Obviously, It’s My Child - Chapter 170

At that moment, a soft mutter was heard.

“Ha, boasting about a child born out of wedlock after desecrating the body before even getting married.”

It was a drunken male voice.

Claire doubted her ears. Surely, others did too.

The party hall fell silent in an instant. Archduke Victoria quickly covered Elliott’s ears.

Unaware of the situation, Elliott struggled.

‘What kind of lunatic?’

Claire felt her blood pressure spike instantly.

However, before she could even turn her head, Marchioness Ludendorff hastily intervened with exaggerated concern.

“My goodness, with such a cute son and a beautiful wife, the Duke must be enjoying happiness every day.”

Now was not the time for the Marchioness to have a power fight with Hermann.

The management of the party venue was the Marchioness’s responsibility. If the situation became embarrassing, she would have to bear the brunt of it.

And she knew very well how much her husband wanted to secure the support of Duchy Klausener.

Claire curled the corners of her lips upward and slowly traced the character for patience in her mind.

‘I can do this. A graceful and composed lady…’

She mustn’t lose her temper. Overturning everything here would only complicate matters later.

If the setting that had been arranged at the Marquisate was disrupted due to some trivial matter, it would be problematic.

“Thank you. He dotes on the child, though it may not suit him.”

Claire responded to the Marchioness’s remark with the brightest smile she could muster, ignoring the rude comment.

“Who wouldn’t love such a charming son?”

“I had the privilege of seeing the Duke from a distance once, and I thought, ‘Could there possibly be two such handsome men in the world?’ And yet, here another one appears.”

“How can they resemble each other so much?”

Soon, the ladies surrounded Elliott, creating a warm atmosphere.

“Come now, say hello.”

The shy Elliott hid behind Archduke Victoria’s skirt, then, encouraged by her, stepped forward with a shy but bright face.

“Hello. I’m Elliott of Klausi… sener.”

Elliott clasped his hands together and bowed deeply. Then, quickly clung to Claire again in embarrassment. Though his curiosity didn’t seem to fade. His round blue eyes looked up at the adults.

The delicate pink lips pursed, and then, feeling shy again, Elliott buried his face in Claire’s palm.

“Haa.”

“He’s so cute.”

Their soft lips touched their palms, as people around them fussed.

Even though she hadn’t given birth to him, Claire felt a sense of pride. These genes certainly needed to be preserved.

Of course, any child born from her and Erich would need their characters closely examined.

But she feigned modesty in her heart.

“If I knew it was going to be such a crowded party, I would have left him at home. I’m worried Elliott might be too noisy and cause a disturbance.”

“What are you saying? It’s an honor to see the heir of Klausener like this.”

Marchioness Ludendorff quickly dismissed her previous disappointment and nervousness with an excited voice.

Come to think of it, this was the first time Klausener’s eldest son was officially introduced to the social world.

Amid the admiration of the crowd, Hermann seized the practical advantage first.

“I am delighted to meet Klausener’s heir again, Sir Elliott. We have already met once at the train station, haven’t we?”

He knelt on one knee in front of Elliott, who exclaimed in surprise.

“Sir?”

“Yes, indeed. As the eldest son of Duke Klausener, it is only proper that you receive the title ‘Sir.’ in respect”

Elliott’s eyes sparkled.

“Mom, did you hear? He called me ‘Sir’!”

Elliott puffed out his chest and strutted about, to which Claire laughed. It was a mix of incredulity and adoration.

“Sir? It’s a bit early for honorifics.”

“It might be too soon for a County, but he could have at least been granted a rank above Baron by now.”

“If he’s to bear the responsibility of his name, I think he should at least be old enough to enter the Academy.”

Archduke Victoria laughed.

“The world has changed, maybe it’s not a bad idea. I also believe it’s not good to lavish too much on young children. Just think of Erich.”

Perhaps Claire was the only one who truly understood that remark.

“Growing up too spoiled from a young age can be problematic.”

“That’s true too.”

They were discussing this when…

This time, the voice was deliberately loud enough to carry straight across the garden.

“Really, how proud must she be? After all, she managed to charm the Duke with her body and secure a marriage. I knew that woman was a sl*t since her academy days.”

The color drained from the Marchioness’s face in real time.

Claire turned her gaze in that direction.

She had anticipated that there would be rumors. At this point, hearing a bit of gossip or two wasn’t going to damage her psyche.

Most of it was just idle talk, or else it was jealousy.

The former would change as soon as the tone of newspaper articles did, and for the latter, living well and flaunting it was the best revenge.

But someone who spoke so blatantly in public was another matter. If it had been a slip of the tongue, she might have planned to quietly warn him through Hermann later, but letting such comments pass publicly would only make her look foolish.

Claire handed Eliott over to Archduke Victoria.

“Madam, let me handle this.”

Hermann called out as if trying to stop her, but Claire gently shook off his hand and walked towards the speaker.

Joanna turned pale and tried to cover her younger brother Bruno’s mouth.

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