He took Blair out to the balcony. Blair, following with small steps, muttered as if talking to herself.

“What if that person from earlier got badly hurt……”

Her voice stopped Herdin in his tracks. He felt anger rising at her attitude of worrying about Wesley’s condition even in this situation.

“Are you worrying about that bastard right now? After what he said to you.”

“But, today is Mother’s birthday celebration.”

This time it was worry for Katrina. Her own well-being wasn’t even a consideration.

As Herdin was about to say something, another untimely hiccup escaped from Blair’s mouth.

Hic. Hic. Hic……

The hiccups continued relentlessly. Even when Blair closed her mouth, the sound leaked out.

Come to think of it, he could smell alcohol on her breath with each exhalation. Herdin’s brows furrowed.

“……Are you drunk?”

“I’m not drunk.”

The answer came immediately. But now that he looked closer, her pronunciation was oddly awkward.

Herdin held up two fingers and asked.

“How many do you see?”

Blair pouted her lips in response.

“……You said you wouldn’t doubt me.”

Her uncharacteristic behavior was cute, but Herdin didn’t back down. No, it made him even more persistent.

“So how many does it look like?”

“Hold still for a moment.”

Blair, who had been swaying slightly, suddenly grabbed his still hand with both of hers. Herdin flinched at this, but Blair didn’t seem to notice as she fiddled with his fingers.

It tickled as her small hands wriggled and touched his fingers, but the sensation wasn’t unpleasant.

Blair, who had been concentrating with her delicate brows furrowed as she counted just two fingers, finally gave her answer.

“It’s two, isn’t it?”

Her tone suggested she thought he might have assumed she couldn’t even recognize that much.

Herdin burst out laughing, his fingers still held by her. The foul mood from when Wesley had been thrown to the floor earlier was long forgotten.

His drunken wife tilted her head, looking quite serious, as if she couldn’t understand why he was laughing. All the while, her hiccups hadn’t stopped.

As the hiccups started again, Blair frowned in frustration and thumped her upper chest.

Herdin, watching her with amusement in his eyes, asked.

“Shall I stop them for you?”

Blair blinked at him quizzically. His face drew closer in an instant.

Chu.

Something hot and soft touched her lips and then pulled away. Blair’s eyes blinked slowly, not comprehending the situation.

Herdin smirked at her wide-eyed, startled expression.

“There, the hiccups have stopped.”

His languid baritone voice made Blair’s heart flutter a beat late.

Blair looked up at Herdin with confused eyes, listening to the clamorous sound of her own heartbeat in her ears. She couldn’t understand why this man would act this way towards her.

You don’t like me. You’re not supposed to.

She disliked how he was trying to wedge his way in and shake her up like this. She didn’t want to be shaken. Her heart pounding against her will was painful.

Blair came to her own conclusion about the meaning of his action.

“Do you want to do it with me?”

This person, if nothing else, quite liked my body.

Yes, that must be it. It had to be simply that.

Of course, if she had been sober, she would never have uttered those words.

The smile vanished from Herdin’s face upon hearing those words. His eyes were cold, like she had seen before.

Herdin let out a bitter laugh.

His wife had been treating him like a beast consumed by lust since before. But it wasn’t entirely wrong. After all, his mind was filled with lewd thoughts about her.

“……What if I say yes?”

“I said we’d have marital relations twice a month. We still have one time left, so if you want to……”

In other words, she was willing to offer her body if that’s what he wanted. There was no hint of her own feelings or desires in her words.

Her attitude grated on Herdin’s nerves. However, ironically, the moment Blair gave her permission, his desire bubbled up with anticipation. Separate from the dirty feeling that had been thrust into the mud in an instant.

Was there any reason to refuse a woman offering to lie with him?

He desired her, she was his wife in name at least, and she was not refusing but willing to accept him.

There was no problem with his desire. Nothing at all.

Herdin took Blair into a nearby room. Blair stumbled along weakly as she was pulled.

Herdin closed the door and trapped Blair between himself and the door. He kissed her slender wrist that he had been holding and asked.

“Is it alright if we do it here?”

As his lips moved while speaking, Blair’s body trembled slightly. He could see her ample bosom rising and falling as she took quick breaths. Even that sight was beautiful.

When Blair, blinking blankly, nodded slowly, his large hand began caressing her waist and moving upwards as soon as he received permission.

At the same time, his lips nibbled at Blair’s wrist and palm. Even the slender fingers that had boldly touched and stimulated him earlier.

All the while, his eyes never left her. As if trying to engrave her every little reaction into his pupils.

“Ah……”

Blair unconsciously twisted her body at the feeling of the hot, moist flesh brushing against her wrist and palm.

It was just kisses on her palm and wrist, yet her lower abdomen tingled. Perhaps it was because of his gaze that wouldn’t leave her. Her breathing quickened even though he hadn’t taken her breath away.

When Blair, not knowing what to do, grabbed his arm with her free hand, Herdin finally released her hand and pulled her waist to embrace her. Then he buried his lips in the crook of her snow-white neck.

As their bodies pressed together, she could feel the heat emanating from him. Blair’s nerves instinctively stood on edge.

Blair twisted her body, trying to escape, but he tightened his arms around her, pressing them even closer together. The more she squirmed, the more distinctly she could feel him.

“Herdin……”

It was unclear whether she was calling for him to stop or asking for more.

Herdin interpreted the call as he pleased. With such a yearning voice calling his name, surely she was encouraging him.

Herdin, who had been gently biting and tormenting the tender flesh between Blair’s neck and collarbone, devoured her lips that had been calling his name.

As his hands caressed down her waist, Blair writhed and let out a moan. Her hands gripping his arms tightened.

Every time her pained moans rang in his ears, memories of their wedding night surfaced. He felt like he would go mad with the urge to take her right away.

He repeatedly sucked and released her small lips, but he stopped when he slightly parted her lower lip and entered.

The sweet scent of wine wafted through her unresistingly opened teeth. At that moment, the dirty feeling he had suppressed by prioritizing his desire reared its head.

Would this woman even remember what she said and did right now?

His head cooled as if doused with cold water. Separate from his desire to lay her down and satisfy his greed right away.

When he suddenly pulled his lips away, Blair opened her eyes.

“……Herdin?”

His image was reflected in her purple eyes, hazy from the alcohol. Just looking at those eyes made him feel dizzy, as if he might get drunk.

Herdin loosened his grip on Blair’s waist. Then, as if avoiding her eyes, he covered his own with his hand. A painful sigh escaped through his teeth, covered by his large hand.

After taking a moment to steady his breathing and suppress his desire, he looked at Blair and said.

“On second thought, this seems a bit unfair.”

“Unfair…?”

Even in this situation, Blair, still not fully sober, moved her small lips like a parrot, repeating his words.

That sight was adorably cute to the point of being ridiculous…… and the way her reddened lips, glistening with his saliva, moved was erotic. Damn it all.

Herdin gritted his teeth and said in a low voice.

“When you sober up, you’ll forget everything that happened today.”

I want you to remember everything.

He wanted her to remember everything with a clear mind, for the sensations he gave her to be etched into her thoughts.

So that she would have no choice but to think of him at the slightest touch. So that she would instinctively respond only to him.

Blair, who had been blinking slowly while looking at him, quietly approached and buried her head in his chest, mumbling.

“Herdin, I’m sleepy……”

She didn’t seem to have heard his words. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say she was in a state where she couldn’t hear them.

Herdin laughed bitterly as if dumbfounded, but he held her small body that was leaning against him to support her.

He let out a pained sigh and whispered in Blair’s ear.

“……Be prepared when you wake up.”