Now This Family Belongs to My Mother Chapter 11

Diane’s room was spacious and fragrant. Diane, sunk into a comfortable chair, was receiving a massage from her maids. Even though she should have been utterly relaxed, a frown was etched on her forehead.

 

“So you’re saying Viscount Molon rejected your proposal?”

 

“Yes. I have no idea what that man is even after.”

 

Stella, who was getting her nails done across from her, spoke with dissatisfaction. She, too, was visibly upset. I need to gain grandfather’s trust!

 

She had been so sure Viscount Molon would accept with a smile! It was a plan she had devised together with Diane after much deliberation. But Viscount Molon had flatly rejected Stella’s confident proposal. It was humiliating in front of Hubert.

 

“How dare a mere viscount act so high and mighty just because he has some decent land!” Diane snapped irritably. “For our family to regain father-in-law’s trust, you absolutely have to make this work.”

 

“I know, Mother,” Stella replied, looking at Diane, who seemed unusually anxious.

 

Diane, who was always composed, was on edge because of a recent incident. It was when she had whipped Epirosa, only to be severely scolded by Hubert in return.

 

It’s all because of that girl we picked up. If it weren’t for her, mother wouldn’t have been scolded by grandfather.

 

Diane had been quite trusted by Hubert until recently. It was because she seemed to lack nothing as the one managing the household affairs. Of course, that was only on the surface. Among the employees, it was an open secret that whenever a problem arose, the maid involved would disappear without a trace. So, this was the first time she had been scolded so harshly.

 

If it weren’t for that wench…! Stella’s gaze sharpened.

 

Of course, Stella hadn’t just stood by idly either. I gave her a poisoned ointment that would make the wounds of her leg fester as punishment. Perhaps because of that, Epirosa hadn’t been seen for the past few days. If she had come to complain that her leg had worsened because of the poison, Stella had planned to act like an innocent young lady being unjustly persecuted, but it hadn’t come to that. It was a bit disappointing.

 

“We need to come up with a new plan quickly. If we can manage this negotiation with Viscount Molon well, we can win father-in-law’s trust again.”

 

“If I solve this, grandfather will praise me immensely, won’t he?” Stella said with a face full of anticipation.

 

As a smile bloomed on her daughter’s face, Diane’s previously dark expression also brightened. “Of course. Who else but our family could solve this problem? Do you think Kobel, who doesn’t even come home and is always off somewhere, will handle it?” Diane said with a sneer.

 

Kobel was Stella’s uncle. He often wandered outside under the pretext of conducting magical research. From what I see, his magic skills are terrible. Stella thought to herself with a sneer. In truth, Kobel had once tried to enroll in a magic academy when he was younger, only to be rejected.

 

“Mother, then what about Juliet?” Stella asked ㅇdespite already knew the answer.

 

Juliet was Kobel’s only daughter.

 

Diane waved her hand dismissively, laughing as if the idea was absurd. “That gloomy, quiet girl who takes after Kobel? What could she possibly do? She’s so timid she doesn’t even show up for family dinners.”

 

Then, Diane looked at Stella with eyes full of affection. “You’re the only one, Stella. Of course, your brother Nicholas is there too, but he’s more of a free spirit, isn’t he? So to your grandfather, you’re the best grandchild.”

 

“But Mother,” Stella suddenly spoke with a serious expression. “There’s also Epirosa.”

 

At the mention of ‘Epirosa,’ Diane’s face hardened instantly. “Don’t even bring up someone like her. She’s wicked by nature and has no intelligence to speak of.”

 

“But she did outsmart you and give you a hard time, didn’t she?”

 

“That just proves she’s foolish!” Diane raised her voice, uncharacteristically for her. Her face was filled with resentment toward Epirosa.

 

“In this household, the basic rule to get along is to stay on good terms with the one managing the household—me. But that girl made the foolish choice of going against me.” Diane spoke as if she had completely forgotten that she was the one who had first tried to strike the innocent Epirosa. “Just wait and see. Epirosa will regret it.”

