Obviously, It’s My Child - Chapter 120

She couldn’t really be entirely unrelated, and not think about it at all. It wasn’t because she was an Arren herself or because she thought she should restore Elliott’s inherent rights.

It was because she knew the harm caused by what the Empress was doing.

Spreading the drug was easy, but reaping its effects was not. Would the drug dealer, having tasted the sweetness of money, restrict sales only to the nobles while concealing their identity?

Ultimately, it would spread throughout the entire empire. Claire could easily anticipate the consequences that would follow.

As a human being, she couldn’t turn a blind eye to such a matter.

Duke Moore slowly poured herself another glass of tea. During this time, silence filled the room.

“So, what is it that you want from me?”

“We need to unite the Arren nobles and prepare to confront the Empress. Lords from every region must prevent this drug from spreading within their territories.”

To counterattack, one must first defend against the enemy’s assault.

“Without His Highness and Duke Moore, who else can handle such a task?”

“You speak too humbly, Baron. With the power of Klausener’s power and the Weaving guild, it should be enough to stand against the imperial family.”

Duke Moore spoke, looking towards the terrace.

“But, His Highness for the sake of the children, would willingly rise to the occasion.”

“Thank you.”

Claire sincerely nodded.

* * *

It was when Iris got off the carriage and stood in front of the main entrance of the opera theater.

“Lady Schneider?”

With the calling voice, a hand reached out from the side and grabbed her wrist.

“Kyaak!”

Startled, Iris screamed and forcefully shook off the hand. The startled person stumbled back, seemingly perplexed.

“Ah, ah…”

Iris groaned. The person was a familiar face.

“Count Abingdon?”

He was a nobleman with a recognizable face. Although they weren’t very close, he had been taking opera as a hobby, showing up at the theater occasionally.

He also frequented the salon of County Schneider.

But for a moment, Iris doubted her eyes.

Count Abingdon was supposed to be a plump man. However, what stood before her now was a sickly figure, with flesh seemingly melted away, leaving only bones.

His complexion was ashen, his lips pale and trembling. His hands and feet trembled ceaselessly, and his eyes, showing an odd glint, rolled in their sockets. Beads of cold sweat covered his forehead.

“The salon…”

“Yes?”

“When will the salon open?”

“The, the salon?”

Iris asked in confusion.

Count Scheneider, a lover of the arts, naturally had a salon in his mansion. Iris, too, occasionally sang in the salon. It was something she took pride in.

However, she couldn’t understand why Count Abingdon, in such a wretched state, would be asking about the salon.

Iris didn’t even know that he was a frequent guest at the salon. Because her mom took care of everything.

Iris, taken aback, replied,

“Haven’t you heard about our family situation? Opening a salon is out of the question for us right now.”

“The, the sedatives…!”

Count Abingdon grabbed her arms, his eyes wide open. Iris was frightened, but she couldn’t scream.

It became a vulnerability. Undoubtedly. Iris didn’t know exactly what her mom had been doing in that salon, but judging by Count Abingdon’s appearance, it was undoubtedly a problem.

So, Iris couldn’t find someone to rescue her as she usually did.

She bit her lip and gently stroked the back of Count Abingdon’s hand. Her affectionate demeanor had always been effective, and this time was no exception.

Count Abingdon, with a ghastly complexion, calmed down slightly, his agitation subsiding.

Mentally recalling the role of a kind princess comforting a beggar, Iris spoke kindly to him.

“The salon may not open for a while, but I’ll let my Mom know that the Viscount came for an important matter.”

“The sedatives… please, make sure to convey it.”

“Yes, I will definitely convey it. Perhaps Mom can help you.”

With those words, Count Abingdon meekly accepted and withdrew. He was suffering greatly, but he hadn’t completely lost his sanity.

“Please… please, let me know. I beg you, Miss Iris.”

If he couldn’t return to the salon and Iris hated him, it would be a big problem. Without the sedatives distributed exclusively in Iris’s salon, he couldn’t make rational judgments or even eat properly.

He was oblivious to think of it as withdrawal symptoms, only realizing that with the sedatives, he could live a decent life.

Therefore, he was waiting in front of the opera house, which had suspended operations.

At this point, officially visiting Countess Schneider was a foolish move.

The problem wasn’t that the County was in turmoil due to the exposure of the Countess’s affair. The real issue was that the guards of Duchy Klausener were surrounding the Count’s residence.

If he’s not careful, he would risk being implicated in the attempted kidnapping of Baron Delford. The fear lingered even in his irrational state.

Meanwhile, even after he left, Iris’s heart continued to thump and pound.

‘I need to talk to Mom about this.’

But she couldn’t meet her right now. From that day until today, Iris had only met the Countess once, and that too while avoiding others’ eyes. The fear of the truth being fully exposed kept her cautious.

With a trembling heart, she entered the opera house.

The torn first floor walls and flooring was shabby. There were banging sounds from upstairs. It was the result of Erich’s order to expose the remaining corridors.

Although it was said that they had voluntarily submitted the architectural drawings and entrances, he said he couldn’t trust it since it had been the den of crime. But it was, in fact, a show of power against the special investigation team.

This theater would probably be irreparable.

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