She Became My Friend’s Mother-In-Law - Chapter 72

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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 72. Chess Piece (2)

Peck.

It was a light and crisp sound.

But to Cecilia, it remained particularly clear.

Rainer’s face, which had been close, slowly moved away.

“…Rainer?”

Cecilia looked up at him with wide eyes.

She unconsciously brushed her cheek with her hand.

“What is this—”

“I thought you might need even a little luck.”

Rainer’s face was nonchalant.

As if something like this was nothing at all.

He tucked Cecilia’s hair behind her ear.

“…”

Cecilia herself was blushing red to her ears from the unexpected contact.

“Why, why, why are you doing this…”

Cecilia stammered in confusion.

The woman who was always cool-headed and meticulous was acting like a child who didn’t know what to do in moments like this.

Suddenly, he thought he wanted to be the only one to see this face.

“Is there a problem with me cheering on my wife?”

“It’s, it’s not a problem exactly!”

Cecilia turned her head sharply.

“You really seem to have a talent for startling people.”

“So, did you dislike it?”

“…”

To be so shameless until the very end.

Cecilia pressed her lips together and glared at Rainer primly.

For her, it was quite a threatening look.

But Rainer was laughing as if he found it even more amusing.

That sight made her even more irritated.

‘I should just…’

The thought crossed her mind to grab the tie he was wearing and surprise him more than he had surprised her.

Cecilia unconsciously fidgeted with her fingertips before stopping abruptly.

‘Wait, what am I thinking?’

She had been planning to go one step further than him!

“Cecilia?”

Watching her frown and relax her face by herself.

Rainer tilted his head slightly.

Cecilia belatedly came to her senses with a start.

“Fine, fine! From now on, let’s agree not to do such things without warning.”

“Then if I give you advance notice, I can do it?”

“That’s not what I meant!”

No word games!

Cecilia turned around and took quick steps.

Rainer leisurely followed behind with both hands in his pockets.

Even from behind, he could clearly see her earlobes had turned red.

“Cecilia.”

Rainer chuckled as he called to her.

“So do you think the Lumia flower tree will really bring luck?”

“I don’t know!”

Cecilia shouted without even turning around.

She quickened her pace to hide her burning cheeks.

So she couldn’t hear it.

The sound of Rainer laughing softly behind her.

* * *

‘Elise Hays is abandoning us?’

Rosena was walking down the corridor, mulling over Cecilia’s words.

She couldn’t believe it.

No, she didn’t want to believe it.

「I think it would be good for you to find a new family that can give you more wings.」

But hadn’t Elise actually written such words in her letter?

She could no longer be confident that person was on her side.

‘…Let me see Jeremy first.’

With her head spinning, Rosena moved her steps.

She thought to check the lifeline that would hold onto her until the very end.

Only then would she feel somewhat at ease.

However—

‘What is this sound?’

Rosena stopped in front of the nursery.

It was because of an unfamiliar voice coming from inside.

She peeked inside through the crack in the open door.

In the middle of the room was a cradle.

She could see Jeremy’s small arms waving.

And beside him—

‘…Who is that?’

A woman wearing glasses was reading a book to Jeremy.

She was dressed much more neatly and formally than a maid.

‘A governess!’

Rosena’s heart sank.

‘The Dowager Duchess means she’s giving up on you now and will focus only on Jeremy.’

Cecilia’s words were right!

Rosena drew in a breath.

A governess for a young baby who couldn’t even properly hold toys.

Most of all, she was angry that she, the birth mother, knew nothing about all of this.

‘This damned old woman…’

Rosena gritted her teeth.

‘She’s determined to abandon Evan and steal Jeremy away?’

The voice of the woman reading stabbed at her ears.

Rosena unconsciously placed her hand on the door handle.

‘…No.’

Reason barely held her back.

Through various incidents, she had learned enough.

Even if she confronted Elise, if she said it was for her great-grandson.

There would be nothing she could say in that situation.

People would be fooled by that mask.

‘Just like how she’s been acting as the Duke’s birth mother all this time.’

Rosena gritted her teeth.

If she just sat back and did nothing like this…

Evan would disappear.

And Jeremy would be stolen away.

She would be driven out empty-handed.

‘I can’t just sit still and let this happen to me.’

Rosena hurriedly turned around.

‘This is do or die. Let’s find the Dowager Duchess’s weakness.’

Evidence that the Dowager Duchess killed the Duke’s birth mother.

If she could get her hands on that, she would have a chance of winning.

Even if it was a gamble, she had no choice.

This was the only path left to her.

“….”

Rosena carefully entered Elise’s room.

God must have helped her, as the Dowager Duchess was out.

Rosena held her breath as she surveyed the room.

The room perfectly reflected its owner’s obsessive tendencies.

Bedding without a single wrinkle and decorative items without a speck of dust.

‘This is disgustingly perfect.’

Rosena clicked her tongue at the sight of the excessively neat room.

But she didn’t have time to just stand there admiring it.

She immediately began searching through the room thoroughly.

Anything would do.

She was determined to take anything that could be used as the Dowager Duchess’s weakness.

“Where did you hide it….”

She searched the nightstand beside the bed, the bookshelf, and even near the fireplace, but found nothing significant.

Rosena moved to the desk.

When she opened the first drawer, she found neatly organized parchment, ink, and quill pens inside.

Just in case, she flipped through the parchment sheets one by one, but they were just blank paper.

Rosena frowned and reached for the next drawer.

‘…Huh?’

Rosena paused while grabbing the handle.

The drawer was locked.

‘This is it.’

There must be something important inside.

And it was probably what Rosena was looking for.

‘The key….’

Just as she stepped back from the desk to look around—

Creak.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of a door opening.

‘Gasp!’

Rosena reflexively retreated to the sofa and sat down.

Then she looked up with a nonchalant expression.

Margaret, Elise’s head maid, was entering the room.

“…Young Duchess?”

“Oh, Ma, Margaret.”

Margaret looked surprised.

Rosena tried to calm her pounding heart and put on the most composed expression she could manage.

“The Dowager Duchess is currently out. It’s inappropriate for you to enter a room when the owner is absent.”

There was wariness in Margaret’s tone.

Understandably so.

The last time Rosena and Elise had met, there had been a heated argument.

“Oh, I was just….”

After hesitating for a moment, Rosena hurriedly added.

If she aroused suspicion here, everything would be over.

“I was too harsh last time. I wanted to come apologize to Grandmother.”

She said this with her head lowered.

“I knocked but got no answer, so I thought she was ignoring me because she hates me.”

Rosena put on a pitiful and sad expression.

She even deliberately took out a handkerchief and lightly pressed it to her eyes.

“Grandmother doesn’t even tell me when she’s going out anymore… I really don’t know what to do.”

“…I see.”

Margaret’s face softened a little at the pitiful act.

“The Emperor’s confinement order hasn’t ended yet, so she was probably being considerate.”

Considerate, my foot.

A woman who had lived above others her entire life.

Rosena inwardly scoffed at Margaret’s ridiculous excuse.

But she didn’t show it outwardly at all.

“Do you really think so?”

“Yes, absolutely. So please get up now. The Dowager Duchess will return soon, and she’ll be even more displeased if she sees you here.”

“Mm….”

Rosena reluctantly got up from her seat.

As she left the room, she glanced back.

The locked desk drawer from earlier caught her eye.

‘I’m certain. There’s definitely something in there.’

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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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