Chapter 28. Dissonance in Relationships
2023.09.28.
Katrina's birthday banquet was the first banquet the two attended as a married couple.
Originally, the New Year's Festival banquet should have been their first, but due to the appearance of magical beasts, the banquet scheduled after that was canceled.
Because of this, Lina and Melly devoted themselves to dressing Blair as if driven by a sense of mission.
"Lina, how about this style?"
"Oh, that looks nice."
The two seemed to have grown quite close, exchanging opinions and working together to dress Blair.
Blair watched the two through the mirror. Seeing Melly helping with what Lina used to do alone in her past life brought an involuntary smile to her face.
'Even if I leave this place, Lina will be able to manage well.'
That thought put her mind at ease.
"My lady, we're all done now."
"How does it look?"
Finally, the two's work was complete. Blair laughed as she looked at their eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"I like it very much. Thank you, both of you."
It wasn't an empty compliment—the effort the two had put in made today's styling quite pleasing to her.
When Blair finished dressing and appeared at the stairs, Herdin, who had been waiting on the first floor, sensed her presence and looked up.
His eyes, having found her, paused for a moment, then followed her as she descended the stairs.
If Blair in her wedding dress had been like a fairy of the snow, today she was like a flower blooming recklessly in the dead of winter.
Herdin approached Blair and offered his hand. Blair, who had been looking at him for a moment, placed her hand on his large palm.
"Have a safe trip, Your Excellency. My lady."
The two boarded the carriage amid the farewells of Mason and the servants. Soon, the carriage departed.
Blair gazed at the night streets passing by the window, lost in thought.
'What happened on this day in my past life?'
With only two years of memories, she couldn't recall every minor detail. Only the major or intense events remained in her memory.
But no matter how much she searched her memories, nothing particular came to mind.
'Fortunately, it seems nothing major happened.'
As Blair recalled her past memories, she suddenly remembered talking to Herdin about the future.
Since the day he encountered Miela, he hadn't brought up anything about the future anymore.
'Well, from his current position, it must be hard to believe.'
It must also be something he wouldn't want to believe.
Regardless, it was fortunate that she no longer had to talk about seeing the future and such.
Thinking that, she inadvertently turned her head, and in that moment, her eyes met Herdin's who was sitting beside her. It seemed he had been watching her for quite some time.
'...How long has he been watching?'
His blue eyes, submerged in the darkness of night, gazed quietly at her. Eyes so deep that she felt overwhelmed whenever she looked into them.
At that moment, Herdin leaned his upper body closer to Blair. The distance between them closed in an instant. Close enough to feel each other's breath.
At that, Blair unconsciously held her breath. But Herdin, having come close, only closed the window behind her back and moved away.
As if reading Blair's embarrassed thoughts, Herdin stared intently into her eyes and asked.
"What were you thinking about?"
"...I wasn't thinking about anything."
"It doesn't seem like you weren't. You made me look like a pervert before too."
"That's because you said things ambiguously..."
"Ah, so you did have such thoughts?"
At his teasing tone, Blair glared at him with wide eyes, then whipped her head toward the window. Saying more would only get her caught up in his pace.
She heard his low laughter from behind her.
Since that night, her relationship with him had changed. Unlike before, they ate one meal a day together, and occasionally when Blair showed an opening, he would tease her.
To be honest, Blair didn't dislike the change.
'But whenever memories of my past life resurface, I don't know what to do about hating this person.'
He was the one who gave her indelible wounds, but the him of this timeline hadn't committed any wrong yet.
The painful memories of her past life were hers alone.
The fact that her resentment and hatred toward him couldn't be justified created a dissonance in her heart.
The greater that dissonance grew, the more she hated him for not remembering anything. Even though her head knew he was innocent now.
While she was lost in various thoughts, the carriage stopped.
"Duke and Duchess Delmark enter!"
As the two entered the Empress's Palace, nobles who had arrived earlier approached them.
A war hero and the only imperial princess.
Their combination was bound to attract attention no matter what.
While the two were exchanging greetings with people approaching them, the protagonist of today's banquet appeared.
"His Imperial Majesty the Emperor and Her Imperial Majesty the Empress Dowager enter!"
