Obviously, It’s My Child

Chapter 62

Translator: Effe

Editor: Yonnee

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Claire and Erich quickly walked out of the soda shop. Their thought of wanting to eat a meal at the marketplace had already disappeared.

“It’s okay. No one will write an article about something like this anyway.”

Claire said to herself. It was something she said to persuade herself. Erich reciprocated those words in a calm voice.

“Everyone knows that Elliot resembles me. I was also surprised, so I’m sure His Highness was like that too.”

Claire was the only one who knew the true meaning of those words: since everyone would understand that Elliot resembled Erich, it would be okay.

Claire said with a short sigh.

“I guess so.”

“Auntie, Auntie.”

Elliot asked, pulling on Claire. He had been curious about it for a while, but he couldn’t ask because the Grandpa looked so sad and the adults were looking serious.

“Why am I Uncle’s son?”

“Ah…”

Elliot tilted his head again.

“Uncle just said that. I am Uncle’s son.”

Claire got taken aback as she hadn’t been able to talk to him about it until now, so it came like a thunderbolt.

Claire had no intention of lying to Elliot about who his mother was. She always showed Elliot a portrait of Elisa and told him many stories about her.

So she couldn’t lie now. However, there was an indescribable reluctance to say that his father was Erich and his mother was Elisa.

Actually, she was thinking about it the whole time. She asked ‘Is it okay for Auntie to be your mother?’, and she had a feeling that the answer would be ‘It’s okay’, but she doesn’t know if it would come true.

No matter how small the child’s world was, there was always something of his own. She didn’t know if an aunt could be a mother.

Erich reached out his hand and hugged Elliot.

And Claire couldn’t bear it and easily said what she was worried about.

“Do you not want Uncle to be your Dad?”

“Uncle is not my Dad. I don’t have a Dad.”

Elliot looked at Claire. Then, Erich said.

“Auntie will become your Mom, and Uncle will become your Dad. Do you not want that?”

“Umm…”

Elliot looked like he was troubled. He liked that his auntie would become his mom, but he wasn’t sure about this uncle being his dad. Elliot didn’t quite know who his Dad was.

At that time, Roger, who had left from the soda shop only belatedly, came running in a hurry. He was blocked by a bodyguard.

“Baron!”

“Ah, Roger.”

“I’m glad you were nearby.”

“Did you bring Elliot all this way?”

Erich narrowed his eyes and looked at Roger imposingly. Roger was not one to give in to such a thing, so he leaned towards Claire and said.

“Sorry. I never thought that His Highness, Grand Prince Aren, would appear in a place like this…”

“Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault. Elliot, you fell while running and holding the cup, didn’t you?”

“I didn’t ruuunn!!”

Elliot, who got his cheek pinched slightly, struggled and protested.

Roger said with a laugh.

“He didn’t run. And I left my contact information for the shop owner.”

“Good job. I’ll make it up to you later.”

It wasn’t because of the spilled soda, but because the Grand Prince came out of it, they  must have been surprised.

Roger looked at Elliot and smiled.

“Weren’t you mad at the Baron?”

“Ung? Ah…!”

Elliot shouted as if he had suddenly remembered what had made him angry.

“Auntie, naughty! You didn’t come home yesterday! I was worried!”

“Ah.”

“Not Uncle! I don’t want you to be my dad!”

Elliott struggled, saying that he did not want to be held by Erich. As he put her down, Elliot hugged Claire’s leg and gave Erich a hostile look.

“Hahaha!”

Erich glared at Roger, but Roger’s face was as thick as the net profit of the Weaving Guild, so he couldn’t hold back his laughter.

* * *

The rumors of Claire’s boutique sweep started spreading even before the article appeared.

This is because the most popular boutique, including Edelweiss, canceled their reservations that day and sent polite apologies and gifts.

The specific reason was not officially disclosed. But the owner of Edelweiss was a quick-witted person, so the staff secretly spread rumors about who the guest of honor was that day.

“That Duke Klausener?”

“Most people don’t know. I heard that he proposed with his signet ring in public, but I didn’t believe it.”

“Late bloomers are a league of their own, aren’t they.”

“Thinking about it, how much did the previous duke care for his remarried wife? It’s all in the blood.”

“What about the fiancée… Was it a baron? How lucky, really.”

At each tea party, various stories flew around.

“If she’s a baron, it would be a noble marriage. Then, does the Duke intend to give up his right to succeed the throne?”

“Ah, that is a different case. Because there is a Rommel-Arren inheritance law.”

“Well, come to think of it, they said they would give the right of succession to the royal family born from the union of Rommel and Arren, but they didn’t specify that they must be from the Arren royal family.”

“On this, the Emperor and his sister, Archduke Victoria, must make it clear.”

But in the end, the political discussions took a back seat. As long as not only Prince Linus but also the two Archdukes of Rommel, the emperor’s siblings, were all healthy, no one thought seriously about Erich Clausener’s right to succeed the throne.

The people who talked the most happily were those who dug up old things.

“Listening to my daughter’s story, I don’t think it’s too much nonsense that he waited five years. I guess there were rumors a little bit during the academy days. That’s how he fell in love with Baron Delford.”

“Oh. I’ve heard the complete opposite? They say they’ve seen those two raise their voices and fight in the hallways.”

There were also people who lightly tapped the shoulder of the person who said such a thing and laughed lightly.

“Think about it. That Duke Klausener, fighting with his female underclassman? In the hallway nonetheless?”

“Their relationship wasn’t normal from then on.”

“Even so, my daughter was an academy classmate with Baron Delford, so I asked her to send an invitation to the Baron. It seems like they were quite friendly. As soon as the Baron graduated, she left for her estate, so they haven’t been able to talk often.”

“Ah, I see. I bet you never met her at a tea party.”