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

Like a deep lake whose depths conceal unknown secrets.

Anriche gestured toward the ground with a nod.
“Get on your knees.”

“…What?”

Lady Ivan replied in a dazed voice, her expression bewildered.

Liliana, who was watching the situation unfold, also widened her eyes in shock.
“I said to kneel and immediately apologize to Liliana.”

“W-what does that mean?!”

“If you want to be dragged by the servants and forced to kneel, go right ahead.”

Anriche stared at Lady Ivan with an expressionless face.

Lady Ivan clenched her fists tightly.
“But I am Miss Liliana’s teacher! A teacher kneeling to a student is unacceptable…!”

“Well, Lady Ivan is, first and foremost… an employee of Valua.”

“Pardon?”

“You’re a private tutor employed by Valua, right?”

With that pointed remark, Lady Ivan’s face turned bright red.
“H-how can you say such a thing?!”

“Is there something wrong with what I said?”

“I have also taught the Duchess of Valua!”

“And?”

Anriche raised an eyebrow skeptically.

Lady Ivan protested with an aggrieved expression.
“H-how can you ask me to kneel? Show me some respect!”

“I really don’t understand. Why do you sound so aggrieved?”

Anriche narrowed her eyes.
Looking directly at Lady Ivan, she twisted her lips into a smirk.
“For Lady Ivan, ‘teaching strictly’ and ‘inflicting punishment’ seem to be synonymous.”

In that moment, Lady Ivan’s eyes widened in shock.

Anriche was effectively returning the treatment Lady Ivan had inflicted on Liliana.
“So, as the lady of Valua, I’m merely trying to teach an employee strictly by having them kneel.”

“Your Grace!”

“At least I have justifiable reasons for punishing you, but what justification do you have?”

As she asked this, Anriche took a step forward.

Lady Ivan flinched as if she had just been slapped.
“Do you really believe that punishment towards Liliana was justified?”

“Of course! I’m only doing this for Miss Liliana’s education…!”

Lady Ivan raised her voice impulsively.

At that, Anriche smiled with a cold, humorless grin.
“If that’s the case, then let’s see you try.”

“…What?”

“I’m talking about that famous ‘critique of Elbante.’”

Could it be that she heard that conversation too?!

Lady Ivan’s face turned pale as a sheet of paper.

Of course, she never imagined that Liliana could critique Elbante.

How could a mere seven-year-old girl do something only the empire’s most esteemed scholars could manage?

“When you were blabbering on, why are you silent now?”

“Y-your Grace, I…”

What that meant was, Lady Ivan couldn’t critique Elbante either.

Lady Ivan felt a dizzying sensation sweep over her.

The Duchess of Sachsen had recently expressed deep hurt over her daughter’s misbehavior.
“So, I think it would be good for Lady Ivan to keep Count Everitt’s daughter in check.”

“Miss Liliana?”

“Yes. If you do that, Anriche will likely follow my orders for that child’s sake…”

The Duchess of Sachsen had whispered this with a smile.
“If that child becomes obedient again, won’t I be sure to take care of Lady Ivan?”

That made sense.

However, she wasn’t particularly keen on teaching the daughter of a fallen count, which had only led to her acting a bit stubbornly…

“Who would have thought it would come to this?”

Lady Ivan bit her lips until they bled.

At that moment, Anriche fixed her gaze on Lady Ivan.
“So, are you not going to kneel?”

‘…Alright, let’s yield for now.’

I’ll report everything about today to the Duchess of Sachsen later and get my revenge.

Lady Ivan gritted her teeth and knelt.

Thud.

As she looked at her teacher kneeling before her, Liliana swallowed hard.
‘Is this… a dream?’

It was hard to believe her eyes that the terrifying teacher was now willingly kneeling.

“I-I’m sorry… Miss Liliana.”

Simultaneously, Lady Ivan whispered with a voice that sounded like it was being squeezed out.

