Chapter 87: The Naive and Sweet Wife
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 87: The Naive and Sweet Wife
"My apologies, but His Grace has issued an order forbidding Madam from leaving the mansion."
Blair and Lina, who had been thrilled about their first outing in a long while, could only blink at the unexpected obstacle.
Lina, recovering a moment later, asked on Blair's behalf.
"Forbidden from leaving? Why?"
"It is a measure to protect Madam, Lina."
"If that's the case, the knights could simply accompany us."
"His Grace has forbidden that as well."
"We never asked for this kind of protection. If she doesn't want it, how is this any different from confinement? Madam is not a criminal."
Despite Lina's impertinent remarks, Mason neither grew angry nor scolded her.
"The members of Delmark simply obey His Grace's commands," he replied coldly, his voice as flat and monotonous as ever. "And you, Lina, are now a member of Delmark as well."
As he spoke, his expression was that of a strict butler who held absolute control over the mansion. He looked no different than usual, yet he suddenly felt like a stranger.
"But I...!"
Blair held Lina back as she was about to argue further. Lina looked at her, her expression full of indignation on Blair's behalf, but Blair just shook her head quietly and backed down.
"I understand. I will speak with him myself."
Blair's lips were pressed into a tight line as she turned and walked back to her room.
* * *
The moment Herdin climbed into the carriage, he roughly yanked his cravat loose. The temperature had been rising for the past few days, and the restrictive cloth felt suffocating.
After loosening it, Herdin spotted a letter on the opposite seat, and his expression hardened.
It was an invitation to the Foundation Festival banquet, which Ivan had personally handed to him only moments before.
“You must attend this Foundation Festival with Blair.”
His subsequent demands were entirely expected.
“On a day when the entire Empire should be celebrating and expressing gratitude to the ancestors who protected this land, we can't allow such unsavory rumors to run rampant, can we?”
“...”
“As you know, my own imperial father presided over that case. The more these rumors spread, the more they feel like an insult to him. It leaves a foul taste in my mouth.”
“...”
“I think it would be best for you to attend the Foundation Festival and put an end to these rumors of discord between us. What do you think, Duke?”
In the end, that was the crux of it.
Refuting the rumors directly would only breed more suspicion. Attending the Foundation Festival banquet was a way to indirectly demonstrate that the rumored discord between the Imperial Family and the House of Delmark was false.
Ivan was finally tugging on the leash he had seized, pulling it to his heart's content. Though the display was intensely irritating, Herdin decided to play along for now.
In any case, Ivan's hold on him was temporary. Once he had a pretext to keep Blair by his side, he could cast off a trivial leash like this whenever he pleased.
Creating that pretext, and clearing Esmeralda's name—those would come next.
To buy that time, he could easily endure a brief period of compliance.
Before long, the carriage arrived at the Delmark Ducal Mansion.
As always, Mason was there to greet Herdin as he stepped down.
"Welcome back, Your Grace."
"Did anything happen out of the ordinary?"
Mason knew that by "anything out of the ordinary," Herdin was referring solely to Blair. He hesitated, unable to answer immediately. Though he had stopped Blair from leaving on his master's command, he too felt Herdin's measures were excessive.
"Madam wished to go out. I informed her that it was forbidden."
Herdin's steps faltered for a fraction of a second as he entered the mansion, but it was only a fleeting pause.
This was a confrontation he had expected.
"Is she in her room?"
"Most likely, Your Grace."
Leaving Mason behind, Herdin headed for Blair's bedroom.
Is she furious?
Dealing with her anger was mentally exhausting. She was so fragile she looked as if she might break at a touch, yet her stubbornness was incredibly unyielding.
He wished, just this once, she would quietly listen to him.
A weary sigh escaped him as he pulled off his leather gloves and stuffed them into his pocket.
Finally arriving at Blair's door, Herdin knocked once before stepping inside. He passed through the drawing room and into the bedroom, where he saw Blair on the balcony, her back to him as she gazed out at the rear garden.
She looked terribly pitiful, a perfect embodiment of her longing to go outside.
Herdin approached from behind and tapped lightly on the glass door. At the sound, Blair turned to face him.
As expected, her beautiful eyes were filled with resentment.
Feigning ignorance was pointless.
