Chapter 37
The two went out to a nearby garden.
As soon as Matthias arrived at the garden, he dismissed everyone nearby.
The surroundings grew quiet, with only the peaceful chirping of birds and the gentle trickling sound of water from the fountain.
Finally left alone, Matthias abruptly opened his mouth.
“Why didn’t you deny it?”
“Deny what?”
Eleanor tilted her head as if she knew nothing.
Matthias frowned.
“That talk about being my sister-in-law and nephew. Since the baby’s mother isn’t denying it, Tedian thinks it’s true.”
“Ah, that.”
“Are you getting back at me now? For pretending to be the baby’s father back in the village?”
“Surely you don’t really think I’d do that.”
“This is my house. Tedian is my family, and everyone working here is my people. Don’t you think lying in such a place is going too far?”
He had a nerve to talk, being the one who suddenly showed up and told the lie about being the baby’s father, plunging her peaceful rural life into chaos.
Eleanor retorted coolly.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Hey, baby’s mom.”
“When did I ever tell you, Your Grace, that you were the baby’s father? I don’t remember doing so even once.”
“Then you should have denied what Tedian said.”
“Young Master was so adamant in his belief. There was nothing I could do.”
Of course, initially, she had remained quiet because it was difficult to explain to Tedian why she was confined in the annex. She couldn’t possibly tell a third party, unrelated to the matter, about Charlotte’s story.
But lately, Eleanor had been actively utilizing Tedian’s misunderstanding.
_’If the baby and I are rumored to be his wife and child, it will also restrict the Grand Duke’s actions.’_
Given his position, he couldn’t help but care about his social standing and reputation. If he didn’t want to be accused of cruelly disposing of an illegitimate child, he had no choice but to leave her and the baby alone for now. Of course, he could always stage an accidental death and take them away to somewhere unknown again.
“The doctor said stability is most important for recovery, right? What would happen to the Young Lord’s feelings if I suddenly revealed the truth?”
“So you lied?”
“Otherwise, wouldn’t Your Grace become someone who imprisoned a helpless woman and a young child for no reason? The Young Lord seems to greatly respect you, his eldest brother… How disappointed would he be if he found out the truth?”
“……”
“And I didn’t lie. I just didn’t reveal the truth.”
Matthias let out a groan.
He pressed his fingers firmly between his brows, as if he had a headache.
“Don’t worry. I’ll take all the blame when the time comes.”
“What?”
“When the time comes, I’ll say that Your Grace was merely protecting a poor woman in danger. Of course, that you never did anything like imprisoning us either.”
“……And by ‘the time,’ you mean when we find Miss Charlotte?”
“If Your Grace would speed things up, the day we clear up this misunderstanding would come sooner.”
Eleanor fiddled with an ornamental plant.
The green leaves, untainted by magic, looked fresh, brimming with vitality.
“I also want to meet Charl soon.”
It seemed like the baby kept facing danger when with someone other than its mother.
Remembering Gilbert violently snatching the crying baby, Eleanor shuddered slightly.
_’I don’t know where is safe anymore.’_
When she was locked in the annex, she thought it was dangerous and escaped, only to face a major ordeal right after.
In the carefully chosen rural village, there was a fire.
At Winston Count’s residence, the parents tried to kill the baby.
_’If everywhere is equally dangerous…’_
Then it’s better to stay in a place where they owe me at least a little.
“I saved the Young Lord, you know.”
Matthias raised an eyebrow.
“So?”
“In return, I’d like Your Grace to guarantee my safety.”
“I’ve never threatened the baby’s mother, have I?”
“Last time, the knights pointed their swords at me…”
“That was according to protocol. Knights must prioritize the safety of their master and his family above all else.”
“Besides that, you did lock me up.”
Eleanor placed a hand on her hip.
“I hope such a thing doesn’t happen again. I might misunderstand Your Grace’s intentions.”
Matthias stared intently at Eleanor.
But Eleanor, with Tedian as an ally on her side, wasn’t afraid.
In Eleanor’s view, Matthias’s weakness was none other than his family. Especially his youngest brother. He cherished and cared deeply for Tedian, who was more than ten years his junior.
After a moment, he let out a soft sigh.
“Fine. I will strive to guarantee your safety.”
“I’ll trust you.”
“In that sense, even now, you should tell Tedian it’s a misunderstanding…”
“Young Master was so happy to have a nephew. Are you planning to rob him of the honor of being the uncle who protects his nephew?”
“……”
“As soon as I meet Charl, I’ll return everything to how it was.”
Matthias groaned.
Somehow, he felt like he was being swept along by the baby’s mother.
Unaware that this was a situation which would astonish those who knew the usual Grand Duke, Matthias nodded.
* * *
The young woman and baby who had recently come to stay at the Grand Duke’s main residence were a prime topic of interest among the servants.
“She’s a tutor to teach Tedian.”
Although Matthias introduced her as a tutor, people didn’t believe it. News that Tedian called them his sister-in-law and nephew had already spread throughout the Grand Duke’s residence.
“She must be the Grand Duke’s woman, right?”
“Look at that blonde hair. Have you ever seen anyone with blonde hair like that besides the Hilliards? They say you can’t hide lineage, that’s definitely it.”
“I heard Young Lord Tedian dotes on his only nephew like that.”
Afraid of the strict Grand Duke who drew a clear line between public and private matters, they didn’t dare show it outwardly, but they already regarded Eleanor as the one who bore the Grand Duke’s child.
And the reactions to this were varied.
“Who knows, she might become the Grand Duchess later. We should get on her good side early.”
Some, predicting Eleanor’s rise, tried to curry favor with her in advance.
“If she were someone meant to be the Grand Duchess, she wouldn’t hide her background, right? Besides her name, nothing about her has been revealed, so she must be a commoner, no? Love between a commoner and a noble… we know how that ends.”
Some believed she would be cast aside soon.
“She’s not as stunningly beautiful as I thought? Then perhaps I too…?”
Some even began to harbor ambitions of becoming the second Eleanor.
Anyway, all of them treated Eleanor cautiously.
It was the same when dealing with Eleanor’s child.
Thanks to this, Eleanor was able to enjoy a fairly comfortable life for the first time in a long while.
Amidst this, Tedian, upon hearing that Matthias had introduced Eleanor as his tutor, made a request.
“I want to study with my sister-in-law.”
The tutor title was just the easiest cover for the young woman’s identity. Matthias, who didn’t want to increase contact between Eleanor and Tedian any further, found this request unwelcome.
But.
“Why not? Sister-in-law helped me with my studies before too. I understand best when she explains things to me. Brother, don’t you want me to study? You said I need to study hard to become a great knight! Should I just live as a fool?”
He couldn’t block the sharp accusations fired by his cherished youngest brother, who already felt wronged.
In the end, Eleanor ended up tutoring Tedian twice a week.
“Tedi, stop playing and study.”
With Matthias, the overly protective guardian, appeased by this arrangement.