Liliana’s heart raced.
‘Mother got angry for me… so I was able to get an apology.’

…I shouldn’t be happy in such a serious situation.

Liliana felt her cheeks flush.

But that was only for a moment.
‘But… this isn’t right.’

Liliana’s expression turned serious.
I heard that Lady Ivan was the teacher who taught my mother.

But what if, in protecting me, my mother and Lady Ivan end up completely at odds?

Liliana tightly grasped Anriche’s sleeve and shook her head.

Her youthful face was filled with worry.
“Mother, I’m okay. So… please…”

“No, Liliana. You can’t be okay in this situation.”

At that moment, Anriche gently but firmly shook her head.

Liliana’s eyes widened a little.
“You’re the next lady of the Valua duchy and the only heir of the Count of Everitt.”

“…But.”

“There’s no ‘but.’ You deserve to be respected.”

Anriche reached out and brushed Liliana’s shoulder.

Seeing Liliana’s dejected appearance tugged at Anriche’s heart.
“Lady Ivan has done you a great wrong.”

“B-but…”

“Then it’s only natural to apologize.”

It was a soft but firm voice.

“Of course, whether or not to accept that apology is entirely up to you, Liliana.”

Liliana, who had been gazing blankly at Anriche, moved her lips.
“I… um…”

“What do you want to do?”

“Miss Liliana!”

At that moment, Lady Ivan desperately called out to Liliana.

Liliana flinched, her shoulders stiffening.
“I can make you a perfect lady like the Duchess!”

“Teach, teach!”

“If you dismiss me like this, you’ll never be able to achieve that dream!”

Lady Ivan’s eyes widened as she raised her voice.

But Anriche merely comforted Liliana by gently patting her shoulder.
“Liliana, do you remember what I said before?”

“…What Mother said?”

“Yes. I don’t expect you to be a perfect lady, nor do I want you to overexert yourself.”

Upon hearing those words, Liliana’s eyes glistened like freshly sprouted leaves.

“And you are you. You don’t have to compare yourself to me.”

With that statement, it seemed Liliana firmed her resolve.

Her small hands clenched tightly around the hem of Anriche’s dress.
“Well then… I want to study with a different teacher.”

“Good.”

Anriche nodded and glanced down at Lady Ivan.

Lady Ivan still wore a look of disbelief, unable to accept reality.

Anriche spoke coldly.
“Did you hear? Lady Ivan is no longer Liliana’s teacher.”

“…What?”

“The ‘strict education’ you provide is not suitable for the one and only fiancée of the Duke of Valua.”

Shock began to spread across Lady Ivan’s face.

Could she really be planning to fire me over something like this?

But Anriche was serious.
“I believe there’s no longer a reason to employ Lady Ivan at the House of Valua.”

“That’s absurd! Do you think the Duchess of Sachsen would allow such a thing?!”

Lady Ivan shrieked.

Yet Anriche merely scoffed.
Right, she had the support of ‘my mother’ to back her.

But Anriche had no intention of ignoring the situation any longer.
“Lady Ivan, you need to think carefully. Your current employer is not my mother but me.”

“What do you mean…?”

“I just want to clarify, in case you think everything is settled.”

Anriche tilted her head slightly.
“From today onwards, you will never set foot in the Valua duchy’s townhouse again. Furthermore…”

Anriche’s soft voice crashed into Lady Ivan’s ears like a thunderclap.
“You’ll be jointly responsible for this incident, Lady Ivan.”

“What? Oh my, Duchess!”

Only then did a desperate cry escape Lady Ivan’s lips.

She rushed toward Anriche.
“Please forgive me! I will do my utmost to teach the lady from now on!”

“No, anyone who hasn’t done their best to teach my daughter-in-law so far will no longer be needed.”

Anriche shot back sharply.

Lady Ivan froze in place.
Is she really planning to fire me, and not just trying to scare me?

“Have your feelings of regret for our Liliana compel you to kneel in that very spot.”