The Duke Only Needs My Child (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 22
At that moment, the presence of several people was felt not far away. Footsteps were approaching.
Soon, clergy appeared from the corridor.
Among them, all dressed in identical vestments and thus appearing quite similar, a middle-aged man at their center stood out distinctly.
He was an unremarkable-looking middle-aged man at first glance, with ordinary black hair and peculiar green eyes, yet an aura emanated from him that dared no one to approach.
Upon spotting Blair and Herdin, he strode over and offered a greeting first.
“To meet the two of you like this—how fortunate.”
Pope Gerard Lumiel.
The surname “Lumiel” was granted exclusively to popes, testifying to his life’s journey.
Born in the red-light district, commonly deemed the filthiest place imaginable, he had risen to become the pope—the man closest to God.
He never forgot his humble beginnings and lived by protecting the weak, embodying the saying, “God dwells in the lowest places of the world.”
Thanks to this, he enjoyed immense popularity and was revered and respected by all—even Katrina trusted and relied on his words.
Though some whispered he merely clung to power, others praised his wisdom for turning the emperor into an ally rather than an enemy.
Regardless of others’ opinions, to Blair, he was the savior who rescued her after she suffered grave injuries in the fire accident, and she had always carried gratitude toward him.
Blair and Herdin bowed respectfully to Gerard together.
“We are honored to see Your Holiness.”
“I heard an unfortunate incident occurred at the hunting grounds today, and that Your Grace took the lead in resolving it. We offer our thanks.”
“There’s no need for gratitude. Anyone present would have done the same.”
“You truly possess the magnanimity of a hero.”
Despite Herdin’s rather curt reply, Gerard smiled. He carried an ease born of age and rank.
Since Gerard was also on his way to attend worship, the three proceeded together toward the main temple building.
Gerard looked at Blair and Herdin with evident satisfaction and spoke.
“By the way, you two have truly become husband and wife within just a month. To see you both safely grown and married fills me with deep emotion.”
“It’s thanks to Your Holiness saving me that day.”
Blair inadvertently mentioned “that day” and belatedly glanced at Herdin. But Herdin himself wore an impassive expression.
Then it suddenly dawned on her that Gerard’s words applied to Herdin as well.
“When the late Duke and Duchess passed away, His Holiness led the mourning ceremonies for them.”
Herdin’s mother, the late Duchess Delmarque, had been famously devout during her lifetime.
She built her reputation through service and charity to the vulnerable. It was even said that some among the temple folk and commoners quietly venerated her as a “saint.”
When she tragically died in an accident, Gerard grieved deeply and personally presided over the funeral rites for the Duke and Duchess of Delmarque.
For a pope to officiate the funeral of someone not his own family was an exceedingly rare occurrence in history.
That bond endured to this day, and the House of Delmarque continued honoring the late Duchess’s will by making substantial annual donations to the temple.
“Come to think of it, it really is quite remarkable.”
Two children—one from a noble house and one from the imperial family—both linked to Gerard through tragic accidents, had now become husband and wife.
Gerard’s words of deep emotion didn’t seem entirely ceremonial after all.
While conversing, the three arrived at the entrance of the main building.
The entrance bustled with nobles gathered for worship, all murmuring about the day’s incident at the hunting grounds.
Gerard halted his steps and spoke.
“Please go in ahead of me. I have preparations to make outside.”
“Then I’ll visit the temple soon.”
“By all means.”
Gerard responded to Blair’s words.
At that moment, a faint magic circle peeked through the collar of Blair’s clothes. Gerard’s eyes darkened upon noticing it.
He watched the newlywed couple’s retreating backs as they entered the temple and murmured softly.
“May you both build a truly blessed household.”
[This is the timeline separator]“Pee—p! Pee!”
The baby ferret in the basket cried out to Blair, clearly begging to be played with.
When Blair reached her hand into the basket, the ferret immediately flipped onto its back and gently nibbled her fingers in playful affection. The palm-sized creature wriggled against her hand, tickling her into laughter.
