Chapter 113
***
Despite her sheepish expression, Blair didn’t hesitate. Edmund’s face, which had been softly smiling, froze slightly. His gaze seemed to say, “What on earth are you talking about?”
“…Shooting.”
A pregnant woman, of all people? He raised his eyebrows, as if to ask if she was serious. Blair nodded earnestly in response.
“Blair.”
Edmund rubbed his temples with a somewhat troubled look as he chose his words. Since he had told her to let him know if there was any activity she wanted to do, it seemed difficult for him to refuse outright.
“You’re not alone, and shooting isn’t exactly a light activity, is it?”
"...Hmm."
“There’s recoil, there’s noise... all of that puts a strain on your body. You can’t take any risks right now.”
“Couldn’t I just wear earplugs?”
“It might be possible, but is it really worth going to that trouble just to shoot a gun? And what about the recoil? Are you planning to pull the trigger while leaning against me?”
"...I understand. I’m sorry for worrying you.”
Blair immediately backed down and resumed her meal. Edmund, who had expected a heated argument to follow, paused and studied her expression. She didn’t look dejected, but the way she silently took a bite of bread seemed somehow pitiful. Edmund’s iron will, which never wavered under ordinary circumstances, was shaken without mercy.
“Of course, it’s not as if there’s absolutely no way.”
As he sighed as if resigned to the situation, Blair glanced up.
“Why shooting, of all things?”
“…Just because.”
A fleeting look of reminiscence flashed across Blair’s hazel eyes.
“I’ve always wanted to try it at least once.”
“Since when?”
“Ever since I attended the Marquis of Lancaster’s hunting party. I felt uncomfortable just standing there smiling among ladies I didn’t know very well. I’d rather have followed you and held a gun myself. That was the first time, and then....”
Trailing off, Blair pursed her lips and lowered her gaze. At her silence, Edmund quietly suppressed the rising passion within him and reached out. He slowly cupped the small hand resting on the table.
There was no need to ask where her thoughts had stopped. He already knew who was in the scene she was reliving, and what that man had forced upon her when she was defenseless.
And he knew that Blair had chosen to overcome that day’s terror on her own, rather than turn away from it.
“All right, then.”
When Edmund, having changed his mind, readily agreed, Blair looked up.
“As it happens, there’s a villa with a shooting range just outside Borsa. We can go there, prepare as thoroughly as possible, and practice.”
Rufus’s funeral arrangements had been postponed, and for the time being, there was no urgent reason to return to Eldenvale. For now, his priority was to stay by her side so that Blair could relax and feel at ease.
“Really?”
The woman’s eyes sparkled as she asked. Her face, which had been shadowed, brightened, and she smiled—a sight that was much more pleasing to the eye.
“Of course. Just promise me you won’t overdo it.”
“I won’t. Thank you so much, Edmund.”
Blair’s face, breaking into a smile as bright as a blossoming flower, was lovely. Edmund gazed at her with a smile of his own, gently stroking the back of her hand, which he still held. It seemed best to take a vacation just to spend some time with his wife.
***
After spending the night at Chiles, the two left the townhouse at a leisurely pace the next day.
Although a line of cars carrying their entourage followed behind the vehicle they boarded, Edmund told her not to worry, as it would be just the two of them during the shooting practice. Blair tilted her head, wondering if her skills were really that poor.
His country estate, located in the opposite direction of Eldenvale, sat in an area where grasslands gently sloped along the river. The three-story estate, complete with a fenced-in riding arena and stables on the green plain, boasted an immense scale. Behind it lay a dense oak forest, and it was there that the shooting range was situated.
“For your information, my villa is at least twice as big as Alexander’s.”
After giving her a quick tour of the villa, Edmund said this as they headed straight for the shooting range. Blair, who had been frantically looking around, asked absentmindedly.
“…Yes. But who was Alexander, anyway?”
“That’s the name of the Marquis of Lancaster.”
“Oh.”
