The dining room on the first floor of the mansion was unusually lively.
Under Jason's direction, the servants efficiently placed the dishes on the table.
Once the maids had left, a heavy silence descended on the room, as if cold water had been poured over it.
Despite the three people seated at the large table, not even the sound of clinking cutlery could be heard.
'Why did he suddenly suggest having a meal together?'
Sharing a table with people she never imagined sitting with, Dalia didn't know where to look. She focused instead on the glass in front of her as water was poured into it.
Lloyd seemed to feel the same, keeping his gaze fixed on the table and showing no intention of looking up.
Even the servants bustling around the room appeared on edge, clearly attuned to the tense atmosphere among the three.
In this suffocating setting, the only person who seemed at ease was Clayton, the instigator of the entire situation.
As Dalia subtly glared at Clayton's reflection in her glass,
Clayton was the first to break the silence.
"You asked earlier how I knew the two of you were close."
"Pardon?"
Dalia wracked her brain, wondering if she had indeed asked that question.
Rather than asking anything, she had merely reacted with shock, but Clayton seemed to have interpreted it as curiosity.
"In fact, today wasn't the first time I saw the two of you in the forest together."
He said this as he picked up a knife from the table.
"From the terrace of my office, the forest is clearly visible. I've also seen the two of you walking out of it together, looking quite friendly."
"…What?"
Oh no. Of all places, Clayton's office had a clear view of the forest?
She wasn't yet familiar with the mansion's layout and had only visited the office a few times, so she hadn't noticed.
Lloyd seemed equally unaware, his face turning pale.
Seeing this, Dalia sighed inwardly and tried to recall the events of that day.
'I don't think we said anything incriminating as we left…'
They hadn't used any names, just smiled and walked out together. That was all.
Feeling somewhat reassured, Dalia tried to suppress her lingering unease.
Skipping the appetizers, the steak, cooked to perfection, was easily sliced under Clayton's knife.
With every pass of the knife, red juices oozed from the perfectly cooked meat.
"That's when I realized that the relationship between you two isn't what I initially thought."
"That's when I realized your relationship isn't what I had initially assumed."
"I see… I wasn't aware of that."
It felt like sitting on a bed of nails, as though she were undergoing an interrogation disguised as kindness.
Dalia wanted to soothe her parched throat, but in this tense atmosphere, even a sip of water felt like it might choke her.
So, she resorted to pushing her salad around with her fork, pretending to eat, until Clayton placed a perfectly cut piece of steak in front of her.
"Huh?"
Dalia's eyes widened as the steak suddenly appeared in front of her.
She wasn't the only one shocked by Clayton's unusual gesture; she thought she heard someone inhale sharply.
'What's this? Why is he acting like this all of a sudden?'
Dalia sent Clayton a questioning look, but he simply smiled and gestured for her to eat.
"You're too thin."
"...What?"
The man who normally couldn't care less whether she ate salad or weeds now seemed concerned, leaving her baffled.
Normally, he wouldn't even eat with her unless absolutely necessary, so why was he suddenly acting so considerate?
'Is he trying to fatten me up so he can drink my blood more freely?'
That was the only plausible explanation for his sudden change in behavior.
"Why aren't you eating?"
Clayton asked curiously when Dalia didn't show any signs of eating, despite him cutting the steak for her.
Even if she could tolerate the smell, she couldn't bring herself to eat the steak and subtly pushed the plate away.
"My stomach's a bit upset. Haha. This is plenty for me."
She then pulled her salad plate back in front of her.
At her insistence, Clayton shrugged as if he couldn't do anything about it.
"In any case, as I mentioned earlier, I'm relieved to see you two get along so well."
Dalia, chewing on a piece of tomato, looked at Clayton.
"I had been meaning to clear up any misunderstandings between you and Lady Hertz about my relationship with her. But seeing the two of you close, I think that's unnecessary now."
At his words, Dalia hurriedly swallowed her food and asked,
"Misunderstanding…?"
"The misunderstanding that Rosé Hertz is my mistress."
"..."
At Clayton's blunt statement, both Lloyd and Dalia fell silent.
"To be honest, I didn't like the thought of you believing that Lady Hertz and I had an improper relationship."
Coming from someone who often acted suspiciously, his words didn't inspire much trust.
"You deserve to know the truth now, as the true mistress of the Sayre family."
The moment those words left Clayton's lips, Lloyd's hand froze mid-motion.
Lloyd understood the weight of Clayton's words, recognizing what "true mistress of the family" implied.
"The Hertz and Sayre families have lived symbiotically for generations. You might have guessed, but I've been drinking Rosé Hertz's blood all this time—until I had yours, Dalia."
At the mention of Clayton drinking Dalia's blood, Lloyd's shoulders visibly twitched.
Clayton noticed Lloyd's reaction, and the corner of his mouth curled into a wider smile.
"So, as a token of my gratitude, I want to give you a gift."
"A gift?"
What kind of gift? Dalia tilted her head, wondering if he meant the ongoing renovations in her room.
"There's a villa on the eastern coast that belongs to our family. I was thinking we could go there together."
"A villa?"
"Yes. Now that I think about it, we've never gone on a proper trip. Not even a honeymoon like everyone else."
"Well, that's true, but…"
Clayton spoke as if offering a grand gesture, but Dalia's reaction to receiving the "gift" was less than enthusiastic.
She couldn't understand why Clayton was suddenly suggesting a villa trip under the pretext of a honeymoon.
'Wait.'
Suddenly, an idea flashed through her mind.
'Could this be a sign?'
A sign that Clayton was beginning to fall for her.
He had suddenly decided to redecorate her room, which he'd walked past countless times without a second thought.
And now, he was suggesting a honeymoon at the villa. All these positive changes had occurred after he drank her blood the previous night.
'Yes, this is my chance!'
A chance to deepen their relationship during a trip alone together!
Perhaps this was Clayton extending a hand toward her first.
A signal that he wanted their bond to grow stronger than it had been before.
Dalia, having reached her conclusion, stopped what she was about to say and nodded enthusiastically.
"Alright. I'll go."
There was no reason to refuse this proposal.
"I was feeling a bit stifled anyway… Getting some fresh air sounds like a good idea. The capital is a bit noisy, after all."
She deliberately trailed off, alluding to the rampant gossip in the social circles.
Her intention was to stir a bit of guilt in Clayton.
Whether it worked or not, Clayton nodded at her words.
"I'm glad you think so. I'll have preparations made soon."
He seemed satisfied with her response, but then, as if suddenly remembering that someone else was present, he paused his meal.
"Ah, but Lloyd."
"!"
At the mention of a name that shouldn't have come up, both Dalia and Lloyd flinched visibly.
"I was referring to your younger brother. He's currently at the academy, isn't he?"
"Ah…"
Both Dalia and Lloyd internally breathed a sigh of relief as they realized why Clayton had mentioned Lloyd's name.
"When does he graduate? He's the future Earl of Hertz, after all, and it's been far too long since I last saw him."
It was a casual question, but given what they were hiding, it was impossible not to feel their hearts racing.
Lloyd seemed to feel the same; his posture stiffened slightly.
"Most likely next year."
"Next year, then. Not long now. You must feel reassured knowing he'll soon graduate."
Clayton fixed Lloyd with a gaze that was difficult to read.
Lloyd, watching Clayton intently, slowly set down his cutlery and met his gaze.
"Yes, I've been eagerly waiting for that day as well."
A strange tension filled the air as the two men exchanged looks.