Chapter 153. Just the Two of Us
2024.01.31.
After that day, Herdin completely unpacked his bags at Blair's house.
With him staying there, the people who served him naturally began to frequent the place as well. As a result, the already modest house became even more cramped and bustling.
Because of this, Lina, who was in charge of cleaning the floors, was constantly on edge. During a time when Blair had to be careful even while walking, having outsiders constantly coming and going meant Lina's eyes never left the floor.
Unlike the ducal mansion, which was always open to visitors, the annoyance of having to go down and personally open the door every time someone arrived also played a part in grating on her nerves.
However, today again, an uninvited guest arrived without fail.
"Haha, hello."
Greeted immediately by an inexplicable glare from Lina as soon as she opened the door, Ruth offered an awkward smile and a greeting.
However, contrary to the saying that you can't spit on a smiling face, Lina gave a brief nod with a deeply displeased expression.
She motioned with her chin toward Ruth's snow-covered shoes.
Only then did Ruth realize the reason for the fierce glare and brushed the snow off his shoes.
Outside the front door, of course.
"......I'm sorry."
He apologized to Lina and fled up to the second floor. It seemed he had run into Blair, as her warm voice greeting him drifted down.
'Right, as long as the Madam is happy, that's all that matters.'
Thinking thus, Lina meticulously wiped down the spot where Ruth had passed once more. Ensuring that not even the slightest dampness could put Blair in danger.
* * *
Leaving behind Lina's frosty glares, Ruth went up to meet Herdin and heard something like a bolt from the blue.
"I'm thinking about taking a break from work for about two months."
"......Are you serious?"
"I need to be by Blair's side. It's the hardest time for her right now."
Ruth was dumbfounded by Herdin's words.
What was he talking about? Anyone hearing him would think he was living apart from Blair. She was literally right in the next room.
"She is right next to you even now."
"It means I can't be away from her for even a moment. They say if you don't step up when your wife is pregnant, she'll hold it against you for life. You'd do well to remember that."
In short, Herdin was quite seriously saying, "I don't want to work."
Compared to how he looked half a month ago, practically dying alive, this was certainly much better, but...
"What do you mean, take a break? It's not like Your Excellency is the one giving birth."
Such words fell on deaf ears as far as Ruth was concerned. If Herdin took a break, it was his burden as the aide to pick up the slack.
In the first place, it was impossible to handle all affairs without the Lord present anyway.
"Besides, if you were to take a break, wouldn't the Madam be the first to worry?"
The moment Ruth mentioned Blair, Herdin swallowed a sigh and dropped the subject. Instead, he opened the cigar box on the table. However, the box was empty.
In this small house, there was absolutely nowhere to smoke a cigar away from Blair.
So, he had completely emptied the box, intending to take this opportunity to quit cigars altogether. That way, even if he opened the box out of habit, he wouldn't be able to smoke.
Quitting cigars cold turkey when he used to smoke over ten a day was not easy, but every time he opened the box, pulling Blair into his arms steadied his resolve.
But right now, Blair was in the next room.
Tap, tap. His irritability, born from having no way to soothe the inevitable withdrawal symptoms, revealed itself through his fingers drumming against the table.
Unbothered by this, Ruth, who had efficiently sorted and obtained approvals for the urgent documents first, brought up a new topic.
"By the way, do you have any thoughts of relocating to Libren?"
"To Libren?"
"With only a few months left until the birth, traveling all the way to the capital would be too taxing on the Madam. I thought it might be better for her to stay comfortably in Libren. It would also be a good opportunity to inspect the progress of the port construction."
Herdin didn't mind living in this village.
The house, the room, and the bed were all small, but he could use that as an excuse to stay even closer to Blair.
It was quite a distance from Libren, so Ruth couldn't visit as often, allowing him to spend even more time with Blair.
Above all, he loved the mundane daily routines, like taking walks with Blair twice a day, morning and evening.
However, as Ruth said, considering Blair's safe delivery, moving to Libren was indeed the right choice.
Seeing Herdin taking much longer to deliberate than expected, Ruth let out a sigh and confessed the real reason he had suggested moving to Libren.
"And also because the Madam's maid keeps giving me the stink eye for dirtying the floor."
That woman is terrifying, I tell you.
Herdin's lips curled up in satisfaction.
Much to Ruth's dismay, from Herdin's perspective, that was just another reason to like this small house.
