The next day, Blair went to Herdin's office upon his summons.
Herdin and a middle-aged man she had never seen before were waiting in the office. It wasn't hard to guess who the man was.
The man bowed politely upon seeing Blair.
"I am the hypnotist Marcel. It is an honor to meet you, Princess Imperial Highness. No, I suppose I should address you as Duchess now."
As he spoke, he alternated glances between Blair's hand and eyes.
It was customary for men to kiss the back of a lady's hand as a sign of respect when meeting imperial or high-ranking noblewomen.
Having lived twenty years as a princess, it was a familiar and natural gesture to her.
Blair noticed and extended her hand to him.
But at that moment, Herdin, who had been leaning crookedly against the desk, stood and interjected as he passed between them.
"We have a tight schedule, so let's begin immediately."
Marcel awkwardly lowered his lost hand, blocked by Herdin, and promptly began preparing for the hypnosis.
Seated in a rocking chair in one corner of the office, Blair gazed anxiously at Herdin.
He seemed intent on watching the hypnosis, standing firmly in place.
"Herdin. If you're busy, you can leave me and go attend to your work."
"They say those who awaken difficult memories sometimes suffer greatly. As your husband, it's only right that I stay by your side."
Hearing this, Marcel thought the duke must cherish his wife greatly, but Blair knew better.
His blue eyes stared at her coldly, belying his words of concern.
'How could I trust you?'
Blair closed her eyes as if to banish the cold voice echoing in her mind, then slowly opened them.
"I'm ready. Let's begin, Marcel."
The lights illuminating the dim room went out, and the pendulum in Marcel's hand began to swing.
Blair's eyes slowly blinked following the pendulum's motion before gently closing.
In the quiet room, only Marcel's low voice resounded.
"You are returning to ten years ago, the day the fire broke out in the Empress's Palace. You must have been about ten years old. Is that right?"
"...Yes, that's right."
Blair's responding voice was a slow mumble, as if speaking in her sleep.
Herdin, arms crossed and leaning against the window, watched the scene.
"What are you doing?"
"Going to the... Empress's Palace. Sneaking away from Mother. Mother hates me going to the Empress's Palace."
"Then you'd better hurry. It's about time to arrive. Have you arrived?"
"Yes.... Her Majesty the Empress is welcoming me."
"What do you do there now?"
"We drink warm cocoa and talk. We play card games with the maids too."
"What next?"
"I think I fell asleep."
"Slowly open your eyes. What do you see?"
At Marcel's question, the faint smile vanished from Blair's previously serene face.
"...It's dark."
"It must be a very dark night. Is there nothing visible around you?"
"No. Just my dress..."
"Your dress? Where is this place?"
"...Inside a wardrobe, I think."
At Blair's words, Herdin's eyes sharpened.
During the incident, Blair had been found collapsed in the Empress's Palace corridor, discovered and rescued by knights who came to save the Empress.
And in the Empress's room were Esmeralda, who had hanged herself, and her maid, both dead.
No one knew exactly what had happened that day in that place.
The maids who had been staying in the Empress's Palace that day had fallen asleep after drinking tea laced with sleeping pills and perished along with the palace in the flames.
Blair was the sole survivor of that incident.
Blair's memory began when she woke up inside the Empress's Palace wardrobe. That was all.
She had no recollection from the wardrobe to being rescued in the corridor. Thus, the real memory recovery would begin now.
Marcel also sensed this and adjusted his posture.
"What are you doing in there?"
"I don't know. I just woke up inside the wardrobe..."
"Then shall we go outside now?"
At Marcel's suggestion, Blair gasped for breath. She seemed terrified.
"...I can't go out."
"Why? Is the door locked? Or is there another problem?"
"I don't, don't know. I can't go out. If I go out... I can't."
Herdin's brows furrowed slightly as he watched Blair. Beyond the wardrobe she couldn't see must lie the truth of that day.
"Hm, then how about just peeking out through the door crack? To see what's happening outside."
"I don't want to see... I don't want to look. It's scary..."