During the New Year’s Festival, the ferret hadn’t even opened its eyes yet and could barely move, but after fifteen days of Blair’s devoted care, it had grown rapidly and opened its eyes. Now, brimming with energy, it squeaked all day long, demanding attention.
As she let the ferret play with her hand, Blair sank into thought.
“It should be about time to hear back from the guild.”
There had been no progress yet on the divorce preparations she’d entrusted to the guild or on identifying the mysterious assailant, and although she continued discussing the fire incident with Agnes, that too had seen little advancement.
Thus, Blair had spent her days in monotonous routine since the New Year’s Festival—caring for the ferret and learning household duties from Mason.
She’d seen Herdin only a handful of times since the festival, but honestly, she felt more at ease when he wasn’t around.
Though she appreciated this idle peace, she grew anxious, fearing she might grow too accustomed to it and settle into complacency.
To counter this, Blair redirected her restless mind by reading books about the country where she’d live after the divorce or studying the ducal household’s budget reports.
“Milady, I’ve brought milk.”
Blair snapped out of her thoughts at the maid’s voice. The maid who entered the room hesitantly held out milk for the ferret.
‘This girl…’
Blair finally recognized her as one of the maids who’d bullied Rina and had been demoted.
After that incident blew up and even reached Herdin’s ears, the implicated maids, thoroughly frightened, had stopped bothering Rina altogether—avoiding her completely and not even speaking to her.
Though they couldn’t quite avoid their mistress Blair, they seemed to go out of their way not to upset her.
Handing over milk was a simple task, but Blair, sensing their apprehension, realized it must have taken considerable courage for this girl to stand before her.
‘Her name is… Melly, right?’
What this girl had done to Rina was certainly wrong, but she’d already received a fitting punishment, and the matter was settled.
In her previous life, Blair had overlooked such things, which ultimately prevented her from ever growing close to the people of the ducal household until her death.
‘But perhaps this time can be different.’
Now that Herdin had taken on the role of the villain by imposing harsher punishment than she’d requested, if she reached out, they might warm to her more easily.
She didn’t need to go out of her way to win their favor, but if a few kind words could create an opportunity for closeness—and benefit Rina too—why let it slip?
Blair took the milk bottle the maid offered and gently clasped the girl’s hand.
“Thank you, Melly.”
“O-oh, no! It’s just my duty, Milady.”
Startled by the unexpected kindness, Melly bowed her head, flustered.
It was only natural for a servant to assist her mistress, yet here was someone thanking her—someone she’d assumed must surely dislike her, someone who had every right to despise her.
‘Now that I think of it, I never even apologized for that incident…’
Back then, swept up in the general atmosphere of ostracizing Rina, she’d remained a passive bystander, fearing she herself would be shunned if she didn’t join in.
But that was merely her own excuse.
Though late, she now wished to ask for forgiveness—from both Rina and Blair.
Yet she was afraid to speak of it, terrified of stirring up resentment in Blair, who had seemed so calm lately.
She fidgeted, lips moving soundlessly, when a squeak came from the basket. Her gaze naturally drifted to the tiny, adorable creature.
Just then, Blair spoke to her.
“Do you like animals?”
“A-ah, yes…”
“Then, when you have time, could I ask you to look after this little one?”
“Huh?”
“I read in a book that ferrets live in groups, so I think this one needs friends. But we can’t exactly bring in another baby ferret from its mother, right? So I thought I’d try giving it human friends instead.”
“Oh…”
“Of course, only if you’re comfortable with it.”
“Y-yes! Please leave it to me. I already take care of the patron’s cats too.”
“Really? That’s wonderful.”
Blair beamed at Melly’s answer. Seeing how much Blair valued her willingness, Melly felt ashamed.
How could she not have offered a simple, proper apology?
Melly bowed deeply to Blair.
“Milady… I’m truly sorry for what happened back then. I was an ignorant, lowborn girl who didn’t know my place and acted arrogantly. I’m so sorry. I’ve wanted to apologize properly for a long time.”
