Chapter 32

“Are you going to suggest we move somewhere else just so you can kiss me?”

“I do know a secluded spot, but we shouldn’t forget today’s purpose.”

“I agree.”

Edmund answered with a soft chuckle and cast his gaze somewhere else. He seemed to have spotted a familiar face, because his expression eased noticeably. Watching that change, Blair turned her head as well.

“Lord Libert.”

“You came, Count Gillingham. And Countess.”

The Count and Countess who approached them were dressed not in the hectic, ostentatious fashion typical of Borsa, but in calm, neatly tailored evening wear. The man addressed as Count Gillingham continued the greeting in a distinctive eastern accent.

“Thank you for inviting us. It’s truly a feast for the eyes and ears.”

“I hope you’re having a pleasant time. Did you enjoy your wedding anniversary in your wife’s homeland?”

“Oh, certainly. I rushed back despite my wife’s glare because I couldn’t miss the banquet. Congratulations as well on the successful opening of Augier’s exhibition.”

“Isn’t that thanks to discerning investors like yourself, Count?”

“You flatter me. At most, my contribution amounts to a single small candle lighting one corner of the gallery. …That said, who might this beautiful young lady beside you be?”

As Count Gillingham bowed modestly, his attention naturally shifted to Blair. Only then did Blair realize that she must look like Edmund’s partner. Thinking about it, it was dangerous. She openly had a fiancé, yet here she was acting as another man’s partner. That was precisely why she was here, but it didn’t stop her heart from pounding.

“My apologies for the late introduction. This is Lady Blair Twyford, daughter of the Count of Twyford. The couple before you are the Count and Countess of Gillingham, who helped make this exhibition all the richer.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Count Gillingham, Countess.”

“It’s nice to meet you. My wife is from the Kingdom of Brücken, so she’s not yet comfortable with the common tongue. Please don’t misunderstand if she speaks little.”

“Of course. Even though I’m from Genoa, I tend to hold my tongue in unfamiliar settings as well.”

“How kind of you. Knowing she’ll find that sort of understanding in a foreign land will put my wife more at ease.”

As he added that, Count Gillingham turned a knowing smile toward Edmund.

“I see now why you’ve kept your partner hidden all this time, Lord Libert.”

“Hidden? I’ve done no such thing.”

Edmund replied evenly, and the Count laughed as he chimed in.

“I always thought it strange that the seat beside such a fine gentleman was perpetually empty. I never imagined you’d suddenly appear today with such a perfect partner. We’ll be hearing good news before long, I’m sure.”

Perhaps because he hadn’t been back in the capital for long, the Count seemed completely unaware that Blair was another man’s fiancée. Edmund made no effort to correct the absurd misunderstanding. Instead, he said, “With such praise, Lady Twyford will surely blush.”

“To my eyes, she’s only sparkling.”

“Is that so? If that glow is spoken of for a long time to come, I’d be more than satisfied.”

Count Gillingham laughed cheerfully, as if he’d heard a clever joke. Blair, who clearly understood that the remark carried deliberate intent, could only smooth it over with a smile a beat too late.

He was a man who never spoke carelessly, so she couldn’t let her guard down. She wasn’t given a moment to judge what was true and what was false. Under the weight of a gaze that crossed those boundaries without warning, her heart kept wavering uneasily.

“It seems we look good together.”

Edmund said it while tilting his glass, after seeing off the cheerful Count and Countess.

“To think we look like a couple about to be married even without acting especially close. It means we won’t have to try very hard.”

“You don’t seem bothered by situations like this at all. I honestly thought my heart was about to drop out just now.”

“Count and Countess Gillingham are rare nobles without much pretense. Their tongues are a bit lively, but that’s hardly a flaw in high society. If even dealing with them is overwhelming, it’ll be difficult for you to last long on this stage.”

It was a warning that this was nothing more than practice, so she should steel herself. Even so, Blair couldn’t calm her rigid breathing and kept scattering her breath, and he offered an appropriate suggestion.

“It might be better for you to look at a painting you like, Lady Twyford.”

“A painting?”

“As it happens, I acquired one more of Augier’s works after your last visit. I’ll show it to you.”

Edmund naturally extended his arm. Blair lightly placed her hand on it and followed his lead. Curious gazes from the guests gathered in the gallery kept flying toward them without pause.

He led her to a relatively quiet passageway where no standing tables were set up. Having been deeply impressed by the exhibition, Blair immediately recognized the new Augier painting.

However, it depicted a scene closer to a pond than a river. The water’s surface, a deep hue blending soft indigo blue and ink black, held a heavy color, with large lotus leaves and pink lotus blossoms floating atop it. There wasn’t a breath of wind, and the surface, fully bathed in sunlight, appeared almost lifelike, yet it felt subtly at odds with the exhibition’s theme, ‘River Bathed in Light’.

“It seems a little different in theme from the other paintings. Is there a reason you added this one?”

“Doesn’t a slight dissonance hold the gaze longer? Even if it doesn’t reach the sea, this is still a wave that has taken in light.”

Without taking his eyes off the pond painting, Edmund added, “More than that, it’s a painting that makes you wonder what might be submerged beneath the calm surface. I indulged a personal interest and acquired it before the exhibition opened.”

The repeated mention of personal interest stirred something inside her. The way he spoke of the artwork also felt as though it were directed at her, leaving a corner of her chest uneasy. Without changing her expression, Blair replied coolly, “I was taught that ponds are always tranquil. Instead, their bottoms are nothing but murky.”

“Why ignore the lotus that blooms beautifully, growing through the muddy water?”

Edmund countered in a gentle voice. Blair, finally at a loss for words, avoided his gaze. Even without looking directly at her, he would surely read the ripples rising within her. As she tried to focus on the uncomfortable painting, a low breath fell over the shell of her ear.

“Blair.”

His hand, now closer, caught her chin while her eyes remained fixed ahead. Blair slowly met Edmund’s gaze. Holding eye contact, a moment of heavy silence passed between them. His notably cool body temperature still lingered along her jawline.

“…Ah.”

At that moment, a stifled gasp reached them from afar. Turning her head, Blair had no difficulty identifying the owner of that voice.

It was Nicoletta Underhill. She looked as though she couldn’t believe her eyes, as if she were witnessing a scene she’d never anticipated. Nicoletta stared at the two of them in their intimate pose, a sight that could only be described as a relationship charged with romantic feelings, then finally spoke.

“I’m sorry. It looks like I’ve… interrupted some private time.”

She then studied Edmund’s hand gripping Blair’s chin. Before long, the look in Nicoletta’s eyes shifted, interest and curiosity mingling together.

“I heard something odd and thought I’d come take a look… hmm, so Lord Libert has been entertaining Lady Twyford.”

“As you can see.”

Only then did Edmund shift his attention to Isaac’s mistress.

“She’s a valued guest, so I was personally showing her around the exhibition.”

“Oh… I see.”

Nicoletta continued with a smile whose meaning was hard to read.

“Anyway, enjoy yourselves. And thank you for the invitation, Lord Libert.”

“You’re welcome.”

Nicoletta turned and disappeared out of the passage. From the hurried clack of her heels, Blair could easily read her urge to spread the illicit affair she’d just stumbled upon as quickly as possible. It wasn’t even amusing. Wasn’t Nicoletta herself the one who’d been at the center of a real scandalous affair?

“It’s not a bad start.”

“…Do you think Lord Dorman has arrived at the party as well?”

“I don’t care. As long as it reaches his ears properly.”