Jason was the one who greeted Clayton when he returned from the cabin.

His natural demeanor showed how many days this kind of routine had been repeated.

He glanced briefly at the bloodstains on Clayton’s shirt and said,

“I’ve prepared the bath water.”

Jason quickly recommended a bath before Clayton could realize there was blood on his clothes.

Because he knew better than anyone that after being unable to resist the urge and drinking blood, intense self-loathing would deeply shadow Clayton’s eyes once the act was over.

So, Jason, who first helped Clayton undress, quickly tidied up his clothes.

As Clayton was about to head to the bathroom to wash away the smell of blood on his body.

“…By the way, Cadison said he saw the duchess coming out of the forest just now.”

At Jason’s following words, he stopped abruptly.

“…Dalia?”

“Yes. I’m concerned she might have seen what happened inside the cabin…”

“…”

Clayton closed his mouth at Jason’s report in a troubled voice.

‘It wasn’t an illusion.’

What he had seen when he inadvertently looked up while drinking blood earlier was none other than Dalia.

He was surprised when he saw her face, but as it quickly disappeared, he lightly dismissed it as his own delusion.

Originally, he wasn’t quite in his right mind when drinking blood. But to think it was really Dalia.

As Clayton thought of Dalia, he recalled the smell of her blood he had caught in the dining room earlier.

‘What on earth was that blood smell?’

It was a blood scent he had never smelled before.

Intoxicated by the sweet fragrance that reached his nostrils, he nearly sank his fangs into Dalia’s neck right then and there.

Though he managed to leave the place with superhuman effort, the thirst for blood that had begun showed no signs of disappearing.

It was a terrible thirst that seemed it could only be quenched by drinking Dalia’s blood.

But his instinct was telling him. That if he drank that blood, he could never go back to how things were before.

So he desperately left the place and hurriedly sought out the Hertz family. Because that was the best he could do.

‘How much did she see?’

Would she just think I was embracing another woman, or did she see me sucking human blood?

He tried to recall his memory to think of Dalia’s expression, but due to the blurry window and his hazy mind, nothing came to mind.

His eyes darkened a bit more as he tried to remember Dalia’s face.

Jason, who had been watching Clayton’s reaction, spoke with difficulty.

“The duchess could easily misunderstand the situation. So, perhaps this is a good opportunity to tell her the truth…”

“What.”

He cut off Jason’s words and replied.

“Are you saying I should tell her I’m a monster that sucks human blood?”

“…Your Grace.”

Clayton was not unaware of what Jason was worried about.

Late at night, seeing a man and woman together in a deserted cabin was certainly a situation that could be easily misunderstood.

The relationship with Hertz, one of the long-standing vassals of the Sayer ducal family, was like that of a crocodile and a plover bird.

It was an old contract-like relationship where any other personal feelings were non-existent. But Dalia wouldn’t think that way.

As the silence continued, Jason, thinking Clayton agreed with his words, added,

“The duchess will find out the secret of the Sayer family someday anyway. Even if she learns a bit early, nothing will change.”

Jason was right.

It was too big a secret to hide for a lifetime, and since they were already in a contract marriage, nothing would change in their relationship. But.

“Is there really a need to reveal it?”

Especially by my own mouth?

“I’m the last one to inherit the Sayer family blood anyway.”

An ancient curse passed down in the family.

The curse that neither his father nor his father’s father could escape always bound his everything.

Even though he knew he had to drink human blood for survival, there were many times when he felt terribly monstrous and disgusted with himself.

Sometimes, it wasn’t easy to voluntarily reveal an unpleasant truth to someone that he wanted to deny.

“If Dalia misunderstands, let her misunderstand. As you said, nothing will change anyway.”

Clayton’s focus was dim as he said so.

* * *

After that day when they discovered each other’s secrets.

Whenever Lloyd visited the mansion, the two would talk in the forest where they first met, avoiding people’s eyes.

Just like now.

“Someday, please come visit our territory. There’s a lake called Heitzkal, and there’s a very small island right in the middle of the lake. When I was young, I often snuck out of the mansion with Rose and played there. I’m sure you would like it too, Your Grace.”

