Chapter 49

8. Awareness

When Blair opened her eyes in the morning, the bedroom was utterly quiet. Lying alone on the bed, she stared at the ceiling. Even as birdsong drifted in through the open window, what had happened still didn’t feel real. That yesterday was her wedding day. That she’d spent her wedding night. Even now, thinking back, such an unbelievable wedding night….

She turned her head slightly and saw that the bedding on the other side was neatly arranged. When had he left the bedroom? She remembered him wiping down her body when she was too exhausted to move a finger, but because she’d fallen asleep first, her memory of lying in bed together with him afterward was hazy. Since Edmund had locked the door, it was certain they’d stayed in the same bedroom last night, and yet….

“Ha….”

She sighed and pressed a hand to her forehead, then suddenly felt the weight of the rings on her left finger. When she lifted her hand into the air, the engagement ring with its striking diamond and the wedding band stacked neatly beneath it caught the morning sunlight and sparkled. Those two layers of metal reminded her of the limits of this relationship and its expiration date.

How had she done something like that without even a drop of alcohol? It was something that could easily be permitted between husband and wife, but they weren’t a real couple. They weren’t even lovers, and just a few days ago, Edmund had coldly drawn a line, telling her not to concern herself with his private matters.

Yet it wasn’t quite right to say she’d simply been swept along by him. He was a man who would’ve withdrawn the moment she pushed him away and said no. In other words, Blair hadn’t disliked it either. Now that she’d regained her senses, her face felt hot, but she didn’t regret it. Why was that? It must’ve stemmed from the compassion she felt for Edmund and a long-standing desire to hold him. And then, and then….

As her thoughts continued, a knock sounded at the door.

Blair pushed aside the covers and got up, only then realizing she still wasn’t wearing a single thread of clothing. She noticed the red and purple marks scattered across her chest and gasped, then hurriedly grabbed the silk robe she’d taken off the night before and slipped her arms into it. Her hand trembled with tension as she opened the door.

She thought it might be a maid bringing breakfast, but it wasn’t. The moment she came face to face with the man standing beyond the door, Blair flinched. Eyes that had stripped away all the vulnerability of last night and returned to being perfectly composed. Looking up at those eyes, Blair held her breath.

Edmund, who had been about to speak, closed his mouth. His slightly sunken gaze swept over Blair’s figure wrapped in the thin robe.

“Should I come back a little later?”

“…Is it urgent?”

“No. There’s just something I’d like to say briefly.”

“Then come in.”

Blair stepped back while tightening the robe around herself. Thud. The bedroom door closed, and he walked inside with steady steps.

He glanced around briefly and asked, “Have you had breakfast yet?”

“…No, not yet.”

“You overslept. That’s unlike you.”

“I was quite tired.”

Blair replied, then added provocatively, “The person responsible for making me that way last night is standing right here.”

“Ah.”

Only then did a mischievous smile spread across the previously expressionless man’s face.

“I didn’t expect you to collapse from just that.”

“I had to wake up at dawn yesterday to prepare for the wedding.”

“I see. I’ll keep that in mind going forward.”

Edmund gave a light nod and straightened. Sensing that he was about to get to the point, Blair faced him and carefully drew the thin silk robe closed around herself.

“I plan to attend a hunting gathering with acquaintances tomorrow. It’s being held at the Marquis of Lancaster’s villa on the outskirts of Borsa, so we’ll be staying there for two nights.”

“So it’s an occasion I’ll be accompanying you to as well.”

“Of course. You’re my wife.”

There was a strange intensity in the way he emphasized the reason.

After a brief pause, Edmund continued, “I’m telling you in advance because there will be some faces there you may find uncomfortable. I thought it would be better for you to brace yourself even a day earlier.”

So Isaac Dorman would be there. Perhaps Nicoletta Underhill as well. And the idle onlookers who loved to gossip about anyone entangled in a scandal. Just imagining it made her uncomfortable.

However, attending social engagements together as a couple was a condition he’d mentioned from the moment he first brought up the contract, so Blair had no grounds to refuse.

“…It does help. Thank you for telling me in advance, Edmund.”

“You’re welcome.”

Edmund lifted the corner of his lips faintly. The conversation ended there. Since Blair hadn’t even eaten breakfast yet, he showed every sign of leaving at once. Feeling a sudden impulse, she opened her mouth.

“About last night.”

The problem was that she hadn’t managed to gather her thoughts.

“It wasn’t something I did out of the heat of the moment.”

Heat rushed to her cheeks. Looking up at the man whose expression remained calm, Blair did her best to steady her trembling. She wished she’d at least gotten properly dressed before facing him.

“Pretending nothing happened and just letting it pass like this feels a little… a little unsettling to me. I want to be clear about it.”

“What exactly do you want to be clear about?”

“Our relationship.”

“Our relationship.”

He repeated the words calmly. Unlike Blair, he didn’t seem to need any time to think. His reply came immediately.

“I didn’t act on impulse either. But defining a relationship based on a single night may be a bit hasty, don’t you think? The contract still comes first.”

“….”

“Still, I can’t help but ask. How would you like to define our relationship, Miss Blair?”

He asked in a serious tone, as though he would readily accept whatever answer she gave.

“Is there anything you want from me?”

That was precisely why Blair’s lips stayed tightly shut. How could she explain feelings she herself couldn’t name? She felt foolish. A fool who had let personal emotions cloud her judgment from the very first day of marriage.

“…No. There isn’t.”

After a long silence, Blair shook her head. It was an obvious lie, and her heart pounded wildly. Even knowing she was lying, Edmund didn’t press her with further questions.

“I’ll have a maid come. Eat something and get some rest.”

“….”

“It’d be best not to overdo it today.”

With that, he turned and left the bedroom. Left alone, Blair finally realized how foolish her confession had been

***

The Marquis of Lancaster’s villa, where the hunting gathering was to be held, was more than an hour’s drive from the capital, Borsa. Since they departed from Eldenvale, the journey would take a full two hours.

“Are you tired?”

At the voice coming from beside her, Blair’s shoulders twitched. Edmund looked concerned about her, having set out on the journey early in the morning. It was a perfectly reasonable question, yet she still found herself flinching.

“I’m fine. Do I need to carry a gun and take part in the gathering as well?”

“There’s no precedent of a lady participating in the hunt, but if you interested, it would certainly be possible.”

“No. I couldn’t possibly intrude on a place where gentlemen bond over such pursuits.”

For her part, learning how to shoot appealed to her far more than chatting idly with a group of noblewomen, and more than anything, she wanted to remain by his side. But she decided not to act on those feelings. Edmund had clearly drawn the line, stating that the contract came first, and she had to respect that boundary.

“We’ve arrived.”

As the silence stretched on, the automobile came to a stop before the marquis’s villa. After stepping down, they were guided inside by a footman. In the hall, guests who had arrived early were already gathered, and just as Edmund had warned her in advance, there were a few faces that made the atmosphere uncomfortable.