Conspiracy

After Jason left, a heavy silence hung in the office where only two people remained.

It was because this was essentially the first time they had sat face-to-face since Clayton became the Duke.

Though it had been years since they last met alone, there wasn't even a cup of tea placed in front of them.

After all, they were not on cordial terms for sharing tea, nor was the situation suitable for it.

The Dowager Duchess, who seemed to be organizing her thoughts, broke the silence.

"I heard you've confined Dalia to the tower. You're well aware that the mansion is in chaos because of it, aren't you? So, why exactly did you lock her up?"

"It's exactly as you heard earlier."

At his response, Margaret fell silent.

Moments ago, upon hearing that Dalia was confined to the tower, Margaret came to question Clayton but overheard a conversation with the butler by chance.

'Dalia's child isn't Clayton's?'

The Dalia she knew was a woman who loved her husband more than anyone else.

She even said she wouldn't mind dying after bearing Clayton's child. Clearly, some serious misunderstanding had occurred.

Thus, Margaret began to speak on behalf of Dalia, who wasn't present.

"Dalia isn't that kind of person. There must be a misunderstanding. So don't act so drastically and have a conversation with her..."

"Misunderstanding?"

He smirked.

Clayton curled his lips as if he had heard something ridiculous.

Well, there was no way his father, who had no intention of having more children, would have told Margaret the family secret.

He concluded that Margaret wouldn't know the secret of how the Seiyers produce heirs and continued speaking.

"A Seiyer child isn't conceived simply by physical union. I doubt Father would have told you that much."

"...."

It was blatant contempt.

Margaret quietly clenched her fists as she listened to Clayton, who was effectively saying, "You, a stepmother who has never borne a Seiyer child, can't understand our world."

"So don't interfere any further and stay in the annex. Just keep quiet as you've been doing."

It was a warning to refrain from saying or caring anything more about Dalia.

Though she wasn't his birth mother, Margaret was undeniably the eldest in the Seiyer household. Infuriated at being treated like an outsider rather than respected as an elder, she Rose from her seat.

"If that's what you say, then so be it."

As she moved toward the door, the Dowager Duchess paused momentarily.

"But you know."

She opened her mouth as if she had forgotten to say something.

"Isn't that a bit hypocritical of you to say?"

Annoyed by Margaret's sudden remark, Clayton responded without hiding his irritation.

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's a bit amusing, considering you were bringing another woman into the mansion not too long ago."

She continued to dig at him with her words.

"I can understand if Dalia sought another man. A wife's conduct depends on how her husband behaves, after all."

Clayton's face twisted in anger at her words, but the Dowager Duchess, unaffected, left the office gracefully.

"..."

With a click of the door, Clayton, now alone, quietly Rose from his seat.

He reached out to retrieve a new cigar from the box as if nothing had happened. But—

Soon, with a loud crash, everything on the desk spilled onto the floor.

Unable to contain his anger, Clayton had thrown everything on the desk in a fit of rage.

"Damn it..."

The curse he had been holding back spilled from his lips. The words that woman had just said to him echoed in his mind.

Was she saying it was entirely his fault that his wife bore another man's child?

The absurdity of it all made his anger surge the more he thought about it.

He barely suppressed the urge to throw everything in sight and sat on the edge of the desk.

Taking a deep breath, he loosened the tie that had been choking him.

Yet it still felt as if someone were strangling him; his chest was tight, and breathing was difficult.

Clayton tilted his head back and let out a heavy sigh.

He hadn't intended to confine Dalia to such a place from the beginning. It was an impulsive act driven by his anger at her lying that another man's child was his.

"Haa..."

Letting out another deep breath, Clayton murmured softly.

"…I'm thirsty."

For some reason, a terrible thirst overtook him.

Just like before he met Dalia.

* * *

At the same time, Samantha, who was lying down, gazed curiously at the room she was in when she heard a presence behind her.

"How are you feeling?"

At the voice asking after her, Samantha lifted her head.

Then, a red-haired man who had just entered the room came into view. It was Lloyd Hertz.

The one who had saved her from being locked in the Duke's basement turned out to be the brother of a woman practically an enemy of her mistress.

Samantha felt confused and awkward about the situation. She answered Lloyd, who sat by her bedside.

"Thanks to you, I'm much better. I wasn't seriously hurt to begin with."

After fainting from shock upon escaping the basement, Samantha woke up in the Hertz family mansion.

Apparently, they had planned to take her elsewhere, but it was deemed too dangerous.

Smiling in relief, Lloyd handed Samantha the tea he had brought.

"I'm glad to hear that. Here, drink this. It should help you feel better."

"Thank you."

As she sipped the warm tea he offered, Samantha glanced at Lloyd.

'I didn't expect them to be twins.'

He looked so much like Lady Rose Hertz that one could believe they were the same person.

Feeling uncomfortable being alone with Lloyd, Samantha focused on sipping her tea.

She cautiously spoke up to address the question that had been on her mind since she woke up here.

"Excuse me, but… how did you know I was confined there?:

"I saw it in the old district. You were being kidnapped by some thugs."

"I see… Thank you, anyway. You saved my life. I don't want to trouble you any further, so I'll just finish this tea and be on my way."

She needed to inform Dalia as soon as possible that the Duke was suspicious.

Remembering the Duke's gaze in the basement, she was sure that if she left things as they were, something catastrophic would happen.

While she was silently devising a plan to return to the mansion, Lloyd, who had been quietly observing her, spoke.

"If you're thinking about returning to the Seiyer mansion, you should reconsider. Things there are quite tense right now."

Startled by his words, Samantha asked with wide eyes.

"Did something happen at the mansion?! Is the mistress okay…?"

As she was about to press him for details, Samantha hesitated.

'Wait. How does he know I'm planning to return to the Seiyer mansion?'

She had learned his identity after seeing his face and hearing his name, but she and Lloyd had never met before.

Yet, he knew she intended to go to the Seiyer mansion.

Come to think of it, there were more than a few oddities.

A nobleman wandering around the old district and being so kind to a commoner he'd never met before—such things were unusual and now catching her attention.

Realizing too late that something was off, Samantha took a cautious step back.

"How do you know I was planning to go to the Seiyer mansion?"

Noticing Samantha's suspicion, Lloyd responded.

"I've seen you by the Duchess's side a few times. And I also know that it was the Duke who orchestrated your kidnapping."

"But how do you know that?"

"I'm very close to the Duchess."

Samantha tilted her head, surprised by Lloyd's response.

"…You're close to the mistress?"

"Yes. So now, let me ask you something: Why did the Duke have you kidnapped?"

"That's…"

Samantha trailed off, struck by his pointed question.

"Was it because you stole something from the Duchess? Or…"

Lloyd paused briefly before continuing.

"Is it related to Dalia being pregnant?"

"H-how do you know about that…?!"

"It seems we have a lot to talk about, Samantha."

As the two began a long conversation—

Someone was listening to their conversation through the slightly ajar door.