Chapter 82: Let's End the Contract Here
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 82: Let's End the Contract Here
"Sir Ruth, we have arrived."
Ruth, who had been dozing off, jerked awake at the coachman's voice.
Fatigue was etched deeply into his face as he gathered the documents from the seat beside him and stepped down from the carriage.
Greeting him, as always, was Mason.
Mason, who was about to offer his usual greeting, could only manage a wry smile when he saw the dark circles that had hollowed out Ruth's eyes over the past few days.
"Are you alright?"
"...I'd be lying if I said I was, but at least I'm still breathing. Where is His Grace?"
"He is in his bedroom."
It was the expected answer, one Ruth had been hearing repeatedly for the past few days.
Mason guided Ruth to the drawing room and asked, "Would you like your usual tea?"
"Ah, coffee today, please. Make it strong. Oh, and bring some sugar cubes as well."
Having made his request, Ruth entered the drawing room and sank back into the sofa.
He had just finished organizing the documents on the table before him when Mason returned with the coffee.
After downing the sweetened coffee, Ruth finally looked like he could breathe again and turned to Mason.
"By the way, how is Madam doing?"
Since the rumors regarding the Incident From Ten Years Ago had spread, public opinion, both inside and outside the estate, had grown fiercely critical of Blair.
Although she had avoided going out since the kidnapping, the vassals of Delmark had recently come to the mansion and caused a commotion, so Blair couldn't possibly be ignorant of the current atmosphere.
This had been weighing on his mind.
"I am not sure. I haven't seen Madam's face in days," Mason replied with a troubled expression.
That meant Herdin had kept Blair confined to their bedroom for days, not allowing her to set foot outside.
Hearing this, Ruth's eyes narrowed slightly.
'They said it was a contract marriage, but they're quite passionate... Well, I suppose it's for the best under the circumstances.'
If Blair knew about the current atmosphere, it would only cause her distress.
Knowing the situation outside better than anyone, he had been secretly worried for Blair, who was being attacked from all sides.
That was why Ruth had been handling all the work Herdin had dumped on him for days without a single word of complaint.
'Once we catch the mastermind behind the kidnapping and find concrete evidence to reveal the truth of the Incident From Ten Years Ago, the public outcry against her should finally die down.'
So, he wanted to wrap this up as quickly as possible.
It was for Esmeralda, who had been falsely accused and her truth buried for nearly ten years, and for Blair, who was currently taking a beating from public opinion.
It was a bit amusing to him that he, who had once looked upon Blair with disapproval, was now worrying about her.
As Ruth was wryly reflecting on his own change of heart, Herdin entered the drawing room without a sound and sat across from him.
"Ah, you're here."
Herdin barely acknowledged Ruth's greeting as he swept back his slightly disheveled bangs. After taking a drag from his cigar, he immediately picked up the documents on the table.
Beneath his languid, disheveled appearance, a subtle trace of irritation lingered.
"Is this all the urgent paperwork?"
"Yes."
After skimming through the documents, Herdin took the fountain pen Ruth offered and swiftly signed them.
Ruth gathered the pen and documents, broaching the next subject in a casual tone.
"I heard you captured the black mage who was in contact with the kidnappers last night?"
"Yes. My men reported it was too dangerous to keep him at the mansion, so they secured him at the villa on the outskirts."
"Then we should be able to uncover the mastermind soon."
They were already certain that the Grand Empress Dowager was behind the kidnapping, but they lacked the evidence to prove it.
Revealing the mastermind behind the kidnapping could provide circumstantial evidence for the Incident From Ten Years Ago, especially with the rumors already spreading like wildfire.
Ruth had expected Herdin to be pleased by the news, but for some reason, the Duke seemed entirely indifferent.
Though puzzled, Ruth assumed Herdin was simply in a bad mood and moved on.
"And as Your Grace likely already knows, public opinion regarding Madam is not good. Once we secure a solid lead, I think it would be best to settle things with the Imperial Family as quickly as possible."
Hearing this, Herdin's cold eyes sank into a quiet stillness.
"...I know."
Now, there really is no time left.
* * *
Blair woke to the emptiness beside her.
