The Duke Only Needs My Child (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 2
The woman Herdin had brought with him was named Miera—a face Blair had seen once or twice while visiting the temple.
Her occupation was priestess—a role befitting her angelic visage.
Miera had been dispatched northward on a mission by the goddess’s will and, by chance, encountered the Delmarque Knights who had suffered heavy losses from a monster attack, offering them aid.
Taking that incident as an opportunity, Herdin, impressed by her abilities, hired her as an assistant for monster subjugation and kept her close, bringing her back with him to the capital as well.
A capable talent and a lord with the discernment to recognize her.
Outwardly, that was all their relationship appeared to be, yet the servants gossiped freely about the two.
“Don’t you think there’s something going on between His Grace and Lady Miera?”
“His Grace and Lady Miera? I’m not so sure.”
“Well, His Grace never shows his feelings—it’s hard to tell. But doesn’t it seem like Lady Miera likes him?”
“That’s… true. Just look—she hasn’t returned to the temple even after coming back to the capital.”
“He’ll give in to Lady Miera soon enough. Who wouldn’t want such a beautiful, capable woman showing interest?”
“True. Anything’s better than the enemy’s daughter, after all.”
Blair overheard the maids’ giggling chatter as they cleaned.
But Blair pretended not to hear, blocking it out—afraid that if she reacted, it would seem as though she were confirming the rumors as truth.
Thus, the stifling summer passed, autumn came and went, and a barren winter returned.
Herdin, back from his ancestral estate, as always since Blair’s pregnancy, never sought her out first.
He was perpetually occupied with external affairs, and even when Blair occasionally visited him, he rarely granted her an audience.
At first, Blair had tried hard to mend their relationship, but eventually gave up on seeking him out altogether.
One small comfort was that he occasionally showed interest in Asiel. Though, of course, Asiel seemed unable to even recognize him as his father.
That day, Blair pinned her hopes on that faint interest and went to Herdin’s study.
Asiel’s birthday was in two weeks. Blair intended to propose they spend it together as a family at the Holstein villa.
Just as Blair was about to knock on Herdin’s study door, she froze—the door was slightly ajar.
“Her—”
Blair swallowed the name she’d been about to call out, stunned by the sight through the crack in the door.
Miera was nestled in Herdin’s arms.
Blair’s eyes, fixed on the two of them, began to tremble uncontrollably.
“Ah…”
Instinctively stepping backward to flee from this unbearable reality, Blair locked eyes with Herdin just as he turned toward the door.
He looked momentarily surprised but didn’t avert his gaze—indeed, seemed to have no intention of doing so at all.
Instead, he pulled Miera closer into his embrace, his cold eyes still fixed on Blair beyond the doorway.
As if deliberately showing off for her benefit.
Staggering backward, Blair turned and fled straight to her room. She couldn’t even recall how she’d made it back.
Noticing her feet were cold, she looked down—her indoor slipper was missing, likely dropped somewhere along the way—and her breath had risen to her chin.
“Haah… haah…”
The moment she shut the door, tears she’d been holding back burst forth.
She couldn’t forget the look in Herdin’s eyes as he held Miera and stared at her.
Imagining him embracing another woman with those same gentle hands that once held her, whispering to her in that same languid voice he used only for her—it made it hard to breathe.
Even if his tenderness had lasted only a fleeting moment after their marriage, she still loved him.
Though she’d fled the scene, she couldn’t escape the reality she now faced.
“Ha… ngh… hhh…”
Her lungs, damaged years ago in a fire, couldn’t withstand even this brief sprint and sobbing fit, leaving her gasping for air.
Blair beat her chest—unable to catch her breath—and wept.
Her heart ached far more than her bruised chest.
[This is the timeline separator]The next day, Blair left a message with the butler—“I wish to spend Asiel’s birthday at the villa; please come that day, no matter how busy you are”—and fled to Holstein with Asiel as if escaping.
Yet deep down, she still hoped. She hoped he would come and explain that what she’d seen meant nothing—that it had all been a misunderstanding.
But not even a single letter arrived from Herdin by Asiel’s birthday.
Blair, her eyes dull and lifeless, couldn’t bring herself to leave the window overlooking the villa’s main gate—until a small shadow toddled toward her.
“Mama! Mama!”
It was Asiel, dressed up beautifully for his birthday.
Blair, as if she’d never worn a sorrowful expression, smiled and lifted Asiel into her arms.
“My boy, you look so handsome in your new clothes! Oh, you’re just adorable.”
Asiel giggled, receiving a flurry of kisses from his mother, then suddenly pointed outside with his tiny hand.
“Dada?”
He remembered how his mother held him by the window every evening, waiting for his father.
At that word from Asiel’s lips, Blair’s carefully composed smile twisted painfully for just an instant.
“…Yes, Daddy will come soon. It’s your special day—he’ll definitely come.”
Just as she murmured this hopeful reassurance to herself, a knock sounded at the door.
It was the butler.
Seeing Asiel nestled in Blair’s arms, he delivered the news with a conflicted expression.
“My lady, His Grace says his schedule has been delayed beyond the original plan. He suggests you two celebrate the birthday alone this time…”
At those words, the last glimmer of hope in Blair’s eyes vanished completely.
[This is the timeline separator]“Sweet dreams, my darling.”
Blair gently kissed Asiel’s small head as he slept in her arms, then laid him carefully in his crib.
The child slept peacefully, sucking softly on his tiny fingers.
With a faint smile, Blair gently touched his little hands and feet, then returned to her own room.
Only then did the smile she’d forced for her child’s sake finally fade from her lips.
