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

Anriche smiled brightly at her young daughter-in-law before glancing out the window once more.

At the same time, her eyes widened slightly.

‘Ah, it’s the Duchy of Balua.’

This meant that she would soon be meeting the Duchess Dowager and the head butler.

‘I’m feeling a bit nervous, after all.’

Just as Anriche swallowed hard in anticipation, she heard a voice calling her.

“Madam.”

Startled, Anriche turned around to find Alexei standing there.

“It’s all right.”

“Your Grace.”

“You’ve done your best until now.”

His words felt as though he could see right through her heart.

“The people at the duchy, and my mother as well,”

Alexei continued with conviction, “will surely recognize your efforts.”

“…But.”

“If they don’t, I’ll do my best to persuade them.”

Alexei’s expression remained serious throughout.

“Don’t worry too much.”

Anriche, whose eyes had widened, smiled faintly.

“What are you saying, really?”

She lightly teased him without malice.

However, Alexei noticed that her previously tense expression had softened slightly.

A moment later, she whispered softly, “Thank you.”

Alexei felt satisfied with her response.

***

After a long journey across the Duchy of Balua, the carriage finally came to a gentle stop in front of the duke’s residence.

‘It’s truly beautiful.’

The duchy, glowing softly in a light cream color under the sunlight, looked like a piece of art in its own right.

Gazing at the imposing duke’s castle before her, Anriche couldn’t help but admire it sincerely.

‘After all, this castle has significant meaning in the history of imperial architecture.’

It was said to have been designed by a famous architect several hundred years ago.

‘…No wonder I feel a bit overwhelmed.’

Together with the imperial family, the Duchy of Balua possessed one of the oldest histories in the empire.

The ancestral home of such a noble family had withstood the test of time.

Just by seeing this single building, Anriche felt the immense power and influence of the Balua family.

‘No, I can’t let myself be intimidated already!’

Anriche made an effort to appear calm as she stared straight ahead.

As they approached, the servants were lined up in rows to welcome the duke’s family.

At the center, the head butler Gregor bowed respectfully.

“I greet the duke, the young lady, the young duke, and Miss Liliana.”

Along with him, the other servants bowed as well.

Alexei nodded.

“Everyone, raise your heads.”

“Welcome, Your Grace.”

Once the butler raised his head, he greeted them with a bright smile.

“Madam is waiting for you.”

“Very well, let’s go inside.”

After responding, Alexei turned to Anriche.

“Shall we go in, my lady?”

“……”

At that moment, Anriche stiffened, sensing a hostile gaze piercing her cheek.

The owner of that gaze was definitely…

‘…the head butler, I think.’

Noticing Anriche’s sudden silence, Alexei tilted his head in confusion.

“My lady?”

“Oh, yes.”

Was she just being overly sensitive?

Anriche took Alexei’s hand, feeling a little uneasy.

The butler took a small step back and slightly bowed his head.

“Please, follow me.”

His attitude was impeccably polite.

However…

‘I should probably be cautious.’

Anriche couldn’t shake off her feeling of unease.

***

As they entered the duke’s residence, they were greeted by a middle-aged noblewoman with an elegant demeanor.

It was Duchess Dowager Delphina.

“Mother, how have you been?”

Alexei was the first to greet her with a warm voice, followed by Anriche, who gracefully bowed her head.

At that moment, Delphina’s gaze narrowed slightly.

‘What brings her here?’

Aside from the year she married Alexei, Anriche had never set foot in the Duchy of Balua.

And now, she was visiting with her family in the winter.

That alone was surprising, but why was she behaving so politely?

‘What could have caused this sudden change?’

Delphina clicked her tongue inwardly in surprise.

Just then, Elliot rushed toward Delphina.

“Grandma!”

“Oh my, my little puppy.”

Delphina beamed as she warmly embraced the child.

Behind them, Liliana was hesitantly glancing around.

‘When should I greet her?’

As Liliana was caught in intense contemplation, Anriche gently stroked her shoulder.

“Lily, you should greet your great-grandmother.”

“Oh, right!”

