Deceived, Yet Drawn to You - Chapter 133

At that moment, the strength left her knees, but Edmund held her firmly, keeping her from collapsing. Blair leaned against the chest of the man who pulled her tightly into his arms, her shallow breaths trembling. The acrid smell of gunpowder still lingered in the air. She couldn’t believe she was alive.

“Blair, it’s alright. Everything’s alright now.”

Edmund whispered carefully as he tightened his arms around her. As if afraid she might disappear again if he let go, he enclosed her deeply within his broad embrace and continued soothing her. All the sounds filling the room buzzed as though heard underwater, and only his low voice settling near her ear remained clear.

Suddenly, she felt a sticky sensation on the hem of her clothes. When she realized it was blood that had flowed from Kane’s shoulder, the image of him and Count Twyford collapsing after being shot surfaced naturally in her mind. Blair squeezed her eyes shut. The sob that arrived a moment too late burst out from deep in her throat.

“Nothing will happen anymore. It’s alright, so don’t think about anything.”

His quiet voice continued to comfort her without pause. Truly, she didn’t want to think about anything right now.

***

I must have dozed off.

When she lifted her heavy eyelids, a familiar ceiling came into view. She blinked slowly, focusing her gaze, then turned her eyes and saw Edmund standing by the table, looking down at something. The man noticed even that faint movement at once and raised his head.

“You’re awake?”

He walked over toward her. A cautious hand reached out and covered Blair’s forehead. The cool, large touch felt pleasant. At that gentle contact, Blair naturally closed her eyes again.

“Anywhere uncomfortable?”

“…No.”

“Your complexion isn’t the same as before.”

“I’m really fine. My shoulders just feel stiff from lying down too long.”

She even tried to joke to show she was well enough, but Edmund didn’t look reassured. As if even that single remark worried him, the hand that had been brushing back the loose strands of hair on her forehead moved down and gently kneaded her shoulder.

Immediately after leaving the remote villa, Blair was transferred to a hospital in Borsa. After several examinations, it was confirmed that she had no external injuries and that the life in her womb was also safe. However, the doctor advised that because the shock had been severe, she needed absolute rest in a comfortable place for the time being.

For that reason, Edmund didn’t allow Blair to remain in an unfamiliar environment for long. He judged it best for her to recover at the townhouse in Chails, where unnecessary attention could be blocked and her personal physician could remain on site all day.

“What happened to everyone?”

The question was vague, but Edmund knew exactly what she was asking. Even so, he didn’t answer immediately. After a brief pause, he finally spoke.

“You were the only one who returned from there.”

“….”

“One died at the scene, and the other was taken to the hospital but didn’t survive.”

As she listened, Blair lowered her eyes silently. The one who died instantly was surely Kane, and the one taken to the hospital must have been Count Twyford. Blair deliberately tried to push down the horrific images rising in her mind.

“Whatever happened there, you were only trying to survive. That choice was never wrong.”

The added words, spoken in case she might feel guilty, were utterly firm. Blair slowly closed her eyes at the warmth cupping her cheek, then met Edmund’s gaze again.

“That man….”

Blair trailed off and swallowed dryly. The word father never made it past her lips.

“It seemed like he planned to keep me there for a long time. Was that really true?”

“It was probably a lie. Nothing there was properly prepared, not even food.”

“I see.”

It meant the threat had been exaggerated to frighten her. She still had many things she wanted to ask, and as her lips parted, Edmund spoke first, naturally cutting in.

“Rest a little longer. Right now, nothing is more important than you stabilizing.”

“…Still.”

“I know you have a lot you want to say.”

His large hand slowly caressed Blair’s face.

“But you can ask after you sleep a little more and feel better. It won’t be too late.”

“Mhm.”

“I’ll call the doctor. Just a moment.”

Bending down, Edmund pressed a brief kiss to her forehead before opening the bedroom door and saying something outside. A moment later, Benjamin entered the room. After briefly checking Blair’s temperature and a few symptoms, he handed her a cup of freshly brewed hot tea.

