Obviously, It’s My Child

And three days earlier, Klausener’s treasurer had visited.

[ Hand over all the shares. ]

[ What? ]

[ His Grace wants to take over your newspaper and printing office. Of course, all the employees currently working shall be hired as they are. ]

Did that even make sense? All of a sudden, they were being told to hand over all their shares. It’s not something that could be solved with money alone. Their occupation was a means of proving one’s status and social standing, and ensuring one’s belongingness.

If only the money to be given was so large that they could completely restart their lives…

[ We are making an acquisition offer for a lump sum of one million gold. The amount will be given to you directly. ]

[ HOH! ]

[ Also, you will continue to serve as editor-in-chief. As long as you don’t cause any trouble, you’ll be guaranteed this position for life, and you’ll receive a proper salary. House Klausener can’t afford to care about the management of such a small business. ]

It made sense.

If it was one million gold, he deserved to take it. It wasn’t easy to make fifty thousand gold sales even if they made a lot of money with an exclusive scoop and printed thousands of copies.

And yesterday, they learned that Klausener had swept the capital’s newspapers in this way… and they got a call this morning.

‘Could it be that the Duke just came and told his fiancée that it’s all our fault?’

He didn’t look like the kind of person who would stick out flippers with a flimsy lie, but thinking about it, no man in the world would ever confess to his fiancée, ‘I tried to destroy your honor’.

‘No, no. If you’re going to demand liability, then Attorney Sherwood would have stepped in, so why would a noble do it herself?’

‘To dare to buy newspapers with money. Since she’s the Weaving Guild, she must have other intentions.’

‘Obviously, one will be executed as an example. I can’t get caught in the middle.’

After an anxious wait, the door opened. The editors jumped up from their seats.

Claire entered. The editors stared at her blankly for a moment, but they soon quickly bowed their heads.

‘Was she always this beautiful?’

Such thoughts passed through many people’s heads.

Claire Delford was on the pretty side, but not so beautiful that her appearance became a hot topic.

The most popular type of beauty in the empire was a fairy-like woman with blond hair, blue eyes, skin as white as snow, and a small, slender figure that made it seem like she’d be blown away by the wind.

Otherwise, a rich and splendid woman like a rose in full bloom was considered beautiful. Louisa, the Elder Madam of the Klausener Duchy was of this type in the prime of her youth.

Claire didn’t fit that image either way.

She was slender and tall, and rather than frail, she had a clear and intelligent impression. Her hair was reddish brown, and her eyes were golden.

She was almost always dressed in neutral colors, and she kept her hair well-arranged without a headdress. It was her purpose to remain unnoticed while giving the impression of being meticulous, and it paid off adequately.

But she was different now. Somehow, her face caught people’s attention more clearly.

‘Why?’

‘Is it because her complexion looks good?’

It’s not that Claire didn’t have any presence before this. Everyone in this place knew that she had neat features.

No one realized that. Why did she look bright today?

“I called you in a hurry, but no one missed my invitation. Have a seat.”

Claire took the first seat in an elegant manner.

However, no one sat there. There was no one here who was ignorant enough to not know that the thank you was just a formality.

“How dare we?”

“I didn’t call you to reproach you.”

Claire, in her usual gesture, flicked her finger at the diamond earring from her ear. The waterdrop diamond swayed and scattered five colors of brilliance.

“My deepest apologies, Baron.”

Someone came forward and said so. Then Claire smiled.

“You’ve inflated facts the size of nails like balloons, deliberately chose provocative vocabulary to write articles, and published insulting illustrations on the front page. So if I intended to take issue with that from the onset, you’d be seeing my lawyer now, not me.”

The few who kept the line only lowered their eyes. However, there were many who walked a tightrope between scandal and defamation rather than a love story, and all their shoulders shrank as they lowered their heads. In fact, the vast majority were of this category.

Claire smiled.

Even bastards had their own uses. And bastards who knew their mistakes were even more useful.

The taste of holding the hilt was always sweet.

“I called you all of a sudden to tell you not to stop.”

“What…?”

“The honor damaged by your pen should be restored with your pen too, right?”

While asking this, Claire leaned forward. 

* * *

When the discussion was over, the editors slipped away like the ebb and tide.

Claire finally took the teacup in her hand in a peaceful mood.

She was tired of working on her face since morning. It couldn’t be helped. For the time being, she had to become a walking signboard.

But one person did not go out. Claire looked at him curiously.

He was a sadly handsome young man with a face that looked like he might have just turned twenty and curly poodle-like hair.

“Do you have any business with me?”

As soon as Claire asked, he strode forward as if he had been waiting. Then, he politely bowed down to greet her.

“I’m sorry for breaking your order to leave, Baron. My name is Casey Morris. My family runs a business selling books, and I publish a minor magazine.”

“I see.”

“I believe I can help you in your new business, Baron. Even if I’m not as good as Mister Roger Carson of the Weaving Guild.”

Claire gave an intrigued smile.

“What business are you talking about? I don’t think there’s anything a bookseller or magazine owner can do for the Weaving Guild.”

“The marriage of convenience.”

“You are saying something strange. I won’t deny that noble marriages are usually marriages of convenience and involve a great deal of economic interest, but it’s not a story that you can get involved with, Mister Morris.”

“That’s not it. I am talking about what the former Baron will wear.”

Casey spat out the words he had prepared.

He looked confident.