Herdin knocked and entered Blair's bedroom.
Unlike what he expected—that she would be startled by his visit or asleep—Blair was sitting at the table, engrossed in something, completely unaware of his arrival.
'What is she doing?'
At a glance, it seemed she was writing something.
'...She's small.'
He had felt it every time he saw her, but from a distance, her petite frame felt even smaller anew.
The occasional dry coughs made her seem even tinier.
'The room is chilly, though.'
Despite it being a cold winter, the fire in the fireplace was almost out.
The white snow piled outside the window, the cool room, and the pure white woman within that scene.
Herdin thought the nickname "snow fairy" suited her quite well as he approached Blair from behind.
Even then, Blair, engrossed in writing the document, hadn't noticed his presence.
Herdin leaned his upper body over her small back, bracing his hand on the desk to peer at what she was writing.
Only then did Blair sense someone and jolt in surprise, lifting her head. In doing so, her head thudded into his firm chest.
"Ah."
At the same time, his cool blue eyes looking down met her violet eyes gazing up at him.
"Why do you look so surprised? It's our first night, so it's only natural for husband and wife to spend it together."
"...I didn't think you'd come."
"After waiting up without sleeping until now?"
His words struck right at the heart, and Blair tightly pressed her lips together.
"I was just waiting in case. If... no, if you came and I was asleep, it wouldn't be polite."
At the word "you" that slipped from Blair's lips, Herdin's eyes darkened further.
"What is this?"
He spotted the paper Blair had been writing and asked.
Blair quickly added an explanation.
"It's a contract. Since it's a contract anyway, I thought it would be good to put it in writing."
Herdin picked up the contract and sat beside her, beginning to read it aloud.
"Article 1. Contractor Blair Sonnet von Ardel will fully cooperate in uncovering the truth of the Empress's Palace fire incident. The contract period is one year, but regardless of the period, this marriage contract ends immediately upon the truth of the incident being revealed. Responsibility for the truth follows imperial law."
His languid baritone voice echoed in the quiet room.
"Article 2. During this contract period, the two parties must respect each other as husband and wife. The 'respect' mentioned here means fulfilling spousal duties with consideration for the other's face. Such as dining together once a week or attending important banquets or events together."
Hearing the contract articles, Blair belatedly wanted to revise it.
She realized she had unconsciously written into the articles her resentment from her previous life, when he had ignored and neglected her.
Even so, the current him wouldn't know the feelings with which she had written that article....
Thinking that far, Blair smiled bitterly and spoke.
"If any adjustments are needed, feel free to say so. Since I wrote the contract arbitrarily on my own, I'll revise it to reflect your opinion."
At that moment, Herdin, who had been reading the contract, asked,
"What if one doesn't fulfill the contract's contents?"
At his question, Blair was at a loss for words. She had considered adjusting the contents but never violating the contract.
'As he said, there needs to be a penalty for violating the contract to motivate keeping it.'
Blair pondered for a moment, then opened her mouth with a resolute expression.
"If one doesn't keep the contract's contents..."
"If not?"
"I won't grant a divorce."
Since it was a marriage half-forced by imperial command, continuing it would be terrifying for him.
Moreover, he resented her.
"Ah ha."
But despite what Blair considered a fearsome threat, he showed no sign of fear.
Rather, if it felt like he was slightly sneering, was it her imagination?
As Blair thought that, Herdin began reading the next article of the contract again.
"For the above reasons, if the other party desires cohabitation, one must comply up to a maximum of twice a month to fulfill spousal duties..."
Herdin's gaze shifted from the contract to Blair. He set it down and spoke.
"The 'cohabitation' you mention, Madam, surely doesn't mean just holding hands and sleeping like adults, right?"
Blair seemed a bit flustered by his mocking words but didn't refute.
Then it confirmed his guess was correct.
"Are you saying you'll even play the role of a mistress to warm the bed?"
...Does it have to go this far?
At this point, he grew curious.
About the 'real' purpose a woman had in maintaining this contract marriage, even offering her body.
So he deliberately provoked her.
And as intended, Blair took the bait and bristled.
