The Duke Only Needs My Child (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 34
Blair, having barely managed to pull the bell rope, curled up in bed again and waited for Rina. The room was still warm from the fireplace’s lingering heat—likely lit by Herdin that morning before he left.
Suddenly, a thought struck her.
‘Herdin probably isn’t behind those attackers.’
He’d openly admitted his mistakes and apologized; he’d stayed by her side precisely because she feared fire. No matter how much he might have despised her, she couldn’t imagine him killing her.
Just as she drifted into sleep with that thought, a knock sounded at the door, followed by Rina’s voice.
“Milady, may I come in?”
Rina entered, carrying wash water.
As Blair sat up, she glanced down at herself. Her entire body was covered in red marks, blooming like flowers. What had once been shameful traces of the night in her past life now felt familiar.
“Rina, could you hand me some clothes?”
“Oh! Yes, of course!”
Rina quickly set down the basin and fetched fresh garments.
“Thank you.”
Blair took the clothes Rina offered and put them on. Yet Rina, who normally chattered away while helping her, was unusually quiet.
Puzzled, Blair looked at her—and saw that Rina was deliberately avoiding eye contact.
Only then did Blair realize Rina was embarrassed by the marks left on her body.
‘In my previous life, Rina also grew suddenly quiet during morning service shortly after my marriage.’
Suppressing a smile, Blair asked,
“Where is His Grace?”
“Oh—he left about an hour ago. A royal knight arrived saying monsters appeared in the outer regions.”
Blair’s expression hardened at the news.
Maintaining order within the territory was clearly the Imperial Knights’ responsibility.
Yet Ivan, just as in her past life, treated Herdin like his personal knight—always insisting Herdin assist because the northern knights, more experienced against frequent monster attacks, would be better suited to help.
Knowing innocent civilians would suffer if he didn’t step in, Herdin never voiced reluctance and readily went whenever asked.
Blair hated that.
She disliked seeing commoners hurt, hated seeing imperial knights injured—but most of all, she loathed watching Herdin endure unjust burdens.
‘If I divorce him, my brother will lose any pretext to make such demands.’
That thought made it impossible to stay idle any longer.
Blair hastily dressed and got out of bed—but her legs gave way instantly, and she collapsed onto the floor.
Startled, Rina rushed to support her.
“Milady! Are you alright?”
“I’m fine.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to rest today? You don’t have anything urgent planned… and… well… you’ve pushed yourself quite hard lately…”
“No, I’ll be fine soon.”
Ignoring Rina’s worried gaze, Blair stood up. She even chuckled softly, sensing Rina’s annoyance toward Herdin—the very cause of this situation.
Concerned Blair might overexert herself, Rina brought the washbasin closer to the bed and insisted she eat there instead of going to the dining hall, fetching her meal personally.
After being so thoroughly coddled by Rina—even through breakfast—Blair felt her strength returning slightly.
Only then did she truly begin her day.
She stopped by Pipi’s room to check how much the little one had grown and played briefly before heading to the mansion’s library to study neighboring countries.
‘I plan to stay in the Kingdom of Clania until Asiel is born, but afterward, I don’t know where we’ll settle—so it’s wise to learn about the Empire’s surroundings.’
But the books Blair sought weren’t in the mansion’s library.
The librarian looked troubled.
“It seems one of the staff borrowed them. Their name’s still on the lending list—I’ll go retrieve them right away.”
Though somewhat more common nowadays, books remained expensive luxuries. Nobles typically forbade servants from entering libraries.
Yet Herdin kept his library freely accessible—anyone serving House Delmarque could read whenever they pleased.
Blair didn’t wish to undermine his intentions.
“No need. It’s not urgent—the person who borrowed it first should finish reading.”
Hearing this, Mason, who’d been observing nearby, suggested,
“Milady, might I recommend checking His Grace’s private study?”
Herdin’s private study connected directly to his office, designed for easy access whenever he needed reference materials during work.
In her past life, she’d never entered—it felt too intrusive into his personal space.
“Is it alright if I go in?”
Mason stared quietly at Blair, who asked cautiously.
Most household staff avoided her.
Though none dared openly mistreat the Emperor’s sister, few showed genuine warmth or willingness to engage with her as a person.
Blair never tried to win their favor or acted overly deferential—but aware of her position, she carried herself with careful restraint.
Almost like a guest in someone else’s home.
Mason himself had initially harbored reservations when assigned to serve her as mistress—but after months of close observation, he began to understand.
He understood Esmeralda’s affection for the daughter of silence.
How could anyone not adore a child who studied diligently, worked hard, and lit up with pure joy at even the smallest praise?
Blair resembled Esmeralda—who’d raised her with love—far more than her own mother.
Others might scoff at the notion, but having long passed forty and freed from worldly prejudices, Mason saw Blair exactly this way.
