Farewell

The sound of leaves rustling in the wind and the crackling of burning sparks intertwined in a dizzying harmony.

Dalia looked at Clayton.

The man's unwavering gaze meeting hers burned red, like a flame.

It resembled the random scattering of sparks over the river, and without realizing it, she found herself staring at him.

Suddenly, Dalia realized that the man had not reacted to her bold words, and she let out a short sigh.

"It was supposed to be my masterstroke."

The atmosphere surrounding them had been romantic, and with Clayton asking an unusually emotional question, she had thought it was the perfect chance to strike.

But his lackluster response had deflated her excitement.

"It doesn't seem to have worked on Clayton at all..."

What on earth could he be thinking?

Dalia let go of Clayton's hand, who was still silently looking down at her, and spoke.

"It seems the festival is over now."

The sparks, which had been falling from the strings, gradually faded, signaling the festival's end.

Looking down, she saw that many people had already left.

Suppressing her lingering disappointment, Dalia turned to leave as well.

If they were to depart before dawn tomorrow, they needed to hurry back to the mansion.

"Your Grace, let's head back as well. It's getting quite late."

With that, Dalia began to descend the rock. But just then—

"Huh?"

Perhaps it was the fault of her heeled shoes on the slippery rock, but Dalia lost her footing.

Since she had been walking ahead of Clayton, there was nothing to catch her balance, and her body began to fall.

Sensing that she was about to fall, Dalia instinctively cradled her stomach—a protective reflex for her child.

But Clayton reacted faster than Dalia.

Clayton's arm wrapped tightly around Dalia's waist, pulling her forcefully toward him.

Instead of the cold ground, she felt warmth against her back and turned her head.

Clayton had steadied himself by grabbing a tree beside the rock with his left hand while holding Dalia securely in his arms with his right.

He seemed startled too, looking down at Dalia with a slightly flushed face. But once he confirmed she was safe, he furrowed his brows.

"That was dangerous."

"…Ah. I'm sorry."

Outwardly, she pretended to be calm, but inwardly, Dalia let out a sigh of relief. It had truly been a close call.

Though the rock wasn't far from the ground, being pregnant meant even a small fall could have endangered the baby.

"Thank goodness."

Dalia discreetly brushed her hand over her stomach.

Had she lost the baby in the accident, Dalia would have been plagued by guilt for the rest of her life.

She might not have even been able to tell anyone she had lost the baby.

As Dalia replayed the harrowing moment in her mind, she exhaled deeply, trying to calm herself.

The warmth she felt behind her helped steady her trembling body.

"I must avoid wearing heels for the time being."

She had thought it would be fine until her body became heavier, never expecting such an accident to occur.

Suddenly, the thought that she knew nothing about being a mother made her chest feel heavy.

For a brief moment, unpleasant thoughts popped into her mind, but she quickly shook her head.

No one was hurt, so she just needed to be more careful from now on. Having resolved her thoughts, Dalia shifted her gaze.

"Thank you, Your Grace. I'm fine now, so you can let go."

However, it seemed her words didn't register, as the man holding her showed no intention of releasing her.

Just as she was about to ask Clayton again to let her go, a loud heartbeat thudding in her ear made its presence known.

It was Clayton's heartbeat.

"Why is his heart beating so fast?"

At first, she thought it might be because he was startled by her near fall, just like she had been.

But as time passed and he still didn't let her go, with his heart continuing to pound rapidly, it started to seem strange.

"Your Grace...?"

Unable to hold back, Dalia called his name again, and Clayton flinched slightly before meeting her gaze.

He seemed to have only just realized that he was still holding her.

"Is something wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Dalia tilted her head in confusion at the man's uncharacteristic behavior, and he abruptly turned his head and muttered.

"…No, nothing."

* * *

The next morning.

It was a half-day's carriage ride from the Moncel Viscount's estate to their villa in Hudson.

