Chapter 129: The Promise
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 129: The Promise
Wednesday afternoons were for Esmeralda’s tea time.
Herdin, visiting as usual, found an uninvited guest attached to her side. Upon seeing him, the guest greeted him with an almost shameless delight.
“We meet again, Duke Delmark.”
Ever since the incident with Blair at the New Year’s Festival, he had run into her frequently at the Empress’s Palace. At first, their encounters were sporadic, but at some point, she began appearing every Wednesday without fail, taking a seat as if she belonged. By now, she felt less like an uninvited guest and more like a regular.
Although the Imperial Princess’s strangely friendly attitude was irritating, Herdin tolerated her presence. Esmeralda doted on the girl, and he didn’t entirely mind her chatter filling the silence his own taciturn nature created.
That chatter, however, fell silent the moment Esmeralda was called away on an urgent matter.
Paying it no mind, Herdin began reading the book he had brought. Seeing this, Blair opened her own.
The only sound between them was the rustle of pages turning—or rather, the sound of Herdin’s pages turning. He could feel Blair stealing glances at him over the top of her book, but he pretended not to notice.
Her cautious gaze would drift to him, then quickly drop back to her book. Realizing she hadn't turned a page in some time, she would hurriedly flip one over. He found the sight rather amusing.
Yet even after a long wait, the princess couldn’t bring herself to speak, though she clearly wanted to.
At this rate, we’ll be here until dawn.
In the end, Herdin was the one to speak first.
“Do you have something to say?”
As he looked up, her violet eyes widened in surprise, and she quickly averted her gaze.
Hesitating, Blair spotted the book about the Southern Continent he was reading and finally found a topic.
“Um… have you ever seen the ocean, Duke?”
“Three or four times. In the summer.”
“With your parents?”
The moment the words left her mouth, Blair clamped it shut, a beat too late. She had realized her question had touched upon a painful wound.
Reading the sheer panic on her face, Herdin scoffed inwardly. Did she really think he, who had endured far worse after his parents’ deaths, would be hurt by a simple mention of them?
Her caution was intriguing—a stark contrast to those who treated his misfortune as entertainment—yet it also irritated him, as if she saw him as weak. The conflict of emotions was jarring.
“Yes,” Herdin replied nonchalantly. “With my parents.”
Only then did Blair’s expression relax.
“I heard the ocean is like a really, really big lake! And that you can’t see the end of it!”
“It’s called the horizon.”
Blair’s eyes sparkled as she spoke of the ocean, a completely different person from the hesitant girl of a moment ago.
“When I grow up, can you take me to see it?”
At her question, Herdin raised an eyebrow. “Why me?”
Blair, who had clearly expected a simple yes or no, pondered the unexpected question for a moment. “Because you’re the strongest person I know, and you’ve actually been there…?”
Herdin let out a dry, deflated chuckle at her utter naivety. The young princess clearly didn't understand the implications of a noble lady traveling with a man who was neither family nor an escort.
But there was no need to crush her hopes.
“If that is your wish.”
At his ready agreement, Blair smiled brightly.
“It’s a promise, then.”
Herdin stared blankly at her pure, smiling face until it blurred. With a blink, it dissolved into the familiar scenery of his bedroom.
Staring at the ceiling, Herdin recalled the dream and let out a self-deprecating laugh. Why now? Why dream of a promise that was now utterly useless—a promise that had left nothing but hatred in its wake?
Brushing away the lingering image of her face, he sat up. Dawn was barely breaking, but he knew more sleep was impossible.
Herdin rubbed his face, swept his bangs back, and grabbed a cigar and lighter from the nightstand before stepping out onto the balcony.
Autumn had just begun, and the dawn breeze was cool, though the day would grow hot once the sun rose. Placing the lit cigar between his lips, Herdin reviewed his schedule for the day.
This evening, a Victory Banquet would be held at the Imperial Palace to celebrate his triumph.
It would be his first official appearance in years, ever since the incident at the Empress’s Palace. It would also be the first time he would face Blair since that day.
What kind of face will you make when you see me after more than a decade?
Imagining the woman she had become, Herdin exhaled a plume of smoke. As the harsh smoke dispersed, only a cold, icy emotion remained in his blue eyes.
* * *
“Please keep an eye out for any suitable young ladies at this banquet.”
