"Sweet dreams, my darling."
Blair gently kissed the small head of Asiel, who had fallen asleep in her arms, and laid him in his cradle.
The child was sleeping peacefully, sucking his finger.
Blair touched the child's small hands and feet with a faint smile, then returned to her room.
Only then did the smile disappear from Blair's lips, which she had been consciously maintaining in front of the child.
The room where she always stayed alone suddenly felt lonely and desolate.
Sometimes when that emptiness grew, she would bring Asiel to her room and sleep holding him, but today she deliberately left the child in his room.
Because she felt like she was about to burst into tears that she had been holding back.
Because she didn't want to show this side of herself to Asiel.
Because she hoped that lovely child would never know this side of his mother.
"Haah…"
Blair collapsed onto the sofa.
The child had his second birthday, modest but happy. Surrounded by servants who congratulated him, eating delicious food, and receiving plenty of birthday gifts sent by vassals.
It was a perfect birthday.
Except for the fact that Herdin, his father, wasn't there.
The child would laugh happily as if just having his mother was enough, but whenever the door opened as servants came and went, he would look for Herdin, wondering if his father had come.
Every time she saw this, Blair's heart shattered miserably.
She could understand Herdin neglecting her. But she couldn't bear him being indifferent even to Asiel.
'Asiel doesn't know anything. At his age, he should be receiving nothing but love from his parents…'
It broke her heart to think that Herdin's neglect of Asiel was all her fault.
Suddenly, she regretted loving that indifferent man.
'If I could go back to the past, I wouldn't love that person then.'
Just as Blair was swallowing the rising tears, a sound broke the silence of the room — creeak.
Blair raised her head, thinking, could it be?
"…Herdin?"
But what she faced when she looked towards the door was an intruder wearing a black mask.
The man's face, hidden by the mask and darkness, wasn't clearly visible. However, the black eyes reflected in the sword under the moonlight and the hideous scar on the bridge of his nose were clearly visible.
Blair's heart sank as she faced the intruder.
As the man approached her, Blair instinctively tried to scream, but remembering Asiel sleeping in the next room, she clamped her mouth shut.
If she screamed, the child would wake up.
If the child cried, this man might notice the child's existence and go to kill him. That absolutely must not happen.
Blair turned her trembling body and ran towards the bell pull beside the bed.
But at that moment.
Thud—
A cold, chilling metal pierced her back.
"Ah…"
Along with the terrible pain, something hot burst from her mouth.
It was bright red blood.
But Blair, even while staggering, gritted her teeth and approached the bed.
And desperately shook the bell pull.
Help.
Please, someone protect my baby.
Even as she collapsed onto the bed, no longer able to endure, Blair didn't let go of the bell pull she had grabbed.
Even until the intruder, who had approached a step late, pulled out the dagger stuck in her.
At the same time, the sound of multiple footsteps was heard from the corridor.
The intruder who had retrieved the dagger disappeared over the balcony.
Blair blankly watched the back of the intruder as he crossed the balcony.
The unique pattern engraved on the handle of the dagger the intruder was sheathing glinted in the moonlight before disappearing.
Only after his figure had completely vanished did Blair release the bell pull she had been clutching so desperately.
'Thank goodness. I didn't let Asiel sleep in my room tonight…'
Gradually, she felt the shadow of death drawing closer.
She couldn't die like this.
What would happen to her poor baby who would look for his mother?
There were still so many things she wanted to do for him…
Blair recalled Asiel's face, flickering like an afterimage, and finally let her eyelids, which had been struggling to stay open, close.
Search "the duke only" at redcatty [.] com to read ahead up to chapter 170.