Chapter 45: The Duchess's Paramour
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 45: The Duchess's Paramour
Masking his icy expression, he approached the two of them.
“You said you had plans with a friend, so I wondered where you were heading. I never expected we’d run into each other like this.”
Herdin kept his eyes fixed on Mikhail as he took Blair’s hand.
In truth, she had never mentioned any plans, but upon hearing his words, Blair spotted the art gallery director nearby and quietly allowed him to take her hand.
After all, to the rest of the world, he was her husband.
But in reality, he was nothing to her—merely a fake husband bound by a contract. She had no reason to inform him of her plans or explain herself, no matter who she met or what she did. As a party to that very contract, he knew this better than anyone.
Yes, he knew all of this, and yet…
Why am I so incredibly angry?
* * *
The three of them relocated to a nearby cafe.
“Three coffees, please,” Herdin ordered from the approaching server.
But Blair quickly interjected.
“Please make one of those a black tea instead.”
The server confirmed the change and walked away. Blair then offered an explanation, addressing Herdin.
“I can’t sleep if I drink coffee.”
It was the first he was hearing of this. Herdin let out a self-deprecating laugh.
Everything was a mess. The fact that it had taken nearly three months of marriage for him to learn such a basic detail about her, and the turbulent state of his own emotions.
Leaning back deeply in his chair, Herdin swallowed his rising irritation and stared at the man sitting across from him. The man’s remarkably handsome face was thoroughly displeasing.
Mikhail wore a pleasant, good-natured smile, but Herdin could tell it didn’t reach his eyes.
“First, let’s introduce ourselves.”
Since there was no way the man didn’t know who he was—a war hero and Duke Delmark—it was a clear demand for Mikhail to state his name first.
“My name is Mikhail Kines. It is an honor to meet you, Your Grace.”
Upon hearing the name, Herdin’s eyes turned ice-cold.
So, he isn’t Asiel.
When he had tasked Ruth with investigating men named Asiel, none of them had any plausible connection to Blair. It wasn’t a common name to begin with, and noble families rarely bestowed it upon their children out of respect for the first head of the House of Delmark, Asiel Delmark. While a few commoners bore the name, none had ever crossed paths with Blair.
This had led Herdin to assume that the man might be using an alias—a baseless guess with no evidence to support it. He had briefly wondered if this man might be ‘Asiel,’ but Blair’s detached attitude made it clear he was not her beloved.
“Kines… I’ve never heard of such a family.”
“You likely haven’t, Your Grace. I do not come from a noble house.”
It was a slight that could easily wound a man’s pride, yet Mikhail merely smiled, completely unbothered, as if his commoner status was of no consequence.
While Mikhail remained perfectly composed, Blair quickly interjected, as if to defend him.
“He is the one who will help carry out our contract later.”
Blair only intended to introduce Mikhail as her partner in the upcoming scandal; she had no intention of revealing that he was the master of the Libellus Guild. For one, she figured Mikhail had his reasons for keeping his identity quiet. Secondly, she simply didn’t want Herdin to know.
Once the divorce was finalized, she wanted her whereabouts to remain a complete secret to everyone except Mikhail, who was handling her departure. Not Ivan, not Katrina, and certainly not Herdin.
Hearing that loathsome word—contract—slip from Blair’s lips once again, Herdin’s mouth twisted into a grimace.
“...Contract?”
Just then, the server arrived with their drinks. Blair paused, waiting for the server to retreat before she continued.
“...Our divorce. We agreed that once the contract ends, we will divorce due to my fault.”
“Ah, the divorce.”
Only then did Herdin realize why she had hesitated. She was remembering the warning he had given her a few days ago.
“I fail to see what this man has to do with our contract.”
“He has agreed to act as one of my paramours for the scandal.”
“...A scandal?”
“A scandal exposing that the Duchess has been having affairs with multiple men.”
Herdin let out a dry, incredulous laugh. It was a remarkably audacious plan to have come from his seemingly innocent wife. He had never actually stopped to think about how this contract would end. He simply hadn’t cared enough to wonder.
Why hadn’t he questioned it sooner? There was no way a marriage arranged by the Emperor himself could be dissolved through ordinary means.
So, she intends to shoulder all that dishonor alone just to get divorced.
Did she truly have no regrets about everything she stood to lose? It was a desperately devoted love. Whoever this ‘Asiel’ was, he was certainly a lucky man.
Herdin lifted his coffee cup, his gaze shifting back to Mikhail.
