Chapter 138: A Grace Period
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 138: A Grace Period
"Three bodies were found. However, they were so horribly mutilated… it's difficult to identify them. By any chance, was the cleric who was accompanying Your Holiness there?"
There had been four people at the villa: Gerard and Mikhail in the basement, and two of Gerard's subordinates guarding the building.
The discovery of three bodies meant that not only the subordinates but also Mikhail was dead.
Hearing the news, the corners of Gerard's mouth curled up slightly.
"No. The ones who died there were all servants of evil."
"That's a relief!"
Miella smiled brightly, looking genuinely pleased. Even if the dead were wicked men, her open delight at the news was unsettling.
As Gerard contemplated his next move, Miella spoke again, her voice sly and conspiratorial.
"By the way, the subjugation of the black mages isn't over yet, is it?"
Gerard eyed Miella with suspicion.
It wasn't a black mage subjugation, but his 'work' was indeed far from over. Her reasons for asking were highly suspicious.
Miella smiled sweetly and got straight to the point.
"I think I can help you, Your Holiness."
"With what?"
"I saw someone. Someone with a black magic circle engraved on their body."
As she spoke, her golden eyes gleamed with a chilling light.
* * *
With the onset of late autumn, the wind had grown chilly, but the sunlight was still warm.
After lunch, Blair went for a walk with Pippi. The maids had urged her to rest, considering the undead attack had occurred only yesterday, but Blair ignored their concerns. She stepped out into the garden, even if her heavily pregnant body limited her to sitting on a bench.
Even that seemed to be enough. A warm, gentle smile touched her lips as she watched Pippi scurry around the garden.
Watching from the window, Herdin stared at the smile she so rarely gave him anymore. Suddenly, her words from the day before echoed in his mind.
“When this is over, let's part ways.”
She still loved him.
When he first regained his memories, he couldn't understand why she would want to leave despite her feelings. But the moment he saw her bidding him farewell with such a relieved expression, the truth finally dawned on him.
If she still loves me but wants to leave, just how deeply must I have wounded her?
“I think it's for the best, both for my sake and yours.”
She had claimed she was doing it for his sake.
Only after hearing those words did he truly understand. He realized how paradoxically cruel and self-serving those seemingly selfless words—for your sake—truly were.
They were a convenient, irresponsible excuse that granted the speaker absolution, regardless of the pain inflicted on the other person.
Even now, he wanted to undo it all. He wanted to hold on to her.
But spilled water could not be gathered back. He could only stand there, frozen, like a helpless child staring down at a shattered, empty bowl.
When this is over.
This was the grace period she had granted him.
It wasn't a time to win back her heart, but a time to accept the loss—to empty his own heart before the spilled water.
…He felt suffocated.
"Your Grace."
He brushed a hand over his mouth, a sudden tightness constricting his chest. Just then, a knock sounded, followed by Ruth's voice.
"It is time."
He had a luncheon scheduled with the Lord of Nerha.
Checking the time, Herdin slipped on his jacket and left his office. As he headed for the first floor, he gave Ruth an order.
"Tell Caligo to head to the Elir Plains."
"Sir Caligo? Wouldn't it be faster to send knights from the Imperial Capital? It will take quite some time just to travel from here."
"Magical beasts are common on the plains, so we need someone highly capable. It's best to entrust this to someone we can trust."
He gave a plausible excuse, but the real reason for sending Caligo lay elsewhere. If he questioned or killed Caligo directly, the mastermind might simply change their plans. If that happened, they would lose the trail, which would only put Blair in greater danger.
"And have someone reliable watch him."
For now, his plan was to send Caligo far away from Blair while keeping him under close surveillance to see who he contacted.
Discerning Herdin's true intentions, Ruth nodded with a grim expression.
"…Understood."
Just as he finished speaking and was leaving the villa, Herdin ran into Blair, who was returning from her walk.
While Herdin hesitated, unsure how to react, Blair looked at him quietly and spoke first.
"Take care."
Her face was perfectly calm as she bid him farewell, showing no trace of her past resentment or hatred.
But that very normalcy was what made him so anxious.
How much longer will I get to see this face? How much of the time she granted me is left?
Once again, his chest tightened, feeling as though it were being crushed under a heavy stone.
"Your Grace?"
At Ruth's puzzled voice, Herdin finally snapped out of his daze. Swallowing the emotions rising in his throat, he replied to her farewell.
"…I will be back."
