When I Quit Being A Wicked Mother-in-law, Everyone Became Obsessed With Me

The bright sunlight streaming in through the large window glimmered as if to tease Renald.

“Where has everyone gone?”

Renald clenched his teeth and grabbed a passing attendant.

“Hey!”

“Yes, Your Highness the First Prince,” the attendant replied, bowing respectfully.

Renald, speaking in an impatient tone, pressed the attendant for information.

“Where are the Valois Duke and his family? Aren’t they having a meal?”

The attendant couldn’t hide his bewilderment at the question.

“Uh? They finished their meal a little while ago.”

“What?!”

Renald doubted his ears.

“Even though I was late, are they saying they finished eating without me?!”

What kind of nonsense was this, leaving the Empire’s First Prince waiting?

As Renald simmered with frustration, a bright voice called out to him.

“Your Highness the First Prince.”

Renald turned abruptly, only to have his expression twist in shock.

“Duchess Valois.”

It was Anriche, dressed in her outing clothes.

With a smile as radiant as freshly bloomed spring flowers, she asked, “Did you sleep well last night?”

“Sleep… yes, I did,” Renald replied through gritted teeth. “However, I didn’t expect you to finish your meal before I arrived, considering I’m a bit late due to my fatigue.”

Ah, Anriche’s smile deepened a little.

“Well, one must be brazen enough to commit such rudeness in Valois.”

Admiring Renald’s grim face, Anriche responded in a gentle tone, “Yes, we finished our meal first.”

“No…!”

“Our cook is quite skilled, so our meals are always delightful,” she added, feigning innocence with a bright expression.

Looking at her face made Renald feel like his insides were being scraped raw.

He clenched his fist and retorted, “That’s not what I’m referring to.”

But Anriche merely stared blankly at him.

“So, what?”

Unable to contain his frustration, Renald protested, “I believe I informed you that I would be late.”

“Yes, I heard that,” Anriche elegantly nodded.

“You gave us the hint to start eating first, didn’t you?”

“…What did you say?”

“Indeed, a polite guest does not make the host wait due to oversleeping.”

Her violet eyes curved like half moons.

“So I understood it as a sign to not wait and to start our meal first…”

Anriche asked, playfully as if questioning if she had misunderstood the First Prince’s thoughts.

“No, that’s not…!”

Renald, who had opened his mouth reflexively, clenched his teeth tightly.

“No,” he desperately wanted to respond.

However, “If I answer that way here…”

Wouldn’t he become the rude guest who makes the host wait because he overslept?

“…No, that’s not the case.”

In the end, Renald could only respond in a suppressed voice.

Anriche continued cheerfully, “Then shall we go?”

Renald looked at her in confusion. “Go? Where?”

“Why, you came to observe our multi-passenger carriage business, didn’t you?”

Anriche shrugged her shoulders, as if surprised by such an obvious question.

“Of course, you should see our carriage business.”

“Excuse me?”

“The carriage has already been prepared.”

Finally, Renald focused on Anriche’s outing attire.

He was inwardly aghast.

“Is she really planning to take me out?”

Initially, Renald had come with the intention of currying favor with Valois and receiving hospitality.

Saying he came to “observe the multi-passenger carriage business” was merely an excuse to visit Valois.

“What do those fools driving the carriages have to do with me?!”

Yet it seemed Anriche genuinely intended to take him out.

“How could I not be delighted to hear that His Highness is interested in our business?”

“No, Duchess…”

“Of course, since you overslept a bit, today’s schedule seems likely to be much busier than expected…”

Anriche dramatically sighed.

“That can’t be helped since you’re fatigued.”

…It feels like she’s prodding at a sore spot.

“So, are you not going?”

“…No, I will go.”

Ultimately, Renald had no choice but to respond that way, with a face that clearly showed his discomfort.

His expression alone proved that he had little interest in the carriage business.

“I knew it.”

Anriche turned away, suppressing her disdain.

***

“Damn it!”

Renald cursed inwardly.

“How can they work all day like this?”

It had already been over four hours since they set out.

During that time, Anriche had dragged Renald around, explaining various aspects of the multi-passenger carriage business.

“When we devised this business, the method we chose was….”

She seemed tireless, her eyes still sparkling with enthusiasm.

In contrast, Renald felt deflated, like pickled cabbage.

“What is this? Is she some kind of workaholic?”

With a face twisted in fatigue, Renald glanced at Anriche out of the corner of his eye.

What troubled him most at the moment was:

“Damn it, when are we having lunch?”

He was hungry.

He had skipped breakfast and had expended a lot of energy moving around right after waking up.

Used to a lavish lifestyle, Renald was thoroughly exhausted from such activity.

“Ugh, I feel like I might collapse at any moment.”

Just then, his empty stomach growled loudly.

Renald’s face flushed red.

“Oh no, damn it!”

At the same time, Anriche’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked up at him.

“Oh my, are you perhaps hungry?”

“N-no, I’m not.”

Embarrassed by the growling sound, Renald instinctively replied that way.

Yet inside, he hoped for her to suggest, “Let’s go have a meal.”

“Ah, I see. Since you’re busy, let’s skip lunch then.”

Anriche nodded readily.

“What? What do you mean?”

Renald opened his eyes wide.

Anriche met his fierce gaze with an innocent expression.

“What’s wrong with that pride of yours? Can’t you say ‘let’s go eat’?”

A faint smile crept onto her lips.

It was a wicked smile.

“Who told you to act like you overslept?”

It was self-sabotage.

Suppressing her laughter, Anriche turned away.

“Now, where we need to go next is…”

“Wait a moment. Is there more on today’s schedule?”

Renald asked urgently.

“Of course.”

Anriche nodded cheerfully at Renald, who had turned pale.

“Since you’ve come this far, you should at least experience the multi-passenger carriage once, shouldn’t you?”

“Wait, Duchess.”

Suddenly, Renald exploded with indignation.

“Are you telling me to ride in a carriage with those ignorant commoners?”

…What did she just say?

Anriche couldn’t believe her ears.

“Even if they live off the taxes paid by the Empire’s citizens, they still don’t know their place.”

However,

Anriche took a deep breath.

“Even if I tell him to respect the common people, he won’t listen.”

The word “arrogant” seemed to have been created just for someone like Renald.

“In that case…”

Regaining her composure, Anriche looked at Renald.

“Well, I think it would be better if you held back on such comments.”

A gentle reply flowed from her lips.

Renald frowned deeply.

“What do you mean by ‘hold back’?”

“Well, His Majesty the Emperor is very interested in the livelihood of the people, isn’t he?”

“W-well, yes, that’s true…”

“In my eyes, your behavior as the First Prince…”

Anriche shrugged her shoulders lightly.

“Seems to go against His Majesty’s great intentions.”

“Who, who is going against His Majesty’s intentions?!”

Renald jumped up from his seat in shock.

“Just so you know, there are eyes and ears everywhere.”

“Duchess!”

“Of course, I’m sure you spoke without thinking.”

Anriche smiled brightly.

“However, such slip-ups could end up causing trouble for you, Your Highness.”

Struck to the core, Renald coughed deliberately.

“Cough, cough!”

“Let’s go.”

Without waiting for Renald’s reply, Anriche started walking ahead.

“What an irritating person.”

Her smile had completely vanished from her face.