Chapter 54

“It looks like there’s a stream nearby.”

“I can hear running water too. But… ah! M-madam?”

The servant following behind Blair couldn’t hide his panic. Blair stopped and turned back to him with a puzzled look. The young servant, who didn’t look very reliable, had said he was the son of the villa’s cook.

“What is it?”

“I’m terribly sorry, madam. I was sure I put it in my pocket, but I think I dropped the fireworks on the way.”

He reported it with a face that looked close to tears.

“If you find your husband but lose the wager because of my foolish mistake… I’m truly sorry.”

“It’s alright. It’s not that serious of a mistake….”

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’ll carefully retrace our steps and look for it again.”

Blair pressed her fingers to her forehead and let out a sigh.

“It would be faster to ask the gamekeeper for another one.”

“…Ah! I’ll go get one right away!”

The servant hurriedly turned around and ran back the way they came. Watching his retreating figure, Blair let out a helpless laugh, then turned her head again toward the sound of water flowing nearby.

Maybe Edmund was around here. Whether she won the wager or not didn’t matter. She simply wanted to see him.

After passing through a thicket of wildflowers that reached her waist, she spotted a narrow stream trickling along. Sunlight filtering through the leaves shattered across the water’s surface and sparkled, while fallen leaves carried by the breeze floated lazily along. Smiling, Blair stepped closer to the stream. She bent at the waist and stretched out her arm, and cool water curled around her palm. It felt pleasant.

Then, from the opposite side of the stream, she heard a rustling sound. Blair flinched and looked up. It wasn’t the sound of a bird taking flight or a small animal running off, but the distinct sound of someone stepping on branches.

‘Who is it?’

Even when she widened her eyes and scanned her surroundings, the owner of the sound didn’t appear. Maybe she’d imagined it. Just as she was about to turn away with that vague conclusion, a sharp metallic click rang out.

Blair froze like a statue. She stood motionless in the middle of a step, blinking, then slowly turned her head toward the direction of the sound. Her heart dropped.

It was a familiar face.

“…Lord Dorman?”

Isaac Dorman. The man who had once been her fiancé. He stood on the opposite side of the stream, aiming a long rifle straight at Blair. His face was clouded with a dark, unpleasant expression. She had a bad feeling.

“Lord Dorman, what… what are you doing right now?”

Isaac Dorman didn’t answer and kept the barrel trained on her. His eyes were no different from a hunter’s gaze after finally spotting the prey he’d been tracking for a long time. Cold sweat formed at Blair’s temples. What on earth was he thinking?

Then Isaac advanced, still keeping his aim steady. One step, then another. Blair could only watch as he closed the distance, swallowing dryly. Her legs began to tremble beneath her dress.

The men didn’t know that Blair had entered the hunting grounds. She’d changed into a bright yellow dress, but if something happened to her because of Isaac, who would be able to tell whether it was an accidental shooting or something deliberate?

The barrel was now right in front of her face. Isaac Dorman watched Blair shake like a trembling leaf for a brief moment. Then he twisted one corner of his mouth upward and smiled.

“Lady Twyford. Or should I call you Lady Libert now?”

“…Would you lower the gun?”

“You’re pale enough to look like you’ll wet yourself, yet you’re putting on a stiff front.”

Muttering coldly, Isaac deliberately lowered the rifle at a slow pace. Blair hurriedly took a step back from him, on guard. Only then did her ragged breathing spill out.

“Lord Dorman, what is the meaning of this?”

“And what are you doing in a dangerous hunting ground? You should be sipping tea quietly at the villa. What if you get shot? Why are you barging into a place meant for men?”

“I’ll be leaving now.”

She sensed instinctively that continuing a conversation with someone holding a weapon and showing hostility toward her was dangerous. As she grabbed her skirt and turned around, a rough hand seized Blair’s shoulder and twisted her around forcefully. A groan escaped her.

“Ah…!”

“I’m not done talking.”

“L-let go of me!”

Isaac’s lips twisted. “Were you that happy becoming Lady Libert?”

“Didn’t you hear me tell you to let go?”

“How did it feel to switch men overnight, like changing hired carriages?”

In an instant, rage flashed in Isaac’s eyes as he revealed his true face. In those bloodshot eyes burned sparks born of delusion and resentment.

“Did you enjoy ruining my life and showing up as Lady Libert? You must be prepared to pay the price.”

The grip on her slender shoulder tightened as if it would break bone. Blair struggled in pain and resisted, but there was no way a man far larger than her would budge. She shook her head desperately.

“I don’t… understand. I’ve never ruined anyone’s life, nor have I ever owed anyone responsibility. My choice was entirely for my own life.”

“You dare spout such shameless nonsense!”

“Shouldn’t you be the one to reflect on yourself first, Lord Dorman?”

At that question, the color drained from Isaac’s face, then rushed back in a vivid red. It was the moment it became clear he couldn’t tolerate defiance and was furious to his core.

“Shut up, Twyford…!”

With a cracked shout, Isaac flung her away. Blair tumbled onto the grass and hurriedly pushed herself upright, but he thrust the muzzle toward her again, freezing her in place. Pale, she began backing away on her hips.

“You dared to stain my name, my family’s name. You branded me with shame that will never fade, and now you trample me under the name Libert?”

“P-please don’t do this, Lord Dorman. This very moment could ruin your life.”

“Don’t you dare try to lecture me. You were my fiancée. You should pay the price for climbing onto another man overnight and making a fool of me.”

“Come to your senses…! And were you ever honest with me? What about Lady Nicoletta Underhill? She…!”

Half out of his mind, Isaac seemed not to hear Blair’s voice at all.

“Lady Libert? Don’t make me laugh!”

Click. The metallic sound of the safety being released rang in her ears. Blair turned and crawled away on her knees. Her yellow dress was already in tatters, smeared with mud and fallen leaves.

It was then.

A dull, heavy scraping sound rang out behind her, as if something had burst. Blair curled in on herself and froze like ice. The terrifying footsteps that had been approaching were gone. She lay there, almost crawling through the mud, gulping in shallow breaths before finally turning around.

Isaac lay half crumpled where he’d been flung, sprawled in a mess. He didn’t move at all, and it was clear he’d completely passed out. Standing before him was a large shadow, the man she knew so well, his feet planted firmly on the ground.

Edmund noticed Blair’s gaze and turned around. He muttered something low that sounded like a curse and hurried over. Then he took off his hunting coat and draped it over Blair’s shoulders as she sat slumped on the ground. The oversized coat wrapped around her body, and warmth seeped into her chilled skin.

Nearby, Marquis Lancaster seemed to have heard the commotion and came running, urgently calling for the guards. He appeared quick to grasp the situation without needing a detailed explanation. After glancing briefly in his direction, Edmund knelt down on one knee in front of Blair.

“Are you hurt anywhere? Can you move?”

He didn’t ask why Blair had appeared in the hunting grounds or what she had been doing there. Blair quickly nodded.

“I’m fine. I’m not hurt.”

Apparently unconvinced, Edmund examined her face closely, then slipped an arm beneath her thighs and lifted her up without warning. He began striding through the forest path just like that. Cradled tightly against his broad chest, Blair panted softly and then cast a glance to the side. As they passed Isaac, bent double and collapsed on the ground, she cautiously opened her mouth.

“How about Lord Dorman….”

“Later, Blair.”

He cut her off before she could finish.