Chapter 48: Lend Me Your Husband
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 48: Lend Me Your Husband
Blair didn’t miss her chance. Slipping from his embrace, she headed for the greenhouse without a single glance back.
She had a feeling that if she looked back, if she met his eyes, she would be devoured by him right then and there. Thump, thump. Her heart hammered against her ribs.
Fortunately, he didn't follow. Realizing this, Blair gradually slowed her pace.
Once she was completely alone, she gently touched the back of her neck where his lips had brushed against her skin.
…It’s hot.
For some reason, the spot his lips had touched still burned.
With a bewildered look in her eyes, Blair kept touching the spot until the sensation finally faded.
* * *
Time flew by, and soon, the day of the banquet arrived.
After the maids left to make the final preparations, Blair, now alone in her bedroom, checked the back of her neck in the mirror.
Fortunately, the mark Herdin had left was barely visible.
Blair hadn't discovered it until the morning after the painter's visit, right as she was getting dressed.
“Madam, wouldn’t it be best to wear your hair down today?” Meli had asked hesitantly while brushing Blair’s hair.
When Blair, oblivious to the mark, asked why, the maid had simply blushed and mumbled an evasive answer.
Only then did Blair realize Herdin had left a mark on the back of her neck.
At least it faded before the banquet.
Relieved, she looked out the window. Darkness was falling, and the time for the banquet was drawing near.
Just as Blair stood up from her vanity to do a final check, Lina's voice reached her.
“Madam, the preparations are complete.”
Blair immediately left her bedroom.
Standing at the top of the stairs, she saw the servants gathered in the first-floor lobby. Pinned to their chests were silver brooches shaped like the wings of the Divine Beast—the symbol of Delmark.
It was an item Blair had custom-ordered specifically for the banquet.
She’d commissioned them to show everyone attending the banquet that they were all Delmark, and to instill a strong sense of belonging within the servants themselves.
Blair looked down at the sight with satisfaction and asked herself:
Is it perfect?
It was a question she had asked herself countless times in her past life.
And an answer she had heard endlessly from the lips of others.
But now, she didn't need anyone else's approval.
It was already perfect in her eyes. It was already enough to satisfy her own heart.
And that was all that mattered.
Blair walked down the stairs and stood before them.
“You have all worked so hard to prepare for this.”
She looked at each of the servants lined up before her. Among them, some might still view her with disapproval, while others might have been won over and now held goodwill toward her.
And she, too, was merely the lady of the house with an expiration date.
But today, putting all of that aside, everyone here was Delmark.
Blair smiled warmly at them.
“Now, let us begin welcoming our guests.”
* * *
The banquet was a success.
“I was secretly worried since the mansion had been without a lady for so long, but seeing it for myself, I don’t get that feeling at all.”
“I can see how much care you put into this, Duchess. Your hard work truly shows.”
Every noble Blair spoke with showered her with praise for the banquet she had prepared and for the Delmark Ducal Mansion itself.
Most of them belonged to families of the Imperial faction. The Delmark vassals, just as in her past life, smiled to her face but clearly disapproved of her behind her back. However, none of that mattered to her anymore.
Because Blair herself felt proud and confident.
“Indeed, even in this single glass of wine, I can feel your careful consideration, Duchess. It really doesn't feel like the very first banquet you've hosted.”
Listening to the noblewoman who heaped praise with every sip, Blair answered inwardly:
Of course. Because it isn't my first.
But keeping the secret she could tell no one buried deep inside, Blair simply offered them a graceful smile.
Just as she had lived her life as an Imperial Princess—always elegant and dignified.
After the noblewomen she had been chatting with departed, the space around Blair grew quiet for a moment.
Pretending to sip her wine, she slipped away to a quiet corner of the banquet hall.
Having lived a life of attending all sorts of state events, dealing with people was familiar to her, but that familiarity didn't make it any less exhausting.
As Blair scanned the lively banquet hall, her eyes landed on her husband.
He stood out, even in the vast crowd. It wasn't just because of their matching outfits.
His towering height and a face worthy of the title "the empire's greatest beauty" certainly played a part, but it was his distinct aura that truly set him apart.
His presence naturally dominated his surroundings without him having to do a thing.
He was the picture of a mature man, a world away from the precarious, fragile boy he’d been during their childhood.
In the past, Blair had fallen in love with him at first sight when he returned as an adult for the victory banquet. Though she had ignored her feelings back then, crushed by guilt.
