The Strongest Daughter-In-Law Of The Black Lion Family [EN]: Chapter 71

#71.

Hermann blinked, surprised by the sudden outburst. “At first, you wouldn’t even look at me because I smelled. Now, if I’m not in sight, you’re constantly looking for me.”

Hermann couldn’t help but chuckle at the unfamiliar change. The Head of the Family still wouldn’t admit it, but his actions clearly showed he was very fond of Chersea.

It was a typical scene of a doting father-in-law who instinctively looked for his daughter-in-law first. Hermann’s expression as he watched was exceedingly gentle. He excitedly reported, as if boasting.

“They say she just woke up. As soon as she woke up, she devoured breakfast. She even shouted, ‘Another bowl!'”

“Good to hear she’s eating well.”

Zachary grinned as if she were his lucky charm. Naturally, he headed straight for Chersea’s bedroom.

At that moment, Hermann followed, hesitating as if he had something more to say. Zachary, not noticing, was just about to reach the bedroom.

“What brings you here?”

Zerachiel must have heard the news, as he had just arrived in front of Chersea’s bedroom as well. Zachary, clearly displeased with the interruption, crossed his arms.

“I didn’t come to see you; I came to see my daughter-in-law.”

“I came to see my wife as well.”

“Then, since we have the same business, let’s go in together,” Zachary readily suggested.

Zerachiel muttered meaningfully, “This isn’t the time for you to be so leisurely, is it?”

“What do you mean?”

“It seems Hermann hasn’t told you yet.”

“?”

Zachary looked at Hermann with a puzzled expression. Only then did Hermann stammer, “I was about to tell you, but…”

“What is it?”

“This morning, Rachel filed for custody.”

“…What?”

“She says she’s going to take both Zerachiel and Chersea.”

*Thwack.*

It felt like lightning struck his head.

Zachary looked back and forth between Hermann and Zerachiel, dazed.

To file a lawsuit out of the blue…

This wasn’t the kind of thing Rachel, who usually tried to solve problems with her fists rather than her head, would do.

Of course, he didn’t care about her taking that disgusting son of his. But the problem was why he wasn’t included in that.

*If you’re going to take them, take them all!*

Zachary shouted with an abandoned look, “What nonsense is that!”

Zerachiel smirked. “Maybe you should have treated her better.”

“…”

“I heard that Mother passed away before the after-party was even over.”

*With that slick fox.*

At the word ‘fox,’ a vein popped out on Zachary’s forehead.

*That bastard. He’s the one who told her to file a lawsuit.*

He did give a warning like a petty villain before disappearing.

It was a trivial trick that hadn’t changed at all from the past or the present.

At that moment, the corner of Zachary’s mouth twisted upwards.

Erhaden Roden, the second son of the Roden family, was originally a cunning schemer. To put it nicely, he was tactful; to put it badly, he was cunning and calculating.

He was the complete opposite of Rachel, who acted as she pleased.

In the first place, Rachel had never liked the engagement with Erhaden. Zachary was the one who seized the opportunity and succeeded in wooing her.

Zachary recalled a sweet moment with her in the past.

It was when Erhaden and Rachel’s engagement was just decided. At the time, Zachary and Rachel often met for business, but in fact, Zachary had deliberately requested her company to create contact points.

Leaving Rachel, who was completely unaware of this, Zachary casually mentioned the engagement.

‘I heard you’re getting engaged.’

‘Well, that’s how it is.’

Rachel scratched her cheek and muttered nonchalantly. Zachary, whose insides were boiling, talked about what he had investigated about Erhaden.

‘Don’t do it. That guy isn’t marrying you because he likes you.’

‘?’

Rachel tilted her head with a puzzled expression. Zachary added, ‘What the Roden family is aiming for is the dowry [money, property, or goods that a wife brings to her husband in marriage] in front of you. I heard the Head of the Family’s gambling debts are considerable. It’s obvious that they’re trying to pay off the debt by selling their son. Besides, do you know that he’s already set up a household [established a home and family]?’

‘I know.’

‘What?’

‘This morning, a flower deer [euphemism for a mistress or lover] came to me, saying she was Erhaden’s lover.’

‘…You’re going to get married knowing all that?’

Zachary’s face froze in shock. He couldn’t understand why she would get married knowing everything.

If it were the Rachel he knew, she would have stormed into the Roden family and cut Erhaden in half as soon as she found out.

But Zachary couldn’t help but raise the corners of his lips at the following words.

Rachel shouted with fierce eyes, ‘Are you crazy? I’d rather live alone and die. If I didn’t know, I wouldn’t know, but now that I know everything, why would I marry that superficial fox?’

‘Then? Why are you staying still?’

‘Staying still? I’m thinking about how to give that bastard a big middle finger! If you’re not going to solve it, don’t talk to me and get out. Don’t annoy me.’

Rachel answered irritably, grinding her teeth. She was furious at the fact that she was not only included in such a marriage deal, but that the other party was even cheating on her.

Zachary stroked his lips and whispered softly, ‘Shall I help you?’

‘What?’

‘I have a surefire plan to hunt the fox.’

Zachary began to seduce Rachel with a sweet smile. Rachel’s eyes trembled slightly at the sight of his pretty face.

‘If you’re going to talk nonsense…’

At that moment, Zachary reached out and ruffled Rachel’s hair. Then, Zachary took a step closer and looked down at her.

‘The method is simple. Stay with me today. Then that cunning and cowardly fox will be frightened and submit a letter of annulment [a declaration by a court that a marriage was never valid] to you.’

‘Stay with you…?’

‘That guy has a seizure just at the sight of Jabisi, right?’

‘Even so, why would I be with you…’

‘Well…’

Zachary slowly unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. As Rachel’s gaze blatantly turned to his body, he smiled faintly.

‘Didn’t you always ask me to let you touch my chest?’

‘That was a joke…’

‘I’ll let you touch it today.’

‘!’

‘How about it? Are you still going to tell me to get lost?’

It was only a matter of time before Rachel’s hand reached for his chest as he fluttered his eyelashes and spoke.

That day, Rachel was with Zachary. She was blinded by his chest—no, by revenge—and was completely eaten by the lion.

Of course, it was a beauty trap because he knew she showed her face quite brightly.

* * *

Meanwhile, Zerachiel looked at Zachary, who was just smirking, with an unpleasant gaze.

His smile was strangely annoying today. He even felt a chill down his spine.

“Why are you smiling like that?”

“Ahem.”

Zachary belatedly cleared his throat and pretended not to know. He was foolishly thinking about the old days in front of his son.

“I should go. If I’m attacked first, I should react accordingly.”

“I hope you resolve it amicably.”

“As if.”

Zachary chuckled and went back the way he came with a dignified air.

And that day, Zachary was turned away without even seeing a strand of Rachel’s hair.

It was the first time Rachel had rejected Zachary.

* * *

The atmosphere at home has been strange for the past few days.

Zachary must have been freed from his madness.

Why does Zachary in front of me look thinner than before?

I stared at Zachary, who was barely eating, for a long time. Still, there was no reaction, so I called him.

“Father?”

At my question, Zachary looked at me with a haggard face. The dark circles under his eyes seem to have come down by 3 centimeters more.

He really looks like he’s about to die soon. Naturally worried, I looked at Zachary and opened my mouth.