Deceived 59

Chapter 59

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***

Thud. The bedroom door closed, and Edmund took off his jacket, draping it over a chair. Then he stood up straight facing Blair, looking as if he truly wanted help changing.

Seeing the man acting so brazenly made the unpleasant mood she'd been in all day because of Rufus improved considerably. Blair stood facing Edmund, stretching both hands upward. It was to undo the tie around his neck.

"This is taking a while."

Soon, a low voice, feigning reproach, fell on her head. She had easily removed the tie pin, but had fumbled for a long time, unsure how to untie the knot. Blair retorted without hesitation.

"I trust you were prepared for this much."

"I was prepared. I just didn't expect you to strangle me. Not really my thing."

"...Ah!"

He slipped his fingers into the knot's loop and pulled the tie loose himself. As his fingertips brushed against her skin, his warmth touched her, making Blair unnecessarily flustered. Even then, the man staring intently at her spoke.

"Now tell me. How was your day?"

"Well, mine was..."

Meanwhile, the silk tie wrapped around his thick neck came undone easily and fell onto his jacket, which he had taken off. Blair glanced briefly at Edmund, now in just his vest and shirt, then looked away. She couldn't exactly say nothing had happened. It wasn't a big deal, and since he hadn't been threatened by Rufus, she hadn't told anyone.

'But he is my husband now.'

He had asked her to tell him if anything happened at the estate, no matter how small. That thought cleared her mind a little.

"This morning, after chatting with Millia about this and that, I went to the library in the annex."

"The library?"

"Yes. Since it was a place you frequented, I was curious. There was a librarian, and it didn't seem dangerous, but I encountered Master Liberte there."

Blair added, carefully choosing her words.

"Your half-brother."

"What impertinence did Rufus commit?"

"He didn't commit any great impertinence toward me. It's just... he showed me the book he was reading, and the illustrations inside were a bit..."

Even that brief explanation seemed enough for the quick-witted man to grasp the situation. Edmund could sense the chest before him heaving as he struggled to contain his twisted emotions.

"It wasn't anything seriously problematic. Really. But what was odd was..."

Blair now began unbuttoning each button on Edmund's waistcoat.

"I heard Master Rufus had clearly lost his function. If that's the case, shouldn't he feel... almost no impulse in that regard? I thought he'd lost that function entirely, effectively pushed from the line of succession."

“Why are you curious about that?”

“Because it seemed like that wasn’t the case.”

Unlike the knot of his tie, undoing the buttons came off far too easily. Having swiftly stripped off Edmund’s waistcoat, Blair stood face-to-face with him in his shirt.

“He seemed intensely interested in the painting of the naked woman, and a little… excited, actually. "

Blair had definitely seen it when he came face to face with Rufus, who was practically hiding between the bookshelves in the corner. Rufus, panting as he stared at the nude painting of the woman, his hand discreetly rubbing the front of his trousers.

He hadn't looked startled when their eyes met, so for a moment, Blair wondered if she'd seen wrong. But looking back, it was clear. He hadn't taken off his pants, but Rufus was definitely engaged in an act that could only be described as masturbation.

"Forget that disgusting memory, Blair."

Blair, lost in thought, lifted her head. Edmund explained as he unbuttoned his shirt starting from below his collar.

"Sexual urges don't only happen to the young or healthy. Instincts remain even in an eighty-year-old man."

"Of course... I suppose so."

"But it's unacceptable that Rufus committed such an act of rudeness. He already has much to lose. I'll make it clear: if he approaches you again, I won't let it go."

"There's no need to be so harsh. I'll just be more careful and avoid going out alone."

"Rudeness isn't something you can avoid by being careful, Blair. I'll say it again: when I'm away, try to move about with company whenever possible. And stay by my side whenever you can, like you are now."

"I will."

The moment Blair answered, Edmund pulled his shirt completely off, baring his upper body. Her line of sight landed precisely at his chest, drawing her gaze naturally to his smooth, glistening skin.

His broad shoulders and large, sculpted chest muscles formed a physique closer to that of a soldier than a businessman. Staring blankly at his solidly defined chest, she lowered her gaze to his abdomen, where muscles were carved into astonishingly distinct segments. 

Observing this masculine physique, so utterly different from her own, suddenly brought back memories of their wedding night. That night when his overwhelming strength, impossible for a woman to resist, had dominated her entire body; the thunderous passion that had swept over them like lightning—even though they hadn't gone all the way…

"I'm going to take off my pants too."

Blair snapped back to her senses, looked up, met Edmund's eyes, then quickly turned away. It was a bedroom without even a curtain, so she couldn't blame him.

"You can keep watching. I'm fine with it."

"I'm fine too....you don't need help taking off your pants, do you?"

Edmund chuckled behind her at the odd question.

"Why, would you help if I begged you to take them off?"

"No."

"That's a shame. Making me get my hopes up for nothing."

Then came the clinking sound of a belt buckle followed by the thud of fabric hitting the floor. Blair waited with her hands clasped in front of her chest, watching her contract husband hurry to change his trousers.

***

After Edmund changed, Blair and he went down to the dining hall and enjoyed a rare, excellent meal. Of course, the Duke's house always served delicious food, prepared by a skilled chef using the finest ingredients, but today's meal was particularly splendid.

It must have been because she was alone with Edmund. And because her heart, shaken by anxiety, felt much more settled because of him.

After finishing the perfect dinner with fruit drinks, Edmund personally escorted her to the bedroom again. The protection felt a bit excessive, but she didn't insist on refusing. Given the incident with Rufus, he had every reason to be concerned, and above all, Blair liked to exchange goodnight greetings with him before sleeping.

The sound of water coming from the bathroom inside the bedroom indicated that Millia was preparing Blair's bath. At the bedroom door, Blair stood facing Edmund.

"A telegram arrived for you. It was sent by the Countess of Gillingham."

"Really? What did she say?"

"She asked if you'd be free for tea this Thursday, if you have time."

"That's good news. We got along quite well at the hunt."

Blair answered brightly, then studied his expression.

"Do I need my husband's permission to go out?"

"I'm your husband, not your jailer. I just want you to be safe wherever you are. Before you confirm the appointment, just let me know the meeting place."

"Thank you."

The conversation ended there. It was time to go to the bedroom, bathe, and turn in. He must feel the same. Yet, neither moved quickly; they stood in the hallway, gazing into each other's eyes.

The nights spent lying in the same bed with him during their overnight stays at the villa remained incredibly fond memories for Blair. How comforting it had been to hear his steady breathing so close, to feel the warmth radiating from his body, to know she wasn't alone. She had always believed herself to be quite strong and independent, yet since then, she found herself constantly wanting to be near him. Blair felt the desire to lean on him sprouting deep within her heart.

"Sleep well, Blair."

Edmund smiled as he offered his usual soft greeting. Blair lifted the corners of her mouth in response.

"You too..."

Before she could finish, he stepped closer. Blair froze, her lips parted. Edmund bent his upper body slowly, tilting his head. Then he pressed his lips to her cheek. Very gently, almost painfully slowly. As his lips pulled away, a ticklish breath scattered over her downy skin. Blair was still standing there like a fool, her lips parted.

"Sweet dreams."

With that last, amused farewell, Edmund turned and walked away. His demeanor showed no hesitation. Blair watched him trudge off, seized by the audacious thought that maybe, just maybe, they could sleep in the same place for one night. Then she turned and entered her bedroom. If she lay awake for a long time tonight, she decided, she would blame it on the heavy air of Eldenvale.