“Are you trying to make me an irresponsible father?”

“……”

“Your body will get heavier now, and you need to prepare for childbirth. You can’t have the child in a place that’s not home.”

Blair scoffed at his words.

In her past life, he hadn’t visited even once until the child was born.

It was laughable that he would say such things in this life. A belated sorrow welled up inside her.

“I don’t want to go back. This is my home now.”

Blair’s resolve was firm.

Herdin looked down at her and sighed.

Two months ago or now, his wife’s stubbornness remained the same. She wouldn’t yield easily to intimidation or persuasion.

Rubbing his forehead to suppress his emotions, Herdin changed his approach.

“Alright, it was all my fault.”

“……”

“I’ll do everything you want, so let’s stop this and return to our home.”

However, as he said this, his expression was more like someone annoyed at having to soothe a crying child rather than genuinely regretting his mistakes.

Seeing this, Blair felt as if the bottom of her heart was crumbling once again.

This wasn’t what she had hoped for.

The two-month gap she had desperately gained by running away from him had changed nothing. Though that wasn’t why she had left him in the first place.

How could I expect anything more from this person after being hurt so much? She found her newly crumbling heart both ridiculous and pitiful.

But at the same time, she felt a stronger conviction than ever before.

That she could never be happy with this man.

Blair struggled to suppress her rising emotions as she stated her intention.

“What I want is a divorce.”

As soon as that damned word ‘divorce’ left Blair’s lips, Herdin’s expression immediately contorted.

“Just how long are you going to keep this up?”

“……”

“Please, stop being so stubborn! I said I’d do anything you want except that.”

Raising his voice, Herdin swallowed his surging emotions with a sigh when he saw Blair’s reddened eyes. However, the emotions that scratched down his throat burned like flames in his chest.

“Do you want wealth? Then I’ll transfer personal property to your name that would be enough for a lifetime of luxury.”

“……”

“No, I’ll even give you a territory. Is that enough?”

“……”

“Or is it the travel you’ve always wanted? We can do that too, as soon as you’ve recovered. As much as you want.”

He listed everything she might desire. But Blair’s eyes remained empty as she looked at him.

“…Do you really think that’s what I want?”

Eyes devoid of excitement or anger.

That emotion, that look he had never seen from her before, felt unfamiliar. An unnamed anxiety crept over him at this unfamiliar sight.

Herdin grabbed Blair’s arm.

“Then what is it that you want?”

Blair remained silent, pressing her lips together.

At that moment, he recalled the conversation they had in the square earlier.

‘We’re nothing to each other.’

He covered her mouth, fearing that if she said she loved another man, he might do something terrible.

But seeing her protect that bastard stirred his emotions in a different way. The twisted feelings he hadn’t been able to resolve burst out unexpectedly.

“Ah. Perhaps you want some crazy act of love, like that bastard who ran away with you knowing his life was in danger?”

Blair’s cold eyes shook violently. His words left her speechless.

“Then I’ll do that too. I’ll do anything—”

Before he could finish, Blair’s hand struck his cheek. A sharp slap echoed, followed by silence.

In that stillness, only Blair’s quickened breathing could be heard.

Herdin was the first to break the silence.

“How many more slaps would satisfy you?”

While the one who was hit remained calm, the face of the one who struck was contorted. Her pale white hand that had made contact was now red and trembling.

Staring at her, Herdin continued.

“But it seems like your hand might hurt more.”

“……”

“Why not stab me with a sword instead?”

Blair’s chest heaved rapidly, following her breath. She seemed to be struggling to hold back tears.

Blair bit her lip hard, then spoke with a trembling voice.

“You… haven’t changed at all.”

Yes, this man would never change.

Perhaps for eternity.

Now, her violet eyes were filled with contempt.

Staring into those eyes, Herdin released her arm and squeezed his eyes shut. His prominent Adam’s apple moved roughly.

Having suppressed his emotions, Herdin left Blair and exited the bathroom.

“…Escort the lady.”

The waiting maids received his order and entered the bathroom. Soon, the sound of the door quietly closing was heard behind him.

