Chapter 63: Uninvited Guest
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 63: Uninvited Guest
Blair tried to suppress the sudden longing that welled up inside her and began reading the storybook. It was painful at first, her thoughts constantly drifting to Asiel, but her heart gradually settled. Perhaps her body had mistaken the small warmth in her arms for his.
Cherishing the sense of peace, Blair did her best to read the story as expressively as she could. Fortunately, the child in her lap was captivated, focusing intently on the tale.
The quiet was shattered the moment a prince appeared in the story.
"I want to read a book, too."
A boy who looked to be five or six years old approached, holding a storybook of his own. A girl of a similar age came running up behind him.
"Hey! That's my book! Give it back!"
"No, it's not! It's mine!"
"You left yours over there!"
The girl grabbed the book and pulled. The boy held on tight, refusing to back down.
"Excuse me, children?"
Seeing the two bickering, Blair stopped reading, flustered. The child in her arms knitted her tiny brow and shouted in a slurred, babyish voice, "Be quiet!"
But the older siblings had no intention of stopping their tug-of-war.
Unable to watch any longer, Blair set the child down on the chair, stood up, and approached them.
"Children, if you pull like that, the book will tear. I'll read it to you, so let's—"
The moment Blair reached for the book, the girl let go. The sharp edge of a page sliced across Blair's hand.
"Ah."
"Oh."
Seeing the blood welling up on Blair's finger, the two children froze. The color drained from their faces.
"Madam?"
Meli, who happened to be walking by, saw the scene and rushed over in a panic.
"Oh my, your hand…! Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. It's nothing serious, so please don't make a fuss. You'll scare the children."
Blair quickly covered her bleeding finger to soothe the startled children, but her efforts were in vain. Seeing the blood, the little one in the chair burst into tears.
"Hurt!"
"Hurt? Who's hurt?"
Drawn by the commotion, Miella approached. It seemed Blair's plan to keep things quiet had already failed.
The boy pointed at Blair and said in a small, shrinking voice, "The… the princess is hurt."
"I'm fine. It's just a paper cut."
Blair tried to wave it off, but the children remained visibly shaken with guilt.
Then, as if remembering something, the girl stepped closer to Miella.
"Sister Miella, can't you heal her?"
"Y-Yeah! Help her, big sister."
"Alright. I'll heal the Duchess, but you two have to promise not to fight anymore. Deal?"
The children nodded vigorously.
After making them pinky-promise, Miella sent them on their way and turned to Blair. "To think you took precious time out of your day to visit, only for something so unpleasant to happen."
If her words sounded less than welcoming, Blair chalked it up to her own bias against the woman. Suppressing her emotions, Blair replied, "It's fine. I'm just glad the children weren't hurt."
"I'm glad you feel that way. Well then, Your Grace, may I see the wound?" Miella held out her hand.
Blair placed her hand, which was just beginning to sting, into Miella's palm.
At that exact moment, a memory from her past life flashed before her eyes.
In her past life, on this very day, she had also received treatment from Miella, though for a different reason. It had been in the main building of the Temple, for heels chafed raw by new shoes.
Then came the memory of Miella's hands gently stroking Herdin's abdomen to heal his broken ribs. The recollection made her fingertips tremble.
Instinctively, Blair yanked her hand back.
"...No."
Miella looked at her, bewildered. "Your Grace?"
"On second thought, I don't believe it needs treatment. It would be a waste of your precious divine power, Cleric."
Blair clasped her hands together, hiding them away before Miella could reach for them again. She had an unfounded, gut-level premonition that she must not let this woman heal her.
"If you say so. But if you change your mind, please let me know."
Just as their conversation was ending, a few children came running over, completely out of breath.
"Princess!"
Blair and Miella looked at them in confusion.
"What is it, children?"
"The prince! The prince is here!"
"...The prince?"
"The man who looks like a prince! You said he was the princess's husband."
Following the children's small, pointing hands, Blair saw Herdin walking toward them. Her eyes widened in surprise.
The agreed-upon time was two o'clock.
He was supposed to attend the State Council Meeting at the Imperial Palace this morning and head to the Temple as soon as it concluded. She had planned to meet him at the main building to match his schedule.
