Chapter 13
“I was staring because your eyes are pretty.”
It wasn’t something I couldn’t say, so I answered honestly. His eyes, reflecting the sunlight, were so beautiful that I couldn’t describe them with the words I had.
Before I ended up in this body, I’d never found someone’s eyes so captivating.
Maybe it’s because I’ve never seen anyone as handsome as Harold?
“Hmm. Didn’t you once say my eye color was dull compared to Kaiden’s?”
“…I must’ve been blind back then.”
“Really? So now, do you like mine better than Kaiden’s?”
I nodded.
Kaiden’s red eyes were, of course, beautiful, but I preferred Harold’s dark blue eyes, like the early dawn.
“I’m really happy my darling likes my eyes.”
Darling…?
I glanced up, wondering why he was suddenly acting like this again, only to find Harold smiling gently at me.
Then he whispered softly to me.
“Someone’s watching us right now.”
His dark blue eyes briefly shifted to the left before settling back on me.
Who could it be? I resisted the urge to glance over and kept my eyes on Harold instead.
His gaze softened as if to say I did well. Harold reached out and gently stroked my cheek.
“Darling, do you know how beautiful you are right now? You’re wearing the clothes I bought for you, and you’re looking only at me. Even though we’re outside, it drives me crazy every time you do that.”
“Oh, come on. We agreed to behave when we’re in public.”
“Yeah, but what can I do? I can’t hold back.”
Harold cupped my cheek in his hand. As if the already small distance between us wasn’t close enough, it got even smaller.
My breath could almost slide down the tip of his nose—it was that close.
Gasp! Our noses touched.
I raised my eyebrows, silently asking him to stop, but Harold didn’t.
Was he really going to kiss me right here?
Not that we haven’t kissed before, but still…
Despite the chaos inside me, Harold’s eyes shamelessly crinkled with a smile. I unconsciously held my breath.
Just when our lips were about to meet, the wind blew again.
I tried to grab my hat before it could fly off, but Harold was faster.
“My darling’s reflexes are so slow.”
“Have you ever thought that maybe you’re just too fast?”
At that moment, someone else’s hat, blown by the wind, brushed against the hem of my skirt.
I quickly picked it up. It was a short-brimmed brown hat. I looked around to find its owner and soon saw an elderly woman walking toward us.
She had light pink hair, streaked with white, and golden eyes. Her elegant appearance alone gave off an aura that demanded respect.
She wasn’t a main character in the novel. She didn’t even have any direct connection to ‘Diana.’ However, I did recall that the protagonist admired this woman, proud of sharing the same eye color with her. She was also a figure no noble in high society could ignore.
She had once been the head maid of the imperial palace, and even though she’d stepped back from social activities, the connections she built still held influence over high society.
“You know who Marchioness Mayer is, right?”
I blinked at Harold, confirming that I did.
“She’s the one who’s been watching us for a while. Looks like she let her hat fly on purpose.”
“To have an excuse to talk to us?”
“My wife is getting smarter.”
It was a common tactic used in high society to strike up a conversation with someone they had no connection with. The same idea as intentionally dropping a handkerchief.
‘Why would Marchioness Mayer want to talk to us, though?’
I glanced at Harold to see if he knew, but before I could ask, I felt a presence stop just a few feet away. I looked up.
Marchioness Mayer offered a greeting, maintaining just the right amount of formality, neither lowering herself too much nor being disrespectful. It was textbook etiquette.
“It’s an honor to meet the Duke and Duchess of Vissen. I must apologize if my hat, blown away by the wind, interrupted your lovely time together.”
“It’s no trouble. The wind is strong today, isn’t it? If it weren’t for Harold, I would’ve lost my hat several times already.”
I handed her the hat. As she put it back on, Marchioness Mayer’s sharp golden eyes fixed on me, shining with interest.
“You look quite different from when you were single, Duchess.”
“Do I?”
If I were still ‘Diana’ right now… Hmm… Better not think about it.