Blair shook her head and whimpered like the ten-year-old child from that time.
"No matter what is there or what is happening, nothing will happen to you. Now, take a deep breath."
"F-Fire... Smoke is coming in."
Blair began coughing and gasping as if truly inhaling smoke.
"Then let's go out of the wardrobe now. Open the door."
"The door... The door won't open."
Blair gasped in a terrified voice. Marcel then calmed her.
"You can open that door. It will open if you want it to."
Blair had been found in the corridor that day. Whether someone helped her or she escaped on her own, the wardrobe door had opened somehow.
Her belief that she couldn't open it was likely a barrier created by her subconscious.
But Blair still couldn't open the door.
"Ugh.... I hate this. I don't like this.... Save me. Please save me. I can't breathe..."
She even shed tears, twisting her body. Her already pale face had completely drained of color.
Only then did Herdin realize why Blair had tried to send him away before starting the hypnosis.
"...Stop."
But Marcel seemed not to hear, continuing to press Blair.
"You must open the door. Open it and come out!"
"Ugh.... Ugh.... Heok..."
Blair's breathing grew increasingly ragged, as if she might suffocate. Her frail body trembled like an aspen leaf. It seemed she might truly die like this.
Seeing her like that made his heart sink.
If this was acting, the woman deserved to be a master actress, not some boring duchess.
Herdin straightened from the window and commanded Marcel.
"...Wake her."
"Victory is just ahead. You must overcome this wall to awaken the memories buried in your subconscious."
Deep in the hypnosis, Marcel ignored Herdin's order and kept pushing Blair.
"Now, open the door. Open the door and come out to survive. Hurry—"
Herdin grabbed Marcel by the collar and yanked him up.
"Stop and wake her, I said!"
Facing Herdin's murderous eyes, Marcel finally realized he had offended him and froze.
"I-I'm sorry, Your Excellency."
Herdin released him roughly and approached Blair.
"Wake up, Blair."
He lifted the still-gasping Blair into his arms.
Then, Blair, who had been twisting in agony and sobbing, snapped her eyes open. Tears welled in her eyes and streamed down.
"Heok.... Hng..."
But even after waking from the hypnosis, she still breathed as if trapped in the fire, unable to catch her breath. Her pupils, though open, lacked focus.
Herdin stroked the back of her trembling body, as if in a fit, and whispered lowly.
"Breathe. Slowly."
Following the slow caress of his hand on her back, Blair's breathing gradually steadied. Her dazed pupils regained their light with each blink.
Finally, when her teary violet eyes fully reflected him, Herdin let out a quiet sigh.
Leaving the terrified Marcel behind, he carried Blair to her bedroom.
Seating Blair on the bed, Herdin checked her once more. To see if his image was fully in her eyes.
Confirming it, he rose to leave.
"Herdin."
A frail voice urgently caught him as he turned.
"Earlier, in the memory, I vaguely heard a voice. Someone talking outside the wardrobe. The sound was too soft to make out what they were saying, but..."
Herdin, who had paused to wonder what she would say upon regaining her senses, let out a scoff.
The woman was talking about the memory she had seen under hypnosis moments ago.
Despite wanting to flee from that memory and ultimately choosing to die inside the wardrobe.
"Maybe next time, I can get out of the wardrobe... The voice I heard today was one I hadn't heard before."
Irritation suddenly surged at her calm voice speaking of next time.
After nearly dying, gasping for breath just moments ago. With tears still drying in her reddened eyes, to bring that up first was absurd.
"Is that important right now?"
Though he suppressed his emotions, the chill in his eyes was clear.
Then what was more important?
Blair blinked, puzzled by his anger.
"The purpose of calling the hypnotist was to awaken the memories."
Thinking briefly, Blair guessed the reason for his anger.
They had finally approached the truth of that day, but she had failed to endure and woken up, frustrating him.
"Next time, I'll hold out a bit longer. There won't be any issues with the contract, so don't worry too much."
She spoke calmly, but her small hand on the blanket still trembled. Enough for him to see.