Blair, who hadn’t even remembered his name, let out a sigh. He seemed to have been quite handsome, but strangely, he remained only a blur in her memory. That was because her entire focus had been on Edmund the entire time she’d been with the marquis.
“What do you think?”
“…Of what?”
“Your husband owns a mansion this big.”
“I see.... So what?”
“It means he’s one of the wealthiest men in Genoa. And that’s not all. The hotel and townhouse registered under my name—they’re practically yours as well.”
...What is this? Is he trying to woo me now, all of a sudden?
Perhaps he knew she’d been anxious ever since she became pregnant and was trying to ease her worries. Though his method seemed a bit strange....
Blair bit her lip awkwardly, like a girl being confessed to for the first time, and avoided his gaze. Her cheeks were flushed so deeply it was hard to believe she was carrying his child.
Soon, as they reached the entrance to the oak forest, a shooting range came into view—a terrace-like structure built with thick wooden planks and two makeshift walls. There was a small storage shed, and three target boards were placed at regular intervals against the backdrop of the forest.
While Blair gauged the distance to the targets, Edmund picked up a rifle from the display case and gathered the necessary supplies from the shed. He then returned to her and placed a pair of woolen earplugs over her ears, explaining they were safety gear to block out the noise.
“Can you hear me?”
“Not bad.”
“I’ll have to speak closer to you. Now, take a look.”
Edmund held up the gun he was clutching in one hand. The entire stock was made of mahogany, giving it an exceptionally elegant appearance.
“Firearms are not toys. You must handle them with the utmost care.”
“I understand.”
“Always remember that the slightest mistake could result in injury.”
"I’ll remember."
Only after receiving several assurances did Edmund begin his demonstration.
“First, let’s learn how to hold it properly.”
He hooked his finger on the metal trigger guard and rested the buttstock lightly against his shoulder. Since the safety was still engaged, he also told her to relax.
"This is the basic stance."
Blair’s heart began to pound harder and harder. She wasn’t sure if it was because she was eager to hold the rifle and assume the stance just like him, or because of the sight of the man calmly demonstrating the technique.
“You don’t need to press the buttstock too tightly against your shoulder. But if you let it drop, the recoil will scatter in all directions, so just support it like this.”
Edmund repeated the motion once more and glanced back at Blair.
“Ready?”
“Yes!”
His expression was slightly skeptical, but he carefully placed the rifle in her hands. Blair swallowed hard and reached out to take it. To her surprise, it felt much lighter than she had expected.
“It’s surprisingly light, considering how it looks.”
“It’s a training rifle that uses rubber bullets.”
"A training rifle?"
“It has almost no recoil, and it’s safe enough for ten-year-olds to use.”
Blair, who had been staring at the rifle with curiosity, flinched suddenly.
"A ten-year-old... I feel a bit silly for getting so nervous."
“You’re not. You’ve been through something that would scare anyone.”
Edmund began adjusting Blair’s posture, gently touching the fingers gripping the rifle.
“Actually, the rubber bullets and training rifle were left behind by the nobleman who sold me this villa.”
“I wonder if he had a pregnant wife, too?”
“I don’t think there are that many pregnant women who want to go shooting.”
Edmund chuckled and continued.
“It was for his young daughter.”
“For his daughter?”
“Apparently, she kept begging to hold a gun. Since he couldn’t very well let her handle a real firearm, he wanted her to at least get a feel for it using safe rubber bullets.”
“…He must have been a man who cherished his daughter deeply.”
A brief silence fell in place of an answer. Since they were facing the same direction, Blair couldn’t see Edmund’s expression. However, through their touching shoulders, she could sense that he had stiffened ever so slightly.
Come to think of it, wasn’t Edmund showing her the same consideration? That kind of care—making sure she was safe and not anxious, attending to even the smallest details -wasn’t something that just comes naturally to anyone.
“You, too.”
Blair continued cautiously.
“You’ll be a father who cherishes his child, too.”
“…”
“You’re protecting me like this right now, aren’t you?”
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