Chapter 44
“Y-Yes. A little hot water splashed onto the arm, but I treated it immediately. I acted quickly, so it shouldn’t leave a scar.”
“The baby was only a little startled and calmed down right away. Right now, the baby is just asleep.”
“Even if a scar remains, the baby is still very young, so it might fade as they grow…”
“Cornelia.”
Just as everyone hurriedly tried to defend themselves, a lowered tone cut through the room.
Cornelia, who had been backing away, stopped abruptly.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Everyone in the room looked at Cornelia.
Holding her right arm with her left hand, Cornelia hesitated, taking small steps backward.
“O-brother, it’s just…”
“In a house where a child is growing up, accidents and incidents will always happen. It’s impossible for a child to grow up without ever getting hurt. You should know that by now, after seeing it happen five times.”
“…”
“But you are patient and careful. That’s why I trusted you with the position of acting lord.”
“O-brother.”
“So tell me, Cornelia. Was this really an accident?”
The atmosphere froze instantly.
Even though Mathias didn’t raise his voice or get angry, no one could speak.
Even Eleanor, who was more upset than anyone else over the baby’s injury.
“I… well, the thing is…”
Cornelia, trying to defend herself, faltered.
Mathias’ gaze was cold and heavy.
It was as if he had already decided that Cornelia was the one who had harmed the baby.
When she fell silent, Mathias let out a long sigh.
“I knew you didn’t like those two, but I never expected you to go this far.”
“…”
“The child can’t even walk yet, let alone crawl. They’re not even a year old. Do you realize that?”
Tedian slowly approached the baby’s crib.
Everyone except Cornelia was now around the baby.
Protecting the fragile victim while pressing the supposed perpetrator, Cornelia.
She clutched her trembling right arm tightly.
“This is too much…”
“What?”
Cornelia lifted her head.
“You’re all being way too harsh. Especially o-brother, you’re the worst!”
With that, she slammed the door and stormed out.
Mathias, who had kept a blank expression, gritted his teeth.
“Rude… to think she dares to…”
“I’ll follow her,” said a senior maid, worried about trouble.
Mathias didn’t even turn his head as he spoke.
“Tedian.”
“Uh… y-yes?”
“How much hot water did Cornelia spill on the baby? Did you call both of you over on purpose? Was it to hurt the baby?”
Mathias’ aura was deadly serious.
Even Tedian, who had been snapping at his elder brother recently, was scared for the first time in a while.
Tedian looked at Mathias and spoke in a tiny voice.
“I didn’t spill it on purpose…”
“You said it yourself. Cornelia spilled hot tea on the baby.”
“But I went to my sister’s room first…”
“Tedian, are you a child? Don’t mumble. Speak clearly, or your brother is about to lose his temper.”
“I just wanted my sister to bond with the baby, so I took the baby to her room.”
“She didn’t like it, huh? She said she didn’t want to see a bastard child.”
“So that’s why you spilled the tea?”
“No, that’s not it… I tried to hand the baby to my sister…”
“And then?”
“I bumped into a maid carrying the teacup tray…”
Hearing the change in his story, Mathias’ eyes widened.
“Earlier you said Cornelia spilled it.”
“But my sister did touch the teacup.”
“Be precise. Who’s at fault? The maid? Or Cornelia?”
“I bumped into the maid carrying the tray… and she dropped it. Cornelia swatted the tray, and that’s how the hot water splashed onto the baby.”
Mathias pressed his thin lips together.
He inhaled and exhaled slowly, trying to calm his anger.
“Tedian, you’re grounded for three days.”
“B-brother!”
“You can’t even go to the training grounds. Go back to your room immediately and think carefully about what you did wrong.”
“B-but the sword tournament is coming soon…”
“Tedian. Don’t make me repeat myself.”
Mathias pointed at the door Cornelia had exited.
He showed no tolerance for defiance.
Tedian shivered, shoulders trembling, and trudged away.
Mathias let out a sigh.
“Sorry.”
He whispered, drying his hands.
“I feel ashamed in front of Eleanor.”
Eleanor felt the same.
She could hardly face Charlotte.
Eleanor looked at the sleeping baby, suppressing a sigh.
Based on the testimonies of those present, the baby’s injury was not intentional.
The incident occurred while Tedian was trying to hand the baby to Cornelia.
During the commotion, Tedian bumped into a maid carrying hot tea.
Cornelia accidentally swatted the tray, and the hot water splashed onto the baby.
It was purely an unfortunate accident.
It was particularly unlucky that the baby was the one affected.
“Ha…”
Late at night, Eleanor couldn’t hide her anxiety while watching the baby.
She had thought nothing serious would happen.
The Grandmother was at the estate, after all.
When she was young, she had wielded a sword and was a just person.
As long as she was present, Eleanor believed that no one could intentionally harm the baby.
Yet accidents didn’t require malice to happen.
And sometimes, the most vulnerable were the youngest.
“Whatever the Grand Duke says, I have to stay by the baby’s side.”
It seemed that bad things kept happening to the baby.
At first, Eleanor had doubted it with Gilbert, but now she was certain.
Misfortune doesn’t have legs to follow a child, so how could this happen?
“I wish I could take the pain instead.”
Then her body would be tired, but her heart would be at ease.
Eleanor frowned, watching over the baby.
Tiny beads of sweat had formed on the baby’s forehead.
Suddenly, as if the baby’s fever rose, a strange light shimmered on the baby’s arm.
A dazzling glow floated like dandelion seeds.
It was incredibly beautiful.
Instinctively, Eleanor felt she had to hide this light from the outside world.
Swish!
She hurriedly drew all the curtains. Then, grabbing a large mat from her bed, she covered the baby’s crib and herself.
And then—
Flash!
A burst of pure white light erupted.
“Ugh.”
Eleanor winced, blinded by the sudden intensity of the light.
She anxiously waited for her vision to return.
A moment later—
“What… just happened?”
Nothing seemed to have changed.
Eleanor looked at the baby in disbelief.
The baby was still sleeping soundly, just like before.
“There was definitely light.”
And it had even exploded. Yet nothing happened.
“Could it be…”
Eleanor cautiously unwrapped the bandage from the baby’s arm.
An hour earlier, when the doctor applied ointment, the baby’s arm had been red and burned.
But now—
“It’s completely white.”
Not a trace of redness remained.
It was as if the accident had never happened at all.
Eleanor sank into her chair, stunned.
The pure white light had healed the injury in an instant.
This was holy power.
The baby, descended from Charlotte’s bloodline, had manifested their power.
Before Eleanor could fully process this—
Knock, knock.
Late at night, a knock sounded at the door.