Since their engagement was solemnized before the gods, he hoped she’d adapt well—not only to this ducal estate but also to its master.
“You are the lady of this House Delmarque, Milady. There is no place in this mansion you cannot enter, no object you cannot use.”
To reassure her further, he added, “His Grace has never expressed any restrictions regarding his study.”
Hearing this, Blair immediately headed to Herdin’s office with Mason—but regretted it the moment she stepped inside.
The office, which she’d left in utter chaos ten days prior, was now immaculately tidy—as if nothing had happened. Heat rushed to her cheeks.
Too embarrassed to look around, Blair quickly averted her eyes.
Mason noticed and asked curiously,
“Milady? Is something wrong?”
“…No, it’s nothing.”
‘I should avoid this office entirely for now…’
Thinking this, Blair followed Mason. The passage to the private study lay to the right of the office.
“If you need anything, please call me.”
Mason bowed and withdrew after guiding her there.
Opening the door, Blair found herself in a spacious room lined entirely with bookshelves.
At first glance, the study seemed neat and serene—but closer inspection revealed books scattered untidily in various spots. Since only Herdin used this room, these must be volumes he’d been reading.
‘I assumed he preferred everything perfectly ordered.’
Intrigued by this unexpected side of him, Blair scanned the shelves and soon located the section holding historical texts from various nations—exactly where her desired books were.
While pulling out a few volumes and glancing around for more interesting reads, another bookshelf caught her eye.
‘What kind of books are kept here?’
Usually, shelves bore labels indicating their contents—but this one was completely unmarked, sparking even greater curiosity.
Blair approached it. The shelf held numerous books written in an unfamiliar script.
She recognized the language instantly.
“Ancient tongue?”
Books written in Ancient Tongue were typically grimoires—which meant every volume on this shelf was a magic tome.
‘Now that I think of it…’
She suddenly recalled his appearance during the New Year’s Festival—wielding both sword and magic simultaneously.
Those born under mana’s blessing became true mages by studying grimoires. Since Herdin was both swordsman and mage, he must have studied magic texts like any other mage.
For the first time, she truly grasped that he was the Empire’s sole Magic Swordsman—a wielder of overwhelming power. Simultaneously, fascination stirred within her, sparked by a childhood dream.
As a child unaware that not everyone could become a mage, Blair had dreamed of becoming one herself.
She believed mages could fulfill any impossible wish.
Thus, she’d once pored over grimoires in the Imperial Palace library, painstakingly deciphering incomprehensible Ancient Tongue with dictionaries, convinced that mastering them would make her a mage.
Though she never became one, that effort granted her some ability to interpret complex ancient scripts.
While examining the shelf packed with grimoires, Blair noticed a book resting atop the others.
She pulled it out. Dust had settled thickly upon it—likely untouched for a long time—making her cough.
After brushing off the dust between coughs, she examined the cover.
Unlike ordinary books bearing titles, this black cover displayed only a single small symbol: the sign for infinity.
‘Infinity? What kind of magic warrants such a cover?’
Curious, she flipped open the cover—and found the first page. The faded paper, proof of its great age, bore writing in Ancient Tongue.
Blair dredged up childhood memories to decipher the script.
“Magic… of Time.”
What exactly was Time Magic?
Though she’d managed to read the grimoire’s title, she felt even more perplexed.
Just as Blair reached to turn the page—
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
_____
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MANGA DISCUSSION
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Chapter Comments (769)
Here comes the snake! Mamm aren’t you a Priestess? You should serve only God why are you this H0RNY OVER A MARRIED MAN! UGH!
This Miera… She knows he is married but still approaches him in an unsincere manner.. Definitely up to no good
How can anyone be so clueless? Herdin doesn’t want to talk to you, you crazy, delusional woman.
Inline Comments (4958)
Yet Miera brightened visibly just from hearing him say those words. Her emotions
she is so shameless she knows he is married and has even met his wife but yet the audacity 😭
[We have discovered the source of the sentence you previously asked us to invest
I think her family were the ones responsible. Maybe after she birthed an heir, she had served her use when they realized herdin loved her, and needed him for something else on their agenda. Crud
"I'm relieved. You had internal injuries, and I was so nervous back then—I worri
What a flirtatious and vixenous girl she turned out to be! You disgust me; I don’t want her mouth to mention my protagonist, Blair.
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Mimi
I’m eager to know if Herdin, who went back in time with Blair (although he probably doesn’t remember it the same way she does)
Janooooooo
I dont think he went back with her in time because when she mentioned her son he thought he was her lover
Nihad Jk
Hmm, maybe he lost his memory! Because he got some kind of flashback when he attacked the monster.
Baremara
I think her mother or brother is behind her death the had many reasons to do it after he had her son
AKUMA is an akuma
He is the one who turn back the time! So who killed her? The white snake?