The Duke Only Needs My Child (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 19
“Is it difficult? This much is very simple.”
His cold gaze and mocking voice tore past Blair. Her eyes, fixed on him, wavered.
‘…You don’t trust me.’
His sincerity struck her more clearly than ever before.
She’d been mistaken.
He had only taken her side in Rina’s matter because he couldn’t tolerate the servants’ arrogance—not because he cared for her as his wife. Insulting her, his wife, was no different from insulting him.
How foolish she felt for having expected otherwise.
Blair lowered her eyes, avoiding his gaze. Her eyelashes trembled faintly as she slowly closed and reopened them.
She pushed against his chest and pulled herself out of his embrace.
“…I’m sorry. I was dreaming.”
Her barely uttered voice trembled uncontrollably. Without another word, Blair turned and left the room.
Herdin watched her retreating figure through the closing door and drained the rest of his whiskey in one gulp.
The liquor burned like swallowing fire on an empty stomach.
[This is the timeline separator]Hoofbeats echoed through the quiet winter forest.
Startled mountain birds took flight. Their sudden movement alone shook loose thick layers of pristine snow from the trees, sending it fluttering down.
This year’s winter hunt was proceeding smoothly as usual.
Each noble house hunted separately within the imperial hunting grounds to procure the first sacrificial offering to the gods—a key ritual of the New Year’s festival.
Unlike other hunts, the winter hunt wasn’t a collective effort; each family conducted their own.
Since more valuable offerings were believed to please the gods more, nobles subtly competed to secure better game—making it, in effect, a matter of family honor.
As a competition between houses, even noble ladies and young misses were exceptionally permitted to ride alongside their husbands and families. Blair was among them.
Herdin’s eyes, scanning the snowy field for game, shifted toward Blair trailing behind him. Seeing her cheeks flushed from the cold, yesterday’s memory flashed through his mind.
‘A monster will appear at tomorrow’s hunt.’
If that were true, then a monster should be appearing here today. Yet she, who supposedly knew this, had willingly followed him into such a dangerous place—it seemed strange.
‘What on earth is she thinking?’
Herdin let out a quiet sigh and called over the captain of the Delmarque knights riding behind him.
“Kyle.”
Hearing his call, the knight urged his horse closer.
“Ensure the Duchess’s protection is flawless.”
“Understood, my lord.”
The captain signaled to his subordinates with a glance toward Blair, relaying Herdin’s order. The knights immediately moved to surround her.
Behind Herdin, a small cough sounded. His brow furrowed at the noise, and his eyes grew busier as they scanned the white expanse for prey.
It was then that a beast’s cry rang out from afar.
Squeee!
It sounded like a wild boar.
Amid the rustle of startled birds taking flight, Blair gasped sharply in surprise.
But the boar’s cries didn’t stop after one sound—they kept coming. Someone was repeatedly shooting arrows without landing a clean kill. The noise irritated him.
Foolish brat. How many arrows are you wasting on just one beast?
Just as Herdin sneered at the unknown, incompetent archer, a knight urgently shouted,
“My lord! A white marten over there!”
Where the knight pointed, a marten wandered across the snowy field.
Marten fur was expensive—and white marten fur was the most valuable of all. Such a prize would certainly suffice as an offering to the gods.
Without hesitation, Herdin drew his bow and shot the marten.
The arrow pierced it precisely, splattering its blood across the white snow.
After confirming the marten lay still, Herdin turned his horse to leave—but then noticed a hollow in an old tree.
Dismounting, he approached and saw inside a newborn marten pup, its eyes not yet open.
‘…There was a pup.’
Herdin drew a dagger from his coat. At that moment, Blair’s voice came from behind him.
“Herdin… what are you doing?”
“Without its mother to care for it, it won’t survive long before becoming prey. It’s kinder to let it die with its mother now.”
“No!”
Blair hastily dismounted and grabbed his dagger-wielding hand. Herdin’s brow tightened.