On the way to the Imperial Palace, Ruth advised Herdin, his expression worried.
Instead of questioning the sudden remark, Herdin simply turned his gaze from the window to his aide. Ruth quickly elaborated.
“His Majesty the Emperor is looking for a marriage partner for Her Highness the Imperial Princess. After all, she has come of age.”
“And what does that have to to with me?”
“Your Grace has just returned from a great victory. At this moment, who could be a more eligible bachelor in the Empire?”
“So they’re considering me as a match for the princess? Me? The nephew of the Deposed Empress who supposedly tried to assassinate her?”
“The Imperial Family likely knows Her Majesty was framed, so they would have no reservations. With your reputation at its peak, welcoming you as the Imperial Consort would only elevate their prestige.”
Herdin sneered. The irony was laughable. They had framed Esmeralda as a criminal, and now they wanted to foist her daughter on him.
“Besides,” Ruth continued, “it is high time you found a spouse and started a family. The family’s reputation has been restored; now you must secure its future by producing an heir.”
He’d heard this lecture from his vassals so many times before the war that his ears were numb to it. He had put it off until now, but with even Ruth bringing it up, it seemed the matter could no longer be ignored.
“So, please, look for a suitable lady. Alright?”
When Herdin gave a noncommittal grunt, Ruth continued to press him anxiously. The loyal nagging only ceased when their carriage arrived at the Imperial Palace.
As he entered the banquet hall, the gazes of every noble present fell upon him. While Herdin was exchanging greetings, the doors swung open, and an attendant’s voice rang out.
“His Majesty the Emperor is entering!”
Herdin quietly watched as Blair appeared behind Ivan.
After more than a decade, the princess had grown into a woman. She bore a striking, almost terrifying resemblance to her mother—a woman once called a beauty who could ruin nations.
A bitter smile touched his lips. In that same moment, as if sensing his gaze, Blair looked his way. Their eyes met.
She stared, blinking her large, violet eyes, before her expression shifted with belated recognition. Flustered, she quickly looked away.
After that, she never once looked his way again. She was the one in the wrong, yet her blatant avoidance grated on his nerves. As he kept his eyes fixed on her, Ivan spoke.
“The first dance, of course, belongs to our guest of honor. Let today’s protagonist, Duke Delmark, choose his partner.”
At the Emperor’s words, every eye in the hall turned to Herdin. Even Blair, who had been so carefully avoiding him, glanced up.
Her gaze met his—he had been watching her all along—and she quickly tried to look away again. Seeing this, a smirk twisted Herdin’s lips.
With the entire hall watching, Herdin took a step forward.
He stopped directly in front of Blair.
Unable to avoid him any longer, she raised her head. A torrent of emotions was laid bare in her wide eyes—fear, confusion.
Staring into the eyes he had finally captured, Herdin lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. As he did, he felt her slender hand tremble in his grasp and saw her eyes shake.
Satisfied with her reaction, Herdin’s lips curled. “Would you do me the honor of being my partner for the first dance, Imperial Princess?”
In truth, his partner was all but decided. At a banquet held in his honor, choosing any other noble lady would spark a scandal. But choosing the princess—the highest-ranking unmarried woman in the Empire—would be seen as a simple courtesy to the Emperor who had hosted the event.
She either hadn't considered this or, more likely, had never imagined he would actually choose her.
After staring at him with trembling eyes, Blair gave a small, resigned nod.
“Then… I look forward to it, Duke Delmark.”
Leading her to the center of the hall, Herdin wrapped an arm around her waist. He drew her in, their bodies so close he could hear her breath hitch. He felt Blair hold her breath, and her attempt to keep even that from touching him was utterly laughable.
Soon, the orchestra began to play.
As Herdin took the lead, Blair hesitated for a moment before following his movements with practiced ease.
How many men had she danced with while he was on the battlefield, to move so seamlessly with a partner?
At the thought, the cynical smile on his lips tightened, and so did the arm around her waist.
Startled by the sudden closeness, Blair looked up at him with wide eyes. Without loosening his grip, Herdin looked down at her, his own eyes cold.
“Breathe,” he whispered, a command more than a request.
Yet, despite his words, her breath never touched his neck.
Only her uniquely sweet scent lingered. Long after the dance had ended, long after the music had stopped.