Chapter 108. Peaceful Days
"Teacher, can't we have Imperial language class tomorrow too?"
A child who had entrusted her hair to Blair while chattering asked. She was one of the children who lingered by her side even after school had ended.
From that question, she could feel the child's great interest toward her, but Blair gently admonished her.
"Tomorrow is the day to learn the Southern Continent language. You need to have class with Teacher Petro."
"I want to learn more Imperial language. The Southern Continent language is hard and not fun."
"That's right. And I like you better, Teacher."
A child waiting for her turn to have her hair done chimed in from the side.
Blair burst into laughter at the sight of the children revealing their honest feelings.
"Thank you for liking me. I like you too."
Just then, the hair styling for the child whose hair she was tying was finished.
"There, all done, Alissa. Want to take a look in the mirror?"
Blair held out a hand mirror to the child. Seeing her neatly braided twin tails, the child nodded with satisfaction.
"It's pretty! Teacher is the best!"
"Then me next!"
This time, the child waiting for her turn sat in front of Blair with her back to her. Blair began to comb the next child's hair with care as well.
The reason she started doing the children's hair in the first place was because of their requests.
For Blair, who had only ever had her hair done by others her whole life, doing someone else's hair was an unfamiliar and strange experience, but once she tried it, she found it fun.
'I think I understand why Rina and Melly felt more proud when they dressed me up.'
Above all, the children who trusted her and entrusted their hair to her were adorable.
Thus her hair-styling skills improved by leaps and bounds, and now doing the children's hair after school had become part of her daily routine.
Eventually, both guests had their hair done.
"Since Teacher tied my hair prettily, I'll read your cards on the next Imperial language class day!"
The children seemed quite pleased with the hair Blair had done, and offered to do something for her in return.
At this unexpected compensation, Blair's eyes widened.
"You know how to read cards?"
"Yeah! I've been studying hard lately. You'll be my first client."
"Alright. I'll be looking forward to it, Fortune Teller."
The children, promising to see her at the next class, waved to Blair as they left the school. After seeing the children off like that, today's routine was completely over.
Blair gathered her simple belongings, carefully inspected her brown wig, and left the school.
It was about a month ago that Blair settled here, in Nerha.
Her original plan was to settle in Argenta, the capital of the Clanian Kingdom, but Herdin's pursuit became more relentless than expected, so she couldn't go to the crowded capital.
As Blair wandered from place to place avoiding pursuit, the place that came to mind was Nerha.
A port city that brought her one step closer to her childhood dream of visiting other continents.
Fortunately, by the time she came here, she had succeeded in shaking off the Delmark Knights' pursuit, and was able to settle in this city safely.
Not as Blair Delmark, the princess and duchess, but as the commoner Arwen Hales.
At first, she spent her time only at home for fear of being noticed, but Mikhail, who noticed Blair becoming lethargic, suggested a pastime for her.
'Many outsiders come and go in Nerha, so there are many people who want to learn foreign languages. Since you are fluent in Clanian as well, how about trying to teach Imperial language?'
Since the imperial family often had to directly meet VIPs from other countries, they learned foreign languages as basic skills from a young age.
It was a job suitable for Blair.
Actually, since she had secured enough funds in advance, there was no need to work. She also planned to establish a trading company once the child was born.
Therefore, teaching the children was purely a pastime she started for a change of mood.
However, the teaching job she started without high expectations suited Blair's aptitude well.
Beyond aptitude, for someone who had lived a life far removed from labor, working and earning money directly was an experience that gave her a great sense of achievement.
A life where there are people who need my abilities, they pay me a value matching my abilities, and with that money, I can directly buy what goes into the mouths of me and my baby.
In that life, Blair felt a sense of fulfillment and pride she had never experienced before.
'I should have seafood paella for dinner tonight.'
Blair stopped by the market to buy ingredients for dinner.
While she was looking at the baskets of shellfish in front of a shop, a market vendor who recognized her greeted her.
"Oh my, Teacher, you're here. What are you looking to buy today?"
"Hello, ma'am. I'm looking for seafood to put in paella."
"Seafood is good. Try putting in these shrimp and mussels. They're very plump and delicious."
The vendor recommended this and that, and as always, put in more than the standard amount. It was a favor she gained thanks to the child in her womb.
The villagers thought Blair was a widow who had lost her husband in an accident and was raising the unborn child in her womb, so they felt sorry for her.