Herdin was gone.
Wondering if he had gone out for a cigar, she glanced toward the balcony, but he wasn't there either. The connecting drawing room was silent, suggesting he'd left the suite entirely.
As she instinctively looked for him, Blair scoffed at herself, realizing how accustomed she had become to his warmth.
For the past few days, Herdin had not left her side for even a moment. He'd completely abandoned his work; they were together not only during meals but even when bathing.
Whether eating or bathing, Herdin's body was always pressed against hers. She would fall asleep from exhaustion only to wake up with him still inside her.
The way he ruthlessly took her made him seem like a starved beast. Yet, at the same time, he seemed desperate.
As if he would die if he were separated from her for even a moment.
But given how empty his absence felt, it seemed she was the one who had ultimately been tamed.
But this, too, was now at an end.
Blair gently caressed her flat lower abdomen.
'Has Asiel been conceived?'
In her past life, Asiel had been conceived on that exact rainy night. Over the past few days, she and Herdin had been together so relentlessly that she was certain it had happened again.
She didn't know what had triggered his desire, but for Blair, who had endured this with the sole determination to meet Asiel, it was for the best.
That was why she had never pushed him away, even when she wept from exhaustion.
'I should start preparing for the divorce soon.'
If she had conceived Asiel, her morning sickness would likely begin around the one-month mark.
Recalling her past life, her morning sickness had been extremely severe. She could barely eat, eventually reaching the point where even water wouldn't stay down.
At first, she could make excuses about indigestion, but it would be difficult to deceive the sharp-witted Herdin for long.
Therefore, she had to settle everything before then.
Divorce required procedures, and it took longer than one might think.
Since she was moving up the end of their contract by nearly half a year, Herdin would also need time to prepare.
Just as Blair finished organizing her thoughts, the bedroom door opened.
Soon, Herdin entered with his usual cold expression. He paused slightly when his eyes met Blair's as she lay in bed, looking in his direction.
"You're awake early."
Approaching the bedside, he pulled the bell cord.
They had only summoned the maids for meals these past few days, so the servants would know to bring breakfast.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Herdin toyed with a strand of her fine hair scattered across the sheets, then slowly moved his hand up to brush his index finger against her cheek.
Blair stared at him, and just as his finger was about to touch her lips, she spoke.
"Aren't you busy?"
At her words, his hand stilled, a cold light flashing in his eyes.
It sounded as if she were trying to push him away.
"Perhaps."
Replying noncommittally, Herdin resumed his caress, his fingers tracing her lips.
At that, Blair pursed her lips, avoiding his touch. Herdin watched her for a moment before leaning down to capture them.
Their lips had just parted, and he was pulling her slender waist closer to deepen the kiss when—
Blair stopped him.
"Herdin."
Instead of answering, he lifted his gaze from her lips to meet her eyes.
Blair spoke the words she had settled on just moments before.
"Let's end our contract here."
Herdin's eyes, fixed on her, froze.
"I've regained my memories, and I've done everything I can to help uncover the truth of the incident."
"..."
"So, I think it would be best for both of us to start preparing now."
Seeing Blair speak of ending their contract in her characteristically calm tone, the corners of Herdin's mouth twisted into a sneer.
Just as he was beginning to understand the depths of his own feelings, she declared their end as if she'd been waiting for this very moment. The irony was laughable.
'I can't let you go, not when I feel like this, yet you speak of leaving me so easily.'
'Just as planned. Just as she's always wanted. As if our transaction is complete and now she's free to go.'
The sight of her innocent eyes, so certain he would keep his promise, was so absurd it almost made him laugh.
Herdin looked down at Blair, his own eyes like ice.
"There is still quite a bit of time left on the contract. I don't understand why you are in such a hurry."
"..."
"Is there a reason you must run away so quickly?"
A subtle tremor rippled through Blair's violet eyes, which had been filled with trust.
It was the look of someone whose faith had been shattered, caught completely off guard.
That sight only twisted the knot of bitterness in his chest.
'You've only been waiting for the day you can leave with another man. All you think about is getting away from me. How am I supposed to hold on to you?'
In his coldly frozen mind, that was the only thought that remained.