When I Quit Being A Wicked Mother-in-law, Everyone Became Obsessed With Me - Chapter 50

Is she saying she knows how to respond effectively in such a situation…?

Anriche was startled.

Liliana is a child who hasn’t even learned the ‘7’ of swordsmanship?

“I think so. It’s much better to preserve your stamina for now, and then take chances in the future…”

Liliana, who had been giving explanations in a hurry, hurriedly looked back at Anriche.

“Did I pretend I knew too much?”

“No, not that.”

She hastily shook her head and spoke her words. “The things you pointed out now, how did you notice them?”

“What? I was just showing it to you because I can see it…”

Liliana was still stunned. Meanwhile, a strange look swept through Anriche’s face.

‘Does she happen to…’

‘Maybe Liliana has a talent for swordsmanship?”

Tong!!

Just in time, Elliot lost his wooden sword, and the match ended.

Elliot, who bowed to the knight, strode over to this place. There was sweat all over the child’s forehead.

“Mom, Liliana!”

“Good job, Elliot.”

Liliana grinned.

Anriche handed him a towel. “Here, towel. Wipe off your sweat first.”

“Oh, thank you.”

Wiping off the sweat with a towel, he glanced at Liliana’s drawing. As he looked at the picture, he then asked Liliana a question with a bewildered face.

“Liliana, did you draw a pumpkin flower by any chance?”

“No! It’s a lily!”

At that, Liliana raged.

Elliot tilted his head.

“But, no matter how you look at it, it looks like a pumpkin flower…”

“Well, if you’re going to say that, why don’t you try drawing it once!”

“Yes, I will.”

As Elliot replied bluntly, Liliana’s eyes widened at the unexpected reaction.

However, he was serious. He took Liliana’s sketchbook and sat down. Elliot then started playing with the pencil.

“Uh, what, what…?”

Liliana, who was sullen at first, noticed that he was looking at the picture drawn by Elliot, as if possessed.

‘…He is very good at drawing?’

Anriche, too, had her eyes wide open.

No way, Elliot was really good at drawing…!

The lilies in full bloom are so vivid that they can feel the soft petals when you caress them with your hands.

Eventually, he stood up and raised it.

“This is basic.”

“No! How can such a picture be basic?”

Liliana turned into a sour look, and Anriche agreed with that statement.

Then, she spoke to Elliot with a curious expression on her face.

“You know, Elliot. I have a request…”

“What?”

“That, um…”

After hesitating for a while, Liliana spoke cautiously.

“…Can I touch the wooden sword just once?”

Anriche was a little complicated. Because she understood why Liliana was so cautious, she was supposed to be free to take up any activities, whether male or female, under the laws of the Empire, but the reality was different.

‘In the past, just because a woman was knighted, she was featured in a newspaper.’

Regarding the female knight, the ladies treated it differently, saying, ‘It’s unusual for a woman to be knighted’.

So, Liliana must have been worried that Elliot would look at her strangely.

“Sure, that’s not difficult.”

Fortunately, Elliot simply nodded his head casually.

The two children went down to the training ground with a trot.

Liliana grabbed the wooden sword with both her hands, as Elliott gave her.

‘Oh… Liliana, that’s pretty plausible, isn’t it?’

She planted her legs into her ground, then pointed the wooden sword straight in front. There was no tremor in her posture.

“Wow, Liliana. Have you ever learned swordsmanship?”

Surprised, Elliot even asked a question like that.

Anriche also asked Liliana a question secretly.

“Does Liliana also want to learn swordsmanship?”

Liliana, startled by the question, shook her head with a cold breath. “No, I’m a woman. How can I learn swordsmanship?”

“Huh? What’s wrong with a woman learning swordsmanship?”

“…Yes?”

At the unexpected reaction, Liliana’s eyes widened.

“If you want to learn, you can learn.”

“That, but…”

“If you want, I’ll tell the Duke directly.”

At those words, Liliana’s pale pink eyes twinkled with anticipation.

“Really?”

“Sure, of course.”

Anriche answered politely.

Liliana blushed her cheeks and nodded her head vigorously.

