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

Lilliana’s eyes widened in surprise, as if she hadn’t expected to meet me here.

‘Hmm. She looks as cute as a bunny… No, no. This isn’t the time to be thinking like this.’

Even though Lilliana was my former prospective daughter-in-law, she was still my favorite, so I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed every time we crossed paths.

But I quickly snapped myself out of it.

‘I didn’t expect to run into Lilliana here. Well, I suppose it’s not that strange.’

This wine shop on Wellington Street No. 12 was, after all, privately owned by her brother, Tristan Locke.

Since the Locke family isn’t directly involved, I hadn’t seriously considered the possibility of running into Lilliana here.

‘Well, it doesn’t really matter.’

As long as the person I ran into wasn’t Tristan, it wouldn’t be a problem.

‘Actually, this might be a good thing. I should take this opportunity to confirm with Lilliana if they’ve really broken up.’

Judging by Jeremyon’s intense reaction, it seemed certain that the two had parted ways… but there was no need to miss this chance now that it was here.

I quickly surveyed my surroundings.

Good. The shop’s staff had already tactfully distanced themselves.

In a sharp, low voice that wouldn’t reach the employees, I asked, “Mother? Who are you calling Mother? I told you to break up with my son.”

“Ah, no. It’s not like that…”

“If it’s not like that, do you not even remember our previous agreement?”

“Ah…”

“Could it be that you’re short on money? If that’s the case, just say the word. I’ll make sure you’re not left wanting this time.”

As I pressed Lilliana, she panicked, her pale blue eyes darting around.

In my head, I thought, ‘Ugh, what’s this? She’s adorable. She looks like a frightened rabbit!’

But at the same time, seeing my favorite person so tense made me feel a little guilty.

‘Maybe I was too harsh? With Lilliana’s personality, she would’ve told me if they had broken up without me having to go this far.’

Just as I was considering whether to speak more kindly, Lilliana’s expression suddenly changed.

Her previously tense eyes began to shine with determination, and her hesitant lips curved into a cheerful smile.

Not knowing what was happening, I frowned.

Lilliana naturally linked her arm with mine, so naturally that I didn’t even think to pull away.

“No, Mother. Please don’t say such hurtful things.”

Huh? What’s this? Our Lilliana isn’t usually this brazen… Not that I don’t find it endearing…!

Just as I was flustered by this sudden shift in character, Lilliana led me somewhere.

It was a hidden room deep within the wine shop.

‘Where is this…?’

Lilliana calmly turned on the lights in the dim room.

In an instant, the space brightened, and I noticed the wine bottles displayed in the center of the room.

Finally snapping out of my daze, I disentangled my arm and spoke sternly.

“Bringing me to a quiet place… Are you thinking of negotiating with me? Bold. I like it. Fine, name your price. I’ll give it to you immediately. But in return, you must break up with my son for good…”

Just as I was continuing my firm words, Lilliana suddenly picked up one of the displayed wines and held it out to me.

“It’s really not like that, Mother. Please, take this and calm your anger…”

“Whatever magnificent gift this might be, do you think you can appease me with just this…”

I was about to snap when my eyes caught the label on the wine.

‘Wait, isn’t that…!’

There are things in this world that no amount of money can buy.

Human emotions, like love, and the lifespan given to each individual were such things. And so was that wine in Lilliana’s hand.

It was a wine I had tried countless times to acquire but had always failed.

Made from grapes grown on the other side of the empire, it was a special wine, highly sensitive to storage conditions, making it nearly impossible to find a perfect bottle in this country. Even the emperor wouldn’t easily get to drink it if he wanted to.

‘I thought I’d never see it before I died, but here it is!’

Realizing what the wine was, I swallowed involuntarily.

“Mother, I’m truly sorry that I haven’t broken up with him yet. But I promise I will next time. So please, take this and forgive me. Alright?”

So they haven’t broken up yet. This unexpected news caught me off guard.

‘Then why was Jeremyon so angry with me earlier?’

Based on his reaction, I was certain they had broken up because he was so rude… but it seems I was mistaken. If Lilliana herself is saying this.

‘It’s not the first time Jeremyon has been difficult, so it’s understandable that I misunderstood. But this is still troublesome…’

I found myself lost in deep thought as I tried to assess the situation.

My role in this play was to drive a wedge between Lilliana and Jeremyon.

Receiving this gift might disrupt that plan.

‘But… how can I resist a gift from my favorite? Especially when it’s a wine I’ve always wanted to try!’

