She Became My Friend’s Mother-In-Law - Chapter 5

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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 5. Rainer Hays (1)

Inside it was a single cufflink with a subtle luster.

It was the only memento left by Evan’s mother.

But Cecilia now knew this was not just a simple memento.

「G.H」

The cufflink was engraved with the initials of Duke Gilbert Hays.

An item he had left as a gift to the maid who was his lover.

And that maid was none other than Evan’s birth mother.

‘In my previous life, this was what proved Evan was the duke’s son.’

But in this life, she couldn’t bear to watch that happen.

Cecilia carefully tucked the cufflink into her bosom.

She planned to think slowly about how to use this.

‘Have I gathered everything now?’

Cecilia gave her bag one final check and quietly closed it.

Just as she was about to get up from her seat.

“Cecilia! You damned girl! Where are you! Come out right now! I won’t let this slide today!”

Trisha, the Viscount Osburn’s wife and Rosena’s mother, burst through the door.

Rosena followed closely behind her.

Smack!

“How dare you stab us in the back when we raised you! You ungrateful thing!”

Trisha strode forward and immediately slapped Cecilia’s cheek.

Cecilia rubbed her cheek and turned her gaze back.

She couldn’t help but smirk at the sight of the two women trembling with rage.

‘Raised me with kindness?’

While openly discriminating against her compared to Rosena and constantly mistreating her.

The Viscount Osburn couple were never people who warmly embraced Cecilia with compassion.

They would often withhold food and beat a child who wasn’t even five years old.

Back then, Cecilia thought she was simply at fault.

But now she understood.

They had been afraid.

Afraid that someday Cecilia would demand her parents’ fortune back.

“We never should have taken in someone like you—”

Smack!

Before Trisha could finish speaking.

This time Cecilia’s palm struck her cheek.

Trisha’s head turned as she had been pointing and spitting.

Her cheek flushed red following the mark of Cecilia’s hand.

The sound of startled Rosena swallowing could be heard.

“Lia! You, what are you doing right—”

Smack!

Once again with a sharp crack, the viscountess’s face turned in the opposite direction.

“Oh my, this girl has gone mad!”

“How, how dare this thing!”

Rosena screamed, and Trisha rushed forward with a furious face.

But Cecilia had no intention of just taking it.

She instantly grabbed the lady’s arms and subdued her.

For the tall Cecilia, the Osburn mother and daughter were no match in resistance.

“Let go! Let me go!”

Trisha struggled pathetically with her disheveled hair.

But the more she did, the tighter Cecilia gripped her hands.

And she spoke with cold eyes.

“Don’t raise your voice when you failed to educate your daughter properly.”

“What did you say? How dare you hit an adult twice—”

“That included Rosena’s share. Or should I hit her instead?”

Cecilia gestured toward Rosena with her chin.

At those words, Rosena’s expression hardened.

Right now, Cecilia seemed like she would really hit her regardless of whether she was pregnant or not.

Rosena hastily changed her attitude.

“L-Lia… Why are you suddenly acting like this?”

Rosena spoke pitifully in a tearful voice.

Her large eyes filled with tears.

“If you were upset, we could have talked about it beforehand. Why did it have to be in front of so many people…”

Rosena tried to appeal using tears as her weapon as always.

Until now, Cecilia had often softened at that sight.

But she was done being treated like a fool.

“Oh, that? I did it on purpose.”

“…What?”

“Being fake is your family’s specialty. I was disgusted, so it was a good opportunity.”

Rosena was left speechless with her mouth agape in shock.

This was the first time she had ever heard such harsh words from Cecilia.

She had always giggled like a fool and granted all her requests!

Cecilia released the viscountess’s arms as if throwing them away.

“Do you want to fight more? Then let’s go to the square together. It would be better with an audience, don’t you think?”

“You, you…!”

“Mother! Are you alright?”

Trisha staggered, clutching her neck.

Rosena rushed to support her mother, but Cecilia didn’t spare them a glance as she quietly gathered her luggage and headed for the entrance.

“Where do you think you’re going! Rosena! Contact home immediately! Tell them we’re sending her to Duke Dylan!”

Trisha screamed loudly from behind.

Duke Dylan was a shameless man who pursued women despite being in his seventies.

He was currently looking for his sixth wife, they said.

It was the kind of position that all Listea Nobility with daughters would detest.

“You’re mistaken! Our family is still your guardian! So I’ll immediately arrange a marriage proposal with the duke’s house! Even that position is too good for you!”

