The next day.
Unlike the slightly clearer weather compared to yesterday, Dahlia's face looked noticeably pale.
It was because she had tossed and turned all night, worrying about whether she was pregnant.
"Madam, is there anything bothering you? You look unwell."
Samantha, seeing that Dahlia didn't look well, stopped brushing her hair and asked with concern.
"Huh? I just couldn't sleep well..."
She answered as if it wasn't a big deal, but in reality, Dahlia felt awful inside.
She had been worried ever since she had a bit of morning sickness while eating soup yesterday, and it clouded her mind.
"Today, I'll see the doctor, and I'll get some answers."
"Whether it's indigestion or pregnancy."
"More than that, I feel like I should go to the doctor alone..."
The best method would have been to sneak out of the mansion again with the godmother's help, but the servant who had come to the annex yesterday was bothering her.
Because of that, the godmother had even told her to avoid sneaking out of the mansion for a while.
While briefly recalling yesterday's events, Dahlia called for Samantha.
"Samantha, was there anything that happened in the main building while I was asleep in the annex yesterday?"
"Well, I was away from the mansion for errands yesterday. Why? Is something bothering you? Should I check on it for you?"
Samantha stopped brushing her hair and asked Dahlia with sparkling eyes.
It was the look of a puppy eagerly waiting for its owner to throw a ball.
"Huh? Ah, no. There's no need for that."
Dahlia turned away from Samantha, who was pressing her face with too much expectation.
She couldn't recall ever doing much for Samantha, yet now, Samantha was suddenly showing her loyalty, and Dahlia felt an urge to understand her motivations.
But soon, she shook her head to focus on solving the problem at hand.
"Then I'll have to go out pretending to shop. But I wonder if I can really shake off Samantha and the guard and meet the doctor safely."
She was worried, but getting separated from her group in a busy city was a very common thing.
So she planned to deliberately go to a crowded place, pretend to get lost, and separate herself from the group...
"Madam! Be careful, there are a lot of people! We might get separated again!"
Her plan couldn't even begin because of the strict security from Samantha and the guard.
In the unexpected situation, Dahlia pressed her temples with her finger, feeling a headache.
"You know, it's just that there are so many people right now, and I'm feeling overwhelmed, so I need some time alone. I was thinking of spending some time at that café alone... you both can wait here..."
"Absolutely not!"
Before Dahlia could finish speaking, Samantha clung to her arm and shook her head forcefully.
"If you disappear again when you're alone, we'll really lose our heads this time!"
Maybe because of what happened last time, Samantha had no intention of leaving Dahlia's side.
Dahlia temporarily put off separating from Samantha and looked at the guard, Daniel.
She was thinking of sending Daniel somewhere first. However...
"Daniel, I'll stay with Samantha, so could you go to LaRue and get some lemon tarts...?"
"I'm not falling for it anymore."
It seemed Daniel wasn't planning to leave Dahlia's side either, possibly because of what happened last time.
"Last time, you said you wanted to go sightseeing alone, and then suddenly disappeared. Do you know how shocked I was?"
"That's right. I got scolded so much that day. Plus, I didn't even get paid for two months!"
"Ha, ha..."
Dahlia only gave a shy laugh at their complaints.
"This is insane."
It had been an hour since she left the mansion under the pretense of visiting the tailor.
She had finished all her errands at the tailor, and now all she needed to do was visit the doctor. However, because the two of them had no intention of leaving her alone, Dahlia hadn't even left yet.
"Why is everyone like this today?"
Now that she thought about it, it hadn't been easy from the moment she left the mansion.
Before, Jason would simply wish her a good trip when she said she was going out, but today, he began asking exactly which shops she was going to, who she planned to meet, and what time she would be back.
Because of that, she had to list the shops and cafés she was going to before she could finally leave the mansion.
"As for Samantha and Daniel, I can understand why they're acting like this after what happened last time, but why is the butler suddenly like this?"
Dahlia still couldn't understand why the butler was so obsessed with knowing who she was meeting.
"What am I supposed to do...?"
"I can't separate the two of them, and I absolutely need to meet the doctor today."
