Samantha stopped Dalia who said she would go for a walk alone.

However, perhaps because of the tremendous event she experienced yesterday, Dalia needed time to organize her thoughts alone, and after persuading Samantha, she was finally able to stroll alone in the forest behind the mansion.

The forest behind the mansion was one of Dalia’s favorite walking spots.

When walking in the forest full of fresh grass scent, her complicated mind always cleared up and found answers.

Normally, she would have spent more time here eating the sandwiches she had prepared, but she didn’t feel fully recovered yet.

She planned to just take a short walk and return to the mansion. But.

“Lloyd?”

The person standing in her usual spot was none other than Lloyd.

As if he had been waiting for Dalia to come, he stood up as soon as he saw her.

“Duchess!”

Lloyd approached Dalia with a bright face and exhaled a short breath.

As if he had many things to say that he couldn’t yesterday, he opened his mouth as soon as he stood in front of Dalia.

“What on earth happened at the Imperial Palace yesterday? Do you know how surprised I was when I returned after briefly leaving and couldn’t see either the Duke or the Duchess? The maids said you collapsed at the Imperial Palace yester…”

Lloyd’s words, which were pouring out in an excited and disorganized manner, suddenly stopped.

Feeling strange about this, Dalia raised her head and saw the other person’s face fixed on her neck.

“That wound on your neck…”

“Ah, this is… well, um…”

Dalia avoided Lloyd’s eyes as if it was difficult to answer. It was understandable, as it was awkward to say it with her own mouth.

That she accidentally encountered Clayton drinking her blood, and that she herself suggested he drink her blood.

But since she hadn’t provided her blood to Clayton as a one-time thing, she had to honestly confess to Lloyd.

It was only a matter of time before Lloyd found out anyway, even if she didn’t say it now.

So, just as Dalia was about to convey what had happened yesterday in the most euphemistic way possible, that’s when it happened.

Lloyd, who had already finished figuring out the situation on his own, clenched his fist tightly. Judging by his slightly trembling body, it seemed he was swallowing his anger.

“Damn it!”

As if her prediction wasn’t wrong, harsh words spilled from Lloyd’s mouth.

Since Lloyd had always spoken only kind words with an innocent face, Dalia looked at him with quite bewildered eyes.

“Lloyd…?”

“So that monster ended up touching you too, Duchess.”

It seemed he had seriously misunderstood.

“How could he not control that mere desire and drag the innocent Duchess into the forest to do such a thing!”

“Huh? No, that’s not it, Lloyd…”

“What a monster!”

Dalia tried to speak up to defend Clayton, who was being unfairly criticized by Lloyd who was making all sorts of assumptions on his own, but it was useless.

As if he couldn’t hear Dalia’s voice trying to meekly protest, he began to pour out the emotions he had been suppressing all this time.

“He has no consideration for the Duchess at all. Yesterday’s banquet too. Going to the Imperial Palace with me as a partner, leaving the Duchess behind, that alone shows a lack of consideration for the Duchess! Yesterday was the night of the full moon. So I thought that’s why he went to the Imperial Palace with me instead of the Duchess. But…!”

“Lloyd!”

While Lloyd’s reaction was understandable, on the other hand, she wondered if Clayton drinking her blood was something to be this angry about.

After all, she had no intention of providing blood to Clayton for the rest of her life anyway. She recalled Rose Hertz who suddenly died in the original story.

If she hadn’t known that Rose Hertz’s true identity was Lloyd, she would have mourned for her, but now that she knew Lloyd had cross-dressed, her thoughts had changed.

‘Perhaps officially killing Rose Hertz was an inevitable choice for Lloyd to live as himself.’

Although he’s young now and cross-dressing, he can’t keep dressing as a man forever. Lloyd’s choice was perhaps natural in a way.

Dalia, who had been briefly recalling the original story, grabbed Lloyd’s shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes.

“Calm down. Lloyd, it’s not what you think.”

