Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Translator: Effe

Editor: Yonnee

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“Then would it be okay to hide a friend?”

“Hmm… You can’t hide bad things.”

“But you’re playing hide and seek?”

Then Elliot smiled bashfully.

“Is Uncle my friend?”

“We can be friends.”

“Adults don’t make friends with kids.”

Elliot said, and held out his fist.

“But you lied to Auntie for me, so I’ll trust you this once.”

Erich pondered for a moment as he looked at the small fist, thinking ‘What should I do?’ Then he realized what he was trying to do.

Erich swears that he had never done anything like that in his entire life. His father was not the kind of person who put a kind face to a child just because he was a child. Especially when Erich was younger.

Expanding the range to cousins and second cousins, the number of men his age increased considerably, but they were all Rommel nobles. This kind of contact was out of the question.

But he didn’t want to disappoint the child. The child, who said adults don’t make friends with children, eventually reached out to him, an adult. So what’s the point of watching his graceness here?

He bent over and tapped his fist on the child’s little fist. His heart skipped a beat at the soft touch.

Elliot laughed again, and he quickly hid among the flower beds. Claire, who went all the way inside, came back.

“You’re still here?”

“Hmm.”

Claire stared up at Erich.

He went all the way to the toy store? How could she clear up this misunderstanding? And how else could she solve the world’s biggest misunderstanding?

But it wasn’t a bad feeling. He was not the kind of garbage to run away from or deny after hearing about the child, nor was he the kind who would throw money and papers and finish everything off to save face. But he did something unbefitting by saying he would take responsibility. 

That child was not his child.

Claire let out a small sigh and decided to put an end to this hide-and-seek game.

Elliott’s round head had been visible to her since earlier. The shop was decorated for children to play, but most of the facilities where children could hide were kept at chest level so that adults would not miss them.

“I found you, Elliot!”

“Ack!”

Claire screamed, and Elliott jumped back in panic, falling on his backside.

Erich reflexively took a step towards him. But before he could do anything, Elliot got up and Elliot jumped up.

“Hey, I should have run away.”

Erich felt apologetic for nothing seeing Elliot slightly staring at him.

But Elliot did not do anything out of resentment. Claire looked back and forth between the two and smiled dumbfounded.

“What? What were you talking about while I was gone?”

“I can’t betray my friend.”

Elliot burst into laughter hearing Erich’s blunt remarks.

“Good. I decided to trust Uncle.”

“…….”

“Auntie, Uncle can join this time too!”

“Are you going to play hide-and-seek and not buy toys?”

“Ah. No!”

Surprised, Elliot clung to her skirt. Claire took out her purse and shook it.

“Go with Martha and pick out just two things you want the most. Within 30 gold.”

“Thirty gold is too…”

Too cheap, Erich was going to say until Claire stopped him with a gesture. Elliot’s eyes twinkled.

“Really? Two?”

“You have to add it yourself and calculate it properly. You can do it right?”

“Yes!”

Elliot got excited and ran.

Martha, who had hovered near Elliot in her sights, followed him.

Claire sighed. Then, she lifted her chin a little and looked up at Erich.

“Thank you for humoring Elliot. He really likes it when adult men treat him seriously.”

“Of course.”

“If you try to repeat what we talked about last time in a public place like this, I will seriously give you an uppercut on your jaw with my bag and be dragged off as a traitor of the Empire.”

“…….”

Erich shut his mouth as Claire wished.

“They’re giving tea to the adults over there. Would you like some?”

“Yes, please.”

Erich nodded his head.

Claire led the way. Erich followed her slowly, then he sped up his pace a little and went to her side. Claire said nothing.

“What are you doing here? Please answer anything other than you’re here to buy Elliot presents.”

“…Then there is nothing I can say. Especially if we can’t continue what we were talking about last time.”

“Haa…”

Claire let out a long sigh. Erich was about to say something, but before that, Claire spoke first.

“I don’t want to fight today, please. So can we just forget it? If we fight here, there’ll just be more rumors again. But I still have to take Elliot to church, have dinner, and then go back to the hotel and work.”

“You have a long schedule.”

“You must be busy, too, Senior. What did you come here for?”

“It’s something you banned.”

“Ah, yes. It wasn’t a question.”

Claire shook her head.

In one corner of the store, tea was served in tall glasses. There were no tables or chairs, but the tired adults were each holding a cup of tea and taking a break.

Their eyes were drawn to Erich. It was not unusual for rich or noble customers to come to this toy store because it was so large and easy for children to play, but it was rare to see a man like Erich.

Erich didn’t care at all and headed towards the window. He didn’t say anything, but the intimidated people vacated the spot.

Claire narrowed her eyes.

“Why?”

“No, I want to be comfortable with Senior. In many ways. Even though I already knew.”

“Is that so?”

“Ah, that doesn’t mean that I am comfortable with Senior yourself.”

“You always have to speak more useless words.”

Erich frowned at him. Claire laughed.

“Because the truth is important.”

“You never said it wrong.”

“Really? Is your life staggering from wrong words you can’t handle?”

Erich lifted the teacup to his mouth without replying, only frowning his eyebrows. The tea was so sweet that it would rot his tongue, and it smelled bad. It had no good points except that it was hot. But strangely enough, it energized him.

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