The Villain’S Daughter-In-Law Is Inherently Powerful [EN]: Chapter 103

Dante, disregarding status, glared fiercely. Ian simply looked troubled but didn’t stop Dante.

‘What if Yuri gets angry here?’ I thought, worried.

“Meh-rong.”

But Yuri took her stepbrother’s rudeness as a joke.

“Jealous? Jealous?”

She stuck her tongue out and made faces, which was quite cute.

Dante, knowing he shouldn’t shout here, kept his mouth shut and just glared intensely.

‘…It’s a relief Yuri is such a good kid.’ I thought.

It’s also fortunate this isn’t the Imperial Palace. If a servant had seen this, they would have been horrified. No matter how understanding Yuri is, there would have been complaints.

Relieved, I gratefully stroked Yuri’s fluffy hair.

“I’ll ask the adults about going back. His Majesty hasn’t returned yet, so it might take some time.”

[Okay. Take care. Are you eating well?]

“Yes! Ian? You don’t eat well, Ian.”

Among the Drivelyane heirs, Andre had the biggest appetite and ate the most. Dante was next.

Since they both do physical training, they must be very hungry.

But thinking about it, Ian’s training isn’t light either.

He’s learning not only swordsmanship but also how to use unusual and less common tools like daggers, whips, and chains… He should be eating a lot.

“You’re not ignoring your vegetables again, are you? You have to eat your vegetables!”

Ian eats too little. Sometimes he eats less than I do.

And he’s so picky; I’ve caught him picking out carrots twice now.

[I’m eating well. Now, whenever I think of carrots, I think of you, so I have to eat them.]

“Very good.”

I nodded. Then Dante shouted from the side, “Why aren’t you worrying about me?!”

Static, static.

But I couldn’t answer him. The screen flickered, and then the connection was suddenly cut off.

“Huh?”

Did Father stop the connection?

Tilting my head, I spotted Dad walking towards me from afar.

“Ah, Dad!”

I jumped up and down, waving my hands to let him know I was here, and then tried to pick up the pom-pom that had fallen on the cloud floor.

“Hey, Sis.”

But Yuri was one step faster than me.

Yuri brushed off the cloud aura [magical energy] from the pom-pom, handed it to me, and narrowed her eyes.

“I really like your dad, Sis.”

“Huh? Suddenly?”

“Yeah. And I think… it’s better for you to spend time with your real dad than to go back to Drivelyane. He can’t leave you alone for a second; he rushes over like this.”

“That’s… true.”

I took the pom-pom Yuri gave me, held it close, and lowered my eyes for a moment.

I wondered if I would ever have to worry this much again in my life; my head ached.

‘Dad has his people. He has things to do. It doesn’t make sense for him to abandon everything and come down to Earth with me.’

He doesn’t have any other heirs.

But if I keep living here….

‘Then Drivelyane should find another daughter-in-law, shouldn’t they?’

If I removed all emotions and made an objective, rational, and logical decision, that’s what it would be.

They can find another daughter-in-law now. Maybe that would be more beneficial for Drivelyane.

‘But… but I don’t want that.’

It’s a very selfish thought, but I wanted to be Drivelyane’s daughter-in-law until the end. I want to live as the next head mistress.

‘I don’t want to give up. Not either one.’

Holding Dad’s hand tightly, I walked along, thinking about this and that, and soon arrived at the memorial hall.

Dad hesitated, unable to go inside easily, and every bit of his behavior showed how much he loved Mom.

“Dad. What was Mom’s name?”

For now, I decided to push the complicated thoughts to the side and focus on Mom.

It’s my first time meeting my deceased mother, so I should only think about her.

“…Do you know that even snow has a scent?”

“Snow has a scent?”

“Yes. Bi was like that.”

Dad’s voice trembled. He wasn’t crying, but it sounded like he was.

“Her name was Seolhyang [Snow Fragrance]. She was so delicate… and pure.”

The space with numerous drapes was small and simple.

Cases covered in glass were lined up, befitting the name of the memorial hall, and the things inside were probably things Mom used to use.

‘And the one at the end, that must be Mom’s portrait.’

Dad slowly walked inside and removed the veil covering the portrait, revealing a woman with a round face.

“Wow.”

I really look just like Mom!

The only difference is that Mom looked much kinder than I do.

There’s a goodness that comes through the portrait. And as Dad said, she looked so frail.

“Dad, you fell in love with Mom at first sight, didn’t you?”

“H, how did you know?”

“How else? Even I would fall in love with someone who looked like that at first sight.”

A beauty with elegant and refined features.

She has the image of someone who has only been protected within the high walls of the palace.

“I bet she was really clumsy, my mom….”

“How did you know that too?”

“Dad’s clumsy too. You two were probably always bumbling around, and I was the only sensible one.”

If Mom were alive and I had grown up as your child, wouldn’t it have been like that?

I stared at the portrait for a long time, then lowered my gaze to see baby clothes. Baby flower shoes too.

Of course, both were… brand new and unused.

“Bi must have made them secretly. To dress you in… She would have had you wear these shoes when you were old enough to practice walking.”

Mom was looking forward to my birth. And me growing up.

Just knowing that suddenly made my heart feel full.

Mom loved me very much!

“I want to put incense in too. You put it in that incense burner, right? Hwa-ran taught me. If you do this… the soul of the dead goes to a good place.”

“That’s right. And… it’s also a wish for this person’s soul to be reborn in this country.”

“Lighting incense does that?”

I took out a long, stick-like incense from the incense box. Then, I poked it into the incense burner filled with rice.

Most of the other incense sticks were almost burned out and short, so mine stood out because it was long.

“The people of Arkalik fear falling to the ground the most. Until now, the ground has only been a place to banish criminals.”

“Ah.”

“So we light this incense to guide the soul so that it can be reborn in Arkalik.”

“Then Dad and Mom can meet again someday.”

“!”

Dad is three thousand years old and may live that much longer.

So maybe Mom’s soul will come around and meet Dad again?

Someday.

‘I’m going to die before Dad, and what if Dad gets too lonely then?’

So I hope Mom will be reborn then. So Dad can meet Mom again.

“…Yes. Someday.”

Dad, who had paused, smiled tearfully, his trembling eyes drooping.

Chee-ik [sound of lighting a match].

Soon, Dad lit the end of the incense, and a unique smell spread with the smoke. It was a scent that calmed the mind.

“Um, but Dad.”

I was looking at Mom’s hair accessories and clothes when I finally blurted out the question that had been lingering in my mouth.

“How did Mom have an accident?”

No matter how great Dad is, he couldn’t be stuck to Mom 24 hours a day.

Tragedy always finds the gap in the happiest moments, and no one can stop it, so I don’t think Dad was at fault or wasn’t careful enough.

Besides, Mom must have wanted some time alone. So this is literally just something I want to know.