Obviously, It’s My Child

Erich made the butler pack the key box and finally spoke to Louisa.

“Don’t cry too much. Your health is getting affected.”

Louisa’s cries intensified. Erich ignored it and left.

‘Is it because the arrangement was delayed?’

Because he married late, Louisa held the key for too long. Should he have taken it ahead of time when his father had passed away?

But his heart was then full of grief, and it was painful to even be told that he should quickly welcome a wife in to fill the place of the duchess.

It was also strange that he would take the key from Louisa even though he hadn’t even planned to marry yet, leaving the family without a mistress.

Looking back, it seems that even then he had no intention of giving it to anyone but Claire.¹

‘She’ll take this.’

Although she rejected the signet ring.

A slight smile hung on the corner of Erich’s mouth coming out of the boudoir.

* * *

A uniformed errand boy brought a beautiful box wrapped in lace.

“The Duke has sent it.”

“Thank you. Was a card sent as well?”

“He didn’t write any.”

The errand boy answered calmly, and instead put a large bouquet of roses on the side of the box.

Claire tilted her head as he walked away. Apart from the bouquet, what is this box? The ring should still be far from ready.

“Mistress, open it.”

Martha suggested with a more excited face.

Claire unwrapped it. Inside was a high-quality rosewood box with a bright red color.

Upon opening the lid, inside was a beautiful platinum key set with blue-violet sapphires. The head looks like a pressed flower.

“The cornflower key.”

Claire muttered to herself. She knew it without even having to be explained. It was considered a treasure even in Klausener, so it was of course famous.

The key itself was no different from a jewel, but the treasures in the warehouse that could be opened with it would be even greater.

“Oh… Oh my god. This is the key of the Klausener Duchy’s lady of the house, isn’t it?”

Martha covered her mouth with her hands, as if moved anew.

Claire picked up the key with a strange feeling. That’s right, since she’ll be the duchess when she gets married, of course this has come to her.

But it didn’t look like Louisa would let go of it easily.

‘Thank you, really.’

Rather than giving this, she was grateful that Erich had brought it in advance, fearing that she would have a quarrel with Louisa. She did not expect such meticulous care.

“When will the tea party be held?”

Martha asked in a thrilling voice. Claire asked curiously.

“A tea party so suddenly?”

“You received something so precious. You should be proud.”

Claire felt embarrassed and brushed the back of her neck for no reason.

Of course, the reason why this key was famous was because there were many people who had boasted of it. But, for her to hold a tea party just for this thing?

Anyway, she wondered if it’s a big deal to add a tea party to get married as if talking loudly in all directions in the newspaper, but she was somehow embarrassed.

Besides, it’s done on purpose for a purpose, isn’t that another issue? It was embarrassing to even say it was embarrassing.

“Even if I throw a tea party, no one will come .”

“You have friends.”

“I have only a few in the capital.”

At the academy, she was friendly with young ladies of similar status, but there was no one she was close enough with that she’d meet them especially.

In fact, even if there was, she wouldn’t have risked asking to meet them. There is Elliot, but rumors that they were the first to see the cornflower key were just as dangerous.

‘Because if I buy the Elder Madam’s hatred, I’ll be in trouble.’

She’s fine with herself, but the onlookers might consider this a spark.

Claire closed the lid, put it in the bedroom, and returned to the living room.

The maid knocked on the door.

“Baron, Sir James wishes to see you. And there is one other guest.”

“Yes.”

Claire sighed.

Right after coming to the capital, she continued to be quiet, saying that she was meeting an acquaintance after a long time.

However, ahead of the wedding, after the prospective mother-in-law, the talkative uncle… In a way, it was a given.

.

.

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10. The dress from five years ago

“Grandpa! Me too!”

Elliot burrowed between James Delford’s lap as he acted like a baby. James, dumbfounded, grabbed the child and lifted him up to sit next to him.

“Oh ho. You have to sit properly.”

“I like it toooooo!”

“How many times have I told you not to act without dignity?”

Even as he said that, James picked up a butter cookie from the table.

“Wow! Thank you, Grandpa!”

Elliot exclaimed excitedly, and bit into the crunchy cookie. James patted Elliot on the butt and let him go.

He never hated Elliot himself. Besides being at an age where he would miss a grandson, Elliot was a tireless child who had a lot of love for other people.

Then it was sure that everyone will love him in the end.

Of course, that and recognizing Elliot as Delford’s heir were two entirely different matters.

He was wary, thinking that the child of unknown origin, most likely the child of a lowborn man.

It would have been better if Claire had married and had given birth to a proper heir.

But since she didn’t even think about getting married and only raised Elliott, he couldn’t have judged it properly.

But now it’s okay. James felt comfortable petting the child.

‘Somehow, the elegance flowed.’

He watched Elliot wandering around, thinking about something completely different from last month.

Elisha had been a sweet and gentle child, though perhaps James had already forgotten that he found fault in how the girl resembled her older sister in the way that she tended to cause a ruckus. 

‘What luck, really, what luck. Well, our Elisha did have a pretty face.’

Putting aside the thought that the man who got the girl pregnant should have fulfilled his responsibilities, James nodded.