Chapter 106
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The car carrying Isabelle and Rufus left Eldenvale and didn’t reach the capital until late at night. Throughout the journey, Rufus’s gaze never strayed from the view outside the window. He was captivated by the dazzling night streets of Borsa.
The capital, still awake at this late hour, was incredibly glamorous. The golden sign of the Grand Theater sparkled so brightly it hurt the eyes, and jazz music, its source unknown, filled every corner of the streets.
Under the brightly lit streetlamps, dapper gentlemen in full regalia fluttered their coat tails as they came and went, and alongside them, women in dresses that bared their backs could be seen quite frequently. Among the passersby, one could occasionally spot people in daring stage costumes—perhaps opera singers.
Rufus couldn’t take his eyes off the scene. Mesmerized, he stared blankly, his mouth agape.
It had been several years since rumors began spreading in high society that Liberte’s eldest son was incapable of acting like a proper man. For Rufus, who had never been good with people even as a child, simply standing before others was torture, and he could not bear the atmosphere that treated him as a laughingstock.
He consoled himself by thinking it was better to shut himself away in the mansion and live in silence than to endure that humiliation. After all, in Eldenvale, he was practically king. And so, for years, he hadn’t set foot outside the Eldenvale mansion. Yet, while resenting Edmund for roaming freely through Borsa, he secretly harbored a longing for the capital.
And now, all the pleasures Rufus had never known lay before him. To him, who had only glimpsed this dazzling world in his dreams, this place was overwhelmingly stimulating—and at the same time, it seemed so free.
“My dear, Rufus.”
“…….”
“Rufus?”
“…Yes, Mother.”
Rufus, his mind lost in the view outside the car window, turned his head belatedly. Isabelle looked at her son with a worried expression.
“I know it’s stifling, but for the time being, you’ll have to stay hidden away in that townhouse on the outskirts of Borsa. I managed to secure this residence with great difficulty by asking the Marchioness of Rainworth for a favor.”
The Marchioness of Rainworth was a relative on Isabelle’s mother’s side. Though she had been reluctant when asked to provide a hiding place, she eventually pretended to give in and lent them the townhouse. Since it was a secluded spot where she used to meet her lover in secret, it was the perfect refuge.
In return, she made sure to remind Isabelle to remember this favor and left her with a hefty debt, emphasizing that even if Edmund discovered their collusion in the future, she would deny any knowledge of hiding Rufus.
It meant that Isabelle, whose pride reached the heavens, had set aside her dignity just to smuggle Rufus out.
“Stifling? Not at all.”
How could he possibly feel stifled now that he was living in the Borsa he’d always dreamed of? Thinking this, Rufus replied curtly. Moved by his words, Isabelle gazed at her son with pride.
“But Mother, what happens to me now?”
Rufus continued speaking after staring intently at the nearly naked woman beyond the glass window.
“We’ve escaped Eldenvale for now, but what comes next?”
“We’ll stay in Borsa and look for another way out. For now, the top priority is to stay out of that cunning bastard’s clutches. He was planning to send you straight to Rorschach tomorrow, but if he doesn’t know where you are, his plan will fall apart.”
“So, what exactly is this plan Mother is talking about? I can’t just live in someone else’s townhouse forever.”
“…Nothing’s set in stone yet. But I’ll definitely find a way. You don’t need to worry—just trust your mother.”
In other words, it meant they had merely avoided the worst-case scenario; the situation remained precarious. Rufus snorted derisively and turned his gaze back to the dazzling night streets. His lips curved into a strange arc, expressing something he couldn’t quite identify—whether it was anticipation or desire.
The glistening lights of the capital beyond the window seemed to beckon him. Rufus wanted to be compensated for the years he had lived in the shadow of Edmund. And rising above it all was a long-buried desire.
“Mother, could I become the Duke of Libert?”
According to the will, Edmund had inherited all the duke’s powers, but there was a condition: to formally receive the title, he had to produce an heir. Rufus believed he had to exploit that very point to seize his position.
