The Duke Only Needs My Child (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 9
Mason immediately agreed with Blair’s words.
“I’ll submit the documents by tomorrow so you can review them right away.”
“You’ll likely find many shortcomings in me. Please teach me a lot from now on.”
Mason was inwardly surprised by Blair’s attitude.
He had assumed she’d been raised as a pampered imperial princess, completely shielded from anything complicated or difficult. Yet, contrary to expectations for someone of such privileged upbringing, she showed no shame in acknowledging her own inadequacies and was eager to learn.
Some might consider such behavior beneath her station, but in his eyes, it only made her appear even more noble.
“I humbly ask for your guidance as well, my lady.”
The Mason Blair knew was someone who rarely revealed his emotions. Yet for a fleeting moment, she felt his gaze soften.
After Mason bowed and left, Blair returned to her bedroom following her bath. It was still too early to sleep.
Blair decided to organize her plans for the future.
She had proposed a one-year contract marriage to Herdin, but in truth, the time she conceived Asiel was around early summer.
Herdin must not discover Asiel’s existence, so everything had to be settled by the earliest stages of her pregnancy at the latest.
‘Six months from now.’
She needed to resolve three matters before then.
First was recovering her memories of the fire incident.
Since Herdin would lead that investigation, she didn’t need to make separate plans for it.
Second was preparing for divorce.
In the Empire, divorce required the Emperor’s approval. But would Ivan—who had orchestrated this marriage specifically to target Herdin—really agree to their divorce?
At the very least, he would never consent to divorce on grounds of Herdin’s shortcomings.
‘It must be framed as my fault—so scandalous that public opinion forces him to approve the divorce.’
The brilliant solution she devised was none other than a ‘scandal.’
A scandal involving an affair with another man.
However, if such a scandal broke, that man would surely be punished. Thus, Blair decided to amplify the scale of the scandal.
If there was only one man involved, all blame would fall on him—but what if there were several?
Then people would naturally direct their outrage not at the men who committed adultery with the princess, but at the promiscuous imperial princess herself, who shamelessly entertained multiple lovers despite being married.
That was precisely the outcome Blair desired.
And if, by some mischance, Asiel’s existence were ever revealed, she could always claim he was the child of one of those men.
‘Then I’ll need to bribe multiple men first.’
After divorcing through such a disgraceful scandal, she wouldn’t be able to remain in the Empire—or at least within this system. At worst, she might even be imprisoned by Ivan or Katrina.
But as long as she remained legally the Duchess of Delmarque, not even the Imperial Family could touch her. Thus, she had to leave the Empire immediately once the divorce was finalized.
Therefore, she needed a new identity and residence prepared in advance—somewhere completely unknown to anyone.
The only place capable of providing all this was the Guild.
‘I’ll need to visit the Guild soon.’
And finally, the third matter: uncovering the mastermind behind her death in her previous life.
It was unlikely the assailant had killed her out of personal grudge. There had to be someone pulling the strings behind the scenes.
She had to find that person and learn why they wanted her dead. This time, she absolutely refused to leave Asiel alone again.
‘Let me start with the closest place first.’
Blair lay down on her bed after planning to visit the knights’ training grounds tomorrow morning. Suddenly, the contract and last night’s memories came to mind.
She got up from bed and retrieved the contract she’d stored in the drawer. The signature section remained blank.
[This is the timeline separator]After finishing his bath, Herdin stood in his study, reviewing documents while holding an unlit cigar.
Though he’d already handled all urgent matters before the wedding, he chose work over rest—to forget the troubling thoughts that had plagued him since this morning.
In the quiet study, enveloped by darkness, only the rustling of papers broke the silence.
Knock knock—
Suddenly, a knock shattered the stillness.
‘Mason?’
Ruth had complained all through the wedding preparations about being overworked, so Herdin had sent him home early today. He wouldn’t voluntarily return to the study on his own.
“Come in.”
But the person who entered wasn’t Ruth or Mason—it was Blair.
Herdin’s eyes froze at the unexpected visitor.
Blair held a rolled-up sheet of paper in her hand.
She let out a small cough from the cigar smoke lingering in the study, then approached him once it subsided.
“I remembered we didn’t finish signing the contract yesterday because I was out of my mind.”
Herdin looked at the paper she placed before him with a rather incredulous expression.
What was this scrap of paper supposed to be?
She acted as if this document guaranteed everything.
Such a naive yet persistent woman.
Herdin picked up his pen, intending to sign quickly and send this naive wife back to her room.
Just then, Blair caught his hand, stopping him.
“Hold on a moment, Herdin.”
Her hand, gripping his, was cold—unnervingly so.
“A contract must be reviewed thoroughly.”
“Didn’t we already do that yesterday?”
“What if I changed the contents entirely in the meantime?”
How absurd—like a mouse worrying about the cat.
She seemed to believe she possessed enough power to inflict serious harm on him.
With wrists so delicate they’d snap at a mere squeeze.
‘So she’s not just a naive princess. At least she won’t get scammed easily.’
With that thought, Herdin re-examined the contract.
“There’s an added clause.”
Blair pointed precisely to the clause with her slender finger.
