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

“Now that I’ve gauged your level, it’s time to start the proper lessons. Come, sit here.”

Vanessa led Lilliana to a desk in the corner of the studio.

On the desk lay several exquisite embroidery pieces.

Lilliana, who had obediently sat down, was captivated by the works.

‘Could it be that the lady made all of these?’

Each piece, with its thoughtful color combinations and design, looked like the work of a professional.

“Today, I’m planning to have you practice by replicating one of the pieces I’ve previously made. Take a look for now. The simpler designs are stored elsewhere… I’ll be right back.”

“Yes! I’ll wait patiently!”

While Vanessa moved to the next room, Lilliana inspected each item on the desk.

‘Wow, this is really beautiful. The color combinations are so unique. But it looks difficult for me to copy…’

She was lost in thought, examining the pieces one by one. Then, something caught her eye: a piece of paper and a pen at the edge of the desk.

‘What’s this…?’

Driven by curiosity, Lilliana glanced at the paper.

‘Did the lady write this?’

A few words, hastily scribbled as if written in contemplation, were repeated across the page.

Liliana unconsciously read the words.

‘The East… and imports? Is there something she’s trying to obtain from the East?’

With that thought, she quickly set the paper down. She felt as though she had invaded Vanessa’s privacy.

As she was about to pretend she hadn’t seen anything, a sudden idea struck her.

‘Wait a minute!’

Lilliana picked up the paper again, inspecting it closely. Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

The main source of income for the Locke family was imports and exports. The family owned several ships, after all.

‘I might be able to help the lady!’

The family had many experts in trade. Although it was usually difficult to connect with such skilled professionals, Lilliana could serve as a bridge for Vanessa.

‘If I introduce an expert to her, she’ll surely appreciate it!’

As she pondered which family member would be most helpful to Vanessa, one face came to mind: her brother Tristan.

‘Come to think of it… isn’t this the perfect opportunity to introduce Lady Winder to my brother?’

The Locke family specialized in trade, and Tristan was the head of the family. In other words, Tristan was the true trade expert.

‘This is the perfect chance to have Lady Winder and my brother meet under the guise of business!’

Lilliana covered her mouth, stifling a smile at her brilliant idea.

‘There’s no need to force them together. All they need is a natural reason to meet!’

Since they’d be meeting for business, their encounters wouldn’t just be a one-time thing.

As Vanessa’s business progressed, they’d have to meet numerous times.

‘And eventually, love will blossom between them!’

It was perfect. Everything was falling into place.

Lilliana felt as though a great burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

‘It’s only a matter of time before I can call the lady “sister.”’

A smile spread across her face. Yes, the world was finally moving in the right direction.

‘Come to think of it, Lady Winder isn’t that much older than me.’

Vanessa was only nine years older than Lilliana.

And to Liliana, the number ‘9’ was far too small to be the age gap between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

‘But in the relationship between sisters, nine years is perfectly plausible.’

Lilliana giggled as she imagined calling Vanessa “sister.” She only regained her composure when Vanessa returned, carrying a box filled with embroidery pieces.

“Can’t resist getting distracted, can you? Wait a moment, Lilliana. What are you doing?”

“Oh, my lady! I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to look without permission!”

Lilliana, caught holding the paper, quickly apologized. But there was something she absolutely had to say.

“Mother, I understand this might make you uncomfortable. But there’s something I really want to tell you.”

“How audacious.”

Vanessa’s words automatically translated in Lilliana’s head. She knew it meant Vanessa was allowing her to speak freely.

“I saw what you wrote on the paper. There’s something you want to obtain from the East, right? As you know, our family often trades with the East. So, I was thinking…”

Lilliana swallowed nervously before continuing.

“If it’s not too forward, I would like to introduce you to our family’s expert as a way to repay the kindness you’ve shown me!”

Her hands clasped together as if she were making a request. Fearing Vanessa might reject her proposal, she instinctively took a submissive stance.

‘I can’t be turned down here! There’s no better way to naturally introduce my brother!’

Whether it was her desperate look or not, fortunately, Vanessa gave her approval, easing Lilliana’s worries.

“…In that case, I’ll accept your help this time.”

“Thank you, Mother!”

“Hmph. Do you really think this is something you should be thanking me for?”

Vanessa snorted dismissively, tilting her chin.

But Lilliana expressed pure joy.

“Of course! You’re giving me a chance to repay the kindness you’ve shown me. I should be the one thanking you!”

In truth, her joy was more about the opportunity to introduce her brother, but Lilliana decided not to reveal that.

‘If I mentioned it now, Mother might find the meeting with my brother too contrived. Falling in love should happen naturally, after all.’

No one knew better than Lilliana how forced first meetings could ruin things. After all, her first encounter with Jeremyon had happened in just that way.

Lilliana beamed brightly.

‘Alright. Step one of Operation Pair My Brother with Lady Winder is a success!’

The next step? Polishing up Tristan’s appearance as much as possible before the meeting, to make sure he aligned with Vanessa’s preferences.

After her embroidery class, Lilliana headed home. Her expression was even more cheerful than usual.

“Mother! I’ll take my leave for today. Oh, by the way, when would be a good time for you? I want to set a date to introduce the expert.”

After a brief scheduling adjustment, they settled on the following Thursday.

Watching the calendar, I marveled.

‘Our Lilliana… she’s such a blessing.’

When it came to making perfumes, the most important thing was the ingredients. Even if you used similar materials, the result might not be what you envisioned.

So, I needed someone to import materials from the East. Yet, Lilliana solved the issue in no time, without even a day passing since I’d set my plan in motion.

‘I thought it would take months… Thanks to her, I’ve saved so much time.’

I pulled out paper and pen once again, jotting down plans for my conversation with the expert.

‘Come to think of it… what kind of person is this expert?’

The Lock family had been involved in trade for generations, one of the few families dealing with the East.

‘Aside from perfume materials, they could be a useful connection for other things as well.’

It would be advantageous to earn favor with this expert if possible.

‘I wonder if they’re older…’

It seemed wise to dress more conservatively than usual.

If I showed up in my usual villainous attire, I might not inspire much confidence.

‘But surely… it’s not Tristan, right?’

The thought suddenly occurred to me, and I shook my head.

Tristan, as the head of the Lock family, had many responsibilities. He wouldn’t have time for something as trivial as importing perfume materials.

‘Yeah. Lilliana cares too much about her brother to drag him into something like this, especially when he’s busy.’

The more I thought about it, the less likely it seemed, and I felt reassured.

Besides, there was no point in worrying over such a ridiculous thought.

There was no way the busy Tristan would show up at the meeting.

But it wouldn’t take long for me to realize just how wrong I was.