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

Since meeting Seira, Lilliana had been in a state that was half out of her mind.

She tried countless times to shake off the gloom and stand up again, but nothing worked.

It was the very depth of helplessness.

It wasn’t strange. It was something she had been used to since childhood.

The memory was still vivid.

The day she attended her first ball and had her first conversation with Seira.

The way Seira warmly spoke to her.

Unaware that it was only because she was a noble, Lilliana had quickly opened her heart.

But…

“Lady, where did you buy that dress? It doesn’t seem to be a common design these days. It’s quite unique.”

“Oh, this isn’t something I bought. It’s something my mother wore when she was younger…”

The question, which Lilliana thought came from goodwill.

But as she earnestly answered, Seira sneered, as if evaluating her.

‘It must be a misunderstanding, right? Lady Benden is a good person…’

There was a time when Lilliana believed that, but now she knew better.

Seira held clear malice toward her.

It didn’t matter where or when.

Every time they met, Seira would subtly belittle Lilliana, and her followers would laugh, mocking her.

“Lilliana, don’t you often hear that you don’t resemble your siblings?”

“Huh… why?”

“Just, in many ways? Lord Locke is quite striking, isn’t he? But you, both in appearance and personality… you’re nothing alike.”

Subtle words, hard to get angry at. At first, Lilliana thought such things were acceptable between friends and held back, knowing it was eating away at her.

She only came to her senses after Seira had toyed with her repeatedly.

By then, she had already been branded a clumsy noblewoman of little worth in social circles, while Seira was celebrated as the flower of society.

Thus, Lilliana was ostracized by nobles her age.

A painful memory she now wished to forget.

Meeting Vanessa had softened the blow, or so she thought. She had changed positively and believed she could overcome it.

But just facing Seira again had sent Lilliana right back to her old self.

That defeated look was what worried Vanessa so much.

‘…Would Mother think I’m pathetic?’

Even after receiving so much support, if someone called her a fool for breaking so easily, she would have nothing to say in her defense.

Lilliana clenched her fists tightly and looked up at Vanessa.

In her ruby-like, sparkling red eyes, there was nothing but affection and concern.

‘Mother looks at me with such warmth, even in moments like this. What does she see in someone like me that she prepared such a gift?’

Tears welled up.

Lilliana tilted her head back to keep them from falling, struggling to swallow them down.

Vanessa gently patted her back.

“Don’t cry, and try the scent. You must check if you like it, mustn’t you?”

“Y-yes…”

Suppressing her tearful voice, Lilliana opened the lid and sprayed the perfume onto a scent strip.

Soon, a rich fragrance filled the air.

At first, a fresh, sweet lime scent passed by, but soon it was followed by the clean and pure scent of lilies.

The scent was so vivid that it felt as if she were in a garden full of lilies on a warm, sunny day.

The lingering after-scent was that of fresh grass. Just inhaling it made her feel at peace, as if nature itself had brought clarity and joy to her heart.

‘So this is what I am to Mother…’

Lilliana had always known that Vanessa cherished her. But she never fully understood how Vanessa saw her.

And yet… to be expressed in such a beautiful way.

With trembling fingers, Lilliana touched the perfume bottle again.

At first, she had been blinded by the design of the bottle, but now she noticed a small engraving on the back with the perfume’s name.

‘Lovely Lily.’

That was the name of the perfume Vanessa had made for Lilliana.

A simple and short name.

But it was enough to stir her long-suppressed tears again.

“Hnng.”

In the end, Lilliana couldn’t hold back the tears that threatened to spill over.

“Really, I told you not to cry. You’re not listening, are you?”

Despite her words, Vanessa gently stroked Lilliana’s back.

As Lilliana poured out all the pain she’d held inside while embraced, she made a firm decision.

‘…I want to change. For real this time.’

She no longer wanted to be tossed around by Saira or anyone else.

She wanted to become as admirable as Vanessa thought she was.

Sniff.

Lilliana raised her head, wiping her face vigorously with her sleeve to dry her tears.

“Mother, I… I’ll do better from now on! I’m sorry for worrying you!”

“Do as you wish.”

Though her response was calm, Vanessa seemed relieved.

“Yes!”

Lilliana answered more energetically than ever, her eyes still red but now smiling brightly.

A few days passed, and finally, the day of the victory banquet dawned.

Today would be an incredibly important day for me, Vanessa Winder.

Naturally, the first thing I did was…

“Lilliana, come out slowly.”

“Yes, Mother!”

With the help of the maids, Lilliana stepped out of her room, dressed in her gown.

“Mother, do I look alright? Does it suit me?”

Her voice trembled slightly, perhaps from nerves.

But my answer was clear.

Does it suit her? What a ridiculous question! She probably hadn’t looked in the mirror yet, hence the unnecessary worry.

Not only did it suit her, but she was the very embodiment of a water nymph.

The purity she exuded the moment I saw her reminded me of a single, elegant lily.

“It suits you perfectly. It was worth all the effort.”

How much work had gone into creating that dress?

From the overall design to the tiniest details, there wasn’t a single part I hadn’t been meticulous about.

‘So of course it suits her.’

As I clapped my hands in satisfaction and showered her with praise, Lilliana smiled brightly.

It was a stark contrast to the melancholy she’d shown just days before.

‘Thank goodness. She’s fully regained her spirit.’

Her expression had brightened, and her face now radiated energy compared to a few days ago.

But her transformation had only just begun.

“Come here.”

I sat Lilliana down in front of the vanity and personally began to apply her makeup.

There was no need to overdo it.

Her skin was naturally flawless, and her face was already beautifully shaped. My task was simply to enhance her natural vitality.

With all my honed makeup skills, I quickly and perfectly finished her look.

Finally, it was time to choose the accessories… something I had already prepared in advance.

“Lilliana, close your eyes for a moment.”

“Huh? Okay!”

Without knowing why, she obediently followed my instruction.

Hehehe.

With a confident smile, I pulled out my secret weapon, which had been carefully hidden away.

I gently placed a necklace around her neck.

“Alright, open your eyes.”

As she cautiously opened her eyes and looked at her reflection in the mirror, she seemed startled.

“W-what is this?”

“It’s a gift. Use it well.”

“T-this? For me…?”

I nodded casually, and she stammered, unable to find the words.

“Mother… I don’t know much, but this doesn’t seem like an ordinary piece of jewelry. Are you sure it’s alright for me to have something like this? Wouldn’t it suit you better…?”

Even with her limited knowledge of gemstones, Lilliana seemed overwhelmed by the necklace’s apparent value, flustered as she fidgeted.

But I responded with a light-hearted tone.

“Hmph! Save your thanks for Jeremyon.”

“Huh? Jeremyon?”

She tilted her head, clearly not expecting his name to come up.

“Discuss the details with him. It’s not from me; it’s a gift from Jeremyon.”

Though he had insisted it wasn’t necessary to reveal his involvement, I made sure to emphasize his name.

‘I hope this gives them a chance to talk properly again.’

Though I had decided not to meddle in their relationship, I couldn’t help but offer this small bit of assistance.

Both Jeremyon and Lilliana seemed like they had a lot to say to each other.

‘My son better take full advantage of this opportunity.’

With that thought, I continued helping Lilliana with her transformation.

I checked thoroughly from head to toe to ensure she looked perfect.

And finally.

“There, you’re all set.”

At last, she was ready.