Obviously, It’s My Child - Chapter 215

The young shipowner raised his voice.

“See? I told you not to trust the Marquis with that money!”

“If you had gone, do you think you could have defied the Marquis? The Ludendorff port is under construction right now, you know?”

The port itself was a national project, and central management would certainly be sent to oversee operations.

However, the land where the port was being built was part of the Ludendorff domain. If the Marquis decided to disadvantage the shipowners, how could individual shipowners withstand it?

At this stage, a small port might still be manageable, and the shipowners could resist by uniting.

But the port was expanding every day.

Once the construction was finished, the number of ships using the port would be at least four times higher than it was now.

If Marquis Ludendorff decided to oust the shipowner’s alliance, there would be no problem at all.

“If you get on his bad side, you never know what kind of damage you’ll suffer. It’s no surprise if the Marquis does something underhanded.”

“Still…”

“If you’re so upset about it, go and tell him yourself.”

The young shipowner, who had raised his voice earlier, clearly didn’t have the confidence to do so.

“We trusted him because we thought it would be temporary. Only until the expansion of Archduke Victoria’s mutual insurance system was established.”

“What can we do? It’s a common practice for lords to manage these affairs, not just Ludendorff but elsewhere too.”

“Ha. In most places, the lord is also a shipowner, right? Honestly, it’s laughable that Marquis Ludendorff, with a port in his territory, doesn’t own a single ship.”

“How about appealing directly to Archduke Victoria?”

“How could we dare?”

A tense silence fell over the club.

Indeed, no matter how much the authority of nobility had diminished and how the wealthy were respected, it was still impossible to meet royalty at will.

Meeting the lord of one’s own territory or the head of a trading firm was one thing, but this was something else entirely.

“Let’s hope no accidents happen. After all, it’s just insurance money; if nothing happens, that’s the end of it.”

“Are you suggesting that someday Marquis Ludendorff will come through and pay it back?”

“I heard the Gagern mine is legitimate. If nothing goes wrong in the meantime, the Marquis will eventually fill it in.”

“By then, he’ll probably find another use for the money.”

“If this escalates and reaches Lady Augusta’s ears, the Marquis will know that no amount of excuses will make it go away.”

Hopeful voices passed back and forth.

“We at least need to voice our concerns. If we stay silent, the Marquis will think it’s money he can just spend without consequences.”

“By the way, I heard that the eldest son, Hermann, has been serving closely with Archduke Victoria recently.”

“There were also rumors that he became quite friendly with Duchess Klausener. Hermann is quite handsome, after all.”

A lighthearted comment lightened the atmosphere a bit.

“Let’s try speaking through him. Honestly, I don’t think Hermann can solve this problem, but he could deliver the message to Archduke Victoria.”

Everyone agreed.

.*. *. *. *. *. *

By the time the note was delivered to the shipowner alliance members, Hermann received a similar message.

Inside an envelope with only the recipient’s name written on it, the note contained two sentences scrawled in messy handwriting: ‘Wages paid. Next week’s wages also prepared.’

Hermann tore the note and threw it into the fireplace, thinking,

‘Sir Fuchs is cautious, after all.’

Fuchs was one of the oldest knight families in the Ludendorff region.

Of course, today the role of a ‘knight’ no longer exists.

However, Fuchs’ family was the most prominent among the retainers left in Ludendorff, and their presence was considerable.

For him to contact Hermann in secret was not a trivial matter.

He served as the central figure in Ludendorff’s court, personally assisting Horst. He had even gone with him to the Gagern mine.

That he had turned his back now meant that most of the retainers were likely to follow suit.

‘No matter how much Aunt supports Horst, with this many misfortunes piling up, there’s no way her feelings won’t change.’

After all, Hermann was the eldest son.

Though some might consider Horst, a pure-blooded Rommel noble, better than Hermann, who had some Arren blood, that mindset had been fading when Hermann was born.

The most important thing was the prosperity of the family. The wealth and glory of the retainers depended on it.

‘If left as is, things will eventually fall into place as the Duchess wishes. There will be an accident sooner or later.’

It was clear that Marquis Ludendorff had no understanding of how frequent accidents and significant losses in the shipowner alliance had led to the establishment of the mutual insurance system.

However, speeding up the process might not be a bad idea.

If he just waited for the Duchess’s instructions, wouldn’t he look like a fool?

As Hermann stirred the ashes in the fireplace, he took out a new bundle of letter paper.

Knock, knock.

There was a knock on the door.

“What is it?”

The young servant stuck his head in.

“There’s a guest at the Birchwood Annex. The Archduke has asked that, if Elder Young Master have time, to come for tea.”

“I see. And Aunt?”

“She’s having a chat at the Birchwood Annex. Madam and Younger Madam are there as well.”

“Got it.”

Hermann stood up willingly.

At the Birchwood Annex, the highest-ranking ladies of Marquis Ludendorff’s estate were gathered.

Before the young blond gentleman who had practiced etiquette in preparation for the gathering could remember his manners, he found himself staring intently at the pregnant belly of the younger Madam Ludendorff, eyes wide open.

The younger Madam Ludendorff, Cornelia, Horst’s wife, was eight months pregnant.

“Elliott, you shouldn’t stare at people like that.”

“But… but!”

Elliott stamped his feet.

Want to read more? Up to [24] advanced chapters are available on Patreon: