Ch#86
2023.11.25.
After finishing his bath, Herdin emerged from the bathroom with a towel draped over his still-damp hair.
Late afternoon sunlight filtered into the corridor. It was the time when shadows on the floor began to lengthen bit by bit.
Herdin roughly wiped the moisture from his hair with the towel as he headed to Blair's bedroom. So naturally.
Just as he turned into the corridor leading to Blair's bedroom, he overheard the whispering voices of maids cleaning nearby.
"By the way, what on earth is His Grace thinking? Protecting that woman who might be the daughter of his enemy like that. What if she ends up getting pregnant......?"
"Maybe the Imperial Family told Madam to do it? It was the Emperor's arranged marriage from the start. She might be seducing His Grace to prevent annulment."
"......To get pregnant?"
"Exactly. Even if it's true that Her Grand Imperial Majesty the former Empress assassinated the previous Empress, they couldn't cast out a woman carrying Delmark blood, right? That's probably the plan."
"Impressive detective skills."
The maids, whispering without noticing someone approaching from behind, spun around in fright at the sudden voice.
Herdin, who knew not how long he'd been listening, leaned obliquely against the wall, staring at them with cold eyes.
His firm body visible through the loosely tied robe, and the beautiful face atop it.
The face they usually peeked at with flushed cheeks now looked utterly chilling.
"I didn't stock detective novels in the library for that."
"Y-Your Grace."
"In your eyes, I must look like a fool oblivious to her intentions, completely ensnared by seduction."
"Th-that's not what we meant......! We were just worried about Your Grace and Delmark......"
"To think Delmark's standing has fallen so low that mere maids worry for it behind my back...... Disgusting."
His voice was languid without inflection, but the maids fully felt the quiet fury embedded within.
It was the instinct of the weak.
"Your Grace, what are you doing h―"
As Russ, who had finished the task Herdin assigned, approached, the pale-faced maids hurriedly knelt on the floor.
"W-we have committed a grave sin! Please forgive us just once, Your Grace!"
"These lowly things spoke out of turn, forgetting our place. Please grant us mercy just once......"
Herdin looked down at the pleading maids with impassive eyes before turning away.
"Russ."
"Yes?"
"Cut them."
Russ glanced awkwardly between Herdin's departing back and the despairing maids without a hint of hesitation.
The maids were a hundred times in the wrong, but it felt too harsh a price for a single slip of the tongue, leaving him uneasy.
Yet a lord's command was absolute in any situation.
Russ asked for the maids' names to relay to Mason, then followed Herdin a beat late.
Sensing his presence, Herdin spoke without turning.
"On the way, tell Mason. Make sure outside rumors don't creep into the estate."
"Yes, understood."
By then, they had arrived before Blair's bedroom. Herdin stopped and asked.
"So, what's the update."
"Ah, a message just came from Sir Kalligo. We've secured the coin minter's testimony—the one who commissioned the coin is Viscount Vernon, as expected."
It was confirmed that the person who paid at the pawnshop and the one who commissioned the coin were the same.
With just the testimony of the soldier who first obtained the coin added, they could prove in court that Katrina was involved in the incident ten years ago somehow.
This completed preparations to clear Esmeralda's name.
However, Herdin hesitated for another reason.
"And......"
Russ continued, pulling something from his inner pocket.
"This is what you ordered this morning."
What Russ placed in Herdin's hand was a small vial of pills identical in appearance to those he had given her.
This morning, before heading out for magical beast subjugation, Herdin had ordered it procured as quickly as possible.
"Harmless to the body, right?"
"Yes. Just candy shaped like pills. But what do you plan to use it for?"
Herdin merely toyed with the vial without answering. Sensing it was something he shouldn't pry into, Russ changed the subject.
"Anyway, preparations are nearly complete now....... I can't wait to clear Her Imperial Majesty the Empress's grievance soon."
"......Yes, soon."
Pocketing the vial in his robe, Herdin turned toward Blair's door and dismissed him.
"You may go."
Leaving Russ who bowed his head, he entered the room.
Passing the reception room into the interior, the bedroom unfolded with languid afternoon sunlight streaming through the balcony windows.
In that peaceful scene lay Blair, soundly asleep.
Herdin approached her side and quietly took in the sight.
Pondering what he was building this sturdy fortress to protect.
Gazing at the sleeping Blair for a moment, Herdin took out the vial Russ had given him.
It was identical to Blair's vial always on the bedside table, down to the pill shapes.
He hesitated for a long while.
Though he'd thought to keep her from that man by any means, binding her to his side, he couldn't bring himself to touch that vial.
'Can I watch over you resenting me forever?'
That question gripped his ankle.
Even now, in this moment of impulsively preparing fake pills upon seeing the empty bedroom last night.
As Herdin toyed with the vial in his hand, Blair's eyelids fluttered.
"Mm......"
Seeing it, Herdin swiftly dropped the vial from the table to the floor, then placed the one from his hand on the table.
The fallen vial rolled silently across the thick carpet beneath the bed to his feet. At the same time, Blair opened her eyes.
"......Herdin?"
Focus slowly gathered in her violet eyes holding the light, soon filled with his figure.
"What time is it?"
Her eyes reflecting him, her defenseless face laden with sleepiness, her whispering soft voice.
Seeing her alive and breathing, his long hesitation seemed futile; the conclusion came swiftly.
It was a question not worth agonizing over from the start.
"Still time before evening, so sleep more."
Herdin replied, kicking the vial at his feet under the bed, reaching for Blair's disheveled hair, and thought.
Rather than let you go, I'd rather become the world's biggest bastard.
* * *
A rare day with Herdin away.
After lunch, Blair sat by the sunlit window with a book open, but succumbed to overwhelming drowsiness and nodded off.
"......Madam."
She vaguely heard a voice in her doze but wouldn't wake, when careful hands grasped her shoulder.
"Madam?"
"......Ah."
Blair finally startled awake. Before her was Lina with worried eyes.
"Are you feeling unwell? You've seemed so tired lately......"
"No, no. Probably just lethargic from staying home so much. And the weather's gotten warmer."
Blair hurriedly reassured her, lest Lina call the physician. But her hand subtly drifted to her lower abdomen.
The reason for her recent excessive sleepiness was likely inside there.
'It's been well over a fortnight since the night Asiel was conceived......'
Pregnancy weeks counted from the last menstrual period, so symptoms should start appearing around now.
Of course, it was still indistinguishable from premenstrual signs, but Blair, with memories of her past life, was nearly certain.
Yet the more convinced she was of the pregnancy, the more anxious she grew alongside relief.
'If it's truly Asiel, morning sickness should start soon......'
Herdin's promised deadline was until the trial ended.
While pregnancy symptoms were gradually appearing, the trial showed no sign of even beginning.
Moreover, Mihail should have contacted her by now, but there was still no word.
She knew there was nothing she could do directly in this situation, but with nothing resolved or progressing, anxiety began to creep in.
"Madam, shall we go out after so long?"
Lost in thought, Blair snapped out at Lina's suggestion.
"Go out?"
"The Founding Festival is soon, right? I passed the square yesterday, and it was in full swing. Delicious food, performances."
Lina's eyes sparkled with anticipation as she described yesterday's scene.
"Wear something light and go briefly with the knights? Staying cooped up in the estate must be stifling."
Blair pondered Lina's words briefly before nodding readily.
"Yes, let's. Good idea."
It'd air her out, and good chance to have Lina relay to Mihail to prepare for departure anytime.
But their excited plans were dashed by Mason's single remark.