“It’s tea mixed with herbs that help you relax. It’s hot, so sip it slowly.”

“…Is it alright for me to drink this?”

“Of course, madam. It’s harmless even for someone carrying a child.”

Reassured, Blair accepted the teacup and took a sip. Warmth flowed down her throat, and she felt her body gradually loosen.

“Now relax and get some proper rest. Edmund says he won’t leave your side even for a moment while you sleep.”

As she sipped the tea and shifted her gaze, she saw Edmund watching her quietly with steady eyes. It seemed the man who stayed by her side while she was unconscious intended to remain there still.

At last, she set the empty teacup on the bedside table and lay back down. Her eyelids quickly grew heavy again. As her breathing evened out and she appeared to fall asleep, Benjamin and Edmund, standing across from each other, began speaking in hushed voices. Their conversation reached her faintly.

“Fortunately, she seems alright. Since it’s early in the pregnancy, there are many things we must be careful about….”

“As I’ve said several times, Blair comes first.”

Edmund’s voice, stating it so firmly, was colder than anything.

“I don’t care what happens to anything else.”

Had she misheard? Even as her consciousness drifted, Blair couldn’t easily dismiss those words.

They were completely at odds with the intentions she’d unconsciously suspected from him all this time.

***

Late at night, the sound of shoes echoed across the smoothly polished marble floor. Click, click. The person walking without any sign of haste was Isabelle.

Isabelle suddenly lifted her head and looked around the splendid lobby. The dazzling chandeliers and luxurious interior left a strong impression. This was a hotel owned by the Libert family, located in the center of Borsa. She’d heard the banquet hall expansion had been successfully completed a few months ago, and an air of extravagance now flowed proudly throughout the entire hotel.

“Madam, this way please.”

As she reached the doors of the banquet hall, a staff member bowed politely and pushed open the enormous doors decorated with ornate carvings.

The spacious hall stood empty. A place that should have been filled with elegant music and crowds now held only silence too vast for its size. Isabelle swept her gaze across the room without emotion, then suddenly met Edmund’s eyes as he sat alone at a table positioned in the center of the hall.

The sight of him chain‑smoking while staring straight at her sent a faint chill down her spine. The whites of his eyes showed prominently, reminding her of her dead husband.

“You’re late.”

Edmund was the one who broke the silence first. Isabelle approached with elegant steps and sat across from him.

“You’re the one who called me out at such a late hour.”

When a staff member approached, Isabelle casually gestured for wine, then looked back at Edmund. His gray eyes didn’t move in the slightest.

“If it was something so urgent, you should’ve come home yourself.”

“Home?”

A trace of mockery colored Edmund’s voice as he repeated her words.

“Eldenvale?”

“….”

“That place is no longer your residence.”

Isabelle paused, her brows knitting together. His voice continued flatly, as if reading printed text from a document.

“You no longer have any justification to remain at Eldenvale. All authority and privileges you maintained under the Libert name have been revoked, and the small pension customarily provided after Father’s death will also be discontinued as of today.”

Edmund added the next words as if chewing them out, “Because it has been determined that you damaged my honor by instigating others to threaten the safety of the Duchess.”

“…What did you say?”

“Perhaps you thought you had nothing left to lose now that Rufus is dead. I intend to strip away even the last scraps of honor you have left.”

Isabelle inhaled sharply, her chest rising and falling. Edmund twisted his lips.

“I wonder how someone who spent her entire life being waited on by servants will endure a life of lighting her own fireplace and receiving utility bills herself.”

“….”

“The crime of tarnishing the family name is grave, so I will hold your bloodline accountable as well.”

Isabelle, whose hands were trembling uncontrollably, looked as if she doubted her own ears. Staring at the woman who didn’t share a single drop of blood with him, Edmund declared, “Being buried in the Libert family cemetery won’t be an exception.”