"Don't speak like that. I just...!"
"Just?"
Blair, trying to retort, hesitated and trailed off.
This article was the most important to her, created to use at the time she needed to conceive Asiel.
But she couldn't tell him the truth.
She couldn't say something absurd like she had regressed, and above all, he must not know of Asiel's existence.
If he learned this, would he leave Asiel alone?
To make a child with Miela his heir, he might eliminate Asiel as an obstacle.
That absolutely could not happen.
Blair's plan was to wrap up everything related to him before conceiving Asiel, divorce before he noticed the pregnancy, and leave the Empire.
In the end, Blair came up with a plausible lie.
"I just want to have a good relationship with you, at least during this time..."
Herdin sneered at Blair, who ultimately hid her true feelings.
"A good relationship."
How could we ever have a good relationship?
With one word from your mother, one statement from you, my dead aunt was buried dishonorably underground without a chance to refute.
I had to accept it without even knowing the truth.
I don't know her purpose, but offering her body like this made her seem quite desperate. It was ridiculous.
You ignored my desperation, and now.
If I just yield it easily from my side, well, that would feel like a loss.
If her most precious possession is her chastity, then I should take that too.
Because then it's a fair trade.
Herdin stood and approached Blair.
At the distance that closed in an instant, Blair held her breath.
He was right before her nose. Close enough that exhaling would mingle their breaths.
"Then, according to this article, I must fulfill my spousal duties."
Blair flinched at his hand caressing her cheek and the low voice whispering in her ear. But what surprised her more was his words.
She hadn't expected him to invoke this article first. She had created it, but he no longer needed to pretend to love her.
'I thought it would only be used when conceiving Asiel.'
To Blair, who had thought he wouldn't even come to the bedroom, it was a somewhat disconcerting situation.
"There's no need to necessarily have a first night..."
"I want to."
His lowly whispering gaze was fixed on her red lips. His hand cupping her cheek stroked them with his thumb.
At the heat from his fingertips, her heart began pounding rapidly.
At that moment, Herdin, staring at her lips, lifted his eyes, and their gazes met.
"Right now."
Unrefined, intense desire swirled in his blue eyes.
Before Blair could recoil from the raw desire, his approaching lips devoured hers.
Blair suddenly remembered that he was a man, too.
'Men can share their bodies even with women they don't love, they say.'
Yes, this isn't love. Not even pretending to love for some other purpose.
Just a moment's desire.
Thinking that way made her heart feel lighter. If she could give her body to him and meet Asiel again, she could offer it as much as needed.
Blair gathered her confused feelings and closed her eyes in resignation.
Herdin parted her lips and invaded her mouth. And found her cowering tongue, entwining it.
"Eueng..."
As the wet flesh rubbed against the soft inner flesh, a moan naturally escaped. Her breathing quickened, heat rose in her body, and her mind grew hazy.
His lips were still hot and sweet. Cruelly so.
Herdin lightly scooped Blair up, seating her fully on his thigh, and began devouring her in earnest.
Her plump lips, soft tongue, ragged breaths, the pained moans leaking between her teeth—all of it.
Herdin grasped the prominent mound visible over the slipped strap of Blair's nightgown.
"Ah...!"
Startled by that, Blair tore her lips away. Herdin, about to kiss her again immediately, paused.
Blair met his eyes and froze. His gaze was like that of a beast whose meal had been interrupted—fierce.
Even so, he showed no intention of releasing the prey in his arms; strength gripped his hold on her firmly.
Because of that, beneath her closely pressed legs, she felt something heavy. Realizing what it was, Blair's body froze.
She wanted to rise immediately, but moving would only press her closer to it, so she couldn't.
Blair subtly avoided his gaze and murmured in a tiny voice,
"Bed... to the bed."
It was practically a plea.
Herdin stared at her steadily, then—as per her request—lifted her into his arms.
Even in that brief moment, he kept his lips buried in her nape without parting. Like a suckling beast.
Striding to the bed, Herdin laid Blair down and mounted her. He began removing the nightgown, already half-undone.
His gaze remained fixed on Blair.