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

***

A few days later.

As Countess Tornian absently examined the mail that had come to her, she couldn’t help but furrow her brows.

It was no wonder, considering the sender’s name on the luxurious envelope read…

“Anriche von Valois.”

…the Duchess of Valois.

‘Why on earth is the Duchess of Valois sending me a letter?’

No matter how she thought about it, there was no reason to receive a letter from the Duchess.

They weren’t particularly close, and above all, Tornian was engaged to Baron Londini.

It was nearly public knowledge that Valois viewed Londini as an eyesore.

Swallowing hard, the Countess opened the envelope.

At the same time, her eyes widened.

‘Huh?’

Despite her tension, the content of the letter was quite polite.

“To Countess Tornian,

Hello. It seems this is the first time I’m sending you a letter.

The reason I’m writing is that I’m considering purchasing a building.

However, I feel it might be a bit lonely to do it alone.

So, I was wondering if you could accompany me for some company.

I’ve regretted not having the opportunity to get to know you better until now, and I would really like to become closer this time.

I look forward to your reply.”

“…She wants to build a friendship with me?”

Countess Tornian stared blankly at the elegant signature of the Duchess of Valois.

The letter itself was flawless, yet it left her with a strange feeling.

Because…

‘There’s no reason for the Duchess of Valois to want to build a friendship with me, to begin with.’

It was true, even if it stung her pride.

Unlike the Valois family, which was comparable to the Imperial family, Tornian was just an ordinary family.

‘Then, if I refuse the Duchess’s offer… no, I can’t do that.’

After all, she was the Duchess of Valois.

If she hastily rejected the offer, who knew what kind of mischief could arise?

Countess Tornian pulled the letter towards her with a stiffened expression.

As she began to write her reply, her trembling hand could hardly withstand the tension.

***

A luxurious carriage bearing the emblem of the Valois family glided to a stop in front of Tornian’s townhouse.

Countess Tornian stepped out, her face tense.

‘The Duchess of Valois came all the way to pick me up at my townhouse…’

Of course, friends sometimes shared carriages, but no matter how she thought about it, they weren’t that close.

The door swung open.

Leaning comfortably against the interior of the carriage, Anriche glanced to the side.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Duchess Valois.”

Countess Tornian, trying hard to hide her confusion, bowed as politely as possible.

Anriche returned the greeting kindly.

“Hello, Countess Tornian. Thank you for coming out.”

“It’s nothing, really.”

Countess Tornian shook her head quickly and climbed into the carriage.

Then she glanced at Anriche, looking for hints.

“Do you have a building in mind?”

“Of course, I do.”

“The building you chose must be quite splendid, right?”

Desperately trying to flatter Anriche, Countess Tornian received only a mysterious smile in return.

‘What on earth is she plotting?’

Cold sweat ran down Countess Tornian’s back.

After a little while, the carriage passed along a familiar path and stopped in front of a two-story building.

‘Huh?’

Countess Tornian’s eyes widened in surprise.

Because…

‘This is the Londini Orphanage, isn’t it?’

She couldn’t hide her bewilderment.

Just then, Anriche looked out the window and confirmed that this was indeed their destination in a calm voice.

“We’ve arrived. Let’s get out.”

“Yes, yes?”

Before Countess Tornian could voice her confusion, Anriche hopped out of the carriage.

Countess Tornian hurriedly followed her.

“You said you were going to buy a building…”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Anriche nodded nonchalantly.

“I’m planning to buy this building.”

She gestured toward the Londini Orphanage.

Countess Tornian’s mouth fell open.

“Surely, the Londini family wouldn’t sell the orphanage…”

“No, they will be selling it.”

Countess Tornian looked at Anriche with a perplexed expression at her firm answer.

And just then…

In the distance, a group of security personnel began to arrive.

‘…The security? Why are they here?’

Feeling a chill run down her spine, Countess Tornian found herself frozen in place.

It was no wonder; the demeanor of the security personnel was quite menacing.

As if they were there to apprehend a dangerous criminal…

‘And that person is…’

Among the security personnel was a man wearing the uniform of an Imperial tax inspector.

What on earth was going on in this situation?

While Countess Tornian was desperately trying to understand the current situation,

the lead security officer spoke in a stern voice.

“From this moment forth, in the name of His Majesty the Emperor, we will conduct a search and seizure of the Londini Orphanage.”

What?!

Countess Tornian was rendered speechless.

However, the situation was escalating beyond her control.

“Yes!!”

The soldiers responded with loud voices and rushed into the orphanage in a stampede.

The head of the security team and the tax inspector greeted Anriche.

“It is an honor to meet you, Duchess Valois.”

“You’re all doing a great job.”

Anriche remained calm throughout the chaotic situation, as if all of this were unfolding in the palm of her hand.

At that moment, the Londini couple was dragged out by the security personnel.

“Do you even know who I am?!”

“How dare you common soldiers lay a hand on a noble?!”

“You filthy peasants, get your hands off before I chop off your heads!!”

The couple squealed like pigs being slaughtered.

Simultaneously, a gentle voice posed a question to them.

“Who is it that is threatening to chop off whose head?”

“Of course, it’s these peasants!”

“To treat a noble so carelessly, they should be punished severely…!”

The couple, who had reflexively raised their voices, fell silent as they recognized the owner of the voice.

“…Duchess Valois?”

“The security personnel are simply following the Emperor’s most sacred orders.”

With that, Anriche flashed a knowing smile.

Baron Londini stumbled as he opened his mouth.

“W-What brings you here, Duchess…?”

“I’m here to see if you are receiving a lawful punishment.”

“…What?”

The Londini couple stared at Anriche in bewilderment.

“By lawful punishment, you mean…?”

“Have you already forgotten? It seems you both might be suffering from selective memory loss.”

At her blunt remark, the security personnel had to stifle their laughter.

The couple’s faces turned bright red.

‘How outrageous…!’

But whether the couple felt ashamed or not, Anriche continued in a nonchalant voice.

“Previously, when I took Liliana from the orphanage, I mentioned it to you, didn’t I?”

“…What are you talking about?”

“If you continue to be greedy or trouble Liliana again…”

Anriche’s smile deepened.

It was a smile as cold as ice.

“I will respond appropriately.”

“W-What do you mean by an appropriate response? Even if you try to hold us accountable, we haven’t done anything wrong…!”

“Stealing the funds that were meant for Liliana’s living expenses.”

With a voice devoid of any warmth, the Londini couple froze in place.

“Did you think that the punishment for that incident would simply be a fine?”

“But we have already been punished for that?! It’s all in the past…!”

“Who said it was over?”

Anriche looked at the couple with a stern gaze.

“On the contrary, didn’t you think you received benefits because you were Liliana’s only relatives?”

“Benefits?”

“The Londini family settled the tax issue by merely paying a fine.”

Her calm voice pierced through like a blade.

“However, in principle, embezzlement and tax issues require not only fines but also imprisonment of over five years.”

At her words, the Londini couple and Countess Tornian became momentarily dazed.

Of course, they knew that was generally the principle.

However, when nobles committed crimes, they were usually let off lightly with just fines in most circumstances.

In fact, the fact that such a massive amount of three thousand groschen was involved was already an unusual case…

“The Emperor himself is quite pleased.”

…Wait, the Emperor?

With the sudden mention of such a colossal name, the Londini couple froze in their tracks.