Obviously, It’s My Child - Chapter 218

The stern of the sinking ship was sharply protruding above the water. Marquis Ludendorff stared at it, his fists clenched and trembling.

Hermann spoke in a calm voice.

“Two sailors are dead, and twenty-four are injured. There were a few who fell into the water while unloading, but we’ve given them a small compensation and sent them off.”

“While the ship is sinking, all you did was retrieve the sailors and nothing else?!”

“Father, please stop.”

Horst, reaching the limits of his patience, spoke up for Hermann for the first time.

Hermann, forgetting his usual habit of raising the corners of his mouth, looked at his brother. Horst sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

“How could we repair a ship that’s been broken in the water? If it were possible, the sailors would have already done it.”

Thwack!

The gloves that Marquis Ludendorff had thrown hit Horst in the forehead before falling to the ground.

Of course, it wasn’t meant as a challenge to a duel. He had simply thrown what he was holding in anger.

Horst’s face flushed red with frustration.

“To leave me out and make decisions on your own… What a fine thing to do.”

“I failed to act in time. I apologize.”

Hermann said. There had been no way to respond, as Horst said. In truth, Hermann had no authority to do so. He had merely ordered a boat to be sent to rescue the sailors.

The port manager spoke, looking pale.

“Now is the time to think of a solution, Marquis.”

“That’s your responsibility. Isn’t it your job?”

“Well, partly… but…”

The port manager hesitated, unsure of how to continue.

“The biggest problem right now isn’t the ship, Marquis. All the materials stacked at the dock have sunk.”

“What?”

“Anything that fell into the sea is unusable. The crane is broken as well. Additionally, the ship that arrived was carrying construction materials.”

After realizing the meaning behind the manager’s words, the Marquis’s face turned pale.

“The construction of the port has been delayed.”

The construction period had already been extended, and the Empress was likely displeased.

“Ugh, but there’s no way to avoid accidents with such large-scale projects. The timeline will extend a bit, but this should be tolerable. We can just buy new materials.”

“Well, yes, that’s possible if we have the funds. Even retrieving what fell into the sea can be done with enough money.”

Hermann, who had no responsibility in the matter, said matter-of-factly,

“Once we salvage it, even if it can’t be used at the port, we can sell it elsewhere. We should be able to recover some of the funds.”

“Right!”

The Marquis responded with a hopeful voice.

All that was needed was money. If only they had the money.

Hermann smiled slightly.

The next person Marquis Ludendorff had to meet was Archduke Victoria.

It was the third day since the accident occurred.

While escorting her to the sofa in the study, the Marquis did his best to remain patient.

Even though she was royalty and owned her own estate, age still couldn’t change the fact that she was a woman.

So, as a gentleman, it was up to him to explain things properly and calm her down.

“I understand you must be worried. I deeply apologize for causing such concern to the Archduke.”

“You’re in charge of such important national matters, so I’m sure you have many concerns as well. Infrastructure projects rarely go according to plan.”

“Yes. It’s always a mess with these stubborn fools.”

The corners of Archduke Victoria’s lips curled slightly, but she didn’t scold the Marquis outright.

They weren’t close enough for that. Marquis Ludendorff was middle-aged and the head of a noble family.

Even if she was displeased with his actions and the way he handled things, it wasn’t something she could directly reprimand him for.

So, with a thoughtful expression, she looked at the Marquis and said calmly,

“I’ve heard the loss from the ships unable to unload at the port is quite significant.”

“Ah, yes. The navigator was out of his mind, and instead of crashing directly into the dock, he veered off course, leaving half of the dock unusable now.”

“I heard no other ships can enter the port until the sunken one is salvaged.”

“Yes. I’m not a sailor, but it’s clear the sunken ship is blocking other vessels from entering. According to the pilot, the currents have also changed, so it’s a lot more complicated.”

“How long will it take to salvage it?”

“We can’t go in or out at the moment. I’ve requested expert help from Ernst.”

“I see.”

Archduke Victoria nodded.

“I’ve heard more than ten ships have been unable to enter the port by today.”

“Yes.”

“Six of them are fishing boats. The fish from the fishing boat that arrived the day before are probably unusable now, and the ones that arrived today turned toward another port, but chances are, it’ll be unusable there too.”

“That could be the case.”

“Fishing fleets set up storage facilities for drying or salting fish and rotate them for use. Do you know about this?”

Marquis Ludendorff didn’t know much about it, but nodded as if he did.

“Even if they go to another port, the chances of that facility being empty are slim.”

“That’s likely.”

“Do you understand why I’m telling you this, Sir?”

“I fully understand your considerate nature, worrying even about the smaller details like the fishing fleet.”

In the end, Archduke Victoria let out a small laugh.

“That’s not it. I heard you still haven’t paid the insurance for the shipowners’ union that you were in charge of.”

“Ah.”

The Marquis groaned softly.

“Did those lowly people dare to approach the Archduke ?”

“You should be ashamed for making them come to me because they have nowhere else to turn.”

Archduke Victoria finally spoke plainly.

“The sailors on the fishing boats receive payment according to their catch, and when the ships are empty like this, they won’t receive a single penny. Even if the shipowners bear the costs of departure, the insurance should cover this.”

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