Chapter 72

My wife. Blair’s heart raced at the title that implied she belonged to him. It was because that deep voice sounded faintly obsessive.

Blair stared blankly at the man who had held her tightly and driven into her until late at night. The man who never once let her go even when she writhed between pleasure and agony, crying out obscene sounds. She was the one who first sparked his desire, but it was Edmund who drove into her relentlessly, frighteningly so, making her learn with her own body that provocation could backfire. With that face swept up in stubborn instinct, the face she’d only ever imagined.

Yet the Edmund before her now was composed, all desire shed. Not a trace remained of the man who had devoured her the night before. Was it only on the surface? Ever since they met early that morning, his attitude felt subtly distant again, as if he were drawing a line.

‘…I thought we’d gotten closer.’

Blair still remembered his breath and warmth from last night vividly. She didn’t believe a relationship without any feeling could burn and ache that fiercely. She’d thought the solid wall that stood between them, barely visible yet firm, had crumbled at least a little.

So, hearing his declaration to judge Isaac Dorman felt like cold water being poured over her rosy hopes. After all, pointing a gun at her was tantamount to threatening his dignity. To ignore such a threat would make him a laughingstock. His sharpening of the blade stemmed less from caring for and protecting Blair, and more from a calculated desire to preserve his pride and power.

“Blair.”

At some point, Edmund had noticed her lingering gaze and was staring straight at her. Startled, Blair quickly shook off any agitation that might have shown on her face.

“Do you have something you want to say?”

“…No.”

When she denied it, even shaking her head, he thankfully didn’t add anything more. After holding her gaze for a few seconds, he turned back toward the window. His face caught the morning light and gleamed sharply.

In the distance beyond the car window, the ducal residence with its pointed roofs came into view. Of all days, today was the day they had begun sharing a bedroom.

***

“A package arrived while you were out.”

Blair, who had been reading in the bedroom, lifted her head. Milia, holding a box, set it down on the table. It was a gift box wrapped with a red ribbon.

“It’s addressed to you, madam.”

“It’s something I bought at the department store yesterday. It’s a gift for Edmund.”

“I thought so. It looked like a present for the young master, so I kept it aside.”

“Thank you.”

It was a tie she’d bought when Edmund stepped out briefly and she wandered the department store alone. Blair gently stroked the neatly wrapped box. It wasn’t anything grand, but it was a gift filled with her wish to get even a little closer to him.

When should she give it to him? As soon as he returned home, Edmund received a thick stack of documents sent from Borsa and shut himself away in his office. Even though they were staying in the same mansion, she didn’t hear his footsteps approaching the bedroom until late in the evening. She couldn’t very well go looking for a busy man in his office.

“Was the inspection schedule tiring?”

“…Ah, yes. It was.”

Her whole body did ache, but it wasn’t because of the inspection, so Blair’s cheeks reddened as she answered. Unaware of the reason, Milia smiled and continued.

“By the way, did you hear the news? They’re planning to hold a grand banquet at the mansion soon.”

“I heard as well. They said the duchess is hosting it.”

“No one’s birthday is coming up, so why a banquet?”

“Who knows….”

Blair turned a page and fell into thought. Not long ago, Isabelle had worn a meaningful smile and said there was good news, but she never explained what it was. A sudden, unpleasant premonition brushed across Blair’s chest.

Could it be that? When they talked about the unsavory incident Milia had nearly suffered, Edmund had mentioned that Rufus’s sexual function showed brief signs of recovery.

But it was only… a few seconds, wasn’t it? If they were throwing a party over such an excuse, then for Edmund, they would need to host grand banquets for months on end.

The absurd thought made Blair let out a dry laugh. As she recalled the warmth that kept pressing into her at the slightest chance, there was no way the words on the page would register. She pressed her forehead and closed the book, sliding it to the side of the table.

“I should wash up before it gets too late.”

“I’ll help you.”

“…Ah, no. It’s fine. I want to wash by myself today.”

Blair gently stopped the maid who was about to follow her into the bathroom. She didn’t want to be attended to with the chaotic traces of last night scattered over her body.

After sending the maid away and claiming the bathroom for herself, Blair let her body sink beneath the shower spray. Closing her eyes and standing under the pouring water, it felt as if the thoughts filling her head were thinning out.

But whenever she lifted her lids again and the marks he left came into view, her heart thudded without fail. No matter how much she scrubbed with soap, the man’s warmth engraved deep into her wouldn’t fade. How could Edmund be perfectly fine after a night like that? Blair couldn’t understand it.

Even after finishing her shower, she stood in front of the mirror for a long while, letting out a sigh. She didn’t even think to wrap herself in a towel. In the end, with both body and mind completely unguarded, she stepped out of the bathroom.

She froze at the threshold before she could take even two steps. With nothing on her but her tangled thoughts, her lips parted. Edmund, who had been standing by the table, turned his gaze toward her.

Blinking at the unbelievable sight, Blair quickly covered herself with her arms in shock. Unbothered, his eyes calmly slid down to her feet where water dripped onto the floor. When Edmund lifted his gaze again, a low chuckle slipped from his lips.

“You come out naked even though you know we’re sharing a bedroom.”

“I, this is… that is….”

“Are you doing this on purpose?”

Blair hurried toward the screen she had brought in as soon as she heard they would share a bedroom. The man’s mocking tone didn’t stop.

“I made a mistake, but yours seems quite intentional.”

“It’s absolutely not on purpose. You’ve been in your office all day, so I didn’t even think….”

“You didn’t know when I’d return to my bedroom?”

“That’s not what I meant… I’m sorry.”

“Or does it mean you’ve already had enough of seeing me?”

There was a strange breath mixed into his voice. Was he angry? Silently scolding herself, Blair whispered.

“I’m sorry, but could you bring me my clothes?”

Edmund let out a short sigh, then walked over. From beyond the screen, a hand extended, holding both her nightgown and robe together.

“Put them on and come out.”

“…Thank you.”

How stupid. How could I do something like this twice? And in a situation like this, how was I supposed to give him a gift?

Wrapped in self-reproach, Blair finished dressing and stepped out from behind the screen with cautious movements. The man still standing by the table glanced at her. His face looked as if nothing had happened.

Facing that indifferent expression, Blair fidgeted with her fingertips, then, unable to endure the silence, spoke first.

“I heard the duchess is planning to hold a party soon.”

“Yes. She’s preparing it very lavishly for the eldest son she adores.”

“I wondered if… is it to celebrate the ‘recovery’ of Sir Rufus you mentioned before?”

Edmund let out a scoff, as if the thought itself were absurd. “That’s right. Those few seconds seem to have been interpreted by my mother as a full recovery.”

“But Edmund, if a party like that is held… won’t some people believe that Sir Rufus has become the heir again?”

Seeing Blair’s concern, he nodded. “You’re perceptive. It wasn’t something to just laugh off as an erection party. To some, it could be taken as proof that the duke’s rightful eldest son is still going strong.”

“Then shouldn’t it be stopped?”

“It should be. And luckily, there’s a good excuse.”