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

“Y-Yes?”

“Um, did she say it was bothersome… or push you away like that…?”

Elliot thought he was lowering his voice as much as possible, but unfortunately, it was all heard.

Anriche narrowed her eyes.

Sigh, what can I do? I’ve built up so many bad deeds until now…

Just then, while Anriche was overwhelmed with deep skepticism.

“No, she didn’t do that.”

Liliana said firmly, which was rare for her.

At the unexpected response, Elliot’s eyes widened in surprise.

“What? She didn’t do that?”

“Yes. So, um, that means… my mother…”

Liliana, glancing up at Anriche from the corner of her eye, clenched her tiny fists and continued speaking clearly.

“…She’s a very nice person.”

Yes, Liliana! That’s it!

You’re gradually washing my image clean!

Anriche clenched her fists in excitement, cheering inwardly.

“She has treated me very well.”

“…My mother?”

“Yes. This dress I’m wearing right now was chosen by her herself.”

On Liliana’s face, there was a sense of pride directed toward Anriche.

Elliot narrowed his brow.

That can’t be true; my mother has never chosen a single piece of clothing for me…

“Is that really true? You’re not being threatened or anything, are you?”

As he asked that, Elliot took a step closer to Liliana.

“If that’s the case, just wave a handkerchief…”

“That’s not it!”

Liliana finished her statement firmly.

Upon hearing that answer, Elliot couldn’t hide his skeptical expression and glanced back and forth between Anriche and Liliana.

Just then,

Grrrrrrr.

A loud growl echoed from Liliana’s stomach.

“Um, um…?!”

Liliana’s cheeks turned as red as a ripe tomato in an instant.

But the growl didn’t stop after just one sound.

Grrrrr, grrrrrr.

“I-I don’t know…”

They were having a serious conversation, and now this was so embarrassing!

Stupid stomach!

Liliana was on the verge of tears from the humiliation.

Unable to bear the embarrassment, she covered her face with both hands.

“Hey, Liliana.”

At that moment, a calm voice rang out.

Liliana, struggling with her inner embarrassment, peeked at Anriche through the gaps between her fingers.

“Yes, Mother…”

“Have you had lunch today?”

“…Um, that is…”

Upon hearing that question, Liliana tightly shut her eyes.

Oh no, I feel so embarrassed that I might faint right now!

But Anriche didn’t ask Liliana that question to tease her.

She was currently trying hard to suppress her rising anger.

‘How long have they let her go without food to make her stomach growl like that?!’

Anriche looked back and forth between Elliot and Liliana.

Unlike Elliot, whose cheeks were plump and rosy, Liliana’s cheeks were pale without a hint of flesh.

Her small, thin body didn’t even show the soft curves typical of a girl her age.

“Did you perhaps not eat lunch? What about breakfast?”

“…”

“Don’t tell me you’ve been hungry all day?”

Instead of answering, Liliana lowered her head to the floor.

In that moment, sparks flew from her violet eyes.

‘I should have stomped on those Rondini or Panini things a bit more on the way here…!’

Anriche gritted her teeth in frustration.

At the same time, Liliana looked up at Anriche with a frightened expression.

“Um, Mother…”

“Hmm?”

Anriche snapped back to her senses after being lost in her anger for a moment.

Liliana was trembling with her shoulders quaking.

“I’m sorry for not behaving like a lady… I’ll be more careful from now on.”

“No, it’s not that!”

“So please don’t be mad. P-please forgive me just this once…”

Liliana was anxiously checking Anriche’s expression over and over.

For some reason, Anriche felt a pang of sadness and swallowed a sigh.

The growling from her stomach was just a natural phenomenon.

If she had fed the child properly in the first place, there wouldn’t even be such sounds.

After a moment, Anriche finally spoke.

“Liliana.”

“Yes?”

“Starting today, I’m thinking of giving you an assignment. Do you think you can handle it?”

“Yes, of course!”

Without even hearing what the assignment was about, Liliana nodded her head vigorously.

Her light green eyes were filled with boundless trust in Anriche.

