An Unexpected Invitation

The cold air carried an unpleasant smell.

In the dark, moldy basement, Samantha blinked as if she had misheard.

"...Pardon? What do you mean...?"

"I asked who the father of the child is."

Clayton's voice dropped lower. It was a question that made the already cold basement feel even colder. Realizing the meaning of his words late, Samantha gasped and answered.

"Who else would the father be...? Of course, it's the Duke!"

"...My child?"

"Yes!"

The trembling she showed moments ago was gone, and Samantha's eyes betrayed not a hint of falsehood.

Watching Samantha's face intently, Clayton let out a bitter laugh.

"My child."

Samantha flinched as she read the expression of the man whose lips were curled on one side.

The Duke didn't believe her words. That meant...

Could he possibly think that Madam has been unfaithful?

It meant he didn't believe the child in Madam's womb was his.

How could he think of such an outrageous thing…!

Samantha's first reaction was confusion. To think that Madam, who cared for the Duke more than anyone else, was accused of infidelity.

Recently, there had been rumors around the estate that their relationship had changed, but she couldn't understand her master's reaction.

Moreover, as someone who had always stayed by Madam's side, she knew better than anyone that Dalia was being unfairly misunderstood.

Madam even secretly visited external physicians to conceive the Duke's child!

Knowing Dalia's unseen efforts, it pained her to see Madam being so misunderstood.

And that sentiment gradually turned into resentment toward the Duke.

So, forgetting that she was currently being detained and interrogated, she shouted at him.

"Madam has never been unfaithful! I know that better than anyone because I've always been by her side!"

However, Clayton furrowed his brow at Samantha's response.

"Is that so?"

"Yes!"

Tilting his head, he asked her again.

"Are you certain?"

"Of course!"

"Even though you repeatedly lost track of Dalia outside the estate?"

"Pardon...?"

Caught off guard by Clayton's question, Samantha stammered. She seemed flustered, as if she hadn't thought that far.

"W-well, that's..."

Ignoring her pounding heart, she tried to respond, but a series of past events flashed through her mind like a reel of memories.

The times when Dalia would suddenly disappear whenever they went outside the estate together.

Now that I think about it, it wasn't just once or twice...

The first time, they were caught by the Duke and harshly reprimanded, and later, even when they went to a physician together, Dalia had suddenly vanished.

And, of course, Samantha was never told exactly where Dalia had gone or what she had done.

If it had been somewhere Samantha needed to know about, there would have been no reason to hide it.

As her thoughts reached that point, Samantha's eyes began to tremble aimlessly.

Noticing the change in Samantha's expression, Clayton's lips twisted.

"See?"

His mouth tasted bitter.

Though he had expected it, seeing the startled reaction of the maid felt as if the fragile belief he had been holding onto was crumbling completely.

"So, are you still going to insist you don't know who the child's father is?"

Clayton considered Samantha's earlier reaction to be an act.

After all, only a select few in the estate knew that Dalia could not conceive a Seiyer family child.

The regular servants were unaware of the specific conditions required for bearing a Seiyer family child.

In such a situation, if they learned that Dalia was pregnant, they would have informed him immediately or naturally assumed the child was his without any doubt.

That is, if they were unaware that Dalia was meeting another man.

However, instead of informing Jason or him about Dalia's pregnancy, Samantha had been siphoning off the family's wealth.

Almost as if she were preparing an escape fund.

And Clayton was not ignorant of what that meant.

"If you're honest with me now, you might still save your life."

Lost for words due to her confusion, Samantha snapped back to reality at the sound of his cold voice echoing in her ears.

"It's the Duke's child! Madam would never…"

Just as Samantha, realizing her reaction might have led Clayton to misunderstand, tried to offer another explanation.

The basement door swung open, and a man hurriedly stepped in—it was Caddison.

Caddison quickly approached the Duke and whispered something only Clayton could hear.

Whatever it was, it didn't seem to be good news, as Clayton's face twisted instantly.

"Now?"

"Yes."

"...."

After pausing to think for a moment, Clayton stood up and gestured toward Samantha, who was sitting behind him.

"Keep a close watch."

"Yes, understood."

Listening to the sound of retreating footsteps echoing in the basement, Samantha exhaled the breath she had been holding as soon as the presence outside disappeared.

What in the world is going on...?

So many things had happened in such a short time that it was hard to handle. Being suddenly abducted by the Duke was one thing, but now they were trying to determine who the father of Madam's unborn child was.

If it's not the Duke's child, then whose child could it possibly be?

Could that be why she had been so desperate to hide her pregnancy? The thought made her breath catch in her throat.

Then what will happen to Madam now…?

Without a powerful family to support her, there was no one who could stop the Duke from doing whatever he wanted to Madam.

"What are we going to do…?"

Madam was probably completely unaware of the situation at this moment. Samantha, overwhelmed with worry, began to sniffle.

For now, figuring out the father of the child in Madam's womb was something to think about later.

What she resented more was the Duke's refusal to trust Madam and his insistence on finding the child's father.

Left alone in the storage room once more, Samantha trembled with a heart burning with anxiety. Just then, commotion erupted outside, and the previously closed door swung open again.

"You are…."

Samantha's eyes widened as she saw the person who entered through the open door.

* * *

"We've been expecting you, Your Grace."

Meanwhile, the carriage carrying Clayton stopped at the royal palace. As soon as he stepped out of the carriage, the crown prince's attendant bowed to him.

Without so much as a glance at the man in front of him, Clayton spoke.

"Why has His Highness the Crown Prince suddenly summoned me?"

"I was merely ordered to bring Your Grace here; I know nothing further. Please, follow me."

It was none other than Crown Prince Alexion who had summoned him from the basement.

The Crown Prince had requested a meeting, claiming he had something important to convey.

Normally, Clayton found the Crown Prince unsettling and would have made an excuse to avoid such a meeting, but this time was different. He had a bad feeling about it.

An important discussion at such a time? Suppressing an inexplicable sense of unease, Clayton followed the attendant into the palace.

After wandering through the palace for some time, they finally arrived in front of the room where the Crown Prince was.

"Please, have a comfortable conversation."

With those words, the attendant opened the door, revealing the Crown Prince, who was standing with his back to them, gazing out the window.

His back revealed no hint of what he was thinking as he silently stared at the view outside, but upon sensing their presence, he turned around.

He greeted Clayton warmly, as if he had been expecting him.

"Welcome, Duke."

"Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Clayton bowed respectfully, and the Crown Prince, with a benevolent smile, gestured for him to take a seat.

As the two settled into the sofas prepared for them, maids pushed a trolley forward and placed teacups on the table.

"Please, try it. It's a tea brewed from leaves currently popular in the Eastern Empire. The fragrance is delightful, and the aftertaste is refreshing—it's a tea I've been enjoying lately."

Alexion lifted the teacup before him, savoring its aroma, and encouraged Clayton to have some as well.

The Crown Prince seemed in high spirits, his face bright throughout the time Clayton had been in the room.

However, Clayton had no intention of humoring the man, so he got straight to the point.

"What is the reason for your sudden summons?"

"How impatient you are."

The Crown Prince murmured softly, commenting on Clayton's rush, and sipped his tea leisurely, taking his time.

"Well, it's just that I heard there's some delightful news regarding the Seiyer family."

A deep smile spread across the Crown Prince's lips as he spoke.

"Dalia is pregnant, isn't she?"