, thanks to Rainer’s advance preparations, the Imperial family also took a more favorable stance toward the victims.

In the end, all charges against Osburn Viscounty were acknowledged.

“Osburn Viscounty shall pay a total of 3,000 crowns in compensation to the victims.”

“What? This, this is ridiculous!”

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