The Duke Only Needs My Child (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 18
Heading toward the direction from which the sound came, Blair spotted Herdin vomiting in a corner of the garden.
Blair hurried over to Herdin.
“Are you okay—”
But just as she reached out to pat his back, Herdin roughly shoved her away.
“Get lost!”
Struck by Herdin’s emotionally charged push, Blair helplessly toppled backward with a thud.
Though her bruised backside throbbed from the fall, she was more shocked by the situation than by the pain. No one had ever shown her such clear hostility before.
Though the whole scene felt bewildering, concern for Herdin outweighed her confusion. Blinking dazedly for a moment, Blair sprang quickly to her feet.
“Are you alright?”
Herdin’s eyes flickered momentarily upon seeing Blair on the ground, but soon hardened again into icy coldness—and he spoke even more harshly.
“Didn’t you hear me tell you to get lost?”
All courtesy toward the princess had long since vanished.
Herdin took another threatening step closer to Blair and spat out his words bitterly.
“If you don’t want to die, then get lost.”
His voice carried unmistakable murderous intent.
Blair instinctively flinched at this unfamiliar killing aura—but the moment she looked into his eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to run away. No, she didn’t even want to.
Despite his harsh words, the boy’s distorted blue eyes somehow looked unbearably lonely.
Suddenly, Esmeralda’s words from yesterday came to mind.
“To be honest, Herdin isn’t exactly an affectionate child. He carries many emotional wounds, so he’s awkward when dealing with people.”
Indeed, Herdin was neither warm nor kind, just as she’d said—and certainly not the good person Blair had once pretended he was.
But still….
“He’s not a bad person either.”
He was simply a boy struggling to bear the weight of his lingering sorrow.
“Wait just a moment!”
Blair, who had been staring up intently at Herdin, suddenly remembered something and dashed straight back into the banquet hall, returning moments later in a hurry with her belongings.
She’d been taught that running about so clumsily wasn’t ladylike—but Blair was in too much of a rush, just like when she’d dash off to fetch food for the stray cat in the backyard.
“Hah… hah….”
When she returned to the garden, Herdin was nowhere to be seen.
After searching around, Blair finally found him on the opposite side of the wall where he’d first been. Herdin sat slumped against it, his face buried in his knees.
‘Is he feeling very unwell?’
Remembering how he’d been retching earlier, Blair worried she should have brought medicine instead, and approached him anxiously.
At that moment, a sigh escaped Herdin, followed by the rough voice typical of an adolescent boy.
“…Why did you come back again?”
Though clearly annoyed, this time his tone was deliberately polite.
Before he could push her away again, Blair quickly placed the item she’d brought onto his outstretched hand resting on his knee.
“I’ll lend you this.”
Only then did Herdin lift his head to look at what he now held—a fluffy ear muff made of rabbit fur.
“It’s a rabbit-fur ear muff. When you wear it, sounds aren’t as loud.”
These ear muffs might at least partially block out those murmuring voices. And since it was winter, no one would think it odd to see someone wearing ear muffs.
“And they’re warm—super soft, too.”
The rabbit-fur ear muffs were wonderfully plush. Their texture was so pleasant she always wanted to keep touching them—and doing so usually lifted her mood.
‘Maybe they’ll cheer up the Duke, too.’
Just as Herdin stared incredulously between the ear muffs and Blair’s sparkling eyes, about to say something—
“Your Highness! Are you here?”
A maid’s voice called out, searching for Blair.
Hearing approaching footsteps, Blair jumped up immediately. If Herdin’s hiding place were discovered, all his efforts to act composed at the banquet tonight would be ruined.
“I’ll keep today’s incident a secret.”
Leaving Herdin behind, Blair quickly rounded the corner and hurried toward the maid. Though her hand felt oddly empty without the ear muffs, her heart felt light.
That night, as always before sleep, Blair made a wish.
Please let Mother love me.
Please let Mother and Her Majesty the Empress become close.
To her usual daily wishes, she added one extra wish that day—for someone else.
Even though I dislike that person who steals the Empress’s attention…
‘Still… please let Duke Delmarque be happy.’
[This is the timeline separator]“So Her Majesty the late Empress arranged your first meeting with your husband and the Duke?”
Though the story had nothing to do with her personally, Agnes listened attentively to Blair’s tale with genuine interest.
