"Mm..."
Blair, who had been hugging a pillow in her sleep, felt something off and snapped her eyes open.
What she thought was a pillow was Herdin.
The man who had become her husband in both her past and present lives.
He lay asleep beside her. Just like back then in her past life, when he had pretended to love her.
The warmth emanating from him felt so comforting. Enough to make her want to drift back to sleep just like this.
That's why she hated it.
She feared being tamed by this warmth again.
Feared mistaking this warmth for love.
Blair tried to rise from the bed. At that moment, the fireplace came into her view.
The red flames roaring as they consumed the logs.
Seeing it, Blair unwittingly gasped.
Fire.
The disaster that had burned away her happy days.
The terror that those flames would consume everything once more overwhelmed her. Her breathing grew labored, and her vision blurred.
Then, a large hand blocked her view and gently laid her back down.
When Blair finally came to her senses, Herdin's face was before her eyes.
"Are you scared?"
Normally, yes. She was deathly afraid of fire.
Yet her racing heart gradually calmed. Her breathing steadied.
Simply because he was by her side.
It was strange.
Confirming her condition, Herdin closed his eyes and murmured in a low, husky voice.
"Sleep more."
Blair hesitated briefly and tried to pull away from him, but the arm around her waist held firm, showing no intention of letting go.
Seeing her tense up, Herdin opened his eyes and said,
"The bedding clause from the contract—I'll use it tonight."
Blair flinched at his words.
She had anticipated he might demand bedding someday, but not tonight. They had just argued and reconciled today, and she had fainted and woken up.
But if he wanted it, she had no intention of refusing. To demand bedding from him when she wanted Asiel, she had to accept his demands without rejection.
"Then... I'll wash up first. I couldn't after coming back from going out..."
Gauging her intent, Herdin's eyes cooled sharply, then he let out an incredulous scoff.
"Do I seem like some beast slaking lust on a patient to you?"
"...I didn't think that. This is part of the contract, so I have to keep my promise—"
"Enough."
That damn contract again.
Herdin's brows furrowed briefly at the word 'contract' slipping habitually from Blair's lips, but he soon smoothed his expression.
After all, he had been the first to mention that clause.
"I mean it literally—just sleep together."
Why on earth...?
Unable to fathom his intentions, Blair gazed at him with puzzled eyes, silently questioning.
Herdin sighed and added an explanation.
"You can't sleep if you light the fireplace alone."
Blair's eyes blinked slowly as she looked at him.
It was odd. Simply sleeping together without doing anything brought him no gain.
So this was solely for her sake.
"I won't do anything, so just sleep."
As if sincere, he pulled the blanket back over her slipped shoulders, then withdrew his hand and lay down at a distance.
Close enough to touch with the slightest movement, yet he truly seemed intent on just sleeping like this.
Blair blankly stared at Herdin's profile with his eyes closed.
The air in the room warmed by the fireplace was cozy, the blanket enveloping her was soft, and the warmth from the person beside her—even without touching—provided a sense of security.
Still, I hate you.
But today had been truly exhausting. She was too worn out. So....
'Just for tonight, it should be okay.'
Gazing at him while slowly blinking, Blair soon succumbed to sleep.
It was a warm night after a very long time.
* * *
The next morning, when Blair woke, Herdin had already left the room.
The fireplace was out, but the room still held lingering warmth. It seemed he had kept watch on it until just before.
Blair pulled the bell cord and waited briefly. Rina entered carrying a silver basin of wash water.
The moment Rina saw Blair, her eyes welled up with tears. Her face revealed the worry she had endured last night.
"Why did you do that? You're scared of fire... You should have called me if you wanted the fireplace lit."
"Sorry. I worried you."
Blair didn't explain why she had lit the fireplace herself.
Complaining about Herdin would ultimately expose her own vulnerabilities, and it had already been resolved well.
After soothing Rina, Blair asked,
"Where's Ppippi?"
Unless something came up, Blair personally handled the baby ermine's feedings.
Not out of duty or obligation, but simply because she enjoyed watching the tiny creature, who resembled Asiel, grow.