Because he had arrived early, he and Miella were now going to cross paths. The unexpected turn of events made her heart race.
"Blair."
Herdin approached with long, swift strides. His gaze lingered on Blair for a moment before shifting to Miella. Recognizing her, his eyes narrowed slightly.
According to Blair, this was the woman he was destined to love. He still found the story utterly absurd, but the thought of Blair laughing and chatting with her just moments ago soured his mood.
Unaware of his thoughts, Miella beamed, her face lighting up with joy. "Hello, Your Grace. We meet again."
"Indeed, we do. What brings you here? I was under the impression that a cleric's duties were quite demanding." Herdin responded politely, but he kept his eyes on Blair to gauge her reaction.
"Ah, it's my day off, so I came to see the children. I happened to run into the Duchess and was helping out since they seemed shorthanded."
"Thank you for doing my part."
"Oh, no. I did it because I wanted to."
Yet, Blair merely watched their exchange in silence, her expression unreadable. It was as if she, not Miella, was the uninvited guest in this conversation.
Though he was speaking to Miella, Herdin's eyes remained fixed on Blair. Finally, he reached out and took her hand. "We must be going. We have matters to attend to."
Before Blair could even say goodbye, she was pulled away by his firm grip.
"Ah…"
Watching them walk away, a flicker of regret and pity crossed Miella's face.
...As expected, he doesn't smile when he's with the Duchess. Poor man. You deserve to be happy. I must save you… from that hellish marriage of convenience.
*
After leaving the orphanage, the couple headed to the Temple's annex.
Most nobles of the Ardel Empire were laid to rest on their own estates. However, because they spent so much of the year in their capital townhouses, visiting family graves on anniversaries was no easy task. To accommodate them, the Temple had built an annex to house the souls of the deceased, known as the Hall of Spirits. For the Temple, it was an excellent way to secure donations; for the nobility, it was a convenient way to keep their departed loved ones close.
The building was heavily guarded by paladins. Though no bodies were buried here, it was a sacred place of rest for the dead, demanding a solemn atmosphere and strict security.
"Please, enter."
After verifying their identities, a paladin escorted them inside. They climbed several flights of stairs before reaching the chamber dedicated to the ancestors of the House of Delmark, its crest emblazoned on the door.
Once the paladin bowed and withdrew, the two stepped inside. Hanging on the wall was a portrait of the late Duke and Duchess.
As she was about to cross the threshold, Blair hesitated.
Is it really alright for me to be here?
In her past life, she had taken it for granted that she should stand by his side. But in this life, doubt crept in first.
I'll be leaving this house soon anyway.
She worried she might be intruding on the private time he deserved to spend with his parents.
Watching Herdin walk ahead, Blair spoke softly. "Herdin."
He turned at the sound of her voice.
"I'll wait outside."
"Why?"
"...I thought you might find my presence uncomfortable."
Herdin stared at her. His fake wife always did this—distancing herself at crucial moments. He despised it.
"There is nothing a husband cannot show his wife."
Striding back to her, Herdin took her hand and pulled her to his side. Blair allowed herself to be led, standing beside him.
Shoulder-to-shoulder before the portrait, their hands clasped, they looked so much like a real couple that a pang of guilt struck her. It felt as if they were deceiving the late Duke and Duchess. Yet, the hand holding hers showed no intention of letting go.
Blair looked up at Herdin's profile.
His expression as he gazed upon the resting place of his parents' souls was chillingly indifferent. He looked less like a grieving son and more like a stranger visiting a random grave.
But Blair knew better.
She remembered the boy who had pretended to be unfazed when others gossiped about his parents' fatal accident, only to slip away from the banquet hall to suffer in solitude. She knew how much pain he must have endured, how numb he must have become, to grow into the man standing beside her today.
Once, she had loved even that loneliness. She had foolishly believed she could fill his void.
But now, she knew that was nothing more than arrogant hope.
"Let us go."
After standing in silence for a moment, they offered a final prayer and left the Hall of Spirits.
It was then, as they walked down the corridor, that Blair spotted someone approaching from the other end. Her eyes widened in surprise.