Chapter 36

Contrary to her resolve, Blair tossed and turned for a long time before finally closing her eyes. Even then, her sleep was shallow, and she kept drifting off and waking again. In the end, she woke at dawn, just as she always did.

Lying still and staring up at the unfamiliar ceiling, Blair shifted her gaze to the table clock on the console. A little past 6:40. It was the same time she usually woke up, but what was she supposed to do here? After blinking a few times, she got out of bed for now.

“…Is it going to rain?”

The sky beyond the large glass window looked unusually dark, enough to make her uneasy. After lingering by the window for a moment, Blair went into the bathroom connected to the bedroom to wash up, changed into an indoor dress, and stepped out into the corridor. While staying at Chails, she didn’t think Edmund would give her any specific instructions, but lying around doing nothing didn’t suit her nature.

While going down the stairs, she heard movement in the first-floor entrance hall. Then she ran into Edmund, who was just about to head out.

Even at such an early hour, he was dressed impeccably in a tailored suit. Keeping the posture he’d been in while turning the doorknob, Edmund looked up at Blair. Beside him stood a young butler, bowing respectfully.

When Blair approached, he quietly dismissed the butler and straightened. Now the two of them faced each other.

“You’re up early. You could’ve slept more.”

“It’s a habit. Are you heading out now, Lord Libert?”

“I usually have a regular meeting at Regent Central Bank at this hour.”

After thinking briefly, he added, “I plan to be back before dinner.”

He then looked down at Blair with an expression that seemed to be waiting for her response. She also fell into thought for a moment. What had she been thinking as she went to bed last night? The few days she would spend at Chails were no different from a rehearsal for the life that awaited her.

What kind of conversation were people bound together as husband and wife supposed to have? After pondering that, Blair soon smiled faintly and spoke.

“…I’ll wait. Please be careful.”

“All right. See you later.”

Edmund replied with a smile, as if he’d just watched an amusing play. It didn’t feel mocking, so it wasn’t unpleasant. Still, Blair felt awkward and lowered her eyes, fidgeting slightly. Then something crossed her mind.

“Oh. It looks like it’s raining outside. You should take an umbrella.”

“I will. Thank you.”

Given his personality, he’d likely already checked the weather, but Edmund nodded readily. Even after they’d finished exchanging greetings, he didn’t step outside right away.

“I was thinking, Blair.”

“…Yes?”

“Until we go to Eldenvale, it might be necessary for us to appear a bit more intimate.”

For a foolish moment, Blair almost asked who he meant, then closed her mouth. Of course, he meant the two of them. Hearing her name spoken in his low voice felt unfamiliar, making her chest itch slightly, and a beat later, the reality of the suggestion that they needed to look intimate set in.

“Then… what should we do?”

She’d never even dated anyone in her life. She didn’t have any close friends either, so she had no idea how to act intimately with someone. Fortunately, Edmund offered an answer.

“How about starting by calling each other by name?”

“Your name…?”

“We’ve spent quite a lot of time together, yet you still treat me like a stranger.”

Was that so? Edmund was a man who would close the distance until he felt close enough to touch, then at some point make himself feel like a complete stranger. He’d once suggested they remain friends, but it was never easy, and with her heart pounding on top of that, her discomfort toward him might have slipped out without her realizing.

“Then, until you get back… I’ll try practicing today.”

“So I’ll have a much more affectionate wife waiting for me when I return.”

…So this was my assignment. Feeling a strange sense of being put on the spot, Blair looked up at the man smiling playfully. She could be certain that smile, at least, came from genuine feeling, not calculation. From time to time, he seemed to enjoy himself whenever she was flustered. Before long, Edmund opened the door leading outside.

“I’m heading out. If you need anything, tell the butler.”

“Yes. See you this evening.”

Then the front door closed. Even after Edmund left, Blair remained standing there for a while. In the stillness of the early morning, his absence felt unexpectedly heavy.

***

Left alone, Blair truly had nothing to do. The single task given to her was to practice calling Edmund by his name naturally by the time he returned, but she had no confidence at all.

If she wanted to feel closer, what should she do first? She needed to know more about him. Thinking about it, Blair didn’t actually know Edmund very well. She couldn’t confidently say she knew anything about his personality, tastes, or interests. So before going to Eldenvale, she decided to explore this townhouse, Edmund’s private space.

When she asked the butler to guide her, he readily agreed. Quiet, he seemed less like a typical butler and more like an attendant who stayed close to Edmund at all times.

“On the first floor are the master’s bedroom and reception room, the dining room you visited last night, and the private garden.”

The private garden, enclosed on all sides by glass, was like a greenhouse set indoors. Blair found herself especially taken with this beautiful hideaway.

“The second floor is mostly the study and guest rooms, and the third floor houses the servants’ quarters.”

“I see. Would it be all right if I visited the study?”

Entering Edmund’s bedroom wouldn’t be proper, but the study, where he likely spent the most time after his bedroom, seemed acceptable. The butler nodded.

“I’ll show you the way.”

As she followed him into the study, the heavy scent of paper and leather bindings mingled and brushed against her nose. Blair stepped closer to the bookshelf that filled one entire wall. Running her eyes along the spines, she saw not only various economics texts and law books, but also quite a few volumes on history and art history. Since he was a man deeply interested in art, she vaguely thought it was only natural and turned her attention elsewhere.

The large mahogany desk set in the center of the study was impeccably organized. Aside from a high-quality fountain pen and ink bottle, a neatly placed notebook, and a few blank sheets of paper, there was nothing on it. Even though it was a private space, it seemed he kept all important documents locked away in drawers.

Blair’s gaze returned to the notebook resting on the desk. If it were for important notes, he wouldn’t have left it out like this. Could it be a sketchbook?

Blair owned something similar herself, so she could guess. If so, what kind of drawings had Edmund left inside? Curiosity stirred at the thought that it might contain parts of his thoughts she hadn’t seen, but she didn’t have the courage to open it without permission.

Blair left the study and asked the butler to bring her some black tea, then headed for the private garden she’d started calling the glass greenhouse in her mind.

She spent half the day wandering around the townhouse, but it was fair to say she gained almost nothing from it. The one thing she did learn was that Edmund was extremely secretive and not someone who trusted others easily.

‘Then what kind of person am I to him?’

For the time being, the only person Blair could trust and rely on was Edmund. Even if their relationship was built on a contract, she’d felt drawn to him even before that, so if possible, she hoped the bond tying them together would be trust. Of course, there was a clause in the contract stating they must not betray each other, but trust bound by ink and trust born from the heart could never be the same.

“The master has returned.”

Lost in such deep thought, Blair only belatedly registered the butler’s voice. She set down the black tea, now cold with several sips left, and stood. Through the transparent wall, she could see Edmund opening and closing the front door of the townhouse as he entered.

“Welcome back.”

After hesitating, Blair added, “Edmund.”

The voice that left her lips sounded strangely awkward. In contrast, he accepted the greeting with complete ease.

“It feels good to come home and find I’ve gained a wife while I was out.”

“I’m glad it sounded intimate.”

“It seems Miss Blair is better suited to carrots than whips.”

“Is there anyone who dislikes praise?”

“That wasn’t praise just now, but it wasn’t bad. It rained heavily through the afternoon, but thanks to the umbrella, I made it back without getting wet. Thank you.”

The man who wielded both whip and carrot at once smiled. Blair paused, then lifted the corners of her lips and did her best to smile warmly as she followed his lead.

“I might turn out to be a better wife than you expected.”