When I Quit Being A Wicked Mother-in-law, Everyone Became Obsessed With Me - Chapter 166

A few days later, the Valois family headed to Morield, located at the southernmost tip of the empire.

Morield was one of the most famous vacation spots in the empire, known for its mild weather and beautiful sea, earning it the nickname “the Sapphire of the South.”

“It’s definitely much warmer here than in the capital,” Anriche said as she got out of the carriage.

Alexei, who was helping her down, smiled brightly.

“Do you like it?”

“Of course!” Anriche nodded enthusiastically.

She shaded her eyes with her hand and looked around at the scenery.

“I never imagined the Valois family would have a villa in Morield.”

Anriche shrugged lightly.

“I had no idea.”

“That’s because,” Delphina suddenly interjected, “Aiden and I came here on our honeymoon.”

As she said this, Delphina felt a sense of satisfaction within herself.

Good, that was smooth.

It felt rewarding to have seized the opportunity to engage her daughter-in-law in conversation.

Delphina proudly continued, “Seeing that I liked this area, Aiden bought a villa in Morield.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Yes. To be precise, this villa is filled with memories of Aiden and me.”

Delphina puffed out her chest with pride.

“My husband was truly a considerate man, you know?”

“…….”

“…….”

Ah, right……

Alexei and Anriche struggled to hide their discomfort as they looked at Delphina.

……It seemed they had unintentionally received excessive information about the previous duke and duchess’s marital bliss.

Just then,

“Mother!”

Liliana jumped down from the carriage, her face suddenly filled with worry as she looked up at Anriche.

“Are you okay?”

“Of course, I’m fine.”

Since the assassination attempt on Jenit, Liliana had been overly concerned about Anriche’s health.

It seemed that she felt guilty for Anriche’s collapse.

There’s no need for that.

Anriche felt pity for Liliana.

Liliana clenched her fists and earnestly admonished, “But if you feel uncomfortable at all, you have to let me know, okay?”

“Sure, I will.”

Liliana’s determined gaze was cute and lovable.

Anriche gently patted the golden crown of the child’s head.

At that moment, Elliott came running over.

“Mom, let’s go inside quickly!”

“Let’s do that.”

Anriche nodded.

Thus, the Valois family made their way into the villa.

***

The villa was a single-story house with a small veranda and a garden.

It was built in the southern style, with wide-open windows and spacious interiors.

A stable was set up a short distance away for the horses that had pulled the carriage.

Outside the house, the view of the sea was unobstructed.

“But Alexei,” Anriche said, looking up at her husband while exploring the surroundings.

“Everything is nice, but why is there not a single person around here?”

This area was renowned in Morield for its particularly blue sea.

Naturally, there should be people visiting to see the ocean, aside from the Valois family.

However, Alexei replied nonchalantly, “Well, this area is private property of the Valois family.”

Oh.

At this unexpected response, Anriche blinked in surprise.

“There shouldn’t be anyone coming or going here, so we can enjoy it comfortably.”

“Thank you.”

Anriche smiled bashfully.

***

The Valois family decided to stay at the villa for a week.

“Since you’ve just recovered, make sure to rest well,” Delphina said kindly to her daughter-in-law.

She then shot a sidelong glance at Alexei.

It was a completely different look than when she was looking at Anriche; it was as if she was dealing with a troublesome child.

“Alexei, don’t bother your wife.”

“……Why do you always say that to me, Mother?”

Alexei frowned.

“Why? Because if you listen to your wife, you’ll get cake at night, you know? Got it?”

“Who doesn’t know that?”

“Then why did you make everyone worry when Riche was sick?”

Delphina scolded her son for no reason.

“Valois, the Duke, was quite the piece of work, huh? Right?”

Cough, cough!

Alexei cleared his throat briefly, feeling guilty for his past actions.

It was true that he had shown an unstable side, fearing he might lose Anriche forever.

“Hahaha…….”

Anriche could only give an awkward laugh.

In that moment, her gaze suddenly turned toward the window.

The sun was setting quietly.

“It’s already this late,” Anriche said as she stood up.

“I’ll go get the kids.”

“Riche, I’ll go with you.”

Alexei subtly stood up as well, following his wife.

“Wait a minute. Why do you get up so naturally?”

Delphina narrowed her eyes at him.

“I could go too, you know?”

“Mother, it’s still cold outside.”

Seeing the two of them, Anriche quickly interjected, “It’s really windy out. If you go outside and catch a cold, I’ll be upset.”

“Hmph.”

“I’ll be back soon, okay?”

“……Well, if you say so, Riche.”

Finally, Delphina sat back down in her chair with a pout.

The corners of her lips had risen high, as if floating.

***

Meanwhile, the ones most excited about this trip were Elliott and Liliana.

The two children rolled around and played by the beach, collecting small crabs and shells.

However, at that moment, the children were unusually quiet.

“Hmm, why are the kids sitting so still?”

“Indeed.”

Alexei and Anriche exchanged puzzled glances as they looked at the children.

Far away on the sandy shore, where the sea met the land, the two kids were crouched down.

They were intently playing with the sand using their tiny hands.

“Mom, Dad!”

Just then, Elliott spotted his parents and jumped up from where he was sitting.

He waved his hands excitedly.

“Look at this! I made a sandcastle!”

“Mother, me too!”

Liliana stood next to Elliott, bouncing in place with excitement.

Anriche couldn’t help but smile.

“Alright, let’s see how amazing your sandcastle is!”

Anriche approached the children.

The first thing that caught her eye was a round-shaped sandcastle.

It was beautifully decorated with white pebbles and seaweed.

The children looked up at Anriche and Alexei with sparkling eyes, their expressions begging for praise like a puppy.

“Wow, that’s amazing!”

Anriche exclaimed enthusiastically,

“I think this is the coolest sandcastle I’ve ever seen.”

Alexei quickly chimed in to support Anriche’s words.

“Right?”

“Hehe.”

The children beamed brightly, their faces smeared with sand.

“The pebbles were picked up by Lily, and I suggested using the seaweed for decoration!”

“Oh my, is that so?”

“Yes! And Mother, this sandcastle……”

Liliana continued chattering away.

As Anriche listened to the kids, she reached out her hand.

“Alright, it’s time to go inside.”

“What? Can’t we play a little longer?”

“Not today; Grandma is waiting for us.”

Anriche gently narrowed her eyes.

“Let’s go inside and have dinner.”

***

That evening, as soon as Elliott and Liliana finished their meal, they fell sound asleep.

The Valois couple carried the two sleeping children to their respective bedrooms.

After turning off the lights in the room, Anriche quietly closed the door without making a sound.

“It seems they were tired from running around all day.”

Her voice was filled with affection for the children.

“Indeed. They played so much during the day.”

Alexei nodded in agreement.

The house was quiet.

Delphina had also gone to bed early after dinner, leaving no trace of activity around.

Then, suddenly,

“How about Riche?”

Alexei asked out of the blue.

Anriche looked at her husband with a puzzled expression.

“Me? What about me?”

“I was just wondering if you were feeling tired since it’s late.”

“Oh, I’m fine.”

Anriche shook her head.

“I’ve just been inside the villa all day.”

“Then, you’re not feeling stifled just staying inside?”

“Hmm……”

Anriche rolled her eyes.

Actually, I hadn’t really thought about it that way.

But upon hearing the question, she suddenly wanted to go outside.

Alexei smiled mischievously.

“I find it a bit stifling.”

“You do?”

“Yes. So, I’d like to take Riche out for some fresh air. Is that alright?”

Of course, Anriche had no reason to refuse.

The two of them stepped out of the villa side by side.