“I suppose it’s because I have someone to rely on now.”
I leaned my head on Harold’s shoulder, trying to play the role of a loving couple.
“As the rumors say, you two are indeed very close.”
Marchioness Mayer’s gaze dropped down slightly.
“I never thought I’d see the Duke holding a lady’s hand with his bare hands.”
“Well, my wife is special.”
She looked back at me. Her eyes narrowed slightly as if considering something, and then she gestured to the maid standing behind her. The maid handed her a blue envelope, which the Marchioness then offered to me.
“We’ll be hosting a small party at the Mayer estate soon. I’d like to give you this, hoping that today’s meeting will lead to more in the future.”
I held my breath. This party, hosted by such a powerful figure in high society, would be the perfect opportunity for me to make my debut as a Duchess.
In other words, it could solve the problem that had been giving me and the butler headaches for weeks!
I tried my best to remain composed as I accepted the invitation, though my fingertips trembled slightly as I did.
“Thank you for the invitation.”
“I won’t keep you from your enjoyable time together any longer. I hope to see both of you again soon.”
With that, she turned and left without hesitation, as if her business here was done.
“Diana, shall we head back too?”
“Yes.”
I kept my calm until we were in the carriage, but the moment we were inside, I grabbed Harold’s arm.
“Harold, can you see this? Do you see this invitation?”
I was so excited that I waved the invitation right in front of his face.
“My eyesight’s fine, you know.”
“Yes, but you didn’t seem surprised at all. I never thought Marchioness Mayer would give me an invitation. I still can’t believe it!”
I pinched my cheek just to make sure this wasn’t a dream. Ouch. It hurt, so this was real.
“I already expected her to give you one, so why would I be surprised?”
Did you expect it? How?
I glanced between the invitation and Harold.
Even from his perspective, I didn’t see how he could’ve predicted this. The old ‘Diana’ would’ve been completely shocked if Marchioness Mayer had given her an invitation.
“Diana, what kind of relationship did we have before?”
“Um, terrible?”
“And what was your behavior like when you were chasing after Kaiden?”
“….”
“That’s why.”
Harold crossed his legs and tilted his head slightly to the left.
“If I were Marchioness Mayer, and I saw a monkey marry a human and then transform into someone proper, I’d be curious too.”
“…Are you calling me a monkey?”
“Don’t take it to heart. It’s just a metaphor.”
This guy is so annoying.
I feel grateful, but also really annoyed.
“High society ladies have no reason to invite a wild troublemaker who would ruin the mood of their gatherings. But why wouldn’t they invite someone who’s become human? You’re not just some count’s daughter anymore—you’re the Duchess of Vissen.”
Harold spoke with arrogant confidence, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, folding his arms across his chest.
“Since you’ve spent so long with a reputation as a troublemaker, Marchioness Mayer might want to see for herself how much you’ve changed at this party.”
The mention of her possibly testing me made me tense up instinctively. I looked down at the invitation, gripping it tighter to stop my trembling hands.
“Are you scared, Diana?”
“Yes. But it’s not just fear. It’s also a chance to change my reputation.”
When I thought about it, I realized that today had been lucky for me, thanks to Harold. If he hadn’t passed by that spot earlier, I would’ve been kidnapped. If he hadn’t suggested this date, I wouldn’t have met Marchioness Mayer.
‘As long as I remain the Duchess of Vissen, I need to make sure I don’t bring shame to Harold or the Vissen family.’
I gazed out of the carriage window at the warm sunlight filtering in.
The two of them arrived back at the Duke’s estate. Harold headed straight to his office.
Because of their unexpected outing, his work had piled up during the time he should’ve been dealing with it.
Knock knock.
“Your Grace, it’s Evan.”
“Come in.”
Harold’s aide, Evan, entered the office carrying some documents that needed approval. He placed the papers on the desk, then lowered his voice conspiratorially.
“Have you found out why the madam visited the Anais Guild?”
