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

Worried about Jeremyon, I decided to stay awake instead of going to bed and waited for him.

The banquet he attended tonight was hosted by Marquis Charles, and from what I remember, it was an event where bringing a partner was mandatory.

‘A partner, huh. That must have been difficult for Jeremyon.’

In the past, he would have taken Lilliana with him… but now that they’ve broken up, that was no longer an option.

And knowing Jeremyon, he wouldn’t have brought along someone he barely knew as his partner.

In other words, tonight would be the first time he publicly revealed their breakup.

I closed my eyes and could imagine the scene.

Jeremyon, arriving alone while everyone else entered in pairs.

People would undoubtedly swarm him, asking about Lilliana… and eventually, he’d have no choice but to admit they had broken up.

And after that…

‘Ugh, just thinking about it makes me exhausted.’

It was clear that the gossip-loving crowd would cling to him all night, refusing to let him go.

I was worried about his condition after going through all of that, which is why I stayed up waiting for him to return.

Just as the clock struck the hour, he finally arrived home.

I stood by the staircase that led to the central entrance, observing the scene.

“Count, let me take your coat.”

“The bath has been prepared in advance.”

Among the servants busily attending to him, I caught a glimpse of Jeremyon’s tired face.

As expected, he looked utterly worn out from dealing with people.

‘He seems… upset somehow.’

I had many things I wanted to ask him, but I decided to hold back for today.

I approached him and offered a short remark.

“Jeremyon.”

“Ah, Mother… What are you still doing awake at this late hour?”

“I’ve prepared some warm mulled wine in your room. Drink it and rest.”

On days like this, nothing is more comforting than a warm glass of mulled wine.

Jeremyon seemed to sense the sentiment behind my words. After a brief silence, he expressed his gratitude.

“…Thank you, Mother.”

“Hmph. It’s not for you, just leftover from what I prepared for myself. Don’t get the wrong idea.”

With that curt remark, I returned to my room.

It wasn’t until the next day that I learned the full details of why Jeremyon had returned in such a state.

I found out through the morning tabloid.

—-

New Times Newspaper

Front Page, [XX Month, XX Year]

[Exclusive] Jeremyon Winder Announces Breakup with Lady Locke

On the XXth, Count Jeremyon Winder revealed that he and Lady Lilliana Locke had ended their relationship.

The Count appeared alone at the banquet hosted by Marquis Charles, in stark contrast to the past few months, when he was always seen alongside Lady Locke at official events. As the public’s interest peaked, Count Winder shocked everyone by disclosing the breakup.

The split between the two, who were considered one of the leading couples in society, left the attendees of the banquet in disbelief.

Jeremyon Winder, head of the prestigious Winder family, known for its vast wealth, had once publicly declared his love for Lilliana Locke. In a noble society dominated by arranged marriages, his declaration of love earned him the title of “Romantic of the Century.” However, with the relationship now ending, criticism of his impulsiveness has begun to surface.

Reporter Philip Brandt.

—

After reading that trashy article, I couldn’t help but angrily toss the newspaper aside.

“Seriously! ‘Romantic of the Century,’ my foot!”

It was one of the most infuriating articles I had ever read. How dare they mock my son like this?

‘New Times, huh…’

There was a time, long ago, when it was known as a fair and just news outlet. How it had fallen into the gutter like this, I had no idea.

It seemed I couldn’t let the New Times go unchallenged.

But aside from that…

‘Of course, Jeremyon must have revealed their breakup at the banquet yesterday.’

It was clear without even seeing how much of a stir this would cause in high society.

In fact, Jeremyon and Lilliana had already been the talk of the social scene.

Jeremyon, the young Count of the Winder family, who had recently gained immense wealth and influence.

And Lilliana, the sole lady of the Locke family, an old noble house that had fallen into crisis due to sudden misfortunes.

Both had naturally drawn the attention of everyone. It was no wonder that the press had even made headlines out of their breakup.

