Mother-in-Law Refuses to Regress! (7 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 31
“But in that attire….”
“What’s wrong with how I’m dressed?”
Guinevere looked over her own outfit. Clad in the latest fashionable bustle dress and holding a lace parasol, Guinevere radiated perfect aristocratic grace.
“You must be uncomfortable….”
Guinevere let out a soft, mocking laugh.
“Me?”
Then, lifting Larisa up with one arm, she declared,
“Clothes like these won’t stop me.”
A gentle breeze enveloped Guinevere and Larisa. Soon, Larisa realized the ground was drifting farther away.
“Kyaa!”
Larisa clung tightly around Guinevere’s neck. Guinevere, parasol in hand, soared high into the air with Larisa cradled in one arm.
“Now, let’s see… where’s the game?”
“Mother, I’m scared!”
“It’s all right. I’d never let you fall. Let me see….”
Guinevere ascended high into the sky and watched the hunting hounds below.
“There it is.”
She lazily twirled the parasol resting on her shoulder and spoke. Instantly, thunderbolts began crashing down from the clear sky.
Kwaa-kwa-gwang!
Kwoong! Kwoong!
“Kyaaa!”
“It’s fine—it’s just magic.”
“M-Magic?”
“Yes. I’m hunting.”
Larisa gathered her courage and peered downward. Amid flashes of light, she glimpsed animals struck dead by lightning.
The sudden thunderbolts startled not only the beasts. People’s panicked screams echoed through the air. Guinevere, slightly embarrassed, remarked,
“Hmm… maybe that’s enough?”
“Yes, yes!”
Quick-witted Larisa realized Guinevere had utterly ruined the hunt. Yet strangely, she no longer felt the earlier fear.
“It’d be troublesome if I didn’t win first place.”
“Why?”
“Because only the winner gets to give you a floral crown.”
“A crown?”
“Yes.”
By tradition, the hunt’s victor may offer a floral crown to a lady—and from this year on, that crown would belong to Larisa without fail.
Of course, William would eventually take over that duty, but until he graduated, she intended to do it herself.
“I’m fine with that….”
“That should do. Let’s head down.”
Guinevere descended gently and set Larisa carefully on the ground. Larisa, trying to calm her trembling legs, clutched Guinevere’s hand tightly.
“Hedel, go fetch them.”
“Yes, Master.”
Instead of his usual grumbling, Hedel responded crisply and vanished elegantly with a teleportation spell. Gasps and murmurs of admiration rippled through the crowd.
“Lady Rodante, have you finished your hunt?”
Amid the commotion, the Empress approached with a composed smile, as if she’d anticipated Guinevere’s actions all along.
Noblewomen watching the scene whispered among themselves.
“No wonder—the Imperial Family clearly summoned the Arch-Witch to flaunt their connection.”
“It’s quite bold for a debut performance of their newly adopted daughter.”
But Larisa noticed something else: the Empress was straining to appear dignified, while Guinevere simply hadn’t given it a second thought.
Guinevere asked confidently,
“Yes. Where’s my seat?”
“This way, please.”
With majestic poise, Guinevere followed the Empress to her seat.
The people, long accustomed to peace, had never witnessed such widespread magic. The nobles felt awe—and fear—at Guinevere Rodante’s overwhelming power.
Seeing the Empress and Crown Princess tenderly attending to her beside her, they once again grasped just how far beyond ordinary humanity the Arch-Witch Guinevere Rodante truly was—the guardian of Arendia.
“Now then, Miss Larisa—I hope you enjoy the Imperial desserts.”
Larisa respectfully accepted the dessert plate the Empress offered with both hands. Any earlier worry about failing proper etiquette had vanished after watching Guinevere’s easygoing manner.
“Stretch your legs out and sit comfortably—relax.”
Larisa stretched her legs out too, imitating Guinevere, who had sprawled herself on the chair as if it were her own home. Her short legs dangled, prompting the Empress’s maids to coo over how adorable she was.
“That was an extraordinary display of magic. Such powerful magic must surely require rest, wouldn’t you agree?”
Guinevere caught the Empress’s hidden intention and chuckled softly.
“This sort of magic isn’t impressive at all. Even Hedel could cast it after three days and nights of practice.”
“I see.”
Though she smiled broadly, the Empress’s eyelashes trembled ever so slightly. If those lightning bolts struck the palace square—could the Imperial mages even defend against them?
Probably not.
Yet Guinevere claimed even Hedel could manage it. Guinevere’s followers formed a formidable faction of their own—so many Imperial mages openly admired her that the Royal Family dared not risk offending her.
“By the way, Miss Larisa is truly adorable. May I ask how you came to have such a daughter?”
Guinevere’s expression hardened slightly. Larisa froze, unable to swallow the bite of dessert in her mouth, tense over how Guinevere would respond.
“She isn’t my daughter yet.”
“Pardon?”
“I can’t just take that role from her, even if Lara’s mother is gone.”
The Empress fell silent, unable to decipher Guinevere’s meaning. Guinevere smirked knowingly and added,
“She’s like a daughter to me.”
“Oh… I see.”
“She’s as precious to me now as my own son—no, even more so.”
More precious than her son—because this daughter-in-law was the one he’d given his life for, three times over, to bring back.
