Herdin took the cigar out of his mouth.
"I was so flustered at the time that I failed to look after you, Madam, and it weighs on my mind—"
"Priest."
"Yes?"
"Thank you for your concern, but I don't think this is the time for such leisurely greetings."
Herdin gestured toward where the injured from this incident were gathered. A look of fluster crossed Miela's face.
"Ah... I'm sorry. I was just so glad to see you..."
Miela, who hesitated for a moment before leaving immediately, bowed and added,
"Then, I'll see you again."
Unable to take her eyes off Herdin until the very end, she turned and walked away.
Ruth watched her retreating figure with wistful eyes. It was a scene he had witnessed countless times while living as Herdin's aide.
'However, unlike the others, the one thing that was a little disappointing about that woman was… … .'
The fact that she was a priestess possessing divine power.
After all, those with divine power are precious, and keeping them close would surely be helpful.
Though his own liege didn't even give her a single glance despite her immense usefulness.
"Still, she's the one who treated the Duke; couldn't you have treated her a little more kindly?"
"That's why I told her what to do before she was dragged away for dereliction of duty."
Ruth was dumbfounded by Herdin's nonchalant reply, but it was already in the past.
"Yes, yes. You are quite affectionate."
Leaving Ruth, who was responding half-heartedly, behind, Herdin walked toward the tethered horse.
His thirst for the woman at the mansion had reached the limit of his patience, and he could not wait until the situation was resolved.
***
Returning to the bedroom from Herdin's private study, Blair handed Lina Mikhail's letter.
"Lina, burn this for me."
"Ah, yes."
Leaving Lina behind as she lit the candle, Blair approached the window. Her gaze, as she looked out at the scenery, was wavering with anxiety.
[I have discovered the source of the crest you ordered me to investigate earlier.
It is the crest engraved on a dagger bestowed by Your Excellency the Duke, your wife's consort, upon several knights who had shared life and death with him after the war ended.]
'Then the man who killed me is a knight of Delmark...'
And one of Herdin's personal knights at that...
Blair recalled going to the training grounds to check the knights' faces immediately after the wedding.
'But none of them had a sword scar on the bridge of their noses.'
Had I missed him?
Blair paced anxiously around the room, checked her watch, and left the room to head down to the first floor of the mansion.
At this time, the knights would be in the training grounds for their midday drill. Although the mistress was not the type to look after the knights with great care, she surely wouldn't find it strange that she was keeping an eye on them.
Just as Blair turned toward the back door of the mansion after descending the stairs, a commotion was heard from the entrance.
'Has Herdin returned?'
Just as she was thinking this, she ran into Mason, who was coming out of the first floor.
"Ah, Madam. You've come down just in time."
"Is someone here?"
"Some guests from the main castle have arrived. They likely wish to pay their respects to you, Madam. If you aren't busy, would you spare a moment?"
She wanted to head straight to the training grounds, but it would have looked awkward to turn away and walk right past them.
'It won't change anything if I'm a few minutes late.'
Blair nodded slightly.
"Very well."
Blair and Mason stepped out to the mansion's entrance. Five knights on horseback approached and dismounted before her and Mason.
They were all wearing cloaks to shield their faces from the biting winter wind.
The man standing in the center approached with lighthearted banter.
"Oh, dear. I never imagined you would personally come out to welcome us on our very first meeting... It is truly an honor. If I had known this would happen, I should have bought a gift on the way."
Blair, who had been absentmindedly watching the man approaching while lowering the cloak covering his face, paused. The eyes visible beyond the cloak were familiar.
'This person is...'
Blair's eyes trembled violently as she recognized those eyes.
They were the eyes of the assassin who had killed her. Although
there was no stab wound scar on his nose, it was undoubtedly that man.
"Nice to meet you, Madam. I am Caligo Elparind, a Knight of Delmark."
He kissed the back of Blair's hand with a nonchalant grin. The man's lips touching her hand were terrifyingly cold.
'I hadn't even considered the possibility that he might be a Knight of Delmark.'
Blair's hand, held by him, trembled. She felt she had to say something—anything—but she felt suffocated, as if someone were strangling her.
Just then, the sound of approaching hooves was heard. It was Herdin, Ruth, and a few knights. They had just returned earlier with Herdin.
As soon as Caligo saw Herdin, he beamed and let go of Blair's hand.
"Wow, even our Excellency welcomes us like this."