Now that Jeremyon and Lilliana had parted ways, it was something that would have happened eventually. I was aware of it too.

But even though I had anticipated it, I couldn’t help but worry about Lilliana. I was concerned about whether she would be able to endure the overwhelming attention that would be directed at her.

‘I should take extra care of Lilliana for the time being.’

However, contrary to my concerns, even after a week had passed, Lilliana seemed perfectly at peace.

‘Strange. I thought invitations would pour in, or someone would at least come to visit, causing some kind of change.’

Even considering that Lilliana was not one to be particularly active in social circles, it was too quiet.

Still, with a news article like that, someone should have approached to confirm the truth.

‘But there’s been no sign of that.’

Not only that, but Lilliana had been visiting the Winder mansion daily, cheerfully calling out, “Mother!” as if nothing had changed.

Today was no different.

I glanced at Lilliana, who was sitting beside me, focusing intently on her embroidery.

She had told me this morning that she wanted to learn embroidery again after a long time, so I had been teaching her.

“…Mother? Is something the matter?”

Sensing my gaze, Lilliana tilted her head in question.

“Hmph, I was just watching to see how well you were doing.”

“Oh! How is it, Mother? Am I doing well?”

It was a question that didn’t even require an answer.

“Hmph! You already know the answer, so why bother asking and making me waste my breath?”

“Hah! Is it that bad? Thank you, Mother… I worked hard, so I’m glad you approve.”

It seemed that Lilliana had now learned to perfectly interpret my words, no matter how twisted they were.

She continued to focus on her embroidery, clearly pleased.

After watching her for a moment, I asked her directly.

“Lilliana, have you received any invitations from other families recently?”

“Invitations? Ah, Mother, you saw the article too.”

It seemed she was referring to the news about Jeremyon publicly announcing their breakup at the banquet.

“Many invitations came, probably because everyone saw the newspaper. Twenty just this week alone, I think? Some people even changed the date twice to re-invite me after I declined.”

Twenty invitations in just a week?

“But you’ve been with me this whole time…”

I trailed off in confusion, but Lilliana just smiled brightly as if it was no big deal.

“That’s right! I declined them all. I didn’t want anything to interrupt my time with you, Mother.”

While it was good that there was nothing for me to worry about, for some reason, I started to feel concerned about her in a different way.

“Why did you refuse all of them?”

“There’s no need to accept every invitation. I don’t want to waste my time with people I’m not particularly close to. It’s not like they ever thought kindly of me.”

“…Still, it’s a chance to meet ladies your age, isn’t it?”

At my question, Lilliana paused.

“Do you want me to socialize more with the other noble ladies?”

I didn’t respond, just silently met her gaze.

I couldn’t deny it.

Despite her noble status, Lilliana’s position in high society wasn’t particularly strong.

In people’s minds, she was still the shy and awkward girl from the past.

While appearances aren’t everything, Lilliana had been so reserved that many hadn’t seen her true charm. And there were many who compared her to the ever-impressive Tristan.

‘But things are different now.’

Since spending time with me, Lilliana had changed a lot.

Not just externally… I could feel that she had regained her confidence compared to the past.

Now, she wasn’t as hesitant to assert herself. She had matured and become stronger inwardly.

If it were the current Lilliana, I was certain she could change people’s impressions in a short time.

:Of course, the people who sent invitations this time probably had other intentions, so there’s no need to accept them…’

But I couldn’t help but worry that Lilliana might continue to reject all future invitations.

Sensing my concern, she put down her needlework and spoke clearly.

“I understand what you’re worried about. But I enjoy spending time with you the most, Mother! So please don’t worry.”

If that’s how she felt, there wasn’t much more I could say…

‘But perhaps offering a little help in my own way wouldn’t hurt.’

Yes, changing her image from the past could be done at any time. And I knew the most effective way to do it.

Heh heh heh…

‘The victory banquet. That day, we’ll make sure to completely dazzle everyone.’

I’ll show them exactly who Lilliana, the one they dare to gossip about, truly is.