I Became the Mother-in-law of the Regretful Female Lead

I was struck to the core, unable to say anything, and could only bite my lip in frustration.

Even then, Tristan continued speaking.

“Look at this. If you truly didn’t like me… you would have pushed me away already.”

He glanced down at our interlocked hands. Startled, I tried to pull mine away, but he had no intention of letting go.

Ugh.

I became acutely aware of the warmth seeping through the gaps between our fingers, the once delicate bones of his hands now thick and sturdy. Every part of him seemed to demand my attention.

My heart pounded so loudly it made me dizzy. I already knew, but the boy I remembered had grown into a complete man.

I tried to pull my hand away once more, but my arm lacked the strength.

Tristan closed the distance between us in an instant and murmured in a low voice.

“At this point, pretending to pull away only means you’re acknowledging your feelings, Vanessa.”

“That’s not what I…”

“I’m not so naive as to be fooled by transparent lies.”

I pressed my lips together.

Keeping calm and maintaining composure was always my strength. So why did my mind fill with confusion every time I stood before him?

“Though I may seem young, we’re only four years apart. I’m an adult now… If I didn’t have the confidence to handle matters concerning our families, I wouldn’t be standing here.”

“…”

Unable to respond, I remained silent, and he spoke from his heart.

“I’ve liked you, Vanessa. Always, both then and now.”

“…Tristan, I-”

I was about to reject him again when he suddenly let go of my hand and stepped back.

“Well, I already know. I know you’re going to reject me again.”

He shrugged, as if he had already anticipated everything I was about to say.

“But… you know it too, Vanessa. That I have no intention of letting you go.”

How could I not know? We spent years together during my time in Onz.

Ever since we first met, he followed me everywhere for years. Even after his studies abroad ended and he returned to the Empire, he sent me letters every single day.

He begged me not to forget him. That young boy confessed his feelings without missing a single day, even though we weren’t lovers or anything of the sort.

At first, I didn’t think much of him.

Childhood love is usually fleeting, after all.

‘I’ll propose to you when I’m an adult. Please wait for me until then.’

He proposed to me with all sincerity, but I knew. I knew that his love would soon fade.

I was sure that once he returned from his studies abroad and came back to the Empire, he would quickly forget about me. That’s how youthful love works.

That’s why I never responded to his feelings. I never expected a ten-year-old boy’s proposal to last long.

Still, I found him endearing in his efforts to stay by my side, so I never pushed him away.

Spending time with Tristan was enjoyable.

Even though I knew the day would come when he’d forget about me. Even though I knew I’d feel quite lonely when that day came. I cherished his presence.

But his love didn’t fade the way I had expected.

Moved by his unwavering affection, I eventually began to imagine a future with him.

Though I couldn’t openly accept his feelings, given the age difference… deep down, I had fully opened my heart to him.

‘After all that happened, how could I not know… just how persistent Tristan can be?’

Of course, I never imagined that it would continue even after I married another man and became a widow.

I was lost in thought when Tristan, who hadn’t taken his eyes off me, drove the point home.

“I have no intention of repeating what happened seven years ago. Once was enough to lose you.”

“…Ugh.”

“I’m willing to wait, even if it takes time. But if possible, I’d appreciate it if you could open your heart to me soon. After all, I’ve waited long enough.”

With those words, Tristan stood up from his seat.

“Now that my business is done, I’ll be taking my leave. I look forward to seeing you again.”

He walked leisurely toward the door, but stopped abruptly when he reached it.

“By the way, it seems the remnants of the Stel Kingdom are nearly dealt with.”

Could he mean…?

I looked at him in surprise, and he added with a lazy smile.

“It seems the Emperor is planning to hold a victory banquet in a month. I’m sure you, Vanessa, know exactly what that means.”

With that, he smiled and disappeared completely.

As he vanished like the wind, I couldn’t help but let out a baffled laugh.

A fox. He was a true fox.

‘So all those other things were just excuses…’

It wasn’t until I heard his final words that I understood his true purpose for visiting today.

Tristan had come to deliver important news to me.

No wonder there hadn’t been much to talk about regarding business matters. That’s what this was about.

‘A victory banquet…’

It had been quite some time since Tristan secured victory in the war against the Stel Kingdom, but the Empire hadn’t held a banquet yet.

There were still remnants of the Stel forces left, and for various political reasons, no one knew when the banquet would be held.

But now, Tristan, the hero of the war and practically the star of the event, had personally informed me. He must have heard it in secret from the Emperor himself.

‘A victory banquet will be a gathering of all the high-ranking nobles.’

Banquets were frequently held in the capital, but few were as grand in scale as the one that would take place in the Imperial Palace.

And the fact that he had told me about it… It was clearly to help my business.

Tristan knew that my business involved luxury goods for the nobility… He had deliberately shared this information so I could take advantage of the huge stage that the victory banquet would provide.

“Well, this is an unexpected stroke of luck.”

Even if I wanted to thank him, he was already gone.

I would have to find another way to express my gratitude.

But for now, I needed to focus on the opportunity he had laid out for me.

‘I’ve finished all the basic preparations for the perfume business. Now, the next steps are in a completely different domain.’

Technically, I could start selling perfume right now.

I’d already developed a range of products based on floral scents.

But I wasn’t planning on simply selling perfume.

‘It may succeed in an untapped market… but that alone won’t satisfy me.’

I intended to elevate my perfumes into something far more valuable than just fragrant liquid.

And the first step toward that was…

‘I need to meet Lilliana as soon as possible.’

The day after I sent her an invitation to visit the mansion, she came right away.

“Mother! Thank you so much for inviting me. But….”

This was my first meeting with her since the confrontation with the lion.

Lilliana greeted me as she always did, smiling at me like a puppy, but suddenly her expression fell, and she looked a bit downcast.

“What’s wrong? Don’t show such a sad face to others so carelessly.”

“Oh! I’m sorry! But you’re not ‘others,’ Mother. It’s fine to show you, right? Isn’t it?”

Ugh.

Seeing her smile as brightly as the sun, I clutched my heart.

She was adorable. Absolutely adorable. As always, Lilliana was irresistibly charming today.

“More than that… I’m really sorry about what happened last week. My brother was so rude…”

It seemed she was referring to the confrontation with the lion.

It had been difficult at the time, but it wasn’t her fault, so I shook my head, telling her not to worry about it.

“The thing is… my brother seems to think that Jeremyon still has feelings for me and that we might get back together.”

I had vaguely suspected it myself. Since Jeremyon did indeed like Lilliana, there was no way Tristan, with his keen perception, wouldn’t have noticed.

But I was nodding along nonchalantly when she said something completely unexpected.

“There’s no way that’s true, though. My brother is so mistaken. Jeremyon… doesn’t have any romantic interest in me.”

I froze at her ridiculous statement.

What? Jeremyon… doesn’t like Lilliana?

What kind of misunderstanding is she under?!