The Duke Only Needs My Child - Chapter 94
Mikhail said there was a way to divert Herdin’s attention for a while.
At first, she thought of going through the proper procedures for a clean divorce, but if he had no intention of doing so, she had no reason to follow those procedures either.
So she could leave his side whenever she wanted.
‘This might be for the best. It’s going to be a long journey, so it might be better to leave once I’m in a stable period.’
The long journey in early pregnancy would surely be taxing for the child in her womb as well.
Thinking this way, her mind calmed down.
After organizing her future plans in her head, Blair pulled the bell rope.
However, Lina and Melly, who usually came running quickly, did not come.
Puzzled by this, she was about to pull the rope again when there was a knock and the door opened.
“My lady!”
Melly and Lina entered, each holding a small pouch and a bouquet of flowers. Both of their faces were flushed with excitement.
“Congratulations on becoming a mother!”
“We wanted to give you something, but we didn’t know what would be good… So we hurriedly went out just now and bought candy that’s supposed to be good for morning sickness.”
“And this is a bouquet of flowers.”
Melly held out lemon-flavored candies, while Lina presented a bouquet tied with a pretty ribbon. It seemed they had already heard the news.
Blair stared blankly at the gifts and the two for a moment before bursting into laughter and accepting them.
“Thank you both so much.”
The two didn’t know that Herdin and she had a contract marriage, nor did they know what had happened between them.
They only knew the fact that a new life had been created between the master and mistress.
Regardless of Herdin’s intentions for wanting this child, the baby in her womb deserved to be blessed. Just for safely settling in her womb.
She felt genuinely grateful to the two girls who reminded her of a fact she herself had forgotten.
Especially, the fact that now Melly had joined in celebrating the news of her pregnancy, which in her past life only Lina had blessed, held an even greater meaning for Blair at this moment.
‘Coming back to the past wasn’t entirely meaningless after all.’
Although her relationship with Herdin hadn’t escaped the past, in other aspects, the choices of this life had brought good connections.
Thinking this way, her mood, which had been gloomy since last night, improved considerably.
But the two who had actually lifted Blair’s spirits became dejected.
“I thought your recent fatigue was because of the master. He must have been troubling you a bit.”
“If we had known about the baby, we should have taken more careful care of you. We’re sorry.”
Even in the midst of this, Lina’s words carried a hint of resentment towards Herdin, causing Blair to shake her head with a smile.
“It’s alright. It’s natural for unmarried girls not to know these things. And despite that, you made sure I ate my meals regularly.”
Only then did the expressions of the two brighten.
Lina, who had been staring at Blair’s slim belly for a while, asked:
“So, my lady, when is the baby due?”
“If all goes as planned, it should be born early next year.”
Blair answered quickly without even calculating. The day Asiel was born was a day she could never forget in her lifetime.
“If the baby takes after you and the master, it will surely be incredibly cute and beautiful.”
“That’s right. Ah, I wish next year would come quickly. As soon as the baby is born, I’ll carry it around every day.”
“Hmm, doesn’t the baby’s opinion matter in this?”
“Oh, if it’s your baby, my lady, it will naturally like me. Instinctively!”
Melly and Lina, eagerly anticipating next year which was still far off, bickered excitedly.
But Blair, watching the two of them, muttered with a bitter smile:
“…That’s right. The baby will like Lina a lot too.”
In her past life, Lina had adored Asiel very much. Asiel, seeming to know that she liked him, had also liked and followed Lina.
But in this life, she would leave the duke’s mansion before giving birth to Asiel, so Lina wouldn’t be able to see him. That was regrettable.
Lina, who had been chattering about the unborn child with Melly, suddenly remembered something and turned to Blair, clapping her hands.
“Oh my, look at me. It’s past mealtime! My lady, is there anything you’d like to eat? Just tell us, and we’ll quickly go to the chef and let him know.”
“The smell of butter makes me nauseous, so food without butter would be good. Preferably fruits and vegetables.”
“I’ll go relay that right away!”
Lina left the room with light steps. Melly, who had been watching Lina’s retreating figure, also stood up.
“Then I’ll go fetch some water for washing up.”
As Melly was about to leave the room with quick steps, Blair called out to her as if she had just remembered something.
“Melly, I have a favor to ask on your way out.”
“Yes, what is it?”
“Can you call for Lady Sionel?”
To leave the duke’s mansion, she first needed to contact her helper.
* * *
The news of Ivan’s engagement announced at yesterday’s Founding Day celebration also affected today’s council meeting.
As soon as the council meeting regarding the budget for the engagement ceremony ended, the nobles who had attended rushed to Ivan, each offering their congratulations.
“Once again, I sincerely congratulate you on your engagement, Your Majesty.”
“Seeing you two yesterday, you looked so well-matched, like a picture. I think you must be soulmates.”
The congratulatory atmosphere was interrupted when most of the nobles had finished their greetings and Herdin approached.
“I apologize for troubling you while you’re busy with engagement preparations, but I intend to request a retrial soon regarding the Empress Dowager’s Palace fire incident from ten years ago.”
At this unexpected topic, not only did Ivan’s expression harden, but even the nobles listening nearby turned pale and fell silent.
“Thanks to Your Majesty’s previous consideration regarding that incident, I was able to strengthen my resolve.”
“…”
“As you said then, may I ask for your fair judgment this time as well?”
Ivan looked at Herdin with a coldly hardened expression, swallowing a bitter laugh.
Herdin’s words sounded like he was thanking Ivan at first glance, but in reality, it was a trap forcing Ivan to agree with his words.
If he pressured Herdin, it would lend credence to the rumor that Katrina was truly behind that incident, and because Herdin had preemptively acted as if Ivan had previously said he would reveal the truth of that incident, Ivan couldn’t refuse now.
