Blair blankly stared at Miela entering the room behind the priest.
'No way... Were the two of them already acquainted from this time?'
She had heard that Herdin hadn't been injured in the past, but it might have been a minor wound not worth mentioning, treated discreetly and brushed off.
Realizing that possibility, the blood in her body seemed to turn ice-cold.
"Then, Priestess Miela, please treat him quickly. Worship is about to begin soon."
The priest who had brought Miela requested.
Herdin's gaze naturally turned to Miela. His eyes upon her were utterly indifferent—completely opposite to Miela's entranced gaze.
Those were unmistakably the eyes of a woman in love.
Miela stood frozen for a moment, her gaze stolen by Herdin, until the priest called her curiously.
"Priestess Miela?"
"...Ah. I-I'm sorry!"
Startled, Miela hurried toward Herdin. Yet she hesitated, unable to touch his bare upper body or even look at him properly.
Finally steeling herself, she parted her lips.
"Th-then, if you'll excuse me. Your Excellency."
Her face flushing uncontrollably, Miela placed her hand on his firm abdomen. She couldn't bring herself to look at his stomach or face, fumbling awkwardly.
Watching that scene, a memory from before her regression suddenly flashed through Blair's mind.
Herdin embracing Miela, his cold eyes that hadn't avoided her even then.
Recalling that memory, Blair's body trembled uncontrollably. Her heart raced so fiercely she felt nauseous.
'...No.'
Blair pressed her clenched fist against her upper chest. As if that could suppress the rising emotions. Then she mocked herself for it.
For getting hurt by the exact same reason again, after already being wounded by him so deeply.
Getting shaken by his relationship with Miela meant she still loved him.
Blair bit her lip and averted her gaze from the two.
She hated him.
She hated herself for still being unable to let him go.
Soon, a radiant light emanated from Miela's fingertips touching Herdin, seeping into his abdomen.
Repeating the process a few more times, Miela checked his complexion and asked,
"It seems done now. How do you feel?"
"Seems fine."
"I'm glad I could help."
Miela smiled brightly at Herdin, as if forgetting her earlier embarrassment.
The watching priest said to Herdin,
"Worship will begin soon, so you'd best prepare quickly."
"I will."
The priest bowed first and left the lounge. Miela, who had lingered hesitantly, bowed to Herdin.
"I'll always pray that the goddess blesses you, Your Excellency."
With her greeting complete, Miela left.
As Herdin donned his shirt, he suddenly noticed Blair's silence from moments ago and turned to her.
Her already pale face looked even more pallid than usual. She seemed on the verge of collapse, fragile.
Herdin approached her.
"Did you get hurt at the hunting grounds earlier?"
Instinctively reaching to hold her as she looked about to faint, Blair pushed him away.
"...I'm fine."
Before he could say more, Blair changed the subject.
"More importantly, you asked earlier what I saw from the future."
She had to stop talking about the future or prophecies. She had no intention of telling him everything anyway.
But the moment she saw herself shaken because of him, she felt the need to draw a line.
So this was—
"That priestess just now is the woman you'll fall in love with."
It was a statement to him, but also a reminder to herself to completely push him out of her heart.
"...What?"
"She'll surely make a fine partner for you, but taking her as a mistress now would be problematic. As I said before, you can't have any flaws when we divorce."
An incredulous scoff burst from Herdin's lips.
"But if we can block the rumors—"
Before Blair could continue, Herdin's approaching lips devoured hers.
Silencing her words, he pulled away before her startled push, but kept his arm around her waist.
From a breath's distance, he gazed at her coldly and said,
"Even if that's true, why would I need a mistress?"
"..."
"When I have you."
His large hand around her waist caressed her back. The touch was gentle, but facing the emotions swirling in his cool blue eyes made her hairs stand on end.
"Until this contract ends, you're my wife. I'll only do this, and worse, with you."
As his low voice laden with chill settled in her ear, his lips approached to devour hers again. That was when—
"Your Excellency. Worship is about to begin."
Russ's voice came with a knock.
Herdin released Blair with a quiet sigh, grabbed his outer coat, and left the lounge first.
Blair blankly watched his retreating figure with confused eyes before understanding his emotions.
Anyone would find it absurd to hear they'd fall in love with a stranger at first sight. Unbelievable, something to deny.
But eventually, just as the him before her regression had, he too would come to love Miela.
She alone remembered a future that no longer existed, and only she bore those memories' joys and wounds. Thus, only she could change the future.
Blair had no intention of altering his future.
'Even if his future changes and he loves someone else, it won't be me.'
So in this life, she would disappear from his life. For both their sakes.
Composing her emotions to follow Herdin out, Blair suddenly felt something catch her foot and paused.
It was Herdin's cravat.
* * *
Leaving the lounge, Herdin headed to the temple main hall. Russ had returned early on an errand, and Blair followed behind him.
Sensing her footsteps chasing him, Herdin recalled her words from moments ago.
'That priestess just now is the woman you'll fall in love with.'
The content of the 'future' she claimed to see was absurd enough, but what infuriated him more was her expression.
Utterly calm, as if it were someone else's story, unconcerned by him loving another woman. Her voice too.
The reason against taking a mistress now was merely to divorce cleanly.
But that was the contract they had agreed to from the start.
He couldn't understand why it angered him so.
"Her-din."
Blair's voice calling him from behind reached his ears. Breathless from chasing his long strides, her voice carried ragged breaths.
Herdin swallowed a languid sigh and raked back his bangs haphazardly. His strides gradually slowed.
Finally catching up, Blair panted and held out his cravat.
"You dropped this."
Herdin eyed the cravat in her hand before leaning down toward her.
"Tie it for me."
At his unexpected request, Blair blinked. Then, seeing his outer coat in his right hand, she understood.
Tying a husband's cravat was taught in prenuptial lessons. Helping with her husband's attire before he left was one of a wife's duties.
Blair had known it even before her prenuptial lessons this marriage. She had tied his countless times before her regression.
He had often asked her to tie it. Using that as an excuse to pull her close in busy mornings.
...Though it had all been lies in the end.
Now she knew his requests held no meaning. But after earlier, approaching him felt difficult. Nor did she want to tell him to tie it himself.
Hesitating briefly, Blair drew close as if to embrace his neck.
As their distance shortened, the nape of her updone hair came into view, along with her sweet scent wafting over.
Suddenly, memories of their first night flooded his mind. The feel of his lips buried in that soft nape, her body flinching in his arms, and...
That pretty face looking up at him.
'...I must be mad.'
What wind had blown him to ask her to tie his cravat? He regretted it belatedly.
The desire he forcibly swallowed scraped down his throat. Yet his gaze remained fixed on her.
Oblivious to his thoughts, Blair focused on tying the cravat.
Her slightly furrowed brows in concentration and pursed lips relaxed each time her fingers accidentally brushed his nape.
"Done."
Blair smoothed the cravat as a finishing touch and stepped back. At that moment, Herdin grabbed her hand.
Their eyes met—hers puzzled, his gazing down.
Only then did Herdin realize he had unconsciously seized her hand, faintly furrowing his brows. But it was fleeting. Soon his blue eyes captured her form.
As if about to devour her whole.