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

After leaving the banquet hall, Seira couldn’t quell her anger.

‘Where did things go wrong?’

At first, everything had gone as planned. Everything was perfect.

Except for one thing: Jeremyon’s unexpected behavior.

Tsk.

Seira clicked her tongue inwardly.

When he follow her around and shower her with praise, people saw her favorably. But now, with her image tarnished, they mocked her relentlessly.

‘I worked hard to build my reputation! No, there’s no need to get upset over this. I can fix it.’

There was always a way to restore her reputation.

‘I’ve already said it was a marriage proposal my father arranged… I just need to keep pushing that narrative.’

If she spread the word that she, as his close friend, was disappointed that Jeremyon hadn’t even informed her about his relationship with Lilliana, people would change their attitudes once again.

After all, she was no one else but herself—the woman who had reigned as the queen of high society for so long. Overcoming such hardships was well within her capability.

So, it wasn’t truly a grave situation. But… the reason Seira was this worked up was solely because of Lilliana.

‘So that’s what her aloof demeanor was about… She must have plotted things with Count Winder in advance.’

Though that wasn’t actually the case, Seira’s anger clouded her judgment.

‘Hmph, I need to calm down first.’

No matter what changes Lilliana went through, she was still the same naïve girl Seira had always known. Although Liliana had managed to one-up her today, it likely wouldn’t last long.

People generally revert to their true nature after short-lived changes.

If she simply waited, Lilliana would inevitably bring herself down.

Of course, that didn’t mean Seira planned to leave her alone.

Seira headed straight to the palace gardens to find someone.

‘If only he had listened to me, things would have been easier for both of us.’

She pitied Jeremyon’s for foolishly choosing Lilliana.

‘Hm, he should be somewhere around here.’

She checked around the benches scattered throughout the garden until she finally spotted a familiar figure.

Seira quickly approached him.

The man, who had been enjoying the silence with his eyes closed, opened them as he sensed her presence.

His gaze met hers, revealing golden eyes—the mark of royalty.

The man Seira sought was Leo Ignarium, her cousin and the crown prince of this land.

“Such an unexpected guest. Could it be… the lady of House Winder?”

Seeing Prince Dais suddenly greet me, I instinctively froze.

‘Why now, of all times?!’

I hadn’t yet figured out Seira’s scheme, so the timing couldn’t have been worse.

But there was no need to show my anxiety.

Calmly, I responded to his greeting.

“It’s an honor that you recognize me, Your Highness. I am Vanessa Winder.”

After a polite bow, I studied his face.

‘Let’s look at this positively. This is an opportunity. I needed to get acquainted with him eventually.’

Dais rarely made appearances at imperial banquets or events.

Had today’s gathering not been in honor of Tristan, the hero of the hour, Dais likely wouldn’t have attended either.

‘This could be my first and last chance to speak with him.’

If I missed this opportunity, there might never be another.

In the original story, Dais died during an imperial event hosted not long after this.

At the hands of none other than his half-brother, Crown Prince Leo, the primary antagonist of the original work.

The current emperor had two sons.

Leo Ignarium, the crown prince born to the empress, and Dais Ignarium, the prince born to the imperial consort.

Being the crown prince, Leo was the favored candidate to succeed as emperor.

Revered both within and beyond the empire, he was seen as the future ruler, with everyone lauding him as a prospective wise and benevolent king.

But I know. All of that is just a carefully crafted public image.

In reality, he’s a mad psychopath who would stop at nothing to eliminate anyone who defies his will.

Long before recalling the original story, I was already wary of him. The Winder family, too, had been one of his targets multiple times.

‘He probably didn’t like that, unlike the other nobles who openly sided with him, we maintained a neutral stance.’

He had tried various means to threaten and pressure me, the de facto decision-maker of the Winder family.

‘Hmph. Not that I’m someone who would easily yield.’

In the original story, the crown prince eventually ascends to the throne. And with that power, he attempts on several occasions to take the lives of Lilliana and Jeremyon.

‘Knowing that kind of future, how could I just sit back and do nothing?’

That’s why I wanted to take this opportunity to talk to Prince Dais today…

‘Hmm, but it’s hard to figure out what kind of person he truly is.’

I studied him closely as he offered me a gentle smile.

There were many rumors about Dais.

The prince, who was supposed to be one of the cornerstones of the country, had barely shown himself in public, leading to endless speculation about the reasons behind his reclusive nature.

Some claimed it was due to his excessively weak temperament, while others speculated he was frail.

But…

‘If that were true, there’s no way he would have survived that brutal war and returned alive.’

He bore a scar on his face that seemed to have come from a blade. Yet, his soft coloring and gentle facial contours gave him a delicate appearance at first glance.

But his gaze was strong and unwavering, nothing like that of the weak-hearted prince the rumors suggested.

For now, this was all the information I could gather about him.

‘Anything beyond this… will be hard to uncover here. Let’s be content with just making my introduction for now.’

Besides, Dais wasn’t the only important person here.

I naturally began a conversation with him.

“So, what brings you here, Your Highness? Shouldn’t you be enjoying the banquet as the guest of honor?”

“I had a bit too much to drink. I thought I’d get some fresh air.”

He answered nonchalantly, but I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

So, without making it obvious, I glanced around.

Unfortunately, it seemed that Seira, too, had sensed my presence and had slipped away with a suspicious person.

‘I missed my chance.’

But what’s done is done. For now, I should focus on wrapping up the conversation with the prince.

I softened my smile, setting aside my usual sharp expression.

“Still, as the guest of honor, you should try to enjoy the banquet a bit more.”

Then, I subtly tried to guide him back inside…

“Now that I see you, Lady Winder, you seem a bit different from the rumors.”

Startled, I stopped in my tracks.

‘…So he does know about my reputation.’

It was strange that he approached me so freely at first.

I am Vanessa Winder. Known as a villainess and despised by many.

At most banquets and events, hardly anyone dared to approach me first. Occasionally, some would try to gain favor by approaching, only to retreat shortly after a brief conversation.

Yet, he still acknowledged me, so I thought he might not be aware of who I am—but that wasn’t the case.

‘He knows and still approached me. Was he testing me?’

It was hard to gauge his exact intentions, but I had no intention of playing along passively.

“Sometimes, what’s known and what’s real don’t align. For example… a prince rumored to be frail might return as a war hero.”

Dais and I are in similar situations, in a way.

Just as I play the role of a villainess to survive, he probably had a reason for not shedding the label of a weak prince.

Perhaps he understood my underlying message that he and I were alike, as he burst into hearty laughter.

“Haha. That’s an interesting answer.”

Continuing our conversation for a while, we eventually found ourselves back at the banquet hall.