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

Lilliana’s expression, upon returning straight to the Duke Locke’s mansion, was far more serious than it had been in front of Vanessa.

“Bridal lessons… and three times a week at that…”

Her blue eyes trembled anxiously.

Lilliana collapsed onto her bed and whimpered.

“I’m doomed! I shouldn’t have agreed! I knew I shouldn’t have!”

She let out a deep sigh.

Just a moment ago, Lilliana had been excited about her lessons with Vanessa.

But by the time she returned to the mansion, she realized something crucial.

That was…

“I don’t know anything! What should I do? What if the Madam is disappointed in me?”

When she first heard about the bridal lessons, she was thrilled to have an excuse to see Vanessa three times a week.

However, as she thought more deeply about the lessons, despair quickly set in.

Though each family’s bridal lessons vary, they typically cover embroidery, cooking, or household management.

Since the day her mother passed away, she had been studying household management diligently, so she felt somewhat confident in that area.

But the problem was everything else.

Embroidery? Lilliana had barely ever tried it. The same went for cooking.

Before her mother passed, she had watched a few times over her shoulder… but since then, she had completely forgotten.

‘Most noble ladies are probably skilled in embroidery. The Madam will definitely expect me to be above average…!’

She might have an excuse for not being familiar with cooking, since she had grown up eating food prepared by chefs, but she couldn’t say the same for embroidery.

‘I absolutely don’t want the Madam to be disappointed in me! No, that’s not all. What if… she ends up being disappointed in our family as a whole…?’

Embroidery was a basic skill for noble ladies. If she hadn’t been properly educated in it, people might question the standards of the Duke Locke family.

With a face full of worry, Lilliana paced back and forth frantically before stopping in her tracks.

There were only two days left until the next lesson.

In two days, she had to at least reach an average level in embroidery.

She immediately headed to Tristan’s office and flung the door open without knocking.

Then she shouted loudly.

“Brother, our family’s honor is in danger!”

“Lily, what are you suddenly talking about…?”

“Find me a teacher to teach embroidery right away. I might have to show my embroidery skills to Lady Winder in two days.”

Tristan’s face turned serious in an instant, shocked by his sister’s sudden appearance.

“Lily. Did you say Lady Winder?”

She nodded.

With a resolute expression, Lilliana nodded again, her face filled with the determination of a knight heading into battle.

“I’ll find you the best teacher immediately. Don’t worry about anything for the next two days.”

“Of course.”

“The honor of our family rests in your hands.”

Tristan’s expression was as serious as Lilliana’s.

Two days passed, and it was finally the first day of bridal lessons.

Since it was the first day, I planned to lightly cover tea ceremony, cooking, and embroidery…

‘Why does my Lilliana look like this?’

I observed the precious one sitting before me.

Her skin, usually as white as jade… somehow, today, her eyes were shadowed with dark circles.

And her usually clear blue eyes were oddly dull, as if she hadn’t slept properly for days.

‘This isn’t a time for lessons, it’s a time to let her rest.’

I wondered if she hadn’t been able to sleep because she was nervous about the bridal lessons, but that didn’t seem likely.

Just two days ago, she had been so excited, her eyes sparkling at the thought of the lessons.

‘What on earth happened in the meantime…?’

Worried, I decided to ask cautiously.

“Hmph. What is that face? If you wish to become a member of the Winder family, you must not show such a disheveled appearance for even a single day. Are you exhausted with fear before the lessons have even begun?”

“I am truly sorry for causing concern. Next time, I will come to you with an impeccable appearance, just like my mother.”

The moment she spoke, the dullness in her eyes sharpened. It was like watching a veteran soldier preparing for battle.

It was only then that I realized. Lilliana had prepared extensively for today’s lesson.

“Fine. If that’s how you feel, I should respond in kind.”

I briefly considered sending Liliana home because she didn’t look well, but that seemed rude.

