Although her voice sounded casual as if asking in passing, Blair’s startled heart began to beat rapidly.

It had been almost ten days past the expected date, but she never imagined he would be keeping track of her monthly cycle.

Blair, who had momentarily frozen in confusion, cleverly covered her face with the blanket and made up an excuse.

“I did miss taking the medicine for a few days, but I think it’s because I’ve had a lot on my mind lately. Sometimes it gets delayed like this.”

The lie she wasn’t confident about flowed surprisingly smoothly once she started speaking. So much so that even she couldn’t tell she was lying as she listened to herself.

Recalling the day he had switched the real medicine with fake ones, Herdin nodded in agreement.

Though he didn’t know much about women’s bodies, it hadn’t been long since he replaced the medicine with fake ones, so there could still be some effects remaining. It was a plausible explanation.

“It would be good to keep an eye on it for a few more days, and if it’s delayed for too long, you should get examined. It could be that your health has worsened.”

Of course, if that period got too long, it would be suspicious.

“…I will. Thank you for your concern.”

Blair thought she should tell him tomorrow that her monthly cycle had started, as she curled up under the blanket.

She thought Herdin would leave soon since she had said she wanted to rest. There would be no other purpose for him if he wasn’t going to be intimate with her.

But he didn’t leave and stayed beside her. Idly playing with her hair.

Although this disrupted her plan to sleep, Blair didn’t chase him away and quietly observed him. She didn’t dislike his touch.

After twirling Blair’s hair around his fingers for a while, Herdin raised his head, feeling the breeze coming through the slightly open balcony door.

Through the floor-to-ceiling window connected to the balcony, he could see the lush green scenery of the backyard. The wind carried the scent of grass.

As he gazed at that scenery, Herdin spoke.

“How about having a picnic in the backyard soon?”

“A picnic?”

“As we talked about in spring. It’s almost summer now, and you’re not as afraid of fire as you used to be, so I think it would be fine.”

Only then did she recall the conversations they had while roasting marshmallows over candles to overcome her fear of fire.

The sweet memories of that spring.

At first, she thought it might be a needless desire given that she would be leaving soon, but then her thoughts changed to the idea that since she was leaving soon, it would be nice to make one more happy memory to take with her.

‘The memory of happy moments can sometimes become the strength to live a lifetime.’

She also remembered something Agnes had said once.

“Alright. But it will get hotter soon, so as soon as possible…”

Blair, who was about to suggest moving the date up as much as possible out of concern for worsening morning sickness, hesitated.

She still hadn’t cleared Esmeralda’s false accusations. It didn’t seem like the right time to hold a boisterous party.

Blair corrected her words.

“No, it would be better to do it after the trial is over.”

“If you want to do it soon, we can do it soon.”

“Is that okay?”

When Blair asked with wide eyes at the unexpected answer, Herdin nodded readily.

“The trial will end well anyway.”

There was no reason not to do at least that much for his wife, who was innocently waiting and trusting only in him, unaware of his true intentions.

* * *

The backyard picnic was set for a few days before the Founding Day banquet.

After finishing lunch, Blair was standing on the balcony, observing the scenery of the backyard. The sound of clanging could be heard constantly from the other side, busy with preparations for the evening picnic.

‘Fortunately, the morning sickness hasn’t gotten worse yet.’

As Blair was thinking that and habitually about to place her hand on her lower abdomen, Mellie’s voice came from behind her.

“My lady, Baroness Sionel has arrived.”

Today happened to be the day the completed dress was arriving.

It was also the day when Baroness Sionel’s assistant, who would bring news from Mikhail, was coming.

As soon as Blair gave her permission, Baroness Sionel entered the reception room connected to the bedroom with her assistants.

“Hello, Madam.”

“Welcome, Baroness.”

“How are you feeling today? I hope you weren’t too excited about trying on the new dress to sleep last night?”

Blair burst into laughter at her characteristic banter.

“That’s right. Your dresses are always beyond expectations, so I’ve been excited the night before the completed dress arrives since I was young. Of course, today too.”

“I’ve also been excited every time I bring a dress for the Princess… no, for you to wear, Madam. I’m sure it will meet those expectations today as well.”

Baroness Sionel was always full of confidence in her skills, as usual.

“I can’t keep you in suspense any longer, shall we try it on now?”

