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

“When I become an adult, I will come to propose to you. Please wait for me until then.”

In the distant past, Tristan had told me this countless times.

However, I could never accept his heart. Because I ended up marrying another man.

Of course, that wasn’t my choice.

In the kingdom of Onz, I was nothing more than a princess in name only.

Among more than a dozen half-siblings, I was the princess with the least prestigious background.

I didn’t even have the power to refuse when I was abruptly informed of my marriage.

So, I had no choice but to accept marriage with Count Winder. I couldn’t defy the king’s orders.

‘I protested… but it was useless.’

The day I learned about my marriage, the first thing I did was send a letter to Tristan.

I told him I was marrying another man. I apologized and asked him to forget about me. I sent my message to him in the Empire.

After sending the letter, I was consumed with guilt.

“…”

Tristan and I never had any special relationship.

Though he often expressed his feelings for me, we were never lovers.

Still, after sending the letter, my heart felt uneasy. Even more so when a month passed without a reply.

‘He must resent me, or maybe he just grew to dislike me.’

Although I had resolved to accept whatever response he gave, I was terrified when no response came at all.

That fear has persisted for seven years now.

I dreaded the thought of running into Tristan, worried he would look at me with resentment.

If he expressed any bitterness about how I trampled on his heart, I didn’t think I could bear it. That’s why I avoided meeting him for so long.

Didn’t I even fail to face him properly when he came to the Count’s estate recently?

‘Though it seemed like Tristan had already forgotten about the past…’

Still, since I was the only one conscious of it, this sudden encounter made me uncomfortable.

With my heart pounding nervously, I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself.

I was afraid to face him… but this wasn’t a personal meeting, it was a public one.

‘My task is just to present the business proposal and sign the contract. So, stop thinking about the past.’

Yes, judging from our last meeting, it was clear that Tristan had already forgotten about me. I was the only one being overly conscious of him.

As I calmed down a little, the surroundings came into view.

In the leaving room, it wasn’t just Tristan and me; Lilliana was sitting with us too.

I was so grateful she was there. Her presence made me feel a bit more at ease.

But then, unexpectedly,

“Oh! I just remembered I have something to do! You two continue your conversation! I’ll take my leave now!”

Lilliana suddenly stood up and hurriedly left the leaving room as if she was escaping. There wasn’t even time to stop her.

When I came to my senses, it was just Tristan and me left in the room.

I hadn’t been calm for long before my expression stiffened again.

At that moment, Tristan spoke,

“Lilliana told me you’re interested in importing goods from the East.”

His strictly business-like tone brought me some relief as I responded.

“Yes, there are some items I wish to import from the East. I need them within six months, and I’d like to request help from the Locke family if possible.”

I handed over the report I had prepared on the required goods.

Tristan calmly scanned the papers with a serious expression.

“I’d like to help you as a gesture of gratitude for the past… but unfortunately, I don’t think my family can assist with this.”

In a tone firmer than I’d ever heard from him before, Tristan continued the conversation.

“You’re aware that the Kingdoms of Chelais and Meliden are at war, right? Under normal circumstances, we might have been able to obtain the goods, but… right now, with the war ongoing, it’s too risky for us. Perhaps after the war, it might be possible.”

Tristan gave a smile that was hard to read.

In the past, his gaze held affection when he looked at me, but now there was no trace of emotion in his eyes.

‘He really has forgotten about the past.’

For some reason, it hurt, but… I was also relieved he didn’t resent me.

‘Yes, this is better. I should stop overthinking and focus on the conversation.’

If I stayed silent any longer, I would leave here with nothing.

“I understand the war has disrupted trade routes with the East. However… what if I knew when the war would end?”

I played my trump card, smiling slightly. As expected, Tristan’s eyes showed interest, signaling me to continue.

“Nothing is more important to a trader than information about when a war will end.”

I deliberately put on a confident expression.

“In three months, the war will be over. The Kingdom of Onz has secretly sided with Meliden. I believe the Duke is aware that Chelais can’t withstand the military strength of Onz.”

The war between Meliden and Meldin had already been going on for over six months.

Because both kingdoms had similar power and scale, people expected that it would take at least two more years for the war to end. However, as someone who had read the original story, I knew the truth. The end was near.

