Dalia leaned against a tree, using the fluttering shadows of the leaves as her mat.
The cool breeze ruffling her hair and the refreshing scent of the forest tickling her nose made her feel much more at ease.
As she basked in the peacefulness of the forest, Dalia gazed at the sky and recalled what had happened with Clayton the day before.
"He definitely tried to drink my blood.'
Thinking of his red eyes that had glinted as if they would devour her, Dalia rubbed her neck.
Her fingertips brushed against the mark left by yesterday's events.
It wasn't a deep wound, just one that felt like it had been made by a slightly thick needle.
'In the original story, the male lead trying to drink the heroine's blood was supposed to happen much later…'
Seeing Clayton's inability to resist his impulses, she instinctively realized that the day she would take Lloyd's place wasn't far off.
'Maybe this is actually a good thing?'
Since she was already pregnant, if her blood suited his taste, he wouldn't easily cast her aside.
So, she thought it might not be a bad idea to change her plans and actively play the role of a blood bag.
'Well, it might hurt a little, but…'
If she thought of it as just getting a thick injection in her neck, it wouldn't be so bad—or so she consoled herself.
Dalia was jolted out of her thoughts by Samantha's sudden arrival.
"…Who's here?"
Dalia, as if she hadn't quite caught what the breathless Samantha had said after running, asked again.
"A-a red-haired woman! Some strange woman showed up at the estate, carrying loads of luggage!"
"..."
"Could that red-haired woman's name possibly be…"
"Roze Hertz! She's the young lady of the Hertz Count's family!"
Hearing the familiar name from Samantha's mouth, Dalia dropped the apple she was eating with a thud.
The perfectly ripe red apple rolled pitifully across the floor.
"At this hour, Roze Hertz came to the estate… with her luggage, no less…"
Dalia murmured, as if trying to grasp the reality of the situation.
"Yes! The Duke gave her quarters in the eastern annex!"
Seeing Dalia's shocked expression, the excited Samantha raised her voice.
The eastern annex was farther away than the western annex where the Dowager resided.
Last time, she'd overheard the butler mention that no one had lived there in ages, and it was an old, rundown building.
But now, for them to have prepared lodging there for Lloyd…
'Does this mean she's going to live under the same roof as Lloyd?'
Finally piecing it all together, Dalia's mouth fell open.
'This wasn't in the original story!'
Under normal circumstances, she would've been secretly glad about Lloyd's visit, but not now.
'Clayton, you crazy bastard!'
A curse aimed at Clayton slipped out naturally.
As if reflecting Dalia's thoughts, Samantha continued.
"This cannot be ignored, Madam! You're the rightful mistress of the estate, and yet he gave another woman a room! This is blatant disrespect toward you!"
Yes. It was nothing short of disrespect.
No matter how much Clayton was the master of the estate, Dalia was its mistress.
And yet, he allowed a guest to stay without consulting her—the very person rumored to be his mistress, no less.
It was clearly an act of disregard for her role as the Duchess.
At this point, she wanted to pry open the male lead's skull to see what was going on in his mind.
And then, perhaps angrier than Dalia, Samantha started sobbing.
"Hic… The Duke is so cruel. Why is he doing this to you, Madam…? You've even been secretly visiting the physician for his sake…"
It seemed Samantha was imagining Dalia as the lead character in a morning drama, abandoned by her husband.
But then again, considering she was pregnant, it did feel like she was the protagonist of a melodrama.
However, Dalia quickly shook her head, as if tired of the thought.
She was already flustered by the unexpected situation, and hearing Samantha sob next to her was giving her a headache.
"Haah… I'm so tired."
Exhausted by everything, Dalia pressed her temples with her fingers.
A rustling sound followed by the sense of someone approaching caught her attention.
"Um…"
Hearing a familiar voice, Dalia lifted her head.
"…You."
The person standing before them was Lloyd, dressed as Roze, as usual.
The only difference was his drooped shoulders, which made him look utterly dejected.
Seeing Lloyd in this state, Dalia gave Samantha an order.
"Samantha, go back to the estate first."
"What? Madam! How can I leave you here with that woman—uh, the young lady—by yourself?"
"Samantha."
When Dalia repeated her command with a calm yet firm gaze, Samantha fell silent.
Reluctantly, Samantha moved her feet, not forgetting to glare at Lloyd as she left.
After sending off Samantha, who had been practically shooting daggers, a heavy silence settled over the forest. It was Lloyd who broke it first.
"…I'm sorry."
Lloyd bowed his head in front of Dalia, looking like a guilty criminal.
"What are you apologizing for?"
Seeing Lloyd so dejected made her heart ache again.
For Lloyd, this was no different than a bolt from the blue.
There weren't many people coming and going from the annex, but staying in disguise all day must have been terribly uncomfortable.
'Both of us are truly suffering.'
She sighed at the thought of herself and Lloyd enduring unnecessary hardships all because of one man.
Lloyd, who had been hanging his head like a guilty man, spoke in a subdued voice.
"A few days ago, while I was away, His Grace visited our estate."
"…What? The Hertz estate?"
"Yes…"
Lloyd calmly recounted what had happened at the estate.
The Duke's sudden visit had left his sister no choice but to greet him. Fortunately, the Duke hadn't realized the two were different people.
Even his sister didn't know why the Duke had suddenly ordered Lloyd to move to his estate.
"After the Duke left, someone from his estate came and delivered an order that I was to pack and move there by today. I was so shocked…"
What could have happened while she was unaware? Dahlia calmly tried to sort through her memories, wondering if she had forgotten some part of the original story.
But soon, she realized she couldn't recall anything and shook her head.
'Never mind. Let's just think positively.'
Perhaps this was for the best. Living under the same roof as someone the world thought was her husbands lover would only increase public sympathy for her.
That way, even the Duke couldn't completely ignore her.
With that thought, her mood lightened. Dahlia then gave Lloyd a few instructions.
"For now, we should avoid meeting alone. If something urgent comes up, let's meet in the forest like this. I think people would pay too much attention if we're seen together."
Lloyd nodded in agreement and studied her expression.
'I just hope the Duchess doesn't get any unnecessary misunderstandings…'
It didn't matter to him if the world thought he was a woman or mocked him as her lover.
As long as Dahlia trusted him, that was enough.
'Even if she doesn't show it, she must be struggling.'
The Duke, as Lloyd knew him, was not the type to care for his wife.
The Duke likely wouldn't care about the consequences of Lloyd staying here. And the one hurt by it all would surely be Dahlia.
'If only Dahlia had met me before she met the Duke…'
If she had become the Countess of Hertz instead of the Duchess of Seyer…
'What am I even thinking!'
Before he could fall deeper into those thoughts, Lloyd shook his head and looked at Dahlia, who seemed lost in thought.
Her silver hair shimmered under the sunlight, and her purple eyes gleamed like amethysts.
From the moment he first saw her, he thought she was breathtakingly beautiful.
So, spending time with such a beautiful woman brought him pure joy.
The way she cared for him was comforting, like an older sister, and her concern for him felt warm, like his late mother's.
So, opening his heart to Dahlia felt as natural as ice melting under warm sunlight.
Yes, it was a very natural feeling.
This feeling, like the tender first love of an adolescent boy, was probably…
As his thoughts reached that point, a whirlwind of emotions surged within him.
The scattered fragments of his feelings began to fall into place, one by one.
When the fragments came together to form a complete picture, he finally realized.
Ah, I'm in love.
With the dazzlingly beautiful Dahlia.
A woman who was already another man's wife.
Having finally recognized his own feelings, Lloyd let out a short sigh.
It was an omen of misfortune.