Blair blankly stared at Miela as she entered the room following the priest.
'Could it be... Did the two of them know each other since then?'
She had heard that Herdin wasn't injured in the past, but it was possible that his injuries weren't severe enough to be visible, and he might have received some treatment and covered it up.
As that thought occurred to her, she felt her whole body turn cold.
"Then, Lady Miela, I request your quick treatment. The service is about to begin shortly."
The priest who brought Miela made the request.
Herdin's gaze naturally turned to Miela. His eyes that met Miela's were only indifferent. Completely opposite to Miela's entranced gaze.
Those eyes were undoubtedly the eyes of a woman in love.
As Miela stood there for a moment, captivated by Herdin, the priest called out to her curiously.
"Lady Miela?"
"Oh... I-I'm sorry!"
Miela startled and hurriedly approached Herdin. However, she hesitated, unable to touch his upper body or look at him properly.
Then, as if she had finally made up her mind, she parted her lips.
"Th-then, excuse me for a moment, Your Grace."
With an undeniably flushed face, Miela placed her hands on his firm abdomen. She seemed at a loss, unable to look at his stomach or face.
Watching this scene, Blair suddenly recalled a memory from before her regression.
The image of Herdin embracing Miela, his cold gaze that didn't avoid her even when he saw her.
Remembering that, Blair's body began to tremble uncontrollably. Her heart raced so fast she felt like she might vomit.
'...No.'
Blair pressed her clenched fist against her upper chest. As if doing so could somehow quell the rising emotions. Then she scoffed at herself.
It was ridiculous that even after being hurt so much by him, she was still being hurt for the same reason.
The fact that she was hurt and shaken by his relationship with Miela meant that she still loved him.
Blair bit her lip and turned her gaze away from the two.
She hated him.
She hated herself for still not being able to let him go.
Soon, a bright light appeared from Miela's fingertips touching Herdin, and it seeped into his abdomen.
After repeating this process a couple more times, Miela looked at Herdin's complexion and asked.
"I think it's done now. How do you feel?"
"It seems fine."
"I'm glad I could be of help."
Miela smiled brightly at Herdin, seemingly forgetting her earlier embarrassment.
The watching priest said to Herdin.
"The service will begin soon, so it would be best to hurry and get ready."
"I will."
The priest bowed first and left the lounge. Miela, who had been hesitating to leave, bowed deeply to Herdin.
"I pray that the goddess will always bestow her blessings upon you, Your Grace."
After finishing her greeting, Miela left.
Herdin was putting on his upper garment that he had taken off when he suddenly noticed that Blair had been quiet for a while and turned to look at her.
Her face, which was originally pale, somehow looked even more pallid than usual. She looked so precarious, as if she might collapse at any moment.
Herdin approached her.
"Did you get hurt at the hunting grounds earlier?"
Instinctively, he reached out to hold her, fearing she might collapse, but Blair pushed him away.
"...I'm fine."
Blair changed the subject before he could say anything more.
"More importantly, you asked earlier what I saw in the future, right?"
Talk of the future and foresight should have stopped. She had no intention of telling him everything about the future.
But the moment she saw herself wavering because of him, she felt she needed to draw a line.
So this was—
"That priestess from earlier, she's the woman you'll come to love."
It was a statement to him, but at the same time, it was a reminder to herself to completely push him out of her heart.
"...What?"
"She'll surely be a good partner for you, but it's not advisable to take her as a mistress yet. As I said before, you shouldn't have any blemishes when we divorce."
A bitter laugh escaped Herdin's lips.
"But if we can contain the rumors—"
Before Blair could finish her sentence, Herdin's lips suddenly engulfed hers.
He stopped her words, and before the surprised Blair could push him away, he detached his lips and stepped back. However, he didn't release his arm around her waist.
He looked at her with cold eyes from a distance close enough for their breaths to mingle and said.
"Even if that were true, why would I need a mistress?"
"..."
"When I have you."
His large hand holding her waist caressed Blair's spine. Though his touch was gentle, meeting the emotions flickering in his cool blue eyes simultaneously made her hair stand on end.
"Until this contract ends, you are my wife. I will do this, and even more than this, only with you."
As his low voice, tinged with a cool air, settled in her ear, his lips once again approached as if to devour hers. It was then.
"Your Grace. The service is about to begin."
Along with a knock, Luth's voice was heard.
Herdin released Blair with a quiet sigh, grabbed his outer garment, and left the lounge first.
Blair stared blankly at his retreating figure for a moment with confused eyes, then soon understood his emotions.
Anyone would be bewildered if told they would fall in love with someone they've just met. They wouldn't believe it and would want to deny it.
But just as he did before her regression, he will eventually come to love Miela.
Now, only she remembered the future that no longer exists, and only she remembered the memories and wounds from that memory. Therefore, only she could change the future.
Blair had no intention of changing his future.
'Even if his future changes and he comes to love someone else, it won't be me.'
So in this life, she would disappear from his life. For both their sakes.
As Blair was about to follow Herdin out after composing her emotions, she suddenly felt something catching her foot and stopped.
It was Herdin's cravat.
* * *
Search "child" at redcatty [.] com to read ahead up to chap 170.