Chapter 27: A Warm Night
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 27: A Warm Night
"Mmm..."
Hugging her pillow in her sleep, Blair felt something strange and her eyes snapped open.
What she had thought was a pillow was actually Herdin.
The man who had become her husband in both her past life and this one.
He was lying beside her, fast asleep. Just like in her past life, when he had pretended to love her.
The warmth radiating from him was cozy—so warm it made her want to drift back to sleep just like this.
And that was precisely why she hated it.
She was afraid she would grow accustomed to this warmth once again.
Afraid she would mistake this warmth for love.
Blair sat up to get out of bed. At that moment, the fireplace caught her eye.
Bright red flames crackled, devouring the firewood.
Seeing it, Blair gasped involuntarily.
Fire.
The disaster that had burned her happiest days to ash.
A wave of terror washed over her, a chilling fear that those flames would consume everything she had once again. Her breathing grew shallow, and her vision began to blur.
Just then, a large hand covered her eyes and gently guided her back down.
By the time Blair managed to pull herself together, Herdin's face was right in front of her.
"Are you afraid?"
Normally, she would have been. She was absolutely terrified of fire.
Yet, her racing heart gradually began to calm. Her breathing returned to normal.
All because he was by her side.
It was strange.
Having checked on her condition, Herdin closed his eyes and spoke in a low, raspy voice.
"Go back to sleep."
Blair hesitated for a moment and tried to pull away, but the arm wrapped around her waist was firm, showing no intention of letting her go.
When she remained stiff, Herdin opened his eyes and said, "I will invoke the consummation clause from our contract today."
Blair flinched at his words.
She had thought he might demand consummation eventually, but she never expected it to be today. They had only just argued and reconciled, and she had only recently regained consciousness.
Still, she had no intention of refusing. If she was to demand consummation from him when the time came to conceive Asiel, she had to accept his demands without protest.
"Then... I'll go wash up first. I went out and haven't washed yet..."
At that, Herdin's eyes, which had been gauging her reaction, turned cold. He let out a dumbfounded chuckle.
"You must think I'm some kind of brute who would satisfy his lust on a patient."
"...I didn't think that. This is part of our contract, so I must keep my promise—"
"Stop."
That damn contract again.
At the word "contract," which slipped so habitually from her mouth, Herdin's brow furrowed for an instant before he smoothed his expression.
After all, he was the one who had brought up the clause first.
"I meant, literally, that we will just sleep together."
Why on earth...?
Unable to fathom his intentions, Blair cast him a silent, questioning look.
Herdin sighed and elaborated. "You can't sleep alone with the fireplace lit."
Blair blinked slowly, staring at him.
It was strange. Simply sleeping together brought him no benefit whatsoever.
Which meant this was solely for her sake.
"I won't do anything, so just sleep."
As if to prove his sincerity, he pulled the blanket that had slipped off her body back over her shoulders, released his hold, and lay down a short distance away.
Though they were close enough to touch with the slightest movement, he truly seemed intent on just sleeping.
Blair stared blankly at Herdin's profile as he lay with his eyes closed.
The air in the room, warmed by the fireplace, was cozy; the blanket covering her was snug; and the warmth of the person beside her, felt even without touching, brought a sense of security.
Even so, I still resent you.
But today was so difficult. I'm exhausted. So...
Just for today, maybe this is fine.
Blinking slowly as she watched him, Blair soon succumbed to sleep.
It was a warm night, the first in a very long time.
* * *
The next morning, when Blair woke up, Herdin had already left.
The fireplace was out, but a lingering warmth remained in the room. It seemed he had been tending to it until just moments ago.
Blair pulled the bell cord, and after a short wait, Lina entered carrying a silver basin filled with water for washing.
The moment Lina saw Blair, her eyes welled with tears. Her face clearly showed how much she had worried the previous night.
"Why would you do that? You're so terrified of fire... If you wanted to light the fireplace, you should have called me."
"I'm sorry. I made you worry."
Blair didn't explain what had possessed her to light the fireplace herself. Badmouthing Herdin would only expose her own vulnerabilities, and besides, the matter had already been resolved.
After comforting Lina, Blair asked, "Where is Pippi?"
