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

In the garden late at night.

Seira hastily approached the crown prince she had finally located and offered a greeting.

“So, here you are. It’s been a while, Your Future Majesty.”

“Yes, and what brings my dear cousin here to see me?”

With a slight lift at the corner of her lips, Seira replied, “There’s something I’d like to discuss… but it seems this isn’t the right place for such a conversation.”

It sounded as if someone had entered the garden nearby; voices were audible in the vicinity.

“Hmm. Follow me.”

Seira trailed after the crown prince.

Moments later, they arrived at a secluded pavilion, so silent that not even a mouse seemed near.

Leo settled himself on a bench in the pavilion, positioning Seira in front of him.

“So, you sought me out on purpose? And how did you know I’d be here?”

Leo’s previously composed voice now had an eerie edge.

Leo Ignarium was a crown prince celebrated across the empire as a future wise ruler, praised for his fairness and commitment to justice, welfare for the empire’s citizens, and a compassionate, wise personality. Every aspect seemed to point to his destiny as a noble king.

But Seira, as someone of similar disposition, knew it was all a mask.

Calmly, she answered, “It would’ve been harder not to know. Your Highness wouldn’t be at the ballroom… the balcony was noisy. Process of elimination left only the garden.”

“What makes you so sure I wouldn’t be in the ballroom?”

With a hint of annoyance, the prince crossed his legs and questioned her. Seira gave a slight smile.

“You dislike him, don’t you? After all, you sent him to die in a war, and not only did he survive, he returned victorious. How could you be there with joy in your heart?”

“Haha!”

The prince let out a loud laugh as though he had heard something highly amusing.

For a while, he laughed heartily, clapping his hands, only to stop abruptly a few minutes later. He then fixed Seira with an icy glare.

“…I thought my cousin was perceptive, but it seems I was mistaken. If you were truly clever, you’d never presume to know me. It seems you aren’t destined for longevity.”

It was more a threat than a jest.

No one in the empire could ever imagine that the benevolent crown prince they revered was this kind of man.

‘What a temper.’

Seira was the daughter of Marquis Benden, a leading figure among the prince’s supporters. One could even say they were on the same side, bound by blood.

Yet, here he was, issuing a death threat over such a trivial matter. Seira was irritated by his words but didn’t take them too seriously. She was well aware of this side of him.

“Please don’t worry about my life, Your Highness. I’m confident that you won’t be able to kill me.”

Leo narrowed his gaze as he scrutinized Seira.

Under the night sky, his golden eyes gleamed faintly.

An undeniably beautiful face. But rather than admiration, something about his appearance sent chills down her spine.

Perhaps it was because Seira could see the cunning intentions hidden beneath his handsome exterior.

“It seems you have something you’re dying to say, even at the cost of provoking me… Let’s hope it’s worth it.”

Finally, the moment Seira had been waiting for arrived.

She smiled brightly. At a glance, her expression appeared gentle, but her sly eyes bore an uncanny resemblance to her cousin’s.

“The Locke family… they bother you, don’t they? I feel the same way. So…”

“Hm?”

“So, Lilliana Locke. I’m going to share a secret about her. What you choose to do with it is, of course, up to you.”

Since Jeremyon Winder had refused to follow her lead… it was time for him to taste the consequences.

After entering the ballroom with Days, I tried to part ways with him naturally.

‘It’s a relief there are so many people here.’

Thanks to the crowd, I was able to pretend to be swept away and distance myself from him.

Now that the prince was safely escorted inside, my task was clear.

I hurried back to the garden, hoping Seira might still be there.

But, as expected, she was gone. The person she had been talking to was also nowhere to be seen.

‘Well, no choice. I’ll have to be satisfied with what I gained.’

It seemed I would need to dig deeper into Seira—and the Crown Prince, too.

‘Whether she met with the Crown Prince or not, I need to stay cautious. Given his nature, he must be furious tonight.’

The Crown Prince was the one person who wouldn’t be celebrating this victory.

For him, consolidating his power was more important than the stability of the nation.

The war had erupted over a strip of land near the border. The Crown Prince would have preferred for Dais to die there, even if it meant the empire’s defeat.

‘Maybe that’s why he sent Dais to the front lines in the first place. Nothing spells death as naturally as a battlefield.’

