As Blair flinched at the sound of knocking, the old woman put down the food she was holding on the table and approached the door.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me, elder.”

It was an unfamiliar man’s voice, but Mikhail seemed to recognize it and nodded at Blair.

“It’s one of my subordinates.”

As the old woman went to open the door, the man entered the house.

He greeted the three people politely, then looked at Mikhail. Understanding the meaning of that glance, Mikhail said to Blair and the old woman.

“Please don’t mind me and eat first. I’ll be back after a brief talk.”

Mikhail went up to the room on the second floor with his subordinate.

“How’s the situation outside?”

“As expected, the knights of the Delmark ducal family are controlling the entrance and exit of the island, checking the identity of passersby. And…”

“And?”

“Even before we could take action, the scandal about the Duchess has already spread.”

“The rumor that the Duchess has another man?”

“Beyond simple infidelity, rumors have spread that the Duchess is pregnant and the child belongs to another man.”

Mikhail’s eyes narrowed at hearing this news.

He had planned to spread Blair’s scandal originally, but he didn’t expect someone else to spread rumors first.

“…Whoever it is, they’ve saved us some trouble.”

Although displeased that the rumors were spread with malicious intent, on second thought, it was rather fortunate.

If Blair succeeds in escaping like this, she will be stigmatized as having run away with another man’s child.

In that case, Herdin will lose justification to search for his wife who fled with another man’s child, at least publicly.

“Keep watching the Duke’s movements, and report if there’s an opening.”

After receiving Mikhail’s order, the subordinate bowed his head and immediately left the room.

Left alone in the room, Mikhail took out a document from his inside pocket. It was the half he had siphoned off from Esmeralda’s documents that he had delivered to Herdin through his subordinate.

This document contained the name of the perpetrator who intentionally murdered the previous Duke and Duchess a decade ago.

Mikhail, who had been looking at the document with cold eyes, heard the faint murmur of voices from outside the room and put the document back inside his breast pocket.

It was a truth that shouldn’t be delivered to Herdin yet.

* * *

Early morning, as the dawn twilight began to break.

Luth climbed the fortress walls of the island, breathing in the crisp morning air. However, unlike the refreshing air, the bags under his eyes were dark. It was because he had spent almost the entire night awake.

Finally, as he finished climbing the wall, he saw Herdin standing still like a knight guarding the wall, looking down at the panorama of the island.

He stood as if rooted in that cool dawn landscape.

If it weren’t for the cigar continuously emitting smoke and the hand holding it, one might mistake him for a painting.

His eyes, gazing at the entrance below the wall, were sharp like a well-honed blade, far from sleepy, but the ashtray full of burnt cigars next to him bore witness.

That he had been standing here all night long, with his eyes wide open.

Although he wasn’t openly displaying his anger, the quiet fury simmering in those blue eyes was frightening and chilling, as if it could explode at any moment.

What would happen if Blair appeared before him now?

Feeling his mouth go dry at just the imagination, Luth swallowed a sigh and carefully approached Herdin.

As the steward, he couldn’t just stand by while his lord was burning cigars on an empty stomach.

“Your Grace. I’ve brought some light refreshments…”

But Luth’s words were cut off before he could finish.

“Mikhail Kines. Have you found him?”

Luth lowered the sandwich he was about to offer and promptly answered.

“Ah, no. He collected his wages from the pub where he had been working until a few days ago and then disappeared. No one knows his destination, and he grew up as an orphan, so he has no relatives.”

A cold chuckle escaped through Herdin’s teeth upon hearing this. However, his gaze on the dawn landscape remained piercing cold.

Yesterday, when he realized Blair had disappeared, he went to the guild she had secretly visited before. But searching there yielded no results.

The missing Blair. And her fake lover who disappeared at the same time.

Could this really be a coincidence?

Luth, momentarily hesitating at his appearance that seemed like he might kill anyone who crossed him right now, carefully broached the subject.

“And, there are some strange rumors circulating about the Madam recently…”

Judging by the instincts honed through years as an aide, it didn’t seem like a good idea to relay this rumor to Herdin right now.

But it was already a widespread rumor in the capital.

Rather than letting him hear it whispered from someone else’s lips, it was better for him to hear it from Luth now.

Luth moistened his dry lips and continued.

“…There are rumors going around that the Madam had an affair with another man, and is pregnant with his child.”

Upon hearing Luth’s words, Herdin became certain that Blair and Mikhail’s simultaneous disappearance was no longer a coincidence.

At the same time, the words Mikhail had spoken when they met at the art gallery flashed through his mind.

‘I’m thinking of leaving the empire once this matter is settled.’

