The Villain’S Daughter-In-Law Is Inherently Powerful [EN]: Chapter 50

Sharp words flew back and forth, with no adult around to intervene.

Linda wrung her hands, unsure of what to do. The nanny lacked the authority to interfere with the affairs of the heirs. *If only John were here…* but John was nowhere to be found.

“Florin must be hungry. Let’s go eat.”

“Who says? Donggeul is eating with me.”

Ian firmly grasped my right hand.

Then Dante tugged on my left arm.

*‘I feel like I’ve become a toy these two are fighting over.’*

My stomach churned.

*My future! My happiness! My money! My family!*

*Don’t ruin it!!!*

“Haaa…”

I let out a deep sigh, making sure they both heard it. Then, I turned to the two brothers, who had finally stopped arguing, and shook off their grips. I turned my head away, feigning indifference.

“I’m going to have breakfast with my stepmother. If you two fight again, I won’t eat with either of you! Is that fair enough?”

Saying this would at least stop the fighting for the moment.

“Florin!”

“Tsk!”

Dante raised his voice, looking utterly wronged, but I had already made up my mind.

“I’m going to change my clothes now, so both of you, out of my room!”

Ian promptly left at the eviction order.

Dante looked at me with a terribly lingering expression, but I nonchalantly told Linda to bring me clothes.

“Are you going to leave, or are you going to keep watching?”

“Ugh.”

Dante eventually trudged out, crestfallen. There was no way he could stay while I was changing.

“You’re amazing, Little Lady!”

“Huh? What is it?”

“You handle the heirs just like that!”

Linda, who had brought a pretty cotton dress for everyday wear, clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling.

*‘No, I’m worried about the future.’*

How do I stop these hooligans from fighting when I’m not around?

* * *

“I’ve heard the story, dear.”

Soon after, I was sitting at a round table with my stepmother, enjoying a delicious breakfast.

The smell of butter wafted from a basket full of croissants. Next to the strawberry jam and butter was an apple, peeled and cut into the shape of a rabbit, and next to that was a generous pile of ham and fried eggs, perfect for breakfast.

*‘It couldn’t be more peaceful now that I’m away from those boys.’*

I spread strawberry jam generously on a crispy croissant and brought it to my mouth.

“I heard you handled the heirs wonderfully.”

“Nya…am?”

I took a bite, but dozens of question marks floated above my head as I chewed.

How did the rumor spread that I had subdued them?

“Excellent. That’s how you manage them.”

“Uh-huh, yes.”

“Since they are competing for the position of head of the family, they can’t possibly get along. Appropriately mediating that is one of your important roles.”

*If I mediate twice, the house’s fixtures will be smashed to pieces…*

“I like both Ian and Dante. So I can’t take anyone’s side, Mother.”

After drinking my milk, I let out a deep sigh, and my stepmother wiped the corners of my mouth with a napkin.

“I think they’re both great. So I want them to get along….”

*If they keep fighting like that in the future, I’ll have to split my time and meet Dante and Ian separately.*

*Then they’ll both argue again, asking me to spend more time with them!*

*‘Absolutely not. My goal is for everyone to be friends, all together.’*

In the first place, they’re brothers! Why are brothers fighting!

Feeling like a family therapist, I started munching on my croissant.

“You can create a situation where they have to maintain a fake peace, dear.”

“Will they really become friends then?”

“They will. Disliking each other at such a young age is because they don’t know each other well. It’s good to increase the time they spend together so they can get to know each other.”

So, what my stepmother is saying is this:

An incident that would make them completely hostile hasn’t happened yet.

Before that happens, if I can make them feel a sense of kinship or camaraderie, or at least a minimum of fellowship… it will get better.

“First of all, I need to make it clear that I’m not a doll or an object.”

“That’s right. You are not a trophy to be won by the stronger one. It only increases the probability that the stronger one will be chosen. That’s the trap of this family’s heir system.”

My stepmother raised her index finger to her lips.

I gained a deep realization from her winking as if it were a secret.

*‘That’s right. The end of all this is who becomes the head of the family. And I’m the one who chooses.’*

Ian and Dante are both waiting to be chosen. It’s not that the one who wins the fight between the two of them gets me.

“I want to marry someone who gets along well with others. Someone who is only good on their own is the worst.”

“Then you can tell that to the two young masters.”

“Yes! I think I know now why the Dribryane family created the tradition of bringing in a daughter-in-law first.”

