Chapter 52

People glanced at Edmund, who completely ignored the rules and monopolized Blair, then went off to find their next partners. Forced to keep dancing in place with the same partner, Blair leaned in and whispered to him, “Um, shouldn’t we be switching partners next?”

“It’s my wife’s first ball. I’d like to take responsibility to the end.”

A faint, knowing smile flickered in Edmund’s eyes as he looked down at Blair.

“I didn’t realize you were so eager to impress the next partner.”

“Does that bother you?”

“It makes me want to take all of your firsts and turn you into someone skilled.”

“I’d appreciate it if you refrained from remarks that leave room for misunderstanding.”

“It seems my pure intentions are being misunderstood as something obscene, depending on the listener.”

Was that really her fault alone? Edmund had an impure side. Impure enough that she often misunderstood his words. Instead of continuing the conversation, Blair shook her head once and avoided his gaze. Even so, it was a pointless evasion when they were dancing hand in hand, their chests nearly touching.

“Clearly, you need quite a lot of practice.”

“Are you saying my dancing is terrible?”

“How could I say something like that to a lady? I thought it would be enjoyable to watch you slowly grow accustomed, just like this, while leaning into me.”

His hand, wrapped around her waist, lowered slightly to rest on her back. His fingertips moved faintly, as if they might touch the curve of her round buttocks, but went no further. They were only there to support her so she wouldn’t miss a step while dancing.

Even so, though she tried to avert her eyes, she soon found herself looking back up at him. What was Edmund thinking? He handled all things in the world with such sharp logic, yet he made people’s hearts this unsettled.

Even knowing that the way he sometimes confused her was part of the contract, a part of her still wished he would cross that line. She didn’t want to acknowledge that side of herself. Only a few days had passed since the wedding, yet her heart was already wavering.

“I think I’d be used to it after a year.”

So she deliberately brought up a future with a fixed end. Tightening her grip on their joined hands.

“That’s a shame. By then, we’ll be strangers, and we won’t even be holding hands like this.”

The waltz swelled to its fullest. Amid the crowd spinning round and round in time with the dance rushing toward its climax, the two of them stood as if bound, gazing quietly at each other. For a while, neither of them moved. Only after the music ended and the dancers applauded did Blair manage to slip free from Edmund’s arms. Until then, he hadn’t said a single word.

***

After the ball ended, the guests went up to their bedrooms one by one. It had been an unusually long day, and everyone looked thoroughly exhausted. Since Edmund and Blair were now officially husband and wife, they were assigned a single bedroom, which meant she had to face the night together with him.

“You go wash first.”

Casually yielding the bathroom, Edmund tugged at the tie around his neck as if it felt stifling. Blair nodded and walked quickly toward the bathroom. When they were alone, they didn’t need to pretend closeness, but an unidentifiable, suffocating tension hung in the air, leaving her far from comfortable.

Because the man waiting in the bedroom weighed on her mind, Blair gave up on drawing a scented bath. Instead, she finished a quick shower under the pouring water, dried her damp hair to a reasonable degree, and then left the bathroom.

Late at night, with insects chirring and cold moonlight seeping into the bedroom, Blair couldn’t immediately find Edmund. The room was spacious, but it felt strange that a man with such a strong presence was nowhere in sight, so she looked around with mild confusion. As her slippered steps grew cautious, she finally spotted him.

He was asleep in an armchair, the top few buttons of his shirt undone. Was he tired? He wasn’t someone who tired easily. Perhaps leaving Eldenvale for once had loosened his tension. Thinking this to herself, she approached him quietly, softening her footsteps.

The chair was by no means small, yet it was far too cramped for a tall man to lie on. As a result, Edmund was sprawled in an awkward, uncomfortable position. Blair brought a lightly clenched fist to her lips, swallowing the laugh that threatened to escape, and knelt in front of him.

“Edmund.”

The hand she lifted to wake him suddenly stopped in midair. Her heart began to pound. It was because she found herself staring, spellbound, at his tightly closed eyelids and the delicate sweep of his lashes, like those of a boy.

Edmund was completely defenseless in sleep. It was a sight only someone who had entered his private space could see. Perhaps because of the heavy rhythm of his breathing, he looked like someone wounded, finally resting after enduring too much. That might have been why she felt the urge to brush his slightly disheveled bangs back into place.

Her furtive gaze traced from his black hair to his smooth forehead, then down the straight bridge of his nose and the sharply defined line of his jaw. Broad shoulders and arms, and the large hand resting carelessly on the armrest. Blair recalled the sensation of being firmly held by that hand all day, unable to contain the quickening beat of her heart.

At that moment, Edmund’s lashes lifted, casting a long shadow across his flat cheeks, and their eyes met. Calm, unmoved gray eyes, as if he understood exactly what she had been doing.

Blair, who had been kneeling and secretly watching his sleeping face, sucked in a startled breath. Feeling as though her thoughts had been completely exposed, she parted her lips, and the words she finally managed to say were….

“I… should I sleep in the armchair?”

“….”

“It looks too small for you.”

Edmund blinked slowly, then raised a hand and rubbed his face. In a slightly hoarse voice, he replied, “Do I look like the kind of shameless man who would make a woman sleep alone in a chair?”

“No. But look at you. The chair really is far too small.”

After a moment of thought, Blair glanced once at the wide bed, large enough for two, and then spoke as if she’d made up her mind.

“Then… we can sleep together in the bed. I won’t be uncomfortable.”

“….”

“It’s so spacious. That seems like the most reasonable option. There’s no need for either of us to make unnecessary sacrifices.”

“Reasonable. My favorite word.”

Edmund curved his lips into a smile.

“It doesn’t sound like a particularly good idea, but since you’re generously offering, I won’t refuse.”

“…You must be tired. Go wash up.”

When he rose from the armchair and headed for the bathroom, Blair finally released the breath caught in her throat. After turning off all the lights except the bedside lamp, she went to the bed, pulled the covers over herself, and lay down.

She had no idea why her heart was pounding like this. But Edmund would never cross the line. Even though things hadn’t gone all the way on their wedding night, it was she herself who had wanted it first.

It was the same now. Unless she reached out first, he never would. That was to say, if she wanted him to hold her, then he would….

“No.”

Murmuring the word softly to herself, Blair shook her head quickly and hugged the covers tight. She stayed curled up in that confusion for quite some time before the bathroom door opened.

Her overly sensitive nerves focused on the movement behind her. Edmund walked over to the console table and turned off the night lamp. Soon, darkness settled completely over the silence. Only the moonlight pouring through the fluttering lace curtains illuminated them.

Footsteps approaching the bed. Not the slightest hint of impatience. The down-filled duvet was lifted, and the edge of the mattress sank slightly. A clean, pleasant scent washed over her, followed by a breath that sounded almost like a sigh. Blair still lay with her back to Edmund.

“Good night, Blair.”

The man, who knew she wasn’t asleep, spoke to her. Blair, blinking in the dark, moved her lips as well.

“You too. Sweet dreams.”