The Duke Only Needs My Child (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 13
Herdin stared at his hand, swallowed a sigh, and rose from his seat.
“…Rest.”
Contract. Contract. Contract.
Judging by how she kept bringing up the contract every time she opened her mouth, his fake wife seemed determined to stake everything on that one-year agreement.
He couldn’t understand why that fact—already set in stone even before their marriage—suddenly hit him so hard now, or why it irritated him so much.
Herdin irritably swept back his bangs and stepped out of the room. Ruth was waiting outside.
“Get rid of that hypnotist.”
At his master’s quietly spoken command, Ruth’s eyes widened in shock.
“Huh? But you said to keep her on?”
“Find a new one. She seems like a quack.”
Herdin brushed past Ruth and headed back toward his study, adding,
“And tell that maid from the Imperial Palace to come to my study.”
Recalling the ‘maid’ Herdin meant, Ruth’s expression hardened involuntarily.
That woman, who always watched everyone in the ducal residence with fierce hostility in her eyes—he’d never exchanged a word with her, yet her gaze alone made him reluctant to approach.
“W-why her?”
At Ruth’s question, Herdin’s cold gaze snapped back.
A servant never questioned his master’s orders.
“…I shall obey.”
Ruth bowed deeply—an unusual gesture for him—and departed.
[This is the timeline separator]Suddenly summoned to Herdin’s study, Rina fidgeted with her fingers, staring fixedly at his desk.
Even with that famously handsome face right before her—something other maids would gawk at mindlessly whenever they passed by.
But it was understandable; she had absolutely no idea why he’d called for her so abruptly.
The only thought that came to mind was the absurd suspicion: ‘Could he have overheard me cursing him in my head?!’
But there was no need to be afraid.
After all, the one at fault was the duke who’d abandoned his bride on their wedding night—not her, who’d served Blair faithfully.
Just as Rina straightened her hunched, nervous posture, Herdin removed the cigar from his mouth and spoke.
“I hear you’ve served my wife for quite some time.”
Contrary to her earlier resolve not to be intimidated, Rina jumped in surprise and stammered,
“Y-yes! That’s right.”
“Is the reason you don’t light the fireplace in her room because Blair is afraid of fire?”
On their wedding night, Blair’s room had no fire lit in the hearth—not even on a day cold enough for snow. Back then, he’d assumed she simply disliked stuffy air.
But the moment he saw Blair suffering after today’s hypnosis dredged up those memories, it suddenly clicked.
“Ah, yes. So whenever she’s not in the room, I warm it up, but turn it off when she’s present. She seems fine as long as she doesn’t get too close, but still appears uncomfortable.”
“Because of the incident ten years ago?”
“I believe so. She’s never spoken of it directly, but…”
“And the constant coughing?”
“Yes. I was told her respiratory system weakened as an aftereffect of the accident.”
So that was it, just as he’d suspected.
Herdin’s lips twisted at the confirmation.
“You may go.”
After Rina left, Herdin heard the study door close behind her.
As he unconsciously reached again for his cigar, Blair’s cough suddenly echoed in his mind.
So did her dazed, tear-filled eyes as she’d looked at him just moments ago.
With an irritated sigh, he set the cigar back down and closed his eyes restlessly, leaning back in his chair.
The sunlight filtering through his eyelids reminded him of her fine platinum hair—and it annoyed him.
[This is the timeline separator]The next day, Blair fell ill with a fever.
“Sometimes, when people suffer a great shock, their immune systems weaken, causing them to fall sick. It seems Lady Blair’s case fits this pattern.”
The physician gave this diagnosis and left.
Upon hearing the news, Herdin came and looked at the sleeping Blair with an exasperated expression.
How could a person be so frail?
By nature, a woman’s body was inevitably weaker than a man’s.
Yet even accounting for that, his wife seemed far below the average standard of health for an ordinary person.
“Call me if you need anything.”
Noticing Herdin showed no sign of leaving immediately, Rina quietly slipped out of the room.
He watched Blair sleep, unmoving.
Amidst the peaceful scene, the delicate woman lying there looked deeply distressed—her slightly parted crimson lips emitting shallow, labored breaths.
After standing guard for a while, Herdin approached the bedside and pressed the back of his hand against her fever-flushed cheek.
Her breath, escaping between lips that barely brushed his skin, still carried warmth—but it was clearly better than before.
The fever-reducing medicine seemed to be working.
Just as Herdin gently withdrew his hand with a soft sigh,
“…El.”
A faint voice seeped into the silence.
Herdin stared at the lips from which the whisper had emerged. Blair’s delicate brows furrowed in pain, and her small lips moved weakly.
“Asiel…”
The pitiful voice, uttered with a sob, scattered through the quiet room. His hand, about to pull away, froze.
Hearing that unfamiliar name slip from her lips, he suddenly recalled Blair’s constant fixation on their “contract.”
Only now did her behavior finally make sense.
Asiel.
Apparently, the name of a beloved lover—someone she longed to meet even in dreams, someone worth enduring those horrific memories just to fulfill their contract.
So her claim of not believing in love had been a lie all along, merely to conceal her true motive.
Was she hiding that precious lover’s existence so thoroughly out of fear he’d expose it to the entire world?
Herdin let out a dry laugh and stood up.
Though his earlier casual hypothesis now took shape, it mattered little to him who that reckless fool was—someone foolish enough to pursue a forbidden romance with an imperial princess.
Yet the name slipping from her lips still grated on him—likely because he found her deception contemptible.
And perhaps also because that name happened to belong to a Delmarque ancestor.
Herdin left the room immediately.
Ruth, who had just come looking for him, flinched at the sight of his master. Though Herdin always wore a cold expression, right now he seemed colder than ever.
