At that moment, when everyone was only wearing awkward smiles, Beatrice broke the atmosphere.

“It’s important for the lady’s mental well-being, after all. Especially during this physically challenging time. Your conduct is wise.”

Beatrice sided with Herdin’s position and subtly moved closer to his side.

“Still, it’s a shame you don’t have a partner when you’ve made such a rare appearance. If you don’t mind, may I be Your Excellency’s first dance partner?”

Beatrice thought Herdin would naturally accept her dance invitation.

Although it was rare for a woman to ask for a dance first, men never refused out of consideration for a lady’s dignity.

Moreover, since Beatrice was also the host of today’s banquet, being her first dance partner would be an opportunity for Herdin, who was attending as an honored guest, to stand out.

But Herdin shattered her expectations.

“I appreciate your sentiment. But my heart is uneasy about enjoying a banquet with another woman while leaving my wife, who carries my child, alone.”

By specifically mentioning ‘my wife who carries my child’, he suppressed rumors about Blair while simultaneously presenting a legitimate reason for his refusal.

At this, Beatrice bit her lip.

For her, who grew up cherished as an only daughter, rejection from others was unfamiliar and unpleasant, but she couldn’t show it.

Having lost any pretext to approach a man who said he was uneasy about leaving his pregnant wife, Beatrice forced a calm smile.

“It’s disappointing, but if that’s how Your Excellency feels, it can’t be helped.”

Beatrice turned away, hiding her wounded pride. The nobles whose excitement had cooled also turned their gazes away from them.

Finally having shaken off the bothersome wolves, Herdin picked up a wine glass nearby. At that moment, he felt a gaze upon him.

Turning his head in the direction of that gaze, he saw Beatrice. And next to her was a familiar face.

‘…The priestess?’

Herdin’s brow furrowed as his eyes met Miela’s.

“This is Miss Miela, my benefactor and friend. She’s a priestess from the Ardel Empire, and she’s come here on a mission to convey the will of God.”

Miela greeted the people Beatrice was introducing and withdrew her gaze that had been directed at Herdin.

Herdin looked at Miela with cold eyes.

Was it really a coincidence to meet that woman in this far-off foreign land?

Such a question flashed through his mind, but he couldn’t confront her based on mere suspicion. Nor did he want to create a connection from his side first.

Herdin withdrew his gaze from Miela.

So as not to even let their eyes meet.

* * *

Herdin’s efforts came to naught.

Thanks to Miela, who chased after him as he left the mansion after keeping his seat for an appropriate time.

“Your Grace!”

Herdin, who had been heading towards the annex ignoring her, finally stopped reluctantly. He didn’t want to draw Miela into the annex.

“If someone sees, it’s a situation ripe for misunderstanding. It must be urgent business for you to chase after me despite that risk, Priestess?”

Miela, who had run after him, looked at Herdin’s gloved hand while catching her breath.

“How is… the hand you injured before? I wasn’t able to treat it then…”

At Miela’s words, Herdin let out a wry laugh.

“Surely the reason you chased me all the way from the Empire to this distant foreign country isn’t because of such a trivial wound.”

Herdin’s eyes, probing Miela’s true intentions, had sunk coldly as if he had never laughed.

However, although Miela trembled at his sharp tone, she did not back down and answered.

“I was worried about you, Your Grace.”

Miela’s face, speaking firmly in a trembling voice, looked quite pitiful, but it gave Herdin no emotion.

“Did I look weak enough to worry about? Or perhaps, pitiable?”

“That’s not what I meant…!”

Miela, who was about to refute Herdin’s words, bit her lip and then looked at him with tearful eyes as she continued.

“…I have affection for you, Your Grace.”

However, even at the painful confession uttered with difficulty, Herdin’s eyes remained cold.

“What’s the reason for expressing your feelings to a man already married to another? Are you trying to become a mistress?”

“I, I don’t have such intentions at all! I just… wanted to let you know that I would never do anything to harm you. So I hoped you would at least accept my goodwill…”

In Miela’s eyes as she spoke thus, there was not a trace of falsehood to be found.

So, that was this woman’s pure sincerity.

At the same time, it was a malice without malice, believing her sincerity to be for the sake of another.

Just as Herdin was about to part his lips to say something to that.

The now-familiar headache ravaged his mind.

‘Of all times…’

Herdin unknowingly furrowed his brow at the sudden pain and swallowed.

Miela appeared in his memory.

The place was his office, and there Miela was embracing him.

And behind her back, through the open door, his eyes met Blair’s.

Herdin tried to push Miela away, but in the memory, he instead pulled Miela closer and held her in his arms.

Blair seemed considerably shocked at that sight. So much so that even he could clearly see her violet eyes shaking violently.

Blair looked at that scene with eyes contorted as if about to cry, then turned away staggering and disappeared as if fleeing. At the same time, the memory ended and he returned to reality.

