Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Translator: Effe

Editor: Yonnee

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Claire carried Elliot. It was only belatedly that a hotel employee hurriedly came carrying a basin of cold water.

“Thank you.”

Erich thanked the employee briefly and put his hand into the basin.

Towels were also handed out to Louisa’s maids. Louisa had enough of the tea to splatter on her dress, so her maids got down on their knees to wipe it off. Still, they couldn’t stop the stain from spreading on her expensive dress.

Louisa was speechless with shock. She didn’t expect that Erich would do that to her.

Even though they didn’t have a close relationship, he always remained courteous to her. She never imagined that he would knock a teacup towards her.

At the same time, she was also afraid that he might have heard what Claire said.

Louisa wasn’t sure how much she was spending.

She originally was bad at meticulously keeping track of the money she spent. She remembered the amount of things she wore, and among them particularly those valuable enough to be proud of.

But when she heard it was tens of millions of gold, it was a large amount. Erich had already drawn the line that he had no intention of giving money to a useless business.

Erich looked at her and spoke in a cold voice.

“I remember telling you not to take any interest in my personal life.”

“B-But I am your mother, am I not? Are you ignoring me like that just because I’m your stepmother? It’s not just some other problem, it’s the marriage of a successor of House Klausener!”

It felt more unfair once she said it, so Louisa raised her voice.

Erich gestured at Claire with his eyes. It was not a conversation a child should hear.

Claire asked the manager to take the dazed Elliot upstairs.

In Erich’s heart, he wanted her to leave this place, but Claire wasn’t someone who could listen to him with just a few glances.

He looked at Louisa instead.

“Even if the heir is involved, it’s all the more irrelevant to you, Mother.”

“What?”

“I am not the kind of irresponsible man who refuses to take responsibility for my child and my woman. If Claire accepts, I intend to marry her right away.”

Even the sound of the moving pen stopped for a moment, and soon there was a fierce crunching sound almost like the paper tearing.

No one could speak. Her face twisted as if to rebel, but before that, Erich removed his hand from the basin and made a light gesture for her to calm down.

Louisa shut her mouth again. It was never publicly revealed, but her status as 

‘Mother’ was only possible with Erich’s permission although she was the Elder Madam of the Klausener Duchy.

Everyone else held their breath. There was no sound of the pen scratching against paper anymore. It was not easy to move the pen in front of the dignity of Duke Klausener.

The waiter hurriedly held out a towel a moment later. Erich wiped his hands with it and held his hand out to Claire.

Claire took his hand and turned it over. It wasn’t burned, seeing that the redness had almost disappeared.

“It’s a relief, but you don’t have to.”

“A member of the family tried to harm you, so of course I should take responsibility. Forgive me.”

A few people gasped at those words. Erich Klausener wasn’t one to apologize so easily.

Claire sighed. There were accusations that he had too many responsibilities, but she didn’t say anything.

“Thank you anyway. Even if I was hit, it would just splash on my clothes anyway, so I thought it wouldn’t pose much of a threat.”

“You have more to say.”

She tried to pull her hand, but Erich turned her hand over and grabbed her hand.

Claire rolled her eyes. It’s time to retreat.

“Can you let go of my hand? And you can’t talk about the child here.”

She lifted her foot a little and took a step towards him, and she whispered inaudibly to anyone.

A lot of people are listening in this place. Today there will definitely be another special tabloid.

Even the newspaper article that had already been published dealt them a blow. She didn’t know if Elliot might be hurt in the crossfire. It’s a relief that he couldn’t read the newspaper yet because it’s still too difficult for him.

She thought she’d put a stop to everything and go back to Delford and think about it until all the rumors had died down.

“Of course. I know that much.”

Erich didn’t mean to say ‘I’m your father’ to the child out of the blue. That would only shock him.

As long as Claire wouldn’t try to distance the child from him, he was determined to do whatever she wished.

Claire tried to pull her hand away again. Then she said with a frustrated face.

“Let go of this. I need to go now. What happened today… gasp.”

Erich pulled her hand and kissed it. A strange sound leaked from Claire’s lips.

“What are you doing?”

Claire tried to remove her hand again, speaking angrily in a low voice. But Erich didn’t even listen, he turned her hand over again and saw the ring on her ring finger.

He removed the ring.

“What are you doing?!”

This time Claire even made a loud noise. Erich asked after turning the ring back and forth once.

“Do you cherish it?”

“It has nothing to do with you, Senior.”

“It’s a ring on the ring finger of your left hand, why does it have nothing to do with me?”

Erich knew that Claire wasn’t keen about jewelry. But instead of throwing it away, in case she might cherish it, he stuffed it into his pocket. Instead he removed the signet ring from his pinky finger that proved he was the master of the Klausener family.

Claire backed away from him, contemplating her escape. She had only a bad feeling about this.

But before she turned around and pulled herself out, Erich grabbed her hand again.

“Come to think of it, I must have left out an important procedure.”

“Wait, Senior, don’t do that—”

“Why? You say there’s nothing to be done? Didn’t you think there was anything I couldn’t do?”

“Are you joking now?!”

Claire cried. Erich knelt on one knee in front of her.

“I don’t have a ring prepared. So bear with this.”

“Your signet ring is even worse!”

Claire pulled her hand out with all her might, but she couldn’t overcome Erich’s grip.

“Rejection is up to you, but courtship is up to me. Will you marry me?”

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