I didn't even know, it was a foolish misunderstanding...
Then my face turned involuntarily.
“Janet, it was your fault that you upset mother, so go back to your room and think about yourself.
I will decide your fate later.”
“Yes”
“Accompany the Duchess to her room.”
He issued this order, deciding whether to send his subordinate to a safe place or send me away, who was disturbing him.
Maybe it's both.
Unwittingly, a dark thought crossed my mind, and I felt a twinge of self-reproach.
Lost in my thoughts, Janet answered stiffly.
“Yes, I understand”
Janet quickly put her hand on my shoulder.
“Let's go, ma'am.”
It was strange.
A moment ago, I was grateful to her, but now I feel hesitant to see her.
How annoying!
These dirty feelings haunt me.
Although I could have added a word of gratitude for her standing by my side, I could not say it.
Treating someone who helped you this way.
What a despicable thing, Cornelia.
I felt disgusted with myself, and I quickly left the place.
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Seeing Cornelia walking in, Eric finally let go of the eldest lady's hand.
As soon as her hand was free, she looked at her fake son with eyes filled with anger.
“How dare you...”
Until now, the fake son had always been subservient to her in front of others.
You don't know if he felt guilty because he replaced the real son who treated him well, or for some other reason.
But, for the first time, her fake son broke this rule.
And he did it in front of the woman she so despised.
“I wish I had not lost my real son.
You...”
The mother's blue eyes suddenly filled with vitality.
Eric whispered softly to her.
“Mom, let's discuss this matter inside.
There are many eyes watching.”
In fact, there were many eyes watching in this place.
If it had become known, even by chance, that the real Eric was missing, her position would have been in jeopardy.
The older woman clenched her jaw and looked at Eric.
“Okay, let's go in and talk.”
After a while, the sound of a hard slap rang out in the Duke's office.
slap-!
“How dare you talk to me like that?”
With greater force than she had slapped the knight, the mother slapped her fake son's cheek, leaving a slight red mark on his cheek.
“Dare you insult me?
Are you going to ask me to leave now?”
The mother could not control her anger, so she remained angry, but Eric wiped his bleeding lip with his fingers and spoke coldly.
“Leave?
I was stopping you from making a mistake, mom.”
"What?
Mistake?
What did I do wrong?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Eric's gaze, which was previously indifferent, turned into a sharp threatening look.
"You were about to slap the princess's face earlier.
Don't you think that might become a problem later?"
The mother's expression hardened upon hearing this accusation.
The fake son was a problem, but there was also the possibility that Cornelia would hold her accountable later.
But I won't confirm that.
Finally, she laughed in disbelief at the amazing situation.
“Huh, did you really think I was going to slap that girl’s cheek?”
“So you didn't mean?”
Of course, the intention of raising her hand to slap her was to scold her.
At that moment, she was so enraged by Cornelia's rude behavior, that she lost her temper.
But she didn't want to admit her mistake, so it made her angry.
“What do you think I am?
Even if I were angry, I wouldn’t go so far as...”
“Yes, I don’t think you are the type of person who would go so far as to slap the princess in the face.
If you had, it would have been a reason for the Emperor to put pressure on the duchy.”
Oh my God... how dare he make fun of me?
The eldest lady pretended otherwise, feeling her anger boiling inside her at the words that indirectly criticized her.
But if she expressed her anger, he might find out that she tried to hit Cornelia.
“You are stating the obvious.”
Upon hearing this, a smile spread across Eric's handsome face.
“It seems I made a mistake earlier.
I'm sure my mother won't forget it.”
Although his tone seemed affectionate at first, there was a hidden thorn in his words.
Exactly…
“You are wise, mother, so I believe you will not forget this fact in the future.”
It was a warning to her not to dare touch Cornelia again.
This damned one!
Deep down, she wanted to slap him again.
How dare this bastard insult her – the puppet duke who can do nothing without her!
But since she had not found her real son yet, she still needed this fake son.
She quickly spoke coldly to the fake son.
"I'm glad you understand.
But in the future, you'd better not play the role of master in front of me.
The ring bearing the head seal is mine, not yours."
With these words, the mother turned her back.
Yes, once my real son returns, the problem of this fake one will be solved.
And…
She clenched her fists, remembering the incident that had led to the confrontation between her obedient real son, Eric, and the fake son.
I can't stand by and watch this woman interfere.
When the grand lady returned from the office to the annex, where she was staying,
“Ma’am.”
When she saw Zenon bowing his head in front of her room, she raised her eyebrows slightly.
“Come in now.”
When she entered the room, Zenon followed her.
“I clearly remember that I asked you not to talk to me in the palace.
Even this might arouse your false suspicions.”
“Yes, but my master cannot enter and exit freely in this palace, so I had to come.”
He handed her an envelope.
The eldest lady's features were astonished as she looked at the letter.
“This...”
Trembling, she spoke to Zenon.
“Okay, I understand.
You can leave now.”
Zenon nodded and started to leave but stopped.
“By the way, I heard that you and the Duchess are quarreling a lot these days...”
“So?”
When Zenon heard the eldest lady's sharp response, he laughed lightly and spoke.
“If you need help, don't hesitate to ask for it.
My master will be happy to help you.”
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Eric sighed as he was alone in the office.
“Since I warned her that the Emperor would intervene, Mother would not harm her directly.”
But then, as he thought of Cornelia, his face turned.
“Why did you act like that?”
Since she was skilled at swordsmanship, she could avoid or intercept the eldest lady's hand.
But Cornelia didn't do that.
Instead, she closed her eyes and gritted her teeth.
As if she was waiting for violence to be inflicted on her.
If he had not intervened, Cornelia would have received a slap from the Grand Duchess of Brant.
With a ring on Lady Brant's hand, any mistake could leave a mark on her face.
Thinking about it made him feel very angry.
“Why doesn’t she take care of her body, even though she has a baby...”
In the midst of his thoughts, Eric subconsciously clenched his fist tightly.
He quickly laughed bitterly.
What foolishness, it would be in my best interest for the baby to disappear...but I'm worried about what might happen to the baby.
But he had nothing in his hand.
If something bad happens to the child, it will...
Soon pain spread through his chest.
Ignoring the pain, he mumbled quietly.
“Yes, it is my responsibility to make that child exist.
That is why I must protect him.”
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Is it because if I want to go out, I have to take Janet with me?
I stayed in the room for a few days without coming out.
Even when Janet came to visit me, I told her not to come unless I summoned her, for fear that the old lady would target her again.
Fortunately, neither Mrs. nor Janet bothered me all those days.
How strange?
After I calmed down, I realized that her behavior was strange.
With her aggressive behavior lately, why didn't she touch me?
She usually can't stand me.
Why leave me alone?
As I pondered this question for a moment...
By the way, Zenon's past seems a bit suspicious.
Although I had not left my room for a few days, I was in contact with the Information Guild via Sardin.
But the problem was that until he received Count Schulz's recommendation, his past seemed very ordinary.
It was strange, beyond belief.
Zeno showed exceptional strategic talent, and soon became Eric's assistant.
It doesn't make sense for someone like that to graduate from the academy with average grades, right?
He, who was an ordinary person, turned into a genius tactician.
Such things only happen in novels.
But that wasn't the only strange thing.
His swordsmanship grades at the academy were very poor.
It is a mark that no one can obtain unless he is completely incapable of wielding a sword...
Although their appearance was vaguely similar, when looking at Zenon's past, there were many aspects that made him feel different from his current state.
It's as if he borrowed the identity of someone else who looks like him.