Chapter 3

Claire wiped Elisha’s teary cheeks with her palm. And asked in a whisper.

“What about your boyfriend?”

I asked so because I had a guess.

I heard about the dorm party from Elisha, but Claire believed it only half.

She said she had a party in the girls dormitory, but it was her boyfriend, not her friends, who she wanted to spend more time with.

She knew right away that Elisha had a boyfriend of the same age. She hid the identity of her boyfriend a secret, but she didn’t keep it a secret that he existed.

If she had been in another house, she would have been scolding her and her daughter, but Claire didn’t.

Elisha is almost twenty years old.Even if she had a boyfriend, she wasn’t at an odd age. It would be useless to ban her, and it would more likely deviate while trying to hide it.

Instead, Claire made her promise only two things.

Take care of her own body and be sure to talk and ask for help if anything happens.

I wanted to know the identity of the other person, but Elisha kept her mouth shut even though I was a reliable person.

[He’s a person of high status]]

They promised something between themselves, so she said that when it becomes somewhat realistic, then she will tell her.

She didn’t take the 20-year-old’s promise seriously. But Claire said she believed that Elisha wouldn’t do anything wrong.

Yesterday was her coming-of-age party, and Elisha did her best to dress up to look pretty.

Her boyfriend would have been with her.

But at Claire’s question, Elisha’s face was all wet with tears. Thinking of him, her body convulsed in convulsions.

“Oh, no, no, no, no, I can’t.”

Claire hugged Elisha tightly and said.

“I’m not trying to question you….… If you’ve witnessed a serious problem, wouldn’t your boyfriend help you, too? He has a good family.”

“Oh, no.”

“If it’s because of dating without his parents permission, I’ll convince them well.”

“He’s, he’s, he’s, he’s, he’s dead……! (screaming)

Elisha held Claire’s arm and cried as she collapsed before blacking out.

click.

The door opened. The butler, who had been pacing anxiously at the sound of weeping from inside, turned around quickly.

“Master, is she okay?”

“She’s asleep .”

“I think something surprising happened yesterday.”

Claire said effortlessly and calmly.

“I want to wash my face, so bring me some hot water.”

“I’ll have the maid do it. I also have prepared for your bath.”

Claire shook her head.

“I’m done with the bath. I changed my mind. Just get me some clothes to change. And pack.”

“Your luggage?”

“Yes, let’s go back to Delford as soon as we’re ready.”

“Right now, you mean?”

“Yeah, don’t ask me anything else.”

The butler kept his mouth shut and nodded.

Claire went back into the room. She cut Elisha’s dress and cape into pieces with scissors.

“Shit.”

My hands hurt after trying to cut dozens of times.

Claire wrapped the cut pieces of clothing in the pelerine she had worn. Then she realized.

The cape that Elisha was wearing was also made up of a luxurious cloth. As much as the Duke of Klausner’s that she wore.

‘Now I’m sure your boyfriend really had a high status.’

She believed what Elisha said. Last night Elisha saw something terrible, and her boyfriend must have died on the spot.

“Damn it, a pre-modern society.”

In this age too, a man’s life is not less than a fly’s.

A nobleman can handle this situation better, but a rural baron with no strings attached to the powerful people could not stay relieved.

On the way back, who knows if they kill everyone in the party and throw them into a swamp. It was a story that had nothing to do with the peace, the law, and the real heavenly nobility.

‘What did you actually see?’

She wiped Elisha’s bloodless face with a warm wet towel and carefully wiped the dry spots between her nails.

In the meantime, the butler knocked on the door to see if the preparation was finished. Claire stood up and opened the door for him. Martha, Elisa’s nanny, was with him.

“Oh, my God, Miss Elisha…….”

Martha covered her mouth with her hands when she saw Elisha’s bruised face and limbs.

“Martha, as you see, there’s a story that I can’t tell anyone.”

“Yes, yes!”

“Martha take care of everything possible until the wound is healed. This is the only thing that should be known. Got it?”

“Yes,there will never be any harm to her honor.”

She knew what Martha had misunderstood, but Claire deliberately didn’t let her know.

On the way, I’ll spill a little words to the maids, too. It may be a blemish on Elisha’s image , but if she really saw something dangerous, it was better to be considered that they had hurried out of the capital because of such a matter.

