Chapter 9
“Uh… this reaction was far from what I expected.”
I rolled my eyes, watching Kaiden.
Was it so unbelievable to him that I didn’t love him anymore? Was he that shocked by my confession?
“I will never love you again, and I won’t initiate any conversation with you either.”
“If you don’t love me, isn’t that all the more reason to take the money and leave?”
“I can’t do that.”
“Why not? It’s not like you love my brother either.”
Kaiden’s eyes sharpened.
“You’re right. I don’t love him romantically. But I do like him.”
“You? Like my brother?”
“Yes.”
It was the truth. While reading *The Fallen Noble Lady Captivates the Prince*, my favorite character had always been Harold. Even now that I was in Diana’s body, my feelings hadn’t changed. When I barged into his life, Harold hadn’t thrown me out. He gave me a chance to prove myself and dealt fairly with our arrangement. He could have taken advantage of my power, but instead, he chose a proper, lawful deal.
Maybe it was because things had seemed somewhat easy after I found myself in this world, but there were moments when I even felt grateful to him. Sitting in a warm room, wearing fine clothes and enjoying good meals, it sometimes felt like Harold had saved me, not the other way around.
‘Ah, if I waste any more time here, won’t he come looking for me?’
I couldn’t keep using the excuse of a giant mosquito. We’d be sleeping together every night from now on, and I didn’t want to make things awkward.
“Lord Kaiden, I need to go.”
“Don’t go, Diana.”
As I turned to leave, Kaiden grabbed my wrist.
“We’re not done talking yet.”
“Harold is waiting for me. Let me go, Lord Kaiden.”
“Diana.”
“Lord Kaiden, I am the Duchess. Please remember that I’m ranked above you.”
“…”
Kaiden’s eyes wavered in confusion, and I slowly pulled my wrist free.
“Good night.”
Without looking back, I sprinted towards the couple’s bedroom. But as I turned the corner, I smacked my forehead against something hard.
Why was there a wall here?
Rubbing my forehead, I stepped back, and my eyes widened.
“…Harold!?”
There he stood, looking down at me in his nightgown. So he had come looking for me after all.
“You handled it well enough on your own.”
“How long have you been here?”
“Since you told Kaiden you no longer love him.”
So, he had heard most of the conversation. Embarrassed, I scratched my cheek.
“Shall we go?”
“Yes.”
I nodded and walked beside him. Glancing at Harold, I noticed he seemed… oddly pleased.
“Is something making you happy?”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
He touched the corner of his lips, as though pondering the question, before giving a rare, brief smile.
“…Well, Kaiden’s reaction was certainly amusing.”
As expected, those two were like oil and water.
When we arrived at the bedroom, I looked around. On the table beside the bed, there was a light snack, a glass of wine, and a teacup.
Harold sat down in front of the teacup first.
“You must be hungry after not eating much all day. Have a little something before going to bed.”
“Wow, whoever prepared this really has a great sense.”
I sat down in front of the wine glass and wasted no time getting straight to the point.
“Harold, Lady Amanda, and Ella came to see me today.”
I told him everything about the agreement they tried to make me sign and the money they offered. I didn’t want any misunderstandings later on.
“Would you like me to hand over the check they gave me?”
“Why?”
“Because it’s money I got by… selling you. It feels wrong to keep it to myself.”
“Forget it. I don’t need that dirty money.”
‘Dirty money’, he says. Thank goodness.
Harold glanced at me and suddenly let out a small laugh.
“Your face just lit up.”
“That money isn’t ‘dirty’ to me.”
Feeling more at ease, I took a bite of the canapé and sipped the wine. The flavors made my taste buds dance.
“But Harold, aren’t you going to eat?”
“This tea is enough for me.”
While I enjoyed the canapé and wine, Harold just kept sipping his tea. He’d had an even busier day than I had. There was no way he’d had a proper meal.
“Come on, you should eat a little too. The canapé is really good, and the wine is smooth and light.”
I looked around, realizing there wasn’t a second wine glass. After a brief moment of hesitation, I offered him my glass.
Harold stared down at the wine glass, not immediately refusing. Taking that as a positive sign, I pressed on.