Isabelle agreed. She knew exactly what—or rather, who—had finally become Edmund’s weakness, despite his previously flawless armor. But even if Edmund failed to produce an heir, would an opportunity truly arise for Rufus, who had inherited nothing? Isabelle was skeptical.
“…It’s not entirely impossible.”
To avoid upsetting her son, she offered a hopeful reply.
“It’s unusual for a husband to leave nothing to his family. It’s quite hard to accept. While we’re in Borsa, I plan to consult with a team of lawyers. I’m thinking of reviewing the will again to see if we can find any loopholes.”
“If Edmund’s mistress were to have a child in the meantime, it would all be for nothing.”
Rufus, who had been indulging in fantasies, blurted it out.
“In other words, if that becomes impossible, things might look a little different.”
Isabelle’s gaze wavered at the remark, which had crossed the line in an instant. It was all too clear what her son was thinking and how far he intended to go.
“We’ve only just escaped Eldenvale. It’s too soon to be thinking…”
“Too soon?”
Rufus cut her off.
“You know as well as I do. There’s only one woman left who can bear an heir for Edmund.”
“……”
“Do you think I wouldn’t know, just because I’ve been cooped up in the Duke’s mansion? Word gets around. They say he doesn’t even sleep with whores or enjoy any form of entertainment. It’s clearly an inferiority complex stemming from his lowly mother.”
Rufus wasn’t simply relieved that they had escaped Eldenvale; he harbored a far more dangerous plan.
“If that woman gets pregnant, I’m finished.”
Rufus’s eyes flashed dangerously.
“So, if the opportunity arises, please take her.”
Isabelle couldn’t possibly be unaware of what that meant. Meanwhile, the car, which had been slowing down gradually, finally reached the townhouse owned by the Marchioness of Rainworth. Isabelle took a quiet breath and ultimately remained silent.
***
Blair opened her eyes groggily at the sensation of something tickling the back of her neck.
As she blinked, squinting one eye, she saw the interior of the bedroom flooded with the bluish light of dawn.
Lowering her drowsy gaze, she saw the man who had held her close without letting go for a single moment since last night, rubbing his lips against the nape of her neck.
“…Edmund.”
A sleepy voice escaped from between Blair’s swollen lips, swollen from being kissed so many times the night before.
“It tickles….”
“Did I wake you?”
The man’s breath, mingled with a low chuckle, brushed against her collarbone. Blair curled up slightly under the covers.
“…As you can see. Why do you always wake me up like that?”
It had become his habit, at some point, to press his lips against any part of her body while she slept soundly. Whenever his soft breath tickled her sensitive spots, Blair would inevitably open her eyes.
“Because it’s cute when you open your eyes to my kiss.”
“It’s early morning. I want to sleep more.”
“Then just go back to sleep.”
“How am I supposed to sleep when you’re tickling me? And why are your hands… You’re really being so lewd.”
“It’s cute when you act like a baby.”
Edmund’s lips, unfazed by her scolding, brushed against her upper chest. Beneath the heavy blanket, his hand moved past her lower abdomen, tracing the curve of her mound. It was a slow yet suggestive touch.
“Are you tired?”
“Yes… If you keep acting so lewd, you’ll get tired too.”
“Are you planning to climb on top of me like you did yesterday?”
“Get lost.”
“You were pretty good at it. I don’t remember teaching you, so I wonder where you learned it.”
“I guess I picked it up on my own because of someone who’s always sulking about how I’m not satisfying enough in bed.”
When Blair retorted with a sly smile, Edmund chuckled and lifted his head. Their eyes met, and their lips touched naturally. They brushed against each other playfully a couple of times before their breaths became entwined. The sheets rustled as heat slowly rose between them.
It was a rare moment of peace. The recent turmoil felt like a lie. Not wanting to let this moment slip away, Blair reached out to wrap her arms around Edmund’s neck and sat up first. It was no exaggeration to say that tormenting him would wear him out.
Just as their lips were about to meet again, a frantic knock sounded from outside the door.
Blair flinched as the cozy silence was broken. The sound, so out of place in the tranquil bedroom, made her instinctively sense that something was amiss. Edmund immediately fixed his sharp gaze on the direction the sound had come from.
***
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