A Mastermind? No, I'm just the Live-In Son-in-Law-Chapter 89: Fate

“...Who are you?”

“Eek! I-I’m sorry!?”

Lifting her head, she blinked in confusion to find her old butler—who had resigned before she could fire him—kneeling in front of her.

“Huh? Where am I?”

“Y-Your office, Milady...”

The last thing she remembered was the carriage. Naturally, this made no sense.

“Where’s Whitney? That guy?”

“Pardon?”

“Don’t tell me you let him into the mansion without my permission? I know he’s my fiancé, but still...”

Despite grumbling with a slightly sour look after realizing Whitney must’ve carried her into the mansion while she was asleep,

“M-Milady, forgive me. But...”

The pale-faced old butler—his voice trembling—spoke words she couldn’t comprehend.

“Sir Whitney... passed away around 9 a.m. this morning.”

“...What?”

“H-He drank poisoned tea during the garden reception... and never woke up...”

For a moment, Meredia stared blankly at the man—then slowly clenched her fists and rose to her feet.

“What kind of bullshit are you spewing right now?”

“I-I’m sorry! I deserve to die!”

He immediately prostrated himself and began slamming his forehead against the floor.

“I-I followed your instructions and used a neurotoxin meant only to paralyze... But somehow it acted fatally...”

“......”

“I’ll take full responsibility. But for now, we must focus on managing the fallout—”

His explanation only made her face twist with confusion.

“He’s dead? Whitney is?”

“M-Milady...”

“That doesn’t make sense. He’s the kind of guy who’d survive being tossed into a den of black mages... How could...”

Her murmuring gaze drifted to the wall calendar. Her eyes widened.

“...Ha.”

Then came the laugh.

“Ha... haha.”

“Milady...?”

“Hahahaha... ha.”

A jagged, bitter laugh that eventually turned into murmured words.

“...So it was all a dream.”

“...?”

“Of course it was. I should’ve known.”

Her face contorted, warped by despair.

“No one like me... could ever be that happy.”

She had felt every emotion imaginable—but this one was new.

That emotion was futility.

“...Has Whitney Ringaarden’s body been recovered?”

“Y-Yes, Milady.”

“Then take me to him. I need to falsify the cause of death.”

After sitting blankly for some time, she shook her head and spoke.

“Whitney Ringaarden was ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) always sickly. Today, he overexerted himself attending the garden party... and passed due to his illness. Understand?”

“Y-Yes! I understand!”

Her expression had reverted to how it was months ago.

This will do.

Cold. Void of smiles. Her eyes filled with a shadow that hated the world.

This is fine...

And for some reason, everything around her began to blur and accelerate.

***

“Meredia, you’ve made a real spectacle of yourself again.”

“...?”

As time rushed past her in a haze, Meredia came to and saw a face she loathed more than anything.

“You should think about how it reflects on me—your poor older brother.”

Her biological brother, Maier Embergreen, was sneering at her like she was filth. He tossed a bundle of newspapers onto her desk.

“The Worst Catastrophe Since the Empire’s Founding — Who’s to Blame for the Demon Summoning?”

“Saintess Struck Down Mid-Ceremony by Black Mages — Holy Nation Prepares Declaration of War!”

“Emperor Appears at Last — Furious Decree Sentencing All Involved to Death.”

As she read the headlines, a strange sense of dissonance crept in.

This... isn’t how I remember things happening.

But the more she tried to think, the foggier her head became.

“If you were the mastermind behind all this, no one would object if you were executed on the spot.”

“What? No, I—”

“Meredia. Did you forget to shut your mouth while I’m speaking?”

Whatever protest she had was wiped away by Maier’s scornful glare.

“By imperial decree, you are hereby stripped of your clan leader title. Effective immediately, I’ll be acting as the interim head.”

“What... ngh.”

Trying to stand and argue, she found herself shoved back into her seat as Maier grabbed her by the collar and leaned in.

“...Huh.”

And on her wrist—when had it been placed there?—was a mana-binding shackle.

“Still, you’re lucky. Executing a worm like you would still stain my honor.”

“......”

“You’ll never know how much gold it cost to clean up your mess.”

Her wide eyes trembled.

“Because from now on, you’re not allowed to leave this estate.”

