When Dalia didn’t offer any rebuttal and just mumbled “Mmm,” Clayton naturally laid down on the bed.

Then he gestured with his eyes towards Dalia, who was sitting at the edge of the bed.

At the implicit signal to go to sleep now, Dalia let out a resigned sigh.

‘Think positively.’

It’s not like she had anywhere else to go besides this room, and sleeping alone on the sofa would look strange for a married couple.

Besides, men and women grow closer by physical intimacy. Come to think of it, the situation was actually turning in her favor.

Thinking that way made her feel more at ease, and she too entrusted her body to the bed.

Of course, she was barely perched on the edge. Dalia closed her eyes, pulling the sheet up to her neck. But it was a futile act.

Clayton, who had been lying on the opposite side, strode over behind Dalia and embraced her from behind.

Before she could be surprised by the sudden contact, her body stiffened at the warm breath tickling her nape.

‘Surely he’s not asking to do that now…?’

Just as cold sweat was running down her spine, wondering if some unfortunate arousal of lust had occurred, the man whispered lowly as if sensing her concern.

“I won’t do anything if you don’t want to.”

Contrary to his words about not doing anything, hot heat transmitted from the man’s body.

And as if infected by that heat, Dalia’s body also started to grow hot.

She clutched her heart that felt like it would burst. Her shoulders hunched even more, wondering if the man could hear her heartbeat.

The doctor’s admonition that they shouldn’t have relations for the time being jumbled her thoughts.

Because of that, she was trying her best to calm her mind and draw out pure thoughts at that moment.

Regular breathing was felt from behind her back.

Clayton had fallen asleep while embracing her.

Huh.

She felt embarrassed and somewhat deflated, as if she alone had let her imagination run wild.

She’d vaguely heard he’d been busy with work lately, and he really did seem tired.

And Dalia was tired too.

Dalia’s eyelids began to grow heavy after an especially exhausting day today.

Before long, she slowly closed her eyes, feeling Clayton’s breathing.

How much time had passed like that? Around when Dalia’s upper body began to move regularly along with wheezing breaths, Clayton’s closed eyes slowly opened.

As if trying to check Dalia’s condition, he quietly gazed at her sleeping back.

“Dalia.”

He quietly called the name of the woman he was embracing.

But that call did not reach Dalia, who had already fallen into a deep sleep.

However, as if he hadn’t intended to wake her in the first place, Clayton continued speaking.

“What I said earlier was a lie.”

It was a lie that her blood tasted bad.

He couldn’t say it then, but he could proudly whisper into the ear of the sleeping Dalia.

“It was very sweet.”

It was a taste he had never experienced before, enough to make him unable to even put the blood of others in his mouth from now on.

That sweetness, like falling into an abyss he could never escape from, went beyond ecstasy and shackled his ankles.

“Enough to want to lock you up somewhere with no one else and keep you all to myself.”

Red eyes mixed with moonlight gleamed ominously.

It was possessiveness.

* * *

Sunlight that had squeezed through the curtains crossed over Dalia.

Unable to resist the light tickling her face, Dalia’s eyes slowly opened. Her violet eyes reflected in the sunlight sparkled like amethysts.

“Where is…”

Dalia, who had forgotten where she was in her sleepy state, soon realized this was inside Clayton’s room.

Then she noticed the heavy arm wrapped around her waist. She could also feel regular breathing behind her back.

‘He really did sleep here.’

It was a first. For that man to be by her side when she opened her eyes in the morning.

He was a man who would roll around in bed with Dalia but not sleep together with her.

So it was fascinating that Clayton was in front of her when she opened her eyes.

She suddenly realized how much closer she and he had become.

She wanted to turn around right away and examine the man’s face, but she didn’t have the courage.

So, Dalia timidly just stared at the man’s fingers draped over her waist.

It was a hand that could probably grasp her whole head in one grip. It looked rough at first glance but was graceful.

When Dalia was unconsciously fiddling with the man’s hand.

With a rustling sound, her body became lighter. Clayton had woken up.

Startled, Dalia instinctively pulled her hand away and closed her eyes.

Because she had never encountered him in bed in the morning, she was at a loss for what conversation to have with him.

Fortunately, Clayton didn’t seem to notice that Dalia had woken up, as he got up and moved towards the bathroom.

When she heard the bathroom door close with a click, Dalia let out a sigh of relief and slowly raised her body. But.

“I knew you were awake.”

“D-Duke?”

Clayton, whom she thought had gone into the bathroom, was standing in front of the door wearing a robe, looking at Dalia. He seemed to have a slightly mischievous expression.

“You knew I was awake?”

“How could I not know when you were fiddling with my hand like that.”

“Haha…”

Embarrassed, Dalia smiled awkwardly and avoided his gaze.

‘No, more than that.’

Why did this person suddenly become so sly?

It was a change that would be believable even if someone else had entered Clayton’s body.

The man who never smiled and always bluntly conveyed just the business at hand had become so docile after drinking blood once.

‘If I’d known this would happen, I should have fed him blood as soon as I was possessed.’

She felt needlessly regretful, thinking that if she had, they would have already fallen in love and been spending peaceful days.

“Bear with the discomfort. The construction should be finished within this week though.”

Awakened from her reverie by the sudden words, Dalia stared at the man. He seemed to think she would be uncomfortable being in the same room as him.

‘Well, it’s not wrong, but.’

On the other hand, she didn’t entirely dislike it, thinking it was a good opportunity to get closer to Clayton.

‘Come to think of it… this really is an opportunity?’

The thought suddenly flashed through her mind that sharing the same room might be an even bigger opportunity than going on a trip together.

Because they could share the same bed and keep facing each other morning and evening like this. Plus.

‘Chances for skinship will increase too, right?’

Look even now. The man in front of her was wearing nothing but a robe. If they were an ordinary newlywed couple, it would have been more than enough to set sparks flying.

But in her current pregnant state where she couldn’t cling to Clayton, she had to employ every method except for bedding.

‘This is not the time for me to be like this.’

She couldn’t just quietly let such a golden opportunity pass by.

For a harmonious marital relationship, she needed to faithfully support her husband as a wife.

For example, preparing her husband’s breakfast, or lovingly tying his necktie, and so on.

But as she had become a duchess, she couldn’t personally prepare breakfast.

Instead, she could certainly help him dress. And there was one more thing she could do.

Though she hesitated a bit out of embarrassment, it would surely be effective.

“Duke.”

That was…

“Shall I wash you?”

It was bathing assistance.

What’s the big deal about bathing assistance? They were a married couple who had already seen each other naked.

Wouldn’t it just end with her washing the man’s body with a sponge while he sat in the bathtub?

But Clayton didn’t seem to think so simply, as he asked back with a somewhat dumbfounded expression.

“…What?”

The corners of the man’s mouth that had risen fell in an instant. He seemed to be trying to interpret the meaning of what Dalia had just said.

“You’ll wash me? You?”

She hesitated for a moment at the man’s gaze as if looking at a slightly crazy woman, but then nodded again.

“Yes. I’ll wash you.”

“…Why would you?”

“Because we’re married?”

Why are you asking such a thing, making the person answering embarrassed.

But Clayton still seemed to have difficulty accepting the situation.

Clayton generally didn’t like contact with people. So he had never received bathing assistance that nobles commonly received.

So he would never have thought of receiving bathing assistance from Dalia when he hadn’t even received it from servants.

So he was about to firmly reject Dalia, but.

With eyes sparkling more than ever, Dalia clung to Clayton’s arm.

“I’ll really do a good job.”