“Then, please.”

“All right.”

She looked down at Liliana. Seeing that shy child say, ‘Please,’ she must have been very interested in swordsmanship.

Anriche thought she wanted to cry.

Elliot, meanwhile, made a disgusted face and shrugged his shoulders.

“No, why are you trying to learn this hard and sweaty thing?”

*** 

That evening.

Anriche went to Alexei.

“Well, Duke?”

“What’s going on, Madam?”

Alexei’s eyes looking back at her are just gentle. Now, Alexei was not wary of her anymore.

At that fact, Anriche’s heart was touched a little.

“There is something I want to discuss with the Duke about Liliana’s education.”

“You mean to me…?”

Alexei looked a little startled.

Since Elliot was a boy, there was a lot of room for Alexei to directly participate in education. Especially in the case of swordsmanship classes, Alexei even taught Elliot by hand.

However, she’s Liliana, a girl.

In the case of a girl, they are directly taught by the Mistress.

‘Above all… Even if you don’t discuss it with me, you seem to be doing well, right?’

Toward the bewildered Alexei, Anriche cautiously added her words.

“Well, Liliana wants to learn swordsmanship.”

“…Swordsmanship?”

Alexei rolled his eyes.

What if he thinks she’s making some trouble? Anriche looked at Alexei with nervousness.

In the Empire, there was no law against teaching swordsmanship to girls.

“Yes. Honestly, there’s no law that says girls shouldn’t learn swordsmanship, right? So… If Liliana is interested, that’s fine.”

“Well, rather than being too prejudiced… Yes…?”

Anriche, who wanted to argue to convince Alexei, suddenly blinked her eyes.

Alexei just said, ‘fine’?

Alexei was looking at Anriche with a calm expression on his face.

“If Liliana showed interest in swordsmanship, you should let her learn.”

“Are you really okay with that?”

“Of course. Just because she’s a girl doesn’t mean she shouldn’t learn swordsmanship.”

Alexei shrugged his shoulders casually. “Even in Valois, wasn’t there one female knight commissioned before?”

“Oh, that… That, it did!”

Anriche had to put a lot of effort into hiding her startled expression.

How much was the ‘Anriche in the original story’ not interested in Valois? The female knight she was told that was ‘weird’ in the social circle was actually a Valois knight!

“Actually, when I picked the knight, people around me were quite opposed to it.”

“Oh my, really?”

“Yes. Now, she has become one of the most talented knights in Valois.”

Oh, such a story? Anriche lit up her eyes with curiosity.

“Then, where is she now?”

“She’s down to the Duchy of Valois’ estate. She holds the post of Second Lieutenant Commander.”

Alexei smiled softly.

“If I had cut her off just because she was a woman, I would probably have regretted it forever.”

“Aha, I see…”

“Liliana could be like that knight.”

Having said that, he picked up his desk calendar. Wanting to check the full schedule, he asked Anriche a question.

“By any chance, what time is Liliana’s free time in the afternoon the next day?”

“There will be no special schedule.”

“Then, that day, I’ll try to meet Liliana.”

At her words, Alexei lightly added a word.

“We have to figure out the child’s basic competencies.”

Anriche was prepared to persuade him for a few days, but he’ll allow it so easily. Because of that, she couldn’t hide her bewildered expression.

*** 

As time passed, the day came when Alexei decided to meet Liliana. She got up early in the morning, and she went down to the training ground.

Alexei, who had come down first, greeted her lightly.

“Good morning.”

“Hello, Duke! Good morning!”

Liliana looked at him with a tense look on her face and bowed her back.

Elliot, who was standing next to Anriche, asked his mother a question. “Mom, is Liliana really going to learn swordsmanship?”

“Um, maybe?”

She shrugged her shoulders lightly at his question.

“You know, Elliot.”

“Yes?”

“I mean Liliana, isn’t she so cute today?”

Anriche couldn’t hide her happy expression. Liliana, with her fine blonde hair tied up high and dressed in the children’s training suit!

How cute is she?!

“Our Liliana looks cute no matter what she wears.”