The Villain’S Daughter-In-Law Is Inherently Powerful [EN]: Chapter 59

“I wish your father was my dad…”

I remember the day the always-strong child revealed a secret she had been hiding.

The girl, who had been hesitating for a long time near him as he pretended to be asleep, mumbled while looking at the carnation she was holding.

Then, unable to give it to him directly, she secretly placed it on his desk and ran away.

If I had to pick something to regret, it would be that the carnation disappeared because I turned back time.

I even preserved it with magic so I could hold it when I died.

‘Well, I guess it’s okay since I got cookie crumbs, apple slices, and a sunflower this time.’

The apple slices were stolen, but Kiraxus was shameless enough to ignore such trivial facts.

The sunflower that Florin made for me at the academy is still well-preserved in the magic tower. I’ve cast dozens of layers of protection magic to prevent anyone from approaching it, so it will stay fresh until the day he dies.

‘I’ll be buried with the sunflower when I die in this life.’

That doesn’t sound bad.

“Umm… Oh?”

“When did I fall asleep…? Gasp! Grand Duke! You’re still here?”

Soon, Evangeline and Linda woke up one after another. Stepping over the sounds of those who had been forcibly put to sleep waking up here and there, he turned his gaze to Florin.

And a moment later.

“Ugh…”

Florin’s eyelids twitched.

It was the moment he had been waiting for.

* * *

When I opened my eyes, it was already afternoon.

I gaped at the midday sun warmly illuminating the world.

What time is it?

‘Wow, I really slept for a long time.’

Of course, my last memory wasn’t very good, but strangely, my body felt refreshed as if I had slept soundly.

I felt so energetic that I could jump up and box right now.

“I’m, I’m really sorry. I was wrong, Florin…”

However, the situation unfolding before my eyes was quite serious, so I couldn’t possibly say that I was as healthy as a colt right now.

My stepmother was standing with her arms crossed, her eyes looking like they could freeze over. Dante and Ian were kneeling in front of her, and Dante, in particular, looked like he was about to bite his tongue.

“Um… Do you know what you did wrong?”

I was sitting on the bed, and the nanny had propped me up with a huge amount of cushions behind my back, so it was very fluffy.

It’s hard to set the mood when I’m buried between pink cushions and dolls with lots of frills… but I have to take this opportunity to fix Dante’s habits.

“I, I treated you carelessly. I shouldn’t have done that…”

Squeak.

Dante, looking like he was about to die, had swollen eyes from crying so much. His still-tender skin was peeling off from roughly wiping away the tears, and his cheeks were also red.

In fact, he looked quite pitiful. He hadn’t changed his clothes, so he was wearing the same outfit as yesterday, and he seemed to have lost control, as his animal ears were sticking out.

Ah, to be exact, his ears were drooping.

‘Ah, it’s so cute, I can’t help but laugh.’

If I had woken up feeling unwell, I would have been quite upset. But right now, I felt like I had eaten a dragon, and it was harder to stay still.

“I am not a trophy to be fought over by successors. I am the one who chooses one of you.”

I quickly repeated what my stepmother had said.

“…Yes.”

“The criteria for selection are various and differ from person to person, but let me be clear. I will choose the person who is more suitable for the position of head of the family than the person I like. And I will try to like that person.”

I knew how many mouths there were to feed in the Driblianne family.

The people who work in this large family receive money from here to support their families.

What happened to those people after Driblianne fell apart due to a love affair?

What about the chef and the kitchen staff? The gardeners? The old librarian? The maids? The nanny?

What about the many knights?

As I became closer to the employees, I felt a heavy sense of responsibility.

I have to put the right person in the position of head of the family. If not, I’d rather plot to seize the title of duchess myself.

‘Of course, the knights wouldn’t recognize me, who isn’t a Driblianne, as the duchess.’

So, I have to raise the successors from a young age to be good people.

Maintaining a serious atmosphere, I asked a question.

“Do you know why the employees are kind?”

“……”

“You’ve never thought about it, have you?”

Ian didn’t show any particular reaction to my question, and Dante flinched.

It was a little sad to see him desperately thinking, so I didn’t drag it out and gave the answer.

“They believe. They believe that their lives will be happy as much as they are loyal and devoted to this family. That the Driblianne family will not decline. And that I, the 20-something daughter-in-law… will make the right choice. So they believe that I will protect their lives.”

Dante’s eyes widened as if he was shocked. He seemed to have never thought about it that way.

“That’s why I’m trying to choose someone who is suitable for the position of head of the family. Because I know that everything I eat, wear, and enjoy is not a given [something freely or naturally available].”

“Not… a given?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ve never…”

Dante repeatedly clenched and unclenched his hands on his lap.

In fact, if he hadn’t gone to the academy and stayed at the mansion, he would have learned it naturally.

‘If my parents were still alive, I wouldn’t have had to explain it like this…’

Anyway, this is how things have turned out, and it seemed that I was the only one who could directly say these things to Dante. It seems that the head of the family and Inanna have chosen to watch from a distance.

“Do you know what respect means?”

“…No.”

Dante lowered his head dejectedly.

“Look it up in the dictionary later. I want my husband to be someone who knows how to respect. Not just his wife, but also his brothers.”

“Yes…”

He was nodding his head, saying he understood everything I said, so I couldn’t even get angry.

His handsome face was a mess, and he had become so small… Sigh.

I withdrew my cold tone and continued to speak more kindly.

“I want the head of the family to be someone who gets along well with everyone and embraces everyone. And when I choose someone, if you can’t accept that choice and try to overthrow the family… or if you don’t respect my choice, I’ll be really angry.”

I guess he understood roughly what I meant after hearing this much.

I don’t really like shock therapy, but as a result, I collapsed, and that seemed to have given Dante quite a shock.

‘He’s managing to endure without going berserk again.’

I hope he continues to have that much self-control in the future.

I looked at them like that and reached out my hands.

“Come here.”

“Hwaaah, Florin…! I, I thought you were going to die… because of me…!”

As soon as I spoke kindly, Dante burst into tears and ran to me.

Still, he must have been thinking, because he didn’t hug me tightly but just held onto my blanket, looking pitiful.

Ian quietly approached as always and sat on one side of the mattress. I hadn’t noticed because he was hidden by Dante, but Ian had also become gaunt overnight.

“I… should have been more mature. This accident happened because I wasn’t. It’s my fault, Florin.”

His calm voice was filled with deep self-reproach.

I hugged Ian tightly with one arm.

“You were very surprised, weren’t you.”

“You must have been more surprised…”

“I’m okay now. Come on, Dante, come here too. Don’t rush in too hard.”

Sniff, sniff.

Dante, who had rubbed his eyes roughly, hugged me very carefully.

Their body heat was so warm and nice that I smiled and looked at my stepmother.

“I’m sorry for worrying you, Mother.”

“No, dear. But… I was very worried.”

Knowing that I wanted to forgive them and wrap things up here, my stepmother sighed softly and approached me.

Then she gently stroked my hair, her touch so delicate as if she were handling a fragile glass craft, that I felt embarrassed.

Well, I can’t pretend to be sick anymore.

I’m really too fine right now.

“We decided to have only the three of you here first so that you wouldn’t be confused when you woke up… Everyone else must be waiting anxiously, so I should let them know the news quickly.”

It seems the family was turned upside down.

I scratched my cheek awkwardly and just laughed.

‘I’m not alone anymore.’

The loneliest people in the world are those who feel sad when they are sick. Because no one asks how they are doing or worries about them.

‘But now there are people who worry about me so much that they even cry.’

Ah, honestly, I was so happy that my heart felt full.