Blair blinked in surprise at the maid’s sudden apology, then smiled gently.
“I accept your apology. Will you promise to take good care of this little one, then?”
Melly had braced herself for reproach, expecting Blair to bring up the past and scold her—but instead came unexpected kindness.
Melly blinked rapidly, then nodded firmly.
“Yes! I’ll take excellent care of it.”
“Oh, by the way, this little one’s name is Pipi.”
“Pipi…?”
“Mm. Doesn’t it sound like its squeak?”
Blair asked with a perfectly serious expression. On cue, the ferret squeaked as if answering to its name.
‘…Our lady has no talent for naming, does she?’
Melly bit her lip to suppress a laugh that nearly burst out. Still, the name was rather cute—and somehow, her mistress, looking so proud of it, was a little cute too.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
After Being Cheated On, She Picked Up a Treasure (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The husband I married on a whim had been secretly in love with me for a long time.
On the day when Jun Shao finally obtained the imperial decree for her marriage, Lan Qu, the person she had admired for six years, defied the decree and ran away.
Her gentleness and devotion, her promise of a lifetime together, were all disregarded by him. Instead, he dreamed of entering the palace to serve the Emperor’s sister as a sixth-rank attendant.
News of this incident spread throughout the capital, and the alleys in front of and behind the Lan mansion were crowded with people who came to watch the commotion.
Jun Shao should have been embarrassed and angry.
But someone stepped in to protect her dignity.
The figure was in a miserable state, yet still possessed an undeniable elegance and handsomeness.
The young lord struggled to climb the wall of the Lan mansion and shouted to her, “If he won’t marry you, I will!”
So, Jun Shao took advantage of the situation and married the person.
She thought the young lord did it to save the Lan family from the crime of defying the imperial decree, but never imagined that from beginning to end, what he coveted was her.
*
After the wedding, Jun Shao felt like she was living in a dream.
Her Wife-master was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting, skilled in the six arts, well-versed in poetry and literature, capable of being gentle and attentive, and also grand and dignified. Most importantly, she was the only one in his heart and eyes.
Jun Shao didn’t know how Lan Shiwu, as a illegitimate son without a father and blessed with beauty, had managed to preserve his purity, recklessly escape, and use his last ounce of strength to ruin his own reputation, all because of his love for her, just to stand before her.
She could only see him gazing at her with eyes full of love, and when she bestowed a name upon him, his eyes shone like stars.
“You have come to me like a weary bird perching on a branch. I shall call you A Qi.”
MANGA DISCUSSION
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Chapter Comments (886)
1. “The part where he plays with his fingers because he’s nervous is so adorable! 😭 I felt nervous too, like I was waiting for a test score. But I was so happy that his efforts were finally appreciated and praised. Keep up the good work, Blair! ❤
I really want to see Herdin accepting his love for Blairrrrr!!
Please give us something😭I think the scandal she wants to happen is gonna start soon, atleast as per ML. isnt it?
Inline Comments (5390)
It was the first time anyone had complimented her since Esmeralda’s death. Throu
I thought Ivan is the older brother? Am I mistaken
Agnes defended Blair, saying an eleven-year-old child wouldn’t have the capacity
Its a bit annoying when characters in these novels expect children to be mature like adults, they forget that they are literal children
Blair couldn’t hide her nervousness, fidgeting with her fingers as she waited fo
Her childhood wasn’t easy; fear and insecurity were a constant part of it. I hope that little by little, she will make progress.
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cillaa cillaa
The description of the pope’s aura is very palpable, it makes you shiver when you imagine how authoritative he is, the author is really good at making his character feel alive
Atenas Ureta
Last chapter I was worried thinking what happened to the ferret, I’m glad his safe and growing!
Sayra Fahur
I can see why Blair did not think about a name for her child hahaha
yllaya
Herdin making some move to make Blair more closer. Sneaky boy
Mariel Soto
Love blair even more haha pipi is a silly name but cute