“Once this contract ends, please write a letter of recommendation so Rina can secure a good position.”
“Do you mean the girl you brought from the Imperial Palace?”
“Yes. She’s sociable and hardworking—she’ll excel wherever she goes.”
Herdin’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Blair.
‘Is she planning to abandon even her sole confidante and leave?’
Was she preparing to elope with a secret lover?
Over twenty years ago, in the neighboring Derant Kingdom, a princess had fallen in love with a knight, rejected the marriage arranged by the king, and fled with him.
The knight was executed, and the princess, heartbroken, starved herself to death.
Though scandals involving high-born women and low-born men weren’t common, they weren’t unheard of either.
Blair could very well become the protagonist of such a scandal. Though perhaps not—considering last night might have been her first time spending the night with a man.
‘…Either way, it’s none of my concern.’
As long as the purpose of this contract marriage was fulfilled, nothing else mattered.
Herdin finished signing both copies of the contract and handed one back to Blair.
“It’s rather late. If you’ve finished your business, please return to your room and rest.”
It was a polite dismissal.
But Blair seemed to have more to say.
“As you surely know, there’s a luncheon at the Imperial Palace tomorrow.”
By custom, on the first day after the wedding, the groom’s family dined together, and on the second day, the bride’s family did. Herdin was well aware of this tradition.
“I remember.”
“You don’t necessarily have to attend other banquets or engagements, but I’d appreciate it if you could accompany me to any appointments involving my brother or the Imperial Family.”
This request was based on her memories from her previous life.
In that life, after distancing himself from her, he’d hardly attended any banquets or meals with the Imperial Family.
“Because only if you commit no fault as my husband will my brother have no choice but to agree to the divorce when this contract ends.”
Though Herdin Delmarque was a war hero, he was still ultimately a servant of the Emperor.
Without the Emperor’s permission, he could never dare remove the Emperor’s only sister from her position as Duchess.
Thus, this marriage had to end solely due to Blair’s wrongdoing. For that to happen, Herdin needed to remain utterly blameless.
To his existing impressions of Blair—pretty, petite, naive, and persistent—he added one more:
Shrewd.
“That’s a reasonable point. I’ll keep it in mind.”
Once her business was concluded, Blair promptly excused herself—as if she’d been waiting for his dismissal.
“Then… good night, Herdin.”
Blair carefully rolled up her copy of the contract and quietly left the study.
Herdin chuckled softly as he looked at the contract his fake wife had left behind.
“Hah.”
He’d come to the study to rid himself of the thoughts that had tormented him all day—only for the very source of those thoughts to walk right in.
That source was Blair herself.
All day long, his mind had been occupied by his fake wife.
Her pale, soft skin; her tearful face and voice; her full bosom, incongruous with her slender frame; and…
the dizzying pleasure her body had given him—the pleasure that had plunged him into an unfathomably sweet mire.
Unlike him, she seemed to have completely forgotten last night’s events, boldly visiting him at this hour without a trace of fear—even dressed in sleepwear that left little to the imagination.
Unaware of the indecent thoughts swirling in his mind about her.
Yet simultaneously, a filthy desire surged within him—to make that innocent face cry again, to sully it once more.
What was wrong with him? He wasn’t some rutting dog.
He’d assumed that after spending the night satisfying his lust—biting, sucking, holding her as he pleased—he’d quench his thirst for her. But it had been a delusion.
What he’d drunk wasn’t water but seawater—the more he drank, the thirstier he became.
It had been the same last night.
At first, it was curiosity. He’d wondered what expression that doll-like woman would make in bed.
But the moment he held her, curiosity vanished, leaving only raw desire for pleasure.
He’d ravaged her all night until dawn broke, finally regaining his senses. Seeing her collapsed in exhausted sleep, yet still feeling lustful, he’d fled the room in frustration.
She was a woman he ought to despise—the daughter of his sworn enemy. He must never forget that fact.
Yet even as he reminded himself of it now, the heat in his body from last night refused to fade.
“…Am I going mad?”
Herdin exhaled a pained breath, rose from his seat, and headed back to the bathroom.
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
1 Comment
Chapter Comments (960)
None of you give her enough reason to smile. Asiel hurry!!
Those bastards!!!!!!!! Respect this angel!!!! Ugh I am pissed!!!!! Can we stop blaming her for her family’s fault!!! Even if she lied about the aunt SHE WAS A CHILD!!!!!!! You would grow up and learn that MISTER!!! MAMM get pregnant and lets go!
asiel is just trying to survive again together with her child
Inline Comments (5622)
Only he should be allowed to make her cry, torment her, break her.
Makes me remember the male lead from cry, even better if you beg, I do not remember his name but I guess duke of arvis also thought like this in the context of making her cry but he thought that if he is not able to make layla smile because of him then atleast her tears would belong to him
As if they’d been waiting for him to turn around for a very long time.
Technically she was really waiting for a long time for him to turn around and gaze at her with warmth and affection
Since becoming Empress, everything she had wished for had come true—and now this
Does she view both her children as pawns that can be used to achieve power?? Does she not love them even a bit??
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VKotaku28
Yeah! You mad beast. Stay away from her. Run Blair