The Villain’S Daughter-In-Law Is Inherently Powerful [EN]: Chapter 148

The guests staying at the mansion had all departed by yesterday, and every window in every room was tightly sealed.

It was as if they were trying to prevent any sound from escaping and ensuring no one could eavesdrop.

The employees were all dressed in crisp, new uniforms, and even the gardener’s shears were silent.

The heirs had entered the mansion the previous night and were making their final preparations.

I, too, was steeling myself.

“Finally, the time has come.”

“You must have suffered a lot. Thank you for your hard work. Just a little more strength,” Inanna and Grandfather, the head of the family, said, each placing a hand on my shoulder, expressing their gratitude.

I simply smiled.

‘I’m not the candidate either of you wanted.’

But there’s no use dwelling on it.

Even if everyone thinks the future Ian is trying to create is crazy, I will stand by his side.

I saw the future he envisions firsthand.

Ian was trying to be a pioneer, ahead of his time, and since that’s a path ripe for criticism, I wanted to support him, even if I’m the only one who does.

With magical engineering, trains and everything else could be made much more easily, and I couldn’t let that dream be crushed without even trying.

‘Besides, I… I like Ian, too.’

The memories from our trip swirled in my mind, and a faint heat rose in my cheeks.

I took a deep breath to calm myself and closed my eyes. After a few seconds, I slowly opened them.

Today’s me was reflected in the full-length mirror.

Silver hair that looked like only the ends were dipped in syrup, and round eyes. A round nose and a round face.

The me without any sharp edges was there.

I need to soften this sharp family, famous for its military industry, in my era.

That was my goal and my resolution as the mistress of the house.

“My lady, I will guide you.”

While I was patting my cheeks to pump myself up, my stepmother arrived.

I nodded vigorously and quietly followed behind her.

The selection ceremony was said to take place in the ‘Chamber of Ritual’ in the basement of the mansion.

Usually, a massive stone door blocks the way, and the place is too vast to be called a room. It’s as large as a banquet hall.

Of course, this vast space was now filled with people, making it seem cramped.

The first row was occupied by the power players supporting this family. The back rows were vassals. Due to 유리’s [Yuri’s] special status as the crown prince, some people from the imperial palace were also present.

As I stepped into the circle they had created, heavy gazes and silence descended upon me.

However, no one engaged in frivolous behavior such as whispering to the person next to them.

This was a place where that simply didn’t happen.

Everyone wanted to confirm where my loyalties lay.

They probably wanted to know if I was on their side or not.

But before I could even adjust to this atmosphere, the door on the opposite side burst open.

“……!”

This time, gasps and intakes of breath occasionally erupted from the crowd.

I, too, was surprised and wide-eyed, because all three of them whom Grandfather had brought… were blindfolded.

“Make them kneel here.”

The crown prince, 유리 [Yuri], flaunting his brilliant golden hair.

단테 [Dante], reminiscent of a giant evergreen tree.

Even Ian, who seemed darker today than under the sunlight.

As Grandfather, the head of the family, designated their places, they all knelt down silently.

“플로린 [Florin], come here.”

“Yes.”

I stood right where Grandfather had been standing.

This put me in a position to look down on the three of them.

“Listen, everyone.”

Then, Grandfather, the head of the family, opened his mouth in a thunderous voice, drawing everyone’s attention.

“My era ends today. These young people will usher in a new era, so it’s time for the old man to step aside.”

It was a joke, but no one laughed.

Grandfather clicked his tongue briefly and then raised both hands.

“Our 드리블랴네 [Driblyane] needs to leap forward, but the old man has no strength. I believe these young people will make that leap.”

It was a concise speech.

With that, Grandfather stepped back three paces.

Leaving only me.

However, a moment later, golden energy rippled in the very spot where Grandfather had been standing.

‘Father!’

I know that magic.

It was Father’s unique space connection magic and hologram magic.

“Ah, am I late?”

As the 19th head of the family, 키락서스 [Kiraksus], revealed his appearance, even though he was not physically present, admiration arose from all around.

I knew he was a Master of the Magic Tower, but I could understand that his majesty was different when seeing him in person compared to just hearing about him.

