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

What is the most important thing when it comes to making perfume?

Some might say it’s creating a fragrance that everyone will love, but I think differently.

To me, the most important thing is what story and image you attach to that perfume.

After all, scent is something that differs based on personal taste.

‘Some people may love fruity scents, while others may prefer floral ones.’

But what if a perfume held a special story? Or carried an image that everyone admired?

From that moment on, personal preference wouldn’t matter as much.

An image has the power to make a scent you didn’t like before seem appealing.

That’s why, ever since I decided to turn perfume into a business, I knew I needed a muse.

‘And the first one would be our Lilliana.’

It was a decision I made on the same day I chose to keep her by my side, though she has no idea.

“Are you curious why I’m showing you this perfume?”

At my question, Lilliana nodded enthusiastically.

“There’s something I want your help with.”

“Help? From me…? I’m not sure what it is, but…”

She tilted her head in confusion, continuing her answer.

“I’ll do anything you need, Mother!”

Just as expected, her approval came without hesitation. I smiled in satisfaction.

The first step to making Lilliana my muse was simple.

“Alright, then… invite me to your estate.”

“Pardon, what?”

Lilliana blinked in disbelief, as if unsure she heard correctly. I shamelessly continued with a smile.

“I need to learn more about you.”

Though I already knew more about her than most people, I wanted to be cautious, especially since this was the first perfume I was creating with someone specific in mind.

‘Right now, I don’t know Lilliana on a deeper level…’

I was curious about how she spent her days at home, what thoughts filled her mind when she was young, and so much more. The easiest and most natural way to learn was to visit her house.

Realizing the situation, she responded urgently, more enthusiastically than ever.

“Yes! Mother! When? When should I invite you? You won’t change your mind later, right?”

Her eyes sparkled brightly, like a lake illuminated by sunlight. It was an utterly endearing sight.

What was that? What just happened?

‘Did Mother really ask me to invite her to our estate?’

On her way back from meeting Vanessa, Lilliana could barely contain her excitement.

‘This is a first… I’m usually the one being invited, not the other way around.’

There was one time when Vanessa had visited the Locke estate. However, technically, she had come as Tristan’s guest, not hers.

‘And I’ve never really spent that much time with Mother…’

There were so many things she wanted to show her if she ever came to visit, but that day she had been too focused on trying to connect her with her brother. All she did was brag about Tristan.

‘I’m not sure why Mother suddenly made such a request… but I’m so happy, hehe.’

She had accepted the offer so quickly, afraid it had been made by mistake. It was hard to grasp the connection between the perfume business and Mother wanting to learn more about her.

‘But that’s not important right now.’

When Lilliana got off the carriage, the first place she headed wasn’t her room, but Tristan’s study.

“Brother! What are you doing on Friday?”

“Friday? The usual. I planned to work all day. Why do you ask, Lilliana?”

Tristan, focused on his paperwork, responded calmly, already accustomed to his sister’s sudden visits.

“Are you really busy? Can’t you take the day off?”

“I wouldn’t say it’s impossible, but it’d definitely make things harder.”

Tristan glanced at his aide, as if to confirm his schedule.

“Yes, sir. In the morning, you have a family meeting and some paperwork scheduled, and in the afternoon…”

The aide began listing off Tristan’s tasks in a composed manner. Even to Lilliana, it sounded like a hectic day.

“Oh no, that’s not good… This is a problem.”

“What is it? What’s going on?”

Tristan asked again, noticing her sigh. Lilliana responded with a pout, her voice full of disappointment.

“Well… the truth is, I invited Mother to the estate on Friday—”

“Clear all of Friday’s schedule.”

“Yes, Your Grace. Understood.”

“What?”

Did I hear that right? Lilliana blinked in confusion.

‘Did he just give an order without even letting me finish?’

It seemed like Tristan had told his aide to clear his schedule, but Lilliana wasn’t sure if she had heard correctly. After all, just moments ago, he acted like he was too busy to make any time!

As she stood there puzzled, Tristan continued issuing instructions to his aide.

“Make sure the staff knows—there shouldn’t be a speck of dust left in the estate by Friday.”

The aide nodded and jotted down Tristan’s orders in a small notebook.

“And tell the chefs to prepare the finest dishes using the best ingredients available. It doesn’t matter how much it costs—everything must be of the highest quality.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“As for the wine… Yes, have my collection of wines prepared at the estate. And gather any other high-quality wines as well. We don’t know what Lady Windermere might prefer.”

“Yes, sir. Understood.”

Tristan’s commands continued for quite some time.

Lilliana could only watch her brother in a daze.

She didn’t fully understand what was happening, but one thing was clear.

‘Hmm, brother… You and I are surprisingly in sync. I like it. A lot!’

She did feel a bit sorry for the aide, whose hand was tirelessly scribbling in his notebook, but she didn’t intervene. After all, the more effort put into welcoming Vanessa, the better for her.

Even amidst all this, Tristan’s instructions kept coming.

“Prepare a variety of desserts to serve with tea. Make sure to bring in everything from the most famous bakeries in the capital.”

“Brother, there’s this bakery called Blanc Bakery, and it’s been really popular lately, especially among noblewomen, even though it’s outside the capital.”

Lilliana, who had been quietly listening, added her suggestion.

“Good idea, Lily.”

Tristan gave her a smile, then turned back to his aide with a firm tone.

“Did you hear that? Get everything from Blanc Bakery too.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Oh, and just in case Lady Windermere prefers freshly made desserts, tell the estate’s chefs to prepare some as well, timed perfectly for her arrival.”

“Understood, Your Grace.”

Though the aide maintained a calm and composed expression, Lilliana noticed sweat beginning to drip from his brow as the endless tasks piled up.

“Phew, all set.”

Dust? Checked.

Food and wine? Checked.

Desserts? Honestly, there were probably too many of those.

“Yes, everything is perfect!”

Lilliana clenched her fist, as if casting a spell of determination.

She had been waiting and preparing for this day for what felt like forever!

‘Today, I’m officially hosting Mother as my guest… I’ve got to do well.’

She had stayed up all night thinking about how to spend the day and when exactly she would naturally include Tristan in their plans.

‘Honestly, I’d rather spend time alone with Mother without my brother…’

But there was a reason why she decided to involve Tristan.

Though their relationship had become distant and she had momentarily forgotten, Lilliana hadn’t abandoned her plan to one day call Vanessa “sister” officially.

‘Alright, Lilliana. Once the two of them are together, I’ll finally be able to call her sister! Let’s give it everything we’ve got!’

Just then, Vanessa arrived.

With a bright smile, Lilliana welcomed her.

“Mother! You’re here?”

Vanessa, of course, had no idea what plans Lilliana had spinning in her head for the day.