Just as Blair had indicated, she clearly harbored no feelings for him. However, the way Mikhail looked at her was far from how one would look at a mere client. He was certainly better at concealing his emotions than the other fools who constantly hovered around her, desperate for a single word.
And that made him all the more dangerous.
Recognizing a kindred spirit through sheer instinct, Herdin’s lips curled into a cold smirk.
“Ah, I see. Are you an expert in that field? Is that why you are so adept at entertaining noble ladies?”
He was openly treating Mikhail like a common gigolo.
Despite the blatant insult, Mikhail’s expression didn’t waver in the slightest. Having worked as a bartender for years, he was entirely immune to such petty barbs.
Blair, however, was not nearly as thick-skinned. Her delicate brow furrowed in anger.
“Herdin, do not speak to him that way.”
“On the surface, is he not your paramour? I was merely complimenting his dedication to his craft.”
Though her face was tight with displeasure, Herdin ignored her glare and pressed on.
“In any case, this plan of yours strikes me as incredibly foolish. Did our conversation from a few days ago go in one ear and out the other?”
His sharp rebuke brought the warning rushing back to her mind: he didn’t want any third party finding out about their contract marriage. And he had a point. The more accomplices she dragged into this, the more people would hold their secret. As he said, they were committing treason by deceiving the Emperor. It was a highly dangerous affair that demanded the utmost discretion.
Yet, she could see no other way to secure a divorce.
Taking advantage of Blair’s sudden silence, Herdin turned his attention back to Mikhail.
“I assume you’ve been promised a hefty sum, but are you sure you won’t regret this?”
“…”
“She is the Imperial Princess, after all. When a scandal like this breaks, what do you think His Majesty the Emperor will do to you?”
“…”
“I would hate to see an innocent bystander get dragged into our mess.”
On the surface, it sounded like genuine concern, but it was a thinly veiled threat.
Yet, the one who reacted was Blair, not Mikhail.
Her plan was merely to ruin her own reputation with the help of Mikhail and his guild; she had never intended for him to play the part of her lover to the bitter end. That would be far too dangerous. But if he were exposed as her paramour, he would undoubtedly face the public’s wrath—just as Herdin had mocked.
Just because I paid for a service doesn’t mean they deserve to be dragged through the mud.
A sudden wave of guilt washed over her. She began to worry that she really had dragged innocent people into her mess, just as Herdin said.
Sensing her distress, Mikhail offered her a reassuring smile and spoke up.
“I plan to leave the Empire once this work is finished, Your Grace. I appreciate your concern, but there is no need to worry on my account.”
Well, look at him.
A cold sneer touched Herdin’s lips. Mikhail’s blatant attempt to soothe the guilt Herdin had worked so hard to stir up was painfully obvious. Furthermore, the implication that he was planning a future with Blair after the divorce grated on Herdin’s nerves.
“Well, if you are willing to risk your life to help her, I suppose we should be grateful.”
He deliberately emphasized the word ‘life’ to highlight the worst-case scenario. Even if the threat didn’t faze Mikhail, it would be more than enough to rattle Blair.
Right on cue, the faint chiming of a clock tower echoed from the square, marking the hour. Herdin checked his watch and set his cup down.
“It seems I must be going.”
He rose from his seat and addressed Blair.
“You must be busy preparing for the banquet as well, Duchess. Allow me to escort you back to the mansion.”
Though Blair still looked thoroughly displeased, she would have no choice but to follow him. To the public, he was still her husband.
Yet, that reality brought him no satisfaction.
“Safe travels, Your Grace.”
Mikhail rose and bowed politely. It was a respectful gesture, yet entirely devoid of subservience.
Herdin turned on his heel, leaving Mikhail behind. He could hear Blair murmuring something to the man as he walked away. After settling the bill, Herdin stepped outside and lit a cigar, placing it between his lips.
By the time the cigar had burned halfway down, Blair finally emerged from the cafe. Spotting her, Herdin spoke.
“Go ahead and get in the carriage first.”
But Blair made no move. Instead, she stepped closer. Against her pale complexion, her rosy lips were pressed into a stubborn line—the exact expression she wore whenever she was displeased.
“Herdin.”
She managed to utter his name, but the drifting cigar smoke caught in her throat, sending her into a fit of coughing. Still, she refused to back away, stubbornly pressing on.
“He isn’t… the kind of person you think he is.”
Her eyes were fierce as she defended her fake paramour. Even as she coughed until her cheeks flushed crimson, she stood her ground.
He despised this stubborn side of his wife.
In the end, Herdin dropped the half-smoked cigar to the ground and crushed it beneath his heel.