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

Upon hearing that Tristan had visited, I contemplated with a serious expression.

‘Why on earth is he coming at this hour?’

There were too many possible reasons.

‘It must be because of me…’

I recalled the day I slapped Lilliana across the face with a bundle of cash.

Was it because of the money? Or maybe because I dared to hit her? Either way, it wasn’t strange that Tristan, who cherished his sister dearly, would come looking for me.

‘…Or maybe it’s because of those times.’

For a moment, I recalled the past, but quickly shook my head.

Even though Tristan and I had known each other back then, that was seven years ago.

We had cut off all contact during that long time, so he had probably forgotten all about me.

‘Then it must be because of Lilliana. This is troublesome…’

To be honest, I didn’t want to face him.

If he hadn’t asked to reschedule if we couldn’t meet today, I would have turned him away at the door.

‘After avoiding him for years, who would have thought he’d come to me like this.’

I let out a deep sigh before opening the door to the drawing room.

And there he was—Tristan Locke.

The brother of the heroine and the Duke of Locke, revered as a war hero in this empire.

He must have been waiting for me, as the teacup in front of him was filled with cold tea, untouched.

Through the window behind him, the crimson sunset caught my eye, blinding me.

The backlight obscured his face, and all I could see was the outline of a much more mature face than in the past. His expression, his gaze—none of it was discernible.

But that gave me a strange sense of relief.

It was fortunate for me because I didn’t have the confidence to face him directly.

Then, he seemed to be about to say something.

Not wanting to lose control of the conversation, I quickly spoke first.

“How rude of you, Duke Locke, to visit someone’s home at such a late hour.”

Though I spoke sharply, I was a bit nervous. I had no idea how he would respond.

Fortunately, his response wasn’t too far from what I had expected.

“…I apologize for my rudeness, Lady Winder. I offer my sincere apologies.”

A low, unfamiliar voice rang out.

It was completely different from the soft voice I remembered.

Though I had anticipated it, the young boy in my memories had clearly grown into a full adult over the past decade.

A strange mix of feelings, whether disappointment or regret, welled up inside me.

I quickly put on my usual villainous mask to hide my emotions.

Once I adopted a vicious look, I felt more at ease. I snapped at him.

“So, what brings you here today? If you came at such an inconvenient hour, it must be for something important.”

I spoke firmly, as if to say I wouldn’t forgive him if it wasn’t for a good reason.

Although my hostile tone could have upset him, Tristan didn’t show any signs of irritation.

“Please forgive my rudeness, Lady Winder. It’s just… my sister received a great favor in my absence.”

“…”

“I only found out recently, and I thought I should thank you immediately, even if it meant visiting at this late hour.”

Hearing Tristan’s words, the question I had been pondering was finally answered.

“So, it was because of the 10 billion I gave Liliana.”

Once I confirmed it wasn’t about the past, I felt slightly relieved.

‘Yes… that was years ago. Tristan surely hasn’t held onto it.’

It was clear from the way he only spoke about his sister, completely ignoring me.

Even though I now knew the reason for his visit, I still felt uncomfortable facing him.

Just as I was deciding to end the conversation before the sun fully set, Tristan spoke again, waiting for my reply.

“Thanks to your help, the Locke family has regained its stability. And Locke is a family that always repays its debts. Therefore, I have prepared this—”

“I don’t need that kind of thing.”

Tristan pulled out a box, which I assumed was a gift, and I hurriedly interrupted him.

‘Whatever it is, I’m sure I shouldn’t accept it.’

I had a feeling that if I took it, I’d be entangled with him again in the future.

I firmly reiterated, “It seems you’re mistaken, but giving that money to Lady Locke was nothing more than a whim. It wasn’t out of kindness.”

“That amount seems a bit too much for just a whim.”

“Well, to me, that kind of petty cash is insignificant.”

I skillfully unfolded my fan in one swift motion, covering my mouth, then narrowed my eyes with a wicked smile.

“I believe our business is concluded.”

Without giving him a chance to respond, I quickly bid farewell.

“The hour is late, and I find myself too tired to stay. I’ll take my leave now. I wish you a safe return, Your Grace.”

With those words, I turned away. Even a moment of hesitation would give him a chance to stop me, so I kept my eyes straight ahead and returned to my chambers.

“Brother? You’re back sooner than I expected. Where did you go?”

Lilliana tilted her head in confusion as she greeted Tristan, who had just returned to the mansion.

She thought he’d take longer, especially after announcing his grand mission to restore the family’s honor. But his schedule had ended much quicker than she’d anticipated.

‘Where did he go?’

Curious, but Tristan remained silent, only fueling her frustration.

‘Did something go wrong?’

She wanted to comfort him, but it seemed he had no intention of sharing, so there was little she could do.

She followed him closely, waiting for him to speak. Then, Tristan held something out.

It was Rubert di Amore, the most prized wine in his collection.

“Why…? Weren’t you going to gift this to someone?”

“Give it to Lady Winder. She’ll be pleased if it’s from you.”

Lilliana’s eyes widened. Surely, if she delivered this wine, Vanessa would be delighted.

But…

“Are you sure? Weren’t you planning to give it to someone else? What about them?”

She asked, concerned, to which Tristan replied in a calm, steady voice.

“No, I’ll approach in my own way.”

In that moment, Tristan’s blue eyes gleamed with a sharp light, reminiscent of a hunter refusing to let its prey escape.

‘Whoever that person is, they’re in for a rough time…’

Lilliana felt a pang of sympathy for the poor soul who’d end up entangled with Tristan.

She couldn’t know then that the target was none other than the Vanessa Winder she so admired.

Back in my room, I took out the wine again.

Although I had boldly left Tristan behind, my emotions were still a mess.

‘…Still, it’s a relief he came back safe and sound.’

I knew from the original story that he would survive the battlefield, but seeing it with my own eyes gave me much more peace of mind.

‘…I promised to forget him, yet here I am, thinking about Tristan again.’

What kind of expression did he have earlier? What kind of life had he been living? My mind swirled with these questions, but I shook my head. Right now, he had nothing to do with me.

Frustrated, I took several more sips of wine. The once-full bottle was now more than half empty.

‘How long am I going to let the past hold me back?’

Upon reflection, this was no time to be lost in thought.

I didn’t live in the past. I lived in the present.

And right now, I had something I needed to do.

I had to find the person who killed my husband.

‘Forget everything for now and focus on clearing my name. If I don’t, I’ll end up dead at Jeremyon’s hands, just like in the original story.’

I quickly made a simple plan.

I would portray myself as someone who had become lazy and indulgent, consumed by luxury and pleasure.

‘If I do that, the killer will surely reveal themselves to try and finish me off.’

I was their next target, and considering the purpose behind the assassination, it was a logical deduction.

If I suddenly seemed careless and distracted, unlike my usual sharp self, the culprit wouldn’t be able to resist the opportunity.

‘I have to wait for that moment.’

Until then, my task was to spend lavishly and draw the killer out.

I had planned to start by doing some light shopping in the morning, but…

What I witnessed when I went to the boutique to buy a new dress was…

“M-mother?”

Lilliana was being swindled by the shop’s owner.