Instead of answering, his gaze turned to her.
—I understand that, from your point of view, I may seem suspicious enough to you.
Although he had already said it yesterday, since the conversation ended with his apology, he felt that he had to give him an appropriate response.
—But I will never do anything that could harm you.
I bet everything.
Blair's expression when she said that was quite solemn.
The corner of Herdin's mouth, who was staring at her, curved upward.
—Does that “everything” include yourself?
-Sorry?
—What is there in the world more valuable than yourself?
If you promise something by betting everything, but exclude what is most precious, the oath loses credibility.
Blair looked at him with confused eyes.
Yesterday he clearly said that he would not distrust again, and now he changed his mind in just one day?
But seeing his more relaxed expression than usual, it didn't seem like he was really suspicious or upset.
Still, Blair answered truthfully.
—…Of course I include myself.
And what I said about wanting to maintain a good relationship with you is also sincere.
Herdin giggled when he saw her.
A woman who, without being able to tell everything, asked him to trust her.
It was absurd… but should I give him the benefit of the doubt for now?
Yesterday, after all, it didn't smell like anyone else.
Just as Herdin, with a look of interest, drummed his fingers on his wine glass while watching Blair, there was a knock on the door and Mason entered.
—An invitation has arrived for both of us.
The invitation he held was stamped with the emblem of the imperial house.
It was the invitation to Katrina's birthday party.
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Katrina's birthday party was the first social event they attended as a married couple.
As planned, it should have been the New Year's party, but due to the appearance of the demonic beast, the subsequent celebrations were cancelled.
That's why Lina and Melly put almost missionary care into grooming Blair.
—Lina, what do you think of this style?
—Oh, okay.
The two, who seemed to have grown quite close in that time, exchanged opinions and worked in unison to grace Blair.
Blair watched their silhouettes through the mirror.
Seeing that Melly now shared the tasks that Lina had done alone in her past life made her smile with satisfaction.
That thought calmed her.
"Ma'am, we're done."
—What do you think?
Their work was finally finished.
Blair laughed as she saw his eyes shining with anticipation.
-I like it a lot.
Thanks to both of you.
It wasn't an empty compliment; perhaps because of the joint effort, today's arrangement was especially pleasant to him.
When Blair appeared on the stairs after finishing getting ready, Herdin, who was waiting downstairs, looked up when he sensed her presence.
His eyes paused for a moment as he discovered her, then followed her down the stairs.
If Blair in her wedding dress looked like a snow fairy, today's looked like a flower that bloomed at the wrong time in the middle of winter.
Herdin approached Blair and held out his hand.
She looked at him for a moment and then placed her hand on his.
—Have a good evening, Your Excellency, Madam.
Dismissed by Mason and the servants, they both boarded the carriage.
Shortly, the carriage left.
Blair, absorbed in her thoughts, contemplated the night landscape that slid past the window.
Since these were two years' worth of memories, I couldn't remember every minute detail.
Only important or shocking events remained in his memory.
But no matter how much he searched, he couldn't remember anything in particular.
While going through memories of the past, Blair suddenly remembered what she had told Herdin about the future.
He, since the day he met Miella, had not brought up the topic of the future again.
And also something I'd rather not believe.
In any case, he was glad he didn't have to continue with the story about seeing the future.
It seemed like he had been watching her for a long time.
<…Since when would he be looking at me?>
His blue eyes, immersed in the darkness of the night, contemplated her in silence.
A deep look that was always overwhelming.
Then Herdin leaned over and approached Blair.
The distance between them was shortened in an instant.
Enough to feel each other's breath.
Blair, without realizing it, held her breath.
But Herdin, as he approached, just closed the window behind Blair and walked away.
As if he had read her embarrassment, Herdin looked her straight in the eye and asked:
—What were you thinking?
—…Not at all.
—It doesn't seem like it to me.
He already took me for a pervert the other time.
—That was because you spoke with double meaning...
"Ah, so you admit that you did think something?"
At his snide tone, Blair glared at him and then turned her head sharply toward the window.
No matter how much he talked, he would only succeed in playing along.
Behind him, he heard his quiet laughter.
Since that night, her relationship with him had changed.
Unlike before, they shared at least one meal a day, and from time to time, if Blair showed a weak point, he had fun teasing her.
To be honest, Blair didn't dislike this change.
Although it was someone who had inflicted an indelible wound on him, at this time he had not yet committed any fault.
The fact that he could not justify the resentment and hatred he felt towards him created a dissonance within him.
The more that dissonance grew, the more she hated him for not remembering anything.
Although with his head he knew that the current Herdin was not to blame.
While he was thinking about those thoughts, the carriage stopped.
"The Duke and Duchess of Delmark!"
When they both entered the Empress's palace, the nobles who were already there approached them.
The war hero and the only imperial princess.
Their union could not help but attract all eyes.
While they were exchanging greetings with those present, the hostess of the evening appeared.
—Your Imperial Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress Mother!
Katrina made her entrance escorted by her son Ivan.
In the absence of an Empress, since Blair married, she was the only person who could receive the escort of the ruler of the empire.
It was his way of showing off what he owned, what he had achieved throughout his life.
—The true merit of a party is to enjoy it.
I hope you have fun celebrating my mother's birthday.
With Ivan's speech, the party officially began.
The different noble houses took turns approaching Katrina to offer her their gifts.
The gifts were a way to show families' loyalty to the imperial house, including Katrina and Ivan, and also to reaffirm their prestige.
That is why the nobles competed to offer the most valuable.
A ridiculous show where they put up the money and Katrina took the profit.
