Obviously, It's My Child - Chapter 74
Chapter 74
Translator: Effe
Editor: Yonnee
—
“Elder Madam prepared a congratulatory drink, but she sent it through me saying that she was suddenly busy and couldn’t give it herself.”
Congratulatory drink, huh. Could it truly be conveying the essence of celebration?
A bit baffled, Claire laughed. The attendant who brought the wine bowed his head in embarrassment because he knew why Claire reacted that way.
‘Be careful with what I drink…’
She recalled the warning note from John.
‘This? No way? Really? So blatantly?’
It most definitely wouldn’t be poisonous. Seriously, if she were to drink this and die, it would take only three minutes to pinpoint the culprit.
Well, it would take three minutes to interrogate the attendant and obtain his testimony, not three minutes to catch the suspect.
Claire looked down at the glass. As she exchanged responses with Countess Pfaffenheim, her gaze, which had been scattered for a while, suddenly came to her.
‘How can I get away with not drinking this?’
It would be a sight to behold when word were to spread that the daughter-in-law was suspecting that the cup her mother-in-law sent her during her engagement party was laced with poison.
On the contrary, if she would collapse from this drink, the mother-in-law who sent this poison would instantly be denounced.
Nevertheless, Claire didn’t want to put her health at risk.
“Do convey my gratitude to her.”
Claire said and tried to pick up her glass. She was just going to pretend to drink it, and then she’d turn over and spill it while saying, ‘Oh, what a mistake!’
It was then that Erich returned.
As soon as he returned to the party, he strode across the banquet hall and went to Claire’s side instantly with his wide strides.
He had an uncompromising attitude that didn’t bother at all to interrupt the flow of music and dance.
“Where have you been?”
“There was a minor mistake, so I was trying to fix it.”
“What a big deal. You’re admitting to all your mistakes.”
Erich smiled bitterly.
“I know.”
He should have prevented Louisa from attending from the beginning and warned her more severely.
It was Louisa who cursed, cried, and poured out her emotions once, and then forgot what she had planned.
It was a mistake to release her because he thought she had neither the ability to conspire nor the ability to execute it.
“What about Mother?”
Claire asked. Erich answered briefly.
“She said she wasn’t feeling well, so I let her rest.”
“Ah, I see…”
Erich didn’t bother to elaborate, and Claire didn’t bother asking. He only glanced at Countess Pfaffenheim.
However, Countess Pfaffenheim, who had been angry with Claire, was silent and meek in front of Erich.
She didn’t even dare to ask if Louisa was doing alright. Other people had already caught on to what ‘not feeling well’ truly meant.
The attendant hesitated, not knowing what to do. Erich noticed it belatedly and asked.
“What is that?”
“This is a congratulatory drink from the Elder Madam to the Baron.”
“Ah.”
Erich sighed briefly.
“Perhaps it was because it was a pity that the Elder Madam couldn’t come and congratulate you both personally.”
Countess Pfaffenheim spoke quickly. Erich looked at her quietly, then slowly raised his gaze and looked around at the people.
Either way, Claire was stuck in an abysmal position.
If Louisa was rather openly rude and outrageous, there would be something to say even if Claire rejected or refuted it.
However, Louisa couldn’t even come back to the party, and there was a high possibility that there would be gossip in the social world if Claire ignored the congratulatory drink that Louisa had especially sent for her.
Overturning or throwing it away secretly was possible only if the party was going normally. With all the eyes watching and evaluating her like this, she couldn’t possibly do that.
“Ha.”
Erich sighed. Claire smirked.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
He seemed to know what Claire had meant when she said that the world he lived in was different from the world she lived in, as she often said.
For him, even if he refused the cup the Emperor offered him, it wouldn’t be a big problem.
There would be criticism. Criticism was always something anyone could throw at another person, and there might be growing political issues that would follow.
Even so, there wouldn’t be so many eyes that would dare judge him.
Erich sighed lightly.
‘Even if Mother wasn’t allowed to attend, I couldn’t have stopped this.’
It’d be better if he’d just drink it himself.
At best, it would be a sedative. Even Erich knew that Louisa, who was nervous and had severe emotional fluctuations, was being prescribed sedatives.
Since what she was aiming for from the beginning was to catch the scene of an affair, it would not be poisonous enough to cause him to lose consciousness.
Erich didn’t even think that Louisa or Marquis Belf would have the guts to do such a thing.
If there’s anything harmful, he would rather take it himself rather than let Claire be harmed.
He picked up the glass from Claire. And he drank half of it, and set it down on a tray.
A commotion erupted throughout the party. They probably didn’t know what the drink was, but they realized that Erich drank it instead of Claire so as not to embarrass her.
“Tell Mother that it had been well received.”
“Yes.”
The servant lowered his head in relief at Erich’s words. Claire said, putting her hand on his arm.
“You didn’t have to. I was just about to tip it over given the right timing.”
“There is less confusion this way.”
“What if it’s not good for you? There’s a high possibility for that.”
Claire whispered in a voice only he could hear. Erich shook his head saying he was fine.
“It’s what my mother did. It’s only right for me to handle it.”
“You didn’t have to drink it. Is your stomach okay? Sir Johann sent me a note to watch out for any drinks.”
“…It’s just a very strong glass of liquor.”
Feeling slightly displeased at the mention of Johann’s name, Erich replied.
“She must have been trying to get you drunk and put you in an awkward position.”
“Hmm. Mother is underestimating my drinking capability. Even if I get drunk, I’m not the kind of person who…”
Claire stopped talking and closed her mouth. It was because Erich was smiling.
“…Makes mistakes so easily. Or a huge mistake, for that matter.”
“Exactly right.”
“Why are you agreeing?”
Claire rolled her eyes at him. There was a difference between what she admitted and what others said.
Erich may just be trying to tease her.
She said lamentably, picking up a glass of champagne from a passing attendant’s tray.
“I’ve heard someone say that if I drink any more than I could, I would be a beast.”
“Even if you don’t drink, aren’t you already a beast?”
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