~Chapter 1~
Prologue
Her name was Kim Si-eom, 59 years old.
All she ever wanted was a daughter-like daughter-in-law and bunny-like grandchildren.
She was the epitome of a modest and ordinary Korean mother-in-law and a mother to two sons.
She lost her husband early and raised her sons alone.
It was no easy feat, but now both sons were grown and had respectable jobs.
As a mother, she felt she had completed her duties in life.
But—just one thing.
To be honest, there was one lingering regret.
Her sons’ marriages. Especially the younger son’s wife!
The eldest wasn’t married yet, but the younger was—and every time Kim Si-eom looked at her second daughter-in-law, she felt choked and her temples throbbed.
There was something about the girl that felt gloomy, like she dragged down everyone around her.
The first impression was terrible.
She had a stiff way of speaking, not a trace of charm, and an atmosphere that screamed her orphan background—like it clung to her face and body.
So what if she earned more than her husband? She was raised with no refinement.
Does she think the stench of poverty disappears just because she’s making money now?
Ugh. What on earth did my son see in her?
She couldn’t understand, so she asked her son. His answer? “She’s kind.”
But looking at how she acts these days—kind, my foot.
Clearly, her naive, gentle son was duped into marrying her.
Three years into the marriage, and the rose-colored glasses had to be coming off.
With a wife like that, of course he’d start thinking about other women.
If he didn’t, would he even be a man?
She had married them off just because the girl seemed obedient…
Anyway, the long-standing headache that was the second daughter-in-law was finally going to be resolved.
And in this world where nobles and commoners were divided—she was now a noble, free from the drudgery of household chores.
No, not just noble—they called it aristocrat here, right?
Her second son had explained it, but her memory was already fuzzy.
“Seongmin, what was it that happened to us again?”
“It’s called possession. A group possession.”
Yes, possession.
She and her sons had been reincarnated into another world.
They now lived with new bodies and identities in a place completely unlike their old life.
The second daughter-in-law didn’t seem to have made it into this world… So what could she do?
She’d just have to find her son a new, more suitable bride here!
One Month Ago
The plane had plummeted during their trip.
Kim Si-eom, her two sons, and the manager of her second son’s café had all been aboard.
She screamed, thinking death was near—but when she opened her eyes, she was in another world.
Here, Kim Si-eom was the Marchioness of Florence—a noblewoman.
Her second son said that aristocrats were like Joseon-era nobles, with servants and all.
And he was right.
A grand mansion, luxurious furniture that once seemed too expensive to even touch, and cabinets full of high-end dishware.
Most of all, the sight of servants bustling about nonstop kept a smile glued to her face.
This is what you get for living a life of diligence and honesty!
Her body and face had changed too.
The colorful eyes and hair were unfamiliar, but she was younger than before—and she liked that.
Kim Si-eom was deeply satisfied with her new life.
“How do you know all this so well?”
“Dain used to talk about it sometimes—about possession, and starting over in a new life.”
And most satisfying of all—
“What about Dain?”
“Dain… well…”
Her eldest son had become the Marchioness of Florence. The second son, the second son of the Florence family.
“So only the three of us were possessed?”
Yes. Only the three of them—no second daughter-in-law, Dain.
And the café manager that Seongmin had secretly harbored feelings for wasn’t there either.
That girl had more charm than Dain and might make a better wife, but even she didn’t sit right with Kim Si-eom.
“So both of you are single in this world?”
Oh, how delightful.
Here, she would finally find the perfect daughters-in-law!
“Oh my, what a blessing!”
Kim Si-eom cheered with joy.
The Imperial Ball
At a lavish royal ball, Kim Si-eom—dressed in an extravagant gown—accepted a glass of champagne from an attendant.
Through the crystal-clear glass, her razor-sharp gaze scanned the noble ladies across the hall.
Here, it was common to find a match at the ball.
You dance, get to know each other, and fall in love—or something like that.
And apparently, the bride brought a dowry?
Of course. If a man is going to feed and house her for life, she should at least bring money when she arrives.
Satisfied, Kim Si-eom continued her observations.
‘Now, let’s see. Who would be a good match for my boys?’
Before the ball, she’d crammed hard to memorize the noble class hierarchy.
All for her sons’ marriages.
If possible, she wanted a bride from a higher status.
But even if they were from a lower noble house, a girl from a wealthy family with a large dowry would do.
Let’s see, a suitable match for her eldest and youngest…
Just then—
While scanning the room with eyes full of ambition, she spotted her eldest son approaching a young and shy noble lady to ask for a dance.
Kim Si-eom rushed over and smacked his shoulder.
“Hey!”
“Ow! But she’s young and pretty!”
Her eldest, Byungmin, was nearly forty and still chasing girls in their twenties.
She had nagged and nagged him to go for substance, not just looks!
Dragging him to the corner of the ballroom, the Marchioness of Florence pouted.
“She’s from the same marquis family. Young and pretty—what’s not to like?”