“What?”

“Sorry, Meredia. But you’ll be living here from now on.”

The red slowly returned to her eyes.

“How dare you—”

“Hah. Still haven’t caught on?”

As she rose, Maier flicked his fingers.

—Vrrrrmm...

“Aaaghhh!”

The mana-shackle flared violently, forcing her to her knees.

“You were finished the moment you lost your title.”

Maier Embergreen hissed the words at her like venom.

“I have to attend the Imperial Council, so someone else will watch over you from now on.”

As he stepped away, the office door opened—and someone entered.

“You—!”

“What? A familiar face? Ah, right. You were quite fond of her once, weren’t you?”

Seeing who it was, Meredia’s eyes went wide.

“Allow me to introduce her. His Majesty’s right hand, and the new commander of the Imperial Guard—Sir Lunelle Misthylene.”

“......”

“If you take a single step outside, she’ll be authorized to kill you on the spot. Take care.”

But Meredia wasn’t listening anymore.

Her eyes were locked on Lunelle.

Why... is she working for the Emperor?

Another wave of dissonance clouded her thoughts.

“Planning to fight her already? I wouldn’t.”

“......”

“Not with a mana shackle on. You’d only get yourself killed.”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Before she could even process the feeling, Maier dismissed Lunelle with a wave and chuckled.

“Oh, don’t worry too much. I don’t plan to keep you locked away forever.”

“......”

“I’ll find you a husband who suits you eventually. Be grateful.”

And just before leaving, he narrowed his eyes and said something chilling.

“...This time, try not to kill him.”

“...!”

“The Ringaarden family’s constant protests are giving me a real headache.”

At that moment, a sense of wrongness—far worse than before—crashed over Meredia.

“......”

But even as the door shut and Maier’s presence faded, she couldn’t figure out what it was.

“Excuse me.”

How much time had passed?

“I’ll be serving you from today on. My name is Parsha.”

“...I see.”

“Heh. Knew I was right about you.”

Another childlike girl she felt she’d seen before entered the office.

But this time, Meredia felt no unease at all.

“...Then, I’ll be in your care.”

And once more, time began to race forward for her.

***

“Haha, princess. Truly remarkable...”

In what felt like an eternity, Meredia regained her senses and found herself staring at the Emperor, who, for some reason, was drenched in blood.

“You won, congratulations.”

“....”

“Though now utterly useless, would you like to sit on the throne? After all, there’s no one left to hold you accountable...”

Next to the Emperor, Lunelle, critically wounded, lay with her eyes closed, and around them, the bodies of the Imperial Guard were scattered grotesquely.

Through the window, the capital of the Empire burned, entirely engulfed in flames.

“...Hah.”

Meredia, who had been surveying the scene, was suddenly reminded that she had accomplished all of this with her own hands, and turned a cold gaze toward the Emperor.

“Shut up.”

“...Cough.”

The next moment, the Emperor’s chest, which had maintained its calm expression until the very end, was pierced by a gem Meredia had summoned from thin air.

“In the end... a half-hearted attempt... was just that, wasn’t it?”

The Emperor, his expression briefly filled with faint despair, muttered something unclear before finally collapsing, the eerie silence that followed signaling the end of the moment.

“...Hah.”

Amid the silence, Meredia, exhausted, approached the throne, sitting down heavily and bowing her head.

“I just want... to rest now.”

But she could already faintly sense that there would be no time for rest left.

—Hooo...

From far away, near the Imperial Palace, an overwhelming energy began to approach her.

It was definitely the presence of the ‘Hero’ that had reportedly appeared in the world.

Having already fought the Emperor and her Guard Captain in a fierce battle, could she possibly defeat the Hero?

“...Well, it doesn’t matter.”

But such concerns no longer affected Meredia in the least.

“My revenge is finished...”

The hatred, anger, and flames that had once burned within her had already been consumed, leaving her with no meaning left to live for.

“...But.”

Yes, it should have been this way.

“Why do I feel like I’ve missed something...”

What was this strange feeling that had been nagging at her since earlier?

“What am I...?”

She felt as though she had made a huge mistake, one that had ruined everything.

“...Maybe.”

Caught up in those emotions, Meredia wrapped her hands around her head, suddenly recalling the moment when she had crossed the line for the first time in her life, giving a bitter smile.