Blair feared that Herdin, who cordially detested Katrina, would openly show his animosity, but luckily what worried him so much did not happen.
Just when both of them, after delivering their gift, were chatting with other nobles.
—Mr.
Duke, Madam Duchess.
A middle-aged woman, as bejeweled and dressed as luxurious as Katrina's, stood before them.
She was the Countess of Margrid, Katrina's lady-in-waiting.
—Her Majesty the Empress Mother claims them.
Blair froze.
Katrina already intimidated him, but today he disliked the idea even more.
Every time they had met right before and after the wedding, they had clashed.
—Herdin.
Blair lightly grabbed his arm.
He leaned towards her a little, putting his ear closer.
Surprised by this unexpected deference, Blair hesitated for a moment before whispering:
—You don't have to pay attention to the excessive demands of my mother and my brother.
You just have to avoid creating reasons for your inadequacy as a husband.
He said this remembering the meal after the wedding, when Ivan and Katrina subtly hinted to Herdin to go to war.
"I don't want her to suffer any loss for marrying me."
-Don't worry.
I don't make deals where I lose.
Seeing his calm response, Blair calmed down.
As he said, he was not someone who would get carried away by the nonsense of those two.
When they approached, Katrina was with her trusted man, the Marquis de Balten.
He was her closest ally, who had supported her despite being an unconnected commoner.
Blair paid his respects to Katrina.
—He called me, mother.
—It's so hard to see your face, Blair.
If you come, you should have seen me first.
You don't know how sorry I was after saying goodbye like that on New Year's.
Although she couldn't forget how they had separated last time, Katrina shamelessly feigned a look of regret.
It was a familiar sight to Blair.
A mother who, regardless of what she felt inside, never lost her elegance and dignity in public.
—…There were many guests, I was afraid to disturb.
—No matter how busy I am, I must see you.
Aren't we family?
Now the duke is my family too.
It was a way of including Herdin in the family and, at the same time, reproaching him for not having come to see her, who was part of the family.
The Marquis of Balten intervened in his defense.
—I don't have daughters, so I don't know about these things, but they say that during the honeymoon, the less you visit the in-laws, the better sign it is.
-TRUE.
If they get along, that's the most important thing.
But a mother always worries when the daughter she held in her lap leaves.
Blair listened distractedly to the conversation between Katrina and the Marquis de Balten while she searched her memory.
As much as he thought, in his past life that day nothing special had happened with Katrina.
While Blair was thinking that, she saw a group of young ladies approaching.
His target had to be her.
Katrina, quicker than anyone to notice, took Blair's hand and said:
"Go with them, Blair."
Blair nodded goodbye to the Marquis de Balten and approached the girls.
Herdin, naturally, followed her.
Then, behind him, Katrina's voice rang out.
—No matter how beautiful his wife is, a husband must know how to withdraw from women's conversations, Duke.
Herdin stopped dead.
She said it in a roundabout way, but the message was that she wanted to discuss something with him.
Katrina's loved ones approached.
—It is commendable that both have decided to leave the quarrels of the past behind and become a family.
—That's what I say.
It will not have been easy for both of them, no, for His Majesty the Emperor and the Lady Duchess either.
At her words, one corner of Herdin's mouth twitched.
He thought he understood now why Katrina had kept him by her side.
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When the surrounding nobles had retired, Herdin handed Katrina a glass of wine and began:
—Am I afraid of you, Your Majesty?
Katrina, who was drinking the wine he had offered her, laughed as if she had heard something funny.
-Fear?
I?
From you?
As he looked at Katrina, he saw his wife's face.
Blair looked like him.
At least in that beautiful face worthy of being called capable of overthrowing kingdoms.
The moment he realized it, the woman in front of him seemed even more repulsive.
"You act like you're brainwashing me, like someone who's afraid I'll find out the truth." That I am the nephew of a criminal, and you are the person who has forgiven me and welcomed me as family.
That that is the truth.
It was quite comical to see how he struggled to break him.
His mother-in-law seemed to still see him as the fifteen-year-old boy.
Herdin put his empty glass on the table and added:
—But when intentions are too transparent, they usually have the opposite effect.
The smile had faded from Katrina's face as she looked at him.
—What you know is the truth.
And that will never change.
Katrina's voice was filled with absolute certainty, but Herdin, as if he had no intention of playing along, bowed his head politely and turned away.
He retired to a quiet corner of the ballroom, soothed his dry throat with wine, and looked around the room.
His eyes, already accustomed to Blair's figure, quickly located her in the crowd.
Blair was talking to a woman at one end of the room.
Both of them had quite serious expressions, as if they were talking about something important.
But what got on her nerves the most were the guys hanging around Blair and looking askance at her.
Vultures that, as soon as she showed a loophole, would pounce to speak to her or touch her hand.
Just imagining what was going through those heads made his blood run cold.
At the wedding he hadn't realized because Blair was always by his side.
No matter how obsessed they were with that idea, they would not have dared approach a newlywed with the groom standing at her side.
But remembering the victory party, there were always guys like that around Blair.
Only she didn't realize it.
At that moment, someone put a hand on Herdin's shoulder, who had downed the rest of the wine as if it were whiskey.
—Is it that good?
He was Johannes Felic, the second son of the Marquis Felic.
For Herdin, he was one of those few eccentric guys who didn't fear him and approached him without hesitation.
Although, apparently, Johan was proclaiming that they were friends.
Herdin, without even looking at Johan, who had suddenly appeared with an outburst, asked:
—The what?
—Your wife.
Already at the victory party, you couldn't take your eyes off him even if you said no.
-Crap.
The answer came out smoothly.
Without an iota of hesitation.
…To be continued