Herdin roughly ran his fingers through his hair.

As the heat of the steam that had been pressing around him and the warmth of the small body he had been in contact with disappeared, his body cooled, and reason returned.

He had revealed his emotions too hastily.

He had found her again, and now that her body was heavy, she couldn’t run away anymore. She couldn’t escape from him anyway.

There was no reason to be hasty or anxious anymore.

Thus reassuring himself, Herdin finally took a step.

* * *

When Herdin returned to the room after deliberately taking his time with his bath, he was greeted by an empty bed.

By now, Blair, who had gone to bathe first, should have already returned to the bedroom.

“…Blair.”

As his heart sank at the sight of the empty bed and he was about to rush out of the room with a hardened expression, a faint breath was heard from one side of the room.

Moving towards the sound, he found Blair curled up asleep on a sofa with her back to the door.

Seeing her like this, he let out a wry laugh as tension left his body.

It was easy to guess why she chose to sleep uncomfortably on this small sofa rather than the spacious bed.

It meant she despised the sight of him that much.

This was the extent of her resistance against him.

However, her peacefully sleeping face seemed too serene for a woman desperately resisting him.

Herdin sat on the table in front of the sofa, silently observing the sleeping Blair. A faint smile was even drawn on her lips, as if she was having a pleasant dream.

It was frustrating that she only showed a smile after falling asleep, yet strangely, he couldn’t bring himself to dislike her. Like a madman.

As he closely examined Blair, who was sound asleep, unaware that the person she hated so much was right in front of her, Herdin’s gaze stopped at her rounded belly.

Just two months ago, he could barely feel a slight bump when touching it directly, but now her belly had swollen enough to visibly identify her as pregnant.

Earlier in the bathroom, he had been too preoccupied with arguing to fully realize it even when touching her, but now the fact hit him belatedly.

The round shape was both cute and fascinating. Even more so when he thought of the woman who had preciously nurtured the child inside with her small frame.

As he was about to unconsciously place his hand on her belly while thinking this,

“Ah……”

Blair’s eyes flew open, and she quickly wrapped her arms around her belly. It was like the instinct of a mother animal protecting her unborn child.

Her wariness remained even after recognizing the man before her as her husband and the father of the child in her womb.

Herdin looked at her silently for a moment before speaking.

“Nothing changes just because you sleep uncomfortably here. Stop being stubborn and sleep on the bed.”

“I’m comfortable he—”

Before Blair could finish speaking, Herdin picked her up in his arms. Surprised, Blair struggled and shouted.

“Let me go!”

But he ignored her wishes and carried her to the bed, setting her down.

As soon as he put her down, Blair tried to get up from the bed, but Herdin’s solid body blocked her.

“Lie down.”

“No—”

“I’ll leave.”

Saying this, Herdin immediately stood up. Then, leaving Blair still looking at him with wary eyes, he left the room.

As he closed the door, his hand naturally reached for the cigar in his robe pocket and put it to his lips.

At that moment, a familiar yet more intense pain shot through his head. His body momentarily staggered.

“…!”

As Herdin gritted his teeth against the pain, memories that seemed both his and not his sharply pierced his mind.

His vision blurred then cleared, and a small child appeared before his eyes.

It was a boy who looked like he had just started walking, with soft, curly black hair and brilliant violet eyes.

‘…Blair?’

Seeing the child, Herdin instinctively thought of Blair. The child’s lovely violet eyes closely resembled hers.

The child with eyes so similar to hers sat in a cradle, looking at him and crying sorrowfully. Beneath the child’s cradle, a pool of blood had formed.

Herdin’s heart sank at the sight.

Forgetting that it was a vision, he stepped towards the child. For some reason, his only thought was to quickly save this child who resembled his wife from this cruel scene.

But the moment he reached out to the child, the child vanished like a lie, leaving only the empty corridor in its place.

Herdin stared blankly at where the child had been for a moment, belatedly realizing it was a vision, and furrowed his brow.

“What is this……”

The strange symptoms that had been quiet ever since Blair left had reappeared.

More intense and clearer than before.