NOVEL NEXT Chapter 17
What’s wrong?
It was rare for my mother to visit me in person.
Sophina led her mother to a small reception room attached to their room.
Khan poured tea into her cup and spoke.
“Daughter-in-law, did you sleep well last night?”
“Yes.”
Sophina answered, quenching her thirst with the subtle scent of tea.
Perhaps because I was still half-asleep, her words seemed strange.
Sophina, who had been rubbing her eyes, changed in an instant.
“Huh? But, did you hurt your hand, mother?”
Mother’s fingertips are full of scratches.
Sophina asked in a worried tone
Khan’s lips raised to a graceful smile as if telling her she was fine.
On the contrary, she carefully glanced at the complexion of her daughter-in-law.
‘She looks fine.’
(Khan)
‘There was no news last night that the maids did anything else.’
Khan monitored the maids and looked into information related to the disturbance at the wedding.
‘I was wondering if there were more people involved.’
(Khan)
And wouldn’t I be able to handle things satisfactorily only by collecting evidence?
As a result, conclusive evidence was obtained that the maid’s actions were correct.
‘I should have told my daughter-in-law that it doesn’t hurt.’
Khan was worried because she wasn’t good at comforting people.
Khan warmly filled Sophina’s slightly empty looking cup and asked her how she was doing.
“It’s not a big deal. Daughter-in-law, weren’t you very surprised by what happened yesterday?”
If it was yesterday…
“Oh, with that snake? I’m fine.”
Sophina smiled brightly and replied with a seemingly courageous answer.
When she saw that, Khan’s eyelashes trembled slightly.
My mother brought the teacup near her mouth and spoke in a slightly shaky tone.
“Aren’t you surprised? I should have looked into that first. It’s all my fault.”
(Khan)
‘Hmm? Why was my mother blaming herself?’
(Sophina)
Wasn’t she a mother who doesn’t usually express her feelings well?
Sophina’s eyes widened at Khan’s strangely emotionally enriched words.
Then I waved my hands awkwardly.
“No, it’s not your fault mother!”
(Sophina)
At her answer Khan relaxed her expression.
Then, quietly, she put down the teacup and straightened her back.
“That’s a relief.”
After those words, there was a strange silence.
‘I have to talk about it to my daughter-in-law.’
Khan stared at Sophina.
Sophina also glanced sideways at Khan.
As a result, they made short and repeated eye contact with each other.
Just as Khan was swallowing as if she had made up her mind, Sophina also waited for the opportunity.
‘Should I ask now?’
A black snake that appeared at the wedding. And the suspicious behavior of the maids.
In order to find out all of this and wrap it up as she wants, she needs to lay the groundwork well.
Sophina gently opened her lips first and spoke in a soft tone.
“But, what happened to that snake? He just sent out a message like you did before mother…”
(Sophina)
“That kid was from the head of the snake family.”
(Khan)
“What?”
Sophina’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected answer.
Khan continued to explain as she swept through her hair.
“This time, the snake family was in disarray after internal strife. He’s the kid who ran away from them.”
A snake from a prestigious family who entered the lion territory. It was a rare case.
‘No way..?’
There was something I wanted to point out.
While Sophina was fiercely thinking, her mother cleared up the situation with a gentle voice.
“We’re investigating the details, so we’ll figure it out soon.”
(Khan)
The subtle sense of uneasiness gradually intensified.
Sophina chose to dig a little deeper and ask her first.
“Then what are you going to do?”
(Sophina)
“I’m going to keep him for now.”
(Khan)
“…Oh, I see.”
After responding lukewarmly, Sophina gently lowered her gaze, but remembered something and asked again.
“Uh, do you know the snake’s name?”
Knowing that, I think I would definitely remember the confusing fact.
“Canus Black.” Khan answered briefly.
‘Ah, Canus Black!’
Sophina’s body flinched as if she remembered something.
His position was the heroine’s helper, a genius, and the youngest son of the snake family.
He was a very important character in the novel.
Whenever the heroine was in crisis, he was powerful enough to help her with his unique wisdom.
‘It wasn’t really an ordinary snake!’
Even as a genius, he created many revolutionary business items.
‘If I could do business with that snake, it wouldn’t be that hard to become rich.’