“Same marquis? We’re from another world! Do you really think we’re the same? Smart people should match with smart people!”
Just then, someone else asked the girl to dance.
Byungmin scowled.
“Someone else took her! Ugh… I really liked how soft and pale she looked. Mom, you worry about Seongmin instead.”
“Listen. If you’d been born into a better family, I swear you could’ve been a president—or even a king! It’s only because I couldn’t support you more! Both you and Seongmin were geniuses as kids! So you need wives worthy of that, you hear me?”
At that moment, the doors on the second floor of the ballroom flung open.
“His Highness the First Prince and Her Highness the Princess are entering!”
At the announcement, Kim Si-eom’s head whipped around like a hunting hawk.
The girl at the top of her daughter-in-law wishlist had just appeared.
The Princess.
Rumor had it the First Prince—favored as the next Emperor—deeply adored his sister.
If she married her eldest son to the Princess, they’d become part of the Imperial Family and have the future Emperor as a powerful ally.
Reading her mother’s thoughts, the Marchioness’s son muttered,
“Mom, we’re just a marquis house—”
“So what! Aren’t we all nobles?”
Neither of her sons lacked anything. So why were they always shrinking back?
They were just too modest for their own good!
Then—
“Lady Riden McCurry of the Count McCurry family has arrived!”
The chatter that had quieted since the First Prince and Princess’s arrival resumed with a buzz.
Kim Si-eom’s eyes followed the crowd’s gaze upward.
A stunning noblewoman stood there, dressed in splendor.
Moonlight-colored hair, clear blue eyes. All eyes were on her.
But that wasn’t the shocking part.
The Empress herself stood beside her as a chaperone.
“The Empress? Personally?”
“Who is that lady…?”
Kim Si-eom narrowed her eyes in recognition.
Riden McCurry. She’d thought the Count’s family had collapsed when the couple died suddenly. But rumors said a duke’s house was courting her.
‘Would a duke’s family really want an orphan daughter-in-law for no reason? Of course not—it’s got to be money.’
Yes, that had to be it. So much money that even a duke would be tempted!
So: the Princess for her eldest. The Count’s daughter for her youngest.
That was Kim Si-eom’s plan.
‘Girls like that—overdressed, uneducated, but rich—they’re easy to handle.’
With a proud tilt of her head, Kim Si-eom prepared to act.
Now that the count’s daughter had arrived, it was time to move.
Before another man could ask her to dance, she shoved her second son forward.
But then—
“Dain…?”
Her son was walking toward the girl like he was under a spell.
“Why’s he looking for someone who’s not even here… Honestly. He’s so sentimental.”
Hearing her second son utter the name of his wife from their past life, Kim Si-eom pouted.
Never imagining that the Count’s daughter… was actually her former daughter-in-law, Jung Dain.
“Lady McCurry, may I have the honor of the first dance?”
“Please, dance with me!”
“Even if not the first, may I be on your dance card at all?”
—
“Hah… this isn’t as easy as it looks.”
Dain let out a sigh of relief in the powder room.
Surrounded by suitors, she had escaped the ballroom within five minutes of the ball starting.
Living her second life as a noble lady dressed in only the finest things was no joke.
But—
‘No awful mother-in-law, no creepy brother-in-law, no cheating husband—this life is the best!’
Compared to her old one, this life was glorious.
Just then, a shadow fell over her as she smiled to herself.
“Gasp!”
“M-Mother?”
It was Samantha Kenwolf—matron of the Kenwolf Ducal Family, the most powerful house in the Eastern Empire.
And, once, Dain’s would-be mother-in-law.
“My dear, I’ve been searching for you.”
“For… me?”
“Yes. Has anyone been bothering you again? Like that Marchioness of Florence, perhaps?”
Her smile faded, replaced by a cold glint in her eyes.
Then, as if nothing had happened, she presented a velvet jewel case with an eager smile.
Inside was a dazzling diamond tiara.
But Dain had already broken off her engagement with the Kenwolf family.
‘If I accept this, I’ll never be able to escape!’
Horrified, Dain waved her hands.
“Mother, I’m not yet confident dancing… If I wear such a precious thing and drop it—”
“Oh?”
Samantha tilted her head, feigning confusion.
“If it’s from me, and one of my people breaks it—what’s the problem? I’ll just buy you another.”
That’s definitely a problem!!
Dain screamed internally.
‘I don’t want to be “your” person! Your son is the regretful male lead!’
She thought of Ethan Kenwolf, the male lead of this novel—and the man who almost became her husband.
His deep black eyes that always seemed to regard her strangely…
“We don’t need to get along. This is a political marriage—we just need to give and take what’s required. That’s all.”
Even with such a handsome face, those cold, indifferent words made her determination firm.
And above all—
If her in-laws in the past life were average, the ducal family was the very definition of the word “in-laws.”
She had once barely survived that storm, living with only her mouth above the surface.
Now she had to go through it again? But worse?
Faced with the glowing eyes of her eager mother-in-law-to-be, Dain could only shut her eyes in terror.
