Chapter 40: Long Night

 Even after returning to the imperial palace, the two didn’t separate.

 Clea’s room was decorated darkly.

 It was prepared to both block the view from others and create a romantic atmosphere inside.

 Clea and Edmund were amazed at how perceptive the servants were, but before long, their amazement turned to gratitude.

 Matching the room’s atmosphere, the mood between the two also changed pleasantly.

 The first thing that caught Clea’s eye was the luxurious alcohol prominently placed on the table.

 Going to the table, she picked up the bottle and showed it to Edmund.

 Seeing this, Edmund cleared his throat.

 “There’s alcohol prepared.”

 “You’ve already had enough to drink.”

 “But when else would I drink this much if not today?”

 Clea smiled as she opened the cap and poured into the glass.

 Edmund, who had been quietly watching the scene, swallowed.

 Just watching her pour alcohol with a seductive smile made Edmund feel intoxicated.

 Edmund thought.

 That he shouldn’t drink any more here.

 He didn’t want to drink to the point of blacking out.

 Not only was it impossible to know what he might do in a blackout, but he also wouldn’t remember it well later.

 He had already blacked out several times while drinking with her.

 Of course, there were times he lost his reason even without drinking.

 Anyway, he intended to suggest that they stop drinking.

 But contrary to what his mind was thinking, he ended up accepting the glass as soon as Clea handed it to him.

 Edmund gave Clea a perplexed look.

 Clea looked at Edmund without taking her eyes off him and said,

 “Isn’t it a shame not to get drunk on a night like this?”

 Those words threatened his thread of reason.

 In the midst of this tightrope walk that seemed about to break, she clinked her glass against the one in his hand.

 As the cheerful sound tickled their ears, Clea emptied the wine in one gulp.

 Seeing her, Edmund recalled the previous Clea.

 “Yes, it is a shame not to get drunk on a night like this.”

 Edmund repeated her words and emptied his glass just like she did.

 As soon as he emptied the glass, Clea kissed him.

 There was still wine they hadn’t swallowed in their mouths.

 It wasn’t particularly sweet, nor was it particularly bitter, but it was a kiss with a very good aroma.

 Edmund always tried not to be led by her.

 His desire to always take the lead boiled inside him.

 But in the end, he always ended up overwhelmed by Clea’s pace.

 Clea saw Edmund’s cheeks turning red and asked adoringly,

 “You’re not already drunk, are you? The night is still long.”

With that, Edmund thought,

 ‘It just healed, but it seems marks will be left again.’

 He smiled and tried to think of ways to protect his neck somehow.

 But making such thoughts futile, Clea instantly closed the distance with Edmund and approached his neck.

 She hadn’t bitten yet.

 Just quietly looking.

 Seeing this, Edmund whispered,

 “I’m not sure who’s drunk here.”

 At his words, which seemed almost like a provocation, Clea bit his neck.

 It was the beginning of a long, long night.

 * * *

 “Young master, you must return as early as possible.”

 “Yes, I got it.”

 Having completed all preparations, Lloyd was satisfied with his reflection in the mirror.

 Looking at Lloyd, who was dressed as if going to a banquet, the butler thought it might be too excessive.

 As much as possible, the butler wanted to keep Lloyd back.

Because if the Grand Duke returned and discovered that Lloyd had escaped from the mansion with his help, a serious problem would arise.

 ‘How have I endured all this time.’

 The butler’s family was one of the vassal families who had pledged complete loyalty to the grand ducal family.

 The butler, who had inherited his family, became the faithful butler of the Persi grand ducal family according to his family’s mission.

 But he was never satisfied with his position as a butler.

 He had inherited a solid count family, but he was still just a butler.

 Of course, the Grand Duke and his wife gave appropriate rewards to loyal vassal families, but the butler was not satisfied.

 So he made grand plans through the very young Lloyd, who would grow up as a precious treasure.

 Since the education of noble children was usually entrusted to butlers or other vassals, an opportunity came to him as well.

 He didn’t miss his chance.

 He raised Lloyd to be completely incompetent and only interested in playing.

 ‘There’s not much time left now.’

 The Grand Duke and his wife expressed concern about Lloyd’s qualities and temperament many times and tried to change him somehow.

 But whenever that happened, the butler moved secretly without others knowing.

 He blocked all excellent teachers and friends with good character from Lloyd’s side.

 ‘If he inherits the family like this, everything of the grand ducal family will fall into my hands.’

