He composed his coldly hardened expression and approached the two people.

“I heard you had an appointment with a friend and wondered where you were going, but to run into you like this.”

Herdin grabbed Blair’s hand while looking at Mikhail.

In fact, he had never talked about today’s appointment, but at his words, Blair noticed the museum director and quietly offered her hand.

After all, he was publicly her husband.

But in reality, he was nothing to her.

Just a fake husband by contract, that’s all.

She had no reason to tell him in advance or explain who she was meeting or what she was doing. As a party to that contract, he knew that fact better than anyone.

Yes, he knew it all, but…

“Since we’ve met like this by chance, if you have time, why don’t we greet each other briefly?”

Why am I getting so angry?

* * *

The three of them moved to a nearby cafe.

“Three coffees.”

Herdin ordered from the approaching employee. Blair hastily corrected the order.

“Change one to tea, please.”

The employee confirmed the changed order and walked away. Blair added an explanation to Herdin.

“If I drink coffee, I can’t sleep.”

It was a fact he learned for the first time. Herdin scoffed at that fact.

Everything was a mess.

The fact that he only learned this after nearly three months of marriage, and his own feelings.

Leaning back deeply in his chair, Herdin swallowed his emotions, moving his Adam’s apple, and looked at the man before him. His rather handsome face was unpleasant.

Mikhail wore a kind smile, but Herdin could see that it wasn’t a smile that came from the heart.

“First, shall we introduce ourselves?”

Since there was no way he didn’t know the name of the war hero and Duke of Delmark, it meant for Mikhail to state his name.

“My name is Mikhail Kines. It’s an honor to meet you, Your Excellency.”

Herdin’s eyes cooled when he heard Mikhail’s name.

‘So he’s not Asiel.’

When he had Luth investigate men with the name Asiel, there were no men who might have had connections with Blair.

To begin with, it wasn’t a common name, and noble families rarely used the name of Asiel Delmark, the first head of the Delmark family.

There were occasionally commoners who used that name, but most importantly, there was no connection with Blair.

So what he thought was that maybe it was someone using an alias. Just a guess, without any evidence or anything.

So he briefly thought that maybe this man could be ‘Asiel’, but seeing Blair’s attitude, it didn’t seem like this person was that beloved lover.

“Kines… I haven’t heard of that family.”

“You probably wouldn’t have. It’s not a noble family.”

It was the kind of thing that might hurt one’s pride, but the man smiled without showing any sign of that. As if his status couldn’t be his flaw.

While the person in question was calm, Blair intervened as if to explain.

“He’s someone who will help fulfill our contract later.”

Blair intended to reveal only that Mikhail was her scandal partner, not the fact that he was the guild master.

First, because there must be a reason why Mikhail didn’t reveal that fact first.

Second, because she hoped Herdin wouldn’t know that fact.

She wanted no one to know her whereabouts after the divorce except Mikhail, who was in charge of this job. Not Ivan and Katrina, not even Herdin.

When that detestable word came out of Blair’s mouth once again, Herdin’s lips twisted.

“…Contract?”

At that moment, the employee brought coffee and tea. Blair, who had briefly paused speaking, continued after seeing the employee walk away.

“…Divorce. When the contract ends, we agreed I would divorce you due to my misconduct, remember?”

“Ah, divorce.”

Herdin finally realized why Blair had hesitated before speaking. She remembered what he had said a few days ago.

“I don’t see what connection this person has with that contract.”

“This person has agreed to be one of my scandal partners.”

“…Scandal?”

“A scandal that the Duchess has become intimate with several men.”

Herdin laughed mockingly after hearing Blair’s story. It was quite audacious for an idea that came from his innocent wife’s mind.

He had never thought about how to end this contract in the first place. Because he wasn’t curious.

Why hadn’t he been curious earlier? The method to nullify this marriage arranged by the Emperor himself could never be ordinary.

‘So, you’re going to take on all that infamy alone and get divorced.’

Was she not attached to everything she would lose?

It was such a desperate love. Whoever this Asiel person was.

Herdin picked up his coffee cup and looked at Mikhail.

As Blair said, she didn’t seem to have any particular feelings for Mikhail. But the look in Mikhail’s eyes as he gazed at Blair was different from how one would look at a mere client.