“Food tastes better when you eat it together. Besides, good food can lift your spirits and ease your fatigue.”
“You really mean that.”
“Isn’t enjoying good food one of the most important things in life?”
Anyone who’s ever had to eat bland bread would agree with me.
Harold finally accepted the wine glass. He took a bite of the canapé and swirled the wine in the glass before bringing it to his lips with graceful ease. After a sip, he stared at the glass, as though the taste was unfamiliar.
“So, this is what wine tastes like.”
“You’ve never had it before?”
“Not really. I have to be mindful of what I consume.”
“Oh…”
Right, this man was…
A pang of discomfort hit my throat as if a thorn had lodged itself there. The sensation of saliva sliding down my throat felt too vivid.
Harold checked the time and rose from his seat.
“It’s time for bed. You should sleep too, Diana. Eating more will only do you harm.”
“…Alright.”
I stood up awkwardly.
Holding hands wasn’t the most efficient way to develop our relationship, but it was what we had agreed upon. So, Harold and I would sleep together holding hands, nothing more.
“As I said before, we’re only holding hands tonight. Even if you’ve fallen for me, don’t cross the line, Diana.”
“I won’t! And like I told Kaiden, I don’t love you in that way.”
“Who knows? You used to hate me, and now you claim to like me.”
“Hah! What I care about most is the money that I’ll get from you. That’s my only goal.”
Money! The key to a comfortable, luxurious life!
I spoke with absolute conviction, pouring 200% of my sincerity into my words.
“If Kaiden offered more money than me, then what?”
“Even if he hates me, I doubt he’d offer 10,000 gold coins….”
10,000 gold coins wasn’t some pet name.
“If that happens, I’ll run straight to you and ask for more. You know I’m greedy for money, so you’ll give me more, right?”
“An excellent answer.”
Harold laughed, though I couldn’t tell if he was amused or genuinely pleased with my response.
“It’s reassuring that your goal is money.”
“Heh, thanks for the compliment.”
Lying in bed, I stretched out my hand to him. His large, strong hand soon covered mine.
Earlier, I had been so exhausted that I couldn’t wait to sleep. But now that I was in bed, sleep wouldn’t come.
I forced my eyes open, which had been tightly shut. Feeling Harold’s warmth through our connected hands, I turned to look at him. Moonlight filtered through the canopy, illuminating his face. He looked peaceful, deeply asleep.
‘Poor guy.’
Harold Vissen. The supporting character of this novel. The tragic older brother of the male lead who becomes the stepping stone for the protagonist’s growth. Reading from the protagonist’s perspective, I had only glimpsed the surface of his struggles to live just one more day. I knew he eventually lost his battle with his illness, and that made me think about how miserable he must have been later on.
In that future… how miserable were you?
The inner thoughts of supporting characters are rarely revealed in novels. So I had no idea what Harold had been thinking as he faced death. The more I speculated, the sadder I felt.
“Harold, are you asleep?”
“…….”
Of course, there was no response. I hadn’t really expected one; I was just speaking out loud in hopes that he might be awake.
“You know, if Kaiden were to offer me over 10,000 gold coins, I wouldn’t run away, even if you couldn’t offer me much more. I know you might not believe that.”
“…….”
“I want you to live. I hope you can eat all the delicious food you want, not just wine. I want you to be happy.”
“…….”
“I’ll make sure you stay healthy.”
Initially, this deal had been for my own survival, but now I genuinely wished for his health. I wanted him to live not as a supporting character but as a leading man in his own life.
“I’m glad I have this power.”
As I spoke, sleep began to wash over me, and my eyelids fluttered slowly.
“Yawn—goodnight.”
With that, I surrendered to the embrace of sleep.
* * *
In the quiet room, Diana’s regular breathing echoed softly. Harold lifted his eyelids, gazing at her.
He had been unable to fall asleep at first, feeling strange with someone else beside him. Just as he teetered on the brink of consciousness, she spoke, catching him off guard.
“To say such things and then go to sleep…”
He chuckled quietly to himself, a hint of disbelief in his smile.
He rested his arm over his eyes, trying to block out the light. He knew he should sleep, but sleep eluded him.