I carefully pieced together the information from the original story and what I knew to make my argument convincing to Tristan.

“If what you say is true, then the end of the war is indeed approaching. However, you understand, don’t you? It’s hard for me to fully believe everything you’ve said.”

I nodded. I had made various points, but I hadn’t presented any direct evidence.

But I wasn’t someone who would back down now.

“I understand. There’s a significant risk in trusting my words. However, if you’re a businessman seeking profit, I think this is a worthwhile investment.”

Hmm.

Tristan hummed softly.

“I’d like to hear more about that.”

Luckily, he had taken the bait.

“You’re aware that recently, the clothing shops in the capital have been in an uproar due to the shortage of silk supplies, aren’t you?”

“Yes, it’s been quite noisy because of that issue.”

“But what if you could monopolize that silk?”

I took a breath and calmly continued my explanation.

“It takes a lot of time to launch a ship. So, if you believe me and start preparing now, by the time the war ends, you could immediately send out a ship and have the Locke family monopolize the silk trade from the East.”

Trade, when distant or large in scale, required ample preparation time.

Even if other families heard the news of the war’s end and started preparing their ships, it would still take them at least two months.

If the Locke family started preparations now and launched their ship as soon as the news of peace arrived, they could monopolize the silk before other merchants even reached their destination.

“My request is simple. While securing the silk, if you could also bring back a few other items, that would be enough. Considering the information I’m providing, it’s a rather cheap price. Naturally, I’ll pay for everything.”

I had said everything I needed to say. Now, all that was left was for Tristan to accept.

I handed him the contract and waited nervously for his response.

Tristan silently examined the contract, and after what felt like an eternity, he finally spoke.

“Alright. Let’s make a deal.”

I couldn’t help but let a small smile slip in response to his acceptance.

‘I’ve finally overcome the biggest hurdle.’

I sighed in relief.

Now, all that was left was for both of us to sign the contract.

‘I won’t need to see Tristan again after this.’

Though I tried to hide it, the conversation had drained me. Throughout our discussion, I had to suppress old memories and the urge to ask him the questions I had been holding back, focusing only on business, which was mentally exhausting.

‘I need to avoid meeting him in person again in the future.’

It seemed like Tristan had completely forgotten our past, but… it felt like I was the one still holding on.

Until I could fully let go of my feelings like he had, I thought it would be best to handle everything through a proxy.

As I made that decision, Tristan suddenly said something unexpected.

“By the way, I have one more condition I’d like to add.”

“…Yes?”

“Since this is a high-risk deal, mutual trust is crucial. From now on, I’d like all matters related to this deal to be handled through direct meetings, not via proxies or written correspondence.”

I was internally shocked, but I tried to respond logically without showing it.

“I think that would be inefficient.”

But my argument didn’t work.

“Inefficient or not, it doesn’t matter. As I said, I value mutual trust. If you don’t agree to this condition, then let’s forget the whole deal.”

Faced with Tristan’s firm stance, I bit my lip.

‘What should I do? There’s no one else I can turn to besides the Locke family.’

Although the idea of continuing to meet him was uncomfortable, I had no choice but to agree for the sake of my business.

I sighed once and signed the contract with the additional clause.

But at that moment, something strange happened.

Tristan, who had been treating me coldly in a strictly business manner, suddenly changed his expression.

‘…Am I imagining things?’

For some reason, his gaze resembled the way it had been back in the old days, filled with affection.

Just as I began to wonder if it was just my imagination, Tristan spoke with a pressuring smile.

“Now that you’ve signed, you won’t be able to run away anymore.”

“What? What do you mean by that…?”

“It’s been 10 years since we last met, yet you’ve continuously shown signs of discomfort around me, which has been disappointing, Vanessa. Was I the only one who kept longing for you and wanting to see you?”

“…Ah.”

“I pretended to have forgotten you, thinking it would upset you, but instead, you seemed relieved, which broke my heart.”

His unexpected words left me speechless.

Tristan approached me as I stood frozen in place.

“Oh, and by the way, I didn’t mention this last time because I thought you might run away.”

“…”

He whispered into my ear.

“You’re as beautiful as ever, just like the woman I once loved.”