Deceived 37

Chapter 37

***

Dinner was already perfectly prepared. It was astonishing, considering Blair hadn't even stopped by the kitchen to check the menu or rush the unfamiliar maids. The Chiles mansion ran like a machine designed to return on schedule. More precisely, it moved in sync with Edmund's daily rhythm.

Then what about the grand estate in Eldenvale?

Blair pondered this as she watched the food being set upon the stiffly starched linen tablecloth. There, despite his illness, still resided the Duke and Duchess, the heads of the Liberte family. As the heart of an estate holding centuries of history, it must be incomparably larger than a townhouse in the capital. Edmund had said he would stay there until he received his title, but no deadline had been set. That uncertainty made her even more cautious.

"How was your day?"

Edmund asked, taking a sip of water to moisten his throat. After a moment's hesitation, Blair decided on an honest answer. Since it was a search conducted with his own men, it was only a matter of time before it reached his ears anyway.

"It was fine. I looked around the house."

"Did you find anything interesting?"

"Yes, though it's just a guess..."

Blair glanced sideways at Edmund.

"Do you paint?"

He let out a low, surprised "Ah."

"You saw the sketch on the study desk."

"I didn't have the audacity to open it. I just assumed it was a sketchbook."

"It's fine. It's nothing to brag about, but if it were something I needed to hide, I wouldn't have left it there."

Edmund lowered his gaze and moved his cutlery with impeccable table manners. Blair stared at him blankly. Whenever Edmund appeared so utterly expressionless, she felt an urge to shake him—a sign she wasn't quite normal herself. She wanted to test when those indifferent gray eyes might finally take on a different light and look at her.

"Edmund."

He lifted his head from his meal. His expression remained monotonous.

"Did you know... we share the same hobby?"

"Really?"

"Yes. I also draw whenever I have time. Just doodling with a pencil, really. They say people who love appreciating art stop at just appreciating it, but I don't always feel that way. I didn't know you were the same."

Her clear voice continued for quite a while. He looked into Blair's eyes as if pondering the meaning, then replied softly.

"I see. I mainly draw scenes commonly seen in daily life. Things that aren't particularly special, like the River Ridgeway or the bell tower at Royal Borough."

Anticipating his next question, Blair recalled the portrait of him she had been redrawing night after night until recently.

"And what about you, Miss Blair?"

"I'm always different. If there's one commonality, it's that I tend to draw things I want to remember for a long time. You could say I'm the complete opposite of you. I only want to capture on canvas the special things that have stolen my heart."

Only then did a faint sparkle flicker in the eyes fixed on Blair. Without breaking his gaze, he said,

"I find myself curious about what you've been drawing lately."

"If the opportunity arises... I'll show you someday. I happened to bring some with me."

"Very well."

A moment of silence passed. Edmund, who had summoned a servant to bring wine, changed the subject.

"I mentioned I had important news. I hear the Count of Twyford and the Marquis of Doman have agreed to annul the engagement. Officially, that means your engagement to Isaac Doman is now null and void."

“…So it has come to pass.”

Blair paused, then replied calmly.

“It was what I’d longed for, yet in just a day or two…”

Despite the long-awaited news, her heart didn’t swell or race. It felt like she’d shed the chains that had been choking her, yet there was no complete sense of liberation. The emptiness she felt, staring at the distinct marks left on her neck, was far greater.

"Had one side clung on until the end, it would have become a rather complicated matter. But thanks to the article breaking, the Domans had no choice but to back down for the sake of appearances. Their family circumstances were also complex, and they urgently needed to secure a marriage without complications. Since that proved difficult, and the financial settlement was concluded without issue, I suppose we can say it's been wrapped up fairly smoothly."

Edmund delivered the words in a matter-of-fact tone, as if reading the printed text of a contract. He paused mid-sip of wine, his gaze lingering on her face as if studying her expression.

"You don't look pleased at all."

His low voice pierced her ear. Blair nodded silently.

"My mind is cluttered. I can't simply rejoice, knowing the stigma and disapproval I must bear. But..."

The annulment would leave a mark, yet it was also a chance for a new beginning. Taking a cautious breath, she continued.

"I no longer wish to live as someone consumed solely for the benefit of my family or others."

"Then become your own master now. Taking the reins of your own life is true liberation."

Though cloaked in advice, beneath it lay a clear temptation leading back to him. Of course she had to take that hand. Now, that was the only answer.

After dinner ended and the plates were cleared from the table, Edmund pulled a small case from his inner pocket, as if following a predetermined sequence.

"I prepared it hastily, but I hope you like it."

A dazzling gem revealed itself through the open case. It was a diamond far larger than the engagement ring Isaac had chosen when Blair personally visited the jeweler in Fitzrovia.

Yet it didn't feel clunky, thanks to its intricately crafted design and piercingly bright luster.

"I felt we should have something to match."

"It's beautiful, but... I wonder if it's too much. It seems excessively expensive."

"Do you like it?"

Edmund asked calmly, and Blair, who had been hesitating, revealed her true feelings.

"...Yes. I like it."

A large hand extended before her. Blair hesitated briefly before placing her left hand over his. She drew a sharp breath at the cool warmth of his skin enveloping her palm, then watched as he slowly slipped the diamond ring onto her ring finger. Instead of Isaac's engagement ring, which had once sat heavy as a boulder, another token of a contract now bound her.

But this time was different. The contract with Edmund was her own choice. Freedom wasn’t free. Having paid the price, Blair would never again live at the mercy of another's will. Her life from now on could never be like the one she had been robbed of and forced into before.

"It suits you well. It looks like a ring that was meant for your hand from the start."

Feeling the weight binding her left ring finger, Blair lifted her head.

"Of course, I know it will feel heavy for a while. But I believe that weight will sustain Miss Blair for a long time."

"I hope so too..."

Blair took a deep breath and clenched her fist slightly, as if making a vow. She hoped her choice was right. And she prayed that she could be bound by faith to this man by her side, even if only for a year.

***

On the day they finally set out for Eldenvale, Blair finished preparing for the journey early in the morning and climbed into the car with Edmund. His driver and two attendants accompanied them, so they decided to travel in two vehicles.

"How long will it take to get there?"

"About an hour. The Eldenvale estate itself is only thirty minutes from Borsa, but the Duke's residence lies deep within the estate grounds. Even after entering Eldenvale, it takes another thirty minutes to reach it. That's why it's generally said to take an hour."

It meant the estate was as vast as the capital itself. It was a scale that made her truly grasp how secluded and vast the place she was about to enter would be.

Inside the car that began speeding forward, Blair only looked out the window. The glittering cityscape suddenly transformed into a suburban scene shrouded in damp mist. Instead of the capital's characteristic bright grayish-white or milky-hued buildings, red brick structures began appearing one by one along the streets.

As they entered the driveway leading to the Duke's residence, the view grew hazier still. Edmund explained it was due to the mist rising from Eldenvale Lake.

Soon, Blair could see the grand house shrouded in that murky atmosphere. With its pointed, deep blue roof, the mansion resembled a fortress.

When the carriage they rode in reached the main house, Edmund stepped out first, then offered his hand to help Blair disembark. She noticed an elderly butler and several maids had come out to greet them.

"Welcome back to Eldenvale, young master. And Miss Twyford. I am Albert, the butler overseeing the estate's operations."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I look forward to working with you."

After exchanging polite greetings with Blair, the elderly butler turned his attention to Edmund. Blair didn't miss the faint concern that flickered in his seasoned eyes.

"I apologize for bringing this up before you've had a chance to rest, sir, but the Duchess wishes to see you immediately."