# 47
---
A child with a defect will not be recognized as an heir.
Rather, the child was an illegitimate son born to a woman who was not officially married.
I figured any slight flaw would easily get him fired.
“But who would have thought Cornelia would interfere.”
If Cornelia had not repelled the tray, the hot water would have been poured directly on the child.
It was a pity that the opportunity to drive away the woman and child had been lost in vain.
She tried to seize another opportunity, but Cornelia, who was supposed to act according to her desire, showed no reaction recently, as if she was lost in her thoughts.
Before, she had complained about Elinor in every meeting, but now she didn't do that.
“What if the Duke really married that woman?”
“Do you want me to help you?”
"What?"
Grace's maid smiled as she filled the empty teacup with black tea.
“I will solve your worries, ma’am.”
“How are you going to do that?”
“Really, madam. Don’t you know how good a maid I am? How much I’ve helped you and the madam so far?”
That was true.
About a year ago, when this girl became Grace's maid, she was a blessing to her family.
‘If you give this to the Grand Duchess as a gift, it will be wonderful.’
The maid, who said she used to collect herbs in the mountains and l them when she was young, would often bring rare herbs.
By offering these herbs to the Grand Duchess, Grace's mother was able to establish her position as her confidant.
Using the herbs provided by the maid showed a slight improvement in the Grand Duchess's health.
'Now that I think about it, she was the one who helped me bribe Cornelia's maid.'
She also recommended someone who specialized in Hilliard's finances.
So, maybe this time too will make a good point?
“How are you going to do that?”
Grace asked, lowering her voice.
The maid smiled.
As if she knew Grace would ask that question.
* * *
Once a year, the moment when the Duke's fiefdom is opened to outsiders.
Finally, the first day of the Hilliard Fencing Tournament dawned.
At the same time, Matthias opened the Garden of Five Colors to the public.
This was for the first time in ten years after the death of the previous Duke.
As the news of the opening of the magical place, sparkling with various colors, spread, the cave entrance was crowded with people since the morning.
Hilliard's knights were hiding nearby.
To catch Charlotte on her arrival, if she comes.
'Charlotte will definitely come.'
There was no way Charlotte could ignore such a beautiful, unique and rare place.
Moreover, unlike the development of the original story, there was no obvious animosity between the Duke and Charlotte now.
Hilliard's fiefdom is located far from the capital where Winston's palace is located, and is not a place where temples have much influence.
From Charlotte's perspective, it was an ideal place to visit safely.
'I'll meet Charlotte soon...'
Elinor's body trembled slightly.
Although she searches for her desperately now, Elinor, ironically, rarely encounters Charlotte after she moves into this world.
An evil woman defeats her beautiful and kind sister and dies.
She was afraid to follow her destiny set in the original story.
So, she ran away to the academy and left Charlotte's side.
She didn't even come home for the holidays, so, if you counted, this encounter with Charlotte was her first in seven years.
“Eleanor.”
“Lady...Eleanor!”
“Oh, yes?!”
Elinor, who had been lost in thought, suddenly woke up.
Tidian smiled broadly and pointed forward.
"What are you thinking? The first match has already started!"
Xing! Xing!
In the center of the wide circular arena, two swordsmen wrestled.
Whenever the swords collided, sparks scattered.
People cheered enthusiastically for the emotional match.
“The first match was of a good standard.”
“That knight in the gray helmet is the new rookie of the season, as they say.”
"But his waist is exposed. He won't last long like this."
“Ah, he's caught!”
From the Grand Duchess to Tidian, everyone was enjoying watching the match.
They all had the blood of knights, and their eyes sparkled as they looked at the match.
Tidian, who was feeling sorry for the helmeted knight's mistake, noticed Elinor quietly rolling her eyes on her own.
"What's wrong? Is the match boring?"
“No, not that...”
Elinor hesitated.
“I wonder if it's okay for me to sit here...”
"Huh? What do you mean?"
“This place is dedicated to the Duke’s family.”
It was the best seat overlooking the ring.
It was a place reserved only for those named Hilliard, but Elinor and the child were sitting there now.
So, the people nearby were constantly looking at Elinor.
Elinor held the child tightly.
“Wouldn't it be better if I sat somewhere else?”
"where?"
Cornelia, who was pretending not to care, looked at her.
This was their first conversation since she had given her the ointment in the hallway.
She had even addressed her in a casual manner at the time, but now she used a relatively respectful manner.
Elinor felt a little puzzled and muttered.
“There are seats designated for servants...”
“There are no seats left there. It is in the hot sun with no umbrella, so it will be difficult to watch. You are with the baby, so stay here.”
“Right! Moreover, you should watch my match later.”
Tidian extended his hand and took the child's hand and said:
“I'm going to get the first win for the kid. So, follow me.”
“Ababababa.”
“Yes, you say you trust me? Haha, thanks.”
Tidian laughed happily as he held the child's hand.
Is this correct?
Matthias, meeting her gaze, shrugged.
“This is my brothers’ opinion.”
The Grand Duchess did not seem to intend to fire Elinor either.
“Make sure to give the child water constantly so that he does not become dehydrated.”
On the contrary, she was worried about the child's health and asked the maid to ventilate him.
'If Charlotte is found, word will reach Matthias first.'
So, in many ways it was better to be with the Duke.
But sitting naturally among the Duke's family made her feel like a part of them.
Elinor felt uneasy and sank into her seat.
Hilliard's fencing tournament was in a round-robin format.
The winners of the heats advance to the finals, and the final winner is determined in the final.
Last year, Tidian lost in the semi-finals.
So, he was determined to win this year.
“It's my turn now!”
Tidian suddenly rose from his seat.
“I'll go. Mom, I'll go!”
“Be careful, Tidian.”
“Don't come back crying if you get hurt.”
“I will keep an eye on how your skills improve.”
Tidian rushed out, cheering on his family.
After one of the matches ended, Tidian appeared in the ring.
"wow!"
“Young Master! Young Master!”
As Tidian appeared, the cheers rose.
The younger prince was more popular than expected.
Tidian waved his sword in the air, and when he saw the child, he smiled broadly.
Elinor murmured anxiously.
“What if he gets hurt?”
“Tidian?”
laughed Cornelia, who moved to the seat next to Elinor.
“Do you know Tidian’s surname?”
“Uh… Teddy Tutu?”
“That's what we call it when we joke with Tidian in the family.”
A horn sounded announcing the start of the match.
Tidian, holding the sword, changed in an instant.
“It's called arctin.”
The word arctin means ruler of death in the ancient language.
“Because whoever stands in front of Tidian cannot move.”
Suddenly, Tidian disappeared from his place in the ring.