The Duke Only Needs My Child - Chapter 24

Unlike when they met at the guild, he was dressed in a suit that looked quite expensive at first glance.

Additionally, he wasn’t wearing the round glasses he had on at the guild.

Whether the glasses had transformed him into a gentle impression, his appearance without them looked a bit sharper, unlike his soft first impression.

“I hope your journey here wasn’t too difficult.”

“It was fine, thanks to you.”

It was a bit of a struggle to convince the knights, saying ‘I want to go quietly without drawing attention.’

After arriving at the theater, it wasn’t difficult since they entered through the back door to avoid attention, and the manager guided them.

She was planning to cause a scandal someday, but it was too early now. So she had to endure some inconvenience.

Mikhail extended his hand to Blair. Having lived as an imperial princess, Blair naturally accepted his escort and sat down.

Mikhail handed her a glass filled with wine. It was a gesture very accustomed to entertaining.

“Thank you.”

Blair took the glass he offered and asked.

“So, is the purchase of the mansion in the kingdom complete now?”

Mikhail, who was about to introduce the wine, burst into laughter seeing Blair get straight to the point.

“My, you don’t even give me a moment to catch my breath. I’m a bit disappointed.”

Blair blinked, seemingly not understanding. Wasn’t the purpose of meeting him for the request in the first place? We don’t have anything else to talk about, do we?

Mikhail, still with a smile on his face, took out a small coin from his inner pocket and held it out.

“First, to get to the point, the mansion purchase was successfully completed. If you take this to Agenta and go to the place written on the coin, they will give you the mansion purchase documents.”

Blair picked up the coin held out in front of her and examined it.

On the front of the coin, something was written in Clanian. Blair, who had learned foreign languages as an imperial princess, easily read that it said ‘The Last Glass of Clania’. It seemed to be a metaphorical expression.

Mikhail then handed over a wooden tag and added an explanation.

“And this is the ID you mentioned.”

“You’ve worked hard. I’ll send the fee to the guild through my maid tomorrow.”

“I’m glad I could be of help.”

Mikhail replied with a slight smile. Seeing his smiling face, the gentle impression he had when wearing glasses seemed to show.

Just as Blair was about to ask him about the glasses, a black curtain fell on the theater stage.

“It seems the play is about to begin.”

After waiting for a moment, the curtain lifted and actors appeared on the stage.

Soon, a narrator standing at one side of the stage began reading the narration, and the play started.

The content of the play was a story about divine beasts that Blair had encountered many times since childhood through plays and books. Something that anyone born and raised in the Western Continent would likely have heard of.

And after getting married, it was a story she encountered again while studying the history of the Delmark Duchy as the mistress of the house.

Because Helios, the protagonist of this play, was the divine beast who lent power to the first Duke of Delmark.

It felt new to see that story again like this.

Noticing that Blair was concentrating on the play, Mikhail added an explanation.

“It’s the story of Helios, the last divine beast, and his human knight lover, Arwen. It’s quite an interesting play.”

The beginning of the play was about Helios, who unlike other divine beasts, was initially hostile to humans, gradually opening his heart and Arwen getting closer.

The two young characters build a friendship through Arwen’s sociability and set off on an adventure. Matching that, majestic music began to resound.

At that moment, a faint noise mixed in between the music. It sounded like a woman’s crying.

Blair turned her head in confusion towards the direction of the sound. The source was the adjacent room.

Blinking her surprised eyes while staring at the wall, Blair soon realized what that sound was.

‘This sound, could it be……’

Mikhail’s voice was heard from behind Blair.

“This is the kind of place this theater is.”

As if familiar with such situations, he calmly drank his wine and added an explanation.

“It’s a suitable place for your request, where secret lovers meet and share love. That’s why the play also has many battle scenes.”

The stage needs to be noisy so that all kinds of sounds coming from the lounge can be buried.

Blair’s face turned red upon hearing Mikhail’s words. She turned her head as if even making eye contact with him was embarrassing, but her voice seemed to be heard from her bewildered face.