All Blair had told Agnes was that she’d played cards with him the day before New Year’s Day and that Herdin had attended the banquet—that was it. She hadn’t mentioned how he’d fled the banquet that night.
It was ancient history now, and even if someone learned today that he’d run away that evening, no one could possibly mock the man he’d become.
Because today’s Herdin was the Empire’s greatest knight and a war hero.
Yet even if that night’s secret no longer mattered, she didn’t want his wounds turned into gossip for others.
“A bond formed since childhood culminating in marriage—what a romantic story.”
“Do you think so?”
“Of course. It’s the kind of tale every young girl dreams of once. And the other party being a Duke, no less… though of course, it was your love that completed the romance.”
Blair looked at Agnes questioningly, unsure what she meant.
“Because you’re the one who kept that memory. There must have been plenty of other memories from New Year’s Day, yet you recall things centered around the Duke, don’t you?”
Blair’s eyes blinked slowly in surprise at Agnes’s words—it was a perspective she’d never considered before.
Agnes smiled gently and said,
“It seems you love the Duke very much, my lady.”
Blair mulled over those words blankly, then gave a faint smile.
Yes, she had loved him—once. Perhaps, as Agnes suggested, she’d been drawn to him since that New Year’s Day.
But not anymore.
Yet as the Duke’s wife, she couldn’t very well tell a stranger outright that she no longer loved him. Still, there was one thing she could say with certainty…
“…I loved that time.”
That version of herself who had adored him so purely—the era when that feeling hadn’t yet become a sin.
Agnes nodded in understanding at Blair’s words.
“Memories of happy moments can sometimes give us strength to live our whole lives. I hope this year’s New Year’s Day brings you another such memory.”
This year’s New Year’s Day was something Blair had already experienced once before.
‘Now that I think about it… what actually happened at this year’s New Year’s Day?’
As Blair tried to recall past events, she froze.
Only then did she remember: before her regression, there had been an accident during the New Year’s Day festivities around this time.
[This is the timeline separator]That night, Blair paced restlessly around her room, absentmindedly touching her lips—haunted by sudden memories of New Year’s Day before her regression.
Before her regression, an accident had occurred around this time during New Year’s Day.
A monster had appeared in the Imperial hunting grounds, where heads of noble houses and their spouses had gone to procure offerings for the gods.
Blair hadn’t immediately recalled the incident because she’d been sick with a cold and hadn’t attended the New Year’s celebration that day.
All she’d known was what Rina had told her the next morning after her fever broke.
Herdin, who’d been present, had slain the monster—there were some injuries, but no deaths. Herdin himself had returned drenched in the beast’s blood, though thankfully unharmed.
‘What should I do…?’
If events unfolded exactly as before, everything would pass without issue—but what if her prior interference altered the course of events? Or worse, what if trying to prevent it only made things go wrong?
Countless possibilities churned chaotically in Blair’s mind. She couldn’t tell what the right choice was.
Above all, she hesitated to reveal future events because she had no plausible way to explain how she knew.
Except by saying she’d regressed through time.
Would Herdin really believe such an absurd, fantastical story about traveling back from the future?
‘But he believed me about Rina’s incident.’
Without asking or questioning anything, he’d protected her and punished the maids.
So maybe… just maybe, he’d believe her this time too—even though this story was infinitely more ridiculous than Rina’s.
But even if he didn’t believe her, she still had to tell him.
Generally speaking, knowing about an impending event and preparing for it yielded better outcomes than remaining completely unaware.
By now, Herdin should have returned home.
After much deliberation, Blair went to Herdin’s room—but received no answer despite knocking several times.
‘Could he already be asleep?’
He wasn’t usually one to sleep so early, but considering tomorrow’s schedule, it was possible.
Just as she stood there debating whether to return to her own room—
“What brings you here at this hour?”
Turning toward the voice, Blair met Herdin’s gaze. He stood leaning casually against the wall, arms crossed, watching her.
He appeared freshly bathed, dressed in a loose nightgown.
The moment their eyes met—his blue eyes shadowed in darkness—she felt as though she’d locked gazes with a predator watching its prey.
“…There’s something I absolutely must tell you.”
Blair’s cheeks flushed red from the cold night air as she spoke with solemn urgency. Herdin stared at her silently for a moment, then stepped into his room.
Blair followed him inside. The warmly heated air of the bedroom melted the chill from her body.
