When I Quit Being A Wicked Mother-in-law, Everyone Became Obsessed With Me - Chapter 156

“…Lady Zenith?”

Liliana flinched, her shoulders tensing at the unexpected address.

It seemed Zenith was about to curl her lips into a snarl before suddenly reaching out.

“Did you really think I’d say I was sorry?”

Zenith attempted to grab Liliana’s arm.

“Because of you!”

A loud, shrill shout echoed in the room.

“Because of you, my parents are in prison!! And I…!!”

Inside Zenith’s greenish eyes, a grotesquely distorted expression seemed to settle in.

“If it weren’t for you!”

Liliana instinctively tried to step back.

But…

‘It’s already too late!’

Crouching down, she couldn’t move quickly enough.

Fear washed over Liliana’s face.

“Lily!!”

At that moment, someone forcefully pushed her body.

“Ah!”

Liliana tumbled to the floor.

“Uh, Mother?!”

She lifted her head in surprise.

Anriche stood in front of her.

As Zenith tried to grab Liliana, Anriche had intervened, pushing the girl away.

But something felt off.

“…Mother?”

Liliana called out to Anriche with a trembling voice.

Anriche was turning back, her face pale and terrified.

“Lily.”

“What’s wrong?”

Liliana hurriedly rose and ran toward Anriche.

In that instant…

“Cough!”

Anriche let out a violent cough.

Her greenish eyes were filled with horror.

“Mother!!”

And rightly so; blood had poured from her mouth along with the cough.

Anriche hastily covered her mouth, but it was of no use.

“Cough, cough!!”

With each cough, drops of blood fell beneath her covered hand.

In no time, the front of Anriche’s clothing was stained bright red.

“Lily, I’m fine, so…”

Anriche gritted her teeth, trying to reassure Liliana.

As she pushed Liliana away, Zenith suddenly seized Anriche’s wrist.

There was a stinging pain on the back of her hand, as if pierced by a needle.

…That was all it was.

‘Oh no.’

A burning sensation spread from her hand as if it were on fire.

Liliana clung to Anriche, her face pale, nearly fainting.

“Mother, Mother…!”

“Lily, we need to… call for help…”

A metallic taste of blood lingered in her mouth.

Her breath came in shallow gasps, causing her words to falter.

Her hands and feet felt cold, and her whole body was heavy, as if weighed down by something.

‘It’s okay.’

She wanted to say that.

But Liliana didn’t want to see that expression on Anriche’s face.

Anriche forced a smile.

Yet she couldn’t stop her vision from blurring.

‘This is the second time I’ve made her worry, just like when we went to the lake…’

That was the last thought that crossed Anriche’s mind.

Her body fell to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.

“Is anyone there?! Please help…!”

With Liliana’s desperate cry, her vision faded to darkness.

***

At that moment, Alexei was attending a conference.

A conference.

Not the kind of assembly where nobles gather to discuss matters, but one presided over by the Emperor himself.

It was an important meeting to discuss the state’s crucial issues.

However, the usual lively discussions were absent, and the atmosphere was somber.

Two seats, which would normally be filled, were empty.

Those seats belonged to the Duke of Saxon and the Marquis Anderson.

Noblemen who would never again attend a conference.

The Emperor cleared his throat a couple of times, adjusting his voice before speaking.

“The agenda for this conference is…”

But at that moment,

‘Huh?’

The nobles furrowed their brows and turned toward the door.

It seemed oddly noisy outside.

“…urgent…!”

“It must be done… right away…!”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Along with the commotion, the heavy sound of someone knocking on the door echoed through the room.

The Emperor frowned, his displeasure evident.

“Let them in.”

Finally, the door swung open.

A man rushed into the conference room, almost stumbling as he entered.

It was the chamberlain.

‘What’s going on?’

‘This is suspicious.’

The nobles exchanged furtive glances.

The chamberlain, who served closely by the Emperor’s side, was a high-ranking noble with the title of Count.

If he was causing such a commotion, something serious must have occurred…

“I have come to report to Your Majesty.”

The chamberlain quickly composed himself.

The Emperor shot him a sharp look.

“What’s the cause of this disturbance?”

“It’s that…”

The chamberlain looked around, unsure of how to proceed.

In that moment, his eyes met Alexei’s.

‘What is it?’

Alexei’s expression was one of confusion.

Simultaneously, the chamberlain squeezed his eyes shut and bowed his head.

“There has been an assassination attempt on the Duchess of Valois.”

In an instant, the color drained from Alexei’s face.

“What did you just say?!”

He stood up abruptly, as if about to faint.

“Who did it?!”

“The assailant has been apprehended at the scene. The culprit is…”

The chamberlain swallowed hard before continuing.

“It is Lady Zenith.”

“…”

“…”

An icy silence fell over the room.

Zenith Rondini.

Once the daughter of the Baron Rondini, she was now a girl imprisoned in a juvenile detention center.

And the reason she was incarcerated…

‘The late Empress.’

She had been manipulated by the late Empress and falsely accused Everitt and Valois.

Everyone in the room instinctively recalled the late Empress, even the Emperor himself.

“So, where is my wife now?”

A tense voice broke the silence.

It was Alexei.

The chamberlain answered quickly.

“She was taken to Valois’s townhouse immediately after emergency treatment was completed.”

“…”

Alexei clenched his teeth tightly.

“What is my wife’s condition? Is it serious?”

“I’m sorry, but I didn’t hear anything further.”

“What was the weapon?”

“A ring with a hidden poison needle.”

Upon hearing that response, Alexei lifted his head.

His eyes, filled with intensity, turned toward the Emperor.

“Your Majesty.”

He simply called out to the Emperor.

Yet, the Emperor involuntarily stiffened, feeling the pressure of Alexei’s gaze.

“Given the situation, I will take my leave now.”

“Y-yes.”

The Emperor nodded quickly.

Along with this, Alexei added in a voice as cold as ice.

“However, I would like to address one thing before I go.”

“…What is it?”

“It concerns the object that attacked my wife.”

Alexei spat out the words.

“That object was definitely… the ring with the hidden poison needle.”

“…”

“…”

The people remained silent, their mouths tightly shut like clam shells.

“Lady Zenith is currently a prisoner in a juvenile detention center.”

A heavy silence fell over the conference room.

Only Alexei’s voice echoed chillingly.

“As you all well know, a prisoner would not easily obtain such a sophisticated assassination tool.”

His icy gaze swept over the people, fierce enough to make even the innocent feel a shiver of fear.

“I vow on everything Valois has to uncover the truth behind this incident.”

No one dared to speak in the face of Alexei’s fierce demeanor, not even the Emperor.

“If anyone is found to be involved in this matter, Valois will ensure they pay the appropriate price.”

With those words, Alexei left the conference room without even bowing.

“Huh…”

“Phew, I feel like I lost ten years off my life.”

Only then did the people let out sighs of relief.

They glanced around, gauging the Emperor’s reaction.

In truth, Alexei’s earlier attitude had been undeniably rude.

To act that way in the presence of the Emperor could easily be perceived as a challenge to the imperial authority.

Yet, no one blamed the Duke of Valois.

Rather,

“Well, what can we do?”

“It’s understandable that the Duke would be so enraged.”

“Indeed. He is someone who cares deeply for the Duchess…”

Everyone shared a sentiment that validated Alexei’s outrage.

Meanwhile, the Emperor couldn’t hide his anxious expression.

‘If, by any chance, the late Empress or the late Crown Prince is involved in this matter…’

Surely, that can’t be the case.

No matter how much he tried to calm his thoughts,

“…”

It was inevitable that his heart felt as cold as if he had swallowed a large chunk of ice.