She Became My Friend’s Mother-In-Law - Chapter 97

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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 97. Rosena’s Desperate Struggle (2)

“R-Rosena…”

In the middle of the drawing room that was in complete disarray.

Trisha Osburn was sitting collapsed on the floor, wailing.

Both her eyes were swollen.

Her smeared makeup had run down both cheeks in black streaks, leaving her face a mess.

“Mother! What on earth happened here?”

“I-I was preparing breakfast…”

Countess Osburn couldn’t continue her words and sobbed.

Choking back tears, she barely managed to explain the situation.

The police had suddenly burst in.

They had presented an arrest warrant for the murder of Count and Countess Panning and forcibly dragged the Count away.

The Count had desperately resisted, but was helpless against the rough hands of the police.

“Hah…”

Rosena felt all her strength drain away as she collapsed next to her mother with a thud.

The maid’s words.

Cecilia’s lawsuit.

Rainer’s words calling her “a murderer’s daughter.”

She had desperately denied reality, insisting none of it could be true.

But seeing this scene with her own eyes, she could no longer run away.

‘Am I… really going to become a murderer’s daughter like this?’

A cold sensation swept down her spine.

People’s contemptuous gazes were vividly painted in her mind.

Only silence flowed through the drawing room for a while.

Only the sound of the clock’s second hand rang irritatingly in their ears.

“…That Cecilia finally.”

Rosena gritted her teeth and muttered.

She had definitely trusted her.

She had even told her about the Dowager Duchess’s weakness.

But to think she would stab her in the back like this.

“I won’t let this slide. I won’t just take this lying down!”

Rosena shouted in fury.

But that didn’t mean she had any proper countermeasures.

She had already made an enemy of the Dowager Duchess.

Her husband Evan had fallen out of favor with the Imperial Palace and was doing hard labor.

Other noble families had already distanced themselves from Osburn long ago.

Rosena gnawed at her fingernails.

Then, Trisha sobbed and murmured beside her.

“What evidence could they possibly have to retry a case from over 10 years ago…”

Evidence?

At those words, Rosena’s hand stopped.

‘That’s right, they must have some evidence to be causing all this chaos now!’

No matter how powerful the Hays Ducal House was.

They couldn’t overturn a case already decided by the court without any reason.

The reason Cecilia could be so confident.

Was surely because she had gotten her hands on something ‘decisive’ that could overturn the previous verdict.

‘What could it be?’

Rosena’s mind raced.

The Count had already seized all of Count Panning’s inheritance.

After that, to prepare for any possible situation, they had brought Cecilia into this house to monitor her.

Most importantly, the fact that this was happening now.

Meant she had gotten her hands on that evidence recently.

“I need to steal it…”

“Huh? Rosena? What do you need to steal?”

At her daughter’s muttering, Trisha sniffled and asked back.

Rosena’s eyes instantly became calculating.

“Evidence. The evidence that allows that Cecilia to hold her head up so confidently.”

“Evidence… Your father already took care of all that—”

“There must have been something Father didn’t know about! That’s why he didn’t investigate properly and let things get to this point!”

“That’s…”

The Countess couldn’t say anything and kept her mouth tightly shut.

Rosena paced around the drawing room.

“Hey, Rosena.”

The Countess, who had been watching this, carefully spoke up again.

“Mother should leave Brisen for now—”

“No!”

Rosena shouted sharply.

“If Mother leaves the capital now, people will gossip that you ran away! At times like this, you need to stay confident!”

“But… it’s true that your father committed murder…”

“Mother!”

Rosena strode over and gripped Trisha’s shoulders tightly with both hands.

“Please stop acting like a fool! Can’t you understand the situation?”

“Then what do you want this mother to do!”

“Just wait! I’ll use whatever means necessary to find and destroy the evidence that Cecilia is holding!”

Rosena’s eyes were full of venom.

“If it’s an object, I’ll grind it to powder, and if it’s a person, I’ll kill them outright.”

* * *

“No matter how I think about it, I’m still uneasy.”

The next day, in Rainer’s study.

Rainer said with his arms crossed.

Cecilia looked up at him with wide eyes.

“Uneasy?”

