I Became The Mother Of the Male Lead Who Lives With An Adulterous Man

Lylus chuckled at Cian’s bewildered expression.

“My, my, this old man was just trying to imitate the younger generation, but instead has surprised His Highness by saying the wrong thing.”

“No, it’s just that I don’t understand what you mean.”

Instead of explaining to Cian how he was just denying his feelings, Lylus smiled calmly.

“Your Highness considers the princess’s safety more important than anything else.”

“…That’s right.”

“I promise to use the foresight that Yenis has given me generously for His Highness, I’m sure it’ll help you accomplish what you desire.”

For a Bishop of the Church of Yenis to volunteer to use his foresight so generously on his behalf was an extraordinary offer. Ordinary clerics either didn’t use their powers or didn’t show it.

After a moment’s consideration, Cian spoke in a low voice.

“Tell me what you want.”

“If there is any danger to Princess Dolorosa, I will notify you as soon as I know, but in return, Your Highness, please lend me your strength.”

It was an offer he couldn’t refuse.

“… I will help you as long as you do not ask me to do anything that would bring harm those who are dear to me.”

“That is more than enough. Thank you, Your Highness.”

Nodding slightly, Cian climbed into the carriage.

Lylus smiled as he watched the coachman depart and the carriage disappear.

Lylus clasped his hands together and closed his eyes. As he prayed reverently, he saw two futures appear in his mind.

One was a terrible future where Rachel took her life with her own hands, and the other was a future where she was laughing and walking through the garden with her son Graham.

He opened his eyes and lowered his hands.

‘We must not allow a future in which Rachel no longer exists.’

This was why Lylus came to Rachel and offered to become her father. He was going to do whatever it took to prevent a future in which Rachel took her own life.

He began by holding on tightly to his partner, Cian Dicarsignac.

 

* * *

 

“Wah! Argh! Ugh!”

In the narrow townhouse, screaming and crying could be heard from Theodore’s room for several days.

Peanut, the maid, was in a panic in front of his room, as he’d completely deprived himself of food and drink.

The same was true for Berengella. She paced in front of her son’s room, holding a glass of wine, her nails, bitten off by her teeth, becoming uneven and ugly.

“Theo! How long do you plan on staying like this?! You need to eat something, now!”

“Why don’t you just go and have another drink, mother! Why do you feel the need to keep bothering me?”

“Pull yourself together! You’re the third-generation Lord of the Elrosa family!!”

“Damn being a third generation Lord! Isn’t that why you forced me to get engaged to Rachel, causing me to never notice her love?”

“What are you saying now?”

“If our marriage hadn’t been arranged, I would’ve realized my feelings for Rachel sooner! I wouldn’t have wasted all this time with someone like Jane!”

“I did all the work, and you still blame everything on your mother, what a filial son.”

“Mother, go away! Ugh! Do you even know how I feel?”

“What on earth was so important about some woman, who’s basically just a commoner now, that you’d put yourself through so much abuse? If you don’t come to your senses, our family will be finished!”

“Stop talking about the damn family! I’m more shocked by the fact that Rachel abandoned me than anything else!”

“Oh my! And I call this damn bastard my son.”

After Lylus burned Jane’s letters, Theodore believed Jane to be the devil. He had no idea that he was the devil Lylus was talking about.

Theodore blamed himself for being possessed by the devil and not recognizing his true love, Rachel, for so long. He was shocked that she, who he thought would only have eyes for himself, abandoned him.

“Rachel! I thought Rachel would love me no matter what I did!”

Berengella gritted her teeth.

“Rachel, she took everything from us.”

At first, Berenguela scolded her son, asking him why he would have an affair with a commoner.

It wasn’t because it was wrong. She was angry that he’d been humiliated by the affair. If he hadn’t been caught in such a shameful way, she wouldn’t have reprimanded him.

As time passed, her anger shifted to Rachel. She thought that if it weren’t for Rachel, things wouldn’t have gotten to this point.

Wasn’t it possible for people to make mistakes in life?

Couldn’t she understand her husband’s mistake?

Did she have to annul the marriage and make them pay so much alimony and child support just because he had a little affair?

Couldn’t she have informed the emperor that it wasn’t a rebellion but a harmless affair? Instead of raising an objection, Rachel seemed to be buying the emperor’s sympathy in order to satisfy herself.

