Chapter 56

9. Continuation

Blair and Edmund left Marquis Lancaster’s villa early in the morning and were able to return to Eldenvale before noon. As they entered the ducal residence after passing through the fog-filled, tree-lined road, Blair spotted someone beyond the automobile window and placed her hand on Edmund’s arm.

“Edmund, the duchess is here to greet us.”

A crease formed between the man’s dark brows as he looked at Blair. Edmund cast a quick glance out the window, then soon let out a hollow laugh.

In front of the main entrance of the mansion stood Isabelle, truly there to welcome them, along with a group of servants. It was the duchess who hadn’t even shown her face when Blair first set foot in the estate as Edmund’s fiancée. What a strange change.

“To think she’d come out in person. What a rare sight. Since I left home, I’ve come and gone from Eldenvale hundreds of times, and I’ve never once seen her shadow.”

“Could there be bad news?”

“If that were the case, she wouldn’t be smiling so brightly. There’s no need to worry.”

Just as Edmund said, Isabelle was smiling broadly. Her expression was so unnaturally radiant that a chill crept up the back of Blair’s neck. It didn’t suit the fog-draped Eldenvale at all, that oddly vivid liveliness blooming overnight on the duchess’s face.

When she looked that pleased, shouldn’t it be more worrying instead? Blair thought so to herself, but she didn’t voice it. Instead, she slowly withdrew the hand she’d rested on Edmund’s arm.

At that moment, a cool hand gently caught the back of her hand. A large palm closed around it. The touch, which she was slowly growing accustomed to, gave Blair a sense of calm.

“Don’t worry. Nothing will happen to you.”

The low voice eased her unease. Blair looked up at Edmund with wide eyes, then nodded.

The car made a wide turn around the fountain and came to a stop. When a servant opened the door, Edmund stepped out first and reached back to help Blair down. Standing side by side, they faced the duchess.

“Welcome back, Edmund. And Blair. Did you enjoy the hunt? Was the socializing pleasant?”

“Yes. We returned safely. Thank you for your hospitality.”

Isabelle’s gaze, filled with unmistakable delight, shifted to Blair. Blair offered a polite greeting.

“Thank you for coming out to welcome us, Your Grace. It’s a great honor for us.”

“Oh, such formal words. Aren’t you hungry? Shall I have breakfast prepared?”

“It’s alright, Mother. We were well treated at Lancaster’s villa. It would be better for us to return to our room and rest.”

Though he maintained courtesy, Edmund’s words clearly drew a line. Blair pressed her lips together and cautiously watched Isabelle’s reaction. After all, the confrontation she’d witnessed between the two on their wedding day had been chilling.

Even so, Isabelle smiled. Her wrinkled eyes curved into crescents as she lifted the corners of her mouth in a long smile.

“Of course, of course. You went away for two nights right after the ceremony, so you must be tired. Go and rest. Just don’t skip lunch.”

Edmund quietly studied Isabelle’s strange expression, then offered his arm to Blair. After lowering her head to finish greeting the duchess, she carefully took hold of his arm. As they walked toward the main building, it felt as though Isabelle’s smiling gaze followed them from behind, digging in like thorns.

***

Since it had been said that a married couple would share a bedroom only on their wedding night, Blair returned to the bedroom she had been shown on the first day. As Edmund personally escorted her there, he made an unexpected suggestion.

“Shall we have dinner together, just the two of us, tonight?”

Rather than facing the uncomfortable duchess, dining alone with him sounded far better, so Blair had no reason to refuse. As expected, she brightened immediately, then hesitated.

“Is that really alright? Aren’t evening meals supposed to be taken together as a family?”

“It’s fine. I can make a suitable excuse.”

“Then I… I’d like that. Let’s eat together.”

“Great.”

Creak. Edmund opened the bedroom door and set the trunk down in front of the wardrobe. Then he turned back and looked at Blair for a moment. Though he’d already gotten his answer, he lingered briefly instead of leaving the room, then spoke again.

