“Don’t stay too long. The cold air is not good for you.”

Herdin, who had been silently standing by Blair’s side for a while, spoke first as he turned away.

He headed towards Luth, who was waiting at a distance. It seemed they had something to discuss privately.

It was then, as she was gazing at his retreating back, that Esmeralda’s words from some time ago suddenly came to mind.

‘But just because that child is hurting doesn’t mean you have to endure discomfort, Blair.’

‘…’

‘Because you are just as precious as that child.’

Blair turned her head to look at Esmeralda’s grave and asked,

“Your Majesty, you would respect my choice, wouldn’t you?”

The person who always took her side, even when Katrina always sided with Ivan, when Rachel and her cousins ostracized her, and even in front of Herdin, whom she cared for so much.

She felt that if it were her, she would understand her even at this moment.

The fact that she had an eternal ally suddenly seemed to give her strength.

Blair smiled and whispered,

“…I miss you.”

The sound of her hand brushing leaves off the tombstone echoed through the quiet cemetery.

* * *

That night, a small party was held at the Delmark mansion. It was to celebrate Esmeralda and Delmark being cleared of false charges.

‘Since it’s a day we should all rejoice together, how about bringing some alcohol?’

The hastily arranged party, proposed by Blair and approved by Herdin, concluded with a slight sense of regret, promising a grand party in the near future.

Melly and Lina, who came to attend to Blair after her bath, were still caught up in the party’s excitement as they chattered while brushing Blair’s hair.

Unaware that Blair’s gaze watching them seemed strangely lonely.

“No, so I had just picked up my fourth glass! And White, who had been perfectly fine until just a moment ago, collapsed with the glass still in his hand.”

“…Lina, I can smell alcohol every time you speak.”

“Oh no, the young miss shouldn’t see me like this. My lady, could you please forget everything you’ve seen today?”

Just as Blair was listening to Lina boast about her drinking capacity that had easily floored a young knight, Melly noticed something and exclaimed,

“Lina, your skirt is torn.”

“What?”

As Melly said, the hem of Lina’s maid uniform was torn. It seemed to be an accident that occurred while she was enthusiastically drinking earlier.

“Oh no, what’s this? When did this happen?”

Melly laughed at Lina’s shocked reaction, then comforted her.

“I’ll sew it up for you when we go back to the room later.”

Blair quietly watched the two chattering women through the mirror. They seemed so different, yet it was nice to see how they helped each other when something happened.

“I’m really glad you two get along well. Can you continue to rely on each other and get along well in the future?”

The two nodded, thinking Blair’s mood was strangely different from usual.

“Of course, don’t worry.”

“Why are you suddenly saying such things? You sometimes talk as if you’re going far away. It’s scary.”

In response to Lina’s words, Blair neither confirmed nor denied, but just replied playfully with a smile.

“I’m worried about you, who didn’t even realize your skirt was torn.”

As the three were chatting, the door opened and Herdin entered. He seemed to have just finished bathing, dressed in a robe.

Seeing him, Melly and Lina fell silent as if on cue and stopped brushing.

“Then, my lady, have sweet dreams.”

“…Yes. Good night, both of you.”

After bidding Blair goodnight, the two bowed to Herdin as well before quietly leaving the room.

Blair, who had been watching Melly and Lina disappear through the closing door, stood up as Herdin approached the dressing table.

“Are you not tired?”

“I’m fine. I didn’t do much anyway.”

As Blair answered and tried to head towards the bedroom, Herdin gently caught her hand and turned her towards him.

“Then shall we go to the square tomorrow?”

Blair’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected suggestion. It was cute.

Herdin pulled her waist closer into his embrace and added,

“We can look at baby clothes while we’re there.”

As he said this, his hand caressed her belly. Although it wasn’t noticeable when clothed, he could feel it, having touched her belly every day.

The child in her womb was slowly, diligently growing its presence.

Blair, who had been quietly looking at Herdin’s hand covering her belly, soon nodded willingly.

“…Let’s do that. Tomorrow.”

At that answer, Herdin’s lips curved up in a satisfied smile.

He pulled Blair closer to him, holding her, and kissed her. Blair, who hesitated for a moment, closed her eyes as if in permission.

As always, the kiss that started gently gradually became rougher, as if to devour her.

