When I Quit Being A Wicked Mother-in-law, Everyone Became Obsessed With Me

“……”

“……”

An awkward silence settled in.

Anriche glanced sideways, trying to gauge Alexei’s reaction.

Alexei had put down the pen he was fiddling with and was fixing his gaze on Anriche.

At that moment, Anriche’s eyes widened.

‘…Oh.’

She noticed a faint shadow under his eyes, as if painted with fine brush strokes.

Now that she thought about it, it had been quite a while since she had last seen Alexei at the townhouse.

‘He must be very busy; he looks so tired.’

Anriche unconsciously opened her mouth.

“You look tired.”

Oops.

At the same time, she lightly bit her tongue.

She had intended to keep that thought to herself, but the words had slipped out.

Alexei looked a bit surprised at her comment.

“Are you concerned about me right now?”

“Excuse me? Well… is it wrong to worry?”

Anriche shrugged her shoulders.

It’s not like she had said anything inappropriate; why was he acting like this?

To be honest, she and Alexei were legally married.

Isn’t it natural for a wife to worry when she sees her husband looking exhausted?

Meanwhile, Alexei was in considerable shock at Anriche’s calm response.

‘Is she really Anriche?’

The Anriche he had known would never say something like, “You look tired.”

She had never cared about anyone else’s feelings or well-being, only focusing on herself…

“I heard you had a lot of work yesterday and left the palace late.”

Anriche continued, speaking gently.

Alexei, still flustered, trailed off.

“Ah, yes…”

“Is there anything I can help you with?”

Even a light document or two could be handled by her.

Thinking this, Anriche nodded a couple of times.

At that moment, Alexei regained his composure and politely refused.

“It’s alright. Thank you for your concern.”

“Oh, okay. If you need my help, please feel free to ask at any time.”

Then, silence fell again.

Isn’t he uncomfortable with this quietness? Am I the only one feeling awkward?

Frustrated, Anriche stirred in her seat and spoke up again.

“Oh, by the way, I brought Liliana with me.”

“I already received an explanation about that from the butler.”

“…I see.”

And once again, silence.

Anriche couldn’t even count how many times they had fallen into silence.

She was now too drained to endure this awkwardness any longer.

Sighing, she stood up.

“Well then, I’ll be on my way.”

“You’re leaving?”

“Yes. You’re busy working, so I shouldn’t disturb you.”

What did she just say?

Alexei doubted his ears.

Anriche was actually caring for him? Was the sun rising in the west today?

Holding onto the doorknob, Anriche glanced back.

“Oh, by the way, Duke.”

“Go ahead.”

“It’s good to work hard, but it’s also important to take breaks.”

As she spoke, Anriche pointed with her eyes at the cookies and tea she had brought.

“Make sure to eat the cookies. You need sugar when working.”

“Ah, yes. Understood.”

“Well then.”

Nodding slightly, Anriche closed the door.

Click.

As soon as Anriche’s figure disappeared from view, Alexei rose from his chair.

Standing in front of the table, he quietly glanced down at the cookies she had left behind.

They were chocolate cookies studded with various nuts.

‘Did I act too harshly?’

His blue eyes sank deep in thought.

Now that he thought about it, Anriche had indeed done a wonderful job playing the hostess lately.

If it hadn’t been for her, Liliana would have continued to suffer at the Londini Orphanage.

Moreover, just a moment ago, Anriche hadn’t mentioned anything about needing more money or using words like ‘allowance.’

‘If she really brought the cookies out of pure goodwill…’

If that were truly the case…

“…Should I have expressed my gratitude?”

A short sigh mixed with a murmur slipped through Alexei’s lips.

He picked up one of the cookies.

The cookie crumbled pleasantly in his mouth and was extremely delicious.

***

Rewinding a little in time, at the very moment Anriche had visited Alexei,

Liliana and Elliot were spending an awkward time of their own.

‘If you’re uncomfortable, you could just leave, so why are you enduring this?’

Liliana cast a sidelong glance at Elliot.

Elliot was gazing intently at the pile of cookies in the basket.

Of course, he was too shy to talk to Liliana, but her misunderstanding was deepening in real-time.

At that moment, their eyes met.

Startled, Elliot stiffened his shoulders.

“Um, Baron Valua.”

Liliana carefully called out to Elliot.

Elliot, feeling bashful, awkwardly responded.

“Why are you calling me?”

“I made these cookies…”

Liliana cautiously extended the plate of cookies.

“Would you like to try one?”

“W-Who wants to eat cookies like this?”

Even so, Elliot quickly reached out and grabbed the largest piece of cookie.

Excuse me, didn’t you just say you didn’t want to eat?

Liliana narrowed her eyes and watched Elliot.

Regardless, Elliot started munching on the cookie.

After a moment, his eyes widened in surprise.

“…It’s delicious.”

“…Don’t just stand there; come sit over here.”

Lilianah gestured for Elliot to join her as she pulled a chair closer. The two children sat around a small table, enjoying cookies with milk.

The crunching sound of cookies being chewed mixed with Lilianah’s lively voice.

“So, you know, my mother is really good at making cookie dough…”

Lilianah chattered on without pause.

“She’s amazing, isn’t she?”

“Amazing?”

“Yes! My mother is skilled at everything and never makes mistakes, and…”

Her praise was filled with affection for Anriche.

Lilianah cupped her cheeks with both hands, speaking in a dreamy tone.

“Honestly, when I first saw her, I thought she was an angel.”

“What? An angel?”

“Yes. I never thought someone so beautiful could exist in this world.”

Lilianah nodded enthusiastically.

If Anriche had heard that, she would have burst out laughing, wondering how a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law could have such similar first impressions of each other.

“I’ve never seen anyone as wonderful as my mother!”

Lilianah concluded her admiration.

Elliot, who had been listening to the praises of Anriche with a displeased expression, finally spoke up.

“…You know, if someone heard you, they might think our mothers are the same person.”

“Oh, I-I’m sorry!”

Lilianah jumped, realizing she had focused too much on her own feelings.

But my mother isn’t really her mother; she’s the mother of the Duke of Valois…

“…”

As that thought crossed her mind, her appetite suddenly vanished.

Lilianah put down the half-eaten cookie on her plate.

Just then, Elliot asked out of the blue,

“Why do you like your mother so much?”

Elliot’s expression was unusually serious for a boy.

Lilianah tilted her head in confusion at the unexpected question.

“Excuse me?”

“You’ve been praising her since a while ago.”

Elliot stared down at the cookie basket, filled with neatly arranged cookies that felt unfamiliar to him.

The Anriche he knew wasn’t someone who spent time with a child while making cookies.

“Honestly… I don’t really understand why you’re so attached to my mother.”

Elliot had always been regarded as an ‘annoying child’ by Anriche, who pushed him away whenever he got too close and detested being called ‘mom.’

To Anriche, Elliot was more of a means to hold her position as the Duchess of Valois than a son.

Perhaps that’s why Elliot found it fascinating to see Lilianah following her mother like a chick.

Meanwhile, without a moment’s hesitation, Lilianah replied to his question.

“My mother is the first person to treat me kindly.”

Not just anyone, but my mother?

Elliot barely suppressed the urge to ask that back.

Lilianah continued gently,

“She’s the first person to ask me what I want and not give me orders…”

The first.

To Lilianah, Anriche was that kind of person.

The first to see her not as a ‘useless parasite’ but as a ‘child who needs protection.’

Someone who walked into her difficult life one day and changed everything…

“A miraculous person.”

Seeing Elliot’s vague expression, Lilianah quickly added,

“Of course, everyone has different sides to them.”