When I Quit Being A Wicked Mother-in-law, Everyone Became Obsessed With Me - Chapter 162

Epilogue. The Reason for Happiness

It had been a day since Anriche regained her senses.

Recently, she had been experiencing the common description of “will I fly away if I let go or will I disappear if I hold on tight.”

“Lady, you need to rest!”

Jane, with fire in her eyes, scolded her, and

“You’ve only just gotten out of bed!”

the usually indifferent butler chimed in.

Everyone was making a fuss as if she would collapse the moment she stepped even a foot outside her bed.

“Alexei, I’m really fine,” she insisted.

Finally unable to bear the embarrassment, Anriche turned to her husband for help…

“I also think Liche needs to rest more,” Alexei firmly shook his head.

Anriche blinked in surprise.

“What?”

“Now is the time to focus on recovery.”

As he said this, Alexei fixed a stare at the doctor who was examining his wife.

Aren’t I right?

It was as if he were asking.

The physician hurriedly nodded in agreement.

“The Duke is correct!”

Only after hearing this answer did Alexei finally display a satisfied expression.

“Even the doctor says so.”

“Ah, yes…”

Anriche was at a loss for words.

After the examination concluded, she spent aimlessly in bed with her family.

Suddenly, memories of the past came rushing back.

‘The Londini family… ends up like this after all.’

She had heard that the former empress took the Londini couple hostage to use Jeanette.

But in reality, they had already been killed by the former empress.

This meant that all of Jeanette’s attempts to poison Anriche had been in vain.

Upon discovering the truth, Jeanette had completely fallen apart.

She had nearly become a shell of her former self.

Alexei did not tell Anriche what fate had befallen Jeanette, who was now alone.

Anriche didn’t bother asking either.

She could guess.

‘Those who harm members of the Balua will pay the appropriate price.’

Alexei would have acted according to that principle.

However.

‘It’s bitter.’

Most of those who had made mistakes had been punished.

But what about the person who had provided the fundamental cause for that wrongdoing?

‘If only His Majesty the Emperor had been faithful to his family.’

If the former empress had been loyal and had not given birth to children elsewhere.

What if that had been the case…?

“Honestly, just thinking about when you first woke up…”

Anriche snapped back to reality at that moment, hearing Delphina’s voice.

Recently, as soon as she had awakened, Delphina had glued herself to Anriche’s side.

“How can you all just sit there in tears?”

Delphina shot a glare at Anriche but in a non-annoying way.

“You should have called for me earlier.”

“……”

“……”

A heavy silence fell.

After all, it was understandable.

‘What? Liche has woken up?!’

Bang!

At that time, Delphina had also rushed into the bedroom, bursting through the door.

She had completely thrown aside her dignity as the Duchess.

‘Why is everyone crying?!’

Delphina had cried out, her own eyes brimming with tears.

‘If you all cry, I’ll end up crying too…!’

…That had definitely happened.

It seemed Delphina had completely erased that memory from her mind.

Looking at her shaking her head now.

“Really, seeing everyone sobbing next to Liche…”

Unable to tolerate Delphina’s remark, Alexei furrowed his brows.

“By that logic, didn’t Mother also cry?”

“I-I never did?!”

Delphina retorted angrily.

But this time, Alexei had backup.

“Hey? I saw that grandma was crying!”

“I did too.”

The two children, huddled beside Anriche, chirped in unison.

“That, you must have seen it wrong.”

Delphina attempted to play it off.

“That’s not true, she really was crying.”

Elliot insisted, unwavering in his stance.

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Even Liliana was nodding vigorously in agreement.

Delphina’s face turned bright red.

“No, it’s not that I was crying! It was, um, you see!”

Delphina raised her voice in exasperation in front of the two children, who couldn’t hide their suspicious glances.

“W-well! It was just that something got in my eyes…!”

Knock, knock.

At that moment, a short knock interrupted them.

