But we had already made it back to the Great Corridor. As Edgar walked on my left side, I was about to dismiss his question—but stopped myself.
“Yes,” I assented.
“I see.”
Edgar merely smiled and said nothing more. It was calming.
And it made me think, it’s now or never.
“Lord Edgar, while on survey, I met your—”
“You called on my parents? Yes, the duke said so. Then again, I heard most of the details about the survey from Enoch.”
“So did you also know I put your parents in a horrible position?”
I had retraumatized them in the name of helping me. I had “borrowed” their horse and clothes that meant a lot to them so I could escape. Even though I had arranged to thank and repay them discreetly so that only they would know it was from me, I still wasn’t sure I had done the right thing.
“…Did you?” he asked.
“Yes, I did.”
Edgar chuckled.
“You know, for humble merchants, my parents refuse to do anything that truly displeases them. They’ve been that way ever since a certain event. No matter the circumstances, if they agreed to help you, it was their true will.”
“Yes, but I’m royalty… Didn’t my father promise we would stay away from them?”
“But you chose their shop as a survey destination, didn’t you, Octavia?”
“It was just a coincidence.”
I cringed as I said the words. It sounded strangely dishonest… Truthfully, it was an innocent happenstance, but if I said I brazenly and deliberately called on them during my survey, that might feel more genuine.
“All right, I’ll believe you.”
Now I was definitely reluctant to go, Er—no—it was really a coincidence!
“……Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Anyway, if my father and mother accepted you, I’m in no place to complain, so don’t be tactful for my sake.”
All I could do was uphold my end of the bargain…and help Edgar.
“If in the future—if our boy…if Edgar ever does anything treasonous…please save him.”
I gazed silently at Edgar’s profile. A snippet of the exchange he had with my father before I first entered the study flashed across my mind.
“Lord Edgar, why did you invite Klifford to join us for breakfast?”
Okay, I went with a different question at the last second. I’m a coward.
“Well…maybe because I felt like rebelling against Enoch?” Edgar answered with a smile. “I really did think you would be more comfortable with Alderton there—that part was true,” he finished, with an even deeper smile.
“…” I just stood there.
“…Aren’t you going to ask?” he said.
“Well, I…”
“I know you overheard me and Enoch fighting.”
From the moment I set foot in the study, they’d shown no signs of that. The vibe was weird. Was today the only time I’d felt it? But…how…? Was it only today?
“Lord Edgar, do you dislike my father?”
It was inconceivable. I knew it was inconceivable, but I just couldn’t leave the question unasked.
But now that I thought about it…why was it inconceivable? I always just took it for granted that, since my father and Edgar were married, I just assumed they were in love, too.
But…what if my assumptions were wrong?
“Well, I hate him more than anyone in the world, I suppose?”
My eyes went wide. I thought my heart would stop. I turned my head sharply to the left.
“Because he couldn’t protect the one he was supposed to,” Edgar muttered, his eyes empty.
“……”
The one he was supposed to protect… I think I knew who he meant. I thought back to Edgar’s family home. Of the family painting, hanging on their wall.
Of the girl who was in the painting, but no longer in this world.
“But…then…why…did you…?”
Why did you marry my father?
The bright smile returned to Edgar’s face. He stopped in his tracks and peered into my face. “Wow, you really fell for that, didn’t you? I was only teasing…”
I stopped walking and looked up at Edgar. I smiled weakly.
“That’s a cruel joke.”
“Sorry?” Edgar replied.
In my heart, I knew it wasn’t a joke. But Edgar wanted to pass it off as a joke, so I played along. For now.
“Don’t worry about me and Enoch. We’re just going through a rough patch—all couples do. You take care of yourself first,” Edgar added.
His hand froze for a moment as it reached for my head.
“…May I?” he asked, indicating his own hand.
He didn’t need to ask permission.
Well, no, maybe I would have recoiled or avoided him like last time if he had moved too suddenly.
“Yes,” I nodded obediently.
Since I knew he was going to pat my head, I didn’t flinch the same way I had when he put the Lieche orchid in my hair.
It tickles…
It was a completely different feeling from Klifford’s head-patting the day before. I was Edgar’s daughter… Well, neither of us thought of our relationship that way, but the action was still very…familial, I guess. I felt like his little sister, maybe. Could it be—that he did this to Irene once?
“Whoa, there…”
Edgar suddenly pulled away, as if he remembered something.
Aww, I could’ve used more head-patting…
I turned to where Edgar was looking.
Behind me?
But all I saw behind me was Klifford, watching over us both. I traced the gaze that ran between Klifford and Edgar.
This feels different from how he stared at the guard in the dungeon. After all, it’s not like Edgar did anything suspicious to me—he even asked permission to pat my head. In other words, Klifford had no need to take action as my bodyguard. So…what is it?
“I see you and Alderton match,” Edgar said suddenly, warmth in his voice.
We match…
“Your Blackfeather and his sword tassel.”
Urgh. Hearing Edgar say “Blackfeather” really hurts my pride. Way to rub it in my face that even Edgar knows all about the infamous Blackfeather…
But that’s my Lord Edgar! So you noticed! You noticed that I made Klifford a sword tassel from wreven feathers! Incidentally, the first person who noticed was Sasha, if you can believe it! She was like, “Is this related to the proclamation you made at the junior ball…?”
“Yes, it was a gift from me to Klifford.” I opened Blackfeather with a flourish.
Gotta push that they’re made from the same material…wreven feathers!
“I think that suits Alderton’s sword better than its former decoration. At a glance, one can tell he works for you. Alderton,” Edgar addressed Klifford directly. “Would you mind removing this tassel so I could have a better look at it? It sparks my interest. You’re all right with it, aren’t you, Octavia?”
“It belongs to Klifford. You don’t need my permission.”
But Lord Edgar…you never once asked to get a better look at my Blackfeather!
“Alderton, what do you say?” he asked again.
“If I am allowed to choose yes or no…then might I say no?” His deep indigo eyes stared back into Edgar’s.
“I thought you’d say that.”
Klifford subtly bowed his head. “Do excuse me. This tassel is part of my weapon, and a weapon should not be touched by others in vain, regardless of social standing.”
Whoa. Sh-should I cover for Klifford? I mean, Edgar asked nicely and had a good reason, but he was just like, “Hell no” to the king’s husband!
Even good-natured Edgar would be pissed by that!
Edgar chuckled softly.
“Regardless of social standing, eh? Then what if Octavia asked you the same?”
“She is the one I serve. I have no reason to resist her.”
True. All this time, he’s let me touch his sword and loaned me his dagger. So wait, would he have refused if I’d made one wrong move…? His weapon… Yeah, he did seem really uneasy when he had to take his sword off when we practiced dancing.