Herdin strode across the room in wide steps, took a sip of whiskey, then turned to face her.
“Well then—what is it you need to say?”
“Tomorrow, a monster will appear in the hunting grounds. I think it’d be best to scout the area beforehand and prevent it.”
Frowning at this unexpected claim, Herdin asked,
“Where did you hear that?”
It was the reaction she’d anticipated.
After a brief hesitation, Blair carefully began,
“I… can see the future.”
Herdin stared at her for a moment as she laid out this absurd tale, then let out a dry laugh. He recalled what Ruth had said about Blair visiting the guild a few nights ago.
Why would she come to him in the dead of night with such nonsense? What hidden motive lay behind that innocent-looking face?
The mocking smile faded from Herdin’s lips, leaving only cold, sharp eyes.
“So you expect me to believe that.”
“It may sound utterly ridiculous, but there’s no harm in taking precautions ahead of time…”
Blair’s words trailed off as she saw him suddenly stride right up to her. Instinctively, she took a step back under his chilling presence.
Herdin pulled her waist toward him, blocking her retreat.
“Her—”
Startled, she tried to push him away—but his lips hovered just above hers, close enough that any slight movement would make them touch.
Stopping at that distance, Herdin whispered,
“Then guess what I’ll do next.”
His ice-blue eyes pierced into her like daggers.
An Indifferent Woman is the One Men Desire the Most
One-line summary: The female lead is actually cold-hearted and extremely rational. She has stage-by-stage relationships and won’t two-time, but there will always be someone who secretly likes her.
This novel has the following triggers, so if you’re sensitive to these, please don’t read:
1. The female lead has had many relationships, but she treated each one seriously and broke up properly.
It’s just that the men unilaterally pestered her incessantly. For the female lead, when she doesn’t like someone anymore, she simply doesn’t like them.
(This applies to her relationships with Male Lead 1, 2, 3, and 4 as well, but she’s loyal in each 1-on-1 relationship!)
2. In this novel, Male Lead 2 and the female lead kiss in a car, and Male Lead 1 sees it and beats up Male Lead 2.
The female lead calls the police and sends both Male Lead 1 and 2 to the police station! Male Lead 1 begs the female lead not to break up with him.
3. Male Lead 1 has a gentle appearance but an obsessive personality.
Male Lead 2 has a delicate and soft appearance, slightly green tea-like (two-faced).
Male Lead 3 is a youthful college student and a smart person who has secretly liked the female lead for a long time.
Male Lead 4 is the female lead’s father’s special assistant, a business elite with deep, hidden thoughts.
4. At the beginning of this novel, the female lead has already broken up with Male Lead 1 (Chapter 4) and gotten back together with Male Lead 2 (ex-boyfriend).
5. Enter with caution if you have triggers!!!
MANGA DISCUSSION
8 Comments
Chapter Comments (922)
man was so worried about his wife but still chose to treat her like that
She misses her child dearly 😢 its so sad watching her suffer 😭
That could be the case for the most part. But there might be a semblance of worry considering they do have a bit of shared history
Inline Comments (5526)
As the knight stood helplessly unsure what to do, Herdin, having overheard their
He is soo annoyed by her, but still takes care of her each time, I don’t know, it feels like she was her love in the child hood, but because she didn’t help him,he grew to hate her, but still that love and care resides in him
“…Still, this little one’s mother would have wanted it to live, however it could
She is talking about herself, the her from previous life who ran away from her son’s room so that her child was not harmed, she let herself be stabbed for the same
He deliberately chose crude words to provoke her—to crush whatever illusion she
Yesss, her motherly instincts are on point, I was soo sad when I knew there was a baby nearby, hope they both find solace in each other’s company
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Hari_zumboe
BRO! She could’ve said anything other than “I can see into the future.” LITERALLY!!! I had to stop reading and go outside from the level of embarrassment. 😭
VKotaku28
Step back !!!!!!!!
Luciasss
Herdin, it’s really difficult, I hope Blair doesn’t treat him badly.
cillaa cillaa
blair kasihan bnget, mending sama aku aj sini, dari pada sma hedrin yang ad nyakitin mulu
Tita Skz01
I hope they can communicate better now that they’re adults 🤏 I’m hopeful they will.
Vasundra Devi SK
That gave me second hand embarrassment 🤦♀️🤦♀️ Girl you seriously