QBSLB 05

Chapter 5. I Quit Being the “Good Daughter-in-Law”

Flash.

I suddenly opened my eyes.

It seemed the sun had not risen yet; the shabby room was steeped in darkness on all sides.

Was it… a dream?

When I raised my hand to wipe my eyes, my face was soaked with tears.

After witnessing ten years’ worth of time in that dream, Aileen’s life felt as vivid as if it were my own.

As though her soul and mine had become one.

“Aileen….”

Sitting alone in the dark room, I let out a sorrowful sob.

There was so much I wanted to tell her.

That none of it was her fault.

That she didn’t have to bow her head and silently endure all the humiliations heaped upon her.

That those who hurt others never care about the hearts of the people they wound.

That no matter how kind she acted, they would never change.

So she should never try to be a “good daughter-in-law.”

After crying like that for a long while, I saw dawn breaking beyond the old window.

Bathed in the faint morning light, I finally calmed down.

Perhaps because I had already crossed the brink of death once—

There was nothing left that frightened me.

I won’t live anymore like a pushover, endlessly enduring everything.

I won’t sacrifice myself for the future or for others, only to die a senseless death.

I made a decision.

In this life, I would live without regrets—no matter what!

I would stop worrying about others’ opinions, live my own life, and become happy!

…And to do that, there was something I had to do first.

Divorce Derpel and say goodbye to this wretched family.

And then—

“Just once more… I want to open a café of my own.”

That single cup of coffee that saved me when I had even resolved myself to die.

I wanted to open my own café—one that could give weary people a warm memory like that.

This time, I wouldn’t foolishly let anyone take it from me…

It wouldn’t be easy, but I could do it.

Because I knew the future of this empire from having read the novel.

I immediately got up and paced around the cramped room, organizing my thoughts.

The novel I had transmigrated into, [The Saintess and Her Three Men], could be summarized in one sentence:

A story about the saintess living sweetly and lovingly with three men.

…Ah, of course, the novel’s age rating was 19+.

True to a romance novel, all three male leads were the finest men in the empire.

The crown prince of the empire, the wealthiest grand duke, and a great archmage.

However, the novel was unnecessarily strict about historical accuracy.

Women had no right to vote—nor even the freedom to divorce as they pleased.

And more importantly…

“This is still before coffee has spread.”

People here didn’t drink plain water.

Because the sewage system was not yet fully developed, drinking unboiled water risked infectious diseases.

As a result, commoners drank cheap beer or wine, while nobles mostly drank black tea.

“That’s how it is now—but coffee will become a massive craze soon.”

All thanks to a young businessman and one of the three male leads—Taeyon Roderick!

“That’s right. So the first person I need to find is him…!”

Didn’t I have knowledge as a barista?

A man preparing to enter the coffee business would never overlook my abilities.

And as a grand duke of the empire, he could help me get divorced.

In the Croydon Empire, there was no real way for a woman to live on her own.

Because of that, cases where a woman could initiate a divorce were extremely limited—

Even if there were serious reasons, such as the husband’s infidelity.

That was why I desperately needed the power of Grand Duke Taeyon Roderick.

According to the original story, the Morgans family would be beheaded at the execution grounds in about three years.

Before then, I would divorce Derpel and open my own café.

“I’m going to do it.”

Aileen.

The wicked daughter-in-law role you couldn’t play—

I’ll do it for you.

But first, I had to meet Duke Roderick… and how was I supposed to do that?

Just as I fell into deep thought—

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the door.

And before I could even give permission, the door flew open.

Standing there was the maid who always clung to Sophia’s side.

After seeing Aileen’s memories in my dream, I now knew her name.

Emma.

Sophia’s personal maid—and among all the maids, the one who had tormented Aileen most aggressively.

“Her Ladyship ordered you to wash all these rags.”

“My mother-in-law did? But… that’s the maids’ job—”

“Exactly! I guess Her Ladyship treasures me more than her own daughter-in-law! Oh, you know you can’t use hot water, right?”

In the end, that day Aileen had to wash a mountain of filthy rags in cold water.

It was the middle of winter, with a heavy snowstorm blanketing the capital.

Recalling the countless cruelties Emma had inflicted on Aileen, my fists clenched on their own.

“What is it?”

When I asked in an imposing voice, standing tall with my back straight, Emma flinched.

“She really did get hit on the head… what’s gotten into her…”

She muttered it quietly, but I heard every word.

Of course, she had said it deliberately for me to hear.

In moments like that, Aileen would usually pretend not to hear and let it slide.

But I wasn’t Aileen.

“What did you just say?”

“Pardon? Say what?”

Emma brazenly raised her eyes and shot back.

“Didn’t you mishear? Maybe you hurt your ears when you injured your head…”

In this rigid class-based society, a maid disrespecting a noble like this was unthinkable.

But this was all because Sophia, the lady of the house, had treated Aileen as worse than a servant.

People are sly—when someone above them behaves that way, they start thinking, Then I can treat her like that too.

And of course, part of the reason was that Aileen, who was too kind, had endured this negligence for ten long years.

But I’m different from Aileen.

I didn’t waste time on pointless conversation.

Instead, I suddenly grabbed Emma by the hair.

“Ahh! Are you crazy?! Let go of me!”

Emma flailed her hands and screamed.

Even so, she didn’t dare touch my body.

No matter how much of a doormat daughter-in-law I was in this household, I was still a noble—and she was just a maid.

She couldn’t bring herself to lay hands on a noble.

If she left even a scratch on me, things would spiral far out of control.

“Ahh…! I-It hurts! Sob. Please let go…”

“You still don’t know how to speak properly.”

I tightened my grip on her hair and spoke in an authoritative tone.

“Who am I?”

Only then did Emma, sobbing, address me correctly.

“Y-Young Madam…”

Until now, she had deliberately omitted my title.

She hated calling me “Madam,” a woman who had become nothing but a cold dish in this household.

“That’s right. As you said, I am the young madam of this family.”

Only then did I release her hair and straighten my posture.

“So behave yourself. Unless you want to be humiliated like this again.”

“Sniff… y-yes.”

Emma answered reluctantly.

But the glare she shot at me was still full of defiance.

Fine. I didn’t expect your attitude to change just from this.

She was probably going to run to Sophia and complain.

But I hadn’t acted without thinking.

“Why were you looking for me?”

“T-the master asks that you come to the sitting room… Young Madam.”

I nodded.

My father-in-law had summoned me before leaving for work.

He must have already heard from Sophia about what happened yesterday.

Facing Emma, I issued my order proudly, my posture straight.

“Let’s go.”

“…Yes, Young Madam.”

Emma replied with a crooked smile, as though she had never cried at all.

She clearly thought I was about to be severely scolded by my parents-in-law.

Go ahead. Laugh while you still can.

Soon enough, I’d make sure you never could again.

With that vow in my heart, I followed her toward the sitting room.