# 38
After Harold and Diana left, the Marquis went to his wife's room.
The reflection of Mrs. Mayer, lost in thought as she held a small fancy box in her hands, was visible in the mirror.
Her eyelashes hinted at longing, and the Marquis sat down beside her, gently covering the back of her hand with his own.
"When I saw the Duchess, to be honest, I was very surprised. She looks a lot like your younger sister Natalie. It's not the first time I've seen her, but I can't figure out why the thought occurred to me just now."
As a noble returning to the capital, it was not rare to see her at imperial banquets or other occasions.
However, at that time, seeing Diana did not remind him of Nathalie, his wife's younger sister and former fiancée.
He only thought of her as a young lady with the same pink hair as his wife.
But, strangely enough, this time, the moment he saw her, Natalie immediately came to mind.
That's why he couldn't hide his initial surprise.
Was it because her clothing style changed, which changed her aura? Or has her expression become softer compared to when she was single? He wasn't sure. But he could guess why his wife was sitting here, lost in thought, with that box in her hand, and so he came to her.
“Is it because the Duchess reminds you of Natalie that you show more interest in her?”
Mrs. Mayer, who is usually very selective and reserved in forming relationships, quickly opened her heart to Diana.
Before seeing Diana himself, the Marquis found this surprising. But if his wife remembered her younger sister, her soft affection for the Duchess made sense.
The Marquis patted the back of her hand gently, looking at her warmly.
Mrs. Mayer put the box down and looked at her husband.
The intense look that other noblewomen found intimidating was always softened when directed at him.
“Maybe that's part of the reason, but it's not the whole reason.”
"Is this correct?"
“Now that I'm older, I find it amazing to see how much a young woman has changed. Imagine how hard she had to work to change at such a young age.”
Change is never easy, even with age.
It takes effort, as if one were cutting through flesh and bone, to finally bring about change.
That's why I found it commendable that a noble woman, after being kicked out of her family and facing difficulties, chose to embrace positive change instead of resentment.
“And also...”
Ms. Mayer could not forget how Diana expressed her gratitude, even while sharing a story that could tarnish her reputation.
"nothing."
It was better not to talk rashly about such matters.
Choosing her words carefully, Mrs. Mayer opened the box with a cautious touch.
“Diana.”
As soon as I got out of the carriage and was about to head straight to the palace, Harold called to me.
“Would you like to go for a little walk?”
Harold's sharp chin pointed toward the garden.
“Aren't you busy?”
He was so busy that he couldn't even join me for meals, so how could he find time for this?
“I can make enough time for a short walk in the park.”
“Then sure.”
I wasn't as busy as Harold, so I readily agreed.
I looked at Harold's outstretched hand, then back at my own.
Whenever I went out, I always wore long-sleeved clothes and gloves to hide my abilities from others.
But since this is not an outside but the Duke's residence, it should be a good idea to take it off.
I took off my gloves, holding them with one hand and extended my bare hand to Harold.
Harold looked at me thoughtfully, then let out a short laugh and took off his gloves as well.
His large hand gently wrapped around mine, and divine energy slowly began to flow into it.
“Earlier, you twitched just by holding hands.”
“That's because you suddenly caught me right then.”
I looked at Harold – his straight nose, long eyelashes, and prominent masculine features caught my attention.
Fortunately, I could now look at Harold without being overly self-conscious or confused.
Well, earlier, it was more because he did something even more surprising.
It reminded me of my morning therapy session, which made me more aware of it.
'Ah, I thought about it again.'
You stupid brain! I bit my cheek to get rid of the memory of Harold's bare upper body.
I can't believe I didn't get used to this after weeks.
I couldn't continue to struggle like this for years during Harold's treatment – I had to find a way to cope.
“Diana, I heard you were planning to go to the festival. Is that true?”
“You heard about him?”
“You were asking everyone about the places to visit during the festival, so of course it reached my ears.”
“I see. I didn't realize you heard. I was planning to talk to you about it soon, but it seems I'm a little late.”
Feeling embarrassed, I glanced at Harold but quickly looked away.
His face, tilted and smiling sarcastically with a raised eyebrow, revealed clear sarcasm.
“…”
A drop of sweat rolled down my back.
'Did I just do something wrong?'
As I rolled my eyes, trying hard to figure out what I might have done wrong, Harold let out a low gasp.
“What do you want to do at the festival?”
Thinking he had decided to ignore whatever it was (even though I still didn't know), I quickly responded.
“First, I want to eat chicken skewers! Anna and the other servants told me that they are a must-have at the festival! Then...”
I started chattering, counting the foods I wanted to try and the places the servants told me I should visit, counting them on my fingers.
The more I talked, the more excited I became, as if I was actually at the festival, and my steps became light.
I was so focused on my words that I ignored the amused looks of passing servants as they looked at Harold and me.
“More than anything, I'm looking forward to the fireworks.”
“Fireworks?”
“Yes, fireworks.”
I vividly recalled Diana's memories of last year's festival.
Ella, who despised the festival enjoyed by the public, went there to attract Kayden with his unique charm.
While they were building sweet memories together, Diana attended a party to see Kayden, only to later discover that he had gone to the festival with Ella.
Horrified at the thought of Kayden losing Ella, Diana, dressed in her best party clothes, rushes into the bustling streets of the festival in search of him.
She ran through the crowds, ignoring the pain of her blistered feet and swollen ankles, but in the end, she couldn't find him.
Exhausted and unable to walk any further, she turned to walk back, only to collapse after a few steps, clutching her ankle.
Diana lowered her head and cried silently, overwhelmed by the fear of losing the man she had loved so long as her friend and becoming the second wife of an old marquis instead.
At that moment, fireworks exploded in the sky, filling it so completely that it seemed as if there was no room for darkness.
Horrified, Diana looked up and forgot her tears, staring blankly at the dazzling display.
While I couldn't fully understand her feelings, I could tell that the fireworks provided her some comfort that night.
That's why I was curious.
What would it be like to see the sky I saw that night with my own eyes?
“Fireworks, huh... is this what you want to see?”
Before I knew it, we reached the angel statue at the fountain.
We had walked quite a distance.
I was about to suggest a return when Harold interrupted me.
“Diana, don’t you have something to tell me?”
“Hmm, something to tell you?”
Perhaps I should mention that I'm going to the festival with young Master Dante.
Even though our relationship is contractual, I felt it was right to inform him of things like this to avoid any potential misunderstandings. But since Harold didn't seem fond of Dante, I planned to tell him when he was in a good mood.
“Not really, I don't think so!”
“Are you sure?”
"Yes!"
“Okay, that's okay. If you don't say it, I'll say it myself.”
He says what?
I was staring at the sunlight sparkling off the fountain water when I turned to Harold.
A breeze blew his hair to the right, and a spray from the fountain sprayed lightly on the bridge of my nose.
Ah, cool.
I instinctively closed my eyes and opened them again, only to find Harold standing between me and the fountain.
Then he dropped a bomb.
“Diana, let's go to the festival together.”