Dylan was silent for a long moment.
The study felt heavier than usual.
Then he finally spoke.
"Get everything ready. We leave in three days."
Elias bowed his head.
"What about Miss Clover?"
"She's coming with us," Dylan said flatly. "But before that… I need to remind the council where they stand."
Elias nodded.
For a moment, silence settled again.
Then, unexpectedly, Elias spoke.
"My Lord…"
Dylan looked up.
"Do you really love her?"
The question caught him off guard.
His gaze sharpened instantly.
Elias lowered his eyes but continued.
"Are you really not going to tell her about your relationship with Queen Ellen?"
Dylan's expression darkened.
"The last time she asked me about it," Elias added carefully, "I told her I wasn't in the position to answer. I told her she should ask you directly."
Dylan held his gaze for a moment.
Then he gave a short nod.
"Good. You did well."
But Elias remained standing.
Dylan's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Do you also think that every time I help her, it's because she bears the same face as Lady Ellen?"
Elias went quiet.
That silence alone was enough of an answer.
Dylan looked away.
"You can go."
Elias bowed and left at once.
The moment the door shut, the room fell still.
Dylan leaned back in his chair and inhaled deeply.
But no matter how much he tried to clear his mind, the past came back like a wound that refused to close.
He remembered everything.
Too clearly.
The look in her eyes.
The way she stood before him without hesitation.
Without regret.
"I am a queen, Dylan."
Her voice had been calm.
Cruel in its own way.
"In my heart… my clan will always come first."
And then she had turned away.
Choosing duty over him.
Choosing the world over their love.
Dylan shut his eyes briefly and forced himself back to the present.
Yet even now, after all this time, one question still returned when he least wanted it.
Did Ellen ever regret it?
Or had he been the only fool left bleeding?
Morning came slowly.
Clover woke feeling strangely rested.
For a moment, she lay still, staring at the ceiling before remembering everything that had happened.
The bath.
Dylan.
That shameless devil.
Her face heated at once.
She quickly got up and went to the bathroom to check her wounds.
The moment she looked at her skin, her eyes widened.
The marks were fading.
Fast.
Much faster than they should have.
The bruises had almost disappeared overnight.
Clover touched her shoulder carefully, stunned.
Then the realization struck her.
Dragons have the ability to heal quickly…
And yesterday, Dylan had shared the bathwater with her.
Her cheeks flushed again.
So that's why…
He wasn't just teasing her.
Or maybe he was.
She groaned softly and cupped her face with both hands.
Why is everything about him confusing?
After applying a little medicine just in case, she changed and stepped back into the room.
She picked up the book Dylan had given her and began flipping through it, trying to distract herself by studying.
A short while later, the door opened.
Elias stepped inside.
"If you need anything, let me know," he said.
Clover nodded.
Then hesitated.
"If you don't mind…"
Elias looked at her.
"Where did he go? I mean… Dylan."
Elias's expression remained neutral.
"My Lord went to settle a few things before we depart."
Clover blinked.
"Depart?"
Elias looked mildly surprised.
"Oh. I'm sorry. I haven't informed you yet."
He paused.
"We'll be leaving tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Clover repeated.
"Yes."
Clover stared at him.
That suddenly?
"When will he be back?" she asked before she could stop herself.
"Probably tonight."
"Oh."
She looked down.
Then quickly straightened.
"Can you escort me to the city?" she asked. "I need to get a few things before we leave."
Elias nodded.
"Of course."
He stepped back toward the door.
"I'll wait outside."
Clover changed into a soft blue dress and tied her hair up neatly before leaving the room.
As she walked downstairs beside Elias, she immediately noticed it.
The stares.
The maids were watching her even more openly now.
Their expressions had changed.
Some looked afraid.
Some wary.
Some resentful.
The tension in the mansion had thickened overnight.
Once outside, Elias glanced at her.
"If the maids are making you uncomfortable, I can handle it."
"No," Clover said immediately.
Elias paused.
Clover gave a small shrug.
"It's fine."
Then she smiled faintly, though it didn't quite reach her eyes.
"I'm already used to people looking at me like that."
Elias said nothing after that.
He simply opened the carriage door for her, and they left.
The city was lively when they arrived.
The market was crowded, colorful, and full of noise.
For the first time in what felt like forever, Clover felt a small sense of normalcy again since after arriving at this city.
She and Elias moved through the stalls while she picked out things they might need for the journey.
Food.
Travel cloth.
A few personal items.
Then she stepped into a fabric shop.
"You're welcome, miss," the shop owner greeted warmly.
"What would you like?"
Clover spent a little time choosing, and when she stepped back outside with Elias, the evening air had already started to cool.
They walked in silence for a while.
Then Clover glanced at him.
"Do you need anything?" she asked.
"No, miss."
Clover smiled.
Then, without warning, she asked—
"Do you think I can pursue Dylan?"
Elias nearly stopped walking.
For once, he looked completely speechless.
Clover laughed softly at his expression.
"Don't bother," she said. "You don't have to answer."
She looked ahead, her smile fading into something thoughtful.
"You seem cold too," she murmured. "I wonder if everyone around Dylan eventually becomes cold."
Elias remained silent.
His face gave away nothing.
Clover let out a breath and turned toward the carriage.
"Let's go."
The ride back to the mansion was quieter than before.
Much quieter.
And with every passing mile, Clover's thoughts grew louder.
Too many questions.
Too many mysteries.
Too many things about Dylan that refused to make sense.
By the time they returned, night had already fallen.
"Thank you for today," Clover said to Elias before heading inside.
He gave a respectful nod.
Back in the room, Clover bathed, changed, and slipped into bed.
The chamber was quiet.
Too quiet.
She hadn't seen Dylan since last night.
And somehow… that bothered her more than she wanted to admit.
Would he come back tonight?
She turned onto her side, trying not to think about it.
Then the door opened.
Clover pretended to be at sleep.
Dylan walked in.
His expression was unreadable.
He tossed his coat carelessly onto the couch and headed straight for the bathroom without a word.
Clover stared at the curtains separating the room and the bathroom for awhile.
She hesitated for a moment.
Then she walked toward the bathroom.
Inside, Dylan was already seated in the bath, water steaming around him.
His head tilted back slightly, eyes closed, as if trying to calm whatever storm lived inside him.
The door creaked open.
Dylan lifted his head.
And stilled.
His eyes landed on Clover.
Then slowly moved over her.
The thin fabric.
The soft curve of her body beneath it.
The deliberate way she stood there, trying to look braver than she felt.
For the first time in a long while—
Dylan looked genuinely surprised.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
Clover swallowed, though her heart was pounding wildly.
"Trying to bathe," she answered.
A slow smirk curved Dylan's lips.
The kind that promised trouble.
The kind that made her instantly wonder if she had made the right choice.