Obviously, It’s My Child - Chapter 191

“You can’t just abandon Klausener for more than a month. Honestly, I’d dislike a man like that even more.”

“His Grace is truly a fortunate one. To have someone as generous as Lady Claire.”

Maximilian said with a smile. Claire stretched her arms and responded.

“He’s enjoying his time, so it’s fine. I know he’s making an effort.”

Considering relaxation, it might actually be better this way.

Just then, a maid from the third floor knocked on the living room door.

“Martha, please step aside for a moment.”

“Oh, yes.”

Martha cautiously stepped aside, as it was likely related to a guest on the third floor.

Martha had guessed that the guest rescued from the sea was no ordinary person. Since his arrival, there had been no news about him—whether he had recovered, who he was, or when he would return.

The staff acted as if no one was on the third floor.

If Martha hadn’t spent so much time near Claire, she might not have noticed that the guest was still staying in the house.

After Martha left, a maid entered and politely greeted Claire. Although she was a maid, she was also part of the security team.

“Is something wrong?”

Claire asked with a worried expression. The maid spoke cautiously.

“This morning, the Prince refused his meal again.”

Claire sighed deeply.

This had been going on for three days. It wasn’t that he wasn’t eating breakfast, but rather that he wasn’t eating at all. When he was in worse condition and was unconscious, he ate whatever was provided.

‘He needs to eat to recover.’

Even though Erich had said to leave him be, Claire couldn’t accept that. She couldn’t bear the thought of the prince going hungry, and what if he got sick again if she left things as they were?

She got up from her seat.

* * *

Linus had been sitting on the terrace since dawn, looking out at the sea. He had witnessed the sunrise.

In the quiet, blue dawn devoid of the child’s persistent voice that had been ringing in his ears for days, the beach took on a deathly hue before blazing with color.

He had associated the red hue with something ominous, but soon the sea turned back to its calming blue. The sound of the waves crashing in a regular rhythm came in.

Just watching it, time seemed to pass quickly. It felt as if he could spend the next ten years this way. He was contemplating whether he could throw himself off the terrace and land on the beach before the guards could catch up and drag him back into the sea.

Bang.

The door burst open without a knock. The guards standing at the door had deliberately slammed it open to make a point.

Linus slowly turned his gaze. The red flower woman clapped her hands.

Not particularly inclined to show gentlemanly manners, he simply turned his head back toward the sea.

“Are you staging a protest?”

Claire asked sharply. Linus replied in a languid tone.

“Who am I protesting against?”

“Why aren’t you eating? You’ve only had a few pieces of bread and some milk for the past three days.”

“Not really.”

It wasn’t a deliberate act of refusal.

Linus generally had no interest in eating. And now, it wasn’t just disinterest, food didn’t even go down easily.

This wasn’t just because he was sick; it had been this way for a while. Forcing himself to eat would bring on nausea, and not eating left him feeling emptier. But in better condition than feeling queasy after eating.

Well, no one cared about his meals except for the doctor. It was quite amusing to see the doctor’s face contorted in frustration.

Despite that, his health wasn’t particularly poor. His current illness had nothing to do with his eating habits.

Claire sighed and waved her hand.

The butler wheeled in a trolley and set down two large porcelain bowls and warmers on the table in the room.

Linus watched the scene with some bewilderment. It was odd enough that the bowls, usually used for dinners, were brought out for breakfast, but having two of them—what was she planning?

Claire sat down at one side of the table, regardless of whether Linus was watching.

The butler placed two individual soup bowls in front of her, then set two more across from her.

“Come over and have at least one bite. Even if it doesn’t taste good, just pretend to eat.”

“Why should I?”

“Because it’s polite. Even if you don’t eat, I’ll be eating alone.”

The butler lifted the lid off one of the large porcelain bowls on the warmer. Inside was a clear beef stew—though calling it a soup seemed more accurate given the amount of broth and the lack of solid ingredients.

The second bowl contained abalone cream risotto with grains of rice still intact. Linus guessed it was likely a local specialty from Southern Arren.

“It seems you’re trying every trick in the book to capture my interest.”

“I normally have breakfast like this.”

Linus thought it was a lie, but Claire was genuinely sincere.

Since her rebirth, she hadn’t immediately regained her memories, and had lived as an Arren for a long time.

She wasn’t specifically craving soup, but when feeling unwell, warm and clear broth was the best. Although the cook seemed flustered that it was something for commoners.

Claire ladled some soup into a bowl to soothe her stomach, then began to serve the risotto.

Southern Arren was known for its advanced rice dishes. Though not common in Rommel, the cook, having heard that the future mistress was Arren, had evidently practiced Southern cuisine since coming from Baden Castle.

The risotto, featuring dried abalone and various shellfish, was richly flavored.

‘So luxurious.’

Claire thought, and with the first bite, she felt so content she almost forgot about Linus.

With refrigeration still in its early stages, getting fresh seafood in the capital was not easy. In Delford, it was even more difficult.

Even if she earned money, getting such fresh seafood was rare. There was a psychological limit to how much could be spent on a single meal, and even if one splurged, the freshness often fell short of expectations.

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