Episode 170.
2024.02.17.
Throughout the carriage ride back to the mansion, Herdin said nothing.
Then, the moment they entered the marital bedroom, he abruptly pressed his lips against hers. As a result, the bonnet adorning Blair's head was hastily torn off and tumbled to the floor.
Blair was momentarily flustered, but soon yielded herself willingly. A pained moan escaped from the rough kiss.
The moment he parted his lips to change position, Blair spoke with labored breath.
"Herdin, are you very angry?"
At that question, Herdin chuckled and replied.
"What for."
"Then are you anxious?"
"No."
He answered thus while turning Blair around and began groping over her skirt. Unlike his nonchalant replies, he appeared to have not a shred of composure.
Blair hastily grabbed such a hand of his.
"You're lying."
At that, Herdin's hand paused.
Blair didn't miss that opening and turned to look at him. Then she cupped his cheek, met his eyes, and spoke.
"You can't fool me anymore."
It was a deliberately stern gaze.
Herdin let out a chuckle as if conceding to his wife's sharpness. His demeanor, which had been like an enraged beast until just moments ago, softened considerably.
He leaned his face into her hand and opened his mouth.
"If I were to say now that I wish you wouldn't go anywhere and would just stay by my side, would you hate it?"
At his unexpected question, Blair's eyes blinked slowly.
Herdin stroked her flat stomach and continued.
"......If I said I wish you would carry my child in this belly and lean only on me, would that make me trash?"
It was a statement completely opposite to what he had said just a few days ago.
At first, he had certainly said so hoping for her happiness. And that feeling hadn't changed even now.
However, once Blair actually started meeting many people and spending more time outside, his meager consideration quickly ran dry and possessiveness reared its head.
He wanted to have her entirely to himself alone.
He wanted her to look only at him, to do everything with him, to stay only by his side.
He was dumbfounded by his own attitude, so how ridiculous must it seem to her.
But Blair's answer missed his expectations entirely.
"Then do so."
"......What?"
Herdin slightly furrowed his brow and asked back.
Then Blair continued speaking gently, as if teaching something to a child.
"Just as you said, I spent the past few days trying things I hadn't done before, looking for something that could be the reason for my life."
"......"
"But whenever I went to nice places, ate good things, and saw good things, I always thought of you and Asiel."
"......"
"Only then did I realize. My happiness lies in building a warm family."
Just as personal growth and achievement are happiness for some, and sacrifice and service for others are happiness for others, her happiness lay only in family.
Whereas before it was merely a choice swept along by circumstances and conditions, now it was a conclusion reached entirely by her own will.
Blair wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered.
"Someday, when our children have all grown up and no longer need me, then you become the complete reason for my life."
Herdin, who had been gazing at such a Blair, asked.
"Are you sure? That this will make you happy."
Blair nodded without a moment's hesitation. Being able to reach this confident conclusion was thanks to her husband who had given her time to think.
Herdin, having heard that answer, had no more reason to hesitate.
He immediately pressed his lips over hers, which was smiling brightly at him. Unlike before, it was a gentle kiss.
However, the kiss that began softly soon grew rough like a storm.
Blair's body, unable to withstand his devouring intensity, kept being pushed backward until it hit something. It was the vanity.
Herdin, trapping her between himself and the vanity, lowered the hand that had been wrapped around her waist and firmly grasped her buttocks.
With that, their bodies pressed tightly together. Even through the voluminous dress, it was vividly palpable how much he desired her.
And Blair was just as heated as his desire.
Blair, flushed with heat, twisted her waist and grabbed his arm.
"Herdin, quickly......"
As if answering his wife's urging, Herdin turned her around. Then their figures were clearly reflected in the mirror straight ahead.
Surely not.
Blair, who had naturally expected them to go to the bed, twisted her body at the ominous premonition washing over her.
"N-not here......"
"You said quickly."
But behind her, Herdin's large body was already blocking the way.
He embraced Blair's slender waist, rendering her unable to move, and unbuttoned the back of her dress with his lips. All the while, the feverish heat impatient to plunge inside her was palpably threatening.
Pop, pop......
With each button undone, the dress slid down, revealing her shoulders and pale body.
Herdin kissed along her straight spine and grasped the revealed rounded curves.
"Herdin!"
Blair's face turned pale seeing that sight through the mirror, but there was no time to be horrified. For his hand, having traveled up her legs, was soon pushing through her dress.
"Ah!"
Even without looking, a vivid sensation crawled tingling up her spine.
Blair saw her flushed face reflected in the mirror and squeezed her eyes shut. She was nothing but a wanton seductress. She couldn't bear to look at herself like that.
But soon, a heavy heat that completely stole her senses crashed in, making such things utterly irrelevant.
"Ah!"
Eventually, her field of vision began to shake violently.
Looking at Blair's slender back shaking precariously, Herdin nibbled along her spine while caressing her flat stomach and lovely breasts.