“If it hadn’t been for that, maybe there would have been a better outcome.”

The first innocent person she had killed with her own hands at the tea party, whose face was now blurred.

Could it be that the ongoing unease stemmed from that first sin?

“His name... Yes, it’s....”

Quietly closing her eyes, Meredia traced her fading memories and murmured his name softly.

“...Whitney Ringaarden.”

And as she spoke his name, the world around her began to slowly flip upside down.

***

“Princess, I think it’s time for you to wake up.”

“...Hmm?”

Meredia, still dazed, blinked as she opened her eyes again at the voice calling her name.

“...Princess?”

“......”

As usual, the face that seemed wicked and unsettling, yet somehow comforting the more she looked at it, appeared before her.

—Swoosh...

Meredia, staring blankly at him for a while, reached up and rubbed her face, noticing the bewildered expression on the man who had been looking down at her with concern.

“...Aaaah.”

As Meredia squeezed his cheek, the scream that escaped the man’s mouth echoed in the air.

“I guess it’s not a dream after all.”

“Ouch... Why are you pinching my cheek to check?”

“...Sorry.”

Realizing she had once again dreamed the same horrific nightmare, Meredia apologized softly to Whitney, who had a frustrated look on his face.

“...I’m glad it wasn’t a dream.”

Meredia mumbled to herself, then suddenly realized one thing and closed her eyes tightly.

“Did you have a nightmare? I should have gone and gotten an amulet from Seol Baekhwa to ward off nightmares...”

She now understood that the source of the unease she had been feeling during the dream had been right in front of her.

‘At this point, I can’t deceive myself anymore.’

Meredia, as if resigned, muttered to herself silently and made a quiet resolve in her heart.

“Well, it’s time to get off now.”

Looking at her with concern, Whitney began to prepare for their departure, then suddenly grew serious as he spoke.

“Oh, before we part, let’s make one thing clear.”

“......”

“I will never give up on lifting your curse.”

Meredia, who had already made up her mind, saw no reason to delay now that she had heard those words.

“You know why, right?”

Perhaps the dream she had just experienced had already completely changed the course of her life. Either way, before stepping out of the carriage, she had something she needed to say.

“Whitney. Do you believe in fate?”

“Suddenly?”

Meredia, opening the conversation before stepping out of the carriage, looked at Whitney silently.

“...Just answer me.”

“I’m not sure, but... fate definitely exists.”

His answer only reinforced Meredia’s resolve.

“Every path we take, every action we make, is all fate.”

“......”

“In other words, fate can change depending on what we do.”

Meredia thought to herself, a quiet smile tugging at her lips.

“So you’re saying there’s no such thing as a predestined fate?”

“...No, that’s not it. Don’t you remember our fated meeting?”

It was truly fortunate that Whitney, who had such an appearance, was the one in front of her.

“...The day I almost killed you?”

“Haha, even now, I can’t sleep thinking about that day... But I definitely think it was fate, a stroke of luck.”

Because if it hadn’t been for that, she would never have had the opportunity that came her way.

“Imagine if that day, I had drunk the tea and died. I think everything would have changed.”

“......”

“So, what I’m trying to say is...”

And truthfully, when you look closely, despite his terrifying appearance, Whitney had quite handsome features.

“...Let’s cancel the contract we made.”

“What?”

“It’s my unilateral decision to cancel, and I’ll take full responsibility.”

At least, that’s how Meredia saw it right now.

“Princess, do you really think I’ll just accept that...”

“It’s useless. No matter what it takes, I’ll break the contract with you.”

“...Are you serious?”

Seeing Whitney’s cold expression again, Meredia fought back a smile and spoke.

“If you keep going like this, I won’t sit quietly either...”

“In exchange for breaking the contract, I’ll make a new proposal.”

The embodiment of arrogance with an ice-cold heart and a hatred for humanity. The worst villainess and ultimate final boss of the original story was no longer there that day.

“Instead of breaking the engagement, marry me.”

For the first time, the girl who had opened her heart completely to someone else, a girl full of wounds and shyness, was sitting before Whitney.

“Marry me, Whitney Ringaarden.”

And the girl’s name was none other than Meredia Embergreen.