The Calm Before the Storm

The sunlight streaming through the window crossed the room.

The chirping song of birds seeped through the slightly open window at that moment.

Dahlia, who had been breathing softly and evenly, slowly opened her eyes.

Dahlia, staring blankly into space, blinked slowly.

Then what caught her eye was the empty spot beside her.

The neatly made sheets, devoid of warmth, showed that no one had lain there the previous night.

'Is work keeping him so busy...?'

She regretted not being able to greet Clayton when he returned.

Lately, she had been feeling especially sluggish, going to bed early as a result.

'I meant to tell him yesterday.'

Dahlia had planned to confess the secret she had been hiding—her pregnancy—once he returned to the mansion.

Given Clayton's current disposition, she thought he might be confused but would ultimately accept it.

Dahlia, after briefly gauging the time, slowly sat up. Then, as always, she pulled the bell cord and waited for Samantha to enter the room.

But instead...

"Ma'am, did you call?"

It wasn't Samantha who entered the room at the sound of the knock.

Seeing Dahlia's confused expression, the maid quickly explained as if reading her thoughts.

"Oh, I'm Susan. I've been assigned to assist you temporarily in Samantha's place."

"In place of Samantha? What do you mean?"

"It seems Samantha sent a letter last evening. She said an urgent matter arose at her home, so she'll be unable to assist you for a while. The butler instructed me to take care of you during her absence."

Come to think of it, Dahlia hadn't seen Samantha since she had gone out for an urgent errand the previous day.

She had been worried since it seemed like she was late, but to think she couldn't even stop by the mansion—she must have been in a hurry.

She furrowed her brow, worried that something bad might have happened to Samantha.

"What on earth could it be? Is it something bad?"

The maid replied hesitantly, as if troubled.

"I'm not sure. I don't know much beyond that…"

"...I see."

It seemed like she would have to find the butler and ask him directly about the matter.

She wondered what could be so urgent. If there was anything she could do to help, she resolved to do so willingly. Just then, the maid's voice broke her thoughts.

"Would you like to get ready first, or should I prepare your meal?"

At Susan's question, Dahlia glanced at the clock in the corner. Although she had gone to bed early, the clock's hands already pointed to early afternoon.

"Where is the Duke?"

"He's in his office right now."

"Is that so?"

She considered eating first but decided it was more important to meet Clayton and tell him the truth.

"I'll eat later. Could you help me get ready first?"

"Yes, ma'am."

After a brief wash, Dahlia sat in front of the mirror, and the maid began to gently comb her hair from behind.

The sound of the comb gliding through her hair filled the room. Dahlia gazed at her reflection in the mirror, lost in thought.

She could no longer hide it. A flower in full bloom eventually withers, and long sleeves gradually shorten.

Her once-flat belly would soon start to swell from below, and then she wouldn't be able to hide it from people's eyes.

She had to tell him herself before it was too late.

To stop the rumors that would inevitably spread through the mansion and prevent misunderstandings.

Dahlia placed her right hand over her stomach.

'He's going to be very surprised.'

She had practiced confessing the truth to Clayton dozens of times each day for this moment.

Even if he got angry, lashed out, or questioned if the child was truly his, she wanted to remain calm and composed.

'Everything will be fine.'

Thinking about confessing to Clayton made her heart race, but she calmed herself by recalling how he had entrusted her with the key to the family's safe a few days ago.

If he handed over the key to a place holding the family's most treasured possessions, it meant he deeply trusted her.

Even if he was confused at first, Clayton would eventually trust her.

"Ma'am, I'm finished."

The maid, who had been fixing her hair, stepped back at the same time. Dahlia Rose from her seat and began the final touches while changing her outfit.

Finally, the day of reckoning had arrived.

* * *

Clayton, who had spent the night wide awake, turned away from the pile of documents on his desk and looked out the window.

He couldn't even remember how he managed to get back to the mansion after leaving the imperial palace.

His chest burned as if someone had lit a fire inside him, and he had to suppress the urge to confront Hertz immediately.

"Damn it."

Unintentionally muttering curses under his breath, Clayton moved around the room.

He opened the window, hoping that some fresh air might help his mood, but it changed nothing.

Looking out at the forest beyond his office, memories of a couple strolling happily together surfaced in his mind.

Far from cheering him up, it only worsened his mood. Frustrated, Clayton yanked the curtains shut and returned to the room, opening a box of cigars he had stashed away in the corner.

He hadn't touched cigars since tasting Dahlia's blood, so he had put them away.

Taking one out, he clipped the end with a cutter, lit it, and placed it between his lips. The harsh aroma filling his throat helped calm his turbulent emotions.

Light seeped through the gaps in the curtains, and a cloud of white smoke drifted from Clayton's lips.

Feeling slightly more composed, Clayton leaned back in his chair and began sorting through the events of the past days.

From what he had pieced together, there were two potential candidates for the father of the child: Crown Prince Alexion and Lloyd Hertz.

His brow furrowed as their faces flashed through his mind. Both were formidable opponents.

If only they were commoners or people of low status, the matter would have been simpler.

Even if the child's fate was undecided, erasing the man who had an affair with Dahlia would have been straightforward.

'Or perhaps there are more.'

It was possible that someone other than Alexion or Lloyd was involved.

At the thought, a bitter smile curled his lips.

He recalled Dahlia's innocent face, which had so effortlessly deceived him.

Her sweet voice and cheerful smile now felt entirely at odds with the current reality, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.

Anger surged again, and Clayton inhaled deeply from his cigar, but even the fleeting calm it provided began to dissipate.

He felt trapped, like he was wandering aimlessly in a maze with no exit.

Ending the child's life to prevent future troubles seemed like the cleanest solution, yet he hesitated.

He wished whatever clung to Dahlia's body would simply disappear on its own.

'As long as it's not the Crown Prince's child…'

In that case, he might have kept the child alive as a last resort. Dahlia loved children, and he had no intention of having a biological child to continue his lineage.

He had even considered adopting a child or raising one as his own under the guise of adoption.

'But that won't happen now.'

Since the Crown Prince had already declared it his child, there were no other options, nor any reason to hesitate.

The child had to die before seeing the light of day, in Dahlia's womb.

But just as the image of Dahlia's tearful face flashed through his mind, the silence was broken by a knock at the door, followed by a familiar voice.

"Duke, it's me."

The person he least wanted to face at that moment—Dahlia.

After a brief silence, Clayton spoke the words to let her in.

The door creaked open, and Dahlia cautiously stepped inside.

She was as beautiful as ever.

Her appearance stood in stark contrast to the mess Clayton found himself in. Dahlia approached him with a bright smile.

Clayton suppressed the wave of betrayal he felt toward her and asked,

"What is it?"

"I have something to tell you."

Something to tell me. He thought he knew what it was, but he wished he were wrong.

Hearing anything about the child in this moment would likely break the dam holding back his emotions.

Gathering his patience, he responded as calmly as he could.

"Speak."

After a deep breath, Dahlia finally said in a calm voice,

"I'm pregnant."

As expected, his hopes had not been granted.