MHYFMAMD Ch 18
by rosey“Bloodline… what?”
At the sudden words, both Baroness Blanchette and Tenesia looked up at him, their eyes wide in disbelief.
“Who exactly…?”
“Who else could it be?”
“Could it be…?”
In an instant, all eyes were on Tenesia’s flat belly.
Shock filled the room.
Pregnant. The bloodline of Haberfeld in the belly of an unmarried young woman! Everyone stared at Tenesia with shocked eyes.
‘Me?’
The problem was that Tenesia herself didn’t even know.
Silent shock filled the room.
“Lady. This way.”
With Dietrich’s escort, Tenesia barely managed to rise from her seat.
‘My legs, they’re not moving properly.’
Perhaps it was because she had been kneeling for so long, she couldn’t put any strength into her legs to walk.
“Ah.”
While walking past Baroness Blanchette, Tenesia staggered greatly. Since she was holding onto Dietrich’s arm, she didn’t fall.
“Be careful. If the baby inside you gets startled, it could be a big problem.”
The hand supporting her was very careful. That touch felt almost like when he would touch Grace, and without realizing it, Tenesia held onto him tightly.
“W-What do you mean, a baby? My daughter has always been at home, and even she’s been sick for a long time! How could she have met Margrave ?”
“It seems it would be wise to inspect the mansion’s security again. It was quite sloppy.”
At Dietrich’s remark, Baroness Blanchette’s face flushed bright red. By hinting at what could easily be inferred, people would inevitably make their own conclusions.
Dietrich had aimed to make that point, and it hit exactly where it needed to.
“A-But still! You can’t just take Tenesia like this!”
“Ah.”
At Baroness Blanchette’s voice, Dietrich stopped walking. He turned around to look at her, as if he hadn’t realized it before.
“In this case, I suppose I should apologize for not informing you beforehand.”
“No, that’s…”
“I respected her wish to tell her family herself, but I regret that this situation has come about.”
“But, Tenesia is supposed to marry Count Weigelin…”
“I trust you’ll explain that matter to him, Madam. No matter how important the prior arrangement is, we can’t just ignore the child in her womb.”
Just as she had done, Dietrich cut off every word Baroness tried to say.
“Well then, let’s go.”
Without saying another word, Dietrich turned around and left, his hand firmly gripping Tenesia’s waist, offering steady support.
“You can’t!”
At that moment, Baroness Blanchette’s outburst cut through the air between them.
“Tenesia… Tenesia must marry Count Weigelin! We’ve already received the money!”
Cornered, Baroness Blanchette finally spilled the truth.
“If we don’t honor the agreement, who knows what kind of trouble we’ll face…!”
“How much?”
“What?”
“How much did you receive?”
The smile that had been on Dietrich’s face for politeness disappeared. His furrowed brows showed just how angry he was.
“T-That…”
“No matter how much it was, if Count Weigelin demands the money, send it to Haberfeld. We’ll handle it from there.”
With this clean solution, Baroness Blanchette could say nothing. In that process, the humiliation of the Blanchette family and the displeasure of Count Weigelin were completely neutralized, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak.
Just before leaving the mansion, Baroness Blanchette’s voice, filled with resentment, could be heard from behind.
“Don’t look back.”
Dietrich firmly grasped Tenesia’s arm as she hesitated. He helped her into the waiting carriage and climbed in after her.
With the coachman urging the horses, the carriage began to move. As they rolled smoothly over the ground, he lifted his gaze.
The person who had been talking non-stop to him was nowhere to be seen, and in her place was a woman who seemed to shrink back. As he remembered her trembling shoulders, he irritably ran his hand through his hair.
‘If I hadn’t come…’
Just by thinking about the purpose of the carriage, which had been placed right in front of the door, his anger flared up.
An unusually strong sense of displeasure clung to him, refusing to fade. He remembered the words he had heard back in the royal palace.