Obviously, It's My Child - Chapter 230
A few hours later, Horst visited Hermann’s living room.
The two servants were startled upon seeing him.
“Young Marquis.”
Both of them avoided making eye contact with him, and that alone was enough for Horst to understand their feelings.
‘Even the servants already.’
The two quickly left the room, almost as if running away from Horst.
Horst knocked on the living room door once, but without waiting for a response, he opened it.
“Horst. Is there something you need?”
Hermann, who was standing by the fireplace, asked with surprise.
He must have known that the servants had encountered Horst right outside, but he seemed indifferent to it.
Maybe he thought the situation was already under control.
The smell of apples and alcohol mixed in the air. A small kettle hung on the fireplace.
“Making glühwein yourself?”
“Just felt like it.”
“What kind of feeling is that?”
Hermann gave a wry smile. He didn’t seem to be drunk on mulled wine, but his face had an excited, almost entranced expression.
“It’s nothing. I’ll forget about it in a couple of days.”
Horst knew that face. It was probably the same expression he himself would make ten years ago when alone in a room.
Every time he met his older brother’s fiance.
But Hermann was much calmer now than the boy Horst had been.
Instead of running off to his bedroom or awkwardly looking away, Hermann cheerfully said,
“Sit down. I made plenty, so I can give you a glass too.”
Horst sat down uncomfortably.
Hermann took out a pewter cup and poured the drink. Horst accepted the warm cup, letting his fingers warm up.
“Has a lot of people been coming by lately?”
“You don’t need to beat around the bush, Horst. The situation is what it is, and everyone’s anxious. You came all the way to my room because you know that consulting with Father won’t solve anything anymore.”
Horst sighed deeply.
“Aunt has stopped most of the urgent matters. Did you hear that Count Brüning withdrew the lawsuit?”
“That’s right. Klausener agreed to pay the insurance up front, but I was surprised. I didn’t expect him to back down so easily.”
Hermann stopped, then looked at Horst.
“You’re suspicious of me, aren’t you?”
“Count Brüning is your friend, right?”
“He is. But that doesn’t mean I can deny that he acts like a hungry dog. If it meant getting me to lick his boots, he’d probably sink a ship without hesitation.”
With that, Hermann subtly acknowledged what he had done.
“Does Brother call that a friend?”
“There are plenty of people in the world who can even beg for someone to let them lick their boots.”
Horst looked at Hermann with an odd feeling. He had never once considered licking someone else’s boots.
But Hermann said that without changing his expression at all.
It could not be said that having a bright complexion made one not a Rommel noble. If controlling one’s emotions and hiding one’s expressions was considered noble, then he was far more capable than Horst.
Horst couldn’t help but think.
[Ludendorff’s downfall is my fault. I must apologize to you.]
Augusta spoke frankly. Though what she said wasn’t about Horst himself. It meant that her plans through Ludendorff had failed. The real cause was their father, and ultimately, it was Augusta herself who had failed.
Even so, to Horst, her words felt as if she was saying that Horst, too, was a failure.
[I’m sorry. I misjudged my younger brother and ended up bringing you complex and difficult problems.]
[Aunt…]
[I will take responsibility for Clothilde.]
Augusta said this in a calm voice.
[You don’t need to worry about the issue with the insurance clause he signed. The port construction will be halted, but that won’t fall back onto Ludendorff’s shoulders.]
[Are you planning to sever ties with the family?]
[Sever ties…? Well, I’ll miss seeing your children.]
[Aunt…]
[But I don’t want to waste any more of the Empress’s resources on Ludendorff because of me.]
There was no clearer declaration of severing ties than that.
[From here on, you’ll have to handle things on your own. As the heir, you naturally bear the responsibility for the family’s management, and Hermann will have to reap what he had sown.]
With that, Augusta left.
It was regrettable, but Horst couldn’t say it was an unreasonable action. No one would continually pour resources into such a foolish situation.
Still, the word ‘failure’ echoed in Horst’s mind.
The greatest thing Augusta did for Marquisate Ludendorff was make Horst the heir. Therefore, her failure meant Horst was a failure.
He had been thinking this way for some time, maybe even before that.
What he had was never truly his. His wife had originally been Hermann’s fiance.
As he was the failure, wasn’t it time for the rightful owner of the position to emerge?
Horst knew better than anyone that there was nothing between Hermann and Cornelia. Cornelia was his wife. Though they had their disagreements in their youth, now they were close and affectionate.
[I don’t see it that way. But if Hermann were to make a move on Cornelia, it wouldn’t be for any other reason than to stir your emotions.]
Augusta had said this, and Horst had agreed.
But was Cornelia really like that?
Cornelia had originally liked Hermann.
Horst knew that Hermann didn’t come to her with flowers and a ring and knelt on one knee, but she had blushed and been excited when their engagement had been arranged by adults when they were children.
Because he had been watching Cornelia while she was doing that.
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