Moreover, considering his uncertain situation with no clear memory or lineage, Edith might have thought that it would be better to lie about the child’s father to protect the child.

‘If the assassins were after me, it’s understandable that she would be anxious.’

With a strange sense of defeat, he thought he needed to get out of this uncertain situation as quickly as possible.

“You should probably start getting up, milady.”

He said as he combed Edith’s long, blonde hair with his fingers. In response, she stretched and let out a strange sound, similar to a small animal that could be caught at any moment.

Seeing that she didn’t seem wary at all, an irresistible impulse welled up within him, and Walter deliberately distanced himself from her.

While Edith quickly washed up and put on clothes that had dried well overnight, Walter prepared soup with ingredients that seemed to be Philip’s supplies. He roughly chopped the ingredients and boiled them. It might have looked crude, but it tasted quite good.

Edith ate it deliciously, stealing glances at Walter.

‘I thought she would ask who the child’s father was until the end.’

Of course, even if she had been asked that question, her lips would probably have remained sealed for a while.

He considered that it might be better to lie about the child’s father to those who would eventually find out about her pregnancy. After all, information could leak from anywhere.

But since he didn’t ask, he wondered if she believed Merlin’s words about her having another man’s child.

“Walter, if you have any questions about the child’s father, you can ask.”

She murmured softly. However, since Walter was almost certain that she had conceived the child, but for some reason was being evasive about it, he didn’t feel particularly confused.

He simply wanted to seize the opportunity to ask, partly because he found it somewhat annoying that she was speaking as if the child’s father were entirely different.

“Is that so?”

“What’s the matter, that’s all?”

“About the process of making a child. How was it compared to me?”

“…….?”

Edith looked at him with a face that seemed to ask if that was really the only thing he was curious about. But Walter met her gaze as if he were genuinely interested in only that.

“Silence is the best answer, I suppose. Poor guy.”

After cheekily responding, Walter added one more thing.

“Regardless of what you say about the child, Edith, I will raise the child with you.”

“…….”

His words left Edith slightly shaken. Walter was almost certain that he was the father of the child. He didn’t seem affected by the assumption that the child’s father was someone else.

However, she couldn’t help but wonder if he believed Merlin’s words about her having another man’s child.
In that case, perhaps it wouldn’t be a bad idea to falsely claim to others who might eventually find out about the pregnancy that the child’s father is someone else. After all, you never know where information might leak from.

‘Until Walter’s situation stabilizes.’

If it meant telling a lie to protect the child from Elizabeth and her superiors, even if it was from Walter’s lineage, it seemed worthwhile.

Walter glanced at her, his eyes flickering as if he was contemplating how to handle the matter of the child’s father.

No matter how he decided, the child would be raised by her side.

By the time they finished their meal, he said to her, “If you have things you want to take to the capital, make sure to pack everything. If we have too much, we can get another carriage for transport.”

Moving goods to the capital was a costly endeavor, but Walter was telling her to take everything she desired.

She wasn’t accustomed to buying many things to begin with, so there wasn’t much to pack, but Edith appreciated his thoughtfulness.

“I’ll gather them quickly.”

She brought two large bags, showing signs of aging, and pushed aside a small drawer filled with various tools. Underneath, a small hole was revealed. Edith put her fingers into the hole and lifted the floorboard.

‘Lucky that Philip didn’t investigate this place.’

Everything inside this secret space was Edith’s treasures—cards exchanged with friends, gifts received from loved ones, and numerous letters returned with rejection stamps because they were addressed simply with the names Isaac and Lady Leah.

Edith cherished her treasures as she carefully placed them into the bag. When she reached for the small wooden box stored at the bottom, memories surfaced, and she even burst into a small laugh.

“These, along with the clothes Vivian packed… Oh!”

She almost forgot something important.

“I was supposed to register for the academy by next autumn, but it might be difficult, so I should apply for a deferral.”

Edith knew the academy regulations well. Those of noble rank or higher who passed the entrance exam and married were eligible for a deferral of several years to consider issues such as producing heirs.

‘Marrying and becoming the Lady has its perks.’

Edith held the acceptance letter for the academy carefully. It probably filled about a tenth of the bag she had taken out. Moreover, the items she packed were all essential for survival, and there was hardly any luxury.

As they settled into the new location, Walter thought he should also buy some quaint things she would like.

Instead of going directly to the barracks, the two decided to stop by the Homan Clinic.

“By now, Cassius should be trying to extract information from Merlin or someone higher up, so when we go in, we shouldn’t have to worry about seeing Merlin’s face.”

Fortunately, the clinic was nearby, and the situation required giving Cassius some time to finish his work, which is why they leisurely began the conversation about going to the clinic.

‘I also need to ask Benjamin.’

But as they got closer to the Homan Clinic, Edith’s face turned pale, and Walter realized it was a good decision to visit the clinic.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen them. I wonder how they’ll react to me, who suddenly appeared with a man.”

Edith couldn’t predict how the people who had treated her like family for the past few years would react.

Considering that she had probably heard rumors about herself through the local newspapers or Benjamin, she was worried and wondered if they would be flustered to see her with a man.

“Edith?”
Edith didn’t know how to face the people who had treated her like family for several years. She was worried, especially because they might have heard rumors about her through local newspapers or Benjamin. She wondered if they would be surprised to see her with a man.

“Edith?”

The first person to spot the two approaching the clinic was Benjamin, who had been sweeping fallen leaves nearby.

“Benjamin!”

Edith quickly descended from the carriage. She intended to explain the situation to Benjamin and inquire if he could cover for her by pretending that Walter was the father of the child.

However, before she could take Benjamin to a quieter place to talk, Walter intervened more swiftly.

“Edith, what if the child inside gets startled when you suddenly step down from the carriage?”

Upon hearing Walter’s words, Benjamin’s eyes widened in astonishment. It was an unexpected reaction, considering that he could never have imagined her spending the night with someone like Walter.

“Oh, a child? With whom?” Benjamin asked, clearly taken aback.

“…….”

Edith, feeling as though Walter had stolen her thunder, rolled her eyes in embarrassment.