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Chapter 03
“The Little Daughter-in-Law Does Everything
When I tilted my head back so far it felt like my neck might break, I saw that Uncle Ricardo was already standing right in front of me.
“What did you say?” I asked.
“I asked why you said daughter-in-law instead of daughter. Normally people ask to be adopted, don’t they?”
“Oh, that is…”
Now that I thought about it, I had a similar conversation with him before.
It must have been when I was fifteen.
- “The more I look at you, the more I like you. Hey, kiddo, want to be my adopted daughter?”
- “How many times do I have to tell you not to call me kiddo? And adopted daughter…? You already have a son.”
- “Why are you suddenly bringing up Kilian? Ah, do you want to be my daughter-in-law?”
- “No! How did the conversation even go there? I meant I don’t understand why you would adopt me when you already have a child!”
- “I’ve always wanted a cute daughter like Diana. I think she would’ve liked you too.”
- “But I can’t be your daughter. Maybe I could be your daughter-in-law… though even that is ridiculous since I’m a commoner.”
- “Why is being a daughter-in-law possible but not a daughter?”
I repeated the same answer I had given him back then.
“Because I already have someone I love more than anyone else in the world—my dad!”
“Your dad?” he asked.
“Yes! I only have one dad! No matter how much I like you, I can’t become your adopted daughter. If I did, my dad would be really sad. That’s why I want to be your daughter-in-law instead.”
Uncle Ricardo let out a dry laugh.
“You have a father?”
“Of course! I told you before—he’s the one who calls me Risi!”
“Sorry… I thought you were speaking in the past tense…”
Hearing his muttering, my eyebrows drooped.
“Yes, past tense. My dad actually went out a month ago and hasn’t been heard from since.”
I thought I had already gotten over it, but tears threatened to come back again.
My nose stung and my vision blurred.
Uncle Ricardo looked flustered and handed me a handkerchief.
“I misspoke. I apologize.”
“No, it’s not something you should apologize for, Your Grace. Anyway, that’s the reason I can’t be your adopted daughter.”
He stayed silent for a while.
It felt like he was trying to understand my intentions—or carefully choosing his words so he wouldn’t say something wrong again.
After an awkward silence, he asked cautiously:
“Then why daughter-in-law? You could get something much better in exchange for a deal with me.”
“Something better?”
“Yes. For example, enough wealth to live comfortably for life, or sponsorship. Sometimes knowledge is more valuable than wealth.”
“Hmm…”
“Wouldn’t that let you live happily with your mother as well?”
“Oh, just so you know, I don’t have a mother either. I told you—only my dad calls me Risi.”
“Damn it.”
He frowned and rubbed his face, a curse slipping out between his fingers.
‘He probably thinks he hurt my feelings…’
But unlike when I talked about my dad, I simply shrugged lightly.
“It’s fine. I never had a mother, so it doesn’t really bother me.”
Of course, I must have had a biological mother. But I had always lived only with my father.
I couldn’t remember her face at all.
Emma aunt said that one winter day in the Cornwall estate, my father came into the village holding me—just a toddler who had barely learned to walk.
When someone asked where my mother was, my father only gave a bitter, silent smile.
After hearing that, I never asked him about my mother again.
“Then your guardian?” he asked.
“My neighbor Aunt Emma took care of me. She loves me, but I don’t want to burden her anymore. She’s not my legal guardian.”
I said it lightly, like an innocent child.
“Aunt Emma said that if she became a noble, she could wear pretty clothes and eat good food! And of course, having enough money to live comfortably forever would be nice too. But, Your Grace…”
I wiped the smile off my face in an instant.
“Do you really think a kid like me—an orphan with no guardian and no power—could live happily just by having money? The world isn’t that much of a fairytale, you know.”
His expression turned serious too.
“If I went back with a fortune, people would swarm me like piranhas. They could force me to sign documents I don’t understand and steal everything. They might even try to marry me off to some much older man’s son. Or maybe…”
I made a slicing gesture across my neck with my thumb.
He frowned slightly.
“So that’s why you chose my son as your husband?”
“Yes!”
“I don’t think that’s a very wise choice either.”
“You’re right.”
I nodded honestly.
“Honestly, after talking with you, I realized being your daughter-in-law won’t be easy. And since the Windritche young lord is similar to you, marriage probably won’t be smooth either.”
“And even knowing that, you still made this proposal?”
“Yes! Because I’m confident I can adapt here.”
I winked at him.
“Won’t you and your son both fall for my charm soon enough?”
“…Ha.”
He let out another laugh, looking like he didn’t even know where to start correcting me.
Meanwhile, Ralph, who had been listening beside us, was biting his lip to hold back laughter.
“Of course, that was a joke.”
I looked up at him seriously again.
“Money? Good. Knowledge? Also good. But, Your Grace, there are things in this world that neither money nor knowledge can solve.”
If that were possible, I would have found my father long ago.
Even in my previous life, despite my praised magic skills and wealth, I still couldn’t find him.
“I want something more than money and knowledge.”
“Something more?”
“Yes. The power to protect the people I care about. For that, I need money, knowledge… and power. In this empire, the name Windritche can make anything possible.”
“So I need to become part of Windritche.”
“….”
“Just receiving their sponsorship isn’t enough. That’s why I want to become a daughter-in-law. Like I said, I can’t become an adopted daughter.”
“I also want to find my dad. I want to become my father’s daughter again.”
I held back tears that threatened to spill again.
“People in the village say my dad abandoned me, but I don’t believe that. He didn’t abandon me. Something must have happened to him.”
“But with just my strength as a kid, I can’t find him. That’s why I came here.”
I took a deep breath.
“And I also want to protect someone important to you. I know how to do it.”
Though I kept calling him “uncle” out of habit, he didn’t seem to mind.
“I know it doesn’t make sense for a commoner like me to marry your son and become a duchess later.”
I clenched my fist.
“So I propose a limited-term marriage!”
“…Limited-term?”
“Yes! Once I find my dad and stabilize my life, I’ll return to my hometown with him. You don’t need to worry about me clinging to Windritche forever! I won’t even participate in high society!”
“….”
“What do you think? Do you still think my proposal is just childish nonsense?”
“Hah.”
He swept his hair back and let out a laugh. But this time, it grew louder and more genuine.
Ralph looked startled, unfamiliar with seeing him like this.
“You really are more ambitious than you look, kid.”
“I’m not a kid—I’m Risi.”
Taking advantage of the softened atmosphere, I smiled brightly.
“So, what’s your answer, Father-in-law?”