Blair gave a small nod, then passed him and stepped inside the villa.
Herdin stood frozen for a moment, his hand rising to his tight throat. He loosened his cravat and finally headed toward the main mansion.
Upon his arrival, the waiting butler guided him to the dining room.
"A massive black magic circle was discovered in the basement of the villa. It seems highly likely to be connected to the undead that appeared in the square yesterday."
Raymond was receiving a report from a knight when Herdin entered. He dismissed the man and offered a greeting.
"Welcome, Your Grace."
Having overheard their conversation, Herdin narrowed his eyes as a thought struck him. A black magic circle on the outskirts, undead appearing far from their usual territory, and… the way those undead had seemed to target Blair.
"Yesterday was quite chaotic, wasn't it? Still, thanks to Your Grace's assistance, we were able to minimize the damage and handle it swiftly. Thank you."
"I couldn't help but overhear… was a black magic circle found at the villa on the outskirts?"
"Ah, yes. It seems highly likely to be connected to yesterday's undead incident, but we will need to investigate further. By the way, I heard you will be returning soon?"
Raymond seemed momentarily flustered, but he quickly deflected with a vague answer and changed the subject.
Herdin easily saw through his intentions.
As the lord of this land, he wouldn't want to expose his territory's security issues to an outsider. Especially not to a war hero from another nation.
Pressing the issue when the local lord clearly wanted no outside help would only make him look suspicious. If things went poorly, he might even be suspected of orchestrating the incident himself. Herdin decided to play along for now.
"Thanks to your hospitality, I've seen enough of Nerha. I plan to head to Libren to draw up a more concrete proposal."
"Since the Duchess's due date is fast approaching, I imagine you would both feel more comfortable back home among your own people rather than in a strange, unfamiliar place."
Herdin's eyes darkened slightly at the casual mention of Blair, but he let it pass without any outward reaction.
Once the luncheon concluded peacefully, Herdin stepped out of the mansion and gave Ruth a quiet command.
"Look into the villa collapse that happened yesterday. Do it quietly, and get me the details."
* * *
"Pippi, stop. You shouldn't do that. Come here."
Having returned from her walk, Blair tried to stop Pippi, who was playfully knocking over everything in her room. But the mischievous little beast ignored its owner's commands, scurrying around and leaving a trail of clutter in its wake.
Just as Blair let out a defeated sigh—
"Ah…"
—the baby in her womb kicked violently. Startled, Blair reflexively cradled her belly and sat on the bed.
The baby grew stronger by the day, its kicks becoming more forceful. Sometimes, the pain was sharp enough to steal her breath for a moment. Yet, because it was proof that her baby was growing healthy and strong—and that the day they would meet was drawing near—Blair felt nothing but joy.
Exhausted by the relentless kicking, Blair lay back on the bed.
Sensing her distress, Pippi stopped its mischief. Its ears perked up, and it scurried over to the bed. After circling her and sniffing curiously, the little creature curled into a tight ball right next to her belly.
Blair smiled, marveling at how Pippi seemed to sense the baby's presence.
"Pippi, are you waiting for the baby, too?"
Pippi lay still, its dark, bead-like eyes locked on hers, its ears twitching.
"Good. You're going to be a wonderful, reliable friend."
As she stroked Pippi's soft fur with a gentle smile, a sudden thought crossed her mind.
Pippi had been taken in by humans, losing its wild instincts to live in their world. Though it was for the creature's own good, the little beast had never been given a choice.
Similarly, she had decided to separate from Herdin but had not considered the wishes of her unborn child, who would grow up without a father because of her decision.
Is this choice truly for the best? For my child, or for him?
Under the pretext of doing what was best for her child, was she repeating the very mistake he had made?
As a shadow of doubt clouded her eyes, a soft knock at the door broke her train of thought.
"Madam. The cleric is here to see you."
Blair's hand paused on Pippi's fur.
She had heard Miella was the one who had treated her after the undead attack. The cleric was likely here to check on her. Though she felt uncomfortable around the woman, it was only right to thank her for her help.
"Send her in."
The moment Blair gave her permission, the door opened and Miella stepped inside, offering a greeting with her usual pleasant smile.
"Hello, Duchess. How are you feeling?"
"I'm feeling much better, thanks to your prompt treatment. Thank you."
"I'm glad to hear that."
Miella sat across from her, her smile vanishing. She stared at Blair with cold, calculating eyes and cut straight to the point.
"In that case, why don't you leave His Grace's side now?"