 

“Even if she cries and begs for forgiveness, don’t accept it.”

 

“Of course not. So you shouldn’t bother with someone like that either. What does she know about business? Do you think she can accomplish something even you, so brilliant, couldn’t?”

 

“Well, that’s true.” Stella chuckled softly and nodded.

 

It was when Stella’s face lit up with satisfaction after hearing her mother’s reassuring words. Bang!

 

“Mother! Mother!”

 

A man with orange hair and brown eyes burst into the room. He had a dull expression and a mischievous glint in his eyes.

 

“Nicholas! Don’t just barge like that.”

 

Diane scolded her son. Stella frowned at her brother’s behavior as well. But Nicholas, unfazed, brazenly strode across the room.

 

“What is it, Brother?” Stella asked, her tone implying she expected yet another pointless remark.

 

Nicholas triumphantly held out a small jar. “Have you seen this?”

 

“What is that?”

 

“Ha, you’re no different, are you? Acting like you know everything as if you’re so clever.”

 

“What did you just say?” Stella glared up at Nicholas with sharp eyes.

 

Nicholas handed a jar filled with green ointment to Diane. “Mother, I’ve found a cure-all medicine!”

 

“There’s no such thing as that,” Stella muttered, mocking Nicholas.

 

Diane also accepted the bottle with a skeptical expression.

 

Nicholas, frustrated by their lukewarm reactions, pounded his chest. “The servants are all raving about it! They say wounds heal instantly with just a dab of this!”

 

“Talk some sense. If something like that existed, the entire empire would already be in an uproar.” Diane spoke to her son as if scolding him.

 

“Just try it once, Mother.”

 

“But there’s no one injured to test it on…”

 

At that moment, Stella glanced at a maid who was trimming her nails with a thin knife. Suddenly, she snatched the knife away. Without hesitation, she slashed the maid’s forearm.

 

“Kyaaa!” The maid screamed, clutching her arm.

 

“Oh gosh, I’m so sorry. It was an accident.” Stella feigned an apologetic expression, her eyebrows forming a dramatic arch, and then took the jar from Diane. “Fortunately, by the grace of the gods, we have this wonderful ointment. Let me apply it for you.”

 

Stella applied the ointment to the maid’s wound. Then, something astonishing happened. The bleeding stopped in an instant, and the wound began to heal little by little. Even if the wound wasn’t that deep, it was still an incredible sight.

 

“Oh my goodness!” Diane gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.

 

Stella’s eyes widened as well. “It was real?” She asked the maid. “You said all the employees were in an uproar, right? So, did you all know about this too?”

 

“Yes, we already knew about this ointment among ourselves.”

 

“Then why didn’t you say anything!” Stella raised her voice.

 

The maid flinched and shrank back in fear.

 

Stella, undeterred, pressed her harshly. “How could you leave something so mysterious lying around the house without knowing what side effects it might have! At the very least, you should have informed Mother, who oversees the household!”

 

“I-I’m sorry!” The maid prostrated herself under Stella’s scolding.

 

“All of you, bring every single one of these ointments you have right now. Even the ones the other employees have!”

 

“Y-Yes!”

 

The maids hurriedly rushed out of the room.

 

“Where on earth did this ointment come from? We need to track down the employee who first brought it in.”

 

“Why? Sounds like a hassle.”

 

Diane shot a glare at her son after Nicholas spoke.

 

“Don’t you see? We must present it to father-in-law first.”

 

“What?”

 

“If we tell him that our Stella made such an effective ointment, imagine how pleased he would be.”

 

Nicholas’s jaw dropped at Diane’s words. “But someone else is the one who actually made this.”

 

“Just shut them up or kick them out.”

 

“That won’t be easy.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“The person who made this ointment.” Nicholas picked up the ointment jar and examined it. “Is the wench who wandered into our house not long ago. Do you think she’d just obediently listen to you, Mother?”