The Strongest Daughter-In-Law Of The Black Lion Family [EN]: Chapter 49

#49.

“So, Lady Rachel, you have no intention of remarrying?”

“Of course not! Even though I ran away from this household…!”

Rachel reacted with heightened sensitivity, as if she’d heard a ridiculous question. She couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence, her lips merely moving, so I filled in the blank.

“You’re worried about Zerachiel, aren’t you?”

“…What?”

“Lady Rachel has always stepped up whenever something happened to Zerachiel.”

In the original story, and here in reality as well.

Rachel seemed to know and came running like a ghost whenever there was a change in Zerachiel’s circumstances. It was as if she received daily reports.

The fact that my visit was the reason for our first encounter was telling enough.

Besides, even though she bickered with Zacharias, she didn’t completely sever ties. In a generous interpretation, they resembled a troubled couple living separately.

I stared at her intently.

“Lady Rachel, you didn’t leave Jabishi willingly, did you?”

“…….”

“Actually, you’re more worried about Zacharias and Zerachiel than anyone else, aren’t you? Am I right?”

At the repeated questions, Rachel let out a shallow sigh.

“For someone so small… you’re quick on the uptake.”

Then, she casually swept her hair back and said.

“Yes. I’m very worried about those withering fools.”

“Because Jabishi has a genetic disease called madness?”

The moment “madness” was mentioned, Rachel’s expression changed. As if her reverse scale [a dragon’s most sensitive spot; touching it provokes extreme anger] had been touched, she muttered with fierce eyes.

“Do you also think I ran away because I was afraid of madness?”

Rachel’s voice, which sounded almost eerie, was trembling, as if she couldn’t control her emotions just by hearing that word.

In her wounded eyes, I could even sense hostility towards me. It was probably a word she had heard countless times since leaving Jabishi Castle.

That she ran away because she couldn’t endure Jabishi’s madness.

When I stayed in Hebel, I often saw other families subtly ostracizing Jabishi, their faces mixed with fear and disgust.

Remembering what Bianco had shouted so disgustingly, I understood why they hated Jabishi so much.

‘I don’t know what you’re doing next to that guy, but never trust Jabishi. I’m really saying this for your own good. You don’t know because you’re in the wild, but Jabishi caused a great chaos…!’

Great chaos.

The tragedy in which half of the continent was devastated by pheromone poison. Many beastmen lost their lives because of it, and some families were completely wiped out.

I heard it was a brutal rampage close to a natural disaster. In the original story, the Jabishi family was often depicted as the villains among villains.

Page was a very righteous family that checked those villains.

A deadly and powerful pheromone that could easily devastate a territory of a country.

It was inevitable that such a race would be monitored because they had a terrifying genetic disease called madness. Because they were too dangerous to leave alone.

From a distance, everyone would call Jabishi a monster. I thought the same when I saw the original story.

However, after living in Jabishi Castle, I had no choice but to admit how short and shallow my thoughts were.

A clan that starts with a terminal sentence from birth. There is no cure for madness, and the surroundings only severely check them.

To have to suppress themselves throughout their lives for fear of madness and be treated like monsters. From Jabishi’s point of view, it was an unfair thing.

‘Besides, they’re living as scapegoats because of their ancestors’ mistakes.’

The great chaos was said to be like a natural disaster. It was a tragedy caused by the sudden backflow of the head of the family’s pheromones and the rampage of madness.

But as a result, Jabishi became a public enemy and was being checked by Hebel and the beastmen in nearby territories.

It’s not like they wanted to have madness.

They were enduring all those things just because they were born in Jabishi.

Zerachiel seemed very used to that. That was a little sad. It seemed like he had given up on making a voice in a world full of prejudice.

I had to answer before Rachel’s expression became more terrifying. I tilted my head with an innocent face.

“No? A beastman who ran away because they were scared wouldn’t break down Jabishi Castle’s gates every time they visited.”

“…….”

“Lady Rachel isn’t that weak. Even a ferret like me can handle it, so what is Lady Rachel afraid of and avoiding?”

Rachel, who seemed like she would burst into flames with anger, froze for a moment. My reaction seemed unexpected. Soon, she buried her face in her hands and lowered her head.

Wait, is she crying?

Surprised, I put my hand on her shoulder.

“Yes! What am I afraid of and avoiding! Even a small thing like you can do it! Everyone is terrified when they hear Jabishi, Jabishi!”

“Hic!”

Surprised, I almost fell backward, but Kira grabbed me. She smiled and straightened me up. It was a natural movement, as if she knew in advance.

“Th, thank you….”

“Do you know how much those who aren’t even a handful sneer?”

“The real cowards are them. Lady Rachel doesn’t need to be hurt by what people who don’t even know well say.”

Yes. They are afraid of Jabishi. And they are deliberately trying to diminish Rachel in order to keep a family that was on Jabishi’s side in check.

‘In the original story, Zerachiel became the head of the family as soon as he became an adult.’

Seeing Zacharias’s complexion getting worse recently, it was clear that the madness had progressed quite a bit. Maybe Zacharias’s time was running out.

If Zacharias dies like this, the Jabishi family will be in danger for a while.

Because there will be many who try to destroy the Jabishi family before Zerachiel is completely established as the head of the family.

And as long as I stay in Jabishi Castle, I had to experience the damage as it is. Wouldn’t I, who will become the mistress of Jabishi, be perfect as a hostage in many ways?

‘I hadn’t considered separately that Zacharias would die.’

In the first place, I didn’t even know that I would have such an absurd marriage with Zerachiel, so how could I?

Madness, is there really no way to stop it?

Suddenly, I remembered that Ella’s pheromones in the original story helped Zerachiel’s madness.

Maybe, just maybe, I can extend Zacharias’s life even a little bit?

But I remember that Ella’s ability was not omnipotent in the original story either. If that were the case, Zerachiel would have had his madness cured right away.

While I was thinking about that, Rachel hugged me tightly.

“I really like you!”

“Ugh!”

Pushed by the strong force, I buried my nose in Rachel’s chest. My nose was tingling; it was a huge shock.

“You’re so brave for such a small thing! You’re perfect as Jabishi’s daughter-in-law!”

When are you going to stop calling me a small thing…….

I regretted comforting Rachel until just now and had blurry eyes. Still, I was glad that she seemed to feel better.

Rachel began to burn with passion, her face having regained its will.

* * *

Meanwhile, the lions who were training with Zerachiel glanced at each other.

“Why is he smiling like that?”

“Is it a declaration of war to kill us today?”

“What did we do wrong?”

“Have you ever been hit for doing something wrong?”

“That’s not true.”

There was deep fear mixed in the whispering voices. It was because Zerachiel did not lose his smile throughout the training.

There was only one time when he smiled: when he was in a very bad mood and wanted to beat everything.

Zerachiel in that state should not be met in the training hall. Only the lions who missed the timing to escape were about to die.

However, as the training progressed, the doubt grew even more.