But instead of dying or coming back maimed, Dais returned unscathed, and alongside Tristan, miraculously victorious.

No need to check to know how twisted the Crown Prince’s mood must be.

‘In the original, he vented that rage by killing Dais… but who knows what will happen this time?’

The original story had already changed quite a bit. If I expected everything to follow it exactly, I’d be in for a rude awakening.

So, I had to keep a closer eye on him for the time being.

After sorting through my thoughts, I headed back to the banquet hall.

Unlike me, lost in concerns of all the worst possibilities, the people at the banquet seemed nothing but happy.

They drank deeply, laughed loudly, as if there were no tomorrow.

‘Yes, everyone should enjoy tonight.’

The war with the Kingdom of Stel had dragged on for four long years.

Though fought far from the capital, near the border, it had still cast a shadow over everyone’s lives.

Everyone, including me, had lived with a constant undercurrent of unease.

The Winder family business had also faced some instability, and the casualties at the front weighed heavily on my mind.

But there was something even more troubling…

‘Everyone had been whispering in unison that Tristan was dead.’

I still remember it vividly.

About three and a half years into the war, the news had flooded every corner of the nation.

‘Tristan Locke and Prince Dais Ignarium missing. Presumed dead in battle…’

I can’t describe how despairing that announcement was.

Although memories of the original story had assured me it wasn’t true, I couldn’t shake the worry.

What if it really was the end for him?

‘I’m glad you made it back safely.’

As if my thoughts had conjured him, there he was.

Far off, surrounded by people, he was still being celebrated.

‘Since it’s a victory he won himself, he deserves all the praise tonight.’

Tristan shone brightly among the admiring and reverent glances of those around him. It was a place that suited him perfectly.

To be honest, I’d like to congratulate him as well… but before our eyes could meet, I quickly retreated to a corner.

I heard some voices mentioning me, noticing my movements. Unfamiliar voices—likely low-ranking nobles attending a victory banquet for the first time.

“Wow, who is that? She’s stunning…”

“Watch out, don’t be fooled by appearances. That’s the Witch of Winder. You’ve heard the rumors, right—”

“Hah!”

I merely glanced at them instinctively, but when our eyes met, the nobleman turned pale and fled.

‘Well… I didn’t mean to scare him away.’

It seemed like there was no place for a villain to intrude on such a joyous day. I’d only dampen the mood.

It was best to find an even quieter spot.

After some wandering, I slipped onto a balcony hidden by curtains.

“Here, no one will find me.”

Unlike the quiet garden, the distant, lively voices of the crowd were comforting. The shared happiness was palpable.

I walked toward the balcony railing.

The moonlight cast a beautiful glow over the palace’s scenery.

The scent of red roses decorating the railing drifted to my nose.

A peaceful, festive atmosphere, the rich scent of flowers, and the faint but lovely moonlight.

Come to think of it…

It reminded me of the first time I met Tristan.

The night had been the same—neither too chilly nor too warm.

I’d been lost in thought alone on a balcony, avoiding the crowd, when he had suddenly walked in.

Startled, as if he hadn’t expected anyone to be there, he met my gaze. I’d felt interrupted, yet our eyes locked in the air between us.

…Yes, that had been our first meeting.

‘Did I drink too much wine earlier? Thinking about the past like some lovesick fool.’

It was a pointless memory now.

I shook my head, trying to dispel the thought.

Things were clearly different now. Dwelling on the past would only hurt me.

I was just about to push that fragment of memory aside when—

Just like ten years ago, the balcony door suddenly opened.

“Gasp!”

Startled and thrown off balance, I nearly fell back.

But a firm hand caught me, steadying me.

Simultaneously, “Shh.”

A finger gently pressed against my lips, telling me to be quiet.

Swallowing my scream, I slowly raised my head to look up at him.

Those familiar blue eyes.

Even in the dark night, it was impossible not to recognize him.

‘…Why is Tristan here?’

The very person who’d filled my mind all evening stood before me, a pure smile like that of a young boy.

His eyes crinkled, nose slightly scrunched, and lips curved upward.

I’d thought his face had changed with age, but maybe I’d been wrong.

He looked down at me with a smile identical to the one from the past.

For a fleeting moment, I felt like I’d gone back in time.