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

In the meantime, a girl from the Saxon Marquess’ family suddenly emerged.

And without a care, she took hold of the position of Duchess of Valua.

It was a position that Mag had longed for so much.

‘Still, I could understand that much; it’s common for high-ranking nobles to arrange marriages.’

However, once that girl became the Duchess, all she did was indulge in various luxuries.

She tossed aside the duties of the lady of the house like they were nothing.

What about the time that girl gave birth to the heir of the ducal family?

Her arrogance reached its peak as she flaunted, ‘I am the mother of the young duke.’

Despite having no interest in the child whatsoever!

Yet, the lord remained loyal to that girl and never even considered stripping her of the title of Duchess.

Moreover, this time…

‘The lord has sheltered that girl!’

What on earth is she?

I can do much better than her!

Unable to contain her frustration, Mag felt a strong urge to scream.

‘The biggest problem is that I can’t drive that girl out on my own.’

The opponent was the Duchess of Valua.

She was far too formidable for a mere head maid to contend with.

But…

‘I can at least nip the budding flower in the bud.’

Mag’s eyes glinted coldly.

Liliana.

That wretched little girl who was gradually stealing young Master Elliott’s heart.

They say to achieve something great, you must start small.

So, she decided to deal with that little girl first.

***

That evening, in the maidservants’ lounge, voices filled with indignation were spilling out.

“How could the lady do this?”

“Right? We’ve worked here in this townhouse for years!”

The maidservants were voicing their complaints one after another.

“We’ve endured the lady’s picky personality until now! And yet, this is the treatment we receive!”

“No, she didn’t used to be this sensitive, did she? Why is she acting like this all of a sudden?”

Previously, Anriette had never engaged emotionally with anyone and was indifferent to everyone.

That meant the servants only needed to serve her well.

Whether they neglected the townhouse management or acted on their own whims, as long as she was comfortable, she never scolded them.

However, the problem was that Anriette was now showing proper discernment.

“Honestly, all we did was complain, right?”

“Exactly! Did you see how the lady treated us earlier? How could she be so cold-hearted?”

Anriette cherished Liliana as family and would not tolerate anyone mistreating her.

Because of that, all the maids’ resentment was directed at Liliana.

Compared to Anriette, the lady of Valua, the younger and gentler Liliana seemed like an easier target.

“It’s all that girl Liliana’s fault!”

“That girl has blinded the lady’s eyes!”

“Isn’t this just a case of a newcomer driving out the established?”

Without reflecting on their own actions, the maids raised their voices in a clamor.

At that moment, a relaxed voice spoke up.

“You’re right.”

It was Mag.

She gently lifted the corners of her lips.

“Honestly, the Everitt family has already fallen, hasn’t it?”

“Y-Yeah?”

“The head maid thinks so too, right?”

“Of course. To think we have to serve a girl from a fallen family as the next lady…”

Mag let out a long sigh.

Then, she shook her head dramatically, as if to make a point.

“There’s pride in Valua, isn’t there?”

Mag’s provocation was like igniting a fuse.

As if a flame had been lit on gunpowder, the maids began to stir one by one.

“The head maid is right.”

“Why should we serve a lady from a fallen family as our superior?”

The maids started to voice their true feelings.

Mag listened attentively to their complaints.

Gradually, a satisfied expression emerged in Mag’s eyes.

There’s perhaps no one easier to incite than those filled with discontent.

“To bring in a girl from such a family and call her the young master’s fiancée…”

Mag spoke in a deliberately sorrowful tone.

“The lady isn’t thinking about young Master Elliott’s future at all.”

Feigning to lean forward, Mag looked around at the gathered maids.

“I think our young master should be paired with a lady from a better family.”

Her subtle voice tickled the maids’ ears.

“Above all, this is also for our young Master Elliott.”

“Is… is that so?”

“Of course. Right now, the young master is still young and doesn’t understand the ways of the world.”

Mag shrugged lightly.

“How long do you think the young master will remain close to that girl Liliana?”

“Um, that’s…”

“Think carefully, everyone. When the young master grows up a little more and becomes clearer in his judgments…”

Mag continued firmly.

“He’ll surely thank us.”

“Are you saying that the young master will… thank us?”

“Of course. We’re helping him avoid unnecessary entanglements with a lady from a fallen family.”

The sweet words began to seep into the maids’ ears like honey.

One by one, the maids nodded as if enchanted by something.

“I think the head maid is right.”

“Since the head maid is the young master’s nurse, she surely knows his feelings better than we do.”

“Of course. Didn’t you see how the young master follows the head maid around?”

In this way, the maids fell into the belief that they were doing the “right thing.”

Not missing that opportunity, Mag stirred them up once more.

“Then… we should send that girl back to her original place.”

“What should we do, head maid?”

“Do you have any good ideas?”

All the maids turned their eyes toward Mag.

Mag pretended to ponder deeply, tilting her head.

“Hmm, it’s a good idea.”

After a moment, a smooth smile appeared on Mag’s lips.

“How about we do this?”

***

Knock, knock, knock.

At the cautious knock, Anriette lifted her head slightly.

‘Who could it be at this late hour…?’

Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was already past 8 PM.

This was typically a very personal time for washing up and preparing for bed.

In other words, it was rather rude for anyone outside the family to visit at this hour.

Anriette narrowed her eyes and spoke.

“Come in.”

With a click, the door opened.

The maid, who was nervously wringing her cold hands and hunching her shoulders, was…

“Oh, it’s the one I saw in the garden… um, was your name Jane?”

Anriette’s eyes widened in surprise.

She was the only maid who had supported Liliana earlier.

The maid looked up at Anriette with trembling eyes.

“Yes, yes. That’s right, my lady. I’m really sorry for coming at such a late hour.”

“It’s fine. It must be urgent, then. What is it?”

Anriette tilted her head in curiosity.

The maid hesitated for a moment, biting her lip, and then spoke in a determined voice.

“I know this might sound strange, but…”

“Don’t worry about it, just say what you need to.”

At those words, the maid squeezed her eyes shut.

“The… the head maid is plotting something.”

“What?”

Anriette could not hide her surprise.

The maid huddled her shoulders and glanced at Anriette nervously.

After a moment,

Anriette let out a long sigh and straightened her back.

Looking directly into the maid’s eyes, she spoke clearly.

“No matter what you say in this room, it will never leave here.”

“M-my lady.”

“Also, you won’t face any disadvantages because of this.”

At Anriette’s firm voice, the fear in the maid’s eyes began to dissipate a little.

“So tell me everything you know.”

Anriette smiled coldly.

“Not a single detail should be left out.”

***

And the next morning.

Raymond, the butler of the Balua Duke’s household, welcomed an unwelcome guest from the early morning.

The guest was none other than Anriette, the mistress of Balua.

“I’m sorry for coming at such an early hour.”

Anriette began with an apology.

Surprised by her unexpected demeanor, the butler widened his eyes in shock without realizing it.

And it was understandable, as Anriette was someone who never said “sorry” to those beneath her.

To her, the lower-ranking individuals were nothing more than tools to serve her.

Honestly, aside from Mag’s suspicious behavior this time, the mistress also didn’t sit well with him.

He couldn’t understand what whim had led her to bring the abused Miss Liliana with her.

‘It’s probably just a fleeting interest.’

Once that brief interest faded, Anriette would ruthlessly cast aside Liliana.

And he would be the one to deal with the aftermath.