“D-Duke.”

Startled by Herdin’s sudden appearance, Beatrice hurriedly tried to lower her hand, but Herdin firmly grasped her wrist.

Beatrice’s face contorted in pain.

“I’m asking you. What were you trying to do to my wife?”

“Oh, there seems to have been a misunderstanding. I thought she was a woman from a brothel…”

“So in Your Ladyship’s eyes, I appeared to be a lustful bastard who would bring such a low-class woman to the master’s house as a guest?”

“That’s not what I meant…!”

Beatrice’s face looked on the verge of tears at Herdin’s blunt words.

She felt wronged. She couldn’t have imagined that the Duchess, who had reportedly run away with another man, would be here in Nerha, and in her own guesthouse no less.

Searching for an excuse, Beatrice finally realized there was no way to cover up her blunder and bowed her head, whimpering.

“…I’m sorry. I misspoke.”

However, Herdin seemed unsatisfied with this, showing no particular reaction.

When Beatrice looked at him with anxious eyes, he nodded towards Blair.

“I think the order of apology is wrong.”

“Pardon…?”

“You should apologize to my wife first. You dared to insult the Duchess by mistaking her for a brothel woman, and nearly went as far as to lay hands on her.”

Beatrice turned to Blair with a reluctant expression.

It was all that woman’s fault. If she had just properly revealed her identity, this wouldn’t have happened.

Blair, observing Beatrice’s obvious displeasure, tried to dissuade Herdin.

“Herdin, that’s enough. The misunderstanding has been cleared up.”

It wasn’t that Blair thought kindly of Beatrice, but Herdin’s position was awkward. They were guests here, and Beatrice was rightfully the mistress of this house.

She didn’t want to escalate the situation further.

However, Herdin didn’t seem to think the same way.

“Apologize. My wife seems to have been quite startled by Your Ladyship’s rudeness.”

Beatrice finally bowed her head to Blair, unable to withstand Herdin’s pressure.

“…I have committed a discourtesy, Madam.”

Herdin’s expression remained stern, but he seemed to decide to end it there as he withdrew his gaze from Beatrice.

“I don’t know why you came here, but it seems we need to spend time as a couple today, so another time.”

Carrying Blair in his arms, he issued a brief order of expulsion to Beatrice and walked past her.

As soon as they entered the corridor, Blair grabbed his shoulder.

“Put me down. I can walk on my own.”

“Why didn’t you tell her you were the Duchess?”

His expression was cold as he questioned her accusingly. He seemed to think she had hidden the fact that she was the Duchess.

That wasn’t true, but Blair didn’t want to explain.

If she said she had revealed herself as the Duchess in front of him, it would be like admitting with her own mouth that she was still his wife.

She hated her situation where she could only ensure her safety by being his wife.

She didn’t want to rely on him at all.

“…I didn’t want to say it.”

“Even if it meant being mistaken for a brothel woman?”

Blair didn’t answer. Herdin’s lips twisted as he interpreted her silence as affirmation.

Her inner feelings were clear to him – she would rather be a brothel woman than his wife.

Ignoring Blair’s request to be put down, Herdin returned to the bedroom and placed her on the bed.

Blair thought he would leave the room immediately, but contrary to her expectations, he climbed onto the bed.

Before Blair could move away, sensing an ominous premonition, Herdin leaned towards her.

His hot breath brushed close. Yet the blue eyes that met hers were cold.

“What are you doing now-”

“Then it doesn’t matter if I embrace you.”

Herdin wrapped his arm around Blair’s waist, blocking her escape route.

In truth, his body had desired her since last night. No, even when she wasn’t by his side, he had craved and violated her in his imagination.

Now, faced with her real presence, his body’s heat grew uncontrollably. He yearned for her like a beast.

If you don’t want to be my wife even if it means becoming such a woman, then it’s alright to treat you that way, isn’t it?

“Herdin… ah!”

Herdin, overcome by desire, devoured Blair’s small lips.

Those lips, which he had only tasted in his imagination while she was gone, were much softer and sweeter than he had imagined.

He bit and sucked on her like a starving beast. Blair, who had been struggling against his rough kiss devoid of any consideration, soon stopped resisting as if giving up.

