Who’s your dad?

Chapter 7 

“What?”

Like a deflating balloon, a perplexed laugh escaped Karl’s lips. Responsibility?

“When I consider everything you’ve just said, it seems like that’s the only advice I can offer.”

“Responsibility?”

For the first time, Karl shifted his posture completely towards Clovis. There was a hint of displeasure on his face.

“I simply… because a woman with suspicious circumstances appears with a child calling you dad.”

“Isn’t that a bit of a stretch? Why is your speech so erratic?”

Wasn’t he asking a question with a predetermined answer? If there was such a woman in question, and she appeared with a child calling him dad?

Even though it was always difficult to read his superior’s thoughts, today it seemed particularly challenging. Just as he was about to respond, Karl interrupted Clovis’s words.

“And above all…”

“Above all?”

“That woman is publicly known to have a lover.”

“Yes? You mean, a woman with a known lover and such… events…?”

A brief expression of astonishment flashed in Clovis’s eyes, who usually regarded his superior with reverence.

Has he ever seen this bold Duke like this? He thought the Duke was as cold as stone towards women, but now… dealing with a woman with a lover? Such thoughts flickered across his face and disappeared.

Though brief, Karl didn’t miss the momentary change in Clovis’s expression.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“What do you mean?”

“Your usual reverent gaze towards me seems distant.”

“That can’t be. Your Grace, you’ve always been an object of reverence to me.”

“You’re still a terrible liar.”

What seemed like a serious conversation turned into light banter. Even the knights who had been tense at Karl’s serious expression relaxed a little now.

Perhaps there was a big problem at hand, but seeing them bantering like this made it seem like something they didn’t need to worry about too much.

“So, who is it?”

Since the moment the word ‘woman’ came out of Karl’s mouth, Clovis had been eager to ask this question. Lowering his voice to a level that wouldn’t be heard by the knights standing apart, Clovis asked the most crucial question.

So, who is this extraordinary woman who has captured the iron-hearted Duke? Clovis’s eyes blazed with curiosity.

There was a reason why Clovis was asking with such intensity.

Karl was a man who seemed to have little interest in women. He hadn’t even taken a common lover, let alone allowed any scandals, unlike other noble gentlemen of similar age.

Perfect looks, noble lineage, and lofty reputation and status.

This perfect Duke lacked nothing, or rather, had so much that he overflowed with it. Clovis simply couldn’t understand why this perfect Duke, who had everything, would be unable to look at a woman.

Not only Clovis, but many members of the imperial court, including those who serve Duke Albrecht, began to create strange rumors about Karl.

They questioned if there was something wrong with him, a man in the prime of his life who showed no interest in women.

Even Duke Toskur, often mentioned as Karl’s rival, was no different. Both men were of similar age and rank in the imperial hierarchy, often compared in various aspects. They were so similar that it was impossible to determine who was superior, except in one aspect— their attitudes towards romantic relationships.

One was a man who showed no interest in women whatsoever, while the other was like an open revolving door, welcoming women without any barriers.

The latter wasn’t very nice either, but if you had to choose, it was better than the former.

It was better to have a lot of offspring than to have the imperial family line broken. Even if they were half-brothers.

“What? You’re not going to tell me?”

Silence. Karl’s lips firmly sealed shut again. It was quite serious, indicating that this wasn’t just a joke. Clovis, who had been half expecting playful banter, also found his mouth unconsciously tightening.

Karl and women. The most mismatched pair of words imaginable.

This wasn’t a laughing matter. As Karl’s aide, Clovis couldn’t simply overlook this. The original purpose, such as investigating the murder of Marquis Schwaben, had long been forgotten.

***

I offer him an apple, and he falls silent as if he’s been crying for home. I’ve heard it said before that she won’t eat milk or baby food if she eats this sweet fruit first, but I can’t help it.

“Why do you let anyone in so easily?”

Hannah’s displeased voice echoed loudly.