‘And nothing feels worse than being scolded when you’re tired.’

I felt sorry for Lilliana, but the goal of these bridal lessons was to make her give up on Jeremyon by scolding her harshly.

So, for my goal’s sake, it was better to continue today’s lesson.

“Good. At least your eyes show some determination. Let’s begin the lesson.”

With those words, I put on my most vicious expression. It was time to act like the worst mother-in-law ever.

To cut to the conclusion, my plan didn’t go as expected.

The problem started with the first tea ceremony lesson. The reason? Liliana’s flawless attitude.

“Tsk! Who taught you to hold a teacup like that?”

I shouted at Lilliana before even properly observing her posture. Liliana quickly apologized.

“S-Sorry, Mother. I’ll fix it if you show me how.”

“……”

But I was at a loss for words. What was there to fix? She was perfect.

Even if she was skilled in the tea ceremony, I thought there’d be at least a minor mistake.

So, I yelled first, just in case…

‘If she’s doing this well, there’s nothing to criticize!’

I scrutinized Lilliana’s posture as if lasers were shooting from my eyes, but it was flawless. There was nothing to pick apart.

Feeling embarrassed for yelling for no reason, I mumbled an excuse.

“Hmph. There’s nothing to fix. It’s already perfect. I just wanted to see if you’d stay composed even with loud noises. Keep it up.”

“Yes, Mother…! I will continue to improve! Thank you!”

Lilliana looked like she was about to cry tears of joy from my praise.

Her pure, happiness-filled face was truly adorable, but I thought to myself:

‘This isn’t how it’s supposed to go.’

I definitely needed to scold her properly in the next lesson.

‘Luckily, the next one is cooking class… there will be plenty to criticize.’

In fact, cooking isn’t necessary for a noble’s bridal training. If the family has enough money, the mansion’s chefs will handle everything, so there’s no need to learn.

Most nobles didn’t know how to cook.

‘That’s why I decided to teach her cooking.’

No matter how hard-working Lilliana was, she would surely struggle with cooking.

‘This time, there will be plenty to criticize. It won’t go as smoothly as the tea ceremony!’

I was running all sorts of simulations in my head about how I would scold Liliana when—

“Mother! The potato soup you asked for is ready!”

She had already finished the dish I asked for an hour ago, and with a nervous look, she spoke to me.

With my arms crossed, I opened the pot’s lid.

A golden, appetizing color. A savory aroma. For someone cooking for the first time, it looked surprisingly good.

I was proud of my talented favorite, but I acted harsh on purpose.

“Hmm, it looks decent. But let’s see how it tastes.”

I took a spoonful. The taste was…

“Ugh!”

“M-Mother? Are you okay?”

Seeing my face contort as I covered my mouth, Liliana anxiously approached me.

After swallowing the soup, I exclaimed,

“Lilliana, the soup is too salty.”

“S-Sorry! I must’ve added too much salt. I’m really sorry! I’ll make sure to get the seasoning right next time. I truly apologize…”

Liliana looked so sad from being scolded that she seemed on the verge of tears, as if one touch would make her break down.

Seeing that, I was at a loss for words.

‘No, Vanessa Winder. You need to scold her. You have to discipline her! But look at her sad face…! So pure! So pretty!’

Even though I knew I had to scold her, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. The expression Liliana wore, as if she were about to cry, was nothing short of angelic.

‘No matter how beautiful she is, don’t let her face defeat you. Scold her! You have to!’

I pushed myself to speak, but what actually came out of my mouth was entirely different.

“Ahem, upon tasting it again, it’s actually perfect when eaten with bread. You must’ve added more salt with that in mind. Now, move aside; you’re in the way.”

“Oh… Thank you, Mother! I’ll make it a little less salty next time!”

Lilliana, who had been on the verge of tears, immediately brightened up and smiled.

I thought to myself, the “Be the Evil Mother-in-Law Plan” had completely failed.