‘It was just yesterday that I told him to bring irrefutable evidence.’
What wind had blown overnight to change his attitude?
Although he couldn’t know what had changed Herdin’s mind, one thing was clear.
The fact that he deliberately brought this up in front of others meant he intended to confront Ivan.
Ivan, momentarily stiffening his expression before carefully composing himself, gave the predetermined answer.
“Of course. If your claim is true, it means the late Empress Dowager has been falsely accused, and as I am also her child, it is only right that I clear her of this false charge.”
“Then I will come to inquire about the trial schedule soon.”
Having received the answer he wanted, Herdin turned away as if he had no more business.
What on earth was he planning?
Amidst the murmurs of the nobles watching Herdin’s retreating figure, Ivan’s eyes also narrowed.
* * *
The scenery of the square passed by the carriage window.
Perhaps because it was the last day of the festival celebrating the Founding Day, the square was more crowded and bustling than usual.
What caught Herdin’s eye in that scene was the sight of a young child holding both parents’ hands.
Herdin, who had been staring at that scene, broke the silence that hung in the carriage.
“Luth.”
Luth, who had been nodding off unable to resist the afternoon drowsiness, snapped to attention at the voice.
“Uh, yes?”
“Bring all the witnesses from the incident ten years ago to the mansion.”
The witnesses related to the incident had already been hidden in another location in case the imperial side noticed first and tried to interfere.
Luth wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth and blinked his eyes.
It was puzzling that just yesterday, they had said they would postpone the trial because of negotiations with the emperor, but in just one day, his mind had changed.
“Then does this mean the negotiations with His Majesty the Emperor went well?”
At Luth’s question, Herdin recalled what the court physician who examined Blair last night had said.
‘It seems the lady is with child.’
And also Blair’s belly, which he had gazed at for a while after bringing her from Pipi’s room and laying her down at dawn.
A child carrying his blood was growing in that belly.
Now there was nothing for him to lose in that trial. It was a fight he couldn’t lose.
“Yes. Now we can prepare for the trial without further delay. And…”
Herdin, still not taking his eyes off the family of three outside the window, added:
“If there are any good tonics for pregnant women, get them.”
“What do you need that for…”
Luth was about to ask the reason for this sudden request when a possibility flashed through his mind, making him pause.
Surely not.
And Herdin provided the answer to that ‘surely not’:
“Blair is pregnant.”
Luth’s eyes widened.
‘A few months ago when I warned you to be careful about consummation, you said there was no such possibility!’
Surprised by the unexpected news, Luth carefully asked after a moment’s delay:
“…This is cause for congratulations, right?”
“Of course.”
“But I thought it was a contract marriage.”
“Now it will become a real marriage.”
Judging by Herdin’s calm expression as he spoke, the news didn’t seem to displease him.
But another worry arose in Luth’s mind.
*
Save yourself from story hunger — the novel below will blow your mind!
One-line summary: Chasing the wife to the crematorium (making an effort to attract someone who has become indifferent), the female lead doesn’t look back, the second male lead takes the position.
Intro:
To repay the kindness of the older generation, Su Mu crossed into a female-dominated world and became a live-in daughter-in-law of the Yan family, single-handedly saving the Yan family from fire and water.
But her husband, Yan Jiyue, the eldest son of the Yan family, treated her with sarcasm and never showed her a good face.
It wasn’t until after Su Mu’s death that this pampered and arrogant young master shed a few fake tears and pretended to want to die for love.
This life’s kindness was enough. If there was a next life, she would definitely kick Yan Jiyue away.
Who knew that the heavens would be so kind as to allow her to be reborn, returning to the time when she had just married into the Yan family.
Su Mu glanced at the Yan eldest son, who still spoke coldly to her, and threw a divorce letter in front of him.
“Let’s divorce!”
***
Yan Jiyue never imagined that he would be reborn. He happily went to find Su Mu, wanting to make up for the mistakes he had made in his ignorant youth.
Wasn’t the reason the heavens allowed him to be reborn to let him reconcile with Su Mu?
But when he pushed open the door to Su Mu’s room, the person lying on the bed was another man.
Su Mu’s personal attendant, Xie Yi.
Yan Jiyue hated him so much that his teeth itched. In front of Su Mu, Xie Yi was a gentle and considerate whisperer of sweet nothings, but in reality, he was vicious-hearted and deliberately sabotaged their husband and wife relationship.
In the previous life, it was he who secretly hid in Su Mu’s coffin and committed suicide, stealing a step ahead of him to be buried with Su Mu.
Yan Jiyue’s eyes were filled with hatred as he cursed, “What kind of thing are you? Your background is lowly, what right do you have to occupy Su Mu?”
Xie Yi looked at the sleeping Su Mu and no longer pretended to be a whisperer of sweet nothings.
He proudly stuck out his belly, “I have the right because my belly is capable of giving the Wife-master a daughter.”
***
Yan Jiyue was consumed with jealousy. He spread rumors that Xie Yi had once been branded with the mark of a “harlot” on his chest.
But on the night Xie Yi cut off the flesh bearing that mark, Su Mu suddenly realized something was amiss.
“How did you know the exact moment I was poisoned? And why did you show up a month early?”
Xie Yi remained silent, blood from his wound soaking through his robes. His sapphire eyes brimmed with anguish – or was it just a flawless act?
Between a once-arrogant husband now seeking redemption, and a gentle soul willing to die for her – who truly held the darkest secrets? And could it be that Su Mu and Yan Jiyue weren’t the only ones given a second chance at life…?
[Reading Guide]
1. True divorce, chasing the wife to the crematorium, the female lead doesn’t look back, the male lead is Xie Yi.
2. The ex-husband did not cheat, he just realized too late and didn’t realize that he liked the female lead.
_____
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