Anriche’s gaze deepened.

‘…How starved for affection must she be to follow me like this on the very first day we met?’

All I’ve done is bring her from the orphanage and buy her a few clothes.

It felt as if I was watching a young animal trust and follow a stranger as its mother.

Feeling a lump in her throat for some reason, Anriche averted her gaze and continued speaking.

“The assignment is…”

A little later.

Liliana was sitting at a table filled with an enormous feast.

Starting with a light soup, there was a dish made with tender veal, and layers of minced meat, tomato sauce, and cheese made into lasagna were served in succession.

There was also fresh salad, juice, and soft white bread.

“I wanted you to enjoy your meal today without worry, so I asked for all the food to be laid out on the table,” Anriche said.

“Really? Is that okay? I mean, table manners…”

“Of course. It’s just us here, so what does it matter?”

Winking with one eye, Anriche pushed a plate piled high with cookies right in front of Liliana.

“Oh, and for dessert, we have chocolate chip cookies.”

With a dazed expression, Liliana looked down at the spread before her.

She had once served food to the Londini family.

She had watched with bated breath as they skillfully carved the lamb chops.

She thought she would never have the chance to eat food as fine as they did in her lifetime.

‘This is… even better than the food I saw then.’

As Liliana lifted her fork and carefully cut a piece of lasagna to put in her mouth, her light green eyes began to sparkle.

“……!!”

Oh my, I can’t believe there’s food this delicious!

It felt like her tongue was melting.

Liliana tried a piece of veal, savoring the sweet and savory seasoning and the tender texture of the meat that tickled her tongue.

Everything she tasted was a flavor she had never experienced before.

“Yes, you should eat a lot.”

Anriche watched with a satisfied expression as Liliana focused on her meal, barely touching her own.

“You need to eat well so you can complete the assignment I gave you.”

The assignment she had given to Liliana was simply to “gain enough weight so that her arms and cheeks become plump.”

As Liliana nibbled on her food like a little rabbit, her eyes suddenly widened.

She swallowed her food and nodded her head.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For preparing this meal for me.”

What on earth does that mean?

Anriche narrowed her eyes.

Liliana looked embarrassed and dropped her gaze onto her hands holding the cutlery.

“Because of me, you’ve troubled so many people.”

When she lived under the Londini baron and his wife, even getting a piece of dry bread was a challenge.

After spending all day scrubbing floors, hanging wet laundry, and attending to the orphans…

‘I didn’t even have time to sit at the table.’

Buried in work, Liliana could only sit at the table late at night when the stars twinkled.

But all she received in return was the baron’s furious shouts.

“Do we have to prepare a meal just to feed you?”

“Do you have any idea how much it costs to keep you?”

“Ungrateful girl who doesn’t even know how to be thankful for being fed!”

Following that were the derisive laughs of the baroness and the baron’s daughter.

From that day on, Liliana developed the habit of eating in places where others couldn’t see her.

She was a troublesome child, so she couldn’t be a burden to others.

Even when the Londini family cleaned up all the leftover food, she had to go to bed starving that day.

If a few children who had been friendly to her hadn’t secretly brought her food, Liliana might have truly starved to death.

But now…

“Don’t think like that.”

A firm voice rang out.

Anriche sat up straight, looking directly at Liliana.

“The servants currently residing in this townhouse are, after all, employed by the duke’s household.”

Her violet eyes were rarely this strict.

Anriche continued speaking clearly.

“They take care of this townhouse and attend to the needs of their employers, receiving appropriate compensation for it.”

“I know that, but…”

“The townhouse is maintained thanks to the servants’ efforts, so it’s only natural to be grateful to them. But…”

“But?”

Liliana tilted her head in confusion.

Anriche wrapped up her statement decisively.

“It is indeed their duty to see to your meals as well.”

“Can I really think that way?”

“Of course. So, you don’t need to feel guilty about that. Understood?”

Anriche added playfully.

“Instead of worrying about such things, you should eat at least one more spoonful of stew.”