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

Although I had fallen asleep feeling gloomy last night, I woke up and quickly recovered.

‘There’s no point in holding onto anxious feelings.’

The day my husband, my only protector, had died just a day after we arrived in a foreign land.

I had to learn how to protect myself.

And the biggest lesson I learned from that time was that it’s best to discard unnecessary anxiety right away.

‘If I hadn’t done that, I probably would have gone mad by now.’

A country I barely knew. People who suspected me of killing my husband.

Experiencing rejection was anything but pleasant.

‘That’s why I need to make sure Lilliana and Jeremyon part ways as soon as possible.’

In the original story, Lilliana lived for many years under Jeremy’s rejection.

I sincerely hope that at least my favorite character doesn’t have to feel that way.

‘And… Jeremyon, too. Rather than hurting each other due to an immature marriage… it’s better if they don’t get married at all.’

For Lilliana’s sake, and for my new son Jeremy, I need to make sure they separate.

‘But… the problem is how.’

Initially, I had planned to help Lilliana pay off her debts and persuade her to part ways…

‘But unless it’s just my imagination, it doesn’t seem like Lilliana has any intention of breaking up, does she?’

With her beautiful face, she always says, ‘Next time, I’ll definitely break up with him,’ so I can’t bring myself to scold her properly.

‘This won’t work. They absolutely must break up.’

I closed my eyes and fell into deep thought for a moment.

‘In the original story, Lilliana left because the life in her in-laws’ house was too hard.’

So why not use that this time?

A new plan suddenly flashed through my mind, and I smiled.

‘I’ll use the excuse of bride training to make things difficult for her. So that she’ll never want to marry a man who has a mother-in-law like me.’

It pained me to think of troubling my beloved favorite character, but there was no other choice. This was for her own good.

As I waited for the next time I would meet her, I meticulously planned how to make her life as a daughter-in-law difficult.

A week had passed since then. Lilliana visited the Count of Winder’s estate.

She had come to finally deliver the luxurious wine, Ruberte di Amore, which she had promised to give me, and I happily arranged for us to meet.

‘This wasn’t my intention, though…’

I was supposed to play the role of the villainous mother-in-law, but why does Lilliana keep making it impossible for me to act that way?

This isn’t my fault; it’s Lilliana’s fault.

With her pure and pretty face, she keeps smiling and offering me things, leaving me no choice but to agree to whatever she suggests.

In other words, I’m the one who’s wronged here!

Anyway, the day of our appointment arrived quickly, and before I knew it, Lilliana and I were sitting across from each other in the parlor.

“Mother! It’s been so long. As I mentioned, I brought the Ruberte di Amore today. I hope you’ll like it.”

“Hmph. Like it? Gifts are just a nuisance. Don’t bring any more in the future. I’ll only accept this one today.”

I pretended to dislike it, speaking words I didn’t mean.

Lilliana, however, didn’t seem to mind my complaints anymore and simply smiled brightly as she handed me the wine.

‘Ahhh, finally, I’m holding this wine in my hands.’

Ruberte di Amore, the most expensive wine in the world.

Known as the “Wine of the heaven,” it was so rare I never thought I’d ever be able to get my hands on it.

Overwhelmed with gratitude, I inwardly kissed Lilliana a hundred times. Of course, outwardly, I continued my act of being sharp and cold.

“It’s a precious wine. Store it somewhere no one can touch it.”

“Yes, madam!”

Fearing I might drop it, I hurriedly handed the wine to a servant.

Then, looking back at Lilliana, I returned to the main topic.

“Alright, I’ll accept this gift just this once. But… there’s something I need to confirm with you.”

“Yes, mother. Please, go ahead.”

In a voice that had dropped to a low, serious tone, Lilliana seemed to sense the shift in atmosphere and appeared to grow tense.

I let out a short sigh and asked the question I had been wanting to ask for a long time.

