Chapter 43. Because I'll Be Leaving Soon
2023.10.13.
In the painting, a remarkably handsome man and beautiful woman sat side by side. And on the woman's lap was a boy who looked about three or four years old.
They were people Blair already knew, but Ruth, who couldn't have known that fact, quickly explained about them.
"They are the previous Duke and Duchess. And this child is His Grace now."
The family of three in the painting was smiling happily, completely unaware of the misfortune that awaited them in the future. The family portrait before her eyes was a painting that left an even deeper impression because she knew of their tragedy.
However, there was a separate reason Blair couldn't take her eyes off the painting.
Blair gazed at the baby Herdin in the portrait with longing eyes.
The slightly curly, black and soft hair, the milky-white plump cheeks, the clear and large eyes, even the shape of the lips when smiling.
Aside from the eye color inherited from her mother, Asiel was born looking exactly like her father, Herdin.
'Asiel...'
How her heart had ached every time she barely recalled the child from her fading memories.
'It's a relief that you resemble your father.'
Because at least this way, she could picture her.
Just as Blair was immersed in longing.
Ruth, guessing that there was another reason she couldn't take her eyes off the portrait, abruptly and tactlessly interjected.
"The previous Duchess was truly a beauty, wasn't she? And the previous Duke, well, there's no need to even say it. They say he looked exactly like His Grace now."
"……"
"His Grace now has a completely different atmosphere, but still, isn't it amazing how you can see a bit of his face from back then?"
Ruth's expression as he talked about the previous Duke and Duchess and Herdin looked unmistakably joyful.
How deep must his feelings be to reveal them even before her, who made him uncomfortable.
Blair perceived that this emotion was not simply loyalty, but stemmed from deep trust and love from one person to another. That pure heart endeared him to her and made her smile.
"You truly served the previous Duke and Duchess with all your heart."
Only then did Ruth snap back to his senses and hastily gather his words.
"Well, they are my benefactors, after all."
"I make you uncomfortable, don't I?"
At Blair's sudden direct question, Ruth choked and coughed.
'Did she perhaps hear me sighing earlier...?'
He checked if Blair might have taken offense, but she was looking at him with clear eyes without a hint of displeasure. That made him feel even more uncomfortable.
After briefly debating whether to be honest or tell an obviously transparent lie, Ruth scratched his cheek and answered.
"Well... it's not Your Ladyship's fault."
It's just that I dislike Your Ladyship's background.
Blair immediately caught what was left unsaid behind his words.
Blair understood Ruth.
Lina also dislikes Herdin. Simply because she likes her more.
Ruth was the same. Simply because he likes Herdin more than he likes her.
Of course, she knew that being wary of someone because of their background was never the right thing to do.
'But at least he's different from the others who badmouthed me behind my back.'
The reason most people disliked her was not out of loyalty to Herdin, but simply because they disliked her.
However, Ruth's feelings were purely from loyalty. A clean emotion that would disappear once the relationship between Herdin and herself was sorted out.
Not that she had any intention of coddling him, though.
"I know."
Blair said calmly, even with a gentle smile on her face.
"Still, don't be too guarded about it. I'll leave cleanly, without causing any harm to Delmark."
"Leave?"
When Ruth asked with a bewildered expression, Blair asked back with widened eyes.
"Ah. Did he not tell you?"
"I'm not sure what you're referring to..."
"That ours is a contractual marriage."
"Contractual... marriage?"
Looking at Ruth as if he were hearing it for the first time in his life, Blair nodded.
Ruth, who had been pondering what the word meant, understood its meaning a beat late and was appalled.
'Hmm, that lounge from earlier is indeed a bit barren, so it would be good to hang a few more paintings.'
Blair, who had dropped the bombshell on Ruth, was unaware of his reaction and left the gallery, thinking she should meet Mikhail, who should be contacting her soon.
* * *
That evening, Herdin, who had returned to the mansion after finishing the magic beast subjugation, found Ruth in the office.
At a time when he would normally have long since finished work, seeing him still there meant he probably had something to say.
'Or there was some problem with Blair.'
Herdin casually asked Ruth, who was approaching with a serious expression.
"Aren't you off work?"
"Your Grace. Is what Her Ladyship said true?"