 When the butler urged Lloyd to return before the Grand Duke came back, Lloyd answered halfheartedly but agreed.

 Recognizing that his plan to manipulate the grand ducal family in place of Lloyd, who was too busy indulging in extravagance, was right before his eyes, he smiled as he watched Lloyd leave.

 Thinking that Lloyd would continue to act stupidly and just play around, he set out to check the internal situation.

 Meanwhile, Lloyd boarded the carriage without any suspicion.

 “Indeed, only the butler moves for my sake.”

 “Will you be alright? Going outside like this, I mean.”

 The coachman looked at Lloyd, who had boarded, with a worried expression and asked.

 It was a question about whether it was okay to move around like this despite the Grand Duke’s orders, but Lloyd didn’t care at all.

 Rather, he felt displeased that someone like a coachman would speak to him.

 However, what’s more urgent was his thought to safely escape from the grand ducal residence, so he exercised patience for once and answered kindly.

 “My father getting angry at me isn’t something new. It doesn’t matter, so depart quickly.”

 The time had already grown quite late.

 Although the coachman tried to dissuade him, saying it was against etiquette to visit at this hour without an invitation, Lloyd insisted on going until the end.

 Eventually, the coachman drove the horses according to Lloyd’s wishes.

 ‘Not a baron or viscount family, but visiting a ducal family without notice.’

 Having done this several times already, the coachman had a headache.

 While Lloyd didn’t care about appearances when visiting the Hersher mansion, the coachman had to endure intense scrutiny with each visit.

 The looks that said, “You couldn’t stop your master and came here again?”

 But Lloyd was not someone who would care about such things.

 The only thing he cared about was seeing Aria’s beautiful face with his own eyes.

 * * *

 “I came to see Aria.”

 “I will notify those inside.”

 Lloyd narrowed his brows, annoyed at the gatekeeper who didn’t immediately open the door, but soon controlled himself.

 He didn’t want any bad words to reach Aria’s ears from causing trouble in front of her house.

 So, uncharacteristically, while he waited a bit…

 “Since it’s dinner time now, the Duke asks if you can wait until the meal is finished.”

 “Tell them I’ll wait in the reception room.”

 “Currently there’s a guest in the reception room, so you cannot do that.”

 “Are you telling me to wait out here?”

 “If you don’t want to wait, he asked that you come back another time.”

 Lloyd became angry upon hearing the Duke’s words.

 He was displeased at being treated this way despite being the next grand duke.

 But from the Duke’s perspective, no matter if Lloyd was to inherit the grand ducal family, he was still just a young grand duke.

 He would reluctantly treat him well after he inherited the grand ducal family, but before that, he was still just a youngster.

 ‘When will I get another chance to meet her like this.’

 Lloyd, with his pride hurt, contemplated.

 In his mind, voices screamed that turning back now was the right thing to do.

 But he wanted to see her. If he left now, he didn’t know when he would meet her again.

 Lloyd, already extremely irritated because of Clea, needed to meet Aria now to vent his anger.

 “Tell them I’ll wait.”

 “Yes, understood.”

 The gatekeeper inwardly clicked his tongue.

 He had thought Lloyd would leave after this message was conveyed, but unexpectedly, he didn’t leave.

 Everyone knew why Lloyd came to the Hersher mansion.

 To meet Aria.

 There was absolutely no other reason for him to visit.

 His blatant display of affection toward Aria was off-putting.

 Everyone in the Hersher family wanted Aria to be with Edmund.

 This was also Aria’s wish.

 ‘What’s his intention in coming here when he has Lady Clea as his fiancée? Does he intend to make our Miss his mistress?’

 For those who hadn’t heard the rumors or didn’t believe them, Lloyd’s behavior was inevitably uncomfortable.

 He already had a fiancée whom everyone believed he would marry.

 Everyone at Hersher was concerned about malicious rumors spreading because of him constantly hovering around Aria, even though this  engagement hadn’t been broken.

 But Lloyd lived without caring about any of this.

 It was his characteristic not to be conscious of how others viewed him.

 “Lloyd.”

 After waiting for several dozen minutes, Lloyd finally saw the person he had so desperately wanted to see.

 Aria, whose pink hair suited her very well, appeared before his eyes.

 Lloyd looked at her with a bright smile, but Aria looked at Lloyd with a stern expression.

 “Please don’t come looking for me anymore.”

 She opened her tightly closed lips and said.

 Don’t visit this place anymore.