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

“Ah, yes, well…”

Elliot’s expression turned cold as he looked at his mother, who was covering her mouth with both hands.

Of course, it wasn’t that Liliana wasn’t pretty.

It was just that…

‘…I thought only my mother was obsessed with Liliana.’

Watching quietly, it seemed that his mother wasn’t any less infatuated.

He wasn’t sure if he should be thinking this way about an adult, though.

“Now, can you hold this wooden sword for a moment?”

Alexei offered a wooden sword.

Liliana swallowed hard and took the sword, getting into position.

At that moment, a glimmer appeared in Alexei’s eyes.

‘She’s never had any experience with swordsmanship, so I’ve heard…’

But Liliana’s stance was incredibly upright.

Above all, her body was well-balanced.

It was as if she instinctively knew how to distribute strength through her limbs.

“…Is this how I should do it?”

“Good. Now, can you swing the wooden sword once?”

Alexei began to assess Liliana’s basic strength, agility, and flexibility.

Watching him, Anriche couldn’t hide her anxious expression.

‘Isn’t that… a bit too hard for her?’

Was it really okay for a child who had barely exercised to move so vigorously?

But it seemed Alexei had a different perspective.

He watched Liliana intently, then smirked slightly and said, “Oh, is this all you can do?”

It was just a small provocation.

However, it was enough to ignite Liliana’s competitive spirit.

Her verdant eyes sharpened.

“Ha!”

With a sharp shout, Liliana planted her feet firmly and charged at Alexei.

Clang!

The wooden swords clashed, producing a sound that was surprisingly sharp for being made of wood.

Clang, clang, clack!

Liliana gripped the wooden sword with both hands and began to swing.

Alexei easily blocked her attacks with minimal effort.

‘Somehow, Alexei seems a bit satisfied…’

Anriche tilted her head in confusion.

In fact, a smile had been on Alexei’s face the entire time.

However, it seemed that Liliana interpreted that smile somewhat differently.

“Tch!”

Liliana gritted her teeth.

Gathering strength in her legs, she stomped the ground again.

She jabbed, slashed, and swung with an intensity that was quite remarkable for a child.

‘…But.’

Liliana was currently feeling immense pressure.

Alexei, standing right in front of her, felt like an insurmountable cliff, far beyond her reach.

‘All my attacks are being blocked.’

Liliana understood logically.

She was just a beginner, having picked up a sword for the first time today, while Alexei was renowned as the best knight in the empire.

Still, she felt an overwhelming urge to keep fighting.

She wanted to reach Alexei, no matter what.

‘No. If I keep this up, no matter how much time passes…’

Sure! Here’s the translation of the text you provided:

***

“You will never be able to defeat the Duke.”

As that thought crossed her mind, her whole body tensed up instinctively.

If only she could at least brush against his clothes…!

“Haah!”

Lilianna charged into Alexei’s arms with a shout.

Alexei raised his eyebrows slightly.

‘Is she instinctively trying to use her small stature to her advantage?’

In an instant, he made such a judgment, and the sight of her bravely charging deep into enemy territory without fear was indeed impressive.

However…

Tsk, Alexei clicked his tongue and slightly raised his wooden sword.

As soon as Lilianna’s movements were disrupted, her wooden sword flew out of her hand.

Thud!

The sound of the wooden sword rolling on the floor was loud.

Gasping for breath, Lilianna looked up at Alexei.

“Hah, hah, hah…”

Despite being almost overwhelmingly overpowered, Lilianna showed no signs of giving up.

Instead, her eyes widened as if she wanted to continue sparring.

Alexei spoke soothingly.

“That’s enough for now.”

“No, hah, I can do more, more!”

“No, pushing yourself too hard can do more harm than good.”

Shaking his head, Alexei called out to Lilianna with a playful tone.

“By the way, Lilianna.”

“Yes, Duke.”

“Are you already thinking about beating me?”

At the teasing tone of his voice, Lilianna flinched and stiffened her shoulders.

