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

“You look beautiful today, as always.”

Though I’ve heard countless compliments about my appearance, there’s something about Tristan’s words that makes me feel oddly flustered.

Honestly, it’s a relief that no one else is here besides the two of us.

‘…Did he deliberately send everyone away for this moment?’

Feeling like I might get swept up in his pace, I steered the conversation toward a more formal topic.

“Now that I think about it, you mentioned there was something you wanted to discuss.”

He seemed to have already seen through my intent, his eyes flashing. After what felt like a moment of contemplation over whether to play along, he thankfully responded as I had hoped.

“Yes, I reviewed the list of items you requested, but they seem unrelated to each other. From trees I’ve never heard of to rare plants… So, I became curious about Vanessa’s business. I need to understand your exact purpose so I can acquire the right things for you.”

“Hmm…”

I paused for a moment.

In truth, no one knew about my perfume business yet. And I intended to keep it that way.

‘There’s no benefit in revealing my name and selling perfume under it.’

Given my reputation as a villainess, nothing I did would ever be viewed favorably.

That’s why everything I’d prepared for this business so far had been done under an alias. I’d created a false identity and pretended to be a fictional entrepreneur.

Originally, I’d planned to import oriental spices using the same method.

‘But with my fake identity, it would’ve been difficult to secure a contract with Tristan like this.’

This deal had only come about thanks to my connection with Lilliana.

‘Tristan already knows what kind of items I need. And once I start selling the perfume, he’ll quickly figure out it’s me.’

Since it’s inevitable that he’ll find out sooner or later, it’s probably better to come clean now and get him on board.

‘Besides, if anyone’s trustworthy, it’s Tristan.’

Although he makes me uncomfortable, that doesn’t mean I don’t trust him.

The reason for hiding my identity is simply the fear that news of me being behind the perfume business might leak.

But with Tristan, that worry felt unnecessary.

‘I’ll likely need his help many more times in the future… This is the right choice.’

Having made my decision, I ordered a servant to bring something from my room.

“I think it’s time I showed you this.”

What I presented was a fragrance I had been preparing bit by bit, even amidst my busy schedule. It was painstakingly extracted from a large number of flowers.

“What is this?”

Tristan looked puzzled as I suddenly handed him an unidentified powder.

“Why don’t you try smelling it?”

“…It smells like flowers. Are all the items you requested also fragrances?”

As expected, I knew that just showing him this would be enough for Tristan to grasp my intentions.

“That’s right. I’m planning to start a business targeting the nobility using these fragrances.”

More specifically, I intended to mix the fragrances with alcohol to create perfumes, but since the concept of perfume didn’t exist yet, I kept my explanation simple.

‘I can’t explain it too complicatedly—fragrance isn’t a common concept in the Empire yet.’

Though some wealthy noblewomen occasionally used scented oils, even that wasn’t widespread.

‘It’s really unfortunate. There’s nothing as enchanting as a good scent.’

But that also meant the perfume business was a completely untapped market. Of course, being a new concept, there was a high risk of failure.

I expected Tristan, unfamiliar with the idea, to have many questions. Yet, to my surprise, he simply nodded, seemingly understanding its potential right away.

“I see. That makes sense. If that’s your goal, I’ll make sure to store the items properly. If they aren’t preserved correctly, the scent will dissipate.”

“Exactly. That’s why I’ve already prepared guidelines on the proper storage methods for each item. It should help.”

I handed him the documents I had prepared, and he began reading them.

The conversation continued for quite some time as we discussed the business in detail.

When things were finally wrapping up, I glanced at the clock and realized more time had passed than I’d anticipated.

‘…Now that I think about it, we got engrossed in the business talk, but that wasn’t my main reason for meeting him today.’

I stole a glance at Tristan’s profile as he focused on the documents. I pondered for a moment about how to bring it up.

The truth is, I had another, more hidden motive for suddenly requesting this meeting.

I wanted to ask him about Lilliana.

Since Tristan lived in the same estate as her, I figured he would know more about her current condition than anyone else.

‘Honestly, I’ve been so curious about how she’s doing…’

That day, seeing the hurt in Lilliana’s eyes had left me feeling as though my heart was being torn apart.

And now, hearing that she still longed for me today, I couldn’t just sit still.