Unless something came up, Blair usually fed the baby sable herself. It wasn't out of a sense of duty, but because she genuinely enjoyed watching the tiny creature, who resembled Asiel, grow.
"Oh, Meli went to give him some milk a moment ago."
Hearing Lina's reply, Blair asked with a slightly surprised expression, "Have you forgiven Meli?"
"...Should I not have?" Lina looked ready to cast Meli out immediately if Blair gave the word.
Blair smiled and shook her head. "No, don't do that. As long as you're fine with it, so am I. I want you to get along well with the others."
"But she wronged you too, Madam."
Blair took Lina's hand and continued in a gentle voice, "Lina, everyone makes mistakes."
"..."
"Of course, some mistakes can never be forgiven, but there are also things that can be set right, even if it's late."
"..."
"If a person were defined entirely by a single mistake, they would give up after just one error, even if they had the potential to become better."
"..."
"It's true that Meli did wrong, but I don't think it was an irreversible mistake. And above all, she is reflecting on it."
Last night, on the way back to the servants' quarters, Meli had apologized to Lina. Recalling that moment, Lina nodded slowly, agreeing with Blair.
Blair smiled warmly and asked, "So, why don't we give her a chance to make things right?"
"Sigh, our Madam is too kind for her own good," Lina grumbled, but a faint smile touched her lips. "Still... just as you said, Madam, she doesn't seem like a bad person. She was the first one to find you when you collapsed yesterday and take action."
"Really? I'll have to thank Meli, then."
She felt a quiet sense of pride that her actions, so different from her past life, were bringing about a different kind of change.
Blair washed her face with the rosewater Lina had prepared, listening to the minor gossip of the mansion.
Just as she finished and wiped her face with a towel, Lina let out a small gasp as if she had just remembered something.
"Oh, right! His Grace asked me to tell you when you woke up. He wants to have the meal you missed yesterday together."
"...He does?"
That meant Herdin hadn't eaten yet.
After a light skincare routine and a change of clothes, Blair went straight down to the dining room. Upon seeing her, Mason bowed in greeting and immediately opened the door.
In the dining room sat Herdin, dressed in his usual shirt and vest.
"Did you sleep well?"
Though his attire was impeccably neat, the languid way he tilted his wine glass gave him the air of a high-society rake. Even with polite manners and sharp clothing, there was a dangerous, innate nature to him that could not be hidden—an aura that captivated you all the more because you knew how perilous it was.
It was an impression that hadn't changed much since she first met him as a child.
Blair was struck by this truth anew as she sat down beside him.
"Yes, thanks to you."
Once Blair was seated, the food began to be served. Only the clinking of cutlery echoed in the dining room.
Herdin was not one to initiate conversation, so the silence was familiar to Blair. The only difference was that, after last night, it no longer felt uncomfortable.
Cutting her steak into small pieces and chewing carefully while gauging Herdin's mood, Blair cautiously broke the silence.
"Herdin. About what we discussed yesterday."
His gaze turned toward her in place of an answer.
"I understand that from your perspective, I could easily seem suspicious."
Though they had already talked about it, his apology had ended the conversation. She felt she ought to offer a proper response.
"But I will never do anything to harm you. I swear it on everything I have."
Her expression was utterly solemn as she spoke. Watching her intently, the corner of Herdin's mouth quirked upward.
"Does that 'everything' include you?"
"Pardon?"
"What in the world is more precious than oneself? If you promise to stake everything but leave out the most valuable part, your oath lacks credibility."
Blair stared at him, confused.
He had clearly said yesterday that he wouldn't doubt her anymore, yet he was changing his tune after just one day. However, his expression was more relaxed than usual; he didn't seem to be genuinely suspicious or in a bad mood.
Even so, Blair answered with utmost sincerity.
"...Of course it includes me. And I am sincere when I say I want to maintain a good relationship with you."
Herdin let out a soft chuckle as he looked at her.
A woman who couldn't tell him everything, yet asked him to trust her.
It was absurd, but... perhaps he would trust her for now. Besides, he hadn't detected the scent of another bastard on her yesterday.
Just as Herdin was tapping his wine glass, looking at Blair with intrigued eyes, a knock sounded at the door and Mason entered.
"An invitation has arrived for you both."
The invitation he presented was stamped with the imperial crest. It was an invitation to Katrina's Birthday Banquet.