Ha. In the end, I made a mistake.
Even though it wasn't intentional, it ended up looking like she ran away from Samantha and Daniel again. Thinking about meeting them shortly, Dalia let out a sigh involuntarily.
Whether he was aware of her feelings or not, Lloyd was extremely excited.
Like a sparrow unable to pass by a mill, he kept dragging Dalia into every shop they passed.
Just as Dalia, tired and worn out, was about to suggest returning to the mansion.
Lloyd led Dalia to a restaurant.
"Do you like seafood? This restaurant is really famous. Would you like to eat here first?"
"Seafood...?"
Dalia instinctively covered her nose at the fishy smell wafting from the restaurant entrance.
"No, I don't think I can. My stomach doesn't feel well."
Watching Dalia step back to avoid the rising nausea, Lloyd's face stiffened.
'Is she really unwell...?'
Worried, Lloyd checked Dalia's complexion.
She seemed fine, but the way she had been holding her hand over her stomach for a while suggested she was truly uncomfortable.
'Come to think of it, I met the Duchess in front of a clinic.'
It was hard to understand why Duchess Dalia would go to such a secluded place for treatment instead of using the resident physician at the mansion.
The fact that she was hiding the reason for being there also raised suspicions. Could it be...
'Could the rumors about her being ostracized at the mansion be true?'
Before meeting Dalia in the forest, the rumor circulating in the Hertz family was that the new Duchess was struggling to adapt to the Sayer family.
Back then, he hadn't cared about the Duchess in the slightest and didn't pay the rumors much attention.
If it was true that she was being excluded simply because of her humble family background, and that was why she had to seek medical help alone outside the mansion...
The thought tore at Lloyd's heart.
At the same time, another thought took over his mind.
'If it were me, it would have been different.'
Unlike the Duke, who didn't seem to care about what kind of humiliation his wife might be facing, if it were him, he wouldn't have let Dalia go through such things.
'If it were me, not him, as Dalia's...'
As these futile thoughts flitted endlessly through Lloyd's mind, Dalia, who had briefly disappeared, reappeared holding something in both hands.
"What's that?"
"Seasoned grilled chicken!"
When had she managed to buy that? Before he knew it, a bright red, sauced grilled chicken was held out in front of Lloyd.
"You should try it too!"
Dalia had already taken a bite, as evidenced by the red sauce smeared around her mouth.
It was quite unlike someone who had claimed to feel unwell just minutes ago.
Lloyd tilted his head, finding the situation both somewhat absurd and slightly amusing.
"Is that okay for you to eat? You said your stomach wasn't feeling well."
"Yeah, I did. But as soon as I saw this, I just felt like I had to eat it!"
And she really meant it.
Could this be because of the pregnancy? One moment she had been nauseated by the fishy smell of seafood, and the next, as soon as a familiar aroma hit her nose, she was almost entranced into buying grilled chicken.
Moreover, with her recent bouts of morning sickness preventing her from eating properly, Dalia was completely absorbed in eating the chicken.
"This is so good."
Was she that hungry? Dalia was eating the chicken without realizing the sauce was smeared around her mouth.
Lloyd chuckled softly.
And absurdly enough, he found her endearing, making Lloyd burst out laughing without realizing it.
Dalia, noticing Lloyd laughing instead of eating the chicken, spoke up.
"Hurry up and try it. It's really good! Oh, or is this something you're not supposed to eat? If that's the case, just ignore it for today! I've told you before, you should just eat whatever you feel like…."
But Dalia stopped mid-sentence at Lloyd's next action.
A hand, too large to be called boyish, reached toward Dalia's face.
And then.
Gently.
He wiped the sauce off her mouth with his thumb.
As if savoring it, his thumb moved very slowly over her lips.
"You had something here."
He licked the thumb that had touched Dalia's lips and murmured.
"...It's delicious."
Dalia stared blankly at his face, stunned by how natural his actions felt.
For a very brief moment.
As if all the surrounding noise had been cut off, the two silently gazed at each other.
While the capital bustled with festival celebrations.
An unprecedented tension hung over the Hertz mansion.
Since the death of the late Count Hertz, there had been no visitors to the mansion until now.
This was because the Duke of Sayer had arrived unannounced.