At the calm voice trying to soothe him, Lloyd closed his mouth. In the now quieter atmosphere, Dalia continued speaking.

“There’s something you’re misunderstanding right now.”

“…Misunderstanding? What is it?”

Despite being told it wasn’t so, Lloyd’s eyes were still filled with disbelief.

“It’s true that the Duke drank my blood. But it wasn’t by force or anything like that at all. Rather, the Duke told me not to come near him because it was dangerous.”

“What…?”

“It’s difficult to explain everything in detail, but offering my blood to the Duke was my own will.”

Lloyd’s eyes trembled left and right as if he couldn’t believe Dalia’s words, but she ignored it.

“Anyway, let’s stop talking about this here. It was just something that was bound to happen someday. No matter what anyone says, I am the Duchess of Sayer after all.”

“…”

At Dalia’s firm voice, the shoulders that had been heaving calmed down.

Feeling sorry for him again, like a puppy drenched in rain, Dalia patted Lloyd’s shoulder once more.

“I’m really fine, so don’t worry too much. More importantly, why did you suddenly disappear yesterday? I couldn’t see you after we danced.”

“Ah, yesterday…”

Just as Lloyd was about to answer her question while recalling his memories, at that moment. There was a rustling sound along with a presence.

“Dalia.”

Soon after, a familiar voice pierced her ears.

“…Duke?”

It was Clayton.

‘Why is Clayton here…’

The two people stiffened at Clayton’s sudden appearance.

Why was Clayton here? Before going for a walk, she had clearly heard that Clayton had gone to the Imperial Palace regarding yesterday’s events.

In such an abrupt situation, Dalia couldn’t even hide her bewilderment as she spoke.

She felt she had to make some excuse, at least.

“We met by chance. Lady Hertz said she was also in the annex and came out for a walk. Right?”

Dalia looked at Lloyd with eyes as if seeking agreement.

Lloyd, who had been frozen like Dalia, nodded belatedly.

“…Yes. That’s right. We met by chance.”

But even as he answered like that, Lloyd’s heart was uneasy.

It wasn’t certain how long Clayton had been here. How much of their conversation he had heard.

‘If he heard everything…’

Being caught together with Dalia was one thing, but the problem was Dalia calling him Lloyd.

Moreover, he had even harshly criticized Duke Sayer while being extremely excited.

If he had heard all of their conversation, it was a situation where not only himself but also the Hertz family and Dalia could face unforeseen consequences.

“By chance, you say.”

Clayton, who had been silently listening to their excuses, tilted his head.

“For that, you two seem quite close.”

At the cool voice, Dalia and Lloyd’s bodies stiffened even more.

It seemed he didn’t believe their claim of meeting by chance at all.

‘What should I do?’

Then, when should she say she first met Lloyd? Since they hadn’t anticipated getting caught in this situation at all, they hadn’t coordinated their stories beforehand.

Hence, she was worried that they might accidentally tell completely different stories.

“Why are you so surprised?”

Unlike the two people sweating coldly behind their backs, Clayton was just calm.

He continued speaking with a face as serene as a lake without a breath of wind.

“Perhaps I wasn’t supposed to know that you two have an intimate relationship?”

“Th-That’s not it…”

As she was swallowing dry saliva at the man’s words that hit the mark, Clayton came closer to where the two were standing.

“I’m rather pleased. That you and Rose Hertz are close enough to have a private conversation like this.”

“…Pardon?”

But unlike the cold reaction she expected, Clayton’s response was nonchalant.

No, it was so lacking in anything that it was rather bewildering.

As she looked at Clayton with a puzzled gaze, he smiled leisurely.

It was a markedly different atmosphere from his previous sharp and sensitive demeanor.

“I was actually just about to arrange an opportunity for you two to get closer.”

“…Me and Rose?”

“Yes.”

When Dalia glanced to the side, Lloyd also looked quite bewildered by Clayton’s behavior.

“This is perfect timing. It’s the first time the three of us have gathered like this.”

His smile deepened considerably.

“Shall we have a meal together?”