“You’re still using the title ‘mother.’ When exactly do you plan to break up with my son? You’ve already taken 10 billion won, and yet you have the nerve to stay.”

I pressed her with a sharp glare, but what came back was a cheerful reply.

“Oh, Mother, please don’t say such hurtful things. I’ll definitely break up with him next time. Okay?”

With a response that made it seem like she had no intention of breaking up, Lilliana smiled brightly and clung to me.

I pushed her away and rebuked her sharply.

“Hmph. I don’t need empty promises. That’s enough of that… Though I hate to admit it… You’ve passed.”

“Huh? P-passed?”

I crossed my arms and looked down at her arrogantly.

“It’s been ages since you received 10 billion, yet you don’t seem to have any intention of breaking up. I’m sure you’re trying to take advantage of the fact that our contract was made verbally without any formal paperwork.”

“T-that’s not true…! I never intended to take advantage…”

Lilliana, flustered, tried to explain herself, but I didn’t give her the chance.

“I like it.”

“Huh…?”

“At the very least, you need to be able to plot at this level if you want to be a contender for the position of the Windor family’s daughter-in-law.”

Lilliana tilted her head as if realizing that something was amiss. But I continued, unaffected.

“Three times a week. Come to the mansion whenever I call. We’ll start your bridal training. But be warned, it will be tougher than you think.”

At the mention of lessons three times a week, Lilliana’s face noticeably brightened. It was as if she was genuinely happy to be learning from me.

‘What’s this? Why is she so happy?’

Caught off guard by her reaction, I added another remark to bring her down a notch.

“Don’t mistake it for being easy. I’m much stricter than you think.”

“Of course, Mother! I’ve never thought it would be easy! Please teach me strictly! I’ll learn diligently and with passion under your guidance! I’m just grateful for the opportunity!”

Lilliana clenched her fist and bowed her head as if to show gratitude.

It was I who ended up feeling overwhelmed by her energy.

‘This… This isn’t the reaction I wanted…’

Don’t most people dislike it when their mother-in-law demands something as boring as bridal lessons? And wouldn’t they get upset when she says she’ll personally teach them?

‘So why is Lilliana actually happy about this…?’

All kinds of questions swirled in my mind, but at this point, there was no point in dwelling on them.

I had already played my card.

Something told me things weren’t going to go as I expected… but there was no turning back.

Just as I was flustered, Lilliana seemed ready to leave and started to prepare to depart.

Instead of bidding her farewell, I gave her a small nod.

Lilliana, who was about to bow her head in goodbye, hesitated. Then, as if she had made up her mind, she spoke.

“I’ve been unsure how to say this, but I heard about the hardships you went through.”

“Hm.”

It seemed like she was referring to the assassination attempt.

“I was really worried you might have been hurt, but seeing you healthy today has eased my heart.”

Embarrassed by her kind words, I snorted.

“Hmph. Eased your heart? People were more disappointed that I wasn’t the one who killed my husband.”

But Lilliana’s ever-present smile twisted in response. She spoke in a stronger tone than ever before.

“Please don’t say such things, Mother! Those people are ignorant fools! How dare they say such things when they don’t even know what kind of person you are…!”

What kind of person am I? The empire’s most notorious villainess, of course.

It seemed that Lilliana had greatly misunderstood me, thinking I was a good person. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have said such things…

Her next words only proved how absurd this misunderstanding was.

“I’m honestly looking forward to learning from someone as wise and knowledgeable as you, Mother.”

“You’re flattering me again.”

At my remark, Lilliana let out a soft laugh.

“Hehe, you know I’m sincere, but you say that anyway. But even that side of you, I find captivating. I’ll see you on Friday, Mother.”

What… what did I just hear? Even though I’d heard it clearly, I couldn’t believe my ears as Lilliana politely bowed and disappeared.

Watching her flawless etiquette, I couldn’t help but feel strangely unsettled.

‘Where’s the tragic heroine from the original story…?’

It seemed that my favorite character… was a stronger opponent than I thought.