# 42
click.
The cart shook as if it had hit a hole in the ground.
“Say it again,” he said.
I married him as part of a deal, just an offer, to cure him.
So, even if I assumed the responsibilities of the Duchess, I never thought that the Duchess's authority was truly mine.
But this man...
He tells me not to ask for his permission, because, as a Duchess, I have the right to act without having to ask.
Harold was still watching me in the same position, his lips pressed lightly to the ring on my finger.
At that moment, the cart rocked again, and I mustered up the courage to speak.
“...Are you really sure about this?”
I felt his fingers tighten slightly around my hand. Harold raised an eyebrow, not even trying to hide his annoyance at my question.
“You are my wife, Diana. The only lady of Weessen.”
“…”
His deep blue eyes, framed by his long eyelashes, seemed to whisper to me: It's okay to use your authority as a duchess.
“Harold.”
“Yes, my dear wife Diana?”
“I want to employ that boy at the Weisen House. I don’t know about his brother, but the boy we met earlier was remarkably strong for his age. He can be trained as an apprentice knight or servant.”
Originally, I was planning to ask Harold to babysit the kids.
I had recently made another investment, so I didn't have a lot of money available. My idea was to deduct the amount needed for the children from the 5,000 gold coins I was about to receive from him.
But as Harold urged me to use my power as duchess, I began to think more ambitiously. I wanted to create an opportunity for these children to earn a living on their own, rather than just giving them money.
My heart was beating loudly in my chest. I felt dizzy with the thought: Is it really a good idea for me to do this? Did I just cross my limits?
Harold straightened up.
“That's right. That boy is exceptionally strong for his age. He has a good build, and if he trained well, he could become a capable knight.”
“…!”
“My wife seems to have a pretty keen eye.”
“What do you mean by a fairly keen eye?”
“It's a compliment.”
It doesn't look like it. I frowned slightly as the tension left my body.
I wasn't too sure about that. I felt relieved, I frowned a little.
I couldn't believe I was allowed to do this. The feeling was strange, almost surreal. 'It seems like I really am Harold's wife.'
No, what am I even thinking? Have I lost my mind?!
As I shook my head vigorously, my eyes met Harold's, and I froze like ice.
“…” Oh, right. I'm not alone now.
I felt my face heating up. If this were a comic book, there would probably be a big “BOOM!” sound effect.
Over my head. Harold's lips curved into a soft, amused smile.
“…Don’t laugh at me.”
“I wasn't laughing.”
Harold shrugged as if he had been unfairly accused.
“I just love seeing you aware of me.”
...Was he kidding me?
I leaned my hot face against the window, trying to calm down. My face was so hot I wanted to slap myself, but I didn't want to attract any more attention. Instead, I interlaced my fingers and rubbed them nervously. Each time, the gemstone in my wedding ring lightly scratched my hand.
I felt his warmth, as if Harold's breath was still on him.
Think of something else, I told myself. Anything else.
I turned my gaze to the window, forcing myself to think about other things.
I wonder if that boy was able to find his brother safely.
Three years. No, to be precise, within three years since my incarnation, a new emperor will ascend the throne. Once this happens, there will be no children left on the streets like this anymore.
Three years might not seem like a long time to some people, but to a boy like him, it was an eternity. The streets were harsher and more dangerous than most people could imagine.
A strong wind blew the leaves out, some of them shaking violently until they fell. As I watched the leaves fly, I felt a warm hand cover mine.
I looked at the large hand holding mine, then looked up at Harold.
“What are you thinking, Diana, when I'm sitting right in front of you?”
“I was just thinking of something silly.”
Harold tapped my hand lightly with his finger as if urging me to speak.
“It's really silly... so don't laugh, okay?”
“I won't laugh.”
After hearing his response, I finally spoke up.
“Remember the play you saw earlier? Do you remember what it was about?”
"Vaguely. I know it was based on a fairy tale. Then what?"
“In the story, the king holds a hunting competition every three years and grants the winner’s wish. That’s what I was thinking.”
“…”
“I thought… Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the Emperor were in a position like that king, where he was forced to listen to the wishes of his people and pay attention to their lives?”
Hearing my thoughts spoken out loud, I realized how ridiculous they sounded. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything.
“That's a strange idea. But...”
Harold paused, his lips pressed together.
But what? Why doesn't he finish his sentence?
Could it be that even Harold thought my idea was too ridiculous to comment on? I heated my face again and buried it in the window, embarrassed.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the ballroom, Caiden was speaking with the Viscount.