“There’s no way Rosena will just sit still. Let’s end this in the name of Hays without needing to go to trial.”

In the current situation, dealing with the Osburn County wasn’t difficult.

Instead of a time-consuming trial, ending it all at once would be much more efficient.

But Cecilia quietly shook her head.

“No, we can’t end it that easily.”

Though it couldn’t compare to the 10-plus years of pain she had endured at the Osburn County.

Cecilia wanted them to crumble for as long and as deeply as possible.

And most importantly.

“I want to clear the name of the coachman who was wrongly made into a murderer.”

If they only dealt with Osburn privately.

It would only provide momentary satisfaction, but Michel and Sandy would still remain as a murderer’s children.

‘That can’t happen.’

Hadn’t Michel risked everything and refused to hand over his father’s evidence?

Cecilia had that much responsibility too.

The responsibility to correct their dishonor under the light of the world.

“Don’t worry too much. The truth will be revealed in front of everyone.”

“…If that is your wish.”

In the end, Rainer stepped back.

His proposal had been for Cecilia’s sake from the beginning.

There was no reason not to do as she wanted.

“Thank you for understanding. Once this matter is over, I’ll immediately deal with the Dowager Duchess—”

“M-My lady!”

Just as Cecilia was about to reveal her next plan with a faint smile.

Wendy entered the room, sobbing.

Shock flashed across the faces of Cecilia and Rainer as they turned to look.

“Wendy, what happened to you?”

Wendy’s hair was severely disheveled.

Her collar was torn and tattered.

The ends of her singed hair still reeked of burning.

Her face was a mess of ash and tears mixed together.

“Oh my goodness…”

Cecilia quickly pulled out a handkerchief and wiped Wendy’s face.

At that gentle touch, Wendy could no longer hold back and burst into tears.

Cecilia asked with a worried expression.

“What on earth happened?”

“My lady, th-that…”

Wendy’s lips trembled violently.

* * *

A little while ago.

The Hays Estate Kitchen.

Wendy and another maid were heating up stew for their meal.

Their assigned cleaning had run later than scheduled.

All the other servants had already finished eating and returned to their posts.

The smell of burning wood spread along with the heat from the fireplace.

The sound of bubbling stew filled the kitchen.

“Wendy, could you watch the pot for a moment?”

Just then, the maid with her fidgeted restlessly and stamped her feet.

“I really need to use the bathroom urgently.”

“Sure, go ahead.”

Wendy said casually.

Stirring stew wasn’t difficult at all.

“Thanks! I’ll be right back.”

The maid hurriedly rushed outside.

Wendy gripped the ladle and slowly stirred the pot.

Just as she was wondering when her friend would return.

“Hey!”

Suddenly the kitchen door burst open.

Rosena stormed in with a terrifying momentum.

Wendy didn’t even have time to turn around.

“Kyaah!”

Rosena’s hand instantly grabbed Wendy’s hair.

It happened so suddenly.

Wendy couldn’t believe what was happening.

“Y-Young Duchess! Why are you doing this?”

“Why am I doing this?”

Rosena said mockingly.

“I think you know better than anyone.”

“Kyaah! Ah! It hurts!”

Rosena roughly grabbed and shook Wendy’s hair.

And without giving her a chance to resist, she pushed Wendy toward the fireplace.

“Huh!”

“Stay still. Unless you want your head shoved into those flames.”

Wendy’s body froze at Rosena’s violent words.

If she resisted even a little, it seemed like Rosena would push her face right into the fire.

“Y-Young Duchess…”

Tears streamed down Wendy’s eyes.

The heat of the flames stung her skin painfully.

The hot air made her feel suffocated.

“It’s painful, isn’t it? Feels like you might die, right? Hm?”

“Please let me go. Please…”

As Wendy sobbed pitifully, a satisfied smile spread across Rosena’s lips.

It felt like the resentment built up in her chest was finally being released.

“Then.”

Rosena’s grip tightened even more.

“Hiiik!”

A moan escaped from Wendy’s mouth.

At that sound, Rosena’s smile grew even deeper.

“Tell me what evidence Cecilia has. Then I’ll let you go.”

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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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