“Sure. Make sure to invite me later.”

Dalia replied in a soulless voice.

She had no intention of going there, and on the surface, it was just the right thing to gossip about – the legal wife visiting the family of her husband’s mistress.

However, Dalia replied that she understood, out of consideration for Lloyd, who was like a younger brother, lest he be disappointed.

“But isn’t it dangerous to keep meeting at the mansion? There are many eyes watching.”

“Ah… I suppose you’re right. Then does that mean we won’t be able to… see each other anymore?”

Lloyd’s shoulders drooped as he became gloomy. Dalia laughed heartily and replied,

“No? From now on, we can meet outside the mansion. Is there a place I could send a letter to other than the Hertz mansion? A place where sending a letter wouldn’t raise suspicion.”

Lloyd beamed, finally understanding Dalia’s intention.

“There is! I have a sort of hideout in the capital where I stay alone sometimes, and there’s a bookstore on the first floor. I’ll tell the bookstore owner, so please send letters there if anything comes up from now on.”

He went a step further and suggested creating a secret code just between the two of them.

A code that wouldn’t cause problems if the letter was discovered later.

Agreeing to that, Dalia discussed the code with Lloyd for a while, then clapped her hands as if she had forgotten something.

“Here, eat this. It’s a macaron.”

Dalia, who had started speaking informally to Lloyd at some point, took out a macaron wrapped in a handkerchief and held it out.

It was the kind of feeling where you just want to give something to eat when you see children. But Lloyd waved his hands as if troubled when he saw it.

“I’m sorry, but I’ll just accept your kindness. I can’t consume anything other than the food I’m given. I have to keep my blood clean, you see.”

“It’s not like your blood will sweeten from eating just one of these. Don’t worry and eat it. If your blood does sweeten from this, just think you fed something sweet to the duke. Come on, hurry.”

Dalia popped the macaron into Lloyd’s mouth before he could refuse.

He mumbled while chewing the macaron that was practically forced into his mouth.

“I’m not a little kid…”

Though he said that, it seemed he didn’t dislike Dalia taking care of him.

‘Sigh. Poor thing.’

Dalia looked at Lloyd with eyes that saw him as younger than herself.

According to the original story, Lloyd was destined to have his blood sucked by Clayton for years to come.

Of course, if she didn’t run away, no one knew how the original story would change, but she knew at least that Clayton wouldn’t carelessly drink her blood.

Because the male lead hated the female lead finding out about his curse more than dying.

‘You’ll have to suffer a bit longer…’

So Dalia decided to take care of Lloyd more attentively out of guilt towards him.

She would pack snacks for him who hadn’t tasted many delicious things, and often prepared foods that acted as iron supplements in case he might collapse from anemia.

At first, Lloyd was burdened by her kindness, but now he seemed used to it and was eating well without much refusal.

“By the way, how does it feel?”

“What?”

“You know… having your blood sucked.”

“Ah.”

Lloyd swallowed the macaron in his mouth and stroked his neck.

“It’s just. It stings a little at first, and then it’s fine after that. How should I put it, it’s like your body gradually becomes languid and you feel sleepy?”

Hey, that’s not fine at all.

It didn’t seem much different from falling asleep in a bathtub while injured.

As Dalia’s expression darkened, Lloyd added words as if to reassure her.

“Unlike my sister, I’m healthy so it’s okay. Don’t worry too much.”

Dalia murmured in response to Lloyd, who was patting his chest as if he was really fine.

“How is that okay. You’re just enduring it too.”

“…”

Lloyd’s eyes dimmed slightly at those words, as if he had realized something he hadn’t known.

‘Sigh, poor thing. So pitiful.’

How heartbreaking that sight was.

Dalia stroked Lloyd’s hair and comforted him.

“Just hang in there a little longer. That will come to an end soon too. When you become free from the family someday, live doing everything you want to do.”

Everything I want to do.

Lloyd, who whispered those words softly, lowered his head.

His earlobes were as red as a ripe apple, but Dalia didn’t notice.