Chapter 103: Quite the Madman
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 103: Quite the Madman
When Blair flinched at the knock, the old woman set down the dish she was holding and approached the door.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me, ma’am.”
The voice was unfamiliar, but Mikhail seemed to recognize it and glanced at Blair.
“He’s one of my men.”
The old woman opened the door, and the man stepped inside.
He bowed politely to the three of them before his eyes met Mikhail’s. Understanding the unspoken message, Mikhail addressed Blair and the old woman.
“Please, don’t mind me. Go on and eat. I’ll be back after a quick word.”
Mikhail went up to a second-floor room with his subordinate.
“What’s the situation outside?”
“Just as you predicted, the knights of House Delmark are controlling the gates to the Imperial Capital, checking the identity of everyone passing through. And…”
“And?”
“Before we could even act, a scandal about the Duchess has already begun to spread.”
“A rumor that the Duchess has another man?”
“It’s more than a simple affair. Rumors are already flying that she’s pregnant with another man’s child.”
Hearing this, Mikhail’s eyes narrowed.
He had intended to leak a scandal about Blair himself, but he hadn’t expected someone else to beat him to the punch.
“…Whoever it is, they’ve saved us the trouble.”
He disliked that the rumor had been spread with such malicious intent, but on second thought, it was for the best.
If Blair successfully escaped now, she would be branded as a woman who ran away carrying another man’s child.
In that case, Herdin would lose all public justification for pursuing a wife who had fled with another man’s child.
“Keep a close eye on the Duke’s movements and report back the moment there’s an opening.”
The subordinate bowed, received his orders, and immediately left the room.
Alone again, Mikhail pulled a document from his inner pocket. It was the other half of Esmeralda’s papers—the part he had withheld when sending the rest to Herdin.
This document named the culprit who had murdered the late Duke and Duchess ten years ago.
As he stared at the document with cold eyes, he heard the faint murmur of voices from downstairs and slipped the papers back into his pocket.
It was a truth Herdin must not learn just yet.
* * *
Early the next morning, just as dawn began to break.
Ruth climbed the walls of the Imperial Capital, breathing in the crisp morning air. In stark contrast to the refreshing atmosphere, his eyes were hollow and sunken. He hadn’t slept all night.
When he reached the top, he saw Herdin standing as still as a statue, gazing down at the panoramic view of the capital.
He seemed frozen in the chilly dawn landscape.
He might have been mistaken for a painting, were it not for the hand holding a cigar that continuously puffed smoke.
His gaze, fixed on the gates below, showed no trace of sleepiness, gleaming instead like a well-honed blade. The pile of burnt-out cigars in a nearby flowerpot, however, told a different story.
It proved he had stood vigil all night, forcing his eyes to stay open.
He showed no outward signs of rage, but the quiet fury swirling in his blue eyes was terrifying, a chilling storm that threatened to erupt at any moment.
What would happen if Blair appeared before him right now?
The thought alone made Ruth’s mouth go dry. Swallowing hard, he cautiously approached Herdin.
Still, as his aide, he couldn’t just stand by and watch his lord smoke cigars on an empty stomach.
“Your Grace, I brought a light snack…”
But Herdin cut him off before he could finish.
“Mikhail Kines. Did you find him?”
Ruth lowered the sandwich he was holding and answered immediately.
“N-No, Your Grace. He vanished after collecting his wages from the pub where he worked. No one knows where he went, and as an orphan, he has no family or relatives.”
A cold, mocking laugh slipped through Herdin’s teeth. His gaze, fixed on the dawn landscape, remained piercingly cold—enough to cut to the bone.
Yesterday, upon realizing Blair had disappeared, he had raided the guild she had secretly visited, but he’d come up empty-handed.
Blair was missing. And her fake lover had vanished at the exact same time.
Could this really be a coincidence?
Ruth hesitated, intimidated by Herdin’s demeanor. He looked like he might kill the next person who crossed him. Still, he cautiously spoke up.
“Also, a strange rumor has been circulating about the Duchess…”
The intuition he’d honed over years as an aide screamed that this was a terrible idea.
But the rumor was already the talk of the town. It was better for Herdin to hear it from him than from the whispers of others.
Ruth wetted his dry lips and continued, “…They’re saying the Duchess had an affair and is pregnant with another man’s child.”
Hearing this, Herdin became certain that the disappearances were no coincidence.
