MDIHC 32

〈032〉

“By the way, I’ve heard that Lord Winchester’s daughter is supposed to be very smart. There are even rumors that she’s a genius at painting…”

Blending into the conversation naturally, I subtly brought up a compliment about Daniel.

“A genius? What are you talking about! Didn’t you see the last time? She stood there clumsily, and I ended up falling all by myself. And then she blamed our Unsho for it! Our child is just kind enough to stay quiet… Ugh!”

Is this woman crazy!

Ah, no. Calm… stay calm… I have to think about Daniel’s future. She may be like this, but she’s going to be Daniel’s mother-in-law someday. No need to make enemies already.

“Is that so… Unsho is, uh, uh…”

I couldn’t bring myself to say he was kind. I may not always speak the truth, but I wasn’t so corrupt that I could call that delinquent a kind boy.

“No! I can do this!”

I clenched my fists.

“Quite the young man, indeed.”

I barely managed to piece together the words. Not the perfect expression for the context, but at least it was factual.

“Yes, he’s only eight, but he’s already mature and quite boyish. And he’s so handsome too.”

She interpreted it that way, of course. Well, fine. She didn’t hear the compliment, but at least she interpreted it as one.

“I’m not just saying this because he’s my son, but he really is reliable.”

Uh, no. You’re just blinded by being his mother.

“Whoever ends up marrying our Unsho in the future will be very lucky indeed.”

What are you talking about! It’s going to be a living hell of a marriage! …I wanted to say, but I held back. I had to hold back.

“Y-yes. So, Countess Aytley, you’ll be kind to that future daughter-in-law, won’t you?”

“That depends on how she behaves.”

The pleased smile on Countess Aytley’s face, glowing with self-praise over her son, immediately vanished. Clearly, she was annoyed by the woman who would eventually take her son.

That’s right. In the novel I read, the reason she tormented Daniel was exactly that: she couldn’t bear to let go of her son.

A mere delinquent in everyone else’s eyes was, in hers, the best in the world. And that son had completely fallen for a girl whose mother he didn’t even know. And if the daughter-in-law couldn’t bear a child, it obviously couldn’t be her perfect son’s fault—it had to be hers.

She had countless reasons to be displeased with her daughter-in-law and punished her for them.

“Could it be… that you already see our Unsho as a suitor… my goodness!”

The countess’s expression, which had shifted to one of superiority as she tried to check who recognized her son’s true worth, suddenly realized she had been speaking to me all along. Startled, she threw the dress she was holding and shouted.

“Oh my, Countess Aytley, you dropped your dress.”
“Eek!”
“Oh my!”
“When did that happen?”

While I tried to pick up the dress she had dropped, the other ladies around us, startled, all grabbed dresses and tossed them like a wave.

What is this, some sort of cheerleading?

The colorful dresses flew into the air and landed gently on the floor.

…Do I have to pick all of these up? I guess not.

“Oh my, Countess Aytley, your taste is exquisite. The dress you chose is absolutely beautiful.”

I picked up only the dress she dropped and handed it back to her, making sure to keep my professional smile.

“…Since when have you been there?”

The countess asked with a displeased look, ignoring the dress I held out.

“I was here first.”
“Excuse me?”

She looked at me suspiciously, clearly thinking I was lying.

Heh heh. This is the invisibility of an extra. I’m someone who even managed to hide from the Sword Master, albeit briefly!

“Ahem! How did you even know to come here? Are you stalking me…?”

I almost broke into a smile at the countess’s muttered words, but I held it in.

Last time, I hadn’t thought about it, but she was Daniel’s future mother-in-law. If I ruined my relationship with her now, Daniel might suffer later.

‘Hold it. For Daniel.’

I calmed the anger inside me.

“Why are you so interested in our Unsho?”
“Hmm…”

She had no answer. Well, even an anti-fan is still a fan.

“Do you perhaps consider our Unsho as a prospective son-in-law?”

Recalling our earlier conversation, Countess Aytley frowned, as if she had tasted something rotten.

“I suggest you wake up from that dream.”

Yes. Even a nightmare is still a dream. And I wanted to wake up from it.

“No matter that she is the daughter of Lord Winchester, I have no intention whatsoever of letting a girl of unknown origins marry into the Aytley family.”
“….”
“If you think that because you rose from baron’s daughter to countess and can make your stepdaughter a respectable countess, that is merely a delusion. Wake up from it.”

With the haughtiest expression in the world, holding her head high, Countess Aytley spoke.

“….”

I watched her silently.

Looking at her cruel face, I imagined it a decade later. Wrinkles, gray hair. Her gaze and expression would be even more hardened, clouded, and dull.

And with that face, she would hurl harsh words at Daniel, insult him, and ultimately drive him out.

Daniel, wanting a happy family life, would try to please this newly arisen mother, internalize her words, blame himself, cry, and end up unhappy.

“Yes. Countess Aytley is right. I was truly out of my mind to even consider making our Daniel part of the Aytley family.”

A faintly victorious smile appeared on her face. She believed she had finally defeated me.

“My father-in-law is indecisive, my mother-in-law cruel, my sister-in-law greedy, and my husband a delinquent who cannot even produce an heir—sending our Daniel to such a broken household, I must have been mad.”
“What did you say?”
“Our Daniel, kind, beautiful, cute, and even clever, should be a beloved wife and cherished daughter-in-law in a far better family.”

Who cares about the original story? There was no way I could let Daniel go to that family.

No matter how beautiful the path beyond the thorns might be, I couldn’t watch my child walk a thorny path that would hurt him.

“I will take your valuable advice and ensure that our Daniel will absolutely, absolutely, never become part of the Aytley family. So, Countess, please, absolutely, absolutely, keep a close eye on your son.”

I nodded, bidding farewell to the original story.

“…”

Lord Winchester said nothing as he looked at me.

“Is it too flashy?”

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I asked, glancing at him.

It couldn’t be helped. The dress I was holding, after all, was the ornate red dress with ruffles that Countess Aytley had dropped—a dress for a villainess who likes flamboyant catlike style.

Still, I couldn’t go back trembling to the countess and casually choose another dress.

The only choice left was to act as if this was my plan all along, pay for the dress, turn to her with a sour smile, and then escape the shop before she could grab me by the hair.

Fortunately, the dress was a bell-shaped gown with ruffles not only on the sleeves and collar but also on the skirt. No need for new shoes, as they’d be mostly hidden.

Wearing my carefully stored wedding ring, the earrings and necklace my parents gave me for my 20th birthday, and my carefully applied makeup, I greeted Lord Winchester.

“It’s fine. I was just a little surprised because it looked different than usual.”
“Well, it would be rude to show up at the palace looking the same as always.”
“I see.”

Lord Winchester nodded, understanding.

“Shall we go?”
“Yes.”

I smiled and raised one hand—intending to give it to Lord Winchester for escorting me.

But it seemed he genuinely meant to move forward, as he spun and walked toward the carriage.

“…”

Standing awkwardly with my hand in the air, I glared a little at the back of his head and followed him.

‘No manners at all.’

Just as I cursed inwardly, Lord Winchester stopped in his tracks.

‘W-what? Did he notice I cursed him?’