Then, with an awkward expression, she bowed her head slightly.

“I apologize if I was rude.”

“No, not at all. In fact, I liked it very much.”

“……”

“Having a strong desire is a good thing. It’s a necessary talent for someone who wields a sword.”

Alexei added lightly.

“Your persistence until the end was also admirable.”

“Th-thank you, Duke.”

“The test will end here. You did well.”

“……Thank you.”

Surprised by the unexpected praise, Lilianna’s cheeks flushed bright red.

“……You’re amazing, Lilianna.”

Elliot muttered in a dazed voice.

Anriče agreed as well.

Meanwhile, after the test was over.

Lilianna anxiously clutched Anriče.

“Mother, do you think the Duke will allow me to learn swordsmanship?”

Before she knew it, Lilianna had completely lost her earlier determination, returning to her usual timid self.

Anriče chuckled softly and comforted Lilianna.

“If he had no intention of teaching swordsmanship, he wouldn’t have even held the test in the first place, right?”

“……I guess you’re right?”

Only then did Lilianna smile brightly.

Perhaps exhausted, Lilianna barely washed off her sweat and fell asleep like a log.

Hearing the soft sounds of the child’s breathing, Anriče turned around at a light knock.

“Oh, Duke.”

It was Alexei.

Cautiously, so as not to make any noise, Alexei stepped into the room.

“Is Lilianna asleep?”

“Yes, she seems to be quite tired.”

“I suppose I did push her to her limits today.”

Looking at Lilianna, Alexei’s expression seemed somewhat exhilarated.

He gestured for her to follow him.

“Could you spare me a moment?”

“Of course.”

Anriče followed Alexei outside.

As soon as she carefully closed the door without making a sound, Alexei urgently spoke up.

“Lilianna certainly has a talent for swordsmanship.”

“Hmm, if you say that, Duke… she must be quite talented?”

“Absolutely. People would call a child like her a ‘genius.’”

Is it really to that extent?

Anriče was taken aback.

After all, it was none other than Alexei, who was regarded as the Empire’s greatest knight.

That he would assert that so confidently!

Alexei continued to explain methodically.

“Though she may lack strength due to being a girl, she is flexible and quick on her feet.”

There was a faint enthusiasm in his voice.

“Most importantly, she has a natural instinct for combat.”

“What do you mean by that…?”

“It means that she has a great ability to assess her situation and lead it to her advantage.”

Upon hearing this, Anriče suddenly thought of Lilianna watching Elliot’s swordsmanship training.

The way she stared intently at Elliot as he sparred with his master.

‘Rather than simply blocking the sword, conserving her strength first and then waiting for an opportunity would be much better…’

‘How did she notice those things you just pointed out?’

‘Huh? I just mentioned what I saw…’

Now that she thought about it, Lilianna had come up with strategies just by ‘seeing.’

Anriče felt a bit dazed.

At that moment, Alexei’s voice broke through Anriče’s thoughts.

“Honestly, I think Lilianna is better than Elliot.”

“Really? But…”

“I’m not talking about talent.”

Shaking his head slightly, Alexei continued.

“Both children have similar talents to begin with.”

“Then why do you think Lilianna is better?”

“It’s because of her competitive spirit.”

Competitive spirit?

Anriče blinked in surprise.

“Actually, Elliot is quite skilled too. If he puts his mind to it, he could easily defeat most children.”

However, Alexei’s expression was not very bright as he spoke.

“But in actual duels, Elliot’s chances of winning aren’t very high.”

“Why is that?”

“It’s because Elliot doesn’t have a strong desire to win.”

So that’s how it is.

Anriče was at a loss for words at this perspective she had never considered before.

After all, knights are always on the front lines of life-and-death competition…

“They’re indifferent whether they win or lose.”

After pausing for a moment, Alexei concluded with a short sigh.

“It’s not necessarily a bad trait. It just isn’t a very favorable disposition for a knight.”

Anriče nodded silently.

She felt like she understood what he was saying.