She Became My Friend’s Mother-In-Law - Chapter 83

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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 83. Overstepping Bounds (2)

“Miss Ruth, why are you here?”

Seeing Tira standing inside the music room, Cecilia frowned.

This place was thoroughly her personal space.

For an outsider like Tira to enter such a place without permission.

“….”

Moreover, Tira was hastily pulling her hands away from the piano.

To touch Rainer’s gift.

Cecilia’s eyebrows furrowed with displeasure.

“Oh my, I’m, I’m sorry. I was just looking around the Duke’s Mansion and this place was so wonderful.”

Tira clasped both hands in front of her chest with a flustered expression.

A startled look and delicate gestures.

On the surface, it almost looked like Cecilia was finding fault for no reason.

“Ha….”

But that didn’t mean she could just let it slide.

She needed to clearly show Tira the boundaries she must observe.

“Miss Ruth.”

Cecilia took a step forward.

Her voice dropped low.

“This is my personal space. Even guests shouldn’t enter as they please.”

“Ah, I just saw the door was open….”

“Miss Ruth, isn’t knocking something we learn as children?”

“…!”

Tira’s face flushed red.

Of all people.

To be lectured about manners by the Duchess, Rainer’s wife.

It felt even more humiliating.

‘Ha, she’s doing this because of what happened in the study, isn’t she?’

Tira’s thoughts went in a different direction.

Because the Duke had embraced her.

She thought Cecilia was taking out her jealousy on her using manners as an excuse.

Falling into this delusion, Tira bit her lips tightly.

‘Does she think I’ll just back down like this?’

If Cecilia had humiliated her.

Tira had to return the favor equally to feel satisfied.

‘You’ll regret this.’

Making this vow inwardly, Tira soon bowed her head deeply and buried her face in her hands.

“Sob, I’m, I’m sorry. I was just curious about the piano….”

She burst into tears, her shoulders shaking.

Cecilia and Wendy looked at each other for a moment.

Who was pretending to be the victim here.

It was absurd.

“Sniff, sob….”

While sobbing, Tira glanced toward the window through her fingers.

This time, Cecilia didn’t miss that gesture either.

‘What is she doing right now?’

Just as she thought something seemed strange.

“I, I’ll leave now. Please forgive me, Duchess!”

Tira suddenly ran out of the room.

Her behavior seemed quite intentional.

She felt like she shouldn’t just let Tira go like this.

“Hey, wait a moment!”

Cecilia followed after her.

But Tira was already running toward the end of the corridor.

Her sobbing echoed loudly.

“Miss Ruth?”

“Duke!”

When Rainer appeared from the other end of the corridor.

Tira grabbed onto his sleeve and clung to him as if she had been waiting.

“Duke, please speak well to the Duchess for me. Please? She was very angry because of me.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“Sob!”

Tira clung to Rainer, wailing outright.

Her clingy behavior clearly showed displeasure on Rainer’s face.

“What are you doing? Let go now―”

“Oh, oh my!”

Just then, shrill voices came from the opposite direction.

Looking over, a group of noblewomen was standing there.

They were all ladies from families with influence in Brisen social circle.

They had come to visit Elise, who was still known to be ill.

“Goodness, such a thing….”

In broad daylight at the Duke’s Mansion.

A young woman clinging to the Duke and crying.

Moreover, Tira was a woman with an excessively frivolous impression, rarely seen in the Duke’s family.

So the noblewomen’s imagination was further stimulated.

‘Hoho, it’s exactly as the Dowager Duchess said, isn’t it?’

Seeing their surprised faces, Tira smiled triumphantly inwardly.

Thanks to the Dowager Duchess subtly informing them of their visit, setting up this scene wasn’t difficult.

The original plan was simple.

Run out crying to draw attention.

Then have Elise start the conversation to let the noblewomen’s imagination run wild.

‘Who would have thought the Duke would pass by at just the right time. How lucky.’

Seeing it directly with their eyes would be even more effective.

Everything was flowing exactly as she had hoped.

“Miss Ruth, wait―”

Just then, Cecilia, who had belatedly chased after Tira, appeared.

She stopped and surveyed the situation.

Tira clinging closely to her husband.

Rainer’s stern expression.

And the noblewomen standing there as if watching a show.

‘…Ha.’

She let out a bitter laugh inwardly.

So this was why she had been glancing out the window.

To watch for the noblewomen’s carriage arriving.

Probably entering the music room was also deliberately to provoke Cecilia.

It was a more childish and petty plan than she could have imagined, so even she hadn’t anticipated it.

“Duchess, I’m truly sorry. Please forgive me….”

Tira still trembled her lips while acting like a pitiful woman.

Cecilia had to admit it.

She had been careless and had been properly caught off guard by Tira.

‘…I can’t just stand by and watch.’

If she left that woman alone.

It was clear she would cause great harm not only to herself, but to Rainer as well.

That was something she could not tolerate.

‘Then I have no choice but to fight back with everything I have.’

Cecilia gripped her skirt tightly.

* * *

Michel was sitting in one corner of the theater dressing room.

The dressing room before the performance was bustling.

But Michel was just staring blankly at the mirror.

‘The Hays family has purchased the distribution rights for this medicine. Starting next month, it will be available at reasonable prices throughout the Empire.’

Cecilia’s face from that day kept coming to mind.

And even her words about not expecting anything in return.

Normally, people would have used the medicine as leverage to demand something from him.

‘Haah….’

Michel scratched the back of his head vigorously.

He needed to focus on the performance, but his mind wouldn’t settle.

At this rate, he felt like he would forget all his lines.

Just then, the dressing room door burst open loudly.

“Everyone! Pay attention!”

It was the Theater Owner’s voice.

“This is Mr. Ruth, who runs the largest medicinal business in the New Continent, and his daughter!”

He introduced the guests with great fanfare.

This was always how it went whenever wealthy patrons who could become sponsors visited.

The actors began rising from their seats one by one.

Michel also reluctantly got up.

“Come now, everyone greet them!”

Behind the Theater Owner entered a short, stout man.

And a woman wearing a dress covered in elaborate ruffles.

The Theater Owner kept bowing and scraping to the two of them.

Then he looked around at the surrounding actors.

“Mr. Ruth brought that famous new medicine for lung disease to Listea. Did you all know he made a contract with the Hays Ducal House?”

“Oh, really?”

Murmurs spread among the actors.

In the midst of it all, Michel stood quietly.

Unlike the others who were simply amazed.

All of this struck him differently.

But since Sandy’s situation was a secret from everyone, he couldn’t show his feelings.

“Haha, it’s nothing special.”

Naijel waved his hand with a good-natured smile.

“Let’s stop with the serious talk. We came here to enjoy the performance today.”

“Yes, yes, then let me escort you this way.”

The Theater Owner bowed and led Naijel and Tira to the VIP seats.

“….”

Among the actors busily returning to their places.

Michel stared endlessly at the door where they had disappeared.

‘I really should have expressed my gratitude.’

Thanks to that medicine, Sandy’s painful coughing had noticeably decreased.

Most importantly, the burden of medicine costs had greatly reduced.

And in a few months, there was even hope of moving to a house with better conditions.

All of that was thanks to that person and the Dowager Duchess of Hays.

Even without revealing it was about his sister.

There were plenty of ways to express his gratitude.

It felt too shameless for him, who had received the greatest help, to keep his mouth shut.

‘Right, Michel. Live like a human being. You should know how to be grateful for kindness.’

After the performance ended, he would seek out that father and daughter to express his thanks.

And after that, he would have to visit the Duchess as well.

Michel finally made up his mind.

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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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