Headrin knocked and entered Blair’s bedroom.
Contrary to his expectation that she would be startled by his visit or already asleep, Blair sat at the table, engrossed in her work, unaware of his arrival.
‘What is she doing?’
A quick glance revealed she was writing.
‘……She’s so small.’
He had felt it every time he saw her, but watching from a distance, her frame seemed remarkably fragile. The dry cough she let out occasionally only emphasized her slightness.
‘And the room is freezing.’
Despite the harsh winter, the fireplace was nearly extinguished. The white snow piled up outside the window, the frigid air, and the pale woman amidst the gloom—Headrin approached, thinking the nickname ‘Snow Fairy’ suited her all too well.
Blair, still focused on her document, did not sense his presence until he leaned over her shoulder, resting a hand on the desk to inspect the page. She startled, jolting upright, and her head bumped into his firm chest with a soft thud.
“Ah.”
Headrin’s cool blue eyes met her wide, violet gaze.
“Why so surprised? It is our wedding night. It is only natural for a married couple to spend it together.”
“……I didn’t think you would come.”
“Even though you stayed awake waiting for me?”
Stung by his sharp remark, Blair pressed her lips together.
“I only waited just in case. Duke… no, it wouldn’t be polite for me to be asleep when you arrived.”
At the word ‘you’—devoid of honorifics—Headrin’s gaze darkened. He gestured to the paper.
“What is this?”
“A contract,” Blair explained quickly. “Since this is a contractual marriage, I thought it best to put the terms in writing.”
Headrin picked up the document, sat in the chair beside her, and began to read.
“Article 1. The contractor, Blair Sonnet Von Ardel, shall cooperate to the best of her ability in uncovering the truth behind the Empress’s Palace fire incident. The term of this contract is one year, but regardless of the duration, this agreement shall terminate the moment the truth is revealed. Responsibility regarding the truth shall follow Imperial Law.”
His languid, low-pitched voice echoed through the quiet room.
“Article 2. During the term of this contract, both parties shall respect each other as a married couple. ‘Respect’ here refers to fulfilling the responsibilities of a spouse, considering the other’s reputation. This includes eating meals together once a week or attending important banquets and events together.”
As he read, Blair suddenly wished she could revise the text. She realized she had unconsciously poured the resentment of her past life—where he had ignored and neglected her—into these clauses. Not that he could know the heart with which she had written them.
She offered a bitter smile.
“If you need to make any adjustments, please feel free to say so. I drafted this alone, so I am happy to amend it to reflect your opinion.”
Headrin looked up from the parchment.
“And what is the penalty if the contents of this contract are not fulfilled?”
Blair went speechless. She had considered the terms, but never the breach. She pondered for a moment before speaking with a resolute expression.
“If you do not uphold the contents of the contract…”
“If I don’t?”
“I won’t divorce you.”
Since this marriage was forced upon him by imperial decree, continuing the union must be a nightmare for him. He likely resented her, yet her threat seemed to carry no weight. He didn’t look fearful; he looked amused.
Headrin read the next clause.
“‘For the aforementioned reasons, if the other party desires intimacy, one shall comply up to twice a month to fulfill marital duties……’”
Headrin’s gaze shifted to Blair, his expression unreadable as he set the paper down.
“Surely you don’t mean that ‘intimacy’ for a grown adult implies merely holding hands and sleeping.”
Blair flushed, but she did not refute him.
“Are you offering to play the role of a mistress who warms the bed?”
He grew curious. What was the real purpose behind her desire to maintain this contract, even at the cost of her own body? He deliberately provoked her, and as expected, Blair took the bait.
“Don’t say it like that. I just…!”
“Just what?”
Stymied, Blair hesitated. This clause was the most important one—a necessity for the time when she would need to conceive Aziel. But she couldn’t tell him the truth. She couldn’t explain her regression, and above all, he must not know of Aziel’s existence. If he knew, he might eliminate the child to ensure a successor born of Miella.
That could never happen. Her plan was to finish her business, conceive Aziel, then divorce him and flee the Empire before the pregnancy was discovered.
She spun a lie.
“I just wanted to maintain a good relationship with you, for at least this long……”
Headrin sneered. A good relationship? How could that be possible? Because of her mother’s meddling and her own accusations, his late aunt had been buried in disgrace. He had been forced to accept it without ever knowing the truth.
Whatever her goal, she was clearly desperate. And desperation, he found, was amusing.
‘You ignored my desperation back then, and now you do this.’
If the most precious thing she possessed was her purity, he might as well take it. It felt like a fair trade.
Headrin rose and approached. The distance closed in an instant, and Blair held her breath. He was so close she could feel the heat radiating from him.
“Then, in accordance with this clause, I shall fulfill my marital duties.”
Blair flinched at the touch of his hand against her cheek and his low voice vibrating in her ear. She hadn’t expected him to invoke this clause himself; she had assumed he would be the last person to initiate intimacy.
“There’s no need to necessarily consummate the marriage……”
“I want to.”
His gaze was fixed on her red lips, his thumb tracing their line. Her heart hammered against her ribs. He looked up, their eyes locking.
“Right now.”
Intense, raw desire flickered in his blue eyes. Before she could react, he leaned in and swallowed her lips with his.
‘They say men can join bodies even with those they don’t hold in their hearts,’ she thought, trying to ground herself. This wasn’t love. It was merely a collision of desires. If she could offer him her body and eventually reach Aziel, she could endure whatever he wanted.
Blair suppressed her chaotic feelings and closed her eyes in resignation.
Headrin parted her lips, invading her mouth, his tongue tangling with hers as she instinctively tried to pull back.
“Uuung……”
A soft moan escaped her as his skin rubbed against her. Her breath hitched, and a wave of heat surged through her, clouding her mind. His lips were cruel, hot, and addictive.
Headrin lifted her with ease, seating her on his lap as he began to devour her in earnest—her plump lips, her ragged gasps, the sounds of protest dying in her throat. His hand wandered, gripping the budding mound visible through the fallen shoulder strap of her nightgown.
“Ah……!”
Startled, Blair pulled away. Headrin paused, his eyes burning like a savage beast’s whose meal had been interrupted. Even then, his arms held her tight, refusing to let his prey go.
She felt something heavy and hard beneath her as their bodies pressed together, and she froze. She wanted to move, but she feared that any motion would only bring them closer.
Blair shyly averted her eyes, her voice a fragile plea.
“To the…… let’s go to the bed.”
Headrin watched her for a moment before picking her up completely. Even in the short walk, he didn’t pull away, pressing his face against her neck like a nursing beast. He carried her to the bed, laid her down, and climbed over her, his hands moving to undo the rest of her gown.
His gaze remained fixed on her, dark and unrelenting.