Mikhail’s words from the art gallery flashed through his mind. ‘Once this matter is settled, I plan to leave the Empire as well.’
He had been planning for the aftermath of their divorce.
Come to think of it, when he’d discovered her pregnancy, she had named that bastard as the father without a moment’s hesitation. The nerve.
The image of Mikhail and Blair together twisted Herdin’s lips into a sneer.
So, she ran away with that bastard while carrying my child. She even spread this absurd rumor, claiming the child in her womb—my child—belongs to him.
Did she think a trick like this would make me stop looking for her? How clever.
“…How amusing.”
Should I have chained her to the bed until her belly grew round? Locked her in my arms? If I had, would she have been able to pull such a clever stunt?
The regret came too late.
A cold smile on his face, Herdin swept his sharp, fierce gaze across the Imperial Capital.
After standing vigil all night like a guardian—or perhaps a terrifying ruler—he finally seemed to reach a decision. He tossed his cigar into the flowerpot and turned.
Ruth quickly followed behind him.
“A day has already passed. Shall we expand the search area outside the Imperial Capital?”
Herdin answered before Ruth could even finish.
“No.”
There’s no way she could have escaped the Imperial Capital in her condition while evading our search.
“Keep the roads blocked. Leave no gaps.”
* * *
Herdin Delmark was absent from the State Council Meeting.
As the nobles whispered among themselves about Herdin's empty seat, the doors to the council chamber opened, and Ivan appeared.
Ivan accepted the nobles' bows as he entered, sensing an unusually tense atmosphere. His eyes scanned the chamber and landed on Herdin's vacant seat.
A faint smile touched Ivan's lips.
I suppose it's about time to bring it up.
In truth, Ivan's decision to grant a fair ruling on the fire from ten years ago was driven by another calculation entirely, one that went beyond protecting his own image.
‘It seems the Duchess is pregnant.’
Immediately after Herdin requested a retrial, Ivan had ordered his men to monitor the ducal household. As a result, he had received the news of Blair's pregnancy.
The news had pleased Ivan greatly.
His talk of divorce had merely been a threat; the entire purpose of the marriage was for the Imperial Family to absorb the influence of House Delmark.
And now, a pregnancy. What clearer proof of marital harmony could there be?
Considering that, he could generously overlook Herdin's unannounced absence.
The image of a doting husband tending to his pregnant wife would only highlight their affection, subtly solidifying their alliance with the Imperial Family.
Ivan decided now was the perfect time to announce it.
“It seems Lord Delmark is busy with his wife’s prenatal care.”
The murmuring chamber fell silent.
Assuming they were simply surprised by the unexpected news, Ivan continued.
“It feels a bit odd for me to be the one to mention it, but such joyous news is impossible to keep hidden.”
“…”
“The Duchess is pregnant. A blessed child who will strengthen the bond between the Imperial Family and Delmark. I wished to share this happy news with you all…”
As he spoke, Ivan finally noticed the strange atmosphere in the room and trailed off.
Just then, the Chief Chamberlain rushed into the chamber, leaned in, and whispered in his ear. As Ivan listened, his expression gradually hardened.
The State Council Meeting ended abruptly in a chilling silence.
On his way back to the Emperor's Palace, Ivan let out a hollow laugh, recalling the Chief Chamberlain's words.
‘Rumors are rampant throughout the capital that the Duchess has fled with another man’s child.’
Furthermore, news had arrived that the knights of House Delmark were searching the gates of the Imperial Capital.
If that was true, then the rumor was real. If the child were truly Herdin’s, Blair would have no reason to run away.
“That audacious woman, stabbing me in the back like this…”
He had just made a fool of himself, boasting to the nobles without even knowing that his unborn niece or nephew was a bastard of unknown lineage.
Arriving at the Emperor's Palace, still pondering how to clean up this absurd mess, Ivan found Herdin waiting for him.
The quiet fury swirling in his cold eyes was so fierce that it momentarily overwhelmed even Ivan.
Ivan assumed Herdin was there to demand a divorce. He couldn't possibly keep a woman who had fled with another man's child.
But Herdin's words were entirely unexpected.
“Grant me permission to search all private residences, Your Majesty.”
“…What?”
“I must find my wife.”
An incredulous laugh escaped Ivan’s lips.
It was in that moment he realized, all too late, that he had married his sister to quite the madman.