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

Standing in the middle of the scattered pasta on the floor, Jeremion cupped his reddened cheek with his hand.

He looked around as if trying to make sense of the situation. After a few seconds, he finally realized what had struck his cheek, and with a bewildered expression, he looked at me.

“Mother, what are you doing…?”

“What do you mean, what am I doing? That’s exactly what I should be asking you. Do you even realize what you’ve just done?”

As my sharp voice cut him off, his dark eyes wavered uncertainly.

Of course, it wasn’t only Jeremyon who was startled by the situation.

Lilliana, who had been standing next to him, also looked shocked.

As I glared fiercely at Jeremyon, Lilliana intervened.

“Uh, Mother…! P-please, just a moment. I think there’s been a misunderstanding. I… I was the one who caused all this.”

“……”

“Jeremyon was just making a rightful complaint. I was the one who broke our agreement first…”

Lilliana’s eyes were filled with guilt, as if she hadn’t expected things to escalate this way. She seemed to believe that it was entirely her fault that Jeremyon had been slapped by me.

But she was mistaken.

‘Yes, it’s infuriating that Jeremyon hurt Lilliana’s wrist. Of course, it’s a maddening situation. But…’

The reason I slapped Jeremyon wasn’t simply because he tormented my favorite.

I spoke calmly to Lilliana, who was trying to calm me down.

“Lilliana, stay out of this. This is a matter between Jeremyon and me.”

“Uh, Mother… I can’t just…”

Usually, she listened to me without protest, but now she showed no signs of stepping back. It seemed she believed it was her responsibility to resolve the situation.

I sighed and called the servant who was waiting outside.

“Benjamin, take Lady Locke out. Make sure her wrist is treated properly.”

“Yes, ma’am. I will carry out your orders. Lady Locke, please follow me this way.”

Though he said “please,” the servant essentially escorted Lilliana out by force.

“Uh, Mother! Please wait! The Count must have had a reason for what he did…”

“Just go quietly. This isn’t just about you. This is a family matter.”

Until the very end, Lilliana tried to defend Jeremyon, but I paid no attention to her. Explanations were meaningless at this point.

At last, only Jeremyon and I remained in the room.

The once noisy space was now filled with silence.

Jeremyon was the one to break the quiet.

“What exactly is your intention here? After forcing me to break up with my lover, now you flaunt your closeness in front of me. And even now, you continue to defend Lilliana.”

“……”

“Mother, I am just as frustrated as you are. Ever since I found out that you weren’t the one who killed Father, I’ve been consumed with guilt. I thought, perhaps, I had misunderstood you. I tried to understand you in every possible way, but the more I tried, the more lost I became.”

Jeremyon, clearly overwhelmed, poured out his words without pause. But before I answered, I had something I needed to say as well.

“Before I answer your questions, let me ask you one thing.”

“……Yes.”

“Have you ever once considered how I’ve felt raising you over the past seven years?”

“……”

As expected, Jeremyon’s expression hardened, as if the thought had never crossed his mind.

“You seem to think I dislike you, but that’s not true. I’ve been on your side, every single day, from the very beginning.”

“After tormenting me with all kinds of cruelty, how can you say something so ridiculous?”

Jeremyon frowned as if he had heard something completely nonsensical. But every word I spoke was the truth.

Though I often cursed his temperament inwardly, that didn’t mean I hated him.

‘On the contrary, I… genuinely cared for Jeremyon.’

A marriage that had been nothing more than a sale. And with it, I was handed a sixteen-year-old stepson.

Some might have seen him as nothing but a thorn in their side… but I didn’t.

From the moment I first met Jeremyon, I had resolved to become his family.

A small body compared to his peers.

Though he tried to stand tall, his gaze was still filled with hesitation.

Despite it being our first meeting, Jeremyon was worried whether I would hate him. It had happened to him many times before.

And something about that felt familiar.

Young Jeremyon reminded me of myself during my time in the Kingdom of Onz. Especially in how we both busily tried to read the room because we had no power to hold onto.

‘This child… is like me.’

It was just a fleeting observation, but I felt a sense of kinship.

I hoped this child’s life would be different from mine.

My life had crumbled because I had no power, but I hoped this child wouldn’t face the same fate.

‘I want to be family to Jeremyon.’

Even if I couldn’t act as a mother due to the small age difference… at the very least, I decided to treat him sincerely, like an older sister.

However, my resolve was meaningless. The very next day, after the wedding, Count Winder had died.

After taking a moment to compose myself, I continued our conversation.

“From the day my husband died, you kept accusing me of being a murderer. I didn’t resent you for it. You were only sixteen and immature back then… But, Jeremyon.”

“Yes…”

“If you were in my situation, how do you think you would have acted?”

Jeremyon fell silent as if he was lost in thought.

“No matter how much you hated me, I was your only guardian. Even if we weren’t bound by blood, I had the duty to protect and take care of you.”

“…Ah.”

“After everything I’ve said, you must have some idea by now.”

As expected, Jeremyon seemed to recall the past, reflecting on it. Watching him, I too became lost in my thoughts.

‘…It’s been seven years, yet it still feels so vivid.’

Being the sole guardian of a child who despised me was truly a cruel ordeal.

Even when I wanted to do something for Jeremyon, he always misinterpreted my actions.

‘Of course, it was a natural reaction.’

How could the son, still reeling from the shock of his father’s death, accept care from a woman he believed to be the murderer?

So, I had to approach things differently.

When Jeremyon sank into despair, skipping meals for days, I resorted to extreme measures, forcing him into the dining room.

I provoked his sense of revenge when he lost interest in life and studies.

I wanted him to grow into a smart adult, even if it was to one day drive me away.

Looking back, it was a risky approach.

After all, in the original story, Vanessa Winder ultimately met her death at Jeremion’s hands.

‘But at that time, it was the best I could do.’

I was only twenty-two then.

Legally an adult, but with little life experience and not nearly wise enough.

The only thing I could do back then was play the role of a villain, to raise Jeremyon into a respectable adult.

I even dealt with the wicked people who were after our family’s wealth and power.

To the outside world, I might have appeared as the villainous woman of the century, but as long as Jeremyon’s grew up safely, I was satisfied.

‘I thought I had no regrets about that choice, but…’

Though I had tried hard to keep my emotions in check, my voice wavered as I felt a surge of emotion.

“For your sake, I dirtied my hands countless times. No matter how much you treated me as if I were crazy, I repeated to myself that as long as you grew up well, I’d be satisfied as long as your life turned out different from mine.”

“…”

“But now… you’ve grown into a pathetic adult who resorts to violence.”

Jeremyon didn’t respond. He simply stared blankly at me, his black eyes filled with complex emotions.

‘I hope he is reflecting.’

I waited for a moment, giving Jeremyon the chance to speak.

However, it seemed that my recounting of the past had left him deeply shaken. He clenched and unclenched his fists repeatedly.

Realizing it would be best to leave him alone, I decided to step away.

“I’ve said all I needed to say. And… I apologize for what I did regarding Lilliana. I disturbed your peace of mind.”

“…”

“I’ll also make sure to put an end to my relationship with that child.”

“…Yes.”

Leaving Jeremyon, who responded with a small voice, I exited the room.

‘Now… it’s time to meet Lilliana.’

For some reason, my legs felt unusually heavy today, perhaps due to the burden on my heart.