‘Is the lady alright?’

If she had considered a contract marriage, it meant she also had no intention of continuing this marriage. Would this unexpected pregnancy be welcome to her either?

‘…Well, perhaps they’ve grown fond of each other over time.’

Although they seemed to quarrel occasionally, they appeared to get along quite well.

And since this incident would completely sour Blair’s relationship with the imperial family, it might even be better for her.

With an heir on the way, even if she was unwelcome both in the imperial family and in Delmark, no matter how stubborn the elders were, they wouldn’t be able to drive her out while carrying a Delmark child.

After finishing his thoughts, Luth hesitated for a moment before carefully offering his congratulations.

“Congratulations on becoming a father, Your Excellency.”

Father.

He had only vaguely thought of creating an excuse to hold onto Blair, but he had never once considered the child itself.

That unfamiliar word made him feel strange.

At the same time, he suddenly realized that Blair would also become that child’s mother.

Lost in thought for a moment, Herdin noticed something outside the window and ordered Luth:

“Stop the carriage.”

* * *

Mason, who had come out to greet Herdin upon his return to the mansion, paused when he saw him getting out of the carriage.

He was holding a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

Though the sight was very unfamiliar, Mason understood why he had suddenly bought flowers, recalling the news of Blair’s pregnancy.

As always, Herdin first asked about Blair’s schedule.

“Where is my wife?”

“She seems to be in her bedroom, sir.”

“Was there anything else?”

“The maids seem to have offered their own congratulations. The lady appeared to be pleased.”

Following behind Herdin, Mason belatedly added as if remembering something:

“Ah, and the lady requested to call for the wife of Baron Sionel.”

As her belly would start to show soon, fitted clothes would become uncomfortable, so it seemed she wanted to have clothes made in advance.

Herdin dismissed it casually and went straight to Blair’s room.

He wondered why the room was so quiet, only to find Blair asleep. Herdin approached the sleeping Blair, placed the bouquet on the bedside table, and sat down.

Come to think of it, recently he often found her asleep when he returned home.

He had simply thought it was because he had been tormenting her day and night, not knowing there was a child in her womb.

Herdin lay down next to the sleeping Blair and placed his hand on her stomach.

It was hard to believe that life was growing inside this still-flat belly. He was only believing the fact of pregnancy based on the symptoms Blair showed and the doctor’s diagnosis.

So he hoped the child in her womb would grow quickly and her belly would swell soon. When she became heavy with child, she wouldn’t be able to rashly think of running away from him like now.

As he was caressing Blair’s belly with such thoughts, her closed eyes opened.

As Blair’s gaze, which had been blankly staring at Herdin in her half-asleep state, came into focus, her eyes filled with hatred towards him.

But she didn’t avoid his gaze. Instead, she only pushed away the hand resting on her belly.

Would I be a madman if my body reacted to you making such a face in this situation?

Without thinking deeply, Herdin followed his desire and devoured her lips. There was no need to hold back, as there was no reputation left to fall any further.

“Mmph…”

Herdin firmly embraced Blair’s waist as she tried to move her body back, while gripping the back of her neck to prevent her from avoiding his lips.

Even as Blair struggled, he didn’t budge at all. Rather, the more she resisted, the more persistently he delved in, intertwining their breaths.

When Blair’s resistance still didn’t stop, Herdin finally parted his lips and asked while caressing her belly:

“If the mother is distressed, won’t the baby feel it too?”

“…”

“Are you alright with that?”

Blair, who had been glaring at him, stopped her pushing motions. For some reason, that touch, which clearly felt warm, seemed chilling.

This man is insane.

She knew that no words would get through to him now.

She was tired of fighting and wasting emotions with such an opponent. She didn’t want to overexert herself, if only for the child’s sake.

Above all, because he was someone she would soon part ways with.

Blair resigned herself, lowered her eyes, and said:

“…We can’t have relations.”

“I know.”

It was what the doctor who diagnosed her pregnancy yesterday had also cautioned. That couples should avoid relations in early pregnancy.

No matter how blinded by lust he might be, he was aware of how precious the child in her womb was in this situation.

The shackles that would make this lovely woman sit by his side, and the connection that would ultimately bind them together.

Our precious child.

No matter how angry she might be now and push him away, she would eventually resign herself like now and accept him as the father of her child and her husband.

As much as she loved the child in her womb.

It just needed time.

Until then, he would have to wait while embracing her, letting her get used to his warmth.

“I won’t put it inside.”

Herdin whispered as if soothing Blair, then climbed on top of her, trapping her between his arms as he kissed her.

