When I Quit Being A Wicked Mother-in-law, Everyone Became Obsessed With Me - Chapter 14
***
A little while later, Anriche and Liliana entered the kitchen.
The maids, who had been chatting in small groups, were startled and jumped to their feet.
“I’m going to bake cookies with Liliana today.”
“Cookies?”
“Yes. I’ll take care of the ingredients and everything, so you all can go out and rest.”
As she spoke, Anriche fixed her gaze on the kitchen maids with a determined look.
Her eyes seemed to say that if they gave any hints to Liliana, she wouldn’t let it slide.
Understanding her intent, the maids shrank back and lowered their heads.
“Understood, My Lady.”
“We will.”
After the maids had slipped away like a receding tide, Liliana carefully set the doll she had been holding on a kitchen chair.
Anriche watched her with a warm smile.
“First, we need to wash our hands before making the cookies.”
“Yes, Mother.”
Anriche washed her hands first, and Liliana followed suit.
They mixed softened butter with sugar, then sifted in the flour.
Liliana was carefully separating the yolks and whites of the eggs.
While making the dough, Anriche furrowed her brow slightly.
“Oh dear.”
Liliana’s rolled-up sleeves were slowly sliding down toward her wrists.
Even though she had pulled her sleeves up tightly, it seemed it wasn’t enough.
“Come here, Liliana.”
Anriche firmly rolled up the child’s sleeves for her.
Liliana, gazing at her neatly folded sleeves, shyly murmured, “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
With a shrug, Anriche turned back to the cookie dough.
Liliana couldn’t take her eyes off Anriche’s back for a long time.
‘…Mother is really so kind.’
Having someone carefully look after her and help her at the right moments was a warmth she had never experienced before.
A gentle smile slowly spread across Liliana’s small lips.
It was a happy smile.
***
Finally, the cookies were all baked.
The distinct aroma of sweet and nutty cookies began to fill the air.
At that moment, Elliot peeked into the kitchen.
“…Are you baking cookies?”
“Mm, they’re all baked, but still hot. I’ll share some with you once they cool down,” Anriche replied with a smile.
Elliot, who had been watching with a wary expression, cautiously stepped into the kitchen.
Perhaps to cool them down, various animal-shaped cookies were arranged on a large tray.
Glancing at the cookies, Elliot asked, “So, is there some for Dad?”
In that instant, Anriche froze.
Ah, right.
She had been so focused on Liliana and Elliot that she had completely forgotten about Alexei.
‘But what if I bring cookies to him… I’ll be lucky if he doesn’t hate them.’
With a puzzled expression, Anriche hesitantly gauged Elliot’s response.
“Um, hasn’t Father gone to the palace? He’s such a busy person…”
“No, he said he’d be at the townhouse today.”
…Of all days, it had to be when he was at the townhouse.
Anriche sighed deeply inwardly.
If she hadn’t known he was home, she might have pretended to forget, but now that she knew, she couldn’t act like she didn’t.
But still.
The thought of giving cookies to Alexei felt so awkward she thought she might just die!
As she silently shed tears of frustration, Anriche checked to see if the cookies had cooled down.
Fortunately, they were now at a perfect temperature for eating.
She glanced back at the children.
“Um, kids. Do you want to eat some cookies first?”
“What about you, Mother?”
“Oh, I’m going to take some cookies to the Duke.”
At that, Elliot looked surprised.
‘Of course, I did poke him in the ribs about Dad being at the townhouse…’
In fact, Elliot thought it would be fortunate if the cookies could be delivered through a maid.
After all, the Duke and Duchess had barely acknowledged each other for nearly three years.
“Are you taking them to him yourself?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“…Um, it’s nothing.”
Elliot shook his head.
It was understandable that Elliot would react that way.
Feeling somewhat bitter, Anriche gathered the tray with the plate of cookies, teacups, and teapot.
***
Knock knock.
At the short knock, Alexei lifted his gaze slightly.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me, Anriche.”
Hearing her hesitant voice, Alexei’s eyes widened a bit.