Once again, if a child of ours grows in this belly.
Recalling her rounded belly that had carried a child and her pretty breasts that had swelled to become a mother, he felt like he would go crazy just from that imagination. He laughed at himself.
"I really must be a bastard."
"......"
"I want you to get pregnant quickly. I want you to carry my child in this belly and stay only by my side."
And what set fire to his already mad reason was her single statement.
"Then...... make me pregnant quickly."
At his wife's brazen provocation, Herdin lost his reason and thrust into her.
"Mmph!"
The vanity began to rattle and shake precariously. As her arms kept losing strength and she was about to collapse, Herdin embraced her and supported her.
Thrusting deeper and harder, he reached that end at some point. At the same time, the heat he had been holding back burst forth.
Herdin felt it and pulled the exhausted Blair's back into an embrace.
It was a cozy end welcomed in her embrace, for the first time in a very long while.
* * *
Beyond the carriage window, the Delmark mansion began to come into view.
As the mansion grew closer, the thoroughly excited Asiel began kicking his legs while sitting in the high chair.
The past ten days spent at the Arbon Count family's villa were very fun.
During the day, he roamed the forest with Jamie and Senika, and at night, he enjoyed looking at the constellations in the night sky or telling scary stories.
But even while playing so well, when he lay down to sleep, he would unfailingly think of his mom and dad. His mother's voice whispering goodnight, and his father's affectionate touch.
It was something Jamie, who fell asleep the moment he lay down, didn't know—that he had suppressed his desire to go home right away and fell asleep while sniffling under the covers.
Spending those few days without his mom and dad, the child grew once more.
Eventually, the carriage passed through the Delmark mansion's main gate and entered inside. Asiel held his pounding chest filled with anticipation.
Of course, part of it was because he'd see his mom and dad after ten days, but there was something else that made his heart flutter even more.
'A younger sibling must have been made by now, right?'
Asiel stepped down from the carriage with a thoroughly excited heart. But neither his mom nor his dad, who he thought would surely be waiting for him, were there.
Only Mason was waiting, as always.
"Did you have a pleasant time, young master?"
Asiel looked around once more before asking him.
"Mason, where are mom and dad?"
"The two of them slept in late. They'll be out soon, so if you could just wait a moment......"
"But it's daytime now?"
"Well, that's......"
Mason trailed off with a troubled expression.
Herdin and Blair had just gotten up after hearing that Asiel had returned.
Of course, part of it was because Asiel had returned earlier than the scheduled afternoon return, but more than that, the aftermath of the two's passionate night was greater.
While Mason was at a loss as to how to explain this to the young master, something Asiel had read in a book suddenly came to mind.
The content that when a younger sibling is conceived, the mother is always tired and sleeps in late.
'Then, there really is a younger sibling......?'
It was when Asiel was swelling with anticipation. From inside the mansion, the voice of the mother he had so missed came.
"Asiel!"
Looking in the direction of that voice, there were Blair and Herdin just coming down to the first floor. Just as Mason had said, as if they had just woken up, they were only wearing robes.
The child's face, seeing his mom and dad after ten days, revealed unhidden delight.
"Mom! Dad!"
Asiel ran toward his mom who was opening her arms. But the child, who was about to throw himself into his mother's embrace, suddenly stopped in his tracks.
At that, Blair looked at the child with questioning eyes.
"Asiel?"
Asiel looked at his mom's stomach, then slowly approached and nestled into her arms. Because the book had said that if there's a younger sibling in mom's tummy, he should be careful with mom.
Blair found the child's somewhat cautious behavior puzzling, but still hugged him.
"Did you have fun playing?"
"Yeah. But mom, are you tired?"
"Hm?"
"You said you slept in late. Did I wake you?"
"No, it's okay. Seeing our baby, I'm not tired at all now."
Blair said she was fine, but Asiel seemed unconvinced.
Examining Blair's complexion with a rather serious expression, Asiel then hugged her neck tightly with a determined look.
"From now on, I'll protect you, mom."
At her son's sudden, resolute declaration, Blair looked at Herdin with bewildered eyes, but he also shrugged as if he didn't know either.
Though she couldn't understand his intention, the desire to protect his mother was endearing. Blair chuckled and kissed the child's peach-colored cheek, whispering.
"Thank you. Mom is a very happy person."
Herdin, who had been watching his affectionate wife and son with crossed arms, approached and gently stroked Asiel's head, asking.
"Then shall we first have lunch while hearing about what you did and played at the villa?"
"Yeah!"
Asiel held his mom and dad's hands in both of his and headed to the dining room. When a younger sibling is born in the near future, he would have to yield this place, but he felt that would be okay too.
Because both mom and dad loved him very much.
The shadows of the family of three, holding each other's hands, faded into the distance of the corridor. Along with them, the child's chattering voice and the two's laughter gradually grew smaller.
Behind that picture-like scene, the soft breeze of a spring day gently followed.
Side Story Fin.