“…Herdin.”

As she crumbled while calling my name, a sense of relief and another wave of unease overwhelmed me.

Perhaps I might not hear that voice again.

If the intention behind revealing this secret was to turn my insides upside down, then it succeeded.

Even now, as she breathes peacefully in front of me, that unease lingers.

Mabu said Blair went into the empress’s palace. She brought something out from there.

What that could be, and why she went alone to the palace on that night, I had many questions.

So…

I hope you wake up soon.

As he thought that, Blair’s eyelids trembled as if she had heard his thoughts, and she opened her eyes.

Herdin, who was absentmindedly watching her eyes gradually regain focus, belatedly tried to speak, but Blair called him first.

“…Herdin.”

A distinctive, soft voice flowed through her lips, which were moving with difficulty. Herdin waited for her next words.

“You were right.”

“Suddenly, what do you mean—”

“On the day of the empress’s death, it wasn’t suicide but murder.”

His gaze began to waver as he looked into Blair’s eyes, clouded with the aftermath of her returned memories.

Due to the emotions of that day being suppressed by the return of her memories, Blair continued her explanation.

“…And rather than trying to kill me, you protected me.”

“…”

“I’m sorry. It’s too late…”

Guilt for having turned away from the truth for ten years and the weight of not saving Esmeralda pressed heavily on her chest.

Her exhausted eyes were dry, but her voice carried an unmistakable tremor.

“Then, was going to the palace that night because of those memories?”

Hesitating for a moment at his question, Blair finally confessed.

“…Actually, yesterday, Lady Loreleine and I attempted hypnosis.”

At the revelation that she had conducted hypnosis without his permission, Herdin’s expression stiffened.

But the tired Blair continued without noticing his reaction.

“The hypnosis didn’t work, but at night, I had a dream. It wasn’t about the day of the accident but a memory of seeing the empress hiding something in the bedroom someday.”

“So, you went to find that on that night?”

“Yes. I thought I should return before Mother noticed. Then… the memories of that day came back in the burning villa.”

“…”

“…In the end, I lost the documents, too.”

The look of self-reproach in Blair’s eyes, weakly cast down, had an impact.

If it were someone else, they might have criticized her for escalating the situation like this.

But at least he couldn’t blame her.

He knew better than anyone who had driven this woman, who had been bedridden for days after a single hypnosis, to this point.

“Even though it was dark, I could only see the front part of the document. But, at least that…”

“Blair.”

Herdin gently interrupted Blair, who was spinning her story like a person chased by something.
The woman who had just escaped death did not force the unknown document story upon herself.

For now, it was enough as it is.

That you are breathing in front of me, speaking well, just that alone.

Herdin, seeing Blair’s face filled with guilt, apology towards him, and an undeniable fatigue during such a moment, covered her face with his hands.

“Just rest for now. I’ll look into the documents.”

Feeling his gentle hand touching her face, Blair blinked slowly, then lowered her heavy eyelids. Her tired body quickly surrendered to slumber.

Herdin, listening to Blair’s even breaths, observed her peacefully sleeping figure.

She had found the memories of the accident.

With this, it seemed like she was one step closer to the truth she had desperately wished for over the past ten years.

However, for some reason, rather than a relieved heart, an uncomfortable feeling lingered.

After silently guarding Blair for a while, Herdin quietly got up and left the room. Ruth, who was waiting outside the room, approached.

“Those guys?”

“I’ve put them in the underground prison.”

The two of them came to the underground prison outside the Duke’s mansion. The knight commander, who was waiting at the entrance, gave a salute.

Ignoring the greeting with a nod, they went down to the underground, and Ruth handed Herdin a pair of leather gloves.

Putting on the gloves, Herdin entered the prison.

Inside, the man who had kidnapped Blair was bound in chains. His body showed numerous small and large wounds, suggesting he hadn’t been treated kindly.

Upon seeing Herdin, the man seemed frightened, and the sound of the chains that bound him echoed in the air.

It was understandable; the man facing him exuded overwhelming intimidation, enough to kill with just his gaze.

“Hello.”

His voice, flowing through his sharp teeth, was sweet. In a creepy way.

Herdin, brushing his eye-catching bangs casually, took a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.

Exhaling smoke, he spoke.

“I feel quite dog-like right now.”

“…”

“Most of the time, it would be nice if you answered when asked.”

The man swallowed his saliva nervously. It instinctively indicated that his words were not mere bragging.

“Who are you?”