Father’s hologram was so elaborate that it looked real. There was almost no noise in his voice.

‘Well, it’s probably different to implement magic in the distant sky compared to implementing it on the same ground.’

Thinking that, I suddenly missed my dad.

My soft-hearted dad.

화이란 [Hwa-ran] must have already told him that today was the important day I had been waiting for so eagerly.

Dad knew very well that I had been waiting for this day since I was a child.

The day I could finally put down the biggest weight on my life.

“That day… after it passes, I’ll go see you.”

I remember Dad sniffling with tears welling up in his eyes.

“I hate sending you off to those good-for-nothing guys… but… but since you insist on doing it.”

“Oh, stop it! Stop crying, Dad!”

“I want to interfere. If I follow you and sabotage it, you’ll hate it, right…?”

Dad glanced at me, chewing on his handkerchief.

I glared at him as if telling him to say something reasonable.

Then, our dad, the dignified, living legend and myth of 아르칼리크 [Arkalik]… became sullen.

That’s right.

The reason why I hadn’t heard directly from Dad since I came down from 아르칼리크 [Arkalik] was all because of that.

Because he cherished and loved me so much, he didn’t want me to get hurt. So, Dad wanted to keep me hidden away in the greenhouse called ‘아르칼리크 [Arkalik]’.

Moreover, he was so displeased that I was living here instead of 아르칼리크 [Arkalik] that he wanted to see everything negatively and sabotage it.

If I regularly shared news and talked with Dad, his overprotectiveness would definitely worsen, so it was better not to contact him at all.

If I had been in regular contact with Dad, I wouldn’t have even dreamed of going on a trip with Ian, right?

‘Still, tomorrow I should call 화이란 [Hwa-ran] first and tell her to tell Dad that I miss him and ask him to come down once.’

Dad is probably still up there in the sky, pacing back and forth, worrying about whether I’m doing well.

He thinks of me as a little baby, probably because he’s so old.

‘Ah, thinking like this makes me feel a little less nervous.’

Only then did Father’s low voice ring in my ears.

“You have been competing for a long time to be chosen.”

I swallowed hard and squeezed my fingers as if I would break them.

The atmosphere heated up. The pheromones of extremely excited alphas were raging everywhere.

I feel a bit nauseous, but I can handle this much now.

“The next head of the family is the one chosen by the appointed mistress. Only the most outstanding male among you is qualified to be chosen.”

The three handsome young men silently bowed their heads.

The corners of 유리’s [Yuri’s] and Ian’s mouths were gently curved, while 단테’s [Dante’s] was stiff.

Just looking at that, you could tell that the three had different personalities.

“It’s tough, but it’s unavoidable for us with thick beast blood.”

Soon, Father gently wrapped his arm around my shoulder and quietly declared.

“Now, 플로린 [Florin], it’s time to choose your husband.”

Thump.

As I exhaled, my heart sank for no reason.

My heart rate gradually increased.

Ah, this is the moment I’ve been waiting for.

“Father, what if my choice is not right?”

“드리블랴네 [Driblyane] will be ruined. Don’t worry.”

I chuckled at Father’s joke.

But the next moment, when I raised my head… I was more serious than ever in my life.

“Father, I…”

With a swelling heart, I parted my trembling lips. I believed without a doubt that the pressure of everyone waiting for my choice would end with this one word.

But just then, a disgusting sulfur smell covered me like a net.

It entered through my eyes, nose, and ears in the blink of an eye, and soon it invaded me, making me unable to say anything.

‘What is this? Father! Save me…!’

My vision flickered. It was so strange. It was such a long time for me, but no one was reacting.

It was as if only I could feel the flow of time, dividing and extending one second into thousands of units…

“Ahahaha! Hurry up and switch it!”

I saw a woman laughing gleefully in the distance.

The very moment I made eye contact with that woman, who was bursting into wild laughter as if she was enjoying it, as if she couldn’t help but enjoy it-

I felt some ‘information’ bursting out from within me as if a lock had been released, and I lost consciousness.

When I woke up again, it was all over.

I was me, but I wasn’t me.