If only Rachel had been more generous. If only she had been more understanding. If only her love had been deeper.

Maybe things wouldn’t have turned out the way they did.

She didn’t feel like there was anything wrong with being angry. A son was a son, no matter how ugly. It was easier to blame Rachel than her son for his mistakes.

“Because she came from a virtuous family, even though she has shortcomings, I overlooked them. I should’ve thrown her out when I realized she was lacking.”

Her son was in a precarious situation where he couldn’t come to his senses due to shock. She had to do something to salvage the reputation of her family, her son, and herself.

Berenguela gulped down the glass of wine in one go and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

“Peanut. Bring paper and a pen. I need to write a letter to Rachel.”

Berengella Elrosa. The woman whose tenacity and obsession had propelled the small, powerless House of Elrosa into the capital, and now, she thought, was her moment to show her true power.

 

* * *

 

Rachel was busy looking through a mountain of correspondences.

Katie clicked her tongue as she helped Rachel organize the pile of letters on her desk.

“Kanna’s at it again. How many times has she sent a letter asking you to please forgive her?”

“She can’t help it. Kanna owes the most in restitution, and frankly, that’s a lot of money to repay even if she works her whole life.”

“No matter what, you shouldn’t even consider reducing the compensation. Last time, you asked me for something absurd like helping that mistress… I absolutely won’t entertain anything ridiculous this time.”

“I won’t give them a discount. Don’t worry.”

The volume of correspondences had started to increase in the past few days. Reparations had begun to arrive from people who’d worked at Elrosa’s mansion.

When someone sent in restitution, Rachel would compare the money they were owed to the money they received, and then write a letter stating that they had been paid.

Calculating the restitution and interest and filling out the paperwork was a lot of work, so Rachel enlisted the help of the meticulous Katie.

As expected, Katie was thorough. Her outspoken and fiery personality also helped.

She was able to catch up on Jane’s work that had been put on the back burner. It was the “mercy” she’d promised Carl.

“Is compensation nothing? It’s all money that is rightfully owed. You don’t know how surprised I was at first when I saw Lady Rachel trying to reduce the compensation.”

“Ahaha. I’m sorry for startling you.”

The next thing to arrive after the compensation was a letter asking for the compensation to be reduced or asking for forgiveness. There were many people who couldn’t get the money by the designated date.

Rachel had no intention of reducing their debt or forgiving them. She just wondered if she could receive it in some way other than money.

The mansion provided by the Emperor and the Council was a comfortable place to live. She didn’t enjoy socializing, so there was no need for money.

But there were things she wanted to do.

‘It’s not absolutely necessary… Still, I really want to do it.’

She needed money to do it, but she also needed other things. Things like information, people, allies. She spent several days thinking and calculating specifically what and how much she would need.

That’s why Katie thought she was debating whether she should reduce the amount of compensation. She convinced Rachel not to.

In the end, Rachel surrendered.

‘We can buy information and people later. For now, as Katie said, let’s just focus on receiving compensation. It’s true that just sorting out the compensation is daunting enough at the moment.’

Rachel grinned at Katie.

“I’m still thankful. I’ll make sure to make it up to you later.”

“It’s my job, and I’m already being paid handsomely by His Highness, so you needn’t worry about it, Lady Rachel.”

Rachel laughed as she watched Katie refuse. If she says so, then she really is.

She wrote a response to a letter asking for a reduction in compensation and a letter asking for forgiveness. She stated that since they didn’t send compensation by the specified date, they would have to pay more interest.

She sorted through the dozen or so letters and picked up the last one. Unlike the others, it didn’t have the sender’s name on it. It was just Rachel’s name written in rough handwriting.

“…?”

She had a bad feeling.

She tore open the envelope with her knife and pulled out the letter.

 

[Rachel Elrosa.

Cancel the annulment and come back to us right away.

I will forgive you, my ugly daughter-in-law, if you come back as soon as you receive this letter and kneel down and apologize, for I am a merciful mother.

Sent by Berengella Elrosa]

 

… Kneel down and apologize? A merciful mother?

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

Katie was startled by Rachel’s sudden, cold expression.

“Lady Rachel? What kind of letter is it?”

Rachel showed the letter to Katie, who narrowed her eyes, face turning rigid.

“…She’s crazy.”

“I know.”

Letting out a short sigh, Rachel gripped the top of Berenguela’s letter with both hands.