“Sorry, sweetheart.”

In pretended, half-hearted sincerity, I focused my attention on Valerie.

“It’s fortunate that I returned just in time. Oh, I made a mistake; you almost ended up being wrongly accused and dragged off to jail.”

“Surely not on purpose?”

“Of course not, Duke Albrecht himself told me so, that he suspects you of the murder of Marquis Schwaben”

“But…”

Hannah’s discontented footsteps approached, and with a thump, she loudly snatched the apple from Valerie’s hand.

Valerie, having her snack stolen, began to pout, her lips trembling as if she were about to burst into tears, but she soon burst into laughter at the sight of the milk bottle being snatched back.

“I’m glad he’s gone quietly now, but he’ll be back tomorrow, I’m sure.”

“Most likely…?”

The man’s identity was indeed the protagonist of the novel, Duke Albrecht. Hannah had just returned after running errands, and when she saw the man, she knelt down and called him “Your Grace,” how surprised she must have been.

Hannah was a member of the Countess de Louisette’s family and one of Celeste’s closest confidants.

An aide-de-camp, lawyer, and ace in the hole, she had followed me down here to Urentum when I tried to sneak out of the capital on the pretext of recuperating from my possession.

There was nothing I could do to stop her as she packed up her tools of self-defense, arguing that it made no sense to send the heir to the earldom alone.

In truth, it was her company that got us here safely. Hannah was so strong that most men couldn’t even square their shoulders in front of her.

Moreover, Hannah was the eldest daughter of a respectable artist, raised as the protector of her nine-year-old brother.

In other words, she was highly knowledgeable in law and common sense, had excellent martial arts skills to directly guard the Viscount, and even knew how to take care of a child. She was not only the most needed person to me right now, but also the best ally I could have asked for.

Thanks to her, I was able to adapt and survive in this world depicted in the book.

Besides, without Hannah, I wouldn’t have been able to spend a single day with Valerie. Imagine my relief when Hannah returned five days ago after being gone for two weeks to attend the Count’s capital…….

〈Waaah!〉

〈Oh, miss. No, my lady…〉

〈Hannah! The baby keeps crying, what should I do?〉

Thinking back to that chaotic day made me dizzy.

Anyway, Hannah, who had taken it upon herself, had stopped commuting at regular hours since that day, practically staying here with Valerie and me, taking care of us.

“By the way, what’s the matter, really? What happened to that duke?”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

When I read the novel, I thought Celeste was the real culprit because she was described as being executed for the murder of Marquis Schwaben.

But now, Celeste is gone, and I haven’t harmed anyone. Still, if the Marquis is dead, doesn’t it mean there’s another ‘real’ culprit?

“Don’t worry too much. Even if His Grace decides to mobilize the investigators and return tomorrow, I, as the Viscountess lawyer, will ensure that he doesn’t take our Viscountess away arbitrarily. Just like today.”

I nodded. Valerie, who had shouted “Papa!” while clinging to Karl, acted so familiarly as if he could really be her father, and Karl looked at me with a bewildered expression, about to say something.

But thanks to Hannah entering the room at that moment, I didn’t hear what he wanted to say.

“Detective Alfonso’s still off the hook today, isn’t he?”

“Yes. I opened the door for the Duke because I thought he was the detective.”

“He said he’d find it quickly and even added extra money for it.”

“That’s right.”

“When I went to the office today, it was empty. Could it be that they took the money and ran? You should never pay upfront to people like that. You always have to pay half upfront and half afterward so they don’t run away.”

Crackle. The veins in Hannah’s tightly clenched fist bulged. It was a fearsome fist to behold. Somehow, the detective felt sorry for him.

“His Grace will probably come back tomorrow with the warrant he forgot to bring. Of course, he won’t come alone, and today was just a preliminary visit, but next time, he’ll come with the Imperial Investigative Division. If there’s a warrant with the Emperor’s seal on it, you have to go with the Investigative Division without question.”