"Welcome, Your Grace."
It was Simon, the elderly butler, who welcomed Clayton as he stepped into the mansion.
A loyal servant of the Hertz family since his youth, Simon had taken on the role of guardian for the young twin siblings after the sudden deaths of the Count and Countess Hertz.
As a seasoned butler, Simon concealed his surprise and greeted Clayton with proper decorum.
Clayton, entering the mansion with measured steps, glanced at him.
"It's been a long time."
"Yes, it has been a long time indeed. The last time you were here was before the late Count and Countess passed away... 12 years ago."
"12 years ago."
The Hertz couple's funeral had been held here 12 years ago, so Simon was correct.
Watching Clayton inspect the mansion with an indifferent expression, Simon spoke cautiously.
"What brings you here…?"
As if it were obvious, Clayton went straight to the point.
"Where is Rose Hertz now?"
As expected, the mention of Rose Hertz's name from Clayton made Simon's mouth go dry.
"If we had been informed in advance, the young lady would have personally greeted you... Unfortunately, she is not at the mansion at the moment. She stepped out to see the festival…"
"I didn't receive any information about Rose Hertz leaving the mansion."
He had already confirmed through his men that Rose Hertz was at the mansion.
Simon fell silent, not expecting the Duke to go this far.
"Why the sudden lie? Suspicious."
Clayton narrowed his eyes at Simon, who was telling an obvious lie.
The smile on his lips was chilling.
"Is there a reason I shouldn't meet Rose Hertz today?"
Under Clayton's overtly suspicious gaze, the seasoned Simon struggled to maintain his composure.
"Of course not. To be honest, the young lady isn't feeling well today, so I lied. I apologize. If Your Grace could be so kind as to wait, she will come to you as soon as she is feeling better..."
But Clayton cut Simon off, as if he had no intention of listening.
"Take me to her."
"Pardon...?"
"I'm afraid I don't have the luxury of pleasantries right now."
Simon swallowed hard at the sight of Clayton's unusually sharp crimson eyes.
Even a passing child could tell that Clayton was not in his usual state.
Realizing this was beyond his control, Simon quietly murmured.
"...This way, please."
Clayton followed behind Simon, quietly observing the mansion.
The Hertz mansion was unusually silent.
Given the size of the mansion, they should have at least passed by a few servants, but there wasn't even the sight of an ant; the silence was deafening.
As if there was some secret that needed to be guarded.
'Something feels off.'
It was natural for them to be flustered since he had arrived unannounced.
But somehow, it felt like their unease wasn't solely due to his surprise visit.
It gave him the impression that they were trying to hide something from him.
For now, Clayton set aside his suspicions, driven by the more pressing thirst that consumed him, and followed Simon.
After walking for a while, Simon stopped in front of a door and knocked, signaling that they had arrived.
"Young Lady, the Duke of Sayer is here to see you."
After a brief silence, a soft voice came from within.
"Please, let him in."
Once permission was granted, Simon opened the door and stepped aside.
Clayton stepped into the room.
Thick curtains were drawn across the windows, blocking out the sunlight as if to accommodate Clayton.
As a result, though the sun had not yet set, the room was enveloped in deep darkness.
Relying on the light of a single candle, he approached Rose, who was sitting on the bed.
As he drew near, Rose, seated on the bed, swept her hair to one side, exposing her neck.
As though she already knew what he was going to do.
Clayton stared silently at Rose.
He knew full well that visiting like this was wrong.
Normally, he would never have acted this way.
But at this moment, he feared what he might do if he didn't act, even in this way.
So, Clayton chose the lesser of two evils.
A hand tinged with guilt and terrible hunger reached out to Rose's arm and head.
The moment Clayton's hand touched her, Rose's previously composed demeanor gave way to a faint trembling.
Though this was unlike Rose, Clayton was too consumed by hunger to notice.
As Clayton, barely holding onto a shred of rationality, prepared to sink his fangs into her neck…
A metallic scent of blood emanating from the tips of the woman's fingers hit his nose.
And that scent of blood was...
Like being splashed with cold water, Clayton snapped back to his senses and recoiled.
Then, in a voice lower than ever before, he asked.
"...Who are you?"
It wasn't the scent of Rose Hertz's blood that he knew.