Mother-in-Law Refuses to Regress! (7 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 23
Having finished his business in the Valley of Dragons, Siod heard through rumors that a grand birthday party had been held for William in his absence.
‘Would it have killed someone to tell me beforehand?’
Yet the only thing he could do was quietly submit his application to the academy, holding onto the letter of recommendation Guinevere had handed him.
Feeling guilty and not daring to make a sound, he headed to the academy and, thanks to Guinevere’s backing, easily obtained a temporary instructor position.
In the Department of Magic.
But William was enrolled in the Department of Knighthood. If he wanted to see him even once, Siod would have to cross the entire academy from one end to the other. Still, since he’d come all the way here, he thought he might as well try saying hello—only to be met with…
“What is it?”
William’s silvery-gray eyes flickered warily.
‘Does he know me?’
Siod was flustered. He hadn’t even revealed his identity, yet William was staring straight at him with clear suspicion.
“I thought I already said I’m not interested in magic.”
‘Has Bera already told him?’
Unlike Siod, who was lost in confusion, William was simply annoyed. Ever since enrolling in the Department of Knighthood, professors from the Department of Magic had all come bothering him at least once.
“Excuse me, Mr. William Rodante?”
Having grown tired of their incessant visits, William assumed Siod was just another one of them, judging solely by the professor’s robe he wore.
“Don’t come looking for me again.”
“It’s not that—I’m just…”
William turned away with a cold gust of air. Thus ended Siod’s first meeting with his son. Rubbing his arms against the sudden chill, Siod muttered under his breath.
“Cold-hearted brat.”
Who does he take after, anyway? The tender sympathy he’d felt upon hearing about William’s tragic past flickered like a candle in the wind, ready to go out.
‘I wanted to give him a birthday gift.’
Siod let out a sigh.
*
Siod’s next goal was Larisa. This time, instead of breaking through the barrier and teleporting straight to Guinevere as before, he entered confidently through the front gate.
But the one waiting to receive guests wasn’t Guinevere—it was Hedel. Siod quietly bristled at the sight of a handsome young man lounging in Guinevere’s house as if it were his own, greeting visitors like a host.
“I came to see Bera.”
Hedel replied just as indifferently to Siod’s blunt tone.
“Veronica?”
Seeing Hedel pretend not to know who he meant only made Siod angrier, but he held it in.
“Tell Guinevere I’m here.”
Hedel sneered.
“Do you think my master appears whenever anyone—anyone at all—calls?”
‘I’m a dragon, though…’
“I heard you came from the academy. If you’ve got nothing important to say, don’t visit without an invitation next time.”
Hedel stood up coldly. After all, wasn’t Guinevere constantly sought out by people who’d heard of her fame?
If you didn’t shut them down firmly like this, those sorcerers would only scheme to cling to her.
“Wait, I’m Bera’s…”
Siod couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence. While he hesitated, Hedel shut the door and left. Siod sighed.
‘Not even her lover… not even her ex…’
He suddenly felt pitiful about his own situation. Siod paused, thinking. If he broke through the barrier again, Guinevere wouldn’t let it slide.
Pretending to walk out through the front gate, he cast a concealment spell and headed toward the garden. Circling the building once, he leapt up to Guinevere’s study window.
Knock knock knock.
He clearly sensed Guinevere inside, yet there was no response.
Knock.
Even the window was sealed with a barrier. Why on earth did she set up double, triple barriers even inside her own home? Should he just make a tiny hole? As Siod debated, the window suddenly swung open.
“Ah!”
Siod cried out, having bumped his head on the frame.
“What?”
“What do you mean ‘what’? Your husband, that’s who.”
“You madman.”
Guinevere slammed the window shut. Having been rejected so harshly after just one joke, Siod now looked truly pathetic.
Knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock.
“What?”
“I came to talk, but some guy downstairs chased me off. Can’t I come in?”
Putting on his most pitiful act, Siod watched as Guinevere readily stepped aside. In truth, she’d only needed a moment to hide her copy of the time-reversal spell—but Siod, thinking his act had worked, resolved to use this tactic more often in the future.
“By the way, who’s that guy with glasses? Haven’t seen him around before.”
“My disciple.”
“You have a disciple?”
You did. At the time Siod had first met Guinevere, Hedel had still been studying at the academy, so they’d never crossed paths. Rather than explain further, Guinevere simply nodded.
“What did you want to talk about?”
“Oh, nothing much. I just got curious about that girl, Larisa.”
“Why you?”
Siod’s throat tightened.
“Because of your strange vow—if she dies young, or suffers misfortune, or even if you don’t do your utmost, you’ll die.”
“Don’t worry. I’m doing my best.”
Siod let out a hollow laugh. After all, a vow was merely a promise spoken in words—it all depended on interpretation. And that interpretation rested entirely on Guinevere’s conscience.
As long as Guinevere felt she was doing her best, she wouldn’t die. But if one day she suddenly decided, “I didn’t actually do my best,” and started blaming herself, that moment would be the instant the vow tightened around her throat.
Worse still, the one who’d bound her with the oath was already dead, making it impossible to cancel. Siod sighed. To him, Guinevere now felt like a mirage—here one moment, gone the next. It was utterly unsettling.
“Anyway, I’d like to see her. Could you arrange a meeting? Make up some excuse.”
Guinevere stared blankly at him before saying,
“What exactly can you do on your own?”
“What do you mean? I did everything you asked! Just do me this favor. And while you’re at it, make it so I can come and go from this mansion freely.”
Guinevere sighed.
“Why do you want to see Lara?”
“I want to do my best too, so she can live a long, happy life.”
“Why would you?”
“Why? Because I don’t want you to die.”