Though I briefly hesitated, my dilemma didn’t last long.

After all, not many people in the world can refuse a gift from their favorite person.

‘Just this once, let’s accept it, just this once.’

It’s not unusual for a villainous mother-in-law to accept a bribe from her daughter-in-law, right? I rationalized as I snatched the wine from Lilliana.

Then, I arrogantly scoffed.

“Hmph. I’ll let it slide this time, considering how others might perceive it. But next time, you’ll have to break up with my son as promised.”

“…Of course! I’ll definitely break up with him next time. Thank you so much for your forgiveness!”

Leaving Lilliana’s excited thanks behind, I slammed the door and walked out.

I then immediately boarded the carriage and set off.

‘As soon as I arrive at the mansion, I’ll open this wine!’

I held the bottle of wine that Lilliana had given me close to my chest. The thought of tasting it tonight made my heart race with excitement for the first time in a while.

Lilliana watched Vanessa leave with the wine until she was completely out of sight.

The moment she confirmed Vanessa was gone, she collapsed to the floor.

“Hah…!”

The time spent talking to Vanessa was only 15 minutes.

But as soon as Vanessa left, Lilliana’s legs gave out, as if the tension that had built up during that short time had finally taken its toll.

“L-Lady! Are you all right?”

An employee nearby was startled and tried to help Lilliana.

“Did Lady Winder say something harsh…?”

“No. The Lady isn’t that kind of person, so please be careful with your words.”

“W-what…? Ah, yes! I’m sorry.”

The employee was puzzled by Lilliana’s sudden sternness, which was out of character for her usually gentle demeanor. However, Lilliana had no energy to care about him.

‘Thank goodness… The Lady accepted the wine.’

Although she had boldly approached Vanessa pretending to be friendly, in reality, Lilliana had a shy personality.

It wasn’t easy for her to speak to someone unfamiliar, and it was only natural that she felt even more nervous since the person in question was her ex-boyfriend’s mother.

Despite acting brazenly with the sole determination to get closer to her, it had drained her emotionally.

‘Especially since I lied to her…’

Although she had evaded the truth with Vanessa, in reality, Lilliana had already broken up with Jeremyon.

It had been nearly a month since she had ended things with him, not even three days after receiving money from Vanessa.

But she couldn’t bring herself to confess the truth. She felt that if she did, she would lose her only connection to Vanessa.

Lilliana’s judgment was wise.

Her opponent was none other than Vanessa Winder.

‘Given Lady Winder’s personality, if I had told her the truth, she wouldn’t have listened to a word I said…’

Without Jeremyon as a connection, it would have been difficult to even speak with Vanessa. Lilliana felt a sense of helplessness.

‘Still, I’m glad I gave her that wine. Even though she said what she did, she seemed genuinely pleased.’

If it wasn’t just her imagination, Vanessa’s eyes had sparkled the moment she saw the wine label. Lilliana felt proud of herself for earning even a little bit of favor from her.

‘The problem is that I took my brother’s belongings without permission…’

Lilliana recalled the image of her brother, Tristan, who had returned home about a fortnight ago after the end of the war.

The truth was that all the wines displayed in that secret room were part of Tristan’s precious collection.

Even before going to war, he had steadily collected rare wines.

‘I originally thought of selling them all to pay off the debt… But it’s a good thing I didn’t. If I had, I wouldn’t have had the chance to repay the Lady’s kindness.’

Even though they were rare wines, they were obviously insufficient to pay off the 4.8 billion debt. Moreover, it would have taken a long time to convert them into cash.

So, she had simply left them there for the time being, and now she was glad she had.

The wine Lilliana gave Vanessa today was none other than the second most cherished one in her brother’s collection.

‘Giving that away without permission… My brother won’t be angry, but… I still feel guilty.’

He was already busy dealing with the aftermath of the family’s troubles.

Yet here she was, so desperate to win Vanessa’s favor that she had taken one of his prized possessions without asking.

As she worried about how to apologize, Liliana returned home, slightly anxious.

However, when the truth was revealed, Tristan’s reaction was completely different from what she had expected.

For the first time in her life, she heard him speak in a chilling tone she had never heard before.

“Lily, what did you say?”

“Uh…?”

“What wine… did you give to whom?”

“I gave the Cabernet Brilliant to Lady Winder…”

At that moment, a suffocating silence fell over the room.

Lilliana broke into a cold sweat, tense and anxious.