“What are you doing?”
“It might survive.”
“A blind, nursing pup in this winter, when even finding food is hard?”
“Even if it’s destined to die soon, as you say, that doesn’t make it mercy. Living even one more day is better.”
Herdin gave a dry laugh. Was this naive optimism or hypocrisy? Either way, it was exactly the sort he despised.
“Do you really think it’ll feel that way while being chewed alive by wolves?”
He deliberately chose crude words to provoke her—to crush whatever illusion she clung to, whether optimism or pretense. But…
“I’ll raise it myself.”
The woman who usually yielded to his will without resistance now stood firm against him, her eyes sharper than ever.
She looked just like a mother protecting her young. The sight displeased him.
What was this insignificant creature worth, anyway?
“Well, I wonder if it would even want to be taken in by someone who stood by while its mother died.”
Herdin replied mockingly, reminding her of her own position.
If even such a lowly creature possessed thoughts and feelings, it would surely prefer death over being raised by its enemy—just as he loathed the imperial family and his false wife among them.
Blair, understanding his implication, briefly twisted her expression but ultimately refused to back down.
She gazed solemnly at the mother marten’s corpse being collected by the knights and spoke softly.
“…Still, this little one’s mother would have wanted it to live, however it could.”
At that moment, one of the knights—who had been watching his lord and lady’s tense exchange with an awkward expression—hesitantly interjected.
“Ah… my lord. Perhaps it wouldn’t be bad to raise it as the Duchess suggests. Since it’s a white marten, we could always skin it later for its fur…”
The knight, trying to support her, fell silent only after receiving Blair’s scornful glare, realizing he’d misspoken.
Herdin sighed quietly, withdrew his hand from Blair’s grasp, and turned away.
Understanding his silent consent, Blair carefully lifted the pup from its nest. Even this tiny life, smaller than her palm, radiated clear warmth.
The blind pup whimpered pitifully, as if searching for its mother. The sound choked her throat.
‘What happened to Asiel after I died?’
Only then did she remember Asiel, left utterly alone after her death.
Bandits might have killed the child afterward. Even if he survived by chance, he would have been nothing but a thorn in Herdin’s side—the man who loved Miera.
Either outcome clearly meant no happy ending for the child.
Strangely enough, she hated him even more now.
Blair, watching Herdin’s retreating back, snapped back to attention at the marten’s cries. She removed her glove and gently placed the pup inside.
One of the knights watching offered his hand.
“My lady, let me take it. Please mount your horse first.”
“No. I’ll carry it myself.”
“But in that state, riding will be difficult—and dangerous…”
“I’ll walk.”
Despite the knight’s concerned words, Blair remained unmoved.
As the knight stood helplessly unsure what to do, Herdin, having overheard their exchange, led his horse over.
He strode up, lifted Blair effortlessly, and seated her on his steed.
“Herdin…?”
Startled by his sudden action, Blair blinked in surprise.
Herdin immediately mounted behind her and ordered the knight,
“Please take care of the Duchess’s horse.”
Since Blair’s hands were occupied, he wrapped one arm firmly around her waist to steady her, while guiding the reins with his other hand and slowly urging the horse forward.
Though his frosty eyes stared straight ahead, ignoring her, the arm holding her remained resolute—as if determined never to let go.
Blair, watching his averted face, lowered her head.
She ought to thank him for willingly enduring this inconvenience for her sake, but hearing the baby marten’s sorrowful whimpers, no words would come.
Amid it all, she found it absurd that this cold man’s embrace felt warm—and that instinctively, she felt safe within it.
Winter wind swept silently past the two. When Blair coughed lightly, Herdin pulled the fur-lined hood of her cloak over her head.
“If monsters are supposed to appear, why did you follow me here? You could have stayed behind.”
He seemed less mocking than simply displeased that she’d joined the hunt at all.
‘Now that you mention it…’
No monster had appeared yet. Though birds occasionally took flight from distant parts of the forest, no screams had been heard.