Her room, always solitary, suddenly felt unbearably lonely and silent.
Sometimes, when that emptiness grew too vast, she’d bring Asiel to sleep beside her—but today, she’d deliberately left him in his own room.
Because she feared the tears she’d held back would finally burst forth.
Because she didn’t want her precious child to see her like this.
That sweet boy deserved to remain unaware of his mother’s pain.
“Haah…”
Blair collapsed onto the sofa as if her strength had abandoned her.
The child had celebrated his second birthday—simple, yet happy. Surrounded by servants offering congratulations, enjoying delicious food, and receiving heaps of gifts sent by retainers.
It had been a perfect birthday.
Except for the absence of his father, Herdin.
Though Asiel laughed joyfully whenever his mother was near, every time a servant passed by and the door opened, he’d look hopefully for Herdin.
Each time Blair saw that, her heart shattered completely.
She could understand Herdin neglecting her—but his indifference toward Asiel was unbearable.
“Asiel knows nothing… He’s still at an age where love from just his mother and father should be enough…”
She felt her heart tear apart, convinced Herdin’s coldness toward Asiel was entirely her fault.
She bitterly regretted ever loving that indifferent man.
“If only I could go back in time… I’d never fall in love with him.”
Just as Blair swallowed the sob rising in her throat—creak—the quiet room echoed with the sound of the door opening.
Blair lifted her head, half-hoping against hope.
“…Herdin?”
But the figure standing at the doorway wasn’t Herdin—it was a masked intruder.
The man’s face was obscured by darkness and his black mask, yet the glint of moonlight reflecting off his eyes and the hideous scar across his nose were starkly visible.
Blair’s heart plummeted at the sight of the intruder.
Seeing him stride toward her, Blair instinctively opened her mouth to scream—but then remembered Asiel sleeping in the next room and clamped her lips shut.
If she screamed, the child would wake.
If the child cried, this man might realize he was there—and go to kill him. That couldn’t happen. Not ever.
Trembling violently, Blair turned and dashed toward the bell-pull beside her bed.
But in that instant—
Thud—
Something cold and metallic pierced her back.
“Ah…”
With excruciating pain, something hot surged up her throat and burst forth.
Bright red blood.
Yet even as she staggered, Blair gritted her teeth and dragged herself toward the bed.
Desperately, she yanked the bell-pull.
Help me.
Please, anyone—protect my baby.
Even as she collapsed onto the bed, unable to hold on any longer, she refused to let go of the bell-pull.
Not even when the intruder, arriving a step too late, pulled the dagger from her back.
At that same moment, footsteps echoed down the hallway.
The intruder retrieved his dagger and vanished over the balcony.
Blair stared blankly at his retreating silhouette.
The unique emblem engraved on the dagger’s hilt caught the moonlight, gleamed briefly, then disappeared into the night.
Only after he’d vanished completely did Blair finally release the bell-pull she’d clutched so fiercely.
“Thank goodness… I didn’t bring Asiel to sleep in my room tonight…”
She could feel death’s shadow drawing closer.
She couldn’t die—not yet.
My poor baby… who’ll look for me when I’m gone?
There’s still so much I wanted to do for him…
As Asiel’s face flickered like a fading memory before her eyes, Blair finally let her heavy eyelids fall shut.
Male lead is reincarnated to save his wife
I’ve also read this one twice already. The female lead is kinda soft and gets embarrassed easily—not really my type, but the plot is definitely worth reading. Hurry up and read it, y’all!
Intro
When Shen Yuan encountered Su Jin again in his previous life, she had already become the Prime Minister of the current dynasty. As for him, the former top young master of the capital, he had long since fallen into the abyss, becoming a singer on a pleasure boat.
After a song ended, he was redeemed and sent to the Su Residence.
Su Jin respected and cherished him, gave him a roof over his head, and bestowed him with warmth. Shen Yuan fell deeper and deeper, but before he could express his feelings, Su Jin passed away.
Shen Yuan died to follow her in death, but instead, he returned to when he was fifteen years old.
At that time, he was not yet engaged, and Su Jin was just a poor scholar.
Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, casting aside all his pride, and thought of ways to coax and entice her every day.
The colder and more indifferent Su Jin was towards him, the more proactive Shen Yuan became.
He was not afraid of being mocked by the world, only wanting to marry his Wife-master early, to hold her hand and never let go for a lifetime.
[Note: This story will not specifically point out the male lead’s reincarnation time point; it’s all in the details. Whenever you feel that the male lead is acting strangely, he has most likely been reincarnated.]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
MANGA DISCUSSION
6 Comments
Chapter Comments (978)
She’s such a loving mother and she could be a great wife too. Ugghhh I hate this ML
FL is incredibly determined; I have a feeling it won’t be as easy as it seems…
Poor girl she just want the pure love i hope she get happiness
Inline Comments (5633)
At least, that’s how it appeared on the surface… until “that incident.”
poor blair, the empress must have been her mother figure and she was gone just like that
‘Asiel!’
Her first thoughts is just her son… Help…our FL is so poor…😭
“His Imperial Majesty is truly shameless. How can he even mention marriage? He t
I really don’t understand why this people in novels forget that both parties are forced to marry and mostly have to endure worse
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VKotaku28
How dare you do that to cute Asiel! You don’t deserve those two… just die alone
letinona
It’s a shame what happened to FL, I hope ML learns its lesson.
Yuki
I’ll be needing a very intense redemption arc for the ML….
Megumi
The baby and fl deserves better. I hope ml learns his lesson
Whatever
everyone in this story is a jerk exceptfor our baby and fl