Deceived 73

Chapter 73

***

“May I ask what the excuse is?”

“You’ll find out soon enough. There’s nothing for you to worry about, so don’t fret, Blair.”

The conversation ended as Edmund, having answered thus, began unbuttoning the top button of his shirt. Mindful of Blair, he moved behind the screen to change his clothes. The screen didn't fully conceal the tall man's body, so Blair watched his profile and slipped into silent thought.

It was certainly fortunate that he had prepared something regarding the Duchess's party. His tone, firm as if he'd been waiting for this moment for ages, even conveyed confidence. However, once again, he seemed to have no intention of sharing the details with her.

Blair hesitated where she stood, then recalled the gift she had prepared for him. She went to the wardrobe and retrieved the box she had stored there. Just then, Edmund, now changed into his indoor attire, approached her. Feeling slightly nervous, she handed him the gift box.

"I meant to give you this."

Edmund silently accepted the box. As he untied the ribbon and unwrapped it, a neatly folded tie appeared. After a moment of contemplation, the man looked down at it and asked softly.

"Is this a gift for me?"

"...Yes."

"You know my taste surprisingly well."

"I thought it would suit you."

"Thank you."

Edmund closed the box lid, a faint smile touching his lips.

"I'll wear it on an important day. You can see it then."

"Okay."

A helplessly joyful smile spread across Blair's face. Then, a crucial fact she had to address came to mind.

"Actually, the tie was charged to your account. I don't have an account in my name yet."

"I see."

"It's a rare gift, and since it didn't come out of my own pocket, it bothers me. I want to repay you for that much."

"You worry about even the smallest details."

"A gift should carry the giver's wholehearted sincerity, right? If it's charged to your account, it feels like half the sincerity is borrowed."

Edmund, who hadn't batted an eye at the absurd notion that she'd bought the gift with his money, shot Blair a sidelong glance.

"Well, that works out perfectly. Since we're on the subject, I was thinking of setting up an account in your name."

"An account?"

"I'll give you an allowance every month. You can buy whatever you want with that money, or prepare gifts for others like you did today. Since you're doing such a good job as my wife, consider it my gift to you."

Edmund emphasized the phrase 'as my wife' while presenting the gift box, adding lightly,

"I suppose I can deposit your annual compensation into that account too."

"...Ah."

So should she say thank you? Blair found it hard to express gratitude readily. She couldn't tell if this was genuine consideration or a reminder of their conditional relationship.

She secretly hoped this relationship would last. It was only natural to wish he felt the same, that their emotions shared the same light. Yet his persistent distance left a chill in her heart. A sharp man like him couldn't possibly be unaware of this longing.

Blair finally forced a smile.

"Then, I'll gladly accept it."

"Very well."

"About that tie."

"Yes?"

"I didn't buy it because I was conscious of other people's eyes. Nor was it to save face as your wife."

She hesitated before continuing.

"I just bought it because I thought it would suit you well."

Silence settled between them. Edmund, who had been staring intently at Blair, lowered his gaze to the gift box containing the tie. His expression was unreadable. When their eyes met again, his expression was softer than before.

"Alright. I'll accept it gratefully too."

"......"

"I'll go wash up now."

"I'll wait for you."

"It's fine, go ahead and sleep. You must be tired."

"...Alright."

Edmund turned and headed for the bathroom. After the door closed, Blair stood motionless for a while longer before sighing and approaching the bed. She buried herself in the sheets, still carrying the man's deep scent, and closed her eyes. She wanted to fall asleep before he returned.

The man, who didn't take long to wash up, soon came back to the bedroom. After turning off all the lights and pulling back the covers, he lay down on the bed beside her. As the heavy scent grew stronger, Blair held her breath, repeating shallow breaths.

"Sleep well, Blair."

His voice was tender, even noticing she hadn't gone to bed yet. Blinking in the darkness, Blair whispered softly.

"You too."

And then a heavy silence followed.

Spending the night lying in the same bed as him wasn't as difficult as she'd expected. Perhaps because she'd already let down all her defenses in the inn room. Even hearing his breath so close, her heart didn't pound as if it would burst.

Of course, now back in reality, neither of them embraced affectionately or kissed. So, breathing out while facing away from him, Blair soon fell into a deep sleep.

***

11. Projection

"The morning paper, young mistress."

"Thank you."

Several days later, after finishing her breakfast alone in the dining room and sipping her coffee, a newspaper was placed beside Blair.

Her gaze drifted naturally toward it, then froze. Doubting her eyes, she set down her teacup and picked up the paper. The headline, emphasized in bold type, seized her attention.

"The Domans' Shame: Mistress and Family Plunged into Ruin"

Blair swallowed hard. She knew exactly who the article was targeting. It began like this:

<Isaac Doman, the sole heir of the Doman family, has recently been exposed as suffering from 'social disease,' shocking aristocratic society. After infecting his mistress, Nicoletta Underhill, with the illness, he cruelly cast her aside, personally demonstrating how hollow relationships disguised as affection can be.

The now-barren Lady Underhill, unable to find a suitable match, was forced into a marriage with a relative. This ultimately became the catalyst for division within her family and its financial ruin. The once-promising House of Underhill collapsed amid discord.

The custom within Borsa society of dismissing social disease as 'not uncommon among men' crumbled following this incident. It became clear that one man's debauchery and irresponsibility had endangered the very survival of his entire family.

Businesses allied with the Domans are pulling out one after another due to the successive scandals, and the Domans' once-dominant position at the center of society is crumbling overnight.>

The figure in the article was none other than Isaac Doman. It detailed not only how he had taken Nicoletta as his mistress while engaged to Blair, but also how he had driven Nicoletta and the Underhill family to ruin. It then proceeded to expose the Domans' business malfeasance one by one, crushing any chance of recovery. Blair nearly stopped breathing as she read the words.

<Edmund Roger Liberte revealed that Blair Liberte, Isaac Doman’s former fiancée, had also been placed in grave danger by his reckless behavior.>

The article immediately quoted another voice.

Master Liberte responded, "Anyone who has caused harm to society must pay the corresponding price." Furthermore, when asked about the succession of the title—a question on everyone's mind—the young master dismissed it, stating, "I have no time to concern myself with that," and added, "My father's illness is severe, and I am by his side. The atmosphere within the Duke's household is heavy, making it difficult to discuss any celebrations."

So that was the excuse Edmund mentioned. Nicoletta's downfall was the excuse.

He packaged the collapse of Nicoletta and the Underhill family into a single article, using it to bury Isaac Doman.

After all, a man's social illness alone wasn’t enough to bring him down. It only became the talk of the town when victims emerged, and that damage spread to entire families.

Moreover, Edmund slyly inserted Isaac's former fiancée, Blair, into the article, shifting the interview's focus onto him and successfully highlighting the gloomy atmosphere within the duke's household. This effectively shattered the justification for the party Isabelle had been planning for Rufus.