“Oh my, someone’s here!”

Seizing the opportunity to escape the awkward situation, Delphina turned eagerly towards the door.

The person who entered was the butler.

“The Emperor has sent a letter.”

“…The Emperor?”

Alexei’s expression was subtle.

His feelings towards the imperial family were not very good, especially after the recent incidents involving the former empress and the former prince.

“Yes. The letter is to be delivered specifically to the Lady.”

“Huh? To me?”

Anriche took the letter with a puzzled look.

A moment later, after reading the entire letter, Anriche spoke in a dazed voice.

“…He’s coming to visit me?”

“The Emperor is?”

“Yes.”

At those words, everyone’s eyes widened in disbelief.

***

A few days later.

Anriche truly felt as if she might choke from the situation.

This was understandable, considering that the Emperor himself was visiting her.

“How is your health, Duchess?”

“Thanks to your concern, I’m doing well.”

Anriche forced a smile, lifting the corners of her lips as much as she could.

‘No one else can say they’ve met the Emperor while still in bed recovering…’

Despite her efforts to maintain a smile, the corners of her lips trembled.

The Emperor glanced at Alexei with a sidelong look.

Although Alexei currently wore a calm expression…

The memory of when the Duke of Balua had come to him with his eyes wild after the truth of the situation had been revealed was still vivid.

“Duke. Please calm down…”

“Calm down?”

The sharp intensity that Alexei had displayed back then was still fresh in the Emperor’s mind.

“Would you calm down if it were Your Majesty in this situation?”

“Ah, no. That’s…”

The Emperor hesitated.

Alexei twisted the corners of his lips into a smile that resembled that of a predator, as if he might bite someone’s neck at any moment.

“We have already been patient enough.”

That was indeed true.

The biggest victims of this incident were the Everett family and the Balua family.

The deaths of the Earl and Countess Everett, along with the subsequent defamation of their honor, were more than enough.

No matter how reckless the former empress and former prince had been, no one would have expected an attempt on the Duchess’s life.

“Choose, Your Majesty.”

“Choose? What do you mean?”

“I will do everything I can to take revenge for my wife and my dear friend. So…”

Alexei continued coldly.

“Please give me the lives of the former empress and the former prince.”

At that, the Emperor stiffened.

“What will you do?”

“Duke, that’s…”

“Is it Balua or the former empress and prince?”

The Emperor could only choose one option in that situation.

Afterward,

News of the former empress and the former prince seemed to vanish entirely.

It was as if they had been wiped clean from the world.

The “private retribution of Balua” was that powerful.

All the Emperor could do was simply wish that it wouldn’t be too painful for the former family members who had received such retribution.

…But now,

Current Alexei was looking at Anriche with a gentle, herbivorous expression.

The fierce intensity from that time was nowhere to be seen.

‘When the Duchess is present, he completely transforms into a different person.’

The Emperor couldn’t hide his surprise once more.

And then,

“My health has improved greatly.”

Just then, Anriche’s response jolted the Emperor back to reality.

Anriche added politely,

“Thank you for your concern.”

“No, it’s only right that I should have come.”

The Emperor shook his head, gazing intently at Anriche.

“I truly regret what has happened.”

Then he continued in a low voice.

“While it might not feel like enough, I will ensure that the succession ceremony for the Duchy of Saxon is conducted splendidly…”

“No.”

Anriche firmly refused.

“There’s no need for a succession ceremony.”

“However… wouldn’t you feel disappointed?”

“Yes.”

Anriche nodded.

She meant it.

The Saxon Duchy had completely fallen into ruin, its name alone remaining.

The family itself was embroiled in a scandal that shook the very foundation of the imperial economy, and the former head and duchess were under house arrest.

In such a situation, she didn’t want to attract public attention by holding an extravagant succession ceremony.

The Balua family had already gone through enough.

At this moment, all she wanted was a quiet time to rest.