Katrina appeared, escorted by her son Ivan. The only person who could receive the escort of the Emperor, the supreme ruler of the empire, was her—since Blair had married out and the Empress's seat was vacant.
That was her way of flaunting what she possessed, what she had achieved in her lifetime.
"The virtue of a banquet lies in enjoying it. Since we are celebrating Her Majesty's birthday, I hope you all enjoy yourselves."
With Ivan's congratulatory speech, the banquet began in earnest.
Each family brought gifts to offer Katrina and visited her in turn.
The gifts were both an expression of goodwill toward the imperial family including Katrina and Ivan, and a way to establish the family's prestige.
Therefore, nobles competed to offer more precious things. It was an absurd spectacle where they spent the money while Katrina reaped the benefits.
Blair had been worried that Herdin, who detested Katrina terribly, might openly display his hostility, but fortunately, her concerns were unfounded.
It was while the two, having finished offering their gifts, were talking with other nobles.
"Duke, Duchess."
A middle-aged woman, adorned with a flashy dress and jewelry just like Katrina, appeared before them.
It was Countess Margrid, Katrina's lady-in-waiting.
"Her Imperial Majesty the Empress Dowager is looking for you two."
Blair hesitated.
She had always found Katrina intimidating, but today she was even more reluctant. Before and right after the wedding, every time she faced Katrina, she had clashed with her.
"Herdin."
Blair lightly grasped Herdin's arm. Then Herdin slightly leaned his upper body toward her and brought his ear closer.
Blair, momentarily pausing at the unexpected consideration, spoke softly.
"You don't need to humor my mother and brother's unreasonable demands. You just need to avoid creating any grounds for disqualification as a husband."
She said this remembering Ivan and Katrina who had subtly urged Herdin toward war during the luncheon after the wedding.
"I don't want you to suffer any loss from marrying me."
"Don't worry. I don't make deals that result in losses."
Blair set aside her worries as she looked at his relaxed response. As he said, he wasn't someone who would be dragged along by their nonsensical talk.
When the two approached, Katrina was with her close associate, Marquis Valten. He was her closest ally who had supported her despite her being a commoner with no backing.
Blair offered proper courtesy to Katrina.
"You called for me, Mother."
"It's hard to see your face, Blair. You should have come to me first when you arrived. After parting like that at the New Year's Festival, you have no idea how much I missed you."
Even though she couldn't possibly not remember how they had parted, Katrina put on a naturally disappointed expression. It was a familiar sight to Blair.
No matter what she truly felt, her mother never lost elegance and dignity in front of others.
"...There were many guests around, so I thought I might be in the way."
"No matter how busy I am, I must see you. Aren't we family? Now the Duke is my family too."
While binding Herdin as family, it was also a remark rebuking him for not coming to see her, his family.
Marquis Valten took the side of the two.
"I don't have a daughter, so I don't know much about this, but I've heard that during the newlywed period, not visiting the maiden home is considered a good sign."
"True. If they're doing well together, that's the best thing. But a mother's heart—when a child who lived in her arms leaves, she can't help but worry."
Blair half-listened to Katrina and Marquis Valten's conversation as she recalled her memories. No matter how much she thought about it, it seemed nothing particular happened with Katrina on this day in her past life.
'Or perhaps, with so many variables now, things are no longer the same as my past life?'
While Blair was thinking that, she saw young ladies approaching.
Their target was Blair.
Katrina, who noticed this faster than anyone, grabbed Blair's hand and said.
"Go along, Blair."
After Blair exchanged glances with Marquis Valten and approached the young ladies, Herdin naturally followed behind her.
At that moment, Katrina's voice came from behind.
"No matter how beautiful your wife is, staying out of women's conversations is a husband's virtue, Duke."
Herdin's steps paused. She was speaking indirectly, but the underlying meaning was that she had business with him.
Herdin, who had been watching Blair now surrounded by noble ladies with a smile, remained by Katrina's side.
Katrina's close associates approached her. They looked at Katrina and Herdin beside her, trying to curry favor with both.
"It's remarkable how the two of you decided to cut ties with the past and become family."
"Indeed. It couldn't have been easy for both of you—no, for His Imperial Majesty and the Duchess as well."
As Herdin listened to their conversation, one corner of his mouth rose slightly.
Now he thought he understood. The reason Katrina had kept him by her side.