Chapter 10
Garcia Manor, Ella’s Room.
In her lavishly furnished room, Ella buried herself in her blankets, wiping away tears.
“Sob, sob.”
Even though Ella called out to him, Kaiden didn’t notice, his gaze fixed on Diana until she left the room. That moment kept repeating in her mind, like a burn that wouldn’t go away.
“I was just starting to be happy… Diana… How could you…!”
It was just a glance, but it was enough to make her uneasy. The way Kaiden had stared after Diana was unlike anything she had seen before, and Ella hated Diana for tormenting her.
Ella’s trembling fingers clenched the blanket.
‘This isn’t the time to sit around crying.’
She had to make sure Kaiden wouldn’t pay any more attention to Diana.
Ella climbed out of bed and wrapped a shawl around herself.
She put on her slippers and walked down the dim hallway, arriving in front of Vincent’s room—Diana’s half-brother.
Ella Pressed her knuckles against her eyes, she blinked her large eyes. A single transparent tear fell down her cheek.
*Knock, knock.*
“…Who’s knocking at this hour? Ella?!”
“Vin… cent… brother…”
Ella fell into Vincent’s arms, sobbing pitifully.
With the beautiful Ella crying in his arms, Vincent’s ears turned red, and he awkwardly patted her back.
“Ella, calm down. I noticed something was off when we came back from the wedding, but what happened?”
“Sob, sob, I wasn’t going to say anything, but I’m too upset…”
“Tell me. Who else are you going to talk to if not me? We’re going to be family soon.”
“Brother… Diana secretly tried to seduce Kaiden.”
“What?”
Vincent’s face twisted in anger at her words.
“Huh, even after failing, she’s still doing that? Ella, don’t worry. Prince Kaiden won’t even blink at her.”
Ella just looked up at him. Her golden eyes, reddened from crying, wavered so pitifully that any man’s heart would have skipped a beat.
“Kaiden wouldn’t fall for her, I know, but just thinking about what Diana did… it’s tearing me apart, sob.”
She bit her plump lower lip slightly before burying her face back into his chest, crying even more sorrowfully.
“Damn it, don’t cry because of that wretched bastard child. What can I do to stop your tears? Should we give her a piece of our minds together, huh?”
“Sob, really…?”
That’s what I was waiting for.
So easy.
Ella smiled faintly in his arms.
***
Sunlight poured onto her face, and she buried her face in the pillow.
It felt like it was time to get up, but I just wanted to sleep more.
After lazing around for a while, I moved the pillow down from my face, but the sunlight pierced through my lashes, making my eyes sting.
It’s too bright…
I squinted and wrinkled my nose when a large hand blocked the sunlight for me.
Oh. Much better.
Still half-asleep, I grinned, but then I felt something off.
Those long, thick, and perfectly shaped fingers weren’t mine. So, whose hand was it?
I turned my head in the direction of the hand.
Harold was lying next to me, his arm under his head, watching me. His robe was a bit undone, showing off his sculpted chest. I had noticed it before when I peeked, but wow, his body really was a work of art.
But if Harold was awake, there’s no way he’d still be in bed, right? So, is this a dream?
‘Am I dreaming?’
Curious about experiencing my first lucid dream, I shamelessly stared at Harold.
I never thought Harold would show up in my dream. He’s like a walking piece of art, so even though it’s weird, it’s not too bad.
I reached out to him like I was admiring a masterpiece. I gently stroked his cheek, and his eyebrow twitched in response.
“What are you doing?”
“Touching your cheek. How can it be so sharp?”
“Sharp… what?”
“But wow, this lucid dream feels so real. It’s even warm, just like reality.”
“…You really think this is a dream?”
“Whoa, you’re even saying things Harold would say in real life.”
“Huh.”
Harold raised the corner of his lips as if he was amused, his dark blue eyes narrowing in thought for a moment.
Then he grabbed my wrist and, in a flash, he was on top of me.
“H-Harold?!”
No matter how much I liked this dream, I wasn’t hoping for ‘this’…!
How am I supposed to face him in real life now?!
“Harold, get off!”
“…”
No matter how many times I said it, Harold didn’t budge. Even imagining him getting off didn’t work.
Wait, if this were really a lucid dream, I’d be able to control everything… right?
As I looked up at him, finally realizing something was off, Harold gave me a wicked smile.
“Diana, still think this is a dream?”
“…I’m sorry. I don’t think it is.”
Blushing bright red, I admitted defeat, and Harold finally climbed off me.
“But why are you still here? Did I wake up that early?”
“You woke up late.”
Then why are you still here? I thought Harold would leave right away since he’s always busy. We’re not even some deeply in love couple that waits for the other to wake up…
Oh.
“If I leave right after the wedding night, what do you think people will think?”
“…True.”
“Thanks for starting my day with this ridiculousness.”
“…”
I had nothing to say.
“Go wash up. We’ve got to have breakfast. The bathroom’s that way.”
“Okay.”
I awkwardly got up, confirming the direction he pointed.
“And don’t think about me while you’re in there.”
Harold adjusted his robe and smiled that annoyingly perfect smile, the kind that clearly said he was teasing me.
“I won’t!”
I couldn’t argue back properly, feeling guilty, and ran off to the bathroom. I could almost hear his mocking laughter behind me.
When I came out, breakfast was already prepared. We had a simple meal, and as we finished, Harold spoke to me.
“Diana, soon a doctor will come to see you. You can trust him.”
After returning to the duchess’s room and changing my clothes, just as Harold said, the doctor arrived.
The doctor, with thick glasses, messy hair, and dark circles under his eyes, handed me a check and some medicine.
“The Duchess told me to give this to you.”
“What’s the medicine for?”
The doctor answered in a tired voice, “She told me to say it’s birth control, but it’s actually a drug that will make a woman infertile.”
This was just the kind of thing Amanda, who had made me sign documents to prevent me from taking her inheritance, would do.
Harold wouldn’t die, and that kind of medicine wouldn’t work on me anyway.
“You don’t have to take it.”
The doctor put the medicine back in his pocket, leaving only the check on the table in front of me.
“Is that okay?”
“Yes. If the Duchess asks, just say you’ve been taking it.”
With that, the doctor left the room.
‘So the doctor works for Harold.’
He must only be pretending to listen to Amanda. Now that I think about it, in the novel, after Harold died, all his capable aides, including the doctor, left Vaisen. Kaiden had a tough time filling their positions.
Anyway, I was relieved that I didn’t have to lie to the doctor about Harold’s health.
I tucked the check away and smiled brightly.
I’ve been getting easy money lately, and it felt like I was walking on air.
“Money really is the best.”
From today, I’d be learning the duchess’s duties from the butler, so I was going to be busy for a while. Since we were publicly acting like a couple in love, I had to pay attention to appearances.
‘Once things settle down, I’ll start preparing for investments.’
My plan was to heal Harold and save up enough money for a possible escape abroad.
So I’d have to invest in secret, without Harold knowing. For that, I needed someone to manage the investments on my behalf.
‘I’ll have to use ‘that’ place.’
Thinking of ‘that place’ from the novel ‘The Fallen Noble Lady Captures the Duke’, I greeted the butler who had come to teach me.
***
Aneis Guild, which mostly deals with information and various errands.
The guild master of Aneis was waiting for a guest, his feet propped up on the desk. But when the guest walked in, he straightened up quickly.
“The Duchess…!?”
“You recognized me right away?”
“Ha! Is that even a question? If I didn’t know the Duchess of Vaisen, I might as well close up my shop.”
No wonder he was flustered.
‘…Should I tell Duke Harold about this visit?’
After all, the Aneis Guild was funded by Harold.
