Chapter 44

Blair was about to take a sip of the cider when she stopped and studied Edmund’s expression. Just a few days ago, his reliance on cold logic had made things feel a bit awkward, but now his noticeably gentler demeanor stood out. That clear contrast softened the lingering hurt in her heart. Was he being considerate because she’d been tense during the ceremony? Or was this, too, a calculated attitude meant for the crowd?

Trying to read his intentions by scrutinizing his face had become a habit. Even so, she never managed to find any clear answer in his flawless, upright features. In the end, she was the only one who kept spilling her true feelings for nothing.

“I feel the same way.”

Edmund met Blair’s eyes and quietly let a smile form. As she gazed at that impeccable face, she continued speaking. As time passed and she slowly came to know this man, one particular incident suddenly came to mind.

“Edmund. Do you remember where we first met?”

He nodded readily.

“It was the banquet hall at Kensington Hall.”

“More precisely, it was the second-floor balcony. The one connected to the darkened drawing room.”

“….”

“You already knew there were people inside carrying on a secret affair, didn’t you?”

She’d been startled by the sight of a naked man and woman entangled together, rushed out onto the balcony, and run into Edmund. Wanting to keep him from seeing that indecent scene, she’d impulsively asked him for a cigarette, and that was how it began.

She realized only later. There was no way such a sharp man could have been deaf. And that the couple secretly coupling in that secluded place had been Isaac and Nicoletta. If Blair hadn’t been there, Edmund would have flung the door open without caring what they were doing and crossed the room on his way.

“I knew.”

He admitted it without much hesitation. Blair ended up letting out a laugh.

“Then you must’ve seen right through my rambling too.”

“Very clearly.”

“Thank you for playing along. It must have been embarrassing to witness that disgraceful scene with a complete stranger.”

Thanks to that, she got to know him, and Blair didn’t regret her impulse then. At least not yet.

“Didn’t you also show consideration for me, Miss Blair?”

“I did?”

“An innocent man who was simply passing time alone on a balcony was suddenly about to witness something filthy. Didn’t you want to protect him?”

Blair burst out laughing aloud. It was loud enough that people standing nearby turned to look. She covered her lips and leaned slightly toward Edmund.

“There’s a bit of exaggeration there, but… yes.”

“I wanted to protect that considerate heart of yours as well.”

“You’re rather kind.”

“Rather.”

He echoed her words with a smile.

“Considering that a man you don’t even care for will be taking you to bed tonight, that’s quite a generous assessment.”

For a moment, the smile lingering on Blair’s lips faded. She lowered her eyes as if carefully weighing her response, then lifted her head again to meet his gaze. Edmund was still smiling.

“What can I do? It’s a matter of mutual interest. I just have to understand it, literally.”

“You’ve grown quite composed in just a few days.”

“I’m trying to understand you. I thought that way, maybe I could slowly start to trust you.”

“You’ve found a new way to earn trust.”

“Either way, I’m someone who needs trust, Edmund. If you want to maintain a good relationship of mutual interest with me, please remember that.”

Watching Blair assert herself without wavering, Edmund fell silent. When he didn’t respond, the conversation came to a halt, and the two of them simply looked at each other amid the clamor of the banquet hall. That was when a maid quietly approached and intervened.

“Young Master, the Duchess of Libert says she has something urgent to discuss with you.”

“Tell her I’ll see her separately this evening.”

“Um… she said she must see you right now.”

Blair pricked up her ears. There was a sharp tension in the maid’s voice as she delivered the message. At that, Edmund set his glass down on the table and rose from his seat.

“I’ll be right back, so wait here, Blair.”

“I will.”

Blair answered meekly and took a sip of the cider. After a moment, she slowly shifted her gaze and watched Edmund’s back as he left the banquet hall, then set her glass down. After repeating a few slow breaths, she impulsively pushed back her chair and stood up.

She crossed the hall where guests’ laughter and music blended together. Moving like any bride stepping out to find a sitting room, she headed in the direction Edmund had gone and exited the banquet hall.

She lost sight of Edmund’s shadow, but it didn’t take long to find him again. Thinking the duchess might have summoned him to a drawing room, she went nearby and instead heard voices coming from a nearby corridor.

“Do you dare try to harm my only son!”

At the sharp, furious shout, Blair hurriedly hid herself behind a stone pillar. The voice belonged to none other than Isabelle. Soon after, a low voice followed, sounding almost like a sigh.

“You’re overreacting again. Benjamin merely fulfilled his duty as the attending physician.”

“I told you none of your lackeys would ever lay a hand on my son!”

“Rufus came to Benjamin complaining of pain. As a doctor, he had no choice but to prescribe medicine.”

“These filthy creatures… If even a single hair on Rufus’s body is harmed, I won’t let it go!”

Blair gasped silently. The duchess surely had no idea this marriage was a sham, yet even so, how could she spew such abuse on her son’s wedding day, blood-related or not? But Edmund’s reply that followed was even more shocking.

“Filthy creatures, you say. Rufus is the one suffering from a skin disease contracted through illicit relations. Surely you know better than anyone who brought prostitutes into the estate not long ago.”

Smack. The sound of flesh splitting echoed through the corridor. Blair was so startled she had to clamp a hand over her mouth. The duchess’s vicious language, so unlike her usual elegance, was hard enough to believe, but the fact that she had struck Edmund was even more shocking.

“You… how dare you… trying to end my line…!”

“Enough of the contradictions.”

Edmund shot back coldly.

“Rufus can no longer carry on the line.”

“You wretch!”

“If you’re finished speaking, I’ll be taking my leave. My wife is waiting.”

“Go to hell! You useless piece of trash! You should’ve ended up crushed and dead like your mother!”

Footsteps came striding in this direction. Blair ignored the violently pounding of her heart, kept one hand over her mouth, and ran at full speed back toward the banquet hall.

***

When Edmund returned to the banquet hall, he immediately sensed something was wrong.

Blair was seated where she’d been before, but her face was deathly pale, and she was breathing in short, ragged gasps. The sight was unmistakably alarming.

“Blair, what happened?”

Instead of answering, the woman who was breathing shallowly looked up at him. Edmund cupped her face. Faint tears had gathered beneath her bright hazel eyes.

“What on earth happened?”

“I… a little while ago, on my way back alone from the sitting room….”

“….”

“I fell.”

“You fell?”

A frown formed between his brows as he examined her closely. There were no bloodstains seeping through her skirts, so it didn’t seem like she’d suffered any serious abrasions. He’d thought that while he was away, someone might have harassed her, but instead it was this.

As he lightly held her small face and checked her from side to side, she let out uneven breaths and watched his reaction, which felt oddly suspicious. Edmund took out his watch to check the time, then quickly made a decision.

“I’ll take you to the bedroom. It’s best for you to rest for the remainder of the day.”

“Huh, already? What about the guests….”

“That’s not what matters right now. You’ve gone pale. I should call a doctor.”

“A doctor? I’m really fine.”

“Even if you feel fine now, injuries need to be examined properly.”

“Edmund.”

Blair shook her head and waved her hands in refusal, but he paid no attention. He took hold of her arm and helped her to her feet, then called over a maid who was standing nearby.

“Send for Benjamin immediately. Have him come straight to my bedroom.”

“Yes, Young Master.”