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

‘Well, maybe it was a maid passing by who brought it to me.’

The name of the maid in charge of the study was… Anna, if she recalled correctly.

Thinking she should express her gratitude, Anriche left the study.

Just a few steps out, she coincidentally ran into Anna, who was walking across the corridor.

“Ah, Anna! Good morning.”

“Ah, my lady.”

Anna clasped her hands together and bowed.

“Did you sleep well last night?”

“Thanks to the blanket you brought, I slept very well. Thank you.”

“Excuse me?”

Anna looked at Anriche with a puzzled expression.

‘What’s going on? Why is she reacting like that?’

Anriche felt a bit confused.

“Why do you look surprised?”

“Well, you mentioned the blanket…”

Anna spoke cautiously.

“I don’t recall bringing you a blanket.”

“…Huh?”

Anriche blinked in surprise.

If it wasn’t Anna, then who had covered her with a blanket?

“I haven’t been to the study since last night.”

“Really?”

“Yes. You told me, remember?”

Anna looked at Anriche with a puzzled gaze.

“You said not to come in and out unless it was urgent because it might distract you.”

“Ah, right.”

Anriche remembered saying that.

Then who could it have been that came to her room yesterday?

Lost in thought for a moment, Anriche snapped back to reality at Anna’s voice.

“And what about breakfast…?”

“We need to have it. What about the children?”

“Jane said she would take them to the dining room.”

“Got it. And what about you, my lord?”

“I was just about to head down too.”

Just then, a voice suddenly interrupted, and Anriche turned around quickly.

Alexei, looking fresh and clean as if he had just finished washing up, was gazing at her.

“You should come down with me, my lady.”

“Ah, sure.”

There was no particular reason to refuse, so Anriche found herself heading to the dining room with Alexei.

As they descended the long staircase, Alexei suddenly called out to her.

“My lady.”

“Yes, what is it?”

In response to her answer, Alexei began to speak earnestly, as if he had made up his mind.

“While working hard is good, I hope you’ll pay more attention to your health.”

…What does he mean by that?

Anriche looked up at her husband with a slightly baffled expression.

Alexei’s face was unusually serious.

“Getting enough sleep is very important.”

“Is it?”

“Staying up all night is not good for your health.”

Well…

Anriche felt a bit uncertain and twitched her lips.

Sure, he was right.

But still.

“Isn’t it a bit strange for you to say that, my lord?”

At her question, Alexei stiffened, seeming taken aback.

It seemed she had hit the nail on the head.

With a playful expression, Anriche continued speaking.

“You stay up much later than I do.”

“Well, if we’re being technical, that’s true.”

“I appreciate your concern for me, but shouldn’t you take care of your own health first, my lord?”

Alexei couldn’t bring himself to refute her words.

Even he felt they were entirely valid.

After a moment,

Anriche narrowed her eyes and smiled.

“Well, still, thank you for worrying about me.”

“…My lady.”

“Let’s hurry down; the children must be waiting.”

With a mischievous remark, Anriche quickly made her way down the stairs, leaving Alexei to watch her retreating figure in a daze.

It was quite strange.

If anything, she had just scolded him.

“…”

Yet, he didn’t feel bad at all.

In fact…

‘I’m quite happy.’

Knowing that she scolded him out of concern made his neck feel warm.

***

Anriche gazed down at the freshly printed invitations with a sense of uncertainty.

Even to her eyes, the invitations, printed on stiff, high-quality paper with gold embellishments, looked quite splendid.

However…

‘I wonder if anyone will actually come if I send these invitations?’

Anriche couldn’t hide her troubled expression.

No matter how she thought about it, her notorious reputation was far too high.

‘Well, I can’t not send them, though.’

If even a third of the invited families showed up, it would be a success.

Thus, trying hard to think positively, she had sent out the invitations…

And a few days later…

“Wow.”

Anriche’s mouth dropped open.

Of course, it was because…

“Wow, all the families have sent back responses saying they will attend!”

To be honest, she hadn’t expected much at all.

She had her notorious reputation to consider.

In that situation, she wasn’t bold enough to believe that all the families she invited would actually come.

‘But everyone is saying they will attend…’

Were they all saints sent from heaven?

As Anriche was still in disbelief, the butler quietly spoke up.

“You must be pleased, my lady.”

“Of course!”

Anriche nodded, her cheeks flushing with excitement.

“I was worried I might ruin the engagement ceremony, but it seems like that won’t be a concern anymore. I’m really relieved.”

“Did you worry about that?”

“Of course. Ah, should we prepare more food than I originally planned?”

Her violet eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.

“What should we dress Elliott and Liliana in for the engagement ceremony?”

The butler watched the excited Anriche with a nostalgic gaze.

‘I’m so glad to see my lady happy.’

If she hadn’t been, all the effort he had put in would have been for nothing.

The butler recalled what had happened a few days earlier.

‘Get in here.’

Alexei had suddenly summoned the butler into his study and thrust a file at him.

The butler took it with a perplexed expression and asked, ‘What is this?’

“This is the list of families my wife decided to invite.”

Alexei pointed to the file with a gesture.

“Make sure to contact these families.”

“Excuse me?”

“Take every precaution to ensure my wife’s invitations aren’t declined.”

“Excuse me?”

The stunned butler stared at Alexei in disbelief.

However, Alexei met his gaze with a brazen expression.

“Are you deaf? Why do you keep repeating what I said?”

“No, it’s not that…”

“If it’s not, then just get the work done properly.”

“Yes… I will obey…”

Ultimately, the butler accepted the file, looking as if he had just received a death sentence.

The following events were predictable.

As a reward for thoroughly executing the lord’s orders, the butler had to work through the night for nearly two days.

Of course, Alexei did provide extra compensation for his troubles…

‘Yes, money is everything in this world.’

The butler nodded heavily.

It wouldn’t be fair to blame Alexei completely, given how generous the compensation was.

Just then…

“Hmm?”

Anriche, who had been chattering excitedly, furrowed her brows as she peered down at the butler’s desk.

She pulled out a stack of documents that had been wedged between the books.

“W-My Lady?!”

The butler was stunned, nearly fainting, and hurriedly reached out.

But it was too late.

Anriche examined the stack of documents with a suspicious gaze.

“What’s this, butler?”

It was no wonder; the papers were filled with the names of families she recognized.

“Every family listed here is one that I sent an invitation to.”

“Um, my lady?”

“It would be better for you to speak honestly.”

Having declared this, Anriche waved the documents around as if to make a point.

‘Why didn’t I put these documents away properly?!’

All this was due to the fatigue from the nights of hard work!

The butler cursed inwardly, but the incident had already occurred.

“Well, that is…”

Ultimately, the butler confessed everything that had happened.

Anriche crossed her arms and stared at the butler with a scrutinizing expression.

“Hmm, so that’s how it was.”

“Yes, but… the lord didn’t mean anything bad by it…”

“I understand.”

Interrupting the butler’s flustered excuses, Anriche nodded.

But her expression didn’t convey ‘I understand’ at all?!

The butler silently shed tears of blood.

***

That evening.

Alexei was secretly waiting for the meeting of the nobility to end as soon as possible.

He wanted to see Anriche.

Because…

‘I’m curious about my lady’s reaction.’

By now, most of the responses to the invitations should have arrived.

Having instructed the butler thoroughly, he believed most would attend the engagement ceremony.

He hoped she would be smiling…