—We cannot allow having the daughter of the enemy as mistress of the house.—And the treatment that her family will receive later, or that her granddaughters should become the mistresses of Delmark, that is no longer her business?
Although Herdin's voice when saying this was extremely dry, his words, biting and straight to the point, were like knives.
—Ahem, if he belittles our loyalty like that...—I don't know about loyalty, but I understand the love for his granddaughters perfectly.
Herdin He stood up from his seat with a face that reflected obvious boredom.
“You can leave now.” Please note that if you show up unannounced like this again, I will leave you waiting at the door.
While the speechless elders barely opened and closed their mouths, Herdin turned and left the room.
At that same moment, he ran into Blair, who was passing by in the hallway.
Herdin's gaze cooled when he saw her.
Since the kidnapping incident, she had become very susceptible to his every move.
“Where is he going?” “Oh, he was going for a walk in the backyard.” “Pippi!” As if to confirm that it wasn't a lie, Ppippi, who was in Blair's arms, squealed.
Melly was also following behind.
Herdin watched Blair's face in case she had heard the conversation with the elders, but, as always, it was difficult to read her emotions in her serene expression.
At that moment, the voices of the elders could be heard approaching from the open door of the hall.
"It couldn't be that His Excellency has fallen in love with the princess, right?" To be honest, it is undeniable that she is beautiful, like her mother.—True.
His mother also deceived His Majesty the Emperor in this way...The elders, who were leaving the room believing that Herdin had already left, were startled when they saw Herdin and Blair and fell silent.—Excuse me, Your Excellency.
They greeted them, looking only at Herdin, and then turned around.
An attitude that completely ignored Blair.
Herdin's gaze towards them turned icy.
Blair, surprised by his sharp words, grabbed his arm to stop him, but Herdin didn't stop.—Or perhaps it's that their neck vertebrae are already so worn out that they can't bend.
Realizing that her words censured their lack of respect by not showing due courtesy to the Duchess, the elders exclaimed as if they felt aggrieved.—Their Your Excellency, are you insulting us, these elders?
To us, who have served you since your grandfather's time!—Just because you are old does not make me your grandson.
At Herdin's biting words, the elders closed their mouths.
Just as he said, although Herdin was the age of his grandchildren, he was their lord.—Show respect to the duchess.
Unless you want to offend me.—…—Oh, and of course, also apologize for the atrocities you just uttered.
A voice loaded with cold authority heavily oppressed the atmosphere of the silent hallway.
The elders, overwhelmed by her presence, looked at each other uneasily, and finally, reluctantly, bowed their heads to Blair.
“…We have been rude to the Duchess.” We ask you to forgive us generously.
"Don't worry." Herdin was not satisfied with this insincere apology, but upon seeing Blair's reaction, he decided to let it pass in silence.
The elders, who had grudgingly shown respect to the couple, walked away as if fleeing.
The one who broke the icy atmosphere that had been created was a small creature without any sense of the moment.
- Pii!
Ppippi squealed, looking at Blair, as if urging her to go for a walk now.
Herdin, who was observing Ppippi in silence, said to Melly:—I will accompany the lady on her walk.
Go attend to your business.
“Ah… Yes, Your Excellency.” Herdin also dismissed Ruth with a gesture and turned to Blair, who was blinking at him strangely.
“Come on.” Blair walked out into the back garden of the mansion with Herdin.
Ppippi, who had been thrashing around in his arms since he smelled the outdoors, ran off into the undergrowth as soon as Blair let him go.
The marten's beautiful fur was immediately stained with dirt.
Herdin, who was watching the little animal explore the backyard from one side to the other with its little body, opened his mouth.
“That bug has grown a lot in a short time.” I thought he would die right away.—Thank you.
It's thanks to you that you saved him.
At Blair's words, Herdin laughed bitterly to himself.
"Thanks to me," when he had killed the mother of that creature and had tried to kill the little bug as well.
Even to him it sounded ridiculous.—No.
If that bug is alive it is only thanks to your stubbornness.—So, since it was you who tolerated that stubbornness, let's say it's thanks to both of you.
Herdin, faced with her insistence on also giving him part of the credit, let out a laugh as if giving up.
Besides, he had quite liked the word 'both'.
Blair, who was silently watching him as his fierce expression from a moment ago softened, said cautiously: "Herdin, in the future, you don't have to do that for me." Realizing that Blair was referring to the incident with the elders, Herdin's expression immediately hardened again.
"So, do you want me to stay silent while those old men insult you in front of me?" Blair said it indifferently, but Herdin didn't like her attitude.
Because the reason she was not affected by the words that insulted her was the premise that she would soon leave that place.
She was telling him, instead of defending his false wife of one year, to take sides with his loyal subjects.
Although he rationally knew that his words were correct, an uncontrollable emotion boiled in his heart.
“You knew it too.