And now, even in this second life, her heart still fluttered whenever she looked at him. It was miserable.
As if trying to ignore that reality, Blair averted her gaze. Just then, a familiar face approached her.
“It's been a while, Blair.”
Rachel Seldon.
She was the daughter of the marquis, her late imperial father's younger brother, making her Blair's cousin.
The moment Blair saw her face, she suddenly remembered.
She remembered what had happened at this very banquet, on this very day, in her past life.
Faced with Rachel, who had made an absurd demand with utter confidence, the Blair of that time had been unable to say a single word.
To Blair, Rachel had been as absolute a presence as Katrina.
While Blair was away recuperating, weakened by the Empress's Palace Fire Incident, Rachel had seized influence among the noble children of their age.
When Blair recovered and returned to the social circle years later, she had almost no friends left.
As if handing out charity, Rachel had let Blair join her group and made her dependent. Blair had no choice but to cling to Rachel. That relationship hardened into a habit, persisting even after they grew into adulthood.
Although she hadn't complied with Rachel's ridiculous demand back then, her inability to snap back at her had left Blair with a terrible sense of self-loathing.
Blair gripped her wine glass tightly and looked at Rachel, her eyes shining with a cold light.
“Indeed. It really has been a while. Why didn't you come to my wedding? I was so looking forward to your congratulations.”
At Blair's question, Rachel's expression contorted.
In truth, Blair knew exactly why she hadn't attended.
Since childhood, many young noble ladies had admired Herdin, even as they shunned him due to the grim tragedies surrounding Delmark.
After Herdin returned as a war hero, they all openly harbored unrequited love for him. Rachel was one of them.
Rachel was likely sick with jealousy that Blair—whom she had always looked down upon—had married the man she herself could not have.
Forcing her expression to smooth over, Rachel replied, “I really wanted to go, but I was feeling so unwell. The cold going around this time is quite nasty. Belated congratulations on your wedding.”
“Thank you.”
Rachel took a wine glass from a table and stood beside Blair. As she sipped her wine and scanned the hall, her gaze locked onto Herdin.
The man, radiating his unique aura even among the crowd, was still incredibly attractive, even now that he was married.
No, rather… because he now belonged to someone else, he was all the more desirable.
Without taking her eyes off Herdin over the rim of her glass, Rachel asked Blair, “Does the Duke treat you well?”
“Yes.”
“That's a relief. Still, don't trust him too much. He is, after all, the nephew of the woman who tried to kill you.”
Rachel feigned concern, deliberately poking at Blair’s most vulnerable point. But contrary to her expectation, Blair merely sipped her wine with a calm expression, looking unhurt.
Blair’s indifference was uncharacteristic, but Rachel was certain she wouldn’t dare defy her. After all, hadn’t she spent years playing the role of a friend for this very reason?
“Well, still, with a face and body like that, it must be a pleasure to look at him every day. Especially when there are plenty of women who end up as second wives to old men. Don't you think? I'd have no regrets in life if I could just have one fling with a man like him.”
“…”
“Which brings me to my point, Blair.”
Studying her expression, Rachel broached the subject in an insinuating tone.
“Could you lend me your husband for just one night? I’ll take care of the rest.”
Rachel made the request in a casual tone, as if asking to borrow a toy. Just like when she used to snatch Blair's accessories when they were young.
I don't really need your permission, but I'm telling you beforehand because it's you…
She whispered the words as if they were deceptively sweet.
Even before hearing Blair's answer, Rachel was already planning her next steps.
Of course, before his marriage, Herdin had never let her get close no matter how hard she tried, but now that he had taken Blair as his wife, things would be different.
Since he harbored resentment toward the Grand Empress Dowager's family, he would surely choose another woman over Blair, if only to rebel against them.
Blair set her empty wine glass down on the table and looked at Rachel with cold eyes.
“How vulgar, Rachel.”
“……What?”
“In case you've forgotten, let me remind you—that man is my husband. And he is not some object to be lent out.”
Rachel's face stiffened at Blair's unexpected reaction. His refusal was a development she had never anticipated.
Because Blair Sonnet von Ardel could never defy her.
Because that had always been a matter of course.
Rachel let out a scoff of disbelief.
“So? You're telling me not to touch him because he's your husband?”
“Yes. That is exactly what I’m saying.”
Since long ago—though you wouldn't remember.