In the dining room you could only hear the clinking of their cutlery.
In the silence to which she had become accustomed, Blair remembered the conversation she had had with Agnes a few days ago.
After the session, when Blair asked when they could try hypnosis, Agnes had put on a troubled expression and said:
When we began the sessions, His Excellency gave that order.>Blair thought that Herdin wanted to witness the hypnosis process, like before.
Since Agnes seemed unwilling to move without Herdin's consent, Blair had meekly retreated.
But after seeing Katrina yesterday, he had become impatient.
Not only because of the contract with Herdin.
I was curious.
Which was the truth that Katrina feared so much.
—Herdin.
Herdin, instead of answering, looked up at her.
—I have been told that I need your consent to practice hypnosis.
Can you give it to me?
Herdin's gaze, who had been listening to her words silently, paused.
Blair continued:
—As they say that I have improved a lot with the sessions, if we try hypnosis again...
—It is not allowed.
Herdin responded firmly before Blair finished her sentence.
Blair's gaze, full of surprise, rested on him.
It was a silent question that asked for an explanation.
—I heard that you have decided to have a ball soon.
It would be a problem if she gets sick again like last time.
Blair then remembered the dance program, which she had completely forgotten, distracted by yesterday's visit to Katrina.
It must have been Mason who had told Herdin.
—There is no need to rush, assuming the risk that other plans will be affected.
"So, will you let me do it after the dance?"
—Who knows.
Herdin responded indifferently, raised the glass of water and moistened his throat.
At his ambiguous response, Blair's fine brow furrowed slightly.
At the same time, her small lips pursed in discontent.
It seemed like an involuntary gesture.
Herdin, who was observing this image through the glass cup, smiled slightly, but it was hidden by the glass.
He put down the glass and added, a second late:
—We'll see.
Blair seemed unhappy with his answer, but gave up the idea of further persuading him and continued eating.
When they finished eating and got up from the table, Herdin opened his mouth:
—Ah, today Ruth will help you with the preparations for the dance.
At the unexpectedness of his words, Blair's eyes blinked.
—
Ruth's face, as he headed towards the living room where Blair was waiting for him, was gloomy.
His attitude was that of a child who is going to do a task he doesn't want to do.
Ruth heaved a deep sigh and remembered the conversation she had had with Herdin a moment ago.
It seems that his body is not like before.> Is it very serious?> …As?Huh?!>
Ruth, who did not immediately understand Herdin's words and blinked, understood them a second later and was stunned.
He felt uncomfortable around Blair.
Of course, Blair, whom he had observed for the past few months in Herdin's shadow, did not seem to be of the same type as the members of the Imperial Family.
Even so, he was still someone he had to keep an eye on because he was from the royal family.
I hated that feeling of dissonance.
The more he realized that Blair was different from the members of the Imperial Family, the less he wanted to get close to her.
In front of her, he smiled an appropriate social smile and treated her with the necessary courtesy so as not to be rude, but at the end of the day, she was his lady, and he only treated her accordingly.
But you've lived here a long time.In this mansion.>
The one who had brought this boy who earned his living by stealing in the alleys and raised him in the ducal mansion was Eloise, Herdin's mother.
Ruth had lived in this ducal mansion thanks to his favor.
Until Herdin returned from the war, he became his assistant, and was granted a noble title, becoming independent.
Perhaps even more than Herdin, and probably after Mason, Ruth knew the inside of this mansion best.
Herdin planned to go out to the outskirts of the capital today to hunt magical monsters.
Because, with the arrival of spring and good weather, they had reported that the magical monsters that had hibernated were awakening.
Thus, Herdin had given Ruth an uncomfortable task and left.
—Haa…
Ruth, who had inadvertently arrived in front of the living room, heaved a long sigh.
And then, when I was going to reach for the doorknob.
—Knight Ruth.
—Ah!
Blair was also surprised by his thunderous reaction.
-I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to scare you.
Ruth worried that Blair had heard his sigh, that she had realized he was uncomfortable with her, but only surprise remained on Blair's face.
Luckily, it seemed like he hadn't heard it.
—Oh, no.
It's just that I was distracted and didn't hear you arrive.
Ruth, who was going to enter the living room without thinking, stopped when she realized that it was not necessary.
"Would you like to take a look at the ballroom first?"
They both began to tour the mansion together.
Starting with the ballroom, then the guest lounges and even the balconies.
Contrary to what Ruth feared, that the conversation would be awkward, once they started talking about the dance, the conversation flowed naturally.
She was preparing the dance with much more skill and attention to detail than Ruth expected.
Ruth, secretly admiring Blair's way of working, followed her.
In the gallery were several paintings, from portraits of the Delmarck dukes of past generations to paintings of the former ducal couple and Herdin.
When a dance was held, this gallery was also opened.
Because, although for those attending the dance could be just a day of fun, for the host it was also a day to make his family known.
Even though there weren't many takers, it was an important place for the host family.
Upon entering the gallery, the first thing you saw was a huge tapestry embroidered with the wings of the divine beast.
Blair knew the origin of that shield.
…To be continued