"What is."
"That the two of you are in a contractual marriage."
Herdin's hand, which had been roughly drying his hair with a towel draped over his head, paused. His eyes turned sharp in an instant.
"...She told you that?"
"Good heavens, is it true? You didn't tell me such an important thing! That contractual marriage, when the promised period ends..."
Ruth's nagging didn't even reach Herdin's ears.
"Hey, where are you going in the middle of our conversation?"
Herdin stormed out of the office, ignoring Ruth's words. The towel fell in the process, but he didn't care about that either.
His footsteps headed toward Blair's bedroom.
What caught the eye of Herdin, who burst into the bedroom without knocking, was Blair in the middle of changing from her bathrobe into a bedgown.
Herdin paused at the glimpse of bare skin through the still-untied bedgown.
"Kyah...!"
Lina, who had been attending to her, nearly screamed in surprise at Herdin's sudden intrusion, but clamped her mouth shut when she realized he was Blair's husband.
After all, there was nothing wrong with a husband seeing his wife's unclothed body.
However, she hurriedly tied Blair's gown.
The person whose body was revealed seemed only surprised by his appearance, not particularly startled by the fact that her body had been seen.
"Lina, you may go now."
Lina bowed politely to the two and quietly withdrew. Only Blair and Herdin remained in the room.
Herdin, who was about to immediately confront Blair, closed his mouth when he saw her looking up at him with clear eyes. It was because he remembered seeing tears pooled in those eyes once before.
Herdin, who suppressed his overly agitated emotions even he couldn't understand, opened his mouth again with a lowered voice.
"...I heard you spoke to Ruth about our contract."
"Ah... I thought Sir Ruth already knew. I thought it would be fine even if he knew."
It wasn't a story that shouldn't be told.
As she said, Ruth was his close aide, and he wasn't the type to blabber stories that could become his weakness to the outside world, even if it cost him his life.
As Herdin swallowed emotions he couldn't even define himself, his eyes fell on Blair's lips.
Only then did he seem to understand the reason for this anger.
He was angry that those lips had casually spoken of the end of this contract.
'We will divorce. As per the contract.'
Like when he had heard those words once before.
Once again, the woman before his eyes now, the woman who was at a distance he could embrace if he reached out, felt so far away.
...As if she might just disappear like this.
That must not happen. That would be breaking the contract.
None of the conditions of the contract he had proposed had been fulfilled yet. And he couldn't even take the warmth of this woman, who came like a small reward for that contract, as he wished.
The anger toward that must be the name of this uncontrollable emotion that was gripping and shaking him now.
Having finally concluded the name of his emotions, he cupped Blair's cheek and met her gaze. His downward gaze was distorted.
"Do you take this contract as a joke?"
At his frigid tone, Blair's eyes shook slightly. But Herdin didn't stop.
No, because of that, he couldn't stop.
Because he never wanted to see those lips speak of the end of this contract again.
"You seem to have forgotten, but this is a fraud deceiving none other than the Emperor. Not a children's game of house."
"……"
"Never again mention the contract in front of others."
His coldly settling voice stopped. Eventually, Blair's slightly trembling eyes stilled.
After seeming to waver for a moment, she nodded with a calm face, as she always did.
"I'll be careful from now on."
She seemed to have accepted his words.
It was clearly the answer he had wanted.
Yet Herdin felt as if an unquenched thirst was rising again instead. His throat burned and felt hollow.
But there was no longer any justification to be angry in front of the woman who was accepting his words.
"...Rest."
Herdin suppressed his emotions and left the bedroom. A sigh escaped between his lips as he roughly ran his hand through his hair.
The emotions that had been running wild like a madman lately were extremely unpleasant.
* * *
"We've arrived."
The hired carriage Blair was riding stopped in front of the art museum.
Today's meeting place with Mikhail was here, at a private art museum.
The theater last time was a well-known secret meeting place, so they had met secretly, but since this time it was an art museum, they decided to just meet normally. If anyone recognized them, they could make the excuse that he was someone helping with the auction.
Still, wanting to avoid drawing unnecessary attention, Blair checked the hat with the mesh veil she was wearing once more and opened the carriage door.
At the same time, a large hand was extended before her.