‘What on earth is this…’

Why do memories that are not mine keep surfacing?

His chest tightened at the memory whose identity he couldn’t understand.

“Your Grace? Are you alright?”

Miela, finding Herdin’s staggering strange, approached with worried eyes and examined his complexion.

“You don’t look well—”

Herdin turned towards the annex, avoiding Miela’s hand that was trying to grab his arm.

At that moment, their eyes met.

With Blair, who was looking at him with trembling eyes, just like in that scene from his memory.

* * *

An hour earlier, Blair, who had returned to the bedroom after finishing her bath, involuntarily shivered at the chilly air.

The weather had suddenly turned cold.

Although the temperature itself was mild compared to the Empire, being by the sea meant there was a lot of sea breeze, making it feel even chillier.

As the weather turned cold, she missed the warmth of the fireplace. Although she wasn’t as afraid of fire as before, she still hesitated to light the fireplace alone.

‘When will Herdin return.’

Blair, who had unconsciously thought of him, was startled as she became aware of her own behavior. Doesn’t it seem like she’s waiting for him?

Blair hastily shook off her thoughts and went to lie down on the bed. She intended to fall asleep early before Herdin returned.

But unfortunately, perhaps because she had napped too long during the day, sleep wouldn’t come.

Finally, after tossing and turning for a while, Blair gave up on falling asleep and got up from the bed. Then, after wrapping a thick shawl around herself, she left the room.

The maids waiting in front of the door looked at her with curious eyes.

“My lady? Are you not sleeping?”

“I can’t sleep, so I thought I’d take a short walk.”

“Ah. Are you going out to meet His Grace?”

At the maids’ question, Blair started in surprise and strongly denied it.

“No. I’m just going for a walk.”

The maids didn’t question her words further and were about to follow Blair. Blair, who had become unnecessarily embarrassed by their earlier words, held them back.

“I’d like to walk alone, if that’s alright?”

“Understood. But please return soon, as the temperature is chilly.”

The maids withdrew obediently. It was because Herdin’s surveillance had decreased since their argument at the elementary school. Besides, there was no way out of the Nerha estate anyway.

As she started her walk, suddenly the fetal movement became more active. Startled by the increasingly strong kicks, Blair soon chuckled and whispered.

“Why don’t you move a bit when your daddy is around? He’s waiting anxiously.”

Blair, who had been walking while responding to the baby’s movements, realized she had come to a distance where the mansion was visible and stopped. Perhaps due to the chilly night air, a cough burst out.

“Should I go back now…”

Just as she was about to turn back, Blair heard voices coming from not far away and looked in that direction.

At the end of her casually thrown gaze was Herdin. Together with the woman he had loved in her past life.

Upon witnessing that scene, she realized.

Ah. I was waiting for that man. Like a fool.

Blair stood firm, putting strength into her legs that were about to collapse. She had to turn away before he noticed her.

But sadly, Herdin turned around faster.

Blair only managed to turn her body after their eyes met.

She wanted to run away from him. No, if possible, she wanted to disappear from this place.

“Blair.”

But despite her desperate wish, before she could take even a few steps, she was caught by his hand and turned around.

“Let’s talk.”

“It seems your conversation isn’t over yet, so finish it and come back. Don’t mind me.”

A voice that sounded more composed than she expected flowed out. Perhaps that was natural. She had to desperately try to appear calm. To avoid becoming miserable.

Blair tried to pull her wrist out of his grasp, but Herdin didn’t let her go.

“No, I want to talk with you. Now.”

“I don’t think there’s anything so urgent to discuss that you need to leave the person you were talking with.”

Herdin ran his hand through his bangs nervously, sighed, and then opened his mouth.

“That woman and I, we’re not the kind of relationship you’re thinking.”

“Whatever relationship you two have, there’s no need to explain it to me. It’s not my business.”

Herdin’s lips twisted at Blair’s calm response.

“…It’s not your business? No matter what kind of relationship I have with that woman?”

“Even if it were an immoral relationship, it’s common in noble society to take a mistress. It’s not for me to interfere. So…”

Blair paused briefly to steady her trembling voice before continuing.

“Finish your conversation and come back.”

Even forcing an ill-fitting smile.

Faced with her like this, a wry laugh escaped Herdin’s lips.

“Am I really nothing to you?”

“…”

“Get angry instead. Question me, hit me even!”

At Herdin’s raised voice, Blair blinked in confusion.

“I… don’t understand why you’re angry right now.”

She couldn’t understand why he was angry.

Wasn’t he wanting her to not ask anything, not run away, and just quietly play the role of a wife for his purpose?

Herdin, desperately holding onto Blair’s arm, moved his lips several times before finally meeting her eyes properly.

“Because I love you.”

He exhaled his emotions with a sigh that seemed both self-mocking and sad.

“Because I, love you.”