Temptation

The sweltering summer was ending, and autumn had quietly arrived.

The hot air that surrounded the area was turning into a cool breeze. The once peaceful atmosphere of the Seiyer mansion had long since grown cold.

"Yor, have you ever smelled something strange while passing by the Duke's room?"

Gemma, a maid returning to her room after a day's work, subtly asked her colleague Yor, who was walking beside her.

"What smell?"

Yor tilted her head in confusion, prompting Gemma to glance around cautiously and lower her voice.

"...The smell of blood."

"What?!"

Gemma quickly covered Yor's mouth with both hands and brought a finger to her lips, signaling her to be quiet.

"Be quiet! What if someone hears?"

"S-sorry. But the smell of blood? What are you even talking about?"

Recognizing the gravity of the conversation, Yor also lowered her voice. Gemma checked her surroundings again, even though she knew the kitchen was empty as everyone was taking personal time.

"A while ago, I passed by the Duke's room, and the door was slightly open. It seemed like the head maid left it open while cleaning. But there was this odd, metallic smell, like blood."

Normally, the Duke's room was cleaned by a designated maid, but one day, the head maid and the butler took over the task. Neither of them was of the rank to be cleaning rooms, sparking various speculations for a while. Eventually, everyone lost interest.

Recollecting the past for a moment, Gemma bowed her head toward her friend, who was waiting for her to continue.

"And I also saw something strange at dawn."

"Something strange?"

"Yeah. A carriage came quietly through the back door at dawn. Isn't that odd? Groceries or supplies always arrive in the morning. So, I kept watching."

Yor swallowed hard, as if she were listening to a ghost story.

"There was a big sack loaded onto the carriage. It was large enough to believe a person could fit inside. Something liquid was dripping from the sack. The next morning, I checked the spot where the carriage had been, and there was a deep red stain. What had been dripping from the sack was blood."

"R-really?"

Instead of answering, Gemma nodded solemnly. Just as she opened her mouth to say more, a dark shadow loomed behind the two of them.

"Why are you still in the kitchen at this hour?"

"Ahhh!"

Startled, the two turned around with a jolt. The shadow belonged to Jason, who glared at them with a stern expression.

"W-we just had some cleaning left! We'll be going now…!"

The two maids quickly bowed and left the kitchen, fearing reprimand. Once they were out of sight, Jason let out a heavy sigh as he watched them scramble away.

'I knew this would be discovered someday...'

Overhearing the maids' whispers left Jason feeling uneasy. After all, they weren't entirely wrong.

Lately, the Duke's cravings for blood had intensified. The small vials of deer blood no longer satisfied him, prompting the mansion to bring in animal carcasses. The maid had likely seen one of these freshly slaughtered animals.

If the flow of animal carcasses continued, it might lead to unnecessary misunderstandings or even expose the Seiyer family's secret.

"How did it come to this?"

It had been two months, perhaps. Clayton had changed after being summoned by the Emperor and returning to the mansion. The Duke, who once flawlessly adhered to his routine, had hardly left his bedroom since that day.

He had always spent more time in his study than in his bedroom, yet lately, he insisted on sleeping in the room of the missing Lady.

There was even a time when he didn't leave her room all day.

Fearing that something might be wrong with Clayton's health, Selman examined him but found nothing unusual. All Selman could advise was to find the Lady as soon as possible.

Jason pressed his hand to his forehead, as if overwhelmed by the predicament.

The Lady had vanished without a trace, as if she'd risen to the heavens or sunk into the earth. Even questioning the Dowager Duchess yielded no answers, only feigned ignorance.

Jason's brow furrowed deeply in frustration. At that moment, a servant guarding the door approached him.

"Steward, a guest has arrived."

"A guest? At this hour?"

He glanced at the clock. It was well past dinner, a time when most would be preparing for bed.

There had been no prior arrangement, and no one should have come at this hour. Curiosity piqued, he walked toward the door, where a cloaked figure stood.

"Who are you?"

He eyed the stranger warily. The person lowered their deeply drawn hood and greeted him.

"Hello. It's been a while."

Crimson hair spilled out from beneath the hood.

It was Rose Hertz.

"Why are you here...?"

"I've come to assist the Duke. That being said..."

Rose's lips curved into a gentle smile.

"May I see the Duke?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Clayton woke in Dahlia's room as he had so often. The sight was familiar. The room, bathed in moonlight streaming through the window, was serene.

He groped around the room, as if searching for something.

He slowly closed and opened his eyes repeatedly. Finally, realization dawned, and his brows furrowed—it was reality.

"Damn it..."

He cursed under his breath. It was a recurring scenario every time he woke. Closing his eyes, he felt joy at being with Dahlia, only to awaken and be crushed by the reality that it had been a dream.

He didn't feel rested, even after sleeping. It was becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish reality from dreams.

Perhaps because of this, Clayton had grown noticeably thinner. Despite consuming far more blood than before, his health was worse than ever.

He wanted to see Dahlia.

He missed her so desperately it was driving him mad. He felt it might be easier to lose his mind entirely.

He wished he could turn back time. Regret tormented him—what if he hadn't locked her in the tower back then? What remained after Dahlia's departure was a room without its owner and the painful reality of his solitude.

"I'm hungry."

The hunger returned once again. It was a persistent hunger that surfaced whenever he faced the harshness of reality. He Rose from his seat as if it were second nature and left Dahlia's room, heading toward his bedroom.

Whenever he drank blood, he would do it in his bedroom, not Dahlia's room. He didn't want the scent of blood to taint the space that still carried her fragrance.

When he reached his bedroom, Clayton turned the doorknob, and with a click, the door opened. The sharp scent of blood hit his nose—it was the lingering trace of the blood he had drunk before sleeping.

Jason and the head maid cleaned the room daily, but with Clayton drinking blood almost every day, the metallic stench never entirely disappeared. He turned toward where the blood would be placed, and only then did he realize someone was in the room.

It was probably Jason, Selman, or perhaps Caddison.

Without even sparing a glance, Clayton spoke.

"I thought I told you not to enter without permission."

But the voice that responded was unfamiliar.

"Have you been well?"

Clayton's gaze shifted belatedly. What came into view was Rose Hertz, stepping into the room with graceful strides.

"It's been a while."

Rose smiled softly at Clayton, who remained silent, staring at her. She slowly looked around the room and murmured quietly.

"I've heard about how you've been living these days."

Her tone suggested that she knew all about Clayton's situation.

She picked up an empty glass vial lying on the floor and fiddled with it.

"I've heard you've been consuming all sorts of animal carcasses."

Rose had drawn close to Clayton by now. She removed her robe, letting it fall to the floor with a soft thud, and her pale neck glimmered in the moonlight.

"It's such a pity that someone like you has to drink the blood of mere beasts. So…"

Rose whispered softly to Clayton, who was silently gazing at her.

"I'll give you my blood."