Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Translator: Effe

Editor: Yonnee

Are you on a first name basis with your employer?

That is between me and Claire.

Grey replied with an expressionless face.

And the trouble you are creating is a real threat.

Thats a personal matter between me and Claire.

Your Grace issued a press release to the newspaper. How is that a personal matter?

Erichs expression hardened. Grey said calmly.

Between yesterday and today, I visited six newspapers to check. You said not to put Elliot at the center of the topic and to write an article without criticizing Claire.

I wasnt asking for coverage, I was asking not to go overboard and hurt the child.

If you could have made them follow the release so thoroughly, you could have asked them not to write the whole thing instead.

It was true, so Erich glared at Grey.

What youre saying nowis that as Claires lawyer and a warning to me?

No. I am saying this as a vassal of Baron Delford, and as the person who would soon be Elliotts guardian, I am concerned about all these matters. But for now I am just stating the truth.

Grey continued.

I know what a great nobleman Your Grace is, but he who tries to get a ladys consent to marry by attacking her weakness is no gentleman.

Greys tone and demeanor, when he said so, were perfectly elegant, poised, and gentlemanly, inconceivable of his background.

Erich couldnt keep his composure. Because each one of Greys words took a stab at him.

He said in a growl,

Yes. Its enough to save face and act like a gentleman once.

So youre doing this as if youre hunting some prey?

Why do you care, Sherwood? This is between me and Claire. If Claire wants to sue, then so be it. Its not a matter for you to meddle.

It is also my problem. For it is impossible to ask a lady to marry and not take care of the crisis.

What?

I am different from Your Grace.

Erich almost grabbed him by the collar at that moment.

Instead he stuck his hand in his pocket. It contained a sapphire ring. He was just about to give it back.

He realized now who the owner of this ring was. He deliberately ignored the fact that Claire was wearing it on her ring finger.

He was thinking of returning this in a nice box, but that would be nothing but awkward. It was a good thing that he banished the thought. It was unacceptable to return someone elses ring in a finely wrapped box.

He took out the ring and dropped it on the floor. Greys complexion changed.

* * *

Damn messed up party

At that time, Claire was lying on the sofa, rolling the signet ring she had been wearing on her index finger in her hand. On the table next to it, newspapers were piled up to form a tower.

That afternoon all the newspapers in Rothenburg ran a special issue. And it has been so until today, two days later.

Newspapers sold like fire. One of the most popular headlines was this one.

Duke Klausener, Why cant you say this man is my man?

The other headline had this:

Modern Cinderella!

The nerve to mention the word modern when people in this era still didnt even have the right to vote yet.

It was a world in which noble marriages remain within the worldly principle of the law of marrying each others family.

Cinderella was Cinderella. In a way, if a daughter of a Baron was marrying the household head of a traditional ruling family, though it wasnt a modern version, shed be considered a real Cinderella.

Claire worked her brains out. No one thought she would reject Erichs marriage proposal.

How dare she refuse the marriage proposal of Duke Klausener? He was not an old man, he wasnt on his second marriage or third marriage, and he wasnt a man who already had four strong sons. He was a young, beautiful, unmarried bachelor.

It wasnt what Claire wanted, though. Unfortunately, it was the fact that only Erich would understand.

Her astonishment clogged her nose. Are trash reporters and newspapers inseparable?

If youre that angry, why dont you sue?

Roger said, who was standing behind the sofa on which she lay, fanning her burning head.

Didnt he just make up something that wasnt there? If its Mister Sherwood, I think he can rob a fortune from that guy.

If I show any agitation at all, its obvious that theyll attack more.

Claire put her hand on her forehead.

It was a losing fight. Even if she succeeded in shutting down a few newspapers, the fact itself would become a scandal, and they would rush at her like swarming bees, saying that they were going to dig into the truth or that there would be an insider.

Of course, Claire was a person who changed her daily routine to relieve her stress. Otherwise, she would not have been furious and fired random shots at Louisa.

If so, the Duchess would not have thrown a teacup at him, and Erich would not have reacted to it and proposed to her in public.

Her father had told her one day that if she didnt fix her temper, she would be in big trouble.

At that time, she thought, Why would I do that?, but now she couldnt deny it.

No, looking at it closely, it hadnt been like that since Erich first started talking to her at the academy eleven years ago.

If she had quietly crouched down and admired Erichs face like an Arren Barons daughter, todays events would not have happened.

Whos to blame? In the end, it was a disaster she brought upon herself.

[ Your personality is twisted. ]

Erich had said that before. Claire didnt think so, but she agreed for now.

No.

The more she thought about it, the more unfair she felt. Claire jumped to her feet.

Ughh.

Just because its shaped like a ring.

But its the other person who proposed with a signet ring, not her.

Want to read more? Up to [24] advanced chapters are available on Patreon:

For update pings, novel discussions and/or to send mistake reports, join our server~!