Obviously, It’s My Child - Chapter 225

Elliott raised both hands high.

“Uncle Will once caught a giant fish with wings this big with his bare hands!”

“I see.”

“The fish flaps its wings like this, but it can’t fly, it just swims! And! He said there are fish that really fly!”

He enthusiastically explained to Joanna, as if he had seen it himself.

Clare watched the scene with a slight smile.

Elliott had become so fascinated by Will that, within a day, he memorized everything he had been told and kept repeating it to everyone he knew.

He had already told Clare twice, Erich once, and even Martha had heard it.

His brief fascination with being a gentleman had shifted back to playing pirate, but now the pirate spent every day fishing.

Archduke Victoria, watching Elliott with an amused expression, chuckled.

“It seems like that new guest really made an impression on him.”

“Well, he’s always loved stories of ships and pirates, even though he’s never seen one in person. This time, it really sparked his imagination.”

“Right, I remember how excited he was when we came here. He was sure there’d be pirate ships in the port.”

“Exactly. But he didn’t even get to see the port.”

“Well, there wasn’t much to see anyway. Even before this accident, it was all just construction.”

“That’s true.”

Archduke Victoria smiled.

“If we were to stay longer, I was thinking of taking him out myself.”

“Have you ever visited the shipowners’ association club?”

“Yes, I have. I didn’t exactly intend to go, but it turned out that way. The port was in such disarray.”

She sighed.

“To be honest, I was a bit disappointed in Augusta after all this.”

“Lady Augusta couldn’t do anything about it. She’s just the daughter, and it’s the Marquis who leads the family.”

“I know. Her younger brother is no good at managing the family. What could she have done?”

Archduke Victoria sighed deeply. There was nothing more she could say about it.

She had long ago decided not to get involved in power struggles.

Her position was different from Augusta’s, who had influenced the decision of the heir to the family.

However, when it came to responsibility, she couldn’t escape.

She was the eldest daughter of the late Emperor and still the first in line to the throne. Without the Emperor, she held the most influence over succession.

Clare spoke softly,

“Your Grace’s position is completely different. You’re concerned about making the Empire more unstable.”

“I’m not trying to make excuses, but what could I do when the only remaining child is Linus?”

Even as she said this, Archduke Victoria sighed heavily.

Even Grand Prince Arren had refrained from acting due to concerns about civil war, and she couldn’t do anything either.

She could not push Linus aside with mere words.

It was impossible to claim the throne for herself or Manfred under the succession laws, and supporting Erich, the head of the Klausener family, was out of the question.

Five years later, what Archduke Victoria hoped for most was that Linus would grow into a confident, responsible adult who would fulfill his role.

As long as the Emperor and the cabinet were functioning properly, the rest was just temporary power struggles. Though the Empress was greedy for the throne, she still understood what governance meant.

Archduke Victoria, much like her evaluation of Erich in the past, viewed the Empress in a similar light. This was what made the current situation even more disappointing. If the Empress and Augusta had any foresight, they shouldn’t have entrusted such a large-scale national project to Marquis Ludendorff just because of their family ties.

“It’s a relief it happened before things went completely wrong. By the way, have you seen the newspaper?”

“Any new developments?”

“They say Count Brüning has filed a lawsuit with Ernst’s Supreme Court.”

Clare handed her the newspaper.

Archduke Victoria put on her glasses and skimmed through them.

“This is truly shameful.”

It wasn’t just about failing to pay the money back. The fact that it had led to a lawsuit was an unbearable disgrace.

“Mom! My honey!”

After enough noise, Elliott ran over and grabbed Clare’s skirt.

Expecting this, Clare wrapped a towel around Elliott’s neck and handed him the lukewarm lemon honey tea she had prepared in advance. Elliott accepted it with both hands, gulped it down, and spilled it.

“Oh.”

This, too, was expected. After he finished drinking, she wiped his mouth with the towel and said,

“We’ll need to wash your chin and hands. It’s going to get sticky.”

“Mom too?”

“I’ll talk more with Aunt Victoria.”

“I’m going to get my boat. Mom, will you wait here?”

“Your boat’s already in the trunk.”

“No!”

Elliott stomped his feet.

“I promised to show it to Uncle Will!”

“You won’t meet him today.”

“Aren’t we going to Uncle Will?”

“We are, but we won’t get there today.”

“Hhng!”

Elliott made a whining sound, but there was no direct train to Bismark port.

Archduke Victoria asked,

“But if you’re leaving this late, when do you expect to arrive?”

“If we take the afternoon train, we should arrive at the stop just in time for dinner. Erich also has to finish some work before we leave, so it might take a little longer.”

“I see.”

Clare patted Elliott’s backside and sent him off to wash.

Finally, free from Elliott’s repeated stories, Joanna sat at the tea table and joined the conversation.

“I think Count Brüning is brave for filing a lawsuit, even with Lady Augusta involved.”

“Augusta couldn’t directly interfere in matters like this. The family head is still in charge, so it wouldn’t be right for the elder sister to handle the cleanup?”

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