Chapter 47: Focus Only on Me
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 47: Focus Only on Me
The person most delighted by his unexpected appearance was not Blair, but Baroness Sionel.
"You have arrived at the perfect time, Your Grace! After all, matching outfits look so much better when worn together. It makes the final check so much easier."
Perhaps thrilled at the prospect of dressing the finest models in her creations, she chattered in her characteristically high-pitched voice.
"Now, girls. Help them change."
Baroness Sionel snapped her fan shut. As if on cue, her assistants moved in perfect unison, guiding Blair and Herdin to the dressing rooms.
Lina and Meli exchanged glances, wearing proud smiles. When Lina's eyes met Mason's, she gave him a big thumbs-up.
After all, Mason deserved much of the credit for repeatedly urging Herdin to come.
Though Mason showed no emotion as usual, his expression seemed to soften ever so slightly.
While Ruth watched the three of them with suspicious eyes, Herdin, having finished changing, emerged first. Shortly after, Blair also stepped out of the dressing room.
Both were dressed in deep navy. The dark tone of the garments strikingly highlighted their fair skin and sharp, elegant features.
It was a color that felt out of place in the bright daylight but would suit a night banquet perfectly.
Watching them, Lina thought, Honestly… they do look good together.
Stripping away status, personality, and everything else, she had to admit that in terms of pure appearance, there was no man in the entire empire more suited to stand beside Blair than him.
And Lina was clearly not the only one who thought so.
Baroness Sionel, in particular, looked deeply moved by her own creations and the models who brought them to life.
"Oh my, the clothes finally come alive now that they're on their rightful owners! Anyone would mistake you two for a pair of newlyweds, passionately in love."
Just as the Baroness was finishing her final checks, positioning the two side-by-side with her usual dramatic flair, a servant knocked and entered.
"The painter who will be taking Your Graces' portrait has arrived."
* * *
After changing into the attire for the portrait, the two headed to the greenhouse in the rear garden.
Inside the greenhouse, two chairs had been placed in the sunniest spot, surrounded by flowers in full, vibrant bloom.
Blair looked at the setup with a wave of complex emotions.
In her past life, Blair had been the one to suggest painting a portrait.
Even though no one in the mansion welcomed her as the Lady of the House, she had desperately wanted to feel like she belonged to Delmark, even if only through a painting.
But in this life, she had no desire to have one painted.
She would be leaving this mansion in a few months anyway.
Someone else would eventually become the Lady of the House. What good would it do to leave behind traces of a Duchess who had only stayed for a mere six months? It would only be awkward for everyone.
Yet, in this life, Mason had been the one to suggest it first.
"Since this is the first banquet hosted by Madam, how about we commission a portrait of the two of you to hang in the hall?"
Blair had declined his suggestion for those very reasons, but just like with the matching outfits, she had reluctantly agreed because Lina and Meli had pleaded so earnestly.
However, there was one thing she had failed to consider…
Why didn't I realize I'd have to be stuck to this man for hours…
Blair stole a glance at Herdin standing beside her.
Ever since their argument at the cafe in front of the art gallery, Blair had been actively avoiding him. It seemed he had no particular desire to see her, either.
Yet here she was, forced to sit side-by-side with him for a portrait.
She couldn't very well send away the painter they had gone to the trouble of hiring, so she had no choice but to endure it.
Following the painter's instructions, Blair sat down next to Herdin.
The painter first adjusted Herdin's posture.
"Your Grace, please place your hand on Madam's shoulder like this… Yes, perfect."
Following the direction, Herdin's hand came to rest on Blair's shoulder. Blair flinched slightly at his touch.
Though it would have been far more comfortable to lean into him, Blair sat with her back rigidly straight, as if trying to keep as much distance from him as possible.
Herdin stared at her quietly, but Blair never once looked back. She was clearly avoiding his gaze.
Watching his wife, Herdin finally shifted his gaze forward. Only then did he feel the subtle shift as her small frame let out a quiet sigh of relief.
The portrait session dragged on for over an hour.
"Would Your Graces care for a short break?"
The moment the painter suggested it, Blair sprang to her feet as if she had been waiting for that exact word. She practically fled from the greenhouse.