Liliana, having regained her composure, lifted the hem of her dress and bent her knees slightly.

“Hello, great-grandmother. I’m Liliana Everitt.”

“Oh my, it’s you….”

Delphina, who had been soothing and comforting Elliot for a while, glanced up to look at Liliana.

Her gaze softened with warmth.

“Nice to meet you, dear. I’m Delphina von Balua.”

“I’m truly glad to meet you as well,” Liliana replied, though she seemed somewhat nervous, she spoke clearly.

Delphina smiled brightly.

“Very well, everyone, come on in.”

As Anriche gazed at that smile, she quickly glanced sideways at Alexei.

‘Now I understand where Alexei gets his looks from.’

With her tightly pulled back black hair and keen gray eyes sparkling, Delphina had an impression of beauty that must have been striking in her youth.

This beauty had been passed down to her son and grandchild.

“You’ve all had a long journey.”

Delphina straightened her back and surveyed the Balua family.

“Let’s rest in your rooms for now, and we’ll have a family dinner together after a long time.”

“Yes, that sounds good,” Alexei nodded.

After that, Delphina finally focused her gaze on Anriche.

“A maid will assist you to your room.”

With a somewhat haughty voice, Delphina abruptly turned her head away.

“Yes, Mother.”

While answering politely on the surface, Anriche struggled to hide her awkward expression.

It seemed that improving her relationship with Delphina would not be easy.

***

Anriche had secretly prepared herself for the possibility that Delphina might not grant her the Duke’s wife’s room.

“I heard that Mother is currently using the Duke’s wife’s room.”

In fact, that would have been reasonable.

Even though she was Alexei’s mother and the representative of the family head, the Duchess Dowager was not the family head herself.

Above all, the Duke’s room and office symbolized the “space of the family head.”

“It would be proper to avoid using the Duke’s private spaces to respect Alexei’s authority.”

However, the Duke’s wife’s room was different.

As the former Duchess of Balua, Delphina held a higher status than Anriche due to the order of hierarchy.

Thus, she believed it was understandable if Delphina didn’t concede her room.

“Please feel free to let us know if there’s anything uncomfortable.”

After guiding Anriche to the Duke’s wife’s room, the maid bowed deeply.

Anriche nodded in a daze.

“Thank you. You may leave now.”

“Yes, my lady.”

After the maid stepped away, Anriche took a deep breath before entering the room.

Her violet-colored eyes widened slightly.

“…It’s beautiful.”

The Duke’s wife’s room exuded a unique coziness cultivated over many years, rather than being flashy or grand.

The various delicate decorations scattered throughout revealed Delphina’s feminine sensibility.

The rug on the floor was so plush that her feet sank into it.

“It’s really cute.”

Holding back a burst of laughter, Anriche quickly changed her clothes.

Then she pulled over a dainty floral stool and sat down.

‘Mother doesn’t like me.’

That was an undeniable fact.

Just looking at the cold gaze she received earlier confirmed it.

But…

‘Still, Mother seems… at least to be quite fair-minded.’

Certainly, a person in the position of Duchess Dowager could have harbored some petty grievances.

Yet, rather than behaving that way, Delphina was treating Anriche thoroughly as the Duke’s wife.

It probably wasn’t something she enjoyed, inviting someone she disliked into a space she used.

Just then, there was a soft knock.

“Come in,” Anriche called, expecting it to be the maid.

To her surprise, it was Alexei who appeared behind the door.

“Your Grace?”

“I was worried you might be tired from your journey, so I stopped by to check on you.”

“I am a bit tired, but I’m fine.”

As Anriche responded, she met Alexei’s gaze with a teasing look.

“Especially after riding in such an extravagant carriage, right?”

“……”

Alexei’s expression turned somewhat awkward.

This was understandable, as he had spent a fortune preparing a traveling carriage for this trip.

Designed to minimize shaking and with considerable attention given to the quality of the interior materials, the cost of that carriage was…

“According to the butler, it cost as much as an entire mansion. Is that true?”

“Cough, cough!”

Alexei cleared his throat unnecessarily and turned his head away.