Taking this as permission, Herdin lifted Blair’s chemise and began caressing her round belly. It was the first time he had felt her skin, not over clothes.

His hand, stroking her belly, gradually moved lower, touching the thin fabric.

Herdin parted his lips to gauge her reaction.

At that moment, what he saw were Blair’s emotionless eyes.

Those eyes no longer showed any sign of embarrassment or confusion about this intimate act, as they had before.

A dry voice, completely at odds with her suggestive lips glistening with his saliva, flowed out.

“After you’re done, will you let me go?”

At that question, it felt as if all the blood in his body turned cold.

As a guest, he couldn’t keep a brothel woman in the master’s house. Of course, such a woman couldn’t be a Duchess either.

She wanted to leave his side even if it meant becoming that.

Her heartless words, though powerless, her true feelings, sharply cut through his emotions.

After staring at her indifferent eyes for a while, Herdin finally got up.

“…Let’s have a meal together after I wash up.”

Leaving the room, he went straight to the bathroom. Only then did he notice the state of his body, still yearning for her.

Herdin, self-deprecating at his own appearance, took off his robe and entered the bathtub.

Whether due to the moisture filling the bathroom or his desire for her driving him mad, the heat in his body refused to subside.

Swallowing hard, he finally began to soothe his burning desire.

The wet friction echoed through the bathroom as his breathing gradually became rougher. A husky voice escaped through his clenched teeth.

“Haa, Blair…”

Even her face, appearing in his mind at this moment, was beautiful. Pathetically so.

* * *

When Blair woke up from her nap, it was late afternoon.

Sensing the atmosphere had become quieter than in the morning, Blair looked around the guesthouse to shake off her drowsiness.

It didn’t take long to inspect the luxurious but not large interior of the guesthouse.

Walking slowly around the guesthouse, Blair realized. That Herdin wasn’t here.

Blair asked a nearby waiting maid.

“Where did he… I mean, where did the Duke go?”

“He went to tour the harbor with the Lord of Nerha. There will be a dinner at the mansion in the evening, so he should return before then.”

“So there’s free time until dinner.”

After thinking for a moment, Blair cautiously broached a subject with the maid.

“Could I briefly visit the house where I was staying? I have a marten I was raising there, and I’d like to bring it myself.”

The maid looked troubled but didn’t flatly refuse.

“Please wait a moment.”

The maid went to the knights and returned with an answer.

“We’ll escort you as soon as you’re ready to leave.”

Blair was inwardly surprised at the unexpectedly easy permission.

Given that Herdin had confined her before, she naturally thought he would forbid her from going out this time too. So she had asked without much expectation, but to think it would be so readily accepted.

When Blair came out ready to leave, a carriage was waiting. The carriage carrying her immediately headed for the destination.

Blair absently gazed at the passing scenery of Nerha through the window.

Although she could go outside just by opening the door, she couldn’t run away now.

‘With this body, I’d be caught quickly anyway.’

Then could she run away after the child is born?

No, before that, wouldn’t Herdin fall in love with Miela?

Then in this life, could she calmly watch him loving someone else by her side?

As she felt overwhelmed by the cruel reality where she could neither run away nor accept, the carriage arrived.

Alighting from the carriage, Blair stared up at the house.

She had lived in this house until just yesterday, but in just one night, the past two months she had spent living here felt distant.

Blair stopped the knights who were about to knock on the door of the house right away.

“That child is a wild animal, it will attack if strangers appear. I’ll bring it out myself, so please wait a moment.”

“We’ll load the luggage in the meantime.”

When Blair knocked on the door, it opened and Anna appeared.

Her eyes were full of concern as she looked at Blair.

“Anna, I’m sorry. Can I come in for a moment?”

After scanning the maids and knights standing behind Blair, Anna quietly opened the door.

The maids who entered the house with Blair went up to the second floor room following her instructions.

Watching them, Blair followed up the stairs and said to Anna.

“I’ll come out soon with just Pipi.”

Anna nodded, looking at Blair with worried eyes.

Going up to the second floor, Blair passed by her room where the maids were busily packing, and entered Pipi’s room.

Then Pipi, who had been playing on the wooden toy installed in the room, recognized Blair and ran over.

“Pii!”

And beside Pipi…

“My lady.”

Mikhail was waiting.