Obviously, It’s My Child

Claire sighed and hugged Elliot.

“Oh, heavy.”

Elliot kissed Claire on the cheek. Claire forced a straight face.

Roger sighed.

“Don’t you want your aunt to get married or not?”

“It’s not like that…”

Elliot complained to her. Claire let out a laugh. It was both cute and affectionate. He’s even reviewing the marriage contract because of who it would be.

“Auntie likes Elliot the best in the world.”

“Liar.”

“Why would I lie? It’s true.”

“The other day, you said you liked Mom the most.”

“Ah, that’s right. Then you are the best among the living.”

“I also like Auntie most, not Mom.”

Elliot hugged her.

Claire took her breath. She felt uncomfortable, but in fact, she didn’t have anything else to say with Erich here. Especially in front of Elliot.

Erich and Roger followed her side by side. Claire came out of the break room. She couldn’t avoid everyone’s eyes, but at least the children’s noisy teasing didn’t follow.

“Excuse me, Senior.”

She was about to tell him to go now, but Erich used his chin to point at Roger, asking.

“Who is this person?”

The usual Erich wouldn’t have cared. Because for him, most other people were mere beings passing beneath his eyes. To put it in Claire’s terms, he rarely recognized people as people.

But this young, tall man was bothering him.

He didn’t look like an employee. His clothes were flimsy, but the fabrics were high quality, and there was a noticeable part showing his lively attitude.

Most of all, he seemed friendly with Elliot. As expected, he had to admit it when he saw Elliott coming on his shoulders and that Claire’s attempt to drop off the child was, in some ways, not something that seemed like family.

Claire looked between the men curiously. It was surprising that Erich wondered about someone who was clearly a commoner, but she was even more surprised that Roger kept his mouth shut even when the opportunity presented itself to curry favor with Duke Klausener himself.

“This is the Weaving Guild’s head.”

She didn’t bother to introduce Erich to Roger. How could a person who’s doing big business not know the face of Duke Klausener?

Roger said it politely enough without taking off his hat.

“I am Roger Carson. It is an honor to meet you, Duke Klausener.”

“Hmm.”

Erich silently held out his hand to him and accepted the handshake. At best, a guild head was not an opponent worth caring about, but it was somehow bothering him.

“I heard that the head of the Weaving Guild is quite resourceful, but I didn’t know he was this young.”

“If you’ve heard of good things, it’s probably my father’s doing. Well, I’m Her Lordship the Baron’s errand boy. I just know that she chose me as her great luck in life. For that, I am grateful.”

Roger laughed out loud. Erich’s eyebrows twitched. As expected, this man was annoying.

Claire asked.

“By the way, Roger, what are you doing here? Do you have any urgent business?”

“Ah, there’s that.”

He lowered his head and whispered into Claire’s ear.

“The representative of the retail store in Bamburg has come to visit.”

“Hmm…”

Claire looked up.

It was certainly something that could not be said in front of Erich. Bamburg was one of the main cities of the Klausener Duchy, and could be considered as the forefront of the conflict with the Belf Marquisate.

But Roger’s attitude was strange. Originally, he wasn’t a cautious man enough to whisper, and this news wasn’t urgent enough.

Roger continued.

“I don’t want to trouble you.”

“If they’ve come this far, we should meet again. Tomorrow…?”

“As long as you call, they will come running anytime. Shall we go to the hotel?”

“Yes.”

“Alright.”

Roger glanced at Erich and smiled.

Claire answered in a sigh. Why did he want to come here? Although Roger sometimes spoke nonsense about marrying her, Claire only took it in stride, considering it as mere flattery and jest.

Judging by his bright personality, Roger should flatter Erich the most. Shouldn’t he rub his hands together and solve the Bamberg problem here?

Claire thought there was no need for that, though she would rather bite her tongue than sound pitiful to Erich.

Thinking about that, she suddenly looked at him, and Erich narrowed his eyes and was glaring at her.

No, to be exact, he’s glaring at Roger.

‘What. Are you seriously picking a fight right now? Really?’

Dumbfounded, she sighed. Erich’s lips, who misunderstood it, hardened even more.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Something about business. It’s confidential.”

Claire answered right away. She didn’t have the slightest intention of making a request to Erich, and she didn’t want to say anything that sounded like it.

“Auntie! Auntieeee!”

Elliot, who had reached the limit of waiting, hugged Claire’s waist and complained.

“My toy!”

“Ah.”

Claire didn’t easily forget or ignore her promise because he was a child, but she was too distracted today.

“Did you pick them all?”

“Over there!”

Elliot dragged Claire along. It was only at times like this that Elliot was strong. Claire looked back at Erich with the intention of telling him to leave, but he followed them as if he didn’t understand.

Elliot shouted, pointing at the large model fort.

“This! Bandit play!”

“No, it’s not a war game, is it?”

Roger, who slowly followed them, asked. Elliot said with an excited face.

“I’m going to play bandit!”

“Elliot, what did Auntie say earlier?”

“Two… toys…”

Elliot sulked at the rejection in Claire’s voice.

“I just need… this one…”

“How much did I say it should be?”

“Thirty gold…”

“Our Elliot, can you count how much this is?”

Elliot said in a slow crawling voice.

“But Uncle Roger said he would give me this as a present… It’s different from the one Auntie’s going to buy for me…”