To think that Judith badgered Luca so much about money while growing up that he wrapped up all of his thoughts with it…

I chuckled as I stood up with the jar of medicine in my hands.
As soon as I rose from the bedside, his eyes shuddered nervously, alarmed.

“Busy?”

He probably wanted me to stay by his side a little longer. From last night’s response, approving of my going to the May Day Festival, his reaction now was completely different, not that it was a bad thing.
A child needed to be a child. However, Luca tended to bottle up everything too much.
As much as I wanted to stay by his side, this situation didn’t allow me to, regrettably.

“I’m not busy per se, but a guest is here.”

“…A man?”

“Yeah, how did you know?”

“I heard something outside.”

“Was he really loud?”

“No, was he trying to look for you?”

‘He was looking for you, not me. He’s your uncle,’ was at the tip of my tongue but I had to restrain myself.

“No, it doesn’t look like he was looking for me… but I should talk with him more to figure that out. Get more rest in the meanwhile, Luca.”

I pulled the blanket up to Luca’s shoulder and patted his chest lightly before I left.
I didn’t want my conversation with Rüdiger to be heard so I closed the door behind me, but
Luca’s expression changed as if he sensed something was wrong.

An air of uneasiness lingered…

Whatever suspicion Luca had envisaged, it wouldn’t happen so I let that concern go and walked away.

***

Rüdiger remained seated unchanged as if I never left upstairs.

“May I offer you a cup of tea?”

“I will gladly take your offer.”

I placed the tea kettle on top of the fire.
Moments later, the kettle whistled as steam escaped.

While I poured the tea into the teacup in front of Rüdiger, I anxiously added.

“This tea is brewed from dried flowers that were picked from the roadside. It may not suit your taste, but this is all we have available at home.”

“The fragrance is pleasant.”

He lauded but a single crease appeared on his forehead as if it tasted rather bitter.

There was yet another similarity between Judith and him.
Both of us didn’t have a knack for brewing tea well.

As I poured the tea, I was sorting through my thoughts about what I should be cautious with saying.
First, and most importantly, I can’t give off the impression of selling Luca off to Rüdiger, as much as possible.
Second, I can’t spill the fact that I know about this “novel’s” contents.

Rüdiger will do anything to take Luca anyways, so I just need to be cautious for the most part.
The outcome has been already decided so my decision was made quickly.
I sat myself down in front of him and resumed the conversation we started outside of the house.

“This is the Maybaum residence. However, I have never heard of the name Jonas before. There is no reason for our meager household out in the boondocks to be involved with the respected Winterwald residence.”

“That cannot be. Five years ago, you wrote a letter to Jonas, have you not? About his illegitimate child.”

Ah, Larissa must have written the letter to Jonas. Perhaps right before she died from the plague…
Between Judith’s and my own memory, there was no recollection of such a letter.
Regardless, the fact of the existence of Jonas’s illegitimate child was far more important than how he learned about it.

“If the letter was sent 5 years ago, isn’t the response rather late?”

“I have no excuse for that.”

Rüdiger sincerely apologized with his head down.

“I am Jonas’ half brother. He hid the existence of his illegitimate child from our entire family. I recently found out that my brother’s illegitimate child existed through a letter stashed in his belongings after his death from falling off a horse.”

“Oh dear, I hope he rests in peace.”

He’s a good-for-nothing scumbag who ignored the existence of his own child. Even in the original plot, it described him as a complete ass.