Those words that seemed to have a subtle intention of planning for after his divorce from Blair.

Come to think of it, even when Blair was caught by him about her pregnancy, she didn’t hesitate for a moment to mention that bastard’s name as the father of the child. How dare she.

Recalling the image of Mikhail with Blair, Herdin twisted his lips in a sneer.

So, she finally ran away with that bastard, carrying my child.

Spreading this ridiculous rumor that the child clearly settled in your womb is that bastard’s child.

Did you think I would stop searching if you used such a trick? How adorable.

“…Interesting.”

Should I have tied her to the bedroom until her belly swelled? Or kept her locked in my arms until then? Would that have prevented her from doing such a cute thing?

It was too late for regrets now.

Herdin, with a cold smile on his lips, swept his piercing gaze over the panorama of the island.

Having stood there all night long, like a guardian on the wall or a chilling ruler, he finally seemed to have made a decision as he threw the cigar he had been holding into the empty flower pot and turned around.

Luth hurriedly followed behind him.

“It’s already been a day, should we expand the search range outside the island?”

Herdin answered as soon as Luth’s question ended.

“No.”

There’s no way she could have already left the island in her condition, evading the search.

“Keep blocking the island’s pathways. Without any gaps.”

* * *

Herdin Delmark was absent from the state council meeting.

As the nobles were whispering about Herdin’s empty seat, the door to the conference room opened and Ivan appeared.

Ivan, entering while receiving greetings from the nobles, sensed a strangely different atmosphere than usual and looked around the conference room, discovering that Herdin’s seat was vacant.

The corners of Ivan’s mouth lifted slightly.

‘Is it about time to bring up the story now?’

In fact, Ivan had another calculation behind his fair judgment on the fire incident from ten years ago, besides maintaining his own image.

‘It seems the Duchess is with child, Your Majesty.’

Right after Herdin requested a retrial, Ivan had ordered surveillance on the movements of the ducal family.

As a result, he was able to hear the news that Blair was pregnant.

Ivan was satisfied with this news.

Mentioning divorce to Herdin was simply a threat, the original purpose of arranging their marriage was for the imperial family to absorb the influence of the Delmarks.

And now, pregnancy.

What could be a more obvious proof of reconciliation than this?

Thinking about it, he could even overlook Herdin’s unannounced absence.

The image of a husband busy with his wife’s pregnancy could indirectly strengthen the harmony with the imperial family by highlighting the couple’s good relationship.

Ivan decided to announce the fact of Blair’s pregnancy at this point.

“It seems the Duke of Delmark is busy with prenatal care.”

As Ivan broached the subject, the murmuring atmosphere in the room quieted down.

Ivan, thinking it was simply surprise at the unexpected news, continued speaking.

“It might be a bit odd for me to mention this instead of the parties involved, but I can’t help but share such joyous news.”

“…”

“The Duchess is with child. A little bundle of joy that will strengthen the ties between the imperial family and the Delmarks. I’d like to share this happy news with all of you…”

Ivan, mentioning Blair’s pregnancy along with the relationship between the imperial family and the Delmarks, finally noticed the strange atmosphere and stopped speaking.

At that moment, the head chamberlain, who had hurriedly entered the conference room, approached him and whispered in his ear. Ivan’s expression gradually hardened as he heard the news.

The state council meeting ended in a cold atmosphere, fizzling out.

On the way back to the imperial palace, Ivan let out a hollow laugh as he recalled what the head chamberlain had just told him.

‘There’s a widespread rumor in the capital that the Duchess has fled with another man’s child.’

Additionally, news came that the knights of the Delmark ducal family were searching the entrances and exits of the island.

If that was the case, then the rumor must be true. If that child in her womb was really Herdin’s, Blair would have no reason to run away.

“That impudent one, to stab us in the back like this…”

Not knowing that his unborn niece was actually a bastard child of an unknown man, he had blabbed about it in front of the nobles, making a fool of himself.

Thinking about how to handle this incredulous situation, Ivan arrived at the imperial palace and encountered Herdin who was waiting for him.

The quiet fury simmering in those cold eyes was fierce enough to overwhelm even Ivan for a moment.

Ivan thought Herdin would naturally request a divorce. After all, he couldn’t keep a woman who had run away carrying another man’s child as his wife.

However, the words that came out of Herdin’s mouth were completely unexpected.

“Please grant permission to search private homes, Your Majesty.”

“…What?”

“I need to find my wife.”

A bewildered laugh escaped through Ivan’s parted lips.

It was the moment he belatedly realized he had sent his sister to quite a madman.