However, Herdin dismounted and walked past Caligo, heading straight toward Blair.
Despite his arrival, Blair could not take her eyes off Caligo.
Seeing this, Herdin ordered Caligo to leave.
"That is enough greeting. Caligo, you must have had a hard time traveling such a long way, so get some rest."
"Yes. Then I will see you again, Madam."
Caligo bid a good-natured farewell and walked away with the knights who had accompanied him.
Blair stared blankly at their retreating figures. She looked somehow fragile.
Herdin instinctively reached to embrace Blair, but paused upon noticing the dirt on his clothes. He took off his leather gloves and held Blair's hand with his bare hands.
Feeling that warmth, Blair finally lifted her gaze, which had been fixed in place, to look at him.
"Are you feeling unwell?"
The hand she held was warm as always, yet his warmth terrified her.
She feared he might turn violent at any moment and strangle her.
Blair quietly pulled her hand away from his grasp and replied,
"...I'm fine."
Herdin narrowed his brows. Contrary to her words that she was fine, her expression looked anything but.
He ordered Lina, who was standing beside him,
"Take the madam to her room."
Supported by Lina, Blair went up to the room but looked back. Herdin was talking to Mason about something.
Words she could neither ask nor hear an answer to scratched painfully at her throat.
***
Returning to her room, Blair sat blankly on her bed.
As her emotions subsided and her mind cooled, questions and hypotheses finally began to surface one by one.
'Why did that man kill me?'
Since they had little connection, it couldn't have been due to personal feelings, nor was it for any personal motive. After all, there was no benefit for a mere knight to gain from killing her.
It must be Herdin...
Blair stopped thinking at that point.
'...No, no. Perhaps the Knight Caligo thought I was a hindrance to Delmark.'
Although he had approached her kindly upon their first meeting today, given his deep loyalty to Herdin, he might have acted unilaterally, wanting to eliminate her at any moment.
However, there was something that weighed on her mind when making that assumption.
'I am an Imperial Princess before I am a Duchess. If something were to happen to me, it would lead to discord with the Imperial Household. Surely he wouldn't go that far?'
Hit by a dead end, another hypothesis came to mind.
'Perhaps he is a spy planted by a third party who desires discord between the Imperial Household and Delmark.'
Thus, Herdin and her own death might be unrelated. But… … .
'… … No. I must not trust anyone.'
She could not completely rule out the possibility that Herdin might be the mastermind.
Come to think of it, there were plenty of reasons why Herdin would dislike her.
She was a wife forced upon him by the enemy's family, she had no memory of clearing Esmeralda's false accusation, and he had another woman he loved.
Blinded by love, he might have tried to kill a wife who was useless and a hindrance.
It was ridiculous to think, even for a moment, that he was unrelated to her death.
Blair nervously stroked her hands and thought about her future plans.
'Simply running away without knowing anything won't solve anything.'
If Caligo's actions stemmed from personal feelings or loyalty, everything would be resolved by relinquishing the Duchess's position or fleeing; but if there was a mastermind behind it, the story would be different.
As long as there was a mastermind with a clear objective for her death, he might continue to try to kill her.
To avoid death, she first had to know why she had to die, and to uncover that, she had to learn about Caligo.
'Who he colluded with, and why he killed me.'
Blair decided to entrust Mikhail with the investigation into Caligo and took out a letter to write.
Just then, she felt a presence behind her.
"You didn't hear the knock, so I thought you might have dozed off."
Startled by Herdin's sudden appearance, Blair closed the letter she was writing and turned to look at him.
Herdin was wearing a robe, as if he had just washed up. His gaze was fixed on the letter.
Only then did it occur to her that her actions might actually look suspicious, but fortunately, he merely watched for a moment and asked nothing.
He gently lifted Blair and sat down in the chair. Then, he untied the straps of her dress. The action was remarkably natural.
As the dress loosened, her white, round shoulders were revealed. Herdin buried his lips in her shoulder and asked,
"How about your body?"
A hot breath, accompanied by a languid baritone, tickled her shoulder. His unhesitating touch, which she should have become accustomed to by now, still felt strange to Blair.
Noticing that he was asking because he remembered her pale complexion from a moment ago, Blair answered a beat late.
"...I'm fine."
As if taking those words as permission, his hand, which had been wrapped around her waist, moved up and cupped her rounded mound.