Chapter 66

By the time they left the mansion, the sky that had been bright was already stained with a red sunset. Edmund dismissed all the attendants who had accompanied him on the inspection and draped a dark coat over Blair’s dress. It was a raincoat of the sort people in Eldenvale often wore, given how frequently it rained there. He pulled on a dark outer layer himself, then took her hand and led her into the city center. With their refined attire concealed, the two blended in among ordinary people.

“Edmund, where are we going right now?”

“You’ll see when we get there.”

“At least give me a hint.”

The man walking ahead glanced back at Blair without slowing his stride. There was mischief in his face.

“Have you never wanted to step outside the frame of a noble lady, even once?”

The noisy city rang in her ears. Car horns, unfamiliar languages, and tangled streetlights filled the street. Blair looked up at him as if entranced.

“It’s about time you found out for yourself.”

She still couldn’t read his intentions, yet excitement made her heart pound. Breathing a little fast, Blair hurried to keep pace with Edmund, moving farther and farther away from the world she knew.

The place he led her to was an alley branching off from a busy main road. Along one side of the already narrow path, several bearded, middle aged men were gathered, laughing loudly. Blair grew a little frightened at the sight and pressed closer to Edmund. Unexpectedly, one of them broke into a wide grin and waved.

“Oh, who is this! Eddie, how long has it been?”

“It’s been a while, Mr. Jurgen.”

“I nearly forgot that handsome face! Since it’s been so long, I’ll buy you a drink. Come on in!”

“It’s alright. I’ve got company today.”

“Company?”

The rough looking man with a friendly smile shifted his gaze to Blair. She froze for a moment. Simply nodding at an elder felt rude, but greeting him with proper noble etiquette would look ridiculous here. After a brief hesitation, Blair gathered the hem of her raincoat with both hands and bent her knees politely.

“Hello.”

A short silence followed. Then thunderous laughter erupted, shaking the narrow alley.

“Eddie, you’ve brought a very unusual companion!”

“Have a good time with your sweetheart!”

Edmund replied only with a smile and tugged Blair along by the hand. Her face burning red, Blair matched his steps in silence.

At the end of the alley stood a shabby tavern. One hinge of the signboard had fallen loose, leaving it hanging precariously, creaking in the weak breeze. The letters scrawled on it were so faded they were impossible to read.

From the crack in the door spilled music devoid of elegance, raucous laughter, and the sharp smell of alcohol all mixed together. Blair stopped, instantly aware that this was a place she had never once set foot in her life.

“Are we… going in here?”

“Yes.”

When she asked carefully, Edmund turned his head slightly and met her eyes. A strangely calm smile rested on his profile. Because of that, Blair trusted him and stepped inside.

The rough air she’d sensed outside multiplied the moment they stepped into the tavern. The stench of strong liquor and tobacco, the nonstop shouting that battered her ears, and the crude music all tangled together, making the air vibrate. Drunken men clashed beer mugs and yelled, while women in heavy makeup brushed past them. It was a chaotic space with barely any room to move.

“…Did you just see that?”

Blinking her wide eyes as she looked around, Blair suddenly clutched Edmund’s arm. A woman with her chest fully exposed had just passed a few steps away.

“I did.”

“Is it really alright to walk around dressed like that? No one’s stopping her… my goodness.”

“In a place like this, clothing doesn’t matter. You wear what you want and act how you want.”

“They don’t even ask about status?”

“That’s why there’s no discrimination or prejudice. The rules and propriety you’ve learned your whole life are useless here.”

It was a sight Blair, who had grown up in a world where etiquette was everything, could never have imagined. That such unfamiliar vitality could simply be part of everyday life here. It seemed she was the only one whose face flushed at the sight of a half-naked woman.

“I’ll take your order!”

As soon as they sat down, a server chewing gum strode over and tossed the menu onto the table. Blair’s eyes widened. It was the first time in her life she’d been treated so rudely in a place she visited.

The server didn’t care and waited for their order with arms crossed, and Edmund looked just as unconcerned.

“I’ll have whiskey. And you?”

“I’ll… um….”

The lettering on the menu was such a mess she couldn’t even read it. Noticing the server’s thinning patience as he shifted his foot, Blair quickly lifted her head.

“I’ll have the same.”

“It’s strong. You sure?”

“Yes. I’ll just drink it slowly.”

Edmund finished the order by asking for a glass with ice as well. The complimentary snack turned out to be a bright yellow pastry dusted with sugar. Despite how it looked, it tasted fairly good. When she heard it was made from cheap fried corn starch, Blair couldn’t hide her surprise.

“You seem familiar with this place. Did you come here often?”

“I did.”

“Do the people here know who you are?”

“At first, they didn’t. Now my face is openly known, so they probably all know. Even so, the way they treat me hasn’t changed.”

“They still call you ‘Eddie.’”

Edmund looked at her and smiled softly. She mirrored the expression.

“I used the name Eddie to hide who I was. It was my childhood nickname.”

“Eddie… it’s a cute nickname. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone else call you that.”

“It was a nickname my mother used often.”

The curve at his lips slowly faded. His biological mother, who’d died long ago. A woman who must have lived a far from brilliant life as the duke’s mistress. Feeling an odd pang of sympathy, Blair didn’t know what to say.

Edmund and Blair had both lived lives where they constantly had to prove themselves, regardless of their will. He as the son of a mistress, and she as the daughter of a woman who abandoned her family and ran away. Their lives seemed different, yet they were alike in having endured unwanted labels and the weight of their families.

‘Should I talk about my mother too? If it’s him, he probably already knows. But telling it myself is a completely different matter.’

While she hesitated, the drinks they’d ordered arrived, filling the awkward silence. As the sharp scent of alcohol rose, Blair frowned slightly. Edmund chuckled and dropped ice into her glass.

“Don’t push yourself.”

“It’s fine. I wanted to try whiskey at least once.”

The glasses clinked in midair. Blair carefully lifted hers and took a sip. The harsh liquid slid down her throat, and her face flushed hot at once. She barely held back a cough, though she couldn’t stop her expression from tightening.

“It feels like my throat’s on fire. But strangely, it doesn’t feel bad.”

“That’s good.”

Smiling, Edmund added another piece of ice to her glass.

“It’s only in places where no one asks who you are that you can be yourself. So, Blair, just for today, do whatever you want. No one here will judge you.”

Her heart thudded hard. She wasn’t even drunk yet, but the voice settling against her ear sounded endlessly generous.