Blair didn’t respond to his kiss like before, but she didn’t avoid it either like moments ago. She just remained still.

The more she did so, the more impatient Herdin became as he delved into the gap between her teeth. At the same time, his hand that had been caressing her belly lifted her chemise. And he touched the round curves of her feminine body.

Blair’s body trembled along with his touch, letting out a faint moan.

“Hng…”

Taking that as a signal, Herdin pressed his body tightly against hers. Their hot body temperatures met with only a thin layer of cloth between them.

When Herdin finally started to move, Blair’s body twitched and responded.

At that tantalizing almost-but-not-quite touch, Herdin had to repeatedly suppress his desire to run wild according to his greed.

However, the desire that couldn’t be fully satisfied was filled in another direction. He felt a sense of fullness as he looked at his wife gazing up at him with an expression on the verge of tears.

At that appearance that inevitably wavered no matter how much she pushed him away.

At the fact that he had completely possessed her.

“Haa, Blair.”

Herdin finally collapsed, whispering her name in her ear along with his rough breathing.

A soft kiss landed on Blair’s lips as she exhaled a ragged breath along with him. Blair squeezed her eyes shut at that kiss.

After wiping Blair’s body as she lay there seemingly exhausted, Herdin rose from the bed. He was still in his outdoor attire.

Herdin stared blankly at Blair curling up under the blanket, avoiding his gaze, before opening his mouth.

“I’ve requested a retrial regarding the incident from ten years ago.”

Blair’s body flinched at that news.

“Of course, the trial will be scheduled for after you’ve entered a stable period.”

The moment she heard those words, one thought flashed through Blair’s mind.

At first, she had thought she might have to run away without being able to attend the trial, since she needed to divorce before Herdin found out about the pregnancy… But if things turned out like this, it seemed she might be able to resolve everything before leaving.

‘If the truth comes to light through the trial, I can clear Her Majesty the Empress of false charges.’

Contrary to the original plan, Herdin had found out about the pregnancy.

If she was planning to escape from the duke’s mansion anyway, it might be better to leave after the trial was over.

‘That way my heart will be at ease too.’

So that when she leaves this place, no lingering attachments or guilt from the past remain.

For that reason, Blair decided to set the date of her departure from the duke’s mansion right after the trial, and to move up the trial schedule.

“It’s alright to move up the schedule. I’ll only be standing in the courtroom for a very brief moment anyway.”

“…”

“And I want to clear Her Majesty the Empress of false charges as soon as possible.”

“If that’s what you think, I’ll take it into consideration.”

Herdin, unaware of Blair’s plans, readily agreed with her opinion.

“Sleep a bit more. Let’s have dinner together after I wash up.”

It was an absurd thing to say for the very person who had woken her up.

After tidying up his clothes, Herdin left the room immediately. Contrary to his words, Blair, now fully awake, finally got up.

She had thought she was hallucinating because of the flower scent coming from her bedside since she woke up, but there was a beautifully wrapped bouquet placed on the bedside table. It seemed Herdin had left it there.

Blair stared blankly at the pure white bouquet for a while before going to the trash can placed in one corner of the room and throwing it away.

As she turned around, the scent of flowers lingered at the tip of her nose.

* * *

A few days had passed since the Founding Day celebration, and the festive atmosphere that had filled the Imperial Plaza had subsided. But inside the tavern, it was still bustling with noise.

Mikhail skillfully mixed cocktails and served them to customers, then moved on to the next patron.

Although the customer had her robe hood pulled up, Mikhail recognized her immediately.

“The usual.”

She was the assistant who worked at Baroness Sionel’s boutique, and also his subordinate.

Mikhail’s eyes sharpened as he recognized her.

Usually, she didn’t come to the tavern to avoid creating unnecessary points of contact, so her personal visit meant that the client was looking for him.

“Your order is ready.”

Mikhail handed over the prepared cocktail. The assistant took the glass from him and slipped a note into his hand.

Concealing it in his palm, Mikhail handed over customer service to someone else and went up to the second floor.

When he unfolded the note, as he had expected, a neat handwriting caught his eye at once.

[A trial related to the fire incident at the Empress’s Palace from ten years ago will be held soon. Please consider leaving the Duke’s mansion right after that.]

After confirming the contents, Mikhail burned the note with a lighter from the nearby fireplace.

‘I wanted to stop that person’s evil deeds with my own hands one last time, but…’

For that, he didn’t have much time left to stay here either. He needed to start preparing to leave this place soon.