Chapter 5 Direct Confrontation with Keira Von Weigand?
The servant inside opened the door.
After Keira Von Weigand met my gaze, she slowly stood up.
For someone who called me out, you sure do have a lot of time to spare— I wanted to say, but it wasn’t something that could be helped.
It seems she was pregnant. Probably in the last months of her pregnancy. She had a pained expression just by standing up.
「Oh dear, goodness, it’s fine. Please, feel free to sit down」
「Y-yes. Thank you very much…」
After checking that she was seated on the couch with the help of a maid, I accepted a seat opposite her.
… My, what a poor thing.
Keira Von Weimar, just as I recalled, looked so fragile that it seemed like she could vanish as the wind blew. And she was a lovely woman with beautiful chestnut hair and pretty violet eyes.
「Please excuse me for my unsightly state. My stomach has been feeling heavy since yesterday……」
「My, is that so?」
When I observed her fixedly, I suddenly realized.
Why the rumour about Erich Von Weimar getting a maid serving the prince pregnant had spread previously.
It was because his partner had been Viscount Weigand’s wife.
「I-I’m truly sorry…」
Keira Von Weigand was apologising in a scarcely audible voice. She seemed like such a feeble girl that I ended up worrying about her. So much so that I even ended up worrying whether she could give birth to her child with this.
I was kind of looking forward to see how this kind of girl can go wild from now on.
With tea delivered, only the clattering sounds of the piled up tea utensils resounded in the room.
I received the most delicious tea.
Once again, I stared at Keira Von Weigand.
When I did so, her shoulders shook with a jolt. Come on, it’s not like I was going to bite. She’s overreacting. She was in tears just by me opening up my fan and fanning myself. I inadvertently asked the servant near me for the time.
And so, maybe out of various considerations for me, Keira Von Weigand finally started talking to me.
「――Uhm」
「What is it?」
「M-my name is Keira Von Weigand」
「Yes, I’m aware」
She greeted me with a trembling voice, thanked me for coming here and apologized.
「No need to worry. It’s difficult for you to go out when you’re pregnant, right?」
「Yes……」
I doubt she went this far just to see me. She didn’t look like a determined woman who’ll betray her husband and commit infidelity. Was the affair really of mutual consent?
「Could we move on to the matter at hand? 」
「Y-yes. I’m very sorry」
She opened her mouth then stopped as is. After that, she repeated the action of refusing to speak and hiding her face several times. Was it that hard to say? Since time was being wasted, I took the lead and asked her a question.
「May I ask one thing? Was what you did with him done with mutual consent?」
If I learn that Erich Von Weimar had forcibly a.s.saulted her, then I would have to give him a severe punishment. Just hitting him a hundred times on his bottom will probably not suffice.
However, Keira Vom Weigand let me see that she was slowly nodding at my question.
I don’t know whether that was good or not, but she said it was an act of love.
「And?」
「M-my husband has asked for a d-divorce」
「I bet he did」
For some reason, although a man’s infidelity tends to be forgiven as time goes by, a woman’s was denounced like someone who’d committed a crime. And, she’d be gossiped about behind her back for long years to come.
He’d even handed her a punishment.
「I was… told to go to a n-nunnary by my husband」
That, was also something that couldn’t be helped.
When I glanced at her face, Keira Von Weigand had started to shed large drops of tears.
Oh dear, what a difficult person.
It’s almost like I was the one who bullied her.
I still didn’t have enough information, so I asked another question.
「How about your other children?」
「I… don’t have anyone that’s blood related」
She’s been married for ten years. And though it seems she’d been working as hard as she could to produce an heir, she says she never showed signs of pregnancy.
At present, it seems she adopted her younger brother-in-law’s son as her own and was raising him.
Perhaps, Keira Von Weigand had been treated coldly.
And so, while she was being driven to a corner, that honey man seduced her with sweet words. With her spirit weakened, she bought into the heartburn-inducing, sweet-tasting honey.
I roughly got the picture.
「――And, what is it that you want?」
I probably won’t be able to satisfy it, but seeing that I came this far, I have to listen to what it was.
「……recognized」
「Hm?」
「I would like the child… to be recognized」
「By Erich Von Weimar?」
「Y-yes」
“I’m aware that it is a shameless request”, she’d said.
Well, it was just as she says.
“The child will be left in an orphanage far from here”, she says. “And, according to the laws of the country, I will not be allowed to see the child’s face a second time once I leave him there”
「I’m very much aware of my selfishness. B-but, I would like him to watch over the child even if it’s just watching the child grow up at a distance」
I’m seeing the woman, who’d looked so weak up until now, pa.s.sionately making her request right before my eyes.
According to what she said, it seems she’d written a letter with the exact same request and sent it to Erich Von Weimar.
But I heard that a reply hasn’t come back.
I had the impression that that guy would be impartially gentle as long as it was a girl, but to think he had a ruthless side, quite surprising.
It’s the seed that he himself scattered, so he should at least act like a man and take responsibility.
I’ll set that aside for now and think over how to deal with this problem.
For me, this wasn’t anything bad.
If I adopted Erich Von Weimar and Keira Von Weigand’s child, then I wouldn’t have to accomplish one of my roles as a wife.
Witnessing the actual thing right before my eyes like this, it seems that conceiving a child was pretty tough.
I heard that childbirth was risky too.
I feel that it somehow doesn’t make sense to put my life on the line for the sake of a player of a husband.
But still, acknowledging the child wasn’t for me to decide.
I have to discuss this once with my future husband.
「Well, since it’s like that, it won’t be a problem that can readily be answered」
「……yes」
「Around when will you be expecting to give birth?」
「On the following month… the doctor said」
「I see」
Our marriage ceremony was in one weeks time.
If I were to adopt the child, it’ll probably be around the time our family becomes stable too.
The problem was Erich Von Weimar.
I have absolutely no idea on what decision he’ll make.
Since it seems he’d ignored the letter for recognition, he might not be willing to adopt the child.
He’d said that he’ll listen to whatever I desired, but there’s a chance that this won’t be covered in the warranty.
I should have made a proper written agreement, I’m regretting it now.
While I was lost in thought, Keira Von Weigand shyly called out to me.
「Hermina-sama, would you… mind if I ask you one thing?」
「No, it’s fine」
「Thank you very much」
What she’d wanted to formally ask about, was whether I was angry at our present situation.
「No, not at all」
For Erich Von Weimar, his illegitimate child was probably his weakness.
What sort of expression will he show me once I tell him I want to adopt his child? (1)
I’m feeling a little excited now.
Since Keira Von Weigand had an uneasy look on her face, I preempted her by saying 「Please, don’t mind me」 while covering my face partially with my opened fan.
「Well then, I suppose it’s about time I head back」
「I-I’m sorry I couldn’t give you a proper reception」
「No, no, the tea was excellent」
「I’m glad it was to your liking」
When I stood up, the servant handed me the hat I was wearing when I came here.
And so, parting with her, I left the Weigand manor behind me.
(1) It might be a typo on the author’s part :引き取って欲しいと言えば、そんな表情を見せてくれるのか。
I believe he meant this…