Chapter 160.
2024.02.07.
“Blair.”
Feeling that Blair’s mood had improved significantly, Herdin called her in a noticeably lower tone.
“I won’t give up on Asiel. Just as you tried so hard to meet that child again.”
Asiel was as precious to him as she was to Blair.
It was proof that they had loved each other in their past life and this one, and above all, her blood flowed within that small body.
He could never give up on a child who was a part of him and a part of her.
“If I keep at it, someday that kid will realize. How much I love him.”
Blair quietly gazed at him as he spoke those words, lost in thought.
This man, who seemed so perfect on the outside, was actually very clumsy when it came to love.
He had hurt her under the excuse of protecting her, and wandered lost for a long time, not knowing how to love. But in the end, he found a way to love and faced her with genuine sincerity.
So, just as he said, Asiel would also realize it. Just as she had come to understand his sincerity.
Of course, the process would be a bit difficult, and they would wander a lot more… but Blair believed in her husband and her son.
Because we are husband and wife, and family.
Blair gave a small nod and whispered.
“Yeah. It definitely will be.”
Then, leaning her face against his chest again, she added.
“Then we’ll have to love each other even more from now on. Right in front of Asiel.”
At Blair’s words, Herdin’s hand, which had been caressing her slender waist, paused.
Whenever the word ‘we’ slipped from her lips, his mood improved. To a remarkably fresh degree.
Whenever Blair tied him and herself together with the word ‘we’, it felt like he was finally being affirmed of the fact that they had become one.
“Shall we practice?”
Blair blinked.
“Practice what?”
“Practicing loving.”
Just as she was about to ask how one practices loving, their lips overlapped instead of an answer. Blair, who had momentarily flinched at the sudden kiss, soon closed her eyes as if she had been waiting for it.
Herdin, feeling her body heat as he pulled her waist closer and held her, seemed unsatisfied with just that, as he turned Blair around to lie down and climbed on top of her.
Their lips, which had briefly parted with a moist, intimate sound of friction, crashed together passionately once more, leaving her no time to catch her breath.
“Mmm...”
Blair, who was helplessly being consumed by the rapture he gave her, came to her senses the moment his hot hand slipped inside her nightgown.
“...Herdin.”
“Yes.”
However, he only answered obediently with his mouth, while his hand, caressing and traveling up her leg, was relentless.
Blair grabbed his hand that was stroking over her underwear and whispered.
“Our baby is sleeping.”
At her words, Herdin chuckled.
Contrary to her words worrying about the sleeping baby, her body was already completely wet from just a single kiss.
“For someone who claims to be conscious of our baby...”
As Herdin, wearing a mischievous smile, moved his fingers, Blair let out a moan and trembled.
“It seems like you rather enjoy it more.”
Blair’s eyes turned haughty, caught trying to hide her reaction, but her defiance didn’t last long. Rather, provoked by her feigned resistance, he began to move even more explicitly.
“Herd...in... stop...”
Blair bit the back of her hand to stop the moans slipping through her teeth.
The moment he met her eyes—flushed with heat and brimming with tears—as she looked up at him, the playfulness in Herdin’s eyes vanished as well.
Playtime was over.
Feeling his desire pulled taut to the very limits of his control, he reluctantly pulled his hand away and scooped her up into his arms. Her slender arms naturally wrapped around his neck.
Herdin looked into Blair’s thoroughly disheveled eyes and muttered in a low voice.
“Still, Mommy’s naughty side is only for Daddy to know.”
He captured her lips, already glistening with his saliva, and headed straight for the adjoining master bedroom.
Following his hurried footsteps, the bedroom door clicked shut. The child, left alone in the quiet room, slept with a peaceful expression.
Completely oblivious to her parents’ circumstances.
* * *
Herdin put in a lot of effort, just as he had said.
At first, he quietly watched Asiel being held by Blair, then approached by talking to him whenever their eyes met.
After that, he caught the child’s interest by giving him new toys or snacks.
Thanks to that effort, the number of times Asiel cried when seeing Herdin decreased.
Of course, he still cried about one out of every two times.
‘Still, a portrait might be too much for now.’
Tomorrow was the day the painter was scheduled to come.
Blair wanted to leave many family portraits from when Asiel was young, but in their current state, it would be a difficult time for both Herdin and Asiel.
While she was pondering whether to cancel the appointment with the painter even now, she arrived in front of Asiel’s room.
Blair subdued her presence and stepped into the room. Then, she quietly headed toward where the bed and the cradle were placed.
As expected, Asiel was asleep in the cradle, and Herdin was asleep on the bed next to it.