Dahlia, who had been struggling with the dilemma in front of her, seemed to make a decision and turned to face the two.
"You two. Can you keep a secret about what I'm about to say?"
"A secret?"
The look of displeasure in their eyes instantly changed when they heard the word "secret."
"Yes. There's a place I absolutely need to go today, and no one should know where I'm going, not even Jason or the Duke."
At Dahlia's solemn voice, the two of them swallowed nervously.
"Where exactly are you planning to go...?"
"The place I'm going is..."
Dahlia hesitated, purposely making it seem difficult, and the two of them closed their lips, waiting for her to speak.
"I'm going to see a doctor."
"A doctor?"
The two were so shocked by the unexpected answer that they tilted their heads in confusion.
"Why see a doctor? The mansion already has a family physician. He's a very skilled doctor who has served the Seyer family for generations. He even examined His Majesty the Emperor at the palace on request. Why would you see an unproven street doctor instead of him...?"
"Well, there's something I can't tell the family physician."
At Dahlia's serious tone, the faces of the two, which had relaxed, became tense again.
Samantha's face changed dramatically, her expression full of all kinds of wild imaginings.
"Is it possible... that you've contracted some kind of serious illness? Something like an incurable disease you can't even tell the family about...?"
Seeing Samantha's face, which seemed ready to burst into tears at the slightest touch, Dahlia couldn't help but laugh softly.
"It's not anything like that. It's just... I feel a bit embarrassed to see the family doctor. It's about my relationship with the Duke..."
Marital relationship.
Samantha, who had only blinked in confusion at the unfamiliar term, suddenly clapped her hands as if she realized something.
"Ah...!"
She let out a small sigh.
However, unlike Samantha, Daniel, who had just turned 20, tilted his head as if he didn't understand Dahlia's words.
Seeing his confused look, Samantha whispered something into his ear, and Daniel's ears turned red.
"Do you all understand what I mean?"
"Yes, Madam! Of course, we understand. This is a matter of the Seyer Duke family's pride! I'll take it to my grave! You'll do the same, won't you, Daniel?"
"Of course...!"
Seeing the two of them so serious, as if making an oath, Dahlia felt a pang of guilt toward Clayton.
But this couldn't be helped.
She couldn't think of any other way to persuade them in this situation.
"Thank you, Samantha. And Daniel."
"Actually, this is better. When I went to the old town last time, it seemed quite dangerous to go alone. With the two of you, I won't have to worry about safety."
She felt she had made the right choice by using this method.
"Shall we go? I've already found the doctor."
"Yes!"
So the three of them walked together toward the old town. Soon, as they arrived at the doctor's office, Dahlia spoke to the two of them before entering.
"I'll go in for the examination alone. Wait here."
Normally, they would have refused, but since they now knew the details, they nodded, not wanting to hear the couple's private matters.
Leaving behind their curious and worried eyes, Dahlia opened the old door, and the smell of disinfectant tickled her nose.
"Is anyone here?"
"Who are you?"
She had expected the doctor to be sophisticated, as she had heard he was well-known among noblewomen, but instead, she was greeted by old furniture showing the marks of time and an elderly doctor.
"I came for a check-up. Is it possible to see the doctor now?"
At the word "check-up," the elderly doctor scanned Dahlia from head to toe.
"You don't look like a commoner. You seem like a noblewoman. Is your husband not feeling well, perhaps?"
His blunt words startled her, but she quickly regained her composure.
"No, it's not that. I came for a check-up. I've been feeling uncomfortable and nauseous lately. I can't even eat properly..."
As she spoke about her symptoms, Dahlia's mouth grew dry.
The elderly doctor, who had been quietly observing Dahlia's anxious demeanor, sat down.
"I don't know why you've come to see an old man instead of the renowned family doctors, but come here anyway."
He reached across and touched Dahlia's wrist, checking her pulse.
After what felt like hours, but was only a few minutes...
"Congratulations."
The doctor said with a nonchalant expression after finishing the examination.
"You're pregnant."
It was a thunderstruck verdict.