Deceived, Yet Drawn to You - Chapter 121

The moment her thoughts reached that point, Blair swallowed dryly. Her heart began to race as if she’d recalled something forbidden.

But once it bloomed, her curiosity inevitably swelled and took firm root in her mind. Just as Edmund said, there was nowhere in this townhouse Blair was forbidden from entering, and there was no reason she couldn’t go into the study.

Even when they were distant with each other, she’d gone in to look around the study. All the more so now that Blair was his wife, carrying his child.

That was enough justification to step into Edmund’s secret workspace. Now she only needed to watch for the right moment and pull the doorknob.

“Oh, you’ve already finished the lemon water!”

Right then, Milia saw the empty bottle and stood up.

“I’ll go to the kitchen and bring more water. Please wait a moment.”

“Thank you.”

Blair watched the maid’s busy retreating figure for a moment, then as a thought suddenly flashed through her mind, her lips moved reflexively.

“Milia?”

“Yes?”

Milia, who was about to step out of the greenhouse, turned her head.

“If there’s any lemon curd left, could you bring some too?”

When Blair named the item specifically, the maid’s blinking expression brightened.

“Of course! I’ll check right away! If there isn’t any, I’ll urge the chef to make some at once. There should be scones left in the pantry. Shall I warm them and bring them too?”

“It’s alright. You don’t need to….”

“You’ve barely eaten all day. You should eat more while you have an appetite. I’ll prepare it right away.”

Then she flung the door open and ran out like a flash of lightning. Lemon curd spoiled quickly, so the rule was to prepare it fresh before meals rather than making it in advance. There was no way any would be left in the pantry, so it would take some time before the maid returned.

Once Milia disappeared completely from sight, Blair quietly rose. She felt sorry for deceiving the maid, but she needed to act alone now. She was afraid Milia might be subjected to unnecessary reprimand if she brought her along.

Blair left the greenhouse, glanced around, and crossed the corridor at a slightly quicker pace. Fortunately, she encountered no one on the way to the study. Reaching the door in silence, she pushed the handle. There was no hesitation in the series of movements.

Click. Blair carefully closed the door and stepped inside, releasing a trembling breath.

The study was neatly arranged just as she remembered. The curtains along one wall were fully drawn back, letting in bright light, but the cool stillness in the air reminded her anew that this was Edmund’s private space.

Even though it was a space he used alone, she could still see drawers secured with locks. It didn’t seem likely the butler was given permission to open them. If the butler left something behind, it would be somewhere on the desk.

Holding her breath, Blair slowly approached the large desk. At the center, where a fine fountain pen, ink bottle, and empty file folder rested, a single paperweight sat alone. Beneath it, a firm-textured envelope caught her eye.

Carefully moving the paperweight aside, she picked up the envelope. The silver seal stamped on its surface glinted in the sunlight streaming through the window. Blair frowned and examined the seal closely. A cross. It was a letter sent from the church.

‘…Why?’

Was there any reason for the church, of all places, to send Edmund an official letter? No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t come up with any proper reason. As far as Blair could remember, he’d only received letters from the church twice before. One was for their wedding, when a priest officiated the ceremony, and the other was during the funeral of the late Duke Libert.

She was so deep in thought that she failed to notice the presence approaching from outside. Only when someone’s footsteps reached the door did Blair suddenly lift her head.

The sound of shoes. It clearly wasn’t Milia’s.

She hurriedly set the envelope back on the desk and placed the paperweight over it again. The moment she stepped away from the desk, the doorknob turned. The door slowly opened, and broad shoulders appeared through the gap.

Edmund soon walked steadily into the study and stopped when he saw Blair standing stiffly in front of the desk. Their gazes met briefly in the air.

“Blair.”

Why’s he here at this hour? He’d said he would probably return late in the evening. Her heart pounded as if she’d been caught doing something wrong.

“…You’re home early.”

When she barely managed to move her lips, Edmund quietly looked at Blair, then slowly lifted the corners of his mouth. Still smiling, he shifted only his gaze to the envelope on the desk. The paperweight was slightly crooked.

“I still had something to discuss from this morning, and I wanted to see you, so I pushed myself and came early.”

“….”

“Aren’t you happy?”

“I am.”

“Then why do you look tense?”

His low voice carried a faint trace of laughter. He didn’t look displeased or angry that Blair had entered the study without permission. That only made her swallow dryly.

“I was hoping to see you smile.”

Edmund added quietly as he approached Blair. He reached out with both hands, lifted her chin, and kissed her with extreme gentleness. It wasn’t a hurried kiss. It was as if he was tasting her trembling breath piece by piece, as if he was trying to find out whether she was hiding some secret.

“I….”

When the kiss showed signs of deepening, Blair had no choice but to turn her head slightly. Her body was still held within his arms.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“…For coming into the study… without permission.”

“It’s alright.”

Edmund let out a quiet laugh and pressed his lips to her cheek.

“In the first place, there’s nothing here that you aren’t allowed to see.”

“…What?”

“I didn’t expect a variable like this.”

He briefly glanced toward the desk, then released the arm that held Blair and turned away. He picked up the letter, stared at the envelope, and then, without a word, broke the seal.

Blair could only watch the man as he read its contents. His expression didn’t change at all, and she couldn’t discern anything from his face. Unable to endure the silence, she spoke.

“…What kind of letter is it?”

He didn’t answer immediately. Edmund let the paper in his hand fall lightly onto the desk. His eyes were still fixed on the text.

“It was sent from the church, so I was wondering if something had happened….”

“It’s nothing important.”

“That’s a lie.”

The words slipped from her lips almost impulsively. Only then did Edmund lift his gaze and look at Blair.

“Why do you think that?”

“You’re hiding something from me.”

For a moment, his eyes trembled ever so slightly. That tremor was decisive, and Blair bit her lip tightly as she stepped toward him. Edmund let out a long sigh and brushed his hair back.

“The contents of the letter are nothing serious. Truly.”

“Then show me.”

Even to her own ears, her voice was firm. The man who could no longer keep the firmly shut door closed had only one choice left.

Because Edmund said nothing, Blair took his silence as permission and picked up the letter.

「Dear Duke Libert,

Regarding the ceremony to be held this coming Sunday, we regret to inform you of the following unavoidable change.

As Father Lowell, who was originally scheduled to officiate, has informed us that he cannot attend, this cathedral has appointed Father Arbel as the replacement officiant.

There will be no disruption to the order or progression of the ceremony, so please take note of this.

Sincerely,

Office of the Borsa Cathedral」

“Ceremony…?”

Even after reading the letter in full, Blair couldn’t immediately understand, and she frowned as she looked at Edmund.

“What ceremony are they talking about?”

“….”

“Ed, what ceremony is this referring to?”

Edmund’s sharply defined jaw stiffened faintly. He still seemed hesitant to answer. But under her persistent gaze, he quietly opened his mouth.

“It’s Rufus’s funeral.”