‘Since I’ve already changed the past by accompanying the hunt today, perhaps the future has changed too?’
If so, she shouldn’t keep doubting—it was best to stick to calling it just a dream.
As Blair resolved to answer Herdin accordingly, something moved between the conifers.
Her eyes began to tremble violently as she spotted it.
Peering through the trees was a massive eye.
In that instant, the eye shifted—and locked gazes with Blair. A chill ran down her spine.
Top Celebrity Younger Brother Bears Her Child (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: Forced to live stream romance with a top celebrity in a female-dominant world.
Yan Jin transmigrated into a brothel, with a fellow transmigrated junior beside her.
Hearing the obscene words coming from outside, the unfortunate junior covered his ears tightly, his cheeks flushed red, and whispered to comfort her, “Don’t worry, I will definitely help you escape.”
“Don’t worry, I will definitely defend your chastity.” Yan Jin looked at the flawless and delicate features of the unfortunate junior and gently comforted, “Because we have transmigrated into a female-dominant world.”
※※※
Top celebrity Yu Shu suddenly fell into a coma during a concert.
Research scientist Yan Jin fainted in the lab after working overtime.
Two people with no connection were rushed to the same hospital.
Three days later, neither of them had woken up.
Suddenly, the entire nation discovered that a live streaming app had been forcibly installed on their phones.
Upon opening it, they heard the two discussing how to escape from the brothel.
The entire internet was in an uproar.
After the two successfully escaped from the brothel, Yu Shu’s fan group rushed to make a banner and sent it to the hospital overnight.
“Big sister bravely took action to defend the chastity of our idol!”
※※※
When Yu Shu was diagnosed with pregnancy, Yan Jin stared at his belly for a long time.
Covering his stomach, he muttered gloomily, “If you don’t like it, I’ll go get an abortion.”
“It’s not that I don’t like it.” Yan Jin hugged Yu Shu and said softly, “I just feel like I’m not human.”
Yu Shu comforted Yan Jin, “I was already an adult when we got together.”
Yan Jin hesitated, “But you won’t be of legal marriageable age even after giving birth to the child.”
At the same time, a flood of bullet comments appeared in the live streaming room that the two couldn’t see.
[Although it’s inappropriate, I also want a young and handsome boyfriend to have my child.]
①Male pregnancy (highlighted)
The female lead is five years older than the male lead, and the male lead is already an adult when he appears.
MANGA DISCUSSION
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Chapter Comments (912)
I feel so bad for her, she suffered so much yet is so caring. I hope she leaves him for good
Even though, he’s doing his job (as he should) to ensure her well-being; her body still probably maintains the muscle memory of when she was murdered in her first life.
So he can know the future too, hope he gets his memories back and suffer because of it.
Inline Comments (5501)
Meanwhile, as the snow settled, their blurred vision gradually cleared. Beyond i
Waahhh…. It’s the first time I found a cyclops in a fantasy manhwa
Meanwhile, as the snow settled, their blurred vision gradually cleared. Beyond i
I have heard about cyclops a lot since I have read pjo but it’s the first time in fantasy manhwa plus in pjo it was a creature of sea here I don’t know
Locking eyes with the cyclops, Blair froze instantly. Having spotted them, the c
Here it comes !! He didn’t believe her, and now he can see that she was right, and I think some more instances will make him belive the lie that she can see the future, for now maybe he will think it was her trick or something
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Whatever
man was so worried about his wife but still chose to treat her like that
debban23
here comes the monsters,its not a dream,believe blair
Vasundra Devi SK
She misses her child dearly 😢 its so sad watching her suffer 😭
New Comers
Does this mean if she conceive a child it wouldnt be aisel since she changed the past by now
Adxlotus
Read only a few chapters but her maternal instincts certainly evoke empathy.
CAKE
every time she image or think of her child, my heart…..😭
Adxlotus
Read only a few chapters but her maternal instincts certainly evoke empathy.