My goodness, how could they do such an indecent thing…

It seemed somewhat cute that a person who was shocked by such a trivial matter was thinking of causing scandals with multiple people as grounds for divorce. The gap was somehow endearing.

But as if to tease such a Blair, the sound from the next room grew increasingly intense.

Blair couldn’t concentrate on the play at all and just kept rolling her eyes.

Mikhail chuckled watching Blair like that, then brought up a different topic.

“Do you have any plans after the divorce?”

“First, I’m thinking of starting a business. I’m still considering what kind of business though.”

Mikhail, who had thrown out the topic simply to distract Blair’s attention from the next room, was inwardly surprised by her answer.

It felt strange that she, who must have lived without any lack all her life, would directly jump into business.

“Have you secured the capital?”

“I’m planning to soon. I’ll need your help in securing that capital.”

Blair had already depleted most of the jewels and valuables she owned as an imperial princess while entrusting requests to Mikhail.

So Blair had made another plan to secure capital for the business. Using her memories of the future that she possessed.

However, she had no intention of stealing someone else’s business ideas. Although she had miraculously returned to the past by chance, it didn’t seem right to use that solely for personal gain.

Instead, what she was aiming for was…

‘If my memory is correct, my brother’s chamberlain will soon buy a few paintings at an auction.’

When she attended a family dinner, Ivan had cursed that his chamberlain had bought cheap paintings.

However, the artist who painted those pictures would catch the eye of the Piace Marquis family, famous for patronizing artists for generations, two years later, making a name for himself, and consequently, the prices of his paintings would skyrocket.

Only then did Ivan dig out the paintings he had carelessly stashed in the warehouse and boast about his artistic insight.

Blair planned to take a little of what would eventually become Ivan’s share.

Having lived her whole life being taken from by him, wouldn’t it be okay to keep this much for herself?

Rationalizing it like that on her own.

‘It will take 2 years for the paintings’ value to rise, but I was planning to rest until giving birth to Asiel anyway.’

Even after the topic related to business, Mikhail skillfully led the conversation, guiding Blair not to focus on the sounds from the next room.

Having lived as a guild master and traveled to various countries, he laid out stories that Blair couldn’t help but be fascinated by, and he gazed at her eyes that sparkled more than usual.

When the next room quieted down after a while, Mikhail naturally wrapped up the conversation. Thanks to that, Blair was able to finish watching the play she had seen as a child.

Finally, the play ended.

“I’ll escort you.”

Mikhail extended his hand to Blair. Blair took his hand and stood up.

But after taking just a few steps, Mikhail stopped at the door.

“Regrettably, my escort ends here. It’s not time yet.”

Blair, who had been staring at that sight, suddenly asked.

“Are you a nobleman?”

Even in the future Blair knew, Mikhail’s identity was not revealed. She naturally thought he was a commoner, but meeting him in person, he was very skilled in noble etiquette.

Mikhail smiled at Blair’s sudden question.

“I’m glad if it appears so.”

He responded gently while naturally avoiding a direct answer. Noticing this, Blair didn’t press further.

Mikhail lightly kissed the back of Blair’s hand and let it go.

“Then I’ll see you again soon, madam.”

* * *

“Welcome back, madam.”

When she arrived at the duke’s residence, Mason and the lined-up servants greeted her.

Blair asked him as she entered the mansion.

“Where is the duke?”

“His afternoon schedule ended early, so he returned a short while ago.”

At the news that Herdin was in the mansion, Blair’s heart sank.

Although nothing had happened with Mikhail at the theater, and currently she and Herdin were strictly a show couple based on a contract, she felt uneasy. Like someone who had really committed adultery and returned home.

In fact, all of this was just part of a plan to give him the safe divorce he wanted.

Blair climbed the stairs, hoping as she often did recently, that she wouldn’t run into Herdin.

But God was not on her side.

Next to the door was Herdin waiting for her.

Her husband, who hadn’t shown his face for the past fortnight, with cold eyes.