Obviously, It’s My Child - Chapter 214

Maximilian knelt on one knee and kissed Joanna’s hand. There was no ulterior motive—he was merely demonstrating for Elliott. Elliott awkwardly tried to imitate it, but even though Joanna sat on the floor to match his height, the posture of neatly kneeling on one knee was difficult for him to manage.

Claire laughed as she watched.

“He’s really getting into this gentleman act these days. Joanna’s so good at playing along.”

“Seems like it’s time to hire a tutor.”

“Speaking of, who was your tutor? Oh, why are you laughing? Even though you’re in here, it reminds me of the guillotine.”

She poked Erich’s forehead playfully.

“I admit your physique is graceful.”

“Don’t you usually say that I have good posture?”

“That’s a bit of a stretch. Honestly, for someone with excellent posture…”

Claire shook her head. Erich, without showing any anger, responded.

“I know you like my body very well. You don’t need to make excuses.”

“That’s not what I meant!”

Erich could have avoided her playful swat, but he allowed her to keep hitting him until her hand turned red.

“When I was a child, my etiquette teacher was the old lady from the Altmaier family. I’m not sure if she’s still teaching kids these days, though. It’s been over 20 years since I was under her care, and she was already quite elderly at the time.”

“Then it might be difficult. She hasn’t passed away, has she?”

“I still send her a letter once a year, and she can reply without a ghostwriter, so she’s still in good health.”

“Since you’re this close, we should visit her sometime. But considering our situation, it might be difficult to ask her to take care of the child.”

Claire sighed softly.

“The Altmaier family isn’t close.”

“Aren’t they vassals of the Klausener family?”

“Strictly speaking, they’re on my mother’s side. The Altmaiers are loyalists to the Imperial family.”

Erich explained.

When the Rommel family became the Imperial family, they had every noble in the Empire swear loyalty. But the feudal relationships, which have existed for hundreds of years before the Empire, are governed by different rules.

Altmaier is one of those families.

As Klausener and Ernst came under the Imperial family, their names have faded, but the relationships don’t disappear so easily.

Claire responded, slightly surprised.

“I never knew that.”

“Did you nap during history class?”

“Well, I have no comeback, but I hated that subject.”

Claire sighed.

Something seemed to be bothering her as she lowered her eyes, lost in thought. Altmaier… The name seemed familiar. In fact, the reason she’d assumed they were Klausener’s vassals was probably because of that.

Erich’s fingers brushed against Claire’s hand, slowly running over her palm and nails as if tenderly caressing it.

In a low voice, he added,

“We can take our time finding a tutor. But what worries me more is the governess.”

“Jenny, you mean?”

“Yes. Since Martha is practically family, I won’t say otherwise, but Jenny was just hired by Delford, wasn’t she?”

“That’s true.”

“Even if we trust her character, affection, and diligence, loyalty is a different matter altogether.”

“Mm.”

“If Jenny hasn’t received special training, it wouldn’t be good for her to stay close to Elliott for her own sake. The same goes for the other maids.”

Claire sighed.

Jenny was an ordinary, good person. She loved Elliott dearly, but Claire couldn’t risk placing her in a potentially dangerous situation.

Honestly, after seeing Linus’ condition, Claire was even more worried.

“I’ll think about it while we’re looking for a tutor. From Lady Augusta’s attitude, it seems there are some things that don’t sit right with me.”

As she said this, Claire suddenly recalled where she had heard the name Altmaier.

“Erich, could Altmaier be… from five years ago?”

“That’s right. Good memory. Their eldest son passed away five years ago.”

It was the name of the imperial knight who had disappeared the day the Crown Prince was assassinated, and three days later, his death had been confirmed.

* * *

“Payment for the miner’s wages completed.”

The note, which was passed along, caused a brief silence in the gentlemen’s club, mostly composed of shipowners.

“Where on earth did the Marquis get that money?”

Someone muttered, and the already uneasy atmosphere in the club thickened with uncomfortable silence.

Most of the shipowners were part of the asset-holding class.

Despite some temperamental and cultural differences, they were well-connected with the merchants and bankers active within the city.

They knew that Marquis Ludendorff had neither borrowed money from anywhere nor attracted new investors.

A hopeful voice rose.

“Could it be that Duke Klausener invested? Didn’t the Marquis visit his office a few days ago?”

“Dammit. Would someone who just entered into a partnership with the Duke keep quiet about it? He’d have already spread the news and thrown a celebration.”

No one could deny that.

One shipowner muttered quietly,

“Let’s not jump to conclusions just yet. Maybe he asked Lady Augusta for help?”

“I wish that were true, but who would believe that scoundrel?”

“Watch your mouth.”

“Dammit.”

Then came more curses.

Everyone was thinking along the same lines.

The money Marquis Ludendorff paid to the miners had surely come from the mutual insurance of the shipowner’s alliance.

Though not quite as savvy as the bankers, they too understood the flow of money well.

Very few people truly understand that the money in their pocket belongs to someone else.

Even when they sign a loan agreement or pledge collateral, they often don’t grasp this. It would be unimaginable for someone like Marquis Ludendorff to consider the money in his vault as his own.