His hand, which was holding her cheek, was cold.
Like his eyes that looked at her.
His eyes, which warned of danger, seemed even more dangerous to him.
—Stay by my side, calmly.
Also his voice, as if he was repressing his emotions.
Why did the words that Ivan had said to him a while ago come to mind at that moment?
⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅∙∘☽༓☾∘∙•⋅⋅⋅•⋅⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅
Herdin, who had finished bathing, came out of the bathroom with his hair still wet and a towel over his head.
The hallway was bathed in late afternoon light.
It was the time when the shadows under their feet began to lengthen little by little.
Herdin wiped the water roughly from his hair with the towel and headed to Blair's bedroom.
In a completely natural way.
Just as he entered the hallway where Blair's bedroom was located, he heard the whispering voices of some maids who were cleaning nearby.
—By the way, what is Your Excellency thinking about?
Thus protecting a woman who could be the daughter of his enemy...
What will he do if he suddenly becomes pregnant...?
—Wouldn't the imperial family have ordered you to do that?
After all, it was a marriage encouraged by His Majesty the Emperor from the beginning.
Perhaps she is seducing him so that he cannot annul the marriage.
—…Getting pregnant?
-Yeah.
Even if it turns out to be true that Her Majesty the Empress Dowager murdered the late Empress, couldn't they throw out a woman who carries the blood of the Delmarks in her womb?
That's what you're looking for.
—Wow, you're so good at deducing.
The maids, who had not realized that someone had approached from behind, were startled by the sudden voice and turned around.
Herdin, without them knowing how long he had been listening to them, watched them with cold eyes, leaning negligently against the wall.
Her firm body could be seen under the loosely tied robe, her beautiful face above him.
The face that they normally peeked at while blushing, at that moment seemed terribly chilling to them.
—And I didn't buy deduction books for the library for this.
—Ex, Excellency.
—From what I see, in your eyes I must be an idiot who, without knowing anything about that intention, allows himself to be carried away by seduction.
—No, that's not it...!
We were only worried about His Excellency and House Delmark…
—That the prestige of the House of Delmark has fallen so much without my knowledge that a simple maid would worry...
I feel dirty.
Although the voice with which he spoke was languid and without ups and downs, the maids felt in their flesh that the anger it contained was not calm.
It was the instinct of the weak.
—Your Excellency, what are you doing here...?
As soon as Ruth, who had finished Herdin's errand, approached, the pale maids hurriedly knelt on the floor.
—He, we have committed an unforgivable sin!
Forgive us just this once, Your Excellency!
—We have spoken without knowing our place.
Please have mercy at least this time…
Herdin looked at them with expressionless eyes as they apologized as if pleading, and then turned around.
—Ruth.
-Yeah?
—Fire them.
Ruth watched with an uncomfortable expression at Herdin's retreating back without a hint of hesitation, and at the desperate maids.
It was true that the maids had done wrong a hundred times, but it seemed too severe a punishment for speaking wrong just once, and he felt uncomfortable.
However, in any circumstance, the lord's order is absolute.
Ruth asked the names of the maids to tell Mason and, a little late, followed Herdin.
Herdin, sensing his presence, said without looking back.
—By the way, tell Mason.
Don't let outside rumors enter the mansion.
—Yes, okay.
Meanwhile, the two had arrived in front of Blair's bedroom.
Herdin stopped and asked.
—And what is the matter?
—Ah, a moment ago I received a message from Sir Kalligo.
He says that he has secured the testimony of the minter of the coin, and that the person who commissioned the minting was, as we expected, Viscount Vernon.
It was confirmed that the person who had to pay at the pawnshop and the person who commissioned the minting of the coin were the same.
Add to this the testimony of the soldier who first found the coin, and they could prove at trial that Katrina was somehow involved in the incident ten years ago.
With this, the preparations to clear Esmeralda's name were complete.
But the reason why Herdin hesitated was another.
—And also…
Ruth continued talking as she took something out of her inner pocket.
—This is what he asked me this morning.
What Ruth put in Herdin's hand was a small bottle of pills.
Inside were pills identical to the ones he had given her.
It was what Herdin had ordered him to get as quickly as possible that morning before leaving on the magical beast hunt.
—Are you sure it is harmless to the human body?
-Yeah.
They are just pill-shaped candies.
But what do you want to use it for?
Herdin just played with the bottle, without responding.
Ruth, realizing for himself that he shouldn't ask any more, changed the subject.
—Well, in any case, now that the preparations are almost finished… I feel like releasing Her Majesty the Empress's resentment as soon as possible.
—…Yes, soon.
Herdin, who had put the bottle in his robe pocket, turned toward the door to Blair's room and gave the order to leave.
—You can go now.
Leaving Ruth behind, who bowed her head, he entered the room.
Passing through the living room and entering, he was met with the view of the bedroom, where languid afternoon sunlight streamed in through the balcony window.
In that peaceful landscape, there was Blair, who had already fallen into a deep sleep.
Herdin came to his side and stared at the scene.
As he reflected on what he was trying to protect by building that solid fortress.
After watching the sleeping Blair for a moment, Herdin took the flask Ruth had given him from his pocket.
It was identical even in the shape of the contents to Blair's pill bottle that was always on the nightstand.
He hesitated for a long time.
Even as he thought that, no matter what it took, he would stop her from going to that man and anchor her to his side, he hadn't dared touch that bottle of pills.
“Can I stand seeing you resent me forever?”
That question stopped him.
Even now, having impulsively prepared the fake pills the night before upon seeing the empty bedroom without it.
Just as Herdin was fiddling with the vial in his hand, Blair's eyelids twitched.
—Mmm…
Seeing that, Herdin's hand quickly knocked the bottle that was on the small table to the ground.
Then, he placed the bottle in his hand on the small table.
The bottle that fell on the thick carpet under the bed rolled silently until it touched his feet.
At the same time, Blair opened her eyes.
—…Herdin?
His violet eyes, which contained light, slowly focused, and soon his figure was reflected in them.
-What time is it?
The eyes that reflected him, the unprepared face with traces of sleep, the soft whispering voice.
…To be continued