In such circumstances, it was absolutely impossible for Edith to affirm that the child was Benjamin’s.

Unaware of Edith’s true feelings, Benjamin was startled by the sudden news of the pregnancy and blinked before asking,

“Do I know the father of the child?”

“…….”

Could there be a question that would make Edith more uncomfortable in this situation?

Walter was certain when he saw Edith’s trembling reaction upon hearing Benjamin’s question.

‘It seems our journalist friend ruined the plan with his lack of tact.’

Just when he was almost certain that the child Edith was carrying was his own, thanks to Benjamin’s genuine reaction,

“……It’s Isaac’s child.”

A name other than his own came out of Edith’s mouth. It was only natural that deep wrinkles formed on Walter’s brow.

After the awkward silence disappeared, Walter incredulously asked,

“Isaac? The one who disappeared and hasn’t shown up?”

“It turned out that way. Now that my situation has become a bit known, it seems he came to the mansion.”

Edith spoke vaguely. Even in her own mind, it was a weak lie, but it seemed better to claim the child was Isaac’s for its sake.

While Walter was carefully verifying her words, Benjamin unknowingly sighed.

“Ah… So Isaac is back. Good for you, Edith.”

There was more than resignation in Benjamin’s voice. He reacted as if he were certain he couldn’t interfere in this matter now that the name Isaac had come up.

It was a reaction that greatly annoyed Walter.

“Good for you, Edith. Isaac’s child… Congratulations, truly.”

Clearly, Benjamin harbored more than friendly feelings toward Edith.

You would expect his face to harden or at least manage a polite smile when he learned she was carrying another man’s child, but he seemed genuinely happy for her despite feeling defeated.

Walter was twisted inside seeing such a reaction from a guy who would have likely gone mad if Edith had been carrying the child of someone unwanted like Fortrion or Hans.

What could Isaac mean to Edith?

“Then I’ll go inside and exchange some greetings. Benjamin, keep this story a secret.”

As Edith left momentarily to greet the Homan couple, Benjamin trudged toward the storage shed where firewood was stacked.

“Haah…….”

Leaning on the railing, he took a deep, weary breath and pulled a cigarette from the inner pocket of his coat. Walter watched as he naturally struck a match.
“I learned it as part of being a journalist. Originally, I didn’t smoke. Edith doesn’t like it.”

“Would she know?”

Walter leaned against a railing a few steps away, looking at Benjamin whose mind was clearly not entirely there.

He had originally come to ask about his lineage, but seeing Benjamin’s reactions, he felt a different question needed to be addressed first.

“So just how amazing is this Isaac?”

Benjamin deeply sighed as if preparing to spit out his lungs, and took another cigarette from his pocket and put it in his mouth.

“I’ve never seen his face, only heard stories. Edith’s first love from her childhood; they even got engaged with a ring of wildflowers. Neither you nor I should get involved with a man named Isaac. He’s the one who kept Edith alive.”

“……”

“After her father passed, and then her mother, Edith lived desperately with the hope that he might return someday. Her working in a clinic at a young age wasn’t unrelated to him either.”

In short, he was the one Edith had always been waiting for.

Until this morning, Walter had been almost certain that the child Edith was carrying was his.

However, after hearing Benjamin’s explanation, images of Edith subtly longing for this Isaac even within the Fortrion mansion came to mind.

It seemed he had caught her eye because he resembled that man, Isaac.

“……”

As he thought up to that point, a deep shadow crossed Walter’s face.

The reason he hadn’t asked her who the father of the child was, was due to a subtle confidence. But now, he hesitated to ask, fearing her answer might not align with his wishes.

If the slightly different way Edith looked at me compared to others was simply because I resembled him…

“If looks could kill.”

Watching his face darken, Benjamin felt a peculiar sense of satisfaction. His situation was in no way better than Walter’s, but at least he wasn’t alone in his despair.

Walter changed the subject, not wanting to give Benjamin the chance to take pleasure at his expense.

“Enough about the man who fathered a child and disappeared. Edith told me she is investigating her own kidnapping case.”

Benjamin noticed that Walter’s tone had dropped, taking a different direction from earlier. He felt the anxiety and instantly knew why Walter had come looking for him.
“It’s not for you; I was already interested in the topic, and Edith asked me to look into it. I can’t say for sure yet if you’re from a particular noble family, but for now, we can’t rule out a connection to the Lexion ducal family.”

“…Lexion?”

When Benjamin unexpectedly mentioned that name, Walter couldn’t help but question.