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

Lilliana returned to the mansion, forgetting to even change out of her outdoor clothes, and headed straight to Tristan’s office.

She was eager to tell him about Vanessa as soon as possible.

‘I have Lady Winder’s permission, so… now it’s time to convince my brother.’

Although she had already set a meeting with Vanessa for next Thursday, it was still uncertain whether Tristan would attend. He was not fond of spending time on anything unrelated to the family’s business.

‘He might refuse, even if I suddenly ask him to meet Lady Winder for just a day.’

Lilliana knew her brother usually accommodated her requests, but she couldn’t help feeling anxious. After all, Tristan had always shown a reluctance to meet with women.

It wasn’t without reason. Ever since he was young, his handsome face had attracted attention, and many women had persistently pursued him, causing him quite a bit of trouble.

‘That’s why I need to create a situation where he has no choice but to agree.’

With about a hundred ways to persuade him running through her mind, Lilliana quickened her pace.

“Brother!”

Without even knocking, she burst open the door.

“Ah, right! Brother told me to knock…!”

Realizing her mistake, she glanced at Tristan’s reaction. Normally, she wouldn’t be so cautious, but today, she needed to be careful. After all, she had an important favor to ask.

“Welcome back, Lily. Did you enjoy your outing?”

Fortunately, Tristan greeted her calmly, as if he had become used to her barging in unannounced.

‘Phew, I need to be more mindful from now on.’

Her eagerness to resolve things quickly had clearly gotten the better of her.

‘Lady Winder wouldn’t make such mistakes. Act with grace and intelligence, just like Lady Winder!’

Taking a deep breath to regain her composure, Lilliana reminded herself that this was an important matter that could determine the future of their family. Rushing things would only lead to foolish mistakes.

‘Alright. Time to execute the plan.’

With the gentlest smile she could muster, Lilliana took a step closer to Tristan.

“Yes, I’m back. Sorry for not knocking. I was just so eager to see you, hehe.”

“Be more careful next time.”

“Of course! Oh, by the way, you look especially dashing today, brother. That outfit suits you so well!”

Lilliana’s first strategy was unconditional flattery. Her goal was to put Tristan in a good mood, making it easier for him to accept her request. The second part of her plan was to subtly express some concern to capture his interest…

“Lily, you’re acting strange today. Is there something you want me to do?”

She had barely implemented the first of her hundred strategies, yet Tristan had already seen through her.

“Uh… Is it that obvious?”

“Yes, very much so.”

Oh no. She felt like crying inside.

‘My perfect plan… No, if it were perfect, I wouldn’t have been caught so easily.’

With a small realization, Lilliana decided it would be best to just come clean now that things had turned out this way.

“So, what’s the favor?”

Taking a deep breath, she answered with resolve.

“Brother.”

“Yes.”

“Have you ever considered meeting someone?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“Right, I knew you’d say that… No, wait, that’s not the point!”

His natural refusal almost made her forget her original purpose, but she quickly regained focus.

“I’ve met someone truly wonderful. Please, just reconsider. Isn’t there even a chance?”

“No, still not interested.”

Despite her efforts, Tristan rejected the idea again without hesitation. However, she wasn’t going to give up.

“Don’t just refuse outright. At least hear me out. I know, I know you can’t forget that woman. But she’s married now, isn’t she?”

“…”

“You need to live your life too, brother. It’s been over ten years. I’m afraid you’ll end up alone forever if this continues.”

It wasn’t a lie. After all, how could she not be concerned when he repeatedly rejected every marriage proposal that came his way?

Lilliana confessed her thoughts with a tone more sincere than ever.

“I appreciate your concern, Lily. But whoever that person is, there’s surely someone more suited for them. And since I already have someone in my heart, going to such meetings would only be deceitful…”

“She’s truly elegant and beautiful. When I first met her, I even wondered if she was some otherworldly being enchanting people!”

Sensing that Tristan was about to refuse again, Lilliana abruptly cut him off. However, it was a pointless gesture.

“Lily, there’s no one in this world more beautiful than the person in my heart. It’s futile, so just give up.”

Tristan’s rejection was as firm as ever.

Lilliana’s lips pouted in frustration.

‘Foolish brother. He doesn’t know anything.’

Whoever his first love was, it made no sense. After all…

‘There’s no way anyone in the world could be more beautiful than Lady Winder!’

The fact that Tristan didn’t believe her, despite everything she said, hurt Lilliana deeply.

‘It’s not like I’m usually this persistent. When have I ever been this insistent?’

Her pent-up emotions burst out. Lilliana couldn’t help but blurt out what she had been holding inside.

“You haven’t even seen Lady Winder recently! How would you know that?”

Huffing with frustration, Lilliana decided to give up. At least for today, it didn’t seem like she’d make any meaningful progress with him.

She turned to leave the office.

But just then, Tristan grabbed her wrist.

“Wait. What did you say?”

Tristan’s face looked more urgent than ever. His usual calm demeanor was nowhere to be seen.

Seeing such an unfamiliar expression, Lilliana stopped in her tracks and, bewildered, answered.

“…That you haven’t seen her?”

“No, not that.”

“That she’s elegant?”

Tristan shook his head again, still not satisfied.

“No, not that…”

“Then what?”

“The person you’re telling me to meet… is it Lady Winder?”

“Uh… Yes.”

Lilliana swallowed hard. From the moment she answered, Tristan’s expression grew more serious than she had ever seen before.

“…”

He fell into a deep silence, seemingly lost in thought. The atmosphere made Lilliana anxious, prompting her to speak again.

“Are you worried because she’s been married before? But she’s a really wonderful person. She’s elegant, wise—”

“…”

“I know her reputation in society isn’t great, but if you meet her, you’ll see she’s truly kind-hearted. So, I mean…”

Sensing Tristan’s reluctance, Lilliana continued to defend Vanessa passionately.

But it seemed that Tristan wasn’t listening to a single word she said.

“…”

Still standing frozen like a statue, Tristan was lost in thought. The only sign of movement was the occasional blink of his eyes.

‘Why is he making that face?’

The longer the silence stretched, the stiffer Lilliana’s neck grew with tension.

Then, at last, Tristan broke the silence.

“When is it?”

The unexpected question made Lilliana tilt her head in confusion.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“When is the meeting?”

“Uh… Next Thursday?”

“Then there’s no time to waste. I have to start preparing immediately…”

Tristan muttered in his low voice.

Lilliana’s eyes widened in disbelief.

‘Did I hear that right? That sounded like he’s accepting the meeting. But he was so adamantly against it earlier. Why the sudden change?’

Confused by the abrupt shift in tone, she was about to ask him again.

“Br-brother…”

But she stopped herself.

Seeing the hopeful sparkle in Tristan’s blue eyes, she realized there was no need to ask. His eyes spoke of clear acceptance.

‘Thank goodness. Next week, they’ll finally have their first meeting!’

As Lilliana smiled in relief, a sudden realization hit her.

‘Oh no, I forgot! It’s not exactly a marriage meeting… I still need to explain that it’s just a business-related encounter!’

Looking at his happy face, she felt guilty about potentially spoiling his mood.

In the end, it would take Lilliana a few more days to confess the truth.