As the Baroness snapped her fan shut with a sound, her assistants took Blair to the dressing room. Among them was also the one who was helping Mikhail.

Throughout the process of putting on the dress, Blair focused all her attention on that assistant.

As the assistants who had finished the dress fitting left the dressing room one by one with proper courtesy, Mikhail’s helper, who had remained until the end, handed Blair a note.

Last week, she had sent a reply to Mikhail through the assistant who brought the dress for fitting. Saying that the plan remained unchanged.

And what she received today was the answer to that.

Blair immediately unfolded the note.

She was puzzled about how he, not being a nobleman and without an invitation, would enter the Imperial Palace, but she thought that as a Guild Master, he must have some other means.

Blair handed the note back to the assistant.

“Thank you. Please dispose of this on your way.”

The assistant took the note back.

Blair left the dressing room with the assistant and received a final check in front of Baroness Sionel.

Just as they were about to finish the fitting, Mellie, who had been away, returned with news.

“My lady, His Grace has returned.”

This morning, Herdin had left to hunt deer for the evening picnic.

Now that he had returned, it was about time to start preparing for the picnic.

“Then I’ll see you at the Founding Day celebration, Duchess.”

“Take care on your way back.”

After sending off Baroness Sionel, Blair began choosing clothes to wear for the evening picnic with Mellie and Lina.

“It’s still a bit chilly in the evening, so it would be good to wear a shawl.”

By the time she finished dressing up, the evening twilight was already spreading outside the window.

“I’m done now. You two go and get ready too.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Just as the excited Lina and Mellie approached the door to leave the room, there was a knock and the door opened first as Herdin entered.

Lina and Mellie paid their respects to him and quietly left the room.

Blair, who was making a final check of her appearance in front of the dressing table, turned to look at him approaching her through the mirror and brightened.

“Did you have a good trip?”

“Yes.”

Herdin was wearing a simple shirt and trousers, but the increasingly strong soap scent as he got closer revealed that he had just finished washing.

He approached briskly and leaned slightly against Blair’s dressing table, watching her rummage through her jewelry box.

Blair was choosing a necklace and earrings with a somewhat serious expression. Her slightly furrowed brow and small lips tightly closed in concentration were cute.

After searching through the jewelry box for a while, Blair took out two necklaces and showed them to Herdin.

“Which one is better?”

They were necklaces with amethysts that resembled her eyes and aquamarines.

It was a meaningless question. What mattered to him wasn’t necklaces or earrings.

“Well, they all look fine.”

At his half-hearted answer, Blair’s lips slightly pouted.

After pondering for a moment, Blair chose the aquamarine necklace with its cool color that suited summer.

Seeing this, the corners of Herdin’s mouth curved up in satisfaction. He quite liked seeing a jewel similar to the color of his eyes hanging around her neck.

Finally, Blair stood up after putting on the matching earrings.

“I’m all set now. Let’s go.”

As Blair lightly tugged on his hand and headed towards the door, Herdin grabbed that hand and turned her towards him.

To Blair, who looked back at him with questioning eyes, came an unexpected request.

“Kiss me.”

Along with his playful gaze.

Blair’s eyes widened at the sudden request. That look stirred the sadistic tendencies that had been dormant within him.

“I’ve hunted and brought back the deer as you wished, isn’t this a small price to pay in return?”

“…But you were the one who suggested having the picnic first.”

“Who was it that was all excited last night, saying deer meat would be better than wild boar?”

At those words, Blair, who had been slowly backing away as if avoiding a wild beast, paused. However, as expected, his graceful wife didn’t give in easily.

“Everyone will be waiting.”

Of course, he had no intention of backing down either.

“That’s why you should hurry.”

Herdin’s hand holding Blair’s was firm.

Realizing that he wouldn’t move until he got what he wanted, Blair approached him resignedly.

After hesitating for a while even after approaching him, she carefully pressed her lips against his, fortunately before Herdin could devour those lips at will.

Herdin embraced Blair’s waist as if he had been waiting for this. The corners of his mouth turned up in satisfaction, having finally obtained what he wanted.

Those truly expensive lips were as sweet and soft as their price. The moment their lips met and their breaths mingled, all that faint irritation was forgotten.

He thought his own behavior seemed quite mad, but for this moment of holding her in his arms, he didn’t care what he became.

It was a perfect moment, just like this.