Resting his chin lazily on his hand, Herdin watched her retreating figure, a cold glint in his eyes.
* * *
After leaving the greenhouse, Blair parted ways with Lina, who went to fetch some light refreshments, and decided to use the brief intermission to inspect the gardens.
In winter, no one would venture outside, but since this was a spring banquet, guests would undoubtedly stroll through the gardens.
The landscaping is pristine, and the fountains are working perfectly.
Blair felt a sense of satisfaction as she surveyed the grounds, which showed the hard work she, Mason, and the gardeners had put in.
Once her tension eased, her attention shifted to her back, which had been aching for a while.
It was a new dress she had purchased from Baroness Sionel, but perhaps because the ribbons securing the open back were tied too tightly, they kept chafing against her delicate skin.
Blair stepped behind a nearby hedge and looked around. No one was in sight.
She tried to loosen the ribbons on her back and retie them, but being unable to see made it harder than she thought.
"It's not working…"
As Blair struggled with the stubborn ribbons, a familiar voice suddenly sounded from behind her.
"Surely my noble Duchess isn't planning to undress out here in the open."
Startled, Blair spun around to find Herdin leaning casually against a wall, watching her. There was no telling how long he had been standing there.
Just what kind of person does he take me for?
Registering his words a beat late, Blair glared at him and retorted, "…Of course not."
Blair attempted to brush past him and head back toward the greenhouse.
Or rather, she tried to, until his firm arm wrapped around her waist.
A sudden wave of warmth pressed against her back.
"L-Let me go."
Surprised by the sudden physical contact, Blair struggled to break free, but a low voice rumbled from just above her head.
"Stay still."
Though there was no force behind his words, the moment she heard his voice, Blair stopped resisting. It would have been futile anyway.
Herdin released his grip on her waist and reached for the loose ribbons on her back.
His long fingers, befitting his large hands, brushed against the bare skin exposed between the ribbons. Every nerve in Blair's body stood on end.
Biting her lip to hide her reaction, Blair protested in a small voice, "I can do it myself."
"You seemed to be struggling for quite a while for someone who can do it herself."
"…"
He saw everything from the start…
For some reason, her pride was stung. Not wanting to back down, Blair countered, "I can just go back and ask Lina."
"And show yourself like this to other men?"
His voice dropped a register, but Blair was too busy checking her clothes to notice. Because the ribbons had been completely loosened, the front of her dress had slipped slightly, exposing her bare shoulders.
If she went back looking like this while Herdin was right here, it would certainly cause an embarrassing misunderstanding.
Unable to find a retort, Blair fell silent. Over her shoulder, his question drifted down.
"How long do you plan on avoiding me?"
Blair flinched but quickly tried to deny it.
"…I haven't been avoiding you."
"Then what about trying to run away just now?"
"I'm just busy with work."
Finishing the knot, one corner of Herdin's mouth curved upward.
What a terrible lie.
She had started avoiding him the day after she met Mikhail.
He had, admittedly, ignored her when she tried to see him off that morning. Her face, utterly incapable of lying, had betrayed her reluctance—it was clearly an obligation.
But since then, she had begun avoiding him as if she had been waiting for the chance. She made her fury so obvious that there was no way he wouldn't notice.
"It's rather ridiculous for you to act like this over a man who is nothing to you."
If she were simply angry with him, he wouldn't have thought much of it.
But the fact that her anger stemmed from that man, Mikhail, twisted something inside him.
"Do you actually like him?"
"…Does that matter to you?"
"It does."
His hands dropped from the newly tied ribbon as he added, "For now, you are my wife."
"…"
"And I hate sharing what's mine with other bastards. So…"
He wrapped his arm around her waist once more. Before the startled Blair could even think of pulling away, his lips pressed against the nape of her pale neck.
"What are you—!"
Ignoring her struggles, Herdin pressed a harsh kiss to her delicate skin, sucking until a dark red mark bloomed.
Mine.
He was quite pleased with the brand.
"While you are by my side, focus only on me."
With his voice dropping to a cold whisper, his arm finally released her waist. It was less a release and more a dismissal, like a master dropping a leash.