Caught off guard by that aura, Ruth hesitated—but Herdin spoke first.
“What is it?”
“Baroness Cionel sent a catalog.”
Baroness Cionel was widely acknowledged as Ardelle’s finest dressmaker. Though born a commoner, her talent had earned her the late Empress Katrina’s recognition—and even a noble title.
Herdin had planned to summon her to the ducal residence today to design Blair’s formal attire for the upcoming New Year’s Ceremony, but Blair’s illness had disrupted those plans.
The servant sent to deliver the news had returned instead with the catalog.
Herdin took the catalog Ruth offered him.
“She asked that you select fabrics first, so she can secure rare materials in advance.”
Opening the catalog revealed small fabric swatches neatly pasted inside, each accompanied by tiny notes detailing the material’s pros, cons, and price.
Herdin closed the catalog and handed it back to Ruth.
“Tell her to secure fabrics good for warmth—anything will do.”
For the Duke of Delmarque, whose wealth rivaled the imperial treasury, fabric prices were never a concern.
[This is the timeline separator]Several days later, once Blair’s condition improved, Herdin brought in a new hypnotist.
She appeared to be in her mid-thirties, with a gentle demeanor, and claimed to hail from a vassal family of the Delmarque dukedom.
Introducing herself as “Agnes Lorelain,” the woman explained her plan to Blair.
“People who lose memories due to severe trauma often suppress those memories further if forced to recall them too abruptly.”
Agnes continued, her face softened by a gentle smile directed at Blair.
“So rather than rushing to retrieve your memories, I’d like to start by slowly making you comfortable with the memories from that time.”
“How?”
“For now, once a week, would you join me for tea and share stories from your childhood? Any story will do.”
Blair faced Agnes with her usual composed expression, though beneath the table, her fingers fidgeted with her dress.
Agnes’s proposed method wouldn’t allow quick access to the memories.
There was only one reason Blair was so desperate to recover those specific memories: no matter what, she had to retrieve them before conceiving Asiel.
If she failed to end this contract marriage before becoming pregnant, Herdin would inevitably discover her condition.
Moreover, attempting memory recovery always caused her physical pain—making it impossible once she was pregnant.
She had barely half a year left until Asiel’s conception.
It was already a tight schedule to wrap up everything here and prepare to leave.
Lost in thought, Blair remained silent, her fingers tracing the rim of her teacup without responding.
As if reading Blair’s mind, Agnes added,
“Don’t be impatient. I promise I’ll help you recover your memories. Just relax, trust me, and follow my lead.”
There was an undeniable strength in her gentle eyes.
Could she really share personal stories so easily with a stranger?
Though reluctant, Blair found herself unable to refuse Agnes’s offer—for some inexplicable reason.
“Alright.”
Seeing Blair finally nod agreeably, Agnes smiled warmly.
“I look forward to hearing your stories. Through them, I’ll learn another life’s worth of wisdom.”
Just as the two were finalizing their next tea appointment, a presence stirred behind them.
Male lead is a clingy little husband
One-line summary: The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
Introduction:
One day, Lu Yuner’s soul transmigrates into a female-dominant world. She enters the Imperial Academy and takes up the position of a doctoral instructor, teaching classes and grading schoolwork.
One day, she encounters the young prince Su Qingwan secretly skipping class from the male academy.
As a result, Su Qingwan is punished.
From then on, Su Qingwan sees Lu Yuner as a “thorn in his side”.
But before long, this “thorn” becomes the person he cherishes most, and he goes to great lengths to win Lu Yuner’s affection.
Mini scene 1:
One day, the sun is high in the sky but Su Qingwan still hasn’t gotten up for class.
Servant Xiaoyuan: “Young prince, it’s time for class. You’ll be late otherwise.”
Su Qingwan says arrogantly: “I’m not going. I am the esteemed prince, my status is so noble, why should I suffer this hardship? Besides, isn’t learning all this just to please women? Hmph, they’re not worthy!”
Mini scene 2:
After Su Qingwan falls for someone, he completely changes. He no longer skips class and diligently learns how to be a good husband and father. But he discovers that Sister Yuner is always surrounded by admirers.
Drunk and overcome with jealousy one day, he clings to Lu Yuner, crying beautifully like a pear blossom in the rain.
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan likes Sister Yuner.”
Lu Yuner: “Young prince, you’re drunk.”
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan isn’t drunk. Qingwan likes Sister Yuner, likes you so much, likes you to bits…” Before he can finish, Lu Yuner’s eyes flash with emotion and she leans in closer.
[Reading Guide]
1. The female lead is gentle, gracious, humble and polite but not weak. The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
2. 1v1, a bit torturous in the beginning but definitely sweet later on.
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MANGA DISCUSSION
3 Comments
Chapter Comments (949)
rina is so loyal,she deserves the best good for blair
Read the novel after I read the webtoon, now I’m excited how Mikhail would look like in the webtoon 🤤
Hear me out, Mikhail is kinda HOT! No… HE IS HOT!!
Inline Comments (5588)
Before anyone could intervene, Blair struck the maid across the cheek. The blow
Yeah girl, defend your person from these idiots who do not have even a bit sense within them
Slap!
it’s so so satisfying that she’s fighting back instead of being a doormat, more!!
That the issue of Rina’s three-year-long torment from her past life had been res
yeah i would resent him even more, they really had to suffer in the past for what
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AKUMA is an akuma
Asiel is your son you worthless worm
Lemons
I think for this sentence, did we mesn the late Empress Esmeralda?:
Though born a commoner, her talent had earned her the late Empress Katrina’s recognition—and even a noble title.
debban23
everyone is hating herdin but give him a break,he does not know it