Deceived, yet still drawn to you · 12. November 2025

Deceived 41

Chapter 41

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The figure who appeared through the door the maid flung open was a stranger. Blair tilted her head.

"Hello. May I come in for a moment?"

"...But excuse me, who are you?"

"My apologies for the late introduction. I am Benjamin Jensen, the Duke's personal physician. I've come at His Grace's request to conduct a basic examination."

Personal physician? He seemed too young for that.

"Please come in."

Once she granted him entry, he carried his medical bag into the bedroom. The slender man had a kind face, but the gaze behind his glasses was intensely sharp, making him seem more like a scholar than a doctor.

"I apologize for the inconvenience, but could you leave me alone with the young lady?"

Benjamin said to the maid as he laid out his examination tools one by one on the round table. As the maid quietly prepared to leave the room, a hesitant Blair interjected.

"Must we be alone?"

"It's preferable to conduct the examination in quiet, if possible. It's less uncomfortable for the patient that way."

It was a brief explanation, but it made sense. As the maid vacated the doorway, Blair found herself alone in the spacious bedroom with a stranger. She watched Benjamin with heightened vigilance.

"You seem quite young to be the Duke's personal physician."

"I'll take that as a compliment. I might add, I graduated at the top of my class from Longwood Private School and medical college."

Benjamin retorted smoothly, then corrected himself with a look of sudden realization.

"Come to think of it, the valedictorian of Longwood's Class of '68 wasn't me, but Edmund. I was runner-up by a mere few points."

"You know Lord Liberte... I mean, Edmund?"

"We're close friends. Please, have a seat."

He gestured toward the seat across the table with a smile. Blair sat down but kept his eyes fixed on Benjamin.

"I should tell you now, the examination is merely a pretext. While it's true I received His Excellency's orders, I also know that the lady is not someone who requires the formality of pregnancy confirmation. So, wouldn't it suffice for us to simply exchange greetings today?"

Though phrased diplomatically, it was clear Benjamin was Edmund's confidant and knew something of the agreement between him and her.

Blair rather liked the doctor's lack of excessive formality. His cautious yet considerate manner revealed a serious nature, easing her tension slightly.

"Then I feel much more at ease. "

"You seemed tense."

"Yes, though it wasn't so much because of Mr. Jensen as just... various things."

Blair didn't elaborate further. She felt no need to unburden herself with her personal circumstances or feelings. Benjamin, who had been watching her intently, asked,

"You look pale. Did you have trouble sleeping last night?"

“A little.”

“Everyone has trouble sleeping the first few days at Eldenvale. Did you know it’s nicknamed the ‘time-stopped mansion’? It’s because of the uniquely dark, damp air here.”

Blair nodded instead of answering. She'd felt it keenly from the moment she set foot here. The heavy, damp air kept pressing down on her. What must it be like for those born and raised here?

"If the insomnia persists, I can prepare some simple medicine for you. Please let me know."

"Does my fiancé also struggle to sleep here?"

Benjamin, who had been answering smoothly, faltered and pursed his lips. He lowered his gaze as if choosing his words, then looked back at Blair. Behind his glasses, his soft-looking eyes blinked.

"I'm not sure if 'restless' is the right word for Edmund. He's been living in this house for a very long time."

"He always has that impassive look on his face."

"He's grown numb from familiarity."

Benjamin chuckled lightly.

"In any case, don't be surprised if I visit under the pretext of a routine checkup. Please let me know if anything is troubling you."

"Thank you."

"I'll be going now."

Benjamin gathered his bag briefly, bowed his head, and exited the bedroom. The maid, who had been waiting in the hallway, returned, finished dressing Blair, and announced breakfast was ready.

Blair started to follow her, then stopped absentmindedly, her gaze drifting out the window to the coniferous forest shrouded in thick fog. She stared at that ash-gray air, which seemed poised to overwhelm her at any moment, before resuming her steps.

***

Edmund sat alone at the table in the breakfast room. It was a relief, as she had feared she might have to face the entire family again, just like the previous evening's dinner. Feeling relieved, Blair approached him.

Edmund, leaning back comfortably in his chair and reading the newspaper, folded it when he saw her. Blair sat down across from him, deliberately avoiding glancing at the daily paper.

"You're here. Did you sleep well last night?"

"...Not bad."

Edmund glanced up, his eyes sweeping over Blair's face. She belatedly noticed her own pallor, likely from restless sleep, but he made no mention of it.

"I see the whole family doesn't join you for breakfast."

"That's how breakfast usually is. I detest crowded gatherings; it's much better just the two of us like this."

"......"

"Don't you agree, Miss Blair?"

"...Yes, I do."

The conversation paused briefly as the servants brought in the meal. Before them were placed mushroom soup, spinach omelette, buttered bread, and wild strawberries—all easily digestible foods.

"In case you were wondering, the wedding preparations are proceeding smoothly."

"I see. I hadn't thought to ask—where will the ceremony be held?"

"There is a chapel in the estate's rear garden. Every head of the Liberte family and their heirs have been married there."

"So you're following family tradition."

Edmund didn't respond immediately, staring intently at Blair. Those gray eyes, like the hazy air that had kept him awake the night before. Blair met his gaze and took a quiet breath.

"Of course."

Then silence descended. Unable to read any thoughts from the man, Blair lowered her eyes. Only the soft clinking of cutlery echoed in the room.

Whether it was the unbearable silence or the thoughts that had filled her mind the night before, Blair found herself unable to stop the words that slipped from her lips against her will.

"Edmund."

Even knowing it might offend him.

"If it's not too presumptuous, may I ask why you refuse to have an heir?"

He had said it when they first discussed the contract at the Regent Central Bank. He had no intention of continuing the line; he only needed a pretext to inherit the dukedom. That was all he needed a woman for.

But what if a child became an essential condition? What if Duke Liberte’s will was so unyielding that he declared the title would only pass if an heir was born? In truth, the Duke had taken a mistress even while married to Isabelle. Wasn’t the man sitting before her living proof of that?

“Miss Blair.”

But the reply came in a voice leaving no room for reconsideration.

“I don’t believe I have any obligation to explain that to you.”

His hand set down the cutlery, picked up the water pitcher, and poured quietly. His unflinching gray eyes. That somehow disappointing, unenthusiastic demeanor.

"As long as this contract benefits you, I would prefer my private matters not be a consideration."

"...I understand."

Blair pressed no further. What conversation could she have with a man who strictly adhered to the logic of a businessman? When Edmund occasionally showed that side of himself, she disliked how strangely it made her own reactions feel forced.