In front of me was Antra, who was furious. Her face was flushed red as she seethed with anger.

Seeing Antra angrier than me made me feel my own heat dissipate. It was quite strange.

In my memories, she was rooted as a fearsome presence like an unpredictable disaster, but now with my past life memories returned, she only looked like an immature human throwing tantrums like a foal unable to control her emotions.

‘To think I’ve been trembling in fear of such a person all this time.’

I blinked my eyes indifferently after self-deprecating inwardly.

“Yes, did you call for me?”

“What’s wrong with you? Did something happen to your head after falling down the stairs?”

“No, but one needs to be half-mad to have a conversation with you, Mother.”

Pfft, laughter erupted from the line of servants at my prim response.

As Antra and the butler glared fiercely at the line, the servants hurriedly covered their mouths and looked cautious.

The butler, giving side-eye to the servants, stepped out of line and bowed his head.

“Please understand, our lady fell down the stairs yesterday and is not in her right mind. When she comes to her senses, she’ll understand your sincerity.”

Haha. An absurd laugh burst out.

Indeed, how many subordinates in the world could make such a slip of tongue saying their master has gone mad?

The butler, who had established a hierarchy in the early days of the marriage, soon figured out the real power dynamics and completely submitted to Antra.

With the direct superior butler like that, how much worse must the subordinate servants be? I can’t express how resentful I’ve been, thinking the intervening sister-in-law is more hateful than the mother-in-law.

I glared at the butler with my lips curled up crookedly.

‘You’re out too.’

Meanwhile, Antra, somewhat calmed by the butler’s silver tongue, lazily raised her chin.

“Hmm, well, since you say she’s ill, I’ll let it slide this once.”

What’s this? I frowned, feeling a sense of dissonance.

Normally, Antra would be vigorously shaking my hair and throwing a fit.

‘Does she have some request?’

As if proving my suspicion, Antra suspiciously hesitated before raising her eyes haughtily and asking.

“You, why did you do that?”

“Do what?”

“You reduced the dignity maintenance costs on your own.”

Ha, I sneered listlessly.

‘Of course. What mother-in-law concern, she came because her money line was cut off.’

Devon provided Antra with luxury expenses every morning through a servant. But today, when the servant delivered less pocket money, she came running.

It seems that in my drunken state yesterday, I not only ordered a hit but also reduced financial support.

‘Nice.’

Inwardly mocking, I inhaled languidly and opened my mouth.

“So?”

“Don’t you know that principles and order are important in a family? Why did you suddenly touch the finances when you should have left it alone? What would someone like you know?”

“……”

As I stared intently at Antra, I lowered my eyes and spoke in a thoroughly calm tone.

“Mother.”

At my seemingly submissive attitude, the sound of Antra snorting arrogantly was heard.

The woman who had been acting unhinged until just before seemed to have only remnants of alcohol, and now she thought the Etricia she knew had finally returned.

“Alright. I won’t accept an apology, so just return things to how they were—”

“Does Father know that Devon has been supporting your dignity maintenance costs?”

Baron Dien, my father-in-law, was a miser. There was no way a man who trembled at spending even 1 ogrant from his own pocket would know.

Antra, who had been holding her chin up, stiffened her expression and straightened her face.

“How dare you blackmail me—”

“What about when I provided business funds for your uncle before the marriage?”

Lady Antra, who had been glaring, faltered a little.

“T-that was an investment you made of your own will because it had commercial potential!”

Ha, I scoffed at the implausible excuse.

‘How shameless. After grabbing my hair and forcing me to sign when I said I’d think about it.’

My scalp still ached from having my hair pulled then.

“I only remember having my hair pulled out by you, Mother. Oh right, that business ended up failing, and uncle got divorced because of it and still hasn’t remarried, has he?”

Oh dear. I lowered my eyebrows, lamenting the life of the pitiful in-law family member.

It was such a disgrace to her that there was a time when she cut off her social gatherings for a while due to the rumors at the time.

Mentioning that incident must have made her blood boil. A shadow quickly fell at my feet as I smiled pitifully.

Antra, trembling with both fists, forcibly raised her lips where the red lipstick had smeared.

“Not bad, now you even know how to be sarcastic.”

“All thanks to your teachings, Mother.”

“You think I’m a joke because I’m holding back for your sake?”

I craned my neck and stared at the servants behind.

A few servants who met my gaze were startled and lowered their eyes. They instinctively tucked their tails at my dramatic change.

Feeling a strange satisfaction, I straightened my head nonchalantly.