So I planned to ask Tristan if she was doing well at the estate.

‘But if I ask directly, it’ll be obvious that I’m worried about Lilliana.’

I was thinking of how to get the information without revealing my true intentions and feelings when Tristan suddenly looked up, as if sensing my gaze, and met my eyes.

“If it’s not just my imagination, your expression seems a bit dark, Vanessa. Is something troubling you?”

Startled by his sharp intuition, I glanced at my reflection in the window.

How did he even notice when my face only seemed cold and indifferent, without a hint of concern on my face?

Even though I was startled that my thoughts had been read, I responded naturally, without showing any signs.

“Why would there be anything like that? What’s troubling me now is Your Grace’s title.”

“Haha, it’s a relief that there isn’t a bigger problem. Vanessa’s concerns are essentially mine as well.”

Really, if only he’d stop talking.

Since I didn’t feel like responding, I ignored him and fiddled with the documents again.

‘Oh no. I missed my chance.’

Mentioning Lilliana’s name now would be like openly admitting that my worries were about her.

‘I’m not about to reveal my weakness to Tristan….’

I was hesitating when suddenly—

“Lilliana. Lately, she hasn’t been looking well.”

Without any preamble, Tristan brought her up. At that moment, I realized.

‘…He already knows everything.’

He hadn’t asked about my concerns out of ignorance—he knew my situation from the start.

‘Of course, Tristan cares about her so much; it would be odd if he didn’t know.’

Though it was clear he had seen through me, I feigned ignorance and kept acting calm.

“Are you referring to Lady Locke?”

“Yes, she’s been skipping meals for days, as if heartbroken. Recently, she’s been going out more, so I was hoping she’d feel better, but it’s not that simple. She’s still not eating and seems constantly down at home.”

“….”

At least she’s been eating, though.

It hurt deep inside, making it hard to respond.

Quite some time had passed since that day. I had thought that by now, Lilliana would have forgotten me to some extent, but clearly, that was just my delusion.

‘Was my judgment really wrong?’

I thought keeping distance was for her sake, but now I wasn’t sure what was truly best for her.

I was lost in thought when—

“I guess I’m more narrow-minded than I thought.”

“Pardon?”

“I’m jealous of Lilliana. It seems like she means something to you, whereas I don’t.”

“…So, you’re a man who even gets jealous of his own sister. Everyone will be shocked to hear that the war hero, Duke Locke, is this petty.”

Though I meant to mock him, he didn’t get offended. Instead, he nodded in agreement, as if I was right.

“You’re correct. Which is why….”

Tristan propped his chin on one hand and looked at me at an angle.

“I hope your worries are resolved soon.”

“….”

“So that there’ll be some room for me to step in.”

A fine curve formed on his lips, and his blue eyes fixed on me, so persistent that they felt almost obsessive.

After some time, Tristan left. Alone in the reception room, I was lost in thought for quite a while.

It was because of Lilliana.

‘…Should I meet her after all?’

It wasn’t because of Jeremyon or Tristan.

Hearing their stories had simply sparked one question.

‘Instead of pushing her away on my own, shouldn’t I find out what Lilliana really wants?’

Once that thought occurred, I began to doubt whether my actions had truly been the best.

Even after emptying my teacup a couple of times, I couldn’t easily reach a conclusion.

Before I knew it, night had fallen, and the scorching sun had long disappeared.

Just as I was about to head to my bedroom to rest, I heard a commotion near the entrance, as if someone had arrived.

There were only two owners of this mansion, so it was obvious who it was.

Normally, I wouldn’t go out to greet him, but something impulsive made me turn and hurry to the entrance.

Jeremyon, who noticed me belatedly, looked surprised, as if he hadn’t expected me to be there.

“Mother? It’s late, why aren’t you resting?”

I took a moment to steady my breathing, which had grown a bit ragged from rushing over.

Why had I come to Jeremyon?

My thoughts were a mess, but one thing was clear.

There was only one conclusion I could reach about Lilliana.

And the reason I came to Jeremyon was surely to deliver that conclusion.

“Jeremyon.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“Tell Lady Locke to come to the mansion tomorrow.”

Jeremyon’s black eyes widened, as if he’d finally heard the news he’d been waiting for.