(Sophina)
It seemed that I should have a friendly conversation with the little snake instead of interrogating him.
“Why are you asking that?”
Khan was staring at Sophina, who suddenly seemed to have fallen into a world of her own, said.
“Hehe, just…”
Sophina changed the subject, acting cutely.
“But, did you get any clues about how the snake appeared at the ceremony?”
(Sophina)
“You seem to know something.”
The behavior of the daughter-in-law who continues to dig into the affairs of the wedding.
Khan realized quickly.
Sophina also noticed something about the incident.
“Yes, there was actually a culprit I’m thinking of.”
(Khan)
Sophina meekly affirmed.
Then she smiled and broadly expressed her true intentions.
“Could I try to solve this problem?”
I have a rough idea of who the culprit was, I thought of a way to find out, and I think there would be something to benefit from it after that.
‘There’s no reason to miss this opportunity.’
(Sophina)
Sophina clenched her fists, waiting for Khan’s answer.
“Sure.”
Fortunately, permission was granted.
Along with her answer, a smile bloomed on Sophina’s lips.
Khan stared at her like that.
‘This wasn’t in the calculation. I’m proud of you.’
(Khan)
My daughter-in-law showed a rather surprising plan even from the eagle estate.
Suddenly, Khan wondered how Sophina would make her way through future endeavors.
‘As for the maids, there’s no need to talk about it.’
(Khan)
Now, wasn’t it something Sophina could solve?
If it was said for its original purpose, it was obvious that it would be an ugly consideration that would crush my daughter-in-law’s request.
The best thing Khan could do was support Sophina’s actions.
‘So now all that’s left is…’
Khan sighed and called Sophina.
“…That, daughter-in-law.”
“Yes, mother!”
“Do you need anything?”
The words that came out of her mother’s lips were quite unexpected.
Sophina shook her head, blurring the end of her words.
“Yes, I don’t have any…”
Khan’s expression changed each moment. She gently raised her eyebrow and then noticeably had a stiff expression.
She looked dissatisfied and disappointed.
Sophina quickly changed her words.
“…There wasn’t, but there’s…”
Only then did her mother’s lips smile lightly and gently rested her chin on her hand.
“Tell me.”
“Well, it’s not necessary but… If I caught the real culprit, could I punish them however I want?”
“Of course. You’re the wife of the next head of the Chadwick family.”
Khan nodded softly.
‘I was very proud of my daughter-in-law’s attitude to come forward trying to solve the problem herself.’
(Khan)
Sophina blinked at a loss and then bowed to her mother and said.
“Tha- thank you. Mother!’
At the same time, Sophina thought, ‘Mother was very sweet today!‘
Well, she was kind to me from the beginning, but for some reason it seemed that we were getting closer.
Was it because I officially became the daughter-in-law of the Chadwick family?
Sophina bit her lip trying to hide the laughter that’s about to burst from her lips.
Meanwhile, Khan pretended to look indifferently at the watch on her wrist.
Time had already passed so she had to finish the tea.
Khan hesitated for a moment, then pulled something out of her arms.
She then held it out with an arrogant tone.
“And this… I got it on my way here.”
Colorful berry fruits warmed up in the pocket of her clothes.
‘When we first met, my daughter-in-law said she liked berries the most.’
(Khan)
It was a gift I collected with great care, as small thorns pricked my hands.
It would be more meaningful to prepare it with effort.
Sophina politely received the berries with both hands.
‘My favorite raspberry! But the scar on my mother’s fingers, it’s like a small cut from…’
(Sophina)
I hope it’s not because you picked the berries yourself.
“Thank you so much! But did mother pick each one of these?” Sophina doubted and asked Khan.
A soft blush appeared on Khan’s cheeks that she wouldn’t notice unless she looked closely.
Her mother shrugged and cleared her throat, avoiding to answer.
Then she hurriedly got up from her seat.
“Let’s stop, I need to go.”
Khan, like a lion, disappeared so fast, boasting her tremendous abilities.
“Mo-mother?”
In the end, Sophina was left alone in her room.
She muttered awkwardly, scratching the back of her head.
“I guess you picked all these by yourself…”
✿
And a few hours later…
Sophina summoned the little snake with the authority entrusted by her mother.
It was time to catch the culprit that tried to mess up her wedding.