Seeing the two men who looked so much alike, even in their sleeping postures and expressions, a smile naturally spread across her face.
Blair, who was quietly watching the father and son, was startled the moment she discovered something placed next to Herdin.
‘This is...’
Next to him lay a fairy tale book and puppets that fit over the hands like gloves. Cute images of a lion, a wolf, a dragon, and such, tailored to children’s tastes.
It wasn’t too difficult to infer that he had told a puppet story to Asiel.
‘Did this man really do a puppet storytelling?’
Imagining him imitating animals, she burst into laughter without realizing it.
Blair bit her lip hard to avoid waking her soundly sleeping husband and son.
It was pitiful seeing her husband ignored by their son for no reason, yet she felt a bittersweet emotion finding his struggle to get closer adorable.
To think she found this man adorable despite everything.
As expected, Ruth definitely didn’t know anything.
‘When he wakes up, I should tell him to do it for me once.’
But just for a little while longer.
As she took in the sight of her two lovely men, she thought it might be okay not to finish the portrait tomorrow.
She was happy enough right now, and there was plenty of time even if it wasn’t tomorrow.
‘We have the rest of our lives to spend together, after all.’
While thinking like that and debating whether to wake her husband or watch a little longer, it happened.
“Heueong...”
Asiel, whose long eyelashes fluttered, woke from his sweet sleep and started to whine.
Blair hastily picked up the child, fearing Herdin might wake up.
“Our baby woke up because he’s hungry.”
When she nursed him, fortunately, the baby quickly quieted down.
Once Asiel was full and unlatched, Blair held the child and quietly left the room.
The hallway on a summer night that had settled into darkness was perfect for a walk. Blair walked through the hallway, patting Asiel’s back.
The child laughed continuously, seemingly in a good mood. He played well with others but would whine as if something was uncomfortable, yet whenever he was with Blair, he always smiled brightly.
Loving the child so much, a smile naturally spread across Blair’s lips.
“Do you like it just being with Mommy?”
“Ooh.”
“Mommy likes it just looking at Asiel, too.”
When she kissed the child’s round head, as soft as a dandelion seed, the baby smiled as if he understood his mother’s words.
Every moment Asiel smiled at her felt like a miracle to Blair.
Then suddenly, she felt uncomfortable thinking about Herdin, who couldn’t see this harmless smile.
“Asiel, are you perhaps remembering how Mommy was upset because of Daddy when you were in her tummy? If so, Mommy is very sorry.”
“Eh?”
Asiel blinked his large eyes and looked at his mother. It felt as if the child was listening intently to her words.
Of course, she knew the baby couldn’t understand her words, but even if he couldn’t understand, maybe her feelings could reach him.
With that thought, Blair kissed the child’s fern-like hand and continued speaking.
“But now I know Daddy loves Mommy. And I know he loves you very much, too.”
“...”
“Daddy is working really hard to love you even more. I hope you can feel that too.”
“Eubu?”
“So, could you give Daddy a little chance?”
Asiel furrowed his small brows seriously and stared intently at Blair.
Then, babbling something unintelligible, he yawned and leaned his soft, chubby cheek against Blair’s shoulder.
‘As expected, understanding my words is too much for him.’
Blair chuckled and patted the small back of the child leaning against her.
“Sleep well, baby.”
It was okay even if the child couldn’t understand her words.
He and she were this child’s parents, and they could wait for days until the child naturally accepted him.
Soon, the sound of his characteristic soft breathing could be heard.
Nothing might change, but even so, Blair headed back to the room with a much lighter heart.
* * *
The next day, Herdin, having woken up, headed quietly to Asiel’s room, leaving the still-sleeping Blair behind.
The painter was scheduled to come around noon today.
However, as of last night, Asiel still hadn’t completely overcome his wariness of strangers.
So he had to make a decision now. Whether to send a letter telling the painter not to come, or to overcome it and have the family of three paint the portrait together.
Herdin sent away the nanny and Melly, who were taking care of the child, and approached the cradle. Wearing the glove puppets he had used when reading the fairy tale last night.
“Asiel.”
Asiel, who woke up at his usual time, was waving his small hands and feet while looking at the mobile, then turned around at the sound of his dad’s voice.
“Bru?”
Herdin held up the glove puppets he had brought.
Just like last night, Asiel’s attention was captivated by the moving puppets, and he didn’t cry. Although he did alternate looking at him and the puppets with wide, bright eyes.
Herdin looked at Asiel and swallowed a sigh.
‘I want to take the gloves off when painting the portrait.’
Since he didn’t really want to show such a sight in front of the painter.
After a moment of hesitation, he took off the puppet gloves and set them aside.