It was unfortunate to make the perfectly alive Herdin into a deceased person, but since she thought that was actually safer, Blair just left their misunderstanding alone.
"Thank you."
Blair responded to that kindness with a smile and turned around. The straw bag full of seafood was heavy, but her steps were light.
Blair stepped into the village carrying today's provisions with a proud heart. After going further in for a while, she saw a two-story house with a blue roof that now felt like home.
When she entered the house, Anna welcomed her.
"Oh my, you bought this yourself? You should have asked me."
Anna was someone Mikhail had introduced, and she was in charge of household chores and cooking.
Blair lived in this modest house with just the two of them—no, including Pipi and the child in her womb, the four of them.
"It's fine. I just need to stop by briefly on my way home anyway."
"Still. It must have been heavy."
Anna quickly took the bag of seafood and led Blair to the living room.
"Oh, you remember that Mikhail is visiting this evening, right?"
Mikhail lived in the same village and occasionally visited to share meals and discuss future plans.
"Yeah."
"What should I prepare for dinner?"
"I want to have the seafood paella that Anna makes for a change. That's why I bought these."
"Oh, that's good. I was just craving paella too, so that works out well."
Anna said she'd prepare dinner and went into the kitchen, and Blair came to the reception room. Through the large window in the reception room, the blue sea was visible.
Blair sat in a rocking chair with a good view of the window and quietly watched the blue sea with its sparkling ripples.
It was then that she inadvertently recalled the deep, cool eyes that resembled that color.
"…Ah."
She felt a small movement in her womb, as if a fish were moving. It was the baby's movement.
The child, who had started moving not long ago, would wiggle whenever there was a chance, revealing its presence.
Even though it wasn't the first time she felt it, whenever the baby moved, a part of her chest swelled with emotion. That tiny movement felt as if it were greeting her.
With a soft smile, Blair placed her hand on her belly and responded.
"Hello, baby."
Her belly had gently rounded over the past two months. If she wore a loose-fitting dress, it was barely noticeable, but if she wore thin clothes, it was clearly obvious she was pregnant.
Such were the peaceful days.
She had thrown away everything that had constrained her. The status of princess and duchess, her family, and even the emotion called love that had caused her pain.
The child in her womb was growing well, and nothing caused her pain anymore.
Sometimes she worried whether the child born in the future would feel the empty space of a father, but that worry didn't last long.
In her previous life, Asiel grew up well even without knowing their father. So it wouldn't be much different in this life either.
She just needed to love the child even more, including Herdin's share.
Beneath her hand gently stroking her belly, she felt the baby's wiggling movement.
The realization that she was truly no longer alone became real.
Bathing in the late afternoon sunlight while stroking her belly, Blair, unable to overcome the drowsiness, fell into a deep sleep.
Knock, knock.
When her regular breathing filled the peaceful scenery, a careful knocking sound broke the silence.
When there was no response, the person who had waited for a moment came into the reception room. It was Mikhail.
"Madam—"
Mikhail, who was about to speak to Blair, saw her fast asleep and closed his mouth again. Instead, he brought a blanket that was nearby.
Although the sunlight was warm, since autumn had come, the air held a cool chill. For a pregnant woman like her, even a cold could be fatal.
As he carefully covered Blair with the blanket and was about to step away, her shallow breath scattered over the back of his hand like a tickle. At that, Mikhail's hand paused.
Looking at the face of the woman sleeping with a faint smile, as if dreaming something, his heart softened along with it.
Suddenly, he recalled the words Blair had asked him not long after she escaped.
'Why do you help me this much?'
'….'
'You have already shown me more kindness than what I paid for. But I have nothing more to give in return.'
At first, it was a sense of responsibility. As a client and guild master.
Next, it was a desire for vengeance and justice. He wanted to stop Gerard's plan, which had dragged his life into the mire and denied his very existence, and to save the innocent woman caught up in it.
And now……
Mikhail lightly brought the back of his hand to the sleeping Blair's cheek. At the sensation of her soft skin touching him, he sealed his lips.
If you ask me the same question this time, would it be alright to answer with my feelings then?
Though cowardly, Mikhail used a faint divine power to gauge her answer to his feelings. Then, a dark magic circle revealed itself around Blair's collarbone.
At that, Mikhail smiled bitterly with a conflicted expression.
She was in love with him. Still.