Translator: Nox

Chapter 37

“She almost couldn’t return to Saint Louis. Graduation, the Grand Tour—it all nearly vanished.”

That day, the Marchioness, after glaring at her in the Dean’s office for a long time, had stood up and left without a word. Vanessa had thought that perhaps Blair and Rosalyn would ignore her starting the following semester.

How immense had her relief been when Rosalyn greeted her with a smile and a hug when the term began? To think that Rosalyn had endured such humiliation during the break because of her…. Vanessa’s gray eyes, frozen in shock, trembled faintly.

“I had no choice but to accept the engagement to Cissy to get her released from confinement and… to protect you. My mother had written a letter to the Dean demanding your expulsion.”

Vanessa looked at Blair with a dazed expression. She knew the engagement to Cissy had been somewhat rushed, but she never dreamed such circumstances were hidden behind it.

Then again. Since they were very young, he had pestered her about marriage like it was a joke. He’d say he would live alone forever if it wasn’t her, and ask if the three of them weren’t meant to be together to be whole. She remembered every detail of how his gaze, half-jesting at first, had slowly shifted into complete earnestness at some point. She also remembered the past when she had felt a secret sense of relief at the news that her friend finally had a fiancée.

As long as Blair wasn’t obsessed with her, the Marchioness wouldn’t be so guarded….

Just as Vanessa expected, after Blair’s engagement, the Marchioness had left them alone regardless of what they did or how much time they spent together. On rare occasions, she even sent gifts to Vanessa.

Remembering, so belatedly, that Vanessa was the daughter of her friend.

“Blair, I….”

As she opened her mouth, overwhelmed by guilt, Blair tightened his grip on her wrist as if telling her to remain silent. His face, twisted in a half-smile, felt utterly foreign.

“I intended to hide it from Rosalyn and you until the day I died.”

“…….”

“If it hadn’t been for that, Vanessa.”

He slowly buried his lips into the nape of her slender neck. It felt damp at first, then painful, then stinging. The breath he let out as he pulled away was shallow and trembling. Looking down at Vanessa, whose face looked ready to break into tears, he released her without a word and turned away.

His footsteps receded with a steady rhythm, followed by the sound of the door closing.

Vanessa, who had been barely holding herself up against the wall, slowly collapsed to the floor. Everything went black.

---

“Who could have guessed?”

It was early dawn, before the sun had even risen. Having walked over the mounds of earth dug up for planting new rose seedlings, dry soil crumbled from Blair’s shoes with every step. His gaze as he surveyed the interior of the dim shed was deliberately leisurely.

“That the man the King of Ingram is so desperately searching for would be… curled up in such a lowly, cramped space.”

The open window, the small pots arranged neatly before it, the wooden table and chairs, the portable stove, and the teakettle boiling atop it.

The space had a rather pastoral atmosphere, making the critique of it being ‘lowly and cramped’ feel misplaced. The summer garden, where roses had begun to bloom in profusion, was fresh, and the bed visible behind the screen swaying in the breeze looked comfortable. That only made it more horrific. How many times had the two of them wallowed together in filth here….

Blair’s eyes darkened chillingly for a moment as he recognized a grass-stained ribbon left on the bedside table, but his expression smoothed back into composure the moment he turned around.

“I had heard rumors of your eccentricities long ago.”

Sharp words poured out again as if even a moment’s silence was a waste. Unable to even think of hiding his bristling hostility, Theodore looked at the intruder with calm eyes. The polite young man who had been led by the Marquis of Winchester to offer greetings just a few seasons ago was nowhere to be found; in his place was a man barking sarcasms with bloodshot eyes like a beast whose territory had been invaded. It was almost absurd.

A barking dog does not bite. If he truly intended to show his teeth—if their positions were reversed—he wouldn’t be standing here wasting time like this.

“And?”

Theodore glanced at his wristwatch and placed a lit cigar between his lips. He took a deep drag, his cheek hollowing slightly, and narrowed his sapphire eyes. Smoke dispersed like a deep sigh.

“I assume you didn’t come here at this hour just to verify my eccentricities.”

“…You aren’t exactly in a position to be so stiff.”

“Young Master.”

“Would it not be troublesome if word got out? Vanessa truly believes you are nothing more than a common naval officer.”

At his words, the Duke burst into sudden laughter. Blair flinched, his shoulders tensing.

“Ah, my apologies.”

