The Duke Only Needs My Child (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 129

Wednesday afternoons were reserved for attending Esmeralda’s tea time.

As usual, Herdin arrived to meet her, only to find an uninvited guest clinging tightly to her side.

The uninvited guest, upon seeing Herdin, greeted him with an expression of delight so shameless it bordered on impudence.

“See you again, Duke Delmarque.”

Ever since the incident with Blair during the New Year’s Festival, they’d frequently crossed paths whenever he visited the Empress’s palace.

At first, their encounters had been sporadic, but at some point, like a ghost, the intruder began appearing every Wednesday without fail, claiming a seat at the tea table. By now, the uninvited guest felt more like a regular attendee than a trespasser.

Though Herdin was irritated by the Princess’s oddly familiar behavior toward him since the festival, he chose to tolerate the uninvited guest.

Esmeralda adored the Princess dearly, and besides, Herdin didn’t entirely dislike the cheerful chatter that filled the otherwise quiet tea time in place of his own taciturn presence.

But the moment Esmeralda excused herself briefly for an important matter, that voice fell abruptly silent.

Herdin paid it no mind and began reading the book he’d brought along. Blair, in turn, opened a book as well.

Only the sound of turning pages filled the silence between them—or rather, only the sound of Herdin’s pages turning.

Herdin sensed Blair glancing furtively at him over the open book but pretended not to notice.

The Princess’s cautious gaze would land on him, then drop quickly to her book. Realizing she hadn’t turned a page in a while, she’d hurriedly flip one over. The sight amused him.

Yet even after a long while, the Princess couldn’t bring herself to speak to him—though it was obvious she wanted to.

‘At this rate, dawn will break before she says a word.’

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