“If my husband desired it, it must be for the honor of the family, so as his wife and the Chatelaine of Delmark, I will respect and follow his wishes.”

His wife. The Chatelaine of Delmark.

Although it was an obvious fact, the words that flowed from Blair’s lips resonated deeply.

The reason she came out so resolutely was also because of him.

Herdine gently closed the slightly open door.

Mason, who had been listening to the situation inside the reception room with him, seemed to understand his feelings and commented.
“It seems the madam has already made a wise decision.”

Herdin passed through the reception room and headed to his office. His expression vaguely depicted a subtle sense of relief.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

On that night, too, Herdin went to Blair’s room with marshmallows in hand.

As he knocked and opened the door, he was taken aback by an unexpected sight.

“You came?”

Blair, who always looked at him with calm eyes, had a hint of anticipation in her pupils. Somehow, she resembled a puppy waiting for a treat.

Even though he knew that her gaze was directed not at him but at the marshmallow in his hand, just seeing her face made him feel surprisingly good.

Thinking that he should continue bringing marshmallows every day, he approached the table. The candles and lighter he had prepared in advance were neatly placed.

Herdin chuckled at seeing what she had prepared.

“I guess I should give a reward to the model student who is thorough in preparations.”

Seeing that everything was prepared, he felt somewhat relieved. Unlike worrying about not lighting a fire anymore, Blair seemed enthusiastic about it.

Herdin set down the bowl of marshmallows and took a seat. Blair also sat next to him, and suddenly, something came to her mind.

“For this year’s donation, I decided to visit the orphanage within the temple and deliver items to the children.”
“Are you planning to visit the orphanage in person?”

Herdin asked, as if surprised.

While it wasn’t uncommon for noble ladies to visit orphanages for donations, most avoided it due to the inconvenience. Especially a Duchess who had declared her intent to ‘divorce’ showed such enthusiasm for this matter was unexpected.

“I heard that my mother did it every year. Rather than just a nominal donation, moving directly seems to better respect her intentions.”

Blair concealed the real reason behind choosing the orphanage donation. Of course, honoring Eloise was not entirely false, but there was another hidden motive.

‘In my past life, I used to visit the temple for prayers and donations.’

Back then, instead of the orphanage within the temple, she met with a priest in charge of donations.

‘And… I first met Miella Elias there.’

There was no immediate reason to avoid her, but at the same time, there was no need to deliberately meet an awkward figure.

“It sounds like a good idea. Please do as the madam wishes.”

From Herdin’s perspective, there was no reason to dislike the idea. He readily agreed and picked up the lighter.

“I assisted you yesterday, but today you’ll do it on your own. Don’t be afraid even if the marshmallow catches fire. Shake it calmly to extinguish the flame.”
Blair, with a tense expression, looked at the marshmallow. Taking a deep breath, she picked up a marshmallow. Her expression resembled that of a soldier facing a battle, determined and fierce.

Having received approval, Herdin immediately lit the candle.

Blair, initially showing a fierce resolve, now displayed signs of nervousness in contrast. Observing her, Herdin, who had his chin rested on his hand, shook her attention by lightly waving his hand between Blair and the candle.

Blair, seemingly recalling his instructions, consciously blinked and slowly breathed, relaxing her tension. The trembling marshmallow approached the candle.

Herdin, amusedly watching her like an exemplary student earnestly reviewing what he learned yesterday, found it intriguing. Even though it might be scary and challenging for her, if he found her efforts cute, maybe from her perspective, it was a bit cunning.

The first attempt failed miserably as the flame frightened her. The second attempt, approached with determination, was about to catch fire at the end, but with Herdin’s assistance, she managed to rescue it safely.

Herdin extinguished the candle and gently patted Blair’s head. “You did well as you learned. With this, you’ll soon not be afraid of the fireplace.”

Blair looked at him absentmindedly while he praised her lightly but sincerely.

For him, it was such an easy and straightforward task. Why couldn’t she handle such a simple thing? It could be a frustrating matter from his perspective.
However, without a hint of inconvenience, he seemed to be quite a good teacher, watching over me and teaching me.

“Before it gets too warm, would it be difficult to light the fireplace?”

“Well, then we can have a picnic in the backyard. We can even catch wild boars and cook them.”

“Wild boars?”

“Or deer meat is fine too. Anything you desire.”

Blair hesitated at his words, expressing that he would do anything as she wished.