That when the truth came to light, things would turn out like this.—…—I expected it too, it's just that the moment has come forward a little.
So it's okay.
Those words, which did not contain even a hint of resentment, made it unbearable for him to have put her in that situation in which everyone was criticizing her.
"Pii!" At that moment, Ppippi, who had been wallowing in a mound of dirt, disappeared again into the undergrowth.
Blair went after the small, mischievous animal.
Seeing her figure walk away, a strange uneasiness shook him, as if she, under the warm spring sun, was going to disappear just like that.
Herdin, who was contemplating her ethereal figure in the sunlight, approached with large strides without realizing it and grabbed Blair by the hand.—Blair.
Blair, who looked at him strangely, meekly let her hand go.
But the uneasiness that had arisen was not easily dissipated.
Thus the afternoon walk ended, and they both returned to the mansion.
As soon as they reached Ppippi's room, Herdin took off the harness that Blair was holding and tossed it unceremoniously aside.
Then, he cornered her against the closed door and joined his lips to hers.
Blair, who had been startled for a moment, closed her eyes and accepted it, as she always did.
"Mmm...
Herdin, like someone tormented by a long thirst, urgently opened Blair's lips and entangled her tongue.
The more they intertwined and rubbed their moist flesh, the more his fever rose and his thirst grew.
He devoured even the last ragged breath she exhaled, and it still wasn't enough.
It was evident that Blair was in his arms, that at that very moment they were sharing their breath, and yet...
the concern that she might disappear did not fade.
The anxiety that had taken hold of him fueled his desire.
He felt that he would only calm down if he locked her under him, if he intertwined their bodies so that she couldn't escape and felt her warmth.
His large hand, which was around Blair's waist, slid naturally to her round buttocks and grabbed them.
The moment that caress shortened the distance between their bodies even further, Blair separated her lips.
“…Herdin.” Blair instinctively put her hands on his firm chest to push him away when he tried to kiss her again, but Herdin grabbed even that hand and subdued her.
Blair, holding his gaze, said in a pleading tone: "I'm still not feeling well." I want to rest.
The corner of Herdin's mouth twitched as he saw her say she wanted to stop.
After the fight over Mikhail's affair, when he possessed her as he pleased every night, she had never said a word of complaint.
He had kept his lips stubbornly closed, as if he didn't even mean to say that.
He didn't like her rejection at a time of such need, but Herdin barely contained his desire.
He swallowed a sigh of frustration and let her go.
Desire, on the verge of exploding, scratched his throat as he passed.
“Thank you.” Her attitude of being grateful for a right that belonged to him bothered him.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.—Your Excellency.
Is he here?
It was Mason's voice.
“Go.” Blair moved away from the door she was leaning against.
Herdin watched her for a moment, then opened the door and walked out.
“A messenger from the Imperial Palace came just now.” There is an imperial order for you to report tomorrow afternoon.
Through the crack in the door, Mason's voice was vaguely heard, but Blair, deep in thought, did not catch the content.
The full moon in May was only one day away.
⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅∙∘☽༓☾∘∙•⋅⋅⋅•⋅⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅
The late spring backyard was filled with the scent of flowers in full bloom.
Just as he was beginning to long for a cigarette, feeling like his nose was going to go numb with that fragrance, a small pond appeared.
Ivan waited on the pergola in front of him.
"He called me, Your Majesty." "Sit down." When Herdin sat down opposite, a chamberlain dragging a tray served the tea and disappeared.
Ivan looked at Herdin over the teacup.
With his usual impassive face, he also raised the cup in silence.
If it were any other nobleman, he would have made an effort to please him, either by starting the conversation or flattering him in some way, but Herdin did not seem to have that intention.
"I already knew that he was that kind of person." Ivan clicked his tongue inwardly, took a sip of tea and was the first to speak.
Had time to see his face.
Had it been that long already?
Herdin licked his lips as he calculated the time.
Just then, the refreshing sound of the wind swaying the trees in the nearby forest reached them, completing the summer landscape.
The day he married his wife, who looked like a snow fairy, it was snowing.
A landscape completely opposite to that of now.—On a day like this, the best way to strengthen ties would be to gallop through the forest and hunt.
Sometimes the weight of affairs of state is truly overwhelming.—I can't imagine how hard it is to govern an empire, but I know you are much busier than I am.
It can be brief, I'll listen to you.
Ivan, who had taken the hint in Herdin's words, smiled sarcastically.
In other words, he was telling him to get to the point.
He had the ability to wrap his arrogance as if it were consideration for him.
And what was most irritating was that, although he embellished his words, he showed no intention of hiding his insolent attitude.
“Of course, as you say, I am busy, but in the future I will try to make time often.” You're not just anyone else, you're my family, aren't you?
Herdin smiled mockingly at the word "family" that left Ivan's lips.
…To be continued