Obviously, It’s My Child

“He is not trustworthy.”

As soon as Johann left, this was what Casey said. Claire only replied lightly.

“Well, it will be a purchase then.”

She didn’t expect to get Johann’s loyalty right from the start. But in the end, a bribed spy needed only to be paid the proper compensation.

Still, as a result, he would not be able to betray her. House Krozik would soon become financially dependent on the diamond business.

Johann seemed to be someone who was quick on the uptake.

“Do you really need to use someone like that?”

Casey asked again, then met Claire’s gaze and awkwardly dropped his gaze.

“No, I didn’t mean to dare to say anything to get involved in your work, Baron. I just thought it would be better to exclude spies.”

“For the sake of counterintelligence, this is the most convenient method. After all, you can’t stop a spy from entering a huge family like Klausener either. If we capture Sir Johann and get rid of him, a new spy will just come in.”

Then, she’d have to spend more time and money again trying to figure out who the new spy was. Rather, it’s better that she could control the flow of information by having a known spy in her hand in the first place.

Most of the remaining spies in the mansion would be captured and managed by Johann, so this move was also quite economical, in a sense.

“Aren’t you going to tell His Grace?”

“It’s his stepmother’s man problem. The Duke is much too noble to be involved in such a thing.”

Claire sneered. Erich knew that the people around Louisa were those who served as House Klausener’s open holes, but he did not plant people for any purpose other than protection.

So far it’s been fine. Louisa had no access to family and business secrets, but even if she had any access to them, she wasn’t interested in those things anyway.

At first, Claire had suspected that Johann was seducing Louisa for the purpose of stealing information from her, but that was not the case.

‘Because the Empress is interested in politics, not Klausener’s money or business.’

The most important thing in that regard was the right of succession, and the duchy’s lineage was directly connected to such.

So, until now, there has been no problem even if Claire would leave that part alone. Erich had no interest in those two things in the end.

He must have thought that Klausener was more honorable than the imperial family.

But now, the situation was completely different.

To protect Elliot, Claire must keep all secrets within the walls of the household. Elliot would be the very source of trouble that the Empress would want to cut off first and foremost.

‘Please, I hope everything goes well.’

It was best to think of herself as a lucky Cinderella. The next best thing is to think of this marriage as a combination of cash cow and money-grubbing opportunity.

By the way, the Lotus Palace. What’s she doing there?

It’s unlikely that there’s an intelligence organization. It also made no sense that the Empress enlisted the Countess to spy on the Schneider family.

So, where would she be useful?

‘Is it Iris? It makes no sense to say that she recruited the mother to take advantage of the daughter.’

That’s what made the most sense. In fact, only Iris stood out in the Schneider family for now.

The question was, where could she possibly be used?

Claire thought about this and that, until she suddenly realized that Casey was still looking up at her.

“Why? Any more questions?”

“N-No, it’s nothing. It was foolish of me.”

Casey blushed a little.

“What?”

“When you asked about Lady Iris, Baron, I assumed that it was because of the rumors.”

“What rumors?”

Realizing that something was amiss, Casey flinched. He shut his mouth and looked at Grey instead of Claire.

Grey sighed lightly as he turned his eyes, pretending not to know. In the end, Casey had to answer.

“There was a scandal right? That Duke Klausener and Lady Iris decided to keep their feelings for each other without getting married…”

“…….”

“But those are false rumors. Those two are the best candidates for marriages in the social world, but they haven’t tied the knot yet even after both of them have reached well past the age of marriage.”

Casey improvised quickly, but Claire’s lips hardened into a smile.

“I… I apologize…”

Casey said sorry even though he wasn’t the person involved. Claire had the face of someone who thought it was meat she had picked up, only to realize she was chewing on ginger instead.

* * *

When Erich stepped out of the banquet hall and got into the carriage, the full moon was almost in the middle of the sky, making it brighter than twilight.

He called the hotel about an hour ago, but was informed that Claire had not returned. So he sent someone to the Weaving Guild just in case, and there was a reply saying that she was at that place.

Even at this time of the night, she’s most likely still working.

Claire was a contradictory woman. Erich always thought of her that way.

While she vowed that she’d live roughly, she never really did.

To live roughly would mean to live like nobles who were incompetent and useless, only enjoying the privileges they had while in full ignorance of the duties they had. All because they had inherited everything from their ancestors. 

But Claire was not the kind of person who could put up with such a lifestyle.

‘Pig-like nobles.’

Erich laughed at the casual expression. Even though Claire herself was also a noble.

Having talked like that to him, maybe her way of thinking was a little different.

She hated cumbersome etiquette, hated high society, and she had absolutely no care for maintaining bloodline, dignity, and prestige by way of marriage. 

Despite it all, Erich knew very few people who were more noble than Claire.

She did not give up on what she had to decide and do. She would never submit, nor would she ever abandon her own judgment.

She used to throw away her studies.

Persuasion and control, too. Although she often threw away working and polishing herself.

No. She didn’t throw it away. It’s just that she didn’t want to reveal her abilities to others.

It took Erich years to figure it out. For Erich, humility was not a virtue, and it was a vice to back off and postpone his choice.

So when he first met her, he couldn’t understand her at all.

[ Why aren’t you doing your best when you surely can do much better? ]

Maybe he said it that way.

Erich did not forget what happened that day and remembered it clearly. Even though it was a day that wasn’t actually all that great.