Samantha initially tried to stop Dalia from going on a walk alone.
However, after the intense events of the previous day, Dalia needed time alone to gather her thoughts. She managed to convince Samantha and began her solitary stroll in the forest behind the estate.
The forest behind the estate was one of Dalia's favorite places to walk.
The fresh scent of grass helped clear her mind, often leading her to find solutions to her problems.
Normally, she would have spent more time here, enjoying a sandwich she had prepared, but her body hadn't fully recovered yet.
She planned to take a short walk and then return to the mansion. But then...
"Lloyd?"
Standing in the spot she often sat was none other than Lloyd.
He seemed to have been waiting for her, as he stood the moment he saw her.
"Duchess!"
With a bright expression, Lloyd approached her, slightly out of breath.
As though he had much to say, he began speaking as soon as he stood before her.
"What on earth happened at the palace yesterday? Do you know how worried I was when I returned and neither you nor the Duke were there? The maids said you fainted at the palace…"
His excited and disorganized speech abruptly stopped.
Noticing the change, Dalia lifted her head to see Lloyd staring fixedly at her neck.
"The wound on your neck…"
"Oh, this... well, um…"
Dalia avoided his gaze, clearly finding it difficult to explain. After all, how could she tell him what had happened?
How could she explain that she had stumbled upon Clayton drinking his own blood and had willingly offered her own to him?
However, since offering her blood to Clayton wasn't a one-time event, Dalia knew she had to be honest with Lloyd.
Even if she didn't tell him now, it was only a matter of time before Lloyd found out.
Just as Dalia was about to recount the previous day's events in the gentlest way possible…
Lloyd had already jumped to conclusions. His fists clenched tightly, and his trembling body suggested he was suppressing anger.
"Damn it!"
Her suspicions were correct as harsh words escaped Lloyd's lips.
Dalia was taken aback, as Lloyd, who always wore an innocent expression and spoke kindly, now seemed utterly enraged.
"Lloyd…?"
"So, that monster has finally laid hands on you as well."
It seemed he had gravely misunderstood the situation.
"How could he fail to control his base desires and drag you, completely unaware, into the forest to do such a thing!"
"What? No, that's not it, Lloyd…"
"That damned monster!"
Dalia tried to defend Clayton, who was being unfairly blamed for Lloyd's wild assumptions, but it was no use.
It was as if Lloyd couldn't hear Dalia's timid protest; he began venting all the emotions he had suppressed until now.
"He doesn't care about you at all, Duchess! Even at yesterday's banquet—leaving you behind and taking me as his partner to the palace? That alone shows how little he thinks of you! I thought it was because of the full moon last night, which is why he went with me instead of you. But then…!"
"Lloyd!"
While Dalia could understand Lloyd's reaction, she wondered if Clayton drinking her blood was really something to be this angry about.
After all, she wasn't planning to provide her blood to Clayton forever. She thought back to the original story, where Rosé Hertz had died suddenly.
'Rosé Hertz's death must have been an unavoidable choice for Lloyd to continue living as himself.'
He was still young and crossdressing now, but he couldn't keep up the disguise forever. In a way, Lloyd's decision was understandable.
Lost in thought about the original story, Dalia finally grabbed Lloyd's shoulders and met his eyes directly.
"Calm down, Lloyd. It's not what you think."
Her soothing tone made Lloyd fall silent, and in the newfound quiet, Dalia continued.
"You've misunderstood something."
"…Misunderstood? What do you mean?"
Despite her words, disbelief still clouded Lloyd's eyes.
"It's true that the Duke drank my blood, but it wasn't forced or anything like that. In fact, he told me to stay away because I'd be in danger."
"What…?"
"I can't go into all the details, but giving the Duke my blood was my decision."
Lloyd's eyes darted side to side in disbelief, but Dalia avoided his gaze.
"Let's drop this subject. It was bound to happen sooner or later. No matter what, I am still the Duchess of Sayre."
"..."
Her firm tone made Lloyd's tense shoulders slump.
He looked like a drenched puppy, which made Dalia pity him as she patted his shoulder again.
"I'm really fine, so don't worry too much. More importantly, why did you disappear yesterday? After we danced, you were nowhere to be found."
"Oh, yesterday…"
Just as Lloyd was about to recall and answer her question, a rustling sound accompanied by a presence interrupted them.
"Dalia."
A familiar voice pierced the air.
"…Your Grace?"
It was Clayton.
'Why is Clayton here…?'
Clayton's sudden arrival made both of them freeze.
Why was Clayton here? Before her walk, Dalia had been told that Clayton had gone to the palace to deal with matters from yesterday.
Caught off guard by the unexpected situation, Dalia couldn't hide her confusion as she spoke.
She felt the need to say something—anything—to explain.
"We just ran into each other. Lady Hertz said she was walking outside after being in the annex. Isn't that right?"
Dalia glanced at Lloyd, seeking his agreement.
Like Dalia, Lloyd had been frozen but nodded hesitantly a moment later.
"…Yes, that's right. We met by chance."
Even as he answered, Lloyd felt uneasy.
He didn't know how long Clayton had been there or how much of their conversation he had overheard.
'If he heard everything…'
It wasn't just being caught with Dalia; the real issue was Dalia calling him "Lloyd."
Moreover, he had been openly criticizing the Duke in a heated outburst.
If Clayton had overheard everything, it could spell trouble not just for him, but also for the Hertz family and Dalia.
"By chance, you say."
Clayton tilted his head as he silently listened to their explanation.
"For a chance meeting, the two of you seem quite close."
Clayton's cold tone made Dalia and Lloyd stiffen even more.
It was clear that he didn't believe their claim of coincidence.
'What should I do?'
What should she say about when she first met Lloyd? She hadn't anticipated this situation at all and hadn't coordinated a story with him beforehand.
She worried that they might accidentally contradict each other.
"Why are you so startled?"
Unlike the two of them, who were sweating nervously, Clayton remained eerily calm.
With the serene expression of a still lake, he continued.
"Could it be that I'm not supposed to know the two of you are so close?"
"No, that's not…"
As Clayton's pointed words struck home, Dalia swallowed dryly. He began to approach where they stood.
"I'm actually pleased. That you and Rosé Hertz are close enough to have conversations like this."
"…Pardon?"
Contrary to their expectations of a cold response, Clayton's answer was disarmingly mild.
In fact, it was so devoid of anything accusatory that it was almost unsettling.
Dalia cast a puzzled look at Clayton, who responded with a composed smile.
The sharp and tense air he usually carried had completely shifted.
"I had been planning to create an opportunity for the two of you to get closer, anyway."
"Yes."
As Dalia stole a glance at Lloyd, she saw that he, too, was taken aback by Clayton's behavior.
"This is perfect. It's the first time the three of us are together like this."
His smile deepened.
"Let's have a meal together."