The reason for bringing up Duke Dylan’s name was obvious.

She planned to sell off Cecilia and pocket the wealth that would come as compensation.

Even in this situation, calculating such things first was truly typical of the Osburn family.

“Hey, where are you going! I’m not finished talking!”

Cecilia ignored them and walked out the door.

Their words weren’t even worth responding to since they weren’t human.

Once outside, she moved forward without hesitation.

‘I’ll stay at a hotel for now.’

Fortunately, she had money she had saved little by little since childhood.

She had secretly collected the coins that the Viscount Osburn couple had thrown at her one or two at a time as if doing her a favor.

It couldn’t compare to the inheritance her parents had left, but it was enough to stay at a hotel for a while.

‘The problem is what comes after.’

She had come out with great momentum.

But as the viscountess said, legally Cecilia was still under the protection of the Osburn Family.

No matter how much of an adult she was, she couldn’t be completely free from her guardian’s influence when it came to marriage matters.

‘It’ll become troublesome once marriage talks with Duke Dylan’s house start.’

It wasn’t realistically easy for an unmarried young lady to face off against a noble family without any backing.

Noble society always revolves around family lineage.

‘What should I do….’

Cecilia continued to think as she headed to the hotel.

What she needed now was a strong protective barrier that neither the Osburn Viscounty nor the Duke Dylan’s family would dare to touch.

* * *

Three days after the commotion at Cecilia’s wedding.

A carriage arrived in front of the Hays Ducal Mansion.

It was the carriage that brought Rainer back from the family’s territory.

“Have you arrived, Lord Rainer.”

Rainer stepped down from the carriage and lightly nodded toward his aide Harry, who had come out to greet him.

The midday sunlight illuminated his sharp jawline, carved as if by a sculptor’s knife, and his high, straight nose bridge.

Even his thick black hair, gently tousled by the spring breeze, remained neat and orderly.

Rainer stood on the ground with his long legs and slowly removed the gloves he was wearing.

Even that trivial motion exuded elegant refinement, but his expression was rigidly hardened.

It was always like this whenever he returned from visiting the Hays territory.

“Is the old lady in good health?”

“Unfortunately, she’s still walking around just fine on both legs.”

At Harry’s question, Rainer frowned and loosened his cravat.

It was a rare moment when he, who always maintained a controlled demeanor, showed his emotions.

And for good reason—the relationship between him and Elise was at its worst.

‘That lowly bastard is desperately clinging to the Hays name like a dog.’

Publicly, Rainer was known as the late-born son of Grand Duchess Elise.

But the reality was different.

He was an illegitimate child born between the late Duke of Hays and his mistress, Mariana.

Elise, who had strong pride both as a noble and as a woman, could not accept her husband’s infidelity.

Even if all the men in the world kept mistresses, her husband alone should not have done so.

Being ridiculed by people over this matter was more humiliating than death for her.

That anger and despair was directed entirely at her husband’s young mistress, and eventually Mariana met her death in a mysterious fire.

After that, Elise subjected Rainer, who had entered the ducal mansion, to verbal and physical abuse.

“If it’s too difficult, perhaps you shouldn’t go for a while.”

His faithful aide Harry cautiously suggested.

Having distinguished himself in war and become the crown prince’s closest confidant, Rainer could now receive a sufficiently high title even without the Hays Dukedom.

Combined with some inheritance from the late duke and war rewards, his wealth was also sufficient.

Harry was displeased that he would go out of his way to visit Elise and endure unnecessary humiliation.

“Do you think I go because I want to? I go to show the old folks of Hays.”

However, Rainer raised one hand to decline his aide’s suggestion.

There was only one reason he outwardly showed filial respect to Elise.

The Hays Dukedom.

The fire that killed his mother Mariana was definitely Elise’s doing.

But there was only circumstantial evidence.

To reveal the truth, he needed to rise to a position higher than Elise and pressure her.

“My brother won’t last long. Until then, I can’t give the Hays retainers any reason to find fault.”

Fortunately, Gilbert, Elise’s son, had no children and was bedridden with illness.

Therefore, Rainer was the likely candidate to inherit the next dukedom.

Until then, he had no choice but to humble himself and endure dealing with that vile old woman.

It was also important to thoroughly avoid unnecessary gossip.

“By the way, there’s a guest waiting in the reception room right now.”

At that moment, Rainer stopped walking upon hearing the report.

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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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