Guinevere frowned as she looked at Siod’s shamelessly straightforward face. She’d never met a man who approached her life so bluntly before.
And this was the same bastard who’d vanished without a word right after she got pregnant. Annoyed all over again, Guinevere grabbed Siod by the collar and hurled him out the window.
*
“A tutor?”
Larisa was taken aback by the sudden announcement.
“Aren’t I supposed to go to elementary school?”
“You can go if you want—or not.”
Guinevere’s answer did nothing to clear Larisa’s confusion. With wide eyes, Larisa looked up at Siod.
The stunningly handsome man—who didn’t seem like a tutor at all—smiled and greeted her.
“Hi. My name’s Siod.”
“Oh, hello. I’m Larisa.”
Larisa’s cheeks turned pink.
Seeing this, Guinevere instinctively smacked Siod on the back of the head.
“Hey! What was that for?”
“Nothing.”
Guinevere quickly hid her hand in her sleeve and looked away. She knew the child was just being shy, yet for a moment she’d felt an inexplicable worry.
“Ugh, seriously.”
Though he grumbled, Siod didn’t say anything to Guinevere. He still thought she was angry about his silent departure all those years ago. Watching the two of them, Larisa thought,
‘They must be really close.’
She’d never seen anyone interact with Guinevere so casually before. Feeling a little more at ease because of Siod’s relaxed demeanor, Larisa loosened up slightly.
“Well then, so you’re Larisa. I’ve heard a lot about you. Starting today, I’ll be your teacher. Please take care of me.”
“…Okay.”
Unlike his usual expressionless face, his smile was surprisingly gentle. Glancing at Guinevere for cues, Larisa shook Siod’s hand.
“Alright, since it’s our first day, how about we skip studying and just tell some fun stories instead?”
“Fun stories?”
“Yeah. Just a sec.”
Siod grinned and turned around. Facing Guinevere, who stood silently behind him, he called out,
“What are you doing? Weren’t you busy?”
“What kind of story are you planning to tell?”
“Who knows? We’re just playing today. If you’re not busy, why don’t you join us?”
Guinevere turned around with a skeptical look. Siod waved at her, and as soon as she left, he cast a barrier to ensure no sound would escape.
Then, crouching down in front of Larisa, he asked,
“Larisa… are you happy right now?”
“Huh?”
Larisa looked frightened as she echoed his question.
“No, no—don’t be scared. I’m just asking. You’re not unhappy, are you?”
Though confused by his intent, Larisa paused, studying Siod’s genuinely concerned expression. Her mother’s passing was sad, but objectively speaking, her current situation wasn’t entirely miserable.
“No. I’m okay.”
“Phew, that’s a relief. Please don’t ever tell Bera—that is, Guinevere—that you’re unhappy or sad, okay?”
“Okay.”
Siod was slightly surprised by her obedient answer.
“Aren’t you going to ask why?”
“If I say I’m unhappy, Mother might get sad, right?”
“Oh… Right.”
It wasn’t just sadness—it was death. He couldn’t possibly tell that to a seven-year-old. Ruffling the precocious child’s hair, Siod said,
“You’re really smart.”
“But what am I going to learn?”
“Hmm. Anything you want to learn?”
Larisa thought for a moment before replying,
“Then I’d like to start with reading and writing.”
“Can’t we just play today?”
What a strange teacher.
“Kids should play a lot. If you’re thinking of studying hard just to impress Bera, forget it. At your age, playing is what makes you happy.”
“Oh… okay.”
This was seriously, extremely weird.
The Male lead Always Seduces Her with His Beauty (Matriarchy)
Xin Jiao Zhou is the leader of the world’s premier sect. She has just experienced betrayal from all sides, was poisoned in an assassination attempt, and faced death squad attacks while the poison was taking effect. After finally clearing out the scum from her sect, she was drugged again while trying to detoxify.
After waking up from a night of unconsciousness, she gained a “beautiful and kind-hearted” husband.
Xin Jiao Zhou: “???”
He fell ill.
She came to see him, bringing breakfast.
As she put down the breakfast and was about to leave, his hand slipped while holding the spoon. “Clank!”
She turned around upon hearing the noise.
He looked up at her, his eyebrows drooping: “My hand… has no strength.”
“Shall I… feed you?” she asked tentatively.
He opened his mouth cheerfully: “Ah—”
Thinking she was drowning, he jumped in without hesitation to save her, but nearly drowned himself. In the end, it was she who swam over to rescue him, giving him air underwater.
After emerging from the water, his ear tips turned red. He lightly brushed his cheek, tucking his sideburns behind his ear, revealing delicate, pink-tinged ear tips. He lowered his gaze, too embarrassed to look at her.
Xin Jiao Zhou: He’s truly beautiful, kind-hearted, and adorable.
A certain someone when disciplining subordinates behind the scenes: “If they don’t obey, just kill them.”
What’s that? She might already have someone she cares about in her heart? A certain someone: Find out who it is, kill them, and then there won’t be anyone.
What? She met a man by the riverside? What? That man even hurt her? A certain someone: Whichever hand hurt her, chop off his entire arm.
Love at first sight without realizing it, gradually falling in love, slowly getting closer…
Family and national grudges, schemes and desires, good and evil, crime and punishment, she and he face the future together, seeking justice with passion!
A naturally dark female lead who could accidentally destroy the world but is actually an honest person VS a weak, pitiful, and helpless but skilled fighter, beautiful white-cut black male lead
My heart is not of stone, how steadfast is your love? — Tao Yuanming “Imitating the Ancients (No. 3)”
— Reading Guide —
Cold female lead & dramatic black lotus with hidden yandere traits male lead
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