“So...what do you think about this job?”
“…”
“Kayden?”
"I'd rather discuss this at a better time. I'll send a message soon."
Kaiden quickly hid his other thoughts and smiled politely.
He exchanged a few words with the Viscount and went out onto the balcony.
“…Huh.”
He let the cool night air wash over him, leaning against the railing and sighing deeply.
Harold's previous words, Diana thought you were the person who saved her that day, echoed in his ears as he stood there.
Ever since he learned that Diana went to the festival with Harold, Kayden couldn't concentrate.
He always found it strange how Diana suddenly started liking him. But Harold's explanation made sense now.
Then she doesn't really love you, Harold's voice repeated in his head.
For the first time, Kayden finally considered the possibility that Diana's feelings for him had faded.
If that's true, it's for the best, he thought.
With her feelings gone, he won't have to deal with any messy complications. Life will be simpler.
At least, that's what he told himself. But from that moment on, he felt that his life was unstable. He felt his chest tighten, and he found himself consumed with thoughts of Diana.
The more he tried to push her out of his mind, the more tangled his emotions became.
Am I really that affected by her?
Kayden clenched his jaw, the tension audible.
This makes it seem like I actually… love her.
His heart started to speed up. He took a deep breath, ran his hands through his hair and laughed cruelly.
"Huh, huh. It can't be. It's impossible. I? Love that girl?"
Diana was not someone he should have wanted by his side.
Certainly, she had improved—she no longer acted as recklessly as before and carried herself with more elegance as a duchess.
But that was all.
Ella was still better than Diana in every way.
I made the right choice.
He convinced himself that it was just a lack of sleep, and that there must be another reason for his feeling that his life was unstable, not some ridiculous reason like his love for Diana.
Then, Harold's condescending gaze crossed his mind like lightning.
"This is it! This must be why I'm upset!"
Kayden's crimson eyes flashed with a strange intensity, like flames swaying in a storm.
'Diana may have loved me because of a misunderstanding, but even if she knew the truth, she couldn't not love me.'
No matter what, Diana loved him for a long time.
'I know Diana better than anyone. She will never be able to give up on me, until the day she dies.'
But what did Harold tell him then?
To stop hanging around his wife. Diana said she no longer loved him.
He said that while looking at him with contempt as if he was pathetic.
'He doesn't know anything, but he dares to act like this.'
This condescending expression must be the reason for his constant anger.
'I wasn't worried because I thought Diana might not love me anymore.'
Kaiden finally let out a refreshing laugh, as if the layer of dust that had been weighing down his heart for years had been wiped clean.
For the first time, Kayden smiled with relief.
He didn't even notice his irregular heart rhythm.
“Diana.”
I straightened up and wiped my lips.
I must have fallen asleep.
“Yawn—are we there yet?”
As my foggy mind gradually cleared, I turned to look at Harold sitting next to me.
“Yes, we have arrived.”
He had previously been sitting across from me, but at some point, while I was sleeping, he must have moved to my side to let me rest on his shoulder.
I took Harold's hand as he helped me off the cart. Only then did I notice the beautiful wooden house nestled in the heart of the forest.
“…Where are we?”
I assumed we had arrived at the seat of the Duchy of Weissen.
I looked up at Harold, expecting him to know the answer.
“This is my private property. I will tell you why I brought you here later. For now, just follow me.”
Harold wouldn't have brought me to a strange place, there had to be a reason.
I trusted Harold, so I followed him without hesitation.
The grass along the path was neatly mowed.
I became more curious about what awaited at the end, and as I glanced at Harold, I caught the faint smell of water carried on the breeze.
‘Wow!’
Soon, a huge lake spread out in front of me, as vast as an ocean, filling my entire field of vision.
The horizon blended into the sky, making it appear as if the stars were scattered across the sky and the earth together.
A gentle breeze brushed my cheeks, and the ripples on the water's surface made the night sky sparkle.
I couldn't keep my mouth shut and my heart was shaking with excitement.
When I saw a falling star splitting the sky, I gasped, “Wow!”
I had to make a wish!
I closed my eyes and wished for many small and large things before opening them again.
“Sit here.”
Harold pointed to a nearby bench. I sat next to him.
“Diana, you asked earlier why I brought you here, right?”
"Yes."
Harold raised his finger and pointed to the sky.
I followed his signal and looked up.
“This is my answer.”
At that moment, a loud explosion rang out as colorful fireworks filled the night sky, blooming into dazzling flowers.