“But then, why haven’t you formally adopted her yet…?”
“You ask too many unnecessary questions, Your Majesty. I’ll handle that paperwork in my own time.”
“I see.”
She’d marry her off as soon as she turned eighteen. The girl was still too young—Arendian law forbade marriage before then.
‘Back in my day, child marriages were allowed.’
When had the law changed? Damn those busybody politicians.
Meanwhile, the Empress thought differently.
‘Guinevere Rodante truly is a cold-hearted witch. I don’t know what she sees in that girl to adopt her—but if the child ever disappoints her, she’ll cast her aside without hesitation.’
Even now, her affection seemed fickle. This was the same woman who’d neglected her only biological son.
‘Perhaps she’s simply enjoying playing at raising a daughter for now.’
Dressed in an elegant gown, Larisa looked as cute as a doll—maybe Guinevere was merely enchanted by that cuteness.
“Our Crown Princess spoke so proudly of visiting the Rodante estate. She made even me envious! What do you say, Lady Rodante—might you and Miss Larisa grace the palace with a visit next time?”
“If I’m not too busy.”
She probably would be—but Guinevere knew how to offer polite courtesies. With all the nobles watching, she wouldn’t outright refuse the Empress’s request.
“I’ll look forward to it.”
In the brief silence that followed, Guinevere thought,
‘Wasn’t I supposed to brag about my kids? Is this the right moment?’
Ah, whatever. Guinevere suddenly spoke up.
“My son, you know—”
“Yes?”
“William topped his entrance exams, didn’t he?”
“He did.”
The Empress tensed, wondering why Guinevere was bringing this up now—after all, she’d been hoping to link her Crown Princess with William Rodante, so this sudden mention felt deliberate.
But to her chagrin, Guinevere followed up with an underwhelming boast.
“They say his exam scores this term were excellent too.”
“I see.”
“He really is my son.”
“He truly is impressive—perhaps he’ll graduate as valedictorian too.”
Guinevere grinned smugly at the perfunctory praise. That was all. The Empress strained to detect any hidden meaning in Guinevere’s expression—but found none.
Because Guinevere’s only intention had been to boast about her son. She’d meant to show everyone at this hunt just how dearly she cherished both her son and her future daughter-in-law.
Yet every time she glanced around, the noblewomen she met quickly lowered their eyes. No one dared approach her.
‘Should I just be satisfied with bragging to the Empress?’
Soon, Hedel returned, carrying all the lightning-struck game. People shrieked or gasped in awe as the dead animals floated gently through the air toward them.
“Today’s victor is Her Grace, Guinevere Rodante!”
“Waaaah!!!”
Despite her eccentric display, the cheers for the winner were unrestrained. Guinevere smirked and accepted the floral crown.
“I dedicate this crown to Larisa Rodante!”
Guinevere announced loudly. In the charged atmosphere, Larisa stood flustered—until someone gave her a gentle nudge from behind. She turned to see Crown Princess Elizabeth winking at her.
Larisa stumbled onto the stage in a daze. The victor’s floral crown was placed around her neck—since her head was too small, it ended up looking more like a necklace.
“I shall give you every honor I can bestow.”
“Huh?”
Startled by the sudden declaration, Larisa echoed in confusion. Guinevere smiled and whispered into her ear,
“So please take good care of my son.”
The Empress, who hadn’t heard the whisper, was struck by a different thought.
“Every honor….”
She thought of the Empire’s only prince—too young to bring to the hunt. What could “every honor” possibly mean for a girl?
“We can’t possibly accept a daughter-in-law of unknown lineage.”
The Empress decided to temporarily abandon her plan to foster a friendship between the Crown Princess and Larisa. If Guinevere’s aim was to make Larisa Empress someday…
‘That’s impossible. Not some adopted daughter from the back alleys—not my own flesh and blood.’
Her face twisted for a fleeting moment, but she quickly regained composure. Still, her gaze remained cold as she watched Larisa’s pink hair.
When yandere male lead believes she loves him — but she never did
“How dare you!”
“How dare you make me love you, only to cast me aside as nothing more than a friend?!?
“I will never accept that.”
“I will never let you return to him.”
“Even if I have to burn myself to ashes.”
“Even if I must shatter my purity, my dignity, my very soul.”
“I will never let you escape me!”
This was the first novel that introduced me to the matriarchal genre. I’ve read it three times already!
At first, the male lead despised the female lead. Later, he misunderstood that she liked him, so he condescendingly and reluctantly reciprocated her feelings.
Then, he suddenly discovered that she was kind to everyone in the same way, and there was already someone she cherished in her heart, and that person was not him.
The male lead couldn’t believe it, he became angry and crazy. He was determined to capture her body and heart by any means necessary.
Synopsis:
Want to see how a green tea bitch male lead falls in love with the female lead?
Want to see how he flirtatiously pursues the female lead?
Want to see how he gets slapped in the face repeatedly?
The male lead is a green tea bitch, a poisonous lotus, jealous, ruthless, unscrupulous, with a venomous heart, and he’s also a delusional maniac.
The female lead is righteous, positive energy-filled, kind, a holy mother.
Let’s see how two people with extreme personalities come together~
_____
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