* * *
That evening, lying on the small bed with Blair in his arms, Herdin asked her whether she wanted to move to Libren or if she preferred to give birth here.
Considering her safety and comfort, he still thought it would be best to go to Libren, but he didn't want to force his opinion on her.
They had promised to discuss, consider, and decide everything together from now on.
"To Libren?"
Blinking at the unexpected question, Blair pondered for a moment before asking back.
"Hmm... What do you want to do?"
"As for me, I'd prefer it if you were more comfortable in Libren, but..."
But did his opinion matter when it came to her residence?
Just as Ruth said, he wasn't the one giving birth, nor would he be the one suffering through the labor.
"What matters is your decision."
As for a midwife, they could simply bring one from Libren to be on standby.
Therefore, he intended to defer entirely to his wife's wishes. Her peace of mind was the top priority.
With the choice now entirely in her hands, Blair fell into deep thought. Her small lips, pouting slightly as she pondered, were adorable.
Just as Herdin, who had been quietly watching her, couldn't resist the urge and moved to brush her lips with his finger, Blair reached a conclusion. Unfortunately for him.
"Then let's stay here for just half a month longer before we go."
Blair gently cupped Herdin's cheek, meeting his eyes as she added,
"I like being here in this quiet village, just the two of us."
As she said this, her violet eyes curved into half-moons, smiling warmly at him.
Hearing her words, Herdin felt as though he had suddenly been struck on the head.
How could this woman have such thoughts?
Sensing how much she cherished their time alone together, he found her incredibly endearing.
Unable to take his eyes off her, Herdin quietly savored her words.
Just the two of us.
Strictly speaking, it wasn't just the two of them, but it was true that they spent much more time alone together than when they lived in the mansion.
'Once the child is born, our time alone will inevitably decrease.'
Should he really send all the maids and servants away and spend the next half a month in this house with just the two of them? When it came to attending to her needs, he could easily do it all himself.
Falling asleep in each other's arms, waking up late, cooking together, eating together, taking walks, and whenever their eyes met, ravishing each other wherever they were in this small house...
Just the thought of it was enough to drive him mad with joy. Ruth's complaints became the least of his concerns.
"Herdin?"
When Herdin remained silent, showing no particular reaction to her words, Blair blinked in confusion and looked up at him.
"Do you not want to?"
Meeting her gaze, Herdin finally snapped out of his fantasy. If his innocent wife knew what obscene thoughts had just crossed his mind, she would certainly be horrified.
Fearing that Blair might misunderstand his intentions, he quickly agreed with her.
"No, of course not. Let's do that."
Only then did Blair smile brightly, looking relieved. She stroked his cheek and whispered,
"Thank you. For discussing it with me."
"Don't praise me for what should be a given. You'll develop bad habits."
"It's not easy for a person to change. It's definitely something worthy of praise. So what am I supposed to do when I want to praise you?"
Herdin quietly stared into her eyes, sparkling in the lamplight, before shifting his gaze down to her lips.
The slightly flushed lips that had been tempting him all this time.
"Kiss me."
At his blatant demand, Blair narrowed her eyes at him. She could already guess what he would say next. Something about how it ruined the meaning of praise...
The moment Blair opened her mouth to speak, Herdin covered her lips with his own. Blair seemed flustered for a moment, but soon smiled in defeat and melted into his kiss.
Starting off as a playful, featherlight brush, the kiss quickly grew heated as their breaths intertwined. At the same time, Herdin's hand naturally began to caress her belly.
Whenever they kissed or shared an intimate moment, stroking her belly brought a strange sense of depravity, as if the child was watching them.
And the sight of his wife blushing with shame over that fact only served to further fuel his desire.
Feeling Blair's breath gradually grow heavier, Herdin pulled his lips away.
"......Herdin."
Her flushed, feverish eyes looking up at him, and her red lips glistening with shared saliva, were beautiful.
It was a thought he'd had many times before, but he found himself appreciating anew how this small bed forced them so closely together, allowing him to better feel her warmth.
Herdin pulled her into his arms once more and pressed his lips to hers.
Just then, as if jealous of their parents' affectionate display, the child between them kicked. Feeling the movement at the same time, the couple broke the kiss and burst into laughter.
Herdin kissed the joyfully smiling Blair once more and whispered,
"I love you."