"Ah, Melly just went to give it milk."
Hearing Rina's reply, Blair asked back with a slightly surprised expression.
"You forgave Melly?"
"...Should I not have?"
Rina looked ready to chase Melly out at once if Blair said so.
Blair shook her head with a smile.
"No, don't. As long as you're okay with it, I am. I want you to get along well with others too."
"But she wronged you too, Madam."
Blair took Rina's hand and continued in a gentle voice.
"Rina, everyone makes mistakes."
"..."
"Of course, there are unforgivable mistakes no matter what, but there are also ones that can be corrected, even if late."
"..."
"If one mistake decides everything about a person, people would give up on everything after a single error. Even when they could improve."
"..."
"Melly was wrong, but I don't think it was irredeemable. And above all, she's repenting on her own."
Last night, on the way out of Blair's room and back to the servants' quarters, Melly had apologized to Rina.
Recalling that, Rina slowly nodded in agreement with Blair's words.
Blair smiled brightly and asked,
"So, how about giving her a chance to make it right?"
"Sigh, our Madam is too kind for her own good."
Rina sighed in complaint, but a faint smile spread across her face.
"Well, still... she didn't seem like a bad kid, like you said. She was the first to find you collapsed yesterday and took action."
"Really? I should thank Melly then."
She felt inwardly proud that her different actions from her past life were bringing about new changes.
As Blair washed her face with the rose water Rina had prepared, she listened to the trivial stories of the mansion Rina relayed.
After finishing and wiping her face with a towel, Rina suddenly exclaimed as if remembering something.
"Ah, right! His Excellency said to tell you when you wake up. To have the meal we missed yesterday together."
"...Him?"
That meant Herdin hadn't eaten yet either.
Blair lightly tended to her skin, changed clothes, and headed straight to the dining room. Seeing her, Mason bowed in greeting and promptly opened the door.
There sat Herdin in his usual shirt and vest.
"Did you sleep well?"
His attire was impeccably neat, but with his languid expression as he tilted his wine glass, he gave off the air of a playboy from high society.
A sharpness to his nature that couldn't be hidden, no matter the propriety or neat clothing.
A dangerous allure that drew one in precisely because of that danger, even knowing it.
An impression not much changed from when she first met him as a child.
Blair newly realized this as she sat beside him.
"Yes, thanks to you."
Once Blair was seated, the dishes began to be served. Only the clinking of cutlery echoed in the dining room.
Herdin wasn't one to speak first anyway, so it was a familiar silence to Blair. The only difference from before was that, after last night, the silence no longer felt uncomfortable.
Carefully cutting and chewing her steak while stealing glances at Herdin, Blair tentatively broached,
"Herdin. About what we talked about yesterday."
His gaze turned to her instead of a verbal reply.
"I understand that from your position, I might seem plenty suspicious."
They had discussed it yesterday too, but it had ended with his apology. She felt she should respond in her own way.
"But I'll never do anything to harm you. I swear it on everything I have."
Blair's expression as she said this was quite resolute. Watching her, the corner of Herdin's mouth curved up slightly.
"Does that 'everything' include you?"
"Pardon?"
"What in the world could be more precious than 'me'? Swearing on everything while conveniently omitting the most valuable lacks credibility."
Blair looked at him with confused eyes.
He had clearly said yesterday he wouldn't doubt her anymore, yet changing his tune after just one day.
But seeing his more relaxed expression than usual, he didn't seem truly suspicious or upset.
Even so, Blair answered sincerely.
"...Of course it includes me. And wanting to maintain a good relationship with you is sincere too."
Herdin chuckled softly at her.
A woman who couldn't say everything honestly but asked to be trusted.
Ridiculous... but for now, he'd believe her. No other man's scent had clung to her yesterday either.
As Herdin gazed at Blair with intrigued eyes, tapping his wine glass,
Mason entered with a knock.
"An invitation has arrived for the two of you."
The invitation he held bore the imperial crest. It was an invitation to Katrina's birthday banquet.