Once they left here, there were no suitable towns to rest in before reaching the villa, so the two prepared to depart early to avoid spending the night outdoors.

To see off the Duke and Duchess of Thayer, the Viscount and Viscountess of Moncel waited outside the castle early in the morning.

Despite Dalia insisting that there was no need to send them off due to her condition, Gretel had come out first to wait for her.

"I wish you could stay a little longer. It's such a shame to part ways like this."

Gretel's eyes reflected her regret as she clasped Dalia's hands.

"I'll make sure to visit again. And please, if you ever come to the capital, do visit the Seayer estate. More than anything, I regret not being able to say a proper goodbye to Lea."

She had promised to play with her one more time before leaving, but departing so early had made it impossible to keep that promise, which weighed on her heart.

"Indeed. Lea had grown quite attached to you. She'll probably wake up soon and start looking for you… It'll likely be quite the commotion."

Gretel shook her head, as if already imagining her daughter's wails echoing through the castle, and the thought alone seemed to exhaust her.

Seeing Gretel massaging her forehead, Dalia patted her hand a couple of times as if to cheer her up.

"Then we'll be on our way. When the baby is born, please do write to me."

"Yes, I will. And..."

Gretel took something out from her bosom and handed it to Dalia—a small notebook that fit in the palm of her hand.

"What's this?"

"It's a notebook filled with advice on what to be careful about and what's good to do during pregnancy. My mother wrote it for me when I was expecting Lea, but I've read it so many times that I've memorized everything. So, I'd like to give it to you, Duchess."

Judging by the worn cover of the notebook, Gretel's claim of having memorized its contents seemed genuine.

Though it was a small notebook, the densely written text on its white pages carried the heartfelt wishes of a mother hoping for her daughter's healthy delivery.

"Why are you giving me something so precious…?"

"Because I think you might need it, Duchess."

"Pardon? What do you mean…?"

As Dalia tilted her head in confusion, Gretel leaned closer and whispered just loud enough for the two of them to hear.

"You're pregnant, aren't you? You might fool clueless men, but not my eyes."

"!?"

Startled, Dalia quickly looked around.

Fortunately, Clayton seemed preoccupied, deeply engrossed in bidding farewell to the Viscount of Moncel.

Relieved, Dalia let out a soft sigh and whispered back to Gretel.

"How did you know?"

"I've been pregnant twice myself, and I have three older sisters who each have at least four children. At this point, I can tell if a woman is pregnant just by looking at her from behind."

"I truly couldn't hide it from your sharp eyes."

Faced with Gretel's confident tone, Dalia didn't deny it.

"More importantly, it seems like the Duke hasn't noticed at all. When do you plan to tell him?"

"I'm not sure. I suppose when the time feels right."

Unable to give a definitive answer, Dalia smiled softly as she continued.

"More importantly, please keep this between us for now. I'd prefer if even the Viscount doesn't know."

She was worried that if the Viscount found out, the news might eventually reach Clayton.

Fortunately, Gretel placed a hand on her chest, as if to reassure her, and replied.

"Don't worry about that. I'm much more tight-lipped than I look."

"That's reassuring. I'll write to you as soon as I arrive at the villa."

"Yes, Duchess. I hope you have a pleasant journey."

With Gretel giving a polite bow to Dalia, their farewell ended.

Meanwhile, a little distance away, Clayton, who had been standing with Damon, extended his hand for a parting handshake to leave the estate.

"If you visit the capital, be sure to drop by the estate."

"It's an honor to hear you say that. By the way, Your Grace, when do you plan to return to the capital? Perhaps you could stop by here again on your way. The Duchess seemed to enjoy her time here…"

Clayton paused for a moment, considering Damon's words, before responding.

"…We'll see."

Then he turned his head, his gaze falling on Dalia as she exchanged farewells with Gretel.

"Whenever my wife wishes."

Clayton's expression as he looked at Dalia was noticeably softer than before.