Chapter 80: In the End, It Was Love
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 80: In the End, It Was Love
“Of course, I am busy, just as you say, but I will try to make time more often from now on. After all, we are family, are we not?”
Herdin scoffed inwardly at the word “family” slipping from Ivan’s lips.
Come to think of it, the members of the Imperial Family were uniquely obsessed with that word. They seemed to view it as a leash for a disobedient dog.
He was utterly sick of it.
If not for that wretched “family,” his wife wouldn't have had to suffer like this.
It was laughable. They were the very people who had plagued Blair with guilt in the name of “family,” and now they were desperately clinging to her under that same pretense.
Having no way of knowing Herdin’s thoughts, Ivan set down his teacup and asked, “Do you enjoy chess?”
“Come to think of it, I haven’t played since I was a child.”
“Then let us see your skills after all this time.”
Despite Herdin’s clear reluctance, Ivan went ahead and summoned a servant to set up a chessboard.
The true thrill of the game lay in the tension of competing against an equal opponent, and the narrow victory snatched at the very end.
But ever since Casion’s death, Herdin had lacked a worthy adversary, and his interest in chess had long since withered.
“I shall go first.”
As a man who had been Crown Prince and then Emperor his entire life, Ivan could count the number of games he’d lost on one hand.
Defeating him would only rouse his competitive streak, so Herdin intended to throw the match gracefully.
Once Ivan realized Herdin was no match for him, he would never suggest such a tedious game again.
The game proceeded exactly as Herdin intended.
Once a comfortable gap opened up and Ivan secured a moderate lead, the Emperor finally broached the main topic.
“Have you heard the rumors circulating lately, Duke?”
“Are you referring to the rumor that my wife was kidnapped, that Her Majesty the Grand Empress Dowager was behind it, and that it all stems from the incident ten years ago?”
“Indeed. That rumor has been giving me quite a headache lately.”
Ivan picked up a chess piece, contemplating his next move as he continued.
“Even if it is nothing but groundless gossip, I cannot simply stand by and watch the authority of the Imperial Family be dragged through the mud.”
Finding a suitable square, he set the piece down and issued a command in a perfectly casual tone.
“I want you to clear the air.”
“What sort of clarification do you mean?”
“A statement clarifying that Blair’s kidnapping had absolutely nothing to do with my mother.”
Herdin let out a cold, mocking laugh.
“...It seems Your Majesty has no interest in whether my wife was truly kidnapped, or who the actual mastermind was.”
If he were a normal brother—if he possessed even a shred of sibling affection—his first instinct should have been to worry for his sister’s safety.
Instead, he behaved as though the prestige of the Imperial Family and his own reputation were all that mattered.
Though Herdin had expected nothing less, the reality of it still kindled a fresh spark of anger within him.
“She is your wife now, so I am sure you will handle that matter appropriately,” Ivan replied smoothly, completely unfazed by the jab. He then took it a step further.
“While you’re at it, I would appreciate it if you made your stance on the incident from ten years ago clear as well. Now that we are family, isn’t it absurd for that old affair to keep being brought up?”
“……”
“If you clear the air, we won’t have to trouble ourselves with these tiresome rumors anymore, will we?”
Herdin’s lips twisted. To the Emperor, the tragedy of ten years ago was nothing more than a “tiresome” nuisance.
Herdin’s intention to throw the match vanished.
“I believe what we need is proof, not a clarification.”
Replying coldly, Herdin moved his piece. Without a moment’s hesitation, he struck down Ivan’s knight.
It was the very knight that had been dominating the board, sweeping away Herdin’s pieces only moments before.
Ivan froze at the sudden strike.
He had overlooked only a single move, yet a sudden, overwhelming sense of crisis washed over him, as if the entire board had been flipped.
“Because every word of those rumors is true.”
Across the silent chessboard, their eyes locked.
Even as Ivan’s expression hardened into stone, Herdin continued with perfect composure.
“Of course, I understand that Your Majesty may truly have been kept in the dark. It is no easy feat for a son to suspect his own mother.”
“……”
“I shall soon present evidence that even Your Majesty cannot deny. When that time comes, I hope you will hand down a fair and just ruling once more.”
Just then, the faint chime of a clock striking the hour echoed from the distance.
It was time to bring this conversation to a close.
“It appears Your Majesty has won the game. I have other matters to attend to, so I must take my leave. Do I have your permission?”
Herdin expected Ivan to let him go without a fuss.
Contrary to his expectations, however, Ivan’s rigid expression softened, and he brought up an entirely different subject.
