Chapter 39

“You mean we’ll be staying in the marital bedroom?”

Blair’s guard went up at once. Edmund had clearly said there would be no obligation to share a bed with him, no duty to sleep together. Wasn’t this the exact opposite of what he’d promised?

“Isn’t this different from what you promised before?”

“By custom, it’s limited to the first night. This is a family that’s sensitive about heirs, so if one is to inherit the title, that rite alone can’t be ignored.”

“….”

“To ease your worries, I’ll say this clearly. There will never be a time when I lay a hand on you, Miss Blair. And sharing a bedroom in Eldenvale will be for that one day only. After that, we’ll each use our own rooms.”

Edmund looked down at her face, then asked in a voice laced with unmistakable amusement, “Were you perhaps expecting something else?”

“N-no… of course not…!”

“Then there’s no need to blush. What you’re imagining won’t become reality. I’ll admit my oversight.”

He looked as though he understood her objection, yet there wasn’t the slightest trace of regret in his apology. Faced with that rock-like composure she’d grown accustomed to, Blair felt her chest grow a little hot.

“…Is that all the apology you have?”

“Is there something more you want to hear?”

“Since this is a contractual relationship, wouldn’t it have been better to inform me in advance? If you spring something like the first night on me just days before the wedding, I’m the only one left to deal with the shock.”

“So you’re saying you needed time to prepare yourself.”

“Yes.”

Edmund lowered his gaze, then met Blair’s eyes again.

“If we were meant to mix bodies, I would’ve warned you long before signing the contract. Even if we spend the night in the same bed, we won’t touch so much as a fingertip. I assumed you were prepared for at least that much.”

Blair couldn’t find anything to say. She stared up at the man, far taller than herself, then finally turned her gaze away. She’d realized there was no room left to argue.

Beyond the glass window, the Libert estate lay wrapped in mist rising off the water, so hazy it was impossible to judge the passage of time. Still, since they’d left early in the morning, it was obvious it wasn’t even noon yet.

That only made Blair feel more stifled. Today was her first day at this man’s ancestral home, the wedding hadn’t even taken place, and it was still morning, yet things already felt like they were grinding against each other. The year ahead suddenly felt vague and overwhelming.

“I think there’s been a misunderstanding, Miss Blair.”

After a moment, Edmund broke the silence in a noticeably gentler tone.

“When I said you should share anything difficult that comes up in Eldenvale, I meant it sincerely.”

“I never doubted that.”

“It doesn’t look like you’re accepting it at all. Even in name alone, I’ll be your husband for a year. I see your discomfort and fear as things I’m responsible for managing. If you’re my wife, you’re entitled to that much, at least.”

“Ah, so you’re saying you respect me sufficiently.”

“Exactly.”

Seeing that Edmund’s expression hadn’t changed in the slightest, she sensed there wasn’t a shred of falsehood in his words. Even so, why did it still feel contradictory?

“All right. And there’s something I want to ask you, Lord Libert. It’s been bothering me.”

“Go ahead.”

“The article that was published the day after the gallery party. The one with that vulgar title about an ambitious young lady ensnaring two men.”

Edmund remained silent, as if urging her to continue, and as Blair looked at his characteristically unruffled face, she asked, “Did you know?”

She didn’t ask outright, but the implication was clear. Whether he’d already known before the article was published, or whether even that had been part of the plan he’d laid out.

“Does that matter?”

The answer that came back swept over Blair with a chill.

“A few days before the party, we talked about how ‘rumors’ are used. I believe I explained it sufficiently then.”

“….”

“From now on, when I explain something to you, would you prefer that I go over not only the result, but every single step of the process as well?”

He wasn’t being sarcastic. He was asking sincerely. If Blair nodded, she could almost picture him taking the time to explain everything in detail, as though teaching a child.

But who, in this situation, could bring themselves to ask for that? To request a bit more consideration from a man who treated even sharing a bed on the first night as a trivial notice, and who had meticulously calculated for an article to be published.

“…No. Please do as you see fit, Lord Libert.”

In the end, Blair let out a sigh and shook her head. “If there’s anything else I should know in advance, I’d appreciate it if you told me now.”

She’d made the demand sharply, almost out of pride, but immediately felt a twinge of regret. The clause about fulfilling the superficial duties of a married couple was so vague that, in the end, she’d likely have no choice but to move according to this man’s wishes.

“About once a week, you’ll need to attend a banquet held in Borsa with me. Weekends would be best. It was also a condition mentioned at Regent Bank, so this much shouldn’t be difficult.”

“Not difficult at all.”

“In the end, you might find yourself waiting only for that day to come.”

A faint, dry laugh slipped from between Edmund’s lips as he turned his head toward the window. It looked almost self-mocking.

“Eldenvale may be vast, but it’s a place that suffocates you.”

In his eyes lay emotions darker than the mist shrouding the expansive estate. Before Blair could grasp them, Edmund returned to his usual composed expression and looked at her.

“And your way of addressing me.”

“Yes?”

“You’ve been making the mistake of drawing a line between us. I’ve said it before, but since we need to appear intimate as an engaged couple, call me by my name. It makes it seem as though you want to keep your distance from me.”

Was that so? Without realizing it, she must have called him Lord Libert again.

It wasn’t that Edmund’s name felt unfamiliar on her lips. It was simply that her sense of closeness and trust toward him was still lacking, so she hadn’t been able to shorten the distance and had fallen back on using his surname out of habit. She’d never really called anyone by name with warmth before, which only made it more awkward. Unfortunately, this man had clearly chosen a woman clumsy at dealings of this sort.

“…All right. I didn’t mean to give you that impression.”

She answered meekly and lowered her eyes. Watching the woman avert her gaze, Edmund turned and grasped the doorknob.

“We’ll have dinner together with the whole family in the banquet hall this evening. When it’s time, I’ll send a maid to your room, so get ready and come down.”

With that, he left the bedroom. Blair stared at the spot where Edmund had disappeared, then dropped heavily onto the wide bed. Before long, she would be meeting Edmund’s biological father, the Duke of Libert, William Libert, the master of this vast land she had only heard of in rumors.

***

As evening drew near, Blair had her hair done with the help of a maid and changed into a dinner dress. Since this was a formal meeting with Edmund’s family, she chose accessories that weren’t overly ornate and made sure her appearance was neat and restrained. The woman in the mirror looked little different from her usual self, yet for some reason, she couldn’t shake the sense of unfamiliarity.

Following the guidance of the old butler Albert, who came to her bedroom, she headed toward the banquet hall. Edmund was waiting for her in front of the doors guarded by two doorkeepers, dressed just as impeccably. His black hair was slicked back with pomade, and he wore a dark suit without a single wrinkle. It was no different from his usual appearance, yet it felt unfamiliar all the same, perhaps because this was Eldenvale. As someone said, a place where time stands still.

“You look beautiful, Blair.”

Edmund lifted the corners of his lips as he took her in.

“It’ll do credit to me when I introduce you to my father.”

“…Thank you.”

As he extended his arm, he asked quietly, “Are you ready?”

Blair took a deep breath. Then she nodded once and set her hand on his forearm. Soon, the doors to the banquet hall opened on both sides, and dazzling light spilled through the gap.