At first, I thought it was just to intensify the competition for the head of the family.

To spur them into further development by using the hearts of boys who want to look good in front of a girl they like.

But that was just a nice-sounding excuse.

The real, deeper reason why this tradition was created-

“It’s because all the children of Dribryane have terrible personalities, like dogs.”

“Oh, Father!”

“Good morning, Steamed Bun Cheeks.”

“Ugh, I’m not Steamed Bun Cheeks!”

I puffed out my cheeks in dissatisfaction and glared at my father.

My father chuckled and casually came closer to the table, taking a seat.

“In fact, Dribryane has barely managed to avoid destruction in every generation, thanks to the mediation of an appointed mistress like you. It’s a big deal that you’ve discovered that secret.”

It’s a joke, but it doesn’t sound like a joke….

I picked up an apple with a troubled face.

“Cute! Hurry, sketch that scene!”

At that time, the area about twenty steps away from the table where I was sitting became noisy. I inadvertently turned my head in that direction, and I couldn’t help but ask what I had been wondering about.

“Mother, who are those people?”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about them, dear.”

“……?”

“They’re just artists.”

My stepmother smiled kindly as she held her coffee cup.

No, why are there five artists……?

Besides, no matter how I look at it, it seems like they’re drawing me right now….

At that moment, my father casually took the half-eaten apple from my hand and tossed out a word.

“Severe, it’s severe.”

Ah, my apple!

I looked at the apple with regret, but I quickly gave up and decided to eat something else.

“By the way, Father.”

“Yes.”

“Dante’s illness, does he still need my flowers?”

My father will take care of it, but I was curious. If he needs flowers, I can give them to him!

“Didn’t you feel tired or exhausted after using the alchemy [referring to her ability to create special flowers]?”

“Hmm. The only difference from usual is that my appetite has increased a bit……?”

I answered very seriously.

Because I think I’ve been eating too much lately.

“There’s no big problem. Then, how about Dante’s personal servant comes to visit every three days, and you give him the flowers then?”

“Ah, that’s good. The sunflower, it hasn’t withered yet. I’m also curious if the efficacy remains the same even after a few days!”

As for Dante’s berserk disease, the main figures of the family were already aware of it. Whenever Dante starts to go berserk, the adult closest to him has to stop him.

“You’re going through a lot, dear.”

My stepmother offered me more things to eat.

I ate it all deliciously, clasped my hands together, and prayed.

*‘Please go to my height. Let everything I ate go to my height!’*

* * *

Three days later, I could feel the whole world was rapidly turning into spring.

Now, when I open the window to ventilate, a gentle spring breeze blows in.

It wasn’t the winter wind that seemed to pierce the skin sharply, but a warm breeze that somehow made people feel lighthearted.

“On a day like this, it’s definitely a picnic!”

Wearing a bright yellow dress like a chick, I lifted the picnic basket with both hands.

“Let’s go! Picnic!”

But because the basket was too heavy, I could only stagger back and forth while holding it.

“Give it here. You have no strength.”

Dante, who had been watching me, took the basket from me.

“Ah, but carrying that basket is what makes it feel like a picnic!”

“……Then you hold this.”

Dante rummaged through the basket and took something out when I was fidgeting. I took it because he was giving it to me, but when I looked closely, it wasn’t a big deal.

“An apple?”

“That’s perfect for you. Because you’re round. Hold something round.”

“What?”

I want to argue, but I can’t.

The picnic basket that the kitchen staff packed was for five people, so it was really heavy, and I could only barely stand while holding it.

But Dante is the same age as me, but he held the basket without any difficulty. With one hand!

*‘I envy you, muscle-bound guy.’*

I wish all those muscles were mine.

I glanced at Dante enviously, then just hugged an apple preciously and smiled.

*‘Hehehe, you’ve fallen for my scheme!’*

In fact, me holding the picnic basket was a very sinister scheme.

If John was next to me, John would have carried it, of course. But I didn’t come out with John.

Because!

*‘If I said I was holding the picnic basket, I knew that Dante would have no choice but to go where I’m going.’*

And the place I’m heading to is none other than the training grounds in the family.

Yes, where Ian is training.

*‘This is how we enjoy a picnic together.’*

If I had said from the beginning that I was going to where Ian was, Dante would have shown that he didn’t like it… but this is something he voluntarily followed?

It’s not that I told him to go?