He seemed more skilled at hiding his emotions than other fools who had tried to speak to her somehow, but.

That made him more dangerous.

Herdin’s lips twisted as he sensed it, like the instinct of someone born with the same nature.

“Ah, so you’re skilled at entertaining noble ladies because you’re an expert in that field.”

It was a remark treating Mikhail like a host who entertained noble ladies.

Despite the clear mockery, Mikhail’s expression didn’t waver at all. For someone who had worked as a bartender for a long time, it wasn’t a particularly damaging comment.

But Blair didn’t seem to feel the same way, her fine brow furrowing deeply.

“Herdin, don’t speak like that.”

“On the surface, he’s your lover, isn’t he? I was just praising him for doing his job well.”

Her face was full of dissatisfaction, but Herdin ignored it and continued what he had to say.

“Anyway, that plan doesn’t seem like a very good idea. Did you not listen to what I said a few days ago?”

At Herdin’s sharp words, Blair suddenly recalled what he had said a few days ago.

He didn’t want third parties to know about the contract marriage. And there was reason in his words.

The more scandal partners there were, the more people would know the secret.

As he said, this was a fraud deceiving the Emperor. It was that dangerous and needed to be handled carefully.

But there seemed to be no other alternative to accomplish their divorce.

Herdin took advantage of Blair’s moment of thought to address Mikhail.

“It seems you’ve been promised quite a large sum, but won’t you regret it?”

“…”

“We’re talking about the lover of an Imperial Princess. What do you think His Majesty the Emperor will do when that scandal breaks?”

“…”

“I don’t want to involve innocent people in our affairs.”

At first glance, it sounded like he was worried about Mikhail, but in reality, it was meant to intimidate him.

However, the person who reacted to those words was not Mikhail, but Blair.

Her plan was merely to use Mikhail and the guild members to lower her reputation, not to have him pretend to be her lover until the very end.

That would be too dangerous.

But if they were revealed as her lovers, they would surely face criticism from people. Just as Herdin had mocked him earlier.

‘It’s not right for them to be criticized just because I paid them for it.’

She suddenly felt guilty. Maybe Herdin was right that she was involving innocent people.

Seeing Blair waver, Mikhail answered with a casual smile.

“I plan to leave the Empire once this job is finished. I appreciate your concern, but you don’t need to worry about me.”

See that.

A cold smile spread across Herdin’s lips as he heard Mikhail’s words.

He could clearly see the intention to alleviate Blair’s guilt that he had deliberately provoked.

Moreover, those words that seemed to plan for after his divorce from Blair sharply grated on Herdin’s nerves.

“Well, if you’re willing to risk your life to help, that would be appreciated.”

Herdin deliberately mentioned ‘life’ to imply what might happen if things went wrong. Even if it didn’t affect Mikhail, it would be enough to shake Blair.

Just then, the faint sound of bells marking the hour could be heard from the square. Checking his wristwatch, Herdin set down his cup.

“I think I should be going now.”

He said to Blair as he stood up.

“You must be busy preparing for the banquet as well, Madam. I’ll escort you back to the mansion.”

Blair still looked displeased, but she would have no choice but to follow him in the end.

Because he was still her husband on the surface.

However, that fact gave him no sense of superiority.

“Then take care, Your Excellency.”

Mikhail, who had also stood up, bowed his head to Herdin. It was a polite but not servile greeting.

Herdin turned away, leaving Mikhail behind. He heard Blair saying something to Mikhail.

After finishing the payment and stepping outside first, Herdin lit a cigar and put it in his mouth.

By the time the cigar had burned halfway, Blair came out of the cafe. Seeing her, Herdin said,

“Please get in first.”

But Blair didn’t get into the carriage. Instead, she came closer to him.

Her rosy lips, stubbornly pressed together, stood out against her pale face. It was the expression she made when something displeased her.

“Herdin.”

Having barely called his name, she finally started coughing incessantly, unable to bear the smoke. Nevertheless, she seemed to have no intention of backing down, continuing to speak between coughs.

“That person is not the kind of person you think he is.”

Blair’s gaze was quite resolute as she repeatedly defended her fake lover. Even as she coughed until her cheeks turned red, she didn’t back down at all.

He disliked such stubbornness in his wife.

Herdin finally dropped the half-finished cigar on the ground and extinguished it.