Herdin spoke first. "I heard you tried to go out. Where were you planning to go?"
But instead of an answer, she returned his question with a resentful one of her own.
"...Why are you confining me?"
Confinement.
He disliked his actions, meant for her own good, being labeled as such, but he decided not to correct her. From her perspective, it was an understandable conclusion.
"These are merely measures to protect you," Herdin replied casually.
"There are plenty of other ways. You could assign knights to me or forbid me from going to certain dangerous places."
"Because that wouldn't be enough."
If he had his way, he would keep her within his sight, in his arms, all day long. Since that was impossible, this was the next best option he had decided on.
Keeping her in the one place he deemed safest.
However, Blair clearly did not see it that way.
"So, am I just supposed to stay locked in this bedroom all day, go nowhere, and do nothing but wait for you?"
"This is for your protection. Besides, you enjoy sleeping with me. Is that really so terrible?"
There wasn't a trace of mockery in his voice, which only infuriated Blair more. He genuinely believed there was nothing wrong with confining her under the pretext of protection.
His face, which she had thought she’d grown accustomed to, suddenly felt completely foreign. The realization that she had been arrogant to think she knew him well, despite having been his wife across two lifetimes, struck her painfully.
"I am not your mistress. Do not speak to me like that." After a long moment, Blair finally managed to force the words past her trembling lips.
Herdin scoffed. "You were the one who said you wanted that kind of relationship in the first place."
"..."
"Yielding your body to me as I please, regardless of your own will."
She was also the one who, with that same innocent face, had condemned him as a lust-crazed bastard and torn him to shreds. He had only become that kind of man because she wished it, so why was he met with nothing but contempt?
Why did she look like the one who was more wounded?
"...There was no clause about not being allowed to go out. Let me leave."
"And what do you plan to do once you're out?"
"..."
"Get yourself kidnapped again and give them more fuel for their rumors?"
At his sarcastic jab, Blair's expression contorted in pain.
Herdin stared at her, watching as she looked like she might burst into tears at any moment. He let out a sigh and rubbed his forehead.
Making her cry right now would be troublesome. They had so little time to simply hold each other; he didn't want to waste it on an argument. Nor did he want to force himself on her while she was rejecting him.
After a moment's thought, Herdin changed his approach. He moved toward the pitifully trembling Blair and pulled her into his arms.
"No..."
Blair pushed against him, trying to escape his embrace, but Herdin easily subdued her by capturing her hands. She turned her head away to avoid his approaching lips.
Herdin caught her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze, and whispered in a much softer voice.
"A fortnight."
The sudden word made Blair blink in confusion.
As if in answer, Herdin continued, "Once the Foundation Festival passes safely in a fortnight, I will allow you to go out."
If he just gave her a firm deadline, his naive and sweet wife would believe him without question and wait patiently. Then, achieving his goal would be much easier.
Herdin leaned down and pressed his lips against Blair's, who had finally stopped resisting.
Her eyes blinked slowly for a moment before closing in resignation.
* * *
The next day, it was nearly noon when Blair opened her eyes.
Herdin had barely left her side for days, but lately, perhaps unable to postpone his work any longer, he had begun leaving the mansion each morning. Yet, without fail, he would return to hold her all night long. She was once again keenly reminded of his almost inhuman stamina.
A fortnight...
Curled up alone in the bath to soothe her weary body, Blair mulled over the deadline he had given her. She had only pretended to accept his proposal—knowing she couldn't win against his strength—but in truth, she was deeply anxious.
Blair gently caressed her lower abdomen, lost in thought.
What if my morning sickness starts before then?
Deceiving Herdin was one thing, but keeping her secret from Lina and Meli, who were always by her side, would be far more difficult.
After worrying for a moment, Blair sighed and stood up. It was a problem with no clear answer.
When she stepped out of the bath, Meli, who had been waiting outside, came in to dry her off and help her into a gown.
"I've prepared your meal in your room as you requested."
"Thank you."
Leaving the bathroom, the two went straight to the bedroom.
The moment she passed through the drawing room and entered the bedroom, the scent of soup and savory bread hit her. Instantly, her stomach churned violently.
My stomach is churning...
One might have dismissed it as a simple lack of appetite, but having lived through this before, Blair knew exactly what this symptom meant.
This was morning sickness.