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

***

The next day.

As soon as Liliana finished her breakfast, she rushed out of the palace.

She was on her way to meet Kate Müller, the deputy commander of the Valois Knights.

“Oh, what should I do, Mother?”

Liliana chattered excitedly as she headed toward the training grounds.

“I can’t believe I’m actually going to meet Lady Müller! I’m so thrilled and nervous!”

“Is it that exciting for you?”

“Yes!”

At Anriche’s teasing question, Liliana nodded vigorously.

“I’ve always wanted to meet her at least once.”

Liliana clenched her fists in excitement.

“She’s the first woman to be appointed to the deputy commander position in the Empire, and I admire her so much! Plus, Lady Müller…”

Just then, a cheerful voice chimed in on their conversation.

“Oh my, is that about me?”

“Ah!”

Startled, Liliana gasped and turned around.

A tall woman stood there, resting a wooden sword on her shoulder.

Moments later, Liliana exclaimed almost like a scream, “A-Are you Lady Kate Müller?!”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“Oh, hello!”

Liliana bowed and gazed up at Kate with shining eyes.

Anriche also greeted Kate with a smile.

“Nice to meet you, Lady Müller.”

“Good to see you, Lady Anriche, and Miss Everitt.”

With a precise salute, Kate looked at Anriche with a hint of surprise in her eyes.

‘So this is the little lady…’

The Duchess of Valois, Anriche von Valois.

The infamous villainess known for her arrogance and fierce temper.

After having a heated argument with the Duchess in her first year of marriage, she had never once descended to the Valois palace.

‘But she doesn’t seem to fit that description at all.’

The little lady, who greeted her kindly, never took her eyes off the young lady.

The gaze was as gentle as the spring sunshine.

‘I doubt she could look at her biological daughter that way.’

At that moment, Liliana looked up at Kate with determination on her face.

“Um, if Lady Müller has the time…”

With determination in her voice, Liliana glanced nervously at Kate.

“…Could I ask for your guidance? O-of course, only when it’s convenient for you!”

“Yes, of course.”

“I promise I won’t bother you… R-really?!”

Liliana’s eyes widened in surprise as she added hastily.

Kate nodded readily.

“I was curious about what kind of person Miss Everitt is.”

“Me?”

“Yes. The Duke mentioned that you have extraordinary talent in swordsmanship.”

“Th-that’s not true.”

Liliana waved her hands in a fluster.

Yet, her cheeks flushed, revealing that she was secretly delighted by Kate’s compliment.

“I don’t know; being humble is good, but I wonder if you’re underestimating yourself too much.”

“…Huh?”

“I’ve heard that you defeated an academy student.”

“Uh, um…”

Liliana stammered, at a loss for words.

Kate shrugged lightly.

“I think that’s a wonderful accomplishment.”

Along with that, Kate smiled warmly.

“Feel free to visit whenever you feel like it. I’ll be waiting.”

“I will! Thank you, Lady Müller!”

Liliana beamed brightly.

“I hope you’ll take good care of me from now on.”

“Not at all. It’s an honor for me to meet someone as talented as you.”

Anriche and Kate exchanged smiles with each other.

***

From that day on, Liliana visited Kate every single day.

“Good morning, Lady Müller!”

“Welcome, Miss Everitt.”

“The swordsmanship manual you mentioned yesterday… I read it, and I have some questions…”

Kate and Liliana made a great pair as mentor and student.

Kate was a remarkable woman who broke through the walls of discrimination to become the deputy commander, even as a woman.

It was only natural for a girl with talent and interest in swordsmanship to be special to her.

“Oh, is Miss Everitt here?”

“Would you like to spar with me today, my lady?”

“I’ve prepared a wooden sword that would be comfortable for you to hold…”

Besides that, all the knights were very fond of Liliana.

Perhaps that was why a smile rarely left her face these days.

“Hasn’t Liliana been smiling a lot more than before?”

“I think so too. I’m so glad to see her brightening up.”

Anriche and Alexei even had conversations like that.

However, there was one person who watched this scene with discontent.

“Um, my lady.”

It was none other than the steward.

“What is it?”

“Um… It’s about Lady Liliana.”

“Liliana? What about her?”

Delfina looked up slightly from the letters she had been reviewing.

“Lady Liliana is currently the fiancée of the Count Elliott, isn’t she?”

“Well, yes.”

“But that she’s preoccupied with swordsmanship instead of being educated on domestic matters…”

At those words, Delfina’s eyes narrowed.

“Mind your words.”

“What?”

Delfina shot a sharp glance at the steward, who blinked in surprise.

“Liliana is going to be the Duchess of Valois; how dare you say she’s ‘preoccupied’?”

“I-I apologize.”

The steward quickly composed himself.

“I just thought it might be better for her to learn about etiquette or how to manage her territory…”

“Hmm.”

The steward continued, trying to sound as concerned as possible.

Only then did Delfina’s expression soften a little.

“Well, I suppose I can understand what you’re worried about.”

“Moreover, I heard that Lady Liliana has been visiting the knights lately.”

“…Really?”

“Yes. The little lady personally gave her permission.”

As he spoke, the steward subtly observed Delfina’s expression.

Delfina did not look particularly pleased.

‘Well, that’s only natural.’

The steward suppressed a chuckle that was about to burst out.

Delfina was born into a prominent noble family and had been educated to be the lady of the house all her life.

Women were expected to prioritize family over external activities, a prejudice prevalent throughout the Empire.

And the steward took advantage of that.

“I think this is just my personal opinion, but… honestly, I wonder if this is okay.”

“…”

The steward poured malicious words disguised as concern into Delfina’s ear, as she remained silent.

Pretending to worry about Liliana, the steward highlighted Liliana’s ‘unladylike’ aspects, making it easier for Delfina to develop a bias against her.

“I’m really worried about Liliana. What if she becomes the laughingstock of society like this…?”

“…Enough.”

At that moment, Delfina shook her head.

The steward looked at Delfina with a surprised expression.

“Lady?”

“I’m sure Anriche has her own thoughts regarding the girl’s education.”

While covering for her daughter-in-law’s actions, Delfina still wore a troubled expression.

“I’ll call Anriche to discuss that matter, so don’t say anything more.”

“…”

Taken aback by her unexpected response, the steward fell silent for a moment.

He had served the Duchess for over ten years.

He thought he understood her personality as clearly as if looking at the palm of his hand…

‘It seems that Lady is fonder of that girl, Liliana, than I expected.’

Considering she was also defending Anriche, whom he had viewed as a thorn in his side.

Tsk.

The steward quietly clicked his tongue, bowing his head slightly toward Delfina.

“Yes, Lady.”

For some reason, everything felt oddly out of sync with his expectations.

That feeling was somehow…

‘Not good.’

The steward’s gaze darkened.

***

The next morning, as Anriche was returning from dropping Liliana off with Lady Müller, she unexpectedly ran into Delfina.

‘Ah, this… It’s the first time I’m seeing her since the dinner, isn’t it?’

Anriche’s expression turned somewhat awkward.

She had been intentionally avoiding encounters with Delfina.

It was surprising that they would meet by chance like this.

“Good morning, Mother.”

She politely bent her waist in greeting.

However, Delfina’s expression remained as stern as ever.

‘What’s with her? She seems to be in a bad mood…’

As Anriche subtly observed Delfina’s demeanor, the steward abruptly spoke.

“Aren’t you being a bit negligent about Liliana’s education?”

“Huh?”

Caught off guard by the unexpected comment, Anriche stared at Delfina, bewildered.