“If your claims prove true, then as my mother’s son, I must offer you my deepest apologies. I will, of course, hand down a fitting judgment. To begin with…”
He tapped his finger rhythmically against the chessboard, then paused, as if a suitable verdict had just occurred to him.
“It would be best for you to divorce Blair first.”
At those unexpected words, a subtle crack fractured the bored composure in Herdin’s eyes.
“After all, this marriage was forged out of my own greed. If what you claim is true, then the Imperial Family is the sworn enemy of the House of Delmark. We certainly cannot allow this marriage to continue under such circumstances.”
“……”
“Would the late Empress, resting in her grave, not be deeply grieved to see her beloved nephew wed to the daughter of her enemy?”
Ivan spoke with a veneer of consideration, but the gaze he leveled at Herdin was chillingly sharp.
“Public opinion within Delmark must be terrible anyway. It does not sit well with me to leave her in a place where she is surrounded by those who despise her.”
“……”
“Since the two of you have no children yet, we should be able to settle this cleanly, without any unnecessary noise.”
Herdin scoffed inwardly.
It was laughable hypocrisy. If Ivan had truly cared about how Blair would be received, he never would have proposed this marriage in the first place.
Thus, there was only one reason Ivan was bringing this up now.
“As for my mother’s punishment, we shall discuss that after I have seen this undeniable evidence of yours.”
It was a blatant threat.
In other words: If you do not wish to divorce Blair, sweep this matter under the rug.
“You may go now.”
Herdin rose from his seat and turned on his heel.
A breeze carrying the sweet scent of flowers—the breath of the transition between late spring and early summer—brushed past him. As the heat in his head cooled, cold rationality returned.
Rationally speaking, Ivan was right.
Once Esmeralda was cleared of the false accusations, Blair would undeniably become the daughter of his enemy.
If Ivan demanded a divorce to atone for Katrina’s sins, there would no longer be any justification to maintain this marriage.
Isn’t this exactly what I wanted?
It was an outcome he had foreseen from the moment he agreed to this absurd contract marriage. The end was simply coming a little sooner than agreed upon.
Uncovering the truth of the incident from ten years ago had been his lifelong obsession. It was not something to be compromised for the sake of a mere contract marriage destined to end in a year anyway.
So why am I hesitating?
Why, of all things?
What is that woman to me?
Herdin roughly yanked at his cravat, which suddenly felt as though it were choking him.
The unanswered question lingered bitterly on his tongue.
* * *
The dark clouds that had been gathering since dusk finally broke as the sun set, unleashing a torrential downpour.
“My, it’s suddenly pouring. It feels just like a summer shower.”
Lina, who was brushing Blair’s hair in front of the vanity, remarked as she looked out the window. Blair watched the rain lashing against the glass and agreed.
“It really does.”
“But Madam, is something troubling you today?”
“...Do I look troubled?”
Blair studied her reflection in the mirror. Her expression seemed no different from any other day.
“...I have no reason to be.”
Today was the day she had been desperately waiting for.
“Perhaps it’s just the rain.”
“I suppose so.”
When Blair offered a soft smile, Lina pressed no further.
Having finished brushing her hair, Lina wished her sweet dreams and slipped out of the bedroom. Through the closing door, the grandfather clock chimed ten times, marking the hour.
Herdin had not yet returned. It seemed he would be late tonight, just as he had been in her past life.
Blair curled up on the floor by the door, straining her ears for any sound outside. Then, she gently stroked her still-flat stomach.
Soon, she would meet Asiel.
Though she would have to wait another ten months, simply knowing that her child was growing safely inside her brought an overwhelming sense of peace.
The thought of holding her baby again washed away all the suffering she had endured.
The pain of being abandoned by Katrina, the crushing guilt of the incident ten years ago—all of it faded.
Yet, why couldn't she feel entirely happy?
The answer to that inexplicable question came to her only when she heard footsteps approaching from the other side of the door.
Recognizing the distinct cadence of Herdin’s stride, her heart began to race.
Only then did she understand.
That tonight would be her last night with him.
That once this night was over, she would have to put an end to this suffocating emotion tightening around her heart.
Listening to the rain lashing mercilessly against the window, Blair finally pulled the door open and stood before him.
“...Herdin.”
Herdin, whose steps had been slower than usual, came to a halt when he saw her.
Forced to confront the answer he had tried so hard to ignore, a self-deprecating laugh slipped through his teeth.
Now I know why I cannot let you go.
In the end, it was love.