“I’ll come get you at lunchtime, so get some rest for now, Blair.”

“Thank you.”

“And if you feel like acting spoiled again, knock on your husband’s bedroom door.”

“…I’ve never acted spoiled.”

“You’re not saying you don’t want to. Anyway, I’ll be going.”

The woman denying it with an awkward expression was rather cute, and a smile tugged at his lips. Seeing Isabelle waiting to see him off eased the irritation that had churned earlier. Leaving Blair’s bedroom, Edmund headed toward his own with lighter steps. Though it was on the same floor, his bedroom lay past the landing and all the way down the corridor, so it was still a fair walk.

Tomorrow was a workday in Borsa. One of the businesses he had inherited from Duke Libert was in the hotel industry, and a report had come in that construction to expand a banquet hall was being delayed, so he needed to look over the documents himself. Edmund planned to change clothes and sit at his desk as soon as he returned to his bedroom.

It was work that wouldn’t suffer even if delayed by a day, and since it was Sunday morning, resting wouldn’t have been a bad idea. Still, approving things in advance would let him leave work earlier tomorrow. Edmund wanted to return to Eldenvale even an hour sooner. Leaving Blair alone here weighed on his mind. Being able to spend pleasant time with her would simply be a bonus.

“…Am I out of my mind?”

He was no different from a newlywed lost in a honeymoon haze. How many days had even passed for him to fall into such a false sweet dream? Letting out a hollow laugh at his own absurdity, Edmund had just stepped into his bedroom when it happened. As he closed the door and was about to change clothes, an urgent knock sounded. It wasn’t hard for him to guess who stood on the other side.

“What is it?”

“Edmund, let me in for a moment. It’s urgent.”

When he opened the door, Benjamin stood there bracing himself against the wall, panting as if he had run the whole way. After taking a moment to catch his breath, he entered the bedroom and trudged over to the round table, dropping into a chair. Edmund watched his frail friend, whose talents all seemed to be concentrated in his head, for a moment.

“I heard you met the duchess as soon as you returned to Eldenvale?”

“Yes. For some reason, she even came out to greet us herself.”

“Did she say anything in particular?”

“No.”

Benjamin let out a long sigh and closed his eyes. When he lifted his lids again, a resolute light surfaced in his face.

“It happened the day after you and Lady Twyford left to attend the hunting gathering. I didn’t hear about it right away. I only found out later that evening when I was summoned….”

“Explain clearly.”

“It’s Rufus.”

The moment the unpleasant name was spoken, the air grew heavy.

“He… showed a physiological response.”

Edmund blinked slowly. Looking up at his impassive face, Benjamin continued his explanation in a steady voice.

“You could say there were signs of recovery in male function. Rufus checked once in the morning, and then in the evening, while he was with the duchess, there was another reaction, so he urgently called me to confirm it.”

“….”

“Of course, he still can’t ejaculate. He can’t maintain an erection for long either. But compared to when he was completely impotent, it’s a tremendous improvement….”

“So that’s why Mother was pleased.”

Edmund’s face froze cold as he let out a sneer. To return to the estate only to hear news of his half-brother’s sexual function recovering. The implication was obvious.

“It seems the duchess is planning to hold a large party soon. I’ve already obtained information that she’s having her close servants prepare hundreds of invitations.”

“A party to celebrate a grown son’s erection? She’s truly dragging the family name through the mud.”

She might not write anything explicit on the invitations, but was that something a sane person would do? Isabelle was someone who showed just how far a person’s twisted affection could go.

“How is Father doing now?”

“He’s getting worse by the day. Last night, he complained of particularly severe pain, so I told him to take a strong sleeping draught and stay in bed.”

“Have the attendants keep a close watch, and notify me the moment he wakes.”

There was a need to speak with his father. Even though his illness was advanced, the Duke of Libert still held formal authority. While the family seal remained in the duke’s hands, Edmund had to make him formally acknowledge Edmund’s legitimacy.