Despite his words, his face showed no hint of regret. The Duke’s hand holding the cigar trembled slightly as he suppressed a faint laugh. Blair blinked, then turned his head away and gritted his teeth. He could hardly believe the reality of the famous Duke was such a brazen individual.

Their first meeting a few seasons ago had been better than this. The Duke had seemed a truly noble aristocrat among aristocrats, a proper soldier, and a presence that inspired awe in men.

“Is that all you came for?”

Even with his weakness exposed, the Duke appeared relaxed. Here, where he had no honor, no family, not even a status to protect him…. In an extreme scenario, Blair could kill the Duke right now and no one would know for at least a month. Even if the body were found, he could claim he ‘killed him by mistake’ thinking he was an intruder, and a special pardon wouldn’t be difficult to obtain….

Blair cleared his throat, startled by his own thoughts.

“Do you realize how many people are suffering due to your antics? If you did, you wouldn’t be standing there so shamelessly.”

“Young Master.”

“To think you would delay the marriage proposed by the royal family in such an insulting manner. Thanks to you, the Princess’s honor has been dragged through the mud, and the King has become a laughingstock at home and abroad.”

“Your concern for the royal family is admirable. Then why don’t you offer yourself up in my place?”

“Your Grace. You don’t seem to understand what I’m saying. The reason I’ve tolerated you until now is….”

“Winchester, shall I give you a piece of advice?”

Blair looked up with a start at the sudden use of his name. The Duke, having stubbed out his cigar in the ashtray, warned him in a calm tone.

“You would do well to watch every single word that leaves your mouth. We’ll be seeing quite enough of each other in the Privy Council for decades to come.”

Blair swallowed hard. His instincts warned him that provoking the man further was dangerous, but his overheated mind ignored the warning. Moreover, this man was a romantic rival who had stolen the childhood friend he had cherished his entire life. How could he bow his head?

“I want only one thing. Settle your affairs and leave this place within the next few days. If you do that, I will not make an issue of anything.”

“By what right do you give me orders?”

“The only reason I’ve kept my mouth shut is for Lady Vanessa’s reputation. If you continue like this, I will… why are you laughing?”

“That lady seemed to want me to ruin her reputation completely.”

As Theodore, who had been leaning against the doorframe, straightened his posture, Blair flinched back. It felt as though he would be crushed by that powerful physique if he stood beside him.

“And Winchester, I know that deep down, you’ve been hoping for that situation as well.”

“Wha—what….”

“Did you think I wouldn’t notice the gaze of a voyeur stealing glimpses of our kisses through the window?”

His face turned red instantly, as if he had been struck to the core. Blair’s lips trembled, unable to find a word of excuse.

“When you thought I was a commoner from the navy, you probably felt she would fall into your hands easily enough. You figured that if she ruined herself by having a child or something, she might easily roll into your bed. That was your calculation, wasn’t it?”

“…You are slandering me.”

“But it just so happens that the man those innocent hands grabbed was a Battenberg.”

“You aren’t even sincere. Your Grace, please! To me, she is more precious than anything….”

“She’s just a woman with no right of succession. Just a woman foolish enough to fall deeply for a poor sailor.”

Theodore leisurely picked up his bag. It was nearly time for the car he had called to arrive at the castle’s main gate. He had to leave within five minutes to catch the direct train to Linden.

“But I don’t mind that foolishness. If she wants Gloucester, I can just give it to her. Sincerity is a small price for such a simple calculation.”

“She won’t like it. She won’t accept anything she hasn’t earned through her own strength.”

Vanessa’s face, which had crumpled at the sight of just a few dresses, suddenly flashed through Theodore’s mind. Freezing in place, Theodore slowly swallowed a dry laugh. It was only then that the brat in front of him truly began to annoy him.

From that tongue wagging as if he knew everything about Vanessa, to that clean face that must have stayed by her side throughout her childhood.

Theodore turned around slowly and met Blair’s dark green eyes, which were distorted with jealousy.

“Isn’t it just that you believe that because you have nothing to give her?”

“That’s absurd! I’m only saying that for Your Grace to interfere in Vanessa’s life to such an extent is extremely dangerous for her….”

“Then. What exactly is it that you have that is so beneficial to Vanessa?”

The smile hanging on Theodore’s elegant lips was cruel.

“When you’ll spend your whole life busy hiding her from your mother’s prying eyes.”