# 11
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Elinor turned suddenly.
Matthias was standing right behind her, smiling cheerfully, without her knowing when he appeared.
He looked at the child and said:
“Did you sleep well, baby?”
“Why…why are you here?”
Elinor blinked in horror.
“Yesterday, it seemed like you left the inn.”
“The baby’s mother seems to care about me a lot, even if she pretends not to.”
Mathias put his hands on his waist and leaned forward.
“Were you watching me leave?”
'I was hoping you would leave, so I was checking.'
‘If I was going to be watched, I would rather have one of your followers watch me than you, the big one.’
'Does he really intend to monitor me himf?'
I felt disturbed. Elinor frowned in dismay.
Noticing her feelings, Matthias raised the corner of his mouth sarcastically.
“Did you have breakfast?”
"I haven't eaten it yet. How about eating it together? The family should start the day together, right?"
family? Which family?
Just a stranger, or at most a cooperation partner.
Is there a need to get too close to a dangerous villain?
“Come on, let's eat together.”
Elinor ignored his words and went down to the first floor.
“Oh my God, you went down together today. Wow!”
Sophie was very happy when she saw Elinor coming down with Matthias.
It was Sophie who felt most sorry for Elinor, who was raising her child alone without a husband.
“Yesterday, you talked for a long time. Have you made up?”
truly…!
That's why she didn't want to be with Matthias.
Elinor replied seriously.
“No, we're not like that at all.”
“Oh, it seems that the husband’s efforts are still lacking.”
“No, really we're not. Why do you keep having this misunderstanding...”
“Okay, okay. Calm down. I’ll bring the food, so sit down.”
Sophie Elinor sat down nervously and left for the kitchen with a slight smile.
Matthias sat opposite.
With a confident attitude as if it were natural, Elinor finally frowned.
“Sit somewhere else.”
"I can't. I'm playing a husband who is trying to improve his relationship with his wife now."
“Should you do that? Yesterday, I told you that I would cooperate with you, Your Highness.”
"That's exactly why I have to keep the role. How can I stay here if we're not a couple?"
“You could have chosen another lie.”
Elinor sighed.
"Like you're a brother who came after his runaway sister. We couldn't have been a couple."
“If you run away to another village, I will do it there.”
Matthias responded slyly without backing down.
It was a subtle warning not to think about escaping from him.
She gained nothing from this discussion.
Elinor decided to ignore him again.
But Matthias wouldn't leave her alone.
“Aren't you going to feed the baby?”
“I asked, ‘Aren’t you going to feed the baby?’”
“It seems that the baby’s mother only cares about her food and does not feed the baby.”
“I already fed him in the room.”
Elinor replied angrily.
"I'm taking good care of him. Don't worry about someone else's baby."
"How can it be someone else's child? It's our child. Right?"
“Aww.”
At that moment, the baby started humming with perfect timing.
Matthias nodded.
“See, even a child says that.”
“A two-month-old baby does not understand speech. This is just a coincidence.”
"Really? Then, I'll ask again. Kid, do you like having daddy by your side?"
“Ungh, o-ah.”
The baby made a cute sound and smiled.
Matthias became smug.
“The baby seems to be welcoming his father.”
"impossible."
"It's not impossible. Look how he smiles so beautifully. If you welcomed me like a baby, wouldn't that be nice?"
Matthias scolded Elinor with a charming smile.
He was good at making people angry.
'That's why I wanted Matthias to leave.'
If one of his followers had remained, they would have quietly watched her without approaching her.
Elinor bit her lips hard.
She wanted to answer Matthias.
It felt good to see his confident face turn into confusion.
'Is there a law that says only Matthias can act?'
If he was going to keep talking despite ignoring her, why not...
“Should I be friendly with a man who abandoned his wife and child?”
"What?"
Mathias blinked.
Elinor felt that this worked, so she began acting seriously.
“You abandoned me because of what your mother said. You didn’t even believe me when I said I was innocent. The trust between us was shattered that day. So, the day will never come when I forgive you.”
At that moment, the sound of dishes crashing was heard from behind.
Elinor turned in horror.
“Oh, um...”
Sophie was there, carrying breakfast.
The atmosphere became cold in an instant.
Sophie smiled embarrassedly when her eyes met Elinor's.
“Haha, it's time to eat? Here's breakfast...”
She stopped as she put the food on the table.
Then, with a determined face, she replaced Elinor and Matthias' plates.
The plates contained the same food.
The only difference was that the new dish Elinor received contained a larger piece of chicken.
“Um… well, take heart.”
Sophie patted Elinor on the shoulder to encourage her, then glanced at Matthias and left.
Muffled laughter was heard from the side.
"Heh, yeah. It's all my fault. I was a very imperfect husband. I'll try hard to earn your forgiveness."
Elinor's face flushed.
She wanted to see Matthias confused.
Why do I feel more embarrassed...!
"What should I do? What can I do to earn your forgiveness?"
"No no."
“Should I kneel again? Or should I bring my mother? To correct the misunderstanding, we should find out why my mother tried to separate us, right?”
“Enough! Just eat.”
Elinor quickly lowered her head and grabbed the spoon.
Of course, the best option is to avoid talking to Matthias as much as possible.
You made a mistake by intervening.
“Ha-ha-ha.”
Joyful laughter filled the place, and today Elinor felt a strange itch.
* * *
Piacina is a quiet and peaceful rural village.
In other words, a rather boring place.
Even for light shopping or to enjoy tea in a cafe, you had to go to the neighboring village.
All the shops and entertainment places were outside Piaccina.
Was it because he couldn't stand boredom?
“Mother of the child.”
Since the day Matthias decided to stay at the inn, he had not left Elinor for a single moment.
At first, she thought he was watching her strictly.
For fear that she will run away.
But as time passed, Elinor's thoughts gradually changed.
“Mother, why didn’t you put socks on the baby?”
Is he just following me because he's bored and wants to annoy me?
"Tell me. Why doesn't he wear socks? Did you forget? Or did you think they were unnecessary?"
It started as usual today.
Matthias complained and criticized.
Yesterday, it was getting into how she holds the baby, today it's targeting baby socks.
Elinor ignored him and walked past him.
But Matthias approached her quickly.
He suddenly grabbed the child's foot.
“Look, his feet are cold.”
“Shoot it.”
Elinor pulled the baby's foot out of Matthias' hand.
He touched the child's bare feet.
It was soft and warm.