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

“What? What did you say? You said the gift tax has already been paid?”

Liliana Locke.

The only daughter of the Duke Locke family, boasting a noble lineage.

She thought that after witnessing the indecent behaviors of high-ranking nobles countless times as a lady, she wouldn’t be easily surprised by anything…

But apparently, that was all just her own delusion.

‘What on earth is going on?’

Liliana forgot her dignity as a lady and stood there with her mouth agape.

The 10 billion shilling check she received from Vanessa.

She had just come to report the gift, but she was stunned by the tax official’s outrageous words.

“Yes, Lady Locke. Not only has the income been reported, but the 5 billion and 34.1 million shilling gift tax has also been fully paid.”

“Five… how much?”

“Yes! Are you referring to the 5 billion and 34.1 million shillings?”

Liliana’s expression grew serious at the cheerful response from the tax official.

No wonder, as it was shocking to learn that taxes she hadn’t even paid had already been settled. Even if it were only 1 million shillings, it would be nerve-wracking, but a sum exceeding 5 billion would naturally make anyone panic.

Liliana urgently asked the banker, “Can I know the name of the person who paid the taxes on my behalf?”

Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it was hurting.

Liliana waited anxiously for the banker to speak, her neck stiff with tension.

But something strange happened.

The person who paid the taxes was someone she had never even imagined.

“…It says Vanessa Winter. It seems Lady Winter took care of the taxes when issuing the check.”

“What? Lady Winter… did?”

“Yes! That’s what it says in the documents.”

The tax official responded cheerfully again, but Liliana didn’t hear her voice at all.

‘Wait, does that mean the money Lady Winter gave me was after-tax 10 billion, not before-tax 10 billion…?’

The larger the amount of money involved, the higher the proportion taken as gift tax. Because of this, the tax Liliana had to pay exceeded 5 billion.

But… but!

That expensive tax…

Was paid quietly without even informing her?

By that notorious Lady Winter, known for her wicked deeds?

Why on earth…?

Once the question arose, it continued endlessly. And shortly after, Liliana began to suspect something she had never considered before.

‘Could it be that Lady Winter doesn’t actually dislike me? Maybe…’

Maybe she wants to help me?

The absurd thought made Liliana’s cheeks flush red for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure.

Because, upon reconsideration, it seemed plausible. There were several reasons.

The first was the amount of 15 billion and 34.1 million shillings.

Even for a wealthy family like the Winters, this was excessive for a mere breakup fee.

The second was the fact that the taxes were taken care of secretly.

It must have been quite troublesome, yet she completed the entire process in secret without making a show of it?

No matter how you looked at it, this was an incredibly considerate gesture, not something just anyone could easily do unless they were a truly magnanimous person.

The final piece of evidence was her own cheek.

Liliana subtly checked her reflection in a nearby iron pillar.

The cheek that had been slapped hard by Vanessa hours ago showed no signs of swelling, despite having been struck with a check.

The reason was the ice pack she had applied to her cheek right after being hit.

“Lady Winter insisted that you use this.”

It wasn’t long after being struck. The Winter family’s servant had said this as they handed Liliana the ice pack.

At first, she thought it was like giving medicine after causing a wound, but now she saw it wasn’t like that.

‘She must have been worried that a scar would remain on my face.’

If Vanessa really hated Liliana.

If she despised her so much that she wanted to prevent her from marrying her son.

‘She wouldn’t have cared if a scar was left on my face or not.’

As these thoughts piled up, her doubts turned into conviction.

‘Maybe Lady Winter isn’t really a villain, just someone who can’t express herself honestly?’

And even if she were truly a villain, what of it?

There are many people in the world who, despite being kind on the surface, wouldn’t give even a penny when help is genuinely needed. Liliana herself had suffered greatly from such people.

So, even if she did act wickedly, Liliana believed that a truly good person is one who helps when it really matters.

In any case, what’s certain is that whatever Vanessa’s intentions were, her actions benefited Liliana.

The unwanted contract marriage with Jeremyon, and the family’s overwhelming debt.

The one who saved her from these predicaments was none other than the so-called villain, Vanessa.

That’s why.

Liliana became curious about Vanessa. She wanted to know more about her.

Even though she was aware that Vanessa was the mother of her soon-to-be ex-fiance, she still felt this way.

And that feeling… was stronger than she had expected.

It had been over a month since I had thrown a bundle of checks at Liliana, urging her to break up.

During that time, I had holed up in the mansion, waiting for her to properly end her relationship with Jeremyon.

‘With things settling down, they should have broken up by now, right?’

A significant event had occurred in the empire over the past month: the end of the war.

The long-standing war between the empire and the Kingdom of Stell had finally ended in the empire’s victory.

This event was a major plot point in the original story. Her brother, who had lost contact, returned after the war ended.

Considering Liliana must have been busy, I decided to give her about a month.

‘By now, she should have sorted everything out.’

Now, it was time to check if things were progressing as planned.

‘Judging by Jeremyon’s reduced outings, they seem to have broken up, but it wouldn’t hurt to confirm it once more.’

So, the next step was… to invite my rude stepson, Jeremyon Winter, to a meal.

“Jeremyon. It’s been a while since we’ve had a meal together. It’s hard to believe we’re living in the same mansion.”

The person who entered the dining room with the sound of footsteps was Jeremyon.

I greeted him kindly. But his reaction was cold and hostile.

“We’re not exactly in a situation where we need to see each other often, are we?”

“Hmm? If that’s how you feel, you could have declined my invitation.”

As he took his seat, Jeremyon seemed to grind his teeth in anger. The sound was unnervingly loud.

‘Oh dear, using your teeth like that will make you suffer in old age.’

I wanted to nag him, but I knew why Jeremyon was acting this way, so I kept quiet.

It was because I was the one who had forced him to accept the dinner invitation.

Initially, Jeremyon had, of course, declined my invitation. But I used my special skill, “Acting Wicked,” and dragged him here against his will.

Well, the process of getting him here is beside the point.

The important thing was the conversation we were about to have.

After a moment of silence, the food began to be served one by one.

Glancing at Jeremyon’s face, I noticed his tightly closed mouth. He seemed to really dislike the situation.

‘Don’t worry, Jeremyon. This will be over soon.’

I picked up a steak with my fork and spoke.

“I’ve heard rumors in society that you’re in love with Lady Locke. It’s surprising to hear about love from someone as cold as you. How’s it going?”

“I’ll handle it myself.”

His response was curt, indicating he had no intention of sharing.

I sighed softly.

‘It’s difficult to find out if they’ve broken up or not.’

But I hadn’t expected him to answer personal questions easily. He hated me, his stepmother.

But that’s not a problem.

Provoking someone to reveal their true feelings was something I was skilled at.

I started to chatter, just as I had practiced.

“You need to fix your attitude. Being so harsh to your own mother… That’s how you drive women away.”

“…..”

“You’re uncharacteristically silent.ر

“…..”

His face was full of anger and silent rage.

‘If they were still dating, Jeremyon would have just ignored me. But judging by that expression…’

It seemed like Liliana might have actually broken up with him.

But this wasn’t enough proof. I needed to elicit a more definitive reaction.

I smiled slyly and put on the expression he hated most. Then, I slowly and annoyingly said,

“Could it be… she already ran away? Lady Locke moves fast, doesn’t she?”

At that moment.

Bang!

Jeremyon slammed the table and stood up abruptly. The sound was deafening.