Simple travel arrangements were finished. Claire picked up a bag of clothes herself. When she will reach the capital and stop by the inn, she was going to burn the pieces of clothes little by little.

The old butler carried Elisha wrapped in a blanket and laid her down on the wagon. Claire followed him into the carriage.

The dress that doesn’t fit her length got stuck in her foot. It was only then that she realized that she had not yet changed what she had worn in Erich’s mansion.

A moment of miscellaneous thoughts intervened. But she shook her head off the idea.

It was not time to think about the mistakes that had already been made, the past.

Erich Klausener thought that time did not pass that day.

‘Is it right to just hold on to her?’

As usual, he sat down at the tea table with the morning newspaper brought by the butler, but the letters seldomly caught his eyes.

There’s nothing good about Claire’s long stay in his own mansion. He was a person who led a regular life and was always exposed to people’s gaze.

At the end of the day arguing it couldn’t help but be known when seen. It didn’t hurt Erich himself. But it will be an unaffordable scandal for Claire.

‘What am I worried about?’

Claire would handle her job 20 times muchsmartly than an average person.

He still didn’t understand what she was so angry about. Of course, it was out of order. A decent man should never kiss a single lady before proposing.

But didn’t Claire like it, too? Was she really drunk and crazy last night?

Well, Claire originally hated him. Erich didn’t quite understand what she was upset about with him.

It was Claire’s bad habit to be angry, and to be rude and call him duke whenever she was angry, with blazing eyes

Whenever that happened, Erich couldn’t take his eyes off her.

He put down the newspaper and covered his eyes with his hands.

It was then. he could feel the door opening.

“Pabel, do you have any news?”

“What news are you waiting for, Erich?”

“……Mother.”

It was Louisa, the mother of the Duke of Klausener, who came in.

Although she was his stepmother, Erich didn’t particularly like or dislike her. When his father remarried, he was seven years old, but he already had a good understanding of his lineage, rights, and duties.

Therefore, he did not try to find his mother’s affection in Louisa, and did not refuse it. Because he knew that someone had to fill the position of the Duchess.

Louisa was kind to him. Erich also treated her with such respect. It is necessary to give back what he received.

But now it feels cumbersome. Even so, he couldn’t scold his servant for letting his mother in.

Erich sighed quietly to himself, out of earshot, and rose from his seat.

“What can I do for you?”

“What do you mean? I’m at home, so I was curious because you didn’t come out to thedining room. Of course I thought you would have gone out early in the morning.”

An inquisitive glance swept Erich’s face. Erich calmly passed through the gaze.

“I’ve had some work.”

“But you were not doing it in the study as always…… Were you doing it in your bedroom?

“It’s a private matter, mother.”

“No, of course, this mother understands. You’re a grown man too, so there must be some privacy that you can’t tell your mother. … …I heard that Pabel bought the dress that was displayed in Edelweiss, did you order it?”

“Didn’t I tell you it was a private matter?”

Louisa flinched. However, it was too important for her to not ask and move on.

“So,do you have a lover? Are you thinking about marriage?”

Erich put the teacup down on the table. Louisa was being stingy, and without realizing it, she withdrew her body and bowed her head.

“It’s private. I’ll let you know when something is decided.”

Marriage is a family union, and it is the parents job to decide who they are with. But Erich said that calmly and got up from his seat.

Talking like this, I thought I should settle with Claire. Now that it’s been nearly half a day, she must have cooled down.

Then she will understand how obvious his proposal is. It’s because she’s a smart girl.

It was then.

“Your majesty!”

Cried the secretary, opening the door without permission.

“What’s going on?”

Asked Erich, glaring at the secretary with blue eyes. The secretary took a breath and said quickly.

“The Crown Prince is dead.”

“What?”

“A while ago, a body was found in the forest of Modral. I think it was an assassination. The two servants were found dead together, and the escort driver is missing, but we’re looking for him.”

Erich took a deep breath.

“I’m going to enter the palace.”

“Yes.”

The secretary ran out to get ready. Louisa took Erich by the arm.

“Wait, will you be all right?”

“Let’s talk later.”

Erich swept away her hand and hurried outside.

RAWS : Misa04