“Why are you suddenly acting like this? You’ve never hesitated to grab my hair in front of people before. Has age made you lose your strength?”

“You really……”

Antra’s cheeks quivered with rage as her temper flared up.

Oh my, she’s really angry. I blinked my eyes, pretending not to notice.

“Mother, are you perhaps angry?”

“Do I look like I’m not angry!”

“But you went too far, Mother. Coming to your daughter-in-law who suffered hardships yesterday and throwing a tantrum to raise your allowance.”

I added, wrinkling my nose mischievously.

“Even a nursing infant wouldn’t do this, Mother.”

“……”

Ha! Haha! Antra shook her shoulders and burst into an empty laugh, looking up at the ceiling.

Watching her, I felt like a decade-old indigestion was finally going away.

‘Indeed, people should live saying what they want to say.’

How much had I endured living as Etricia, assimilated into the original work over the past years? When I came to my senses, I found myself dealing with Antra quite seriously.

At that moment, Antra, who had abruptly cut off her laughter, lifted her skirt and quickly approached with her hand raised.

Oops. I avoided Antra’s hand flying horizontally with one step back.

Antra lost her balance with her hand cutting through the air.

She had a blank expression, probably thinking she could definitely hit me. As she regained her posture, our eyes met. Her face turned red with shame and anger as she assessed the situation.

“I’m very curious what Devon would say if he saw your insolent attitude. He cherishes his mother dearly, so he’d probably kick you out right away?”

‘I was wondering when this would come up.’

The almighty blackmail card.

At times like this, I would exclaim, ‘Please don’t tell him!’ and give her the development she wanted.

‘But it won’t work on me now.’

As I just blinked indifferently, Antra swallowed dryly in bewilderment.

“I-if Devon knows about your eccentricity, he’d want to divorce you immediately!”

‘Oh joy, how wonderful.’

“This is why they say to be careful about who you let into the family!”

‘Ah. I see.’

“We’ll see when Devon returns. I wonder if you can still prance around like a foal and run your mouth in front of him!”

‘I’d rather not.’

“D-Devon has no eye for people! To end up with someone like you of all people!”

At Lady Antra’s last words, shouted with force as she ran out of material, I smiled sweetly, thinking she had spoken well.

“I don’t like mama’s boys either, Mother.”

When even her threats didn’t work, Lady Antra, who had lost her decisive card, glared at me, grinding her teeth.

“…You’ll regret behaving so rudely, just you wait and see.”

I smiled dryly at her outdated exit line.

‘Yes, now please leave.’

Lady Antra Dien, thoroughly provoked, lifted her dress hem and headed for the door.

Thump, thump. The sound of her footsteps resonating on the ground proved her anger. As if urging me to stop her and apologize.

‘Ah, right.’

I calmly opened my mouth towards her retreating back, suddenly remembering something.

“Mother.”

At my voice, gentle and sweet like a spring breeze, Lady Antra turned around with an expression that said ‘I knew it’.

Looking intently at her triumphant smile, I bowed my waist.

“Goodbye.”

It was quiet above my head.

I raised my eyes slightly to observe Antra. She had a dumbfounded look on her face.

“I remembered you were angry earlier because I didn’t greet you.”

“…Thaank youu veery muuch.”

Lady Antra, who spoke while grinding her teeth, turned around, fluttering her dress hem.

“Mother?”

“Don’t call me mother from now on!”

Lady Antra shrieked and quickened her pace. It was a protest asking when I had ever treated her like a mother.

“Then shall I call you Lady Dien?”

“Forget it, as if you’ve ever been respectful! Call me whatever you want!”

If that’s the case.

“Yes, auntie.”

This girl really…… Lady Antra twisted her body and glared viciously.

‘You said to call you whatever I want.’

I blinked my eyes slyly and shrugged my shoulders.

Antra, after looking me up and down with a disgusted gaze, stomped out of the mansion like an elephant.

‘Whew, she’s finally gone.’

I sighed in relief as if I had finished a pending task.

‘Ah right, this isn’t the time for this.’

To avoid death, I had to make up for the mistakes I made while drunk the previous night.

Ignoring the shocked gazes of the servants and butler, I quickly left the mansion, waving away the floating fox fur with my hand.

My destination was, of course, the assassination guild.

* * *

I adjusted the mask on my face while staring at the tea that had been cold since it was placed on the table.

‘The guild master will be here soon, so just sip this while waiting for a moment.’

It was the tea left by the man who claimed to be the guild master’s assistant, smiling ominously while showing his gold teeth.

‘Well then, shall we proceed?’