Herdin grabbed Blair’s buttocks and pulled her tightly against him. Through the thin chemise, he could feel her body heat, her soft skin as the chemise slipped. Even though he could clearly feel it through the thin fabric, he was frustrated that he couldn’t touch more.

Herdin called her name in a voice that seemed to scratch his throat.

“…Blair.”

Her body twitched in response to his call.

“I want to be inside you.”

“…”

“Is that alright?”

Until it was safe, they had been careful, only using hands or pressing their clothed bodies together.

How painful it had been each time, suppressing the desire to run wild.

Blair, who had hesitated for a moment, moved her lips.

“…If you can be careful.”

As soon as permission was granted, Herdin lifted Blair in his arms and strode towards the bed. All the while, his lips never left hers.

Herdin laid Blair on the bed and licked persistently from her palm to the inside of her wrist.

“Hah…”

Each time, Blair’s body trembled slightly, and her round breasts rose and fell steeply.

When he gently grasped the protrusion visible through the thin summer chemise, a moan escaped Blair’s lips. Herdin immediately kissed her as if to swallow that moan.

His large hand, which had been caressing Blair’s body over the chemise, naturally lifted her nightgown. In an instant, the chemise was removed, revealing her snow-white naked body.

Herdin kissed her delicate skin. Red flowers bloomed on the white canvas wherever he passed.

Her sweet scent had become stronger since the pregnancy. He couldn’t embrace her to his heart’s content, yet the temptation only grew stronger.

Like a tantalizing fruit in a painting, so tempting yet impossible to taste, how it tormented him.

For a long time, Herdin savored her body as if to tease her, only rising to position himself after Blair was completely wet.

“Tell me if you feel even slightly uncomfortable.”

Blair nodded slightly.

Instead of immediately joining their bodies, he deliberately circled around the outside, gauging where to enter, before slowly overlapping their bodies.

“Ah…”

Blair inhaled at the sensation of being tightly filled. Her body, which had become extremely sensitive since becoming pregnant, reacted to him immediately.

Hearing that small sound, Herdin examined her.

“Does it hurt?”

Blair shook her head.

“No, it’s not that… It’s just been so long.”

Her twitching reaction spoke for the words she left unsaid. She wanted him too.

Noticing this, Herdin suppressed the urge to run wild and slowly, and a little more deeply, penetrated.

He stopped at the point where Blair’s breathing became rough. It was still not enough to satisfy himself, but he decided to match his fragile wife.

As he started moving slowly, a pained moan escaped Blair’s lips.

“Ah, Herdin.”

Although the stimulation was far from enough to fulfill his desire, the feeling different from usual coming from that slow friction brought another kind of pleasure.

Her flushed face seemed to feel the same mood as him.

‘…It seems different from usual.’

After the founding ceremony, when she had quarreled with him, she didn’t refuse intimacy, but she didn’t respond either. She just quietly, silently endured him.

Nevertheless, Herdin embraced Blair.

Thinking that if they matched their body heat and mixed their flesh, they might return to the relationship they had before, when they desired each other.

And sometimes, to erase the anxiety that she might disappear if he didn’t hold her in his arms.

But today’s Blair was strangely different.

Unlike his expectation that she would express passive refusal as usual, she was responding to him earnestly, albeit clumsily.

He belatedly questioned this, but the dizzying sensation that overwhelmed him, as if urging him on, erased his thoughts.

Finally, after pouring out his heat, Herdin kissed Blair’s lips and cheeks as she trembled, waiting for her trembling to subside.

Eventually, Blair, who had been breathing heavily, opened her eyes. The moment he met her violet eyes, the question he had felt earlier came to mind. Just as Herdin opened his mouth,

“Your Excellency.”

Along with a knock, Mason’s urgent voice was heard.

It was almost midnight. For the experienced butler to intrude on his master’s time meant it must be a truly urgent matter.

Herdin sighed.

“…Go to sleep first. I’ll be back shortly.”

He kissed Blair’s round forehead before getting up.

The footsteps gradually faded away, and then the sound of the door closing was heard. At the same time, Blair’s gaze cooled.

The contents of the note that Viscount Sionel’s wife’s assistant had delivered yesterday came to her mind.

Blair got out of bed and dressed. It was really time to leave now.