The familiar sequence of events unfolded smoothly.

The knights approached and picked up Valerie, pricked her fingertip with a needle to draw a bit of blood, and then comforted her when she cried in pain. Having done this once before in Urentum, they skipped all unnecessary steps and moved quickly.

However, there was one change from the first time we did the paternity test.

“Uwaah!”

“Oh dear, our poor little lady.”

“Oh my, who did this to our lady?”

“Our Valerie, there there. Oh, so pretty. Shh, shh. It’s okay.”

“I’m right here. Lady, shh, stop now. Don’t cry, shh.”

The difference this time was that there were plenty of people to attend to Valerie besides me. As soon as her pained cry broke out, eight hands reached out to comfort her.

Except for Kendrick, who fumbled a step behind, not knowing how to handle a baby, the other four were in a frenzy to soothe her.

Not having to personally take care of the child thanks to the many hands was a relief, though I wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad thing.

Valerie, after scanning the faces of those reaching out to her, struggled towards Hanna, whom she was familiar with.

Liv, who had been fussing over how cute Valerie’s troubled face was, looked sulkily and pouted when Valerie passed her by for Hanna. But soon, she was determined to become Valerie’s closest confidant.

No work at the Count’s residence? Everyone seemed too eager to engage in childcare.

“We will also need a drop of blood from the Grand Duke.”

Karl willingly extended his arm. A tall knight named Clovis quickly drew a few drops of blood from Karl and added it to the potion bottle already containing Valerie’s blood.

The blood of the two individuals suspected to be related was now in the potion. The results would appear within minutes.

Since I already knew the outcome, this was less about satisfying curiosity and more about Karl officially becoming Valerie’s father.

As everyone buzzed with excitement, awaiting the result, Muller calmly approached and placed Margaret’s wristwatch next to the potion bottle on the table.

Tick-tock, tick-tock. The ticking of the clock became louder as everyone except me watched the potion with bated breath.

“The color of the potion…”

As soon as the two drops of blood were added, the potion turned a deep red, resembling fresh blood.

Tick-tock, tick-tock, the seconds hand kept moving. A white swirl appeared in the now crimson potion.

“It’s changed!”

A collective gasp erupted from the group. Some were astonished, others elated.

“The color…”

The silence was broken. Excited murmurs filled the room. Cecile clasped her hands to her mouth, Margaret pulled out a handkerchief to dab her eyes, Kendrick held his hands to his chest in awe, and Liv jumped up and down.

“It’s become clear!”

Karl Ludwig Johann Albrecht. The noble Albrecht royal family, especially the Grand Duke, known as a paragon of virtue, was now a father out of wedlock.

On the way back, after resolving the curiosity – a light term for revealing a significant secret.

The upright Grand Duke Albrecht, never before involved in a scandal, was actually a father…
The third-rate newspapers would have a field day if even a hint of this story leaked. It was perfect fodder for sensationalism.

Clovis recalled his own words from the past. He had made light-hearted remarks like “take responsibility” or teased about Karl being the father of the Countess’s child, but he had never been certain that Karl was indeed the father of Countess Louijet’s child.

Was this a dream or reality? Faced with this unbelievable truth, Clovis could only glance nervously at Karl.

Satisfied with his discovery, Karl decided to leave the Countess’s residence and got into the carriage.

The servants at the Countess’s mansion, though not openly stating it, looked at Karl with a sense of relief and joy. They must have been relieved that everything was resolved, especially given the frustrating situation where their mistress returned unmarried and with a child, and furthermore, lost her memory, unable to identify the other party.

Their expressions were in stark contrast to the shocked and confused faces of the royal investigators.

Clovis’s mind was in turmoil. He was the commander of the knights who guarded Grand Duke Albrecht and was also his close friend. He had always strived to solidify his superior’s reputation and social standing more than anyone else.

Especially now, with the sudden death of the Emperor leaving the throne vacant, it was crucial to prevent any negative rumors.

Indeed, the throne was vacant. Karl’s young cousin Maximilian, now the late Emperor, had died under mysterious circumstances. This meant a new Emperor needed to emerge soon.

With Maximilian, only 14 years old and without offspring, the next candidates for the throne were naturally the current Dukes.

Among them, Grand Duke Albrecht was the most likely candidate.

Although Grand Duke Toscur could be considered based on lineage, he paled in comparison to Karl in terms of personal virtue and capability.