Anriche?
The Balua Duke and Duchess had hardly seen each other’s faces in the last three years.
They had exchanged only a few words in unavoidable circumstances, and for urgent matters, they would use servants to convey messages.
In such a situation, what could she possibly want that brought her all the way to his office?
“…Come in.”
With a click, the door opened.
Anriche, holding a tray with both hands, stepped lightly into the office.
Alexei stared at her intently, as if curious about what her motives might be.
‘If someone saw this, they’d think I came to assassinate Alexei.’
Anriche grumbled inwardly as she set the tray down on the table.
At the same time, Alexei’s sculpted eyebrows raised in confusion.
“What’s all this?”
“It’s cookies and tea.”
“I know that. What I mean is, why is the lady bringing me cookies?”
Anriche felt a bit offended by the somewhat confrontational tone.
She had gone through the trouble of baking cookies, so why was he treating her like this?
“Excuse me, there’s no poison in them, you know?”
“Pardon?”
At her unexpected comment, Alexei looked momentarily puzzled.
Anriche straightened her neck and met Alexei’s gaze.
“You’ve been glaring at me since earlier, haven’t you?”
“……”
“It’s as if I’m going to assassinate you with these cookies.”
At her words, Alexei’s expression turned a bit awkward.
It was true that he had been wary of her.
But he quickly collected himself.
After all, this was ‘that’ Anriche.
The reason she had come to see him was pretty obvious.
“She probably wants to complain that her allocated budget is too little and demands more money.”
…That was probably it.
Alexei also knew that the shopkeepers on Le Morgan Street likened his wife to a “lottery.”
She was indeed someone who scattered gold coins like they were nothing.
Whenever there was a new product or a limited edition, she would buy up anything and everything.
Designer dresses, hats, shoes, jewelry, gourmet desserts, and even useless furniture and decorations…
‘Now that I’ve kept an eye on her excessive spending, is she trying to win my favor by bringing cookies?’
Leaning back in his chair, Alexei asked in a sarcastic tone, “So, you brought me cookies out of pure goodwill?”
At this, Anriche gaped at him, her mouth agape.
“Excuse me? You do realize that’s quite rude, right?”
…What?
Taken aback by her unexpected reaction, Alexei was slightly flustered.
With a nonchalant expression, Anriche continued, “I just baked cookies with Liliana this time, and I thought I’d let you have a taste.”
At her words, Alexei’s eyes widened in surprise.
She baked cookies with Liliana?
Does that mean she actually made these cookies herself?
But up until now, the Anriche he knew would have hated even getting a drop of water on her fingers.
There was no way she would handle flour and eggs…
Meanwhile, Anriche was completely misinterpreting Alexei’s silence.
“…Well, if you really think these cookies are suspicious, I’ll eat one first. Is that alright?”
With a sulky expression, Anriche picked up a cookie from the plate.
The sound of crunching echoed as she bit into it.
A moment later, after devouring the entire cookie, Anriche raised her nose in triumph.
“See? I’m perfectly fine, right?”
As she dusted off the cookie crumbs from her hands, Anriche grumbled softly into her mouth.
“They’re just delicious. Seriously, it’s like you have some sort of suspicion complex…”
Alexei watched her quietly.
Strangely enough, the way Anriche pouted and grumbled didn’t seem all that annoying.
Of course, he was surprised at himself for thinking that.
‘…It’s true that sometimes a person looks different after failing a hundred times and succeeding once.’
Anriche was just that kind of person.
Feeling a bit pathetic for almost falling for her charm, Alexei unknowingly narrowed his brows.
But…
‘Still, I admit that I was wrong.’
If he moved on without acknowledging his mistake, wouldn’t that make him the same as Anriche?
Suppressing his unpleasant feelings, Alexei offered a polite apology.
“I didn’t mean it that way. But if I upset you, I apologize.”
“Ah, yes…”
With a pout, Anriche blinked her eyes in surprise.
Hmm, she hadn’t expected him to apologize so readily.