Chapter 15
Punishments usually involved being starved or locked in a cold, cramped room. Sometimes, they even used violence, as long as it didn’t leave any visible marks. ‘Diana’ hadn’t clung to Kaiden for no reason.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Vincent’s demanding voice.
“Are you deaf? I said, give me the money!”
He scowled threateningly, slamming his fist on the table.
‘Diana’ would have responded immediately in the past, knowing from experience that if she didn’t, a fist would follow. Vincent knew this, too, so he threatened her without really intending to hit her.
“Diana, you haven’t been getting your usual beatings lately, huh?”
“And are you ready to face the consequences if you do hit me?” she retorted.
“What?” Vincent froze, wearing a confused expression like, ‘Since when does Diana talk back to me?’ Diana, keeping calm, continued.
“Count, I’m not afraid of you.”
“……”
“But I bet you’re terrified of the Vissen family and my husband, aren’t you?”
Vincent’s face twisted as if she had hit a sore spot.
“You think you can act tough just because you’ve got your husband back? Did you forget the Duke is on his deathbed?”
“Of course not.”
I’m the one treating him every day.
Vincent fell silent for a moment, then shifted his strategy to coaxing her for the money.
“Is the Duke secretly setting aside some inheritance for you or something? Listen, don’t trust men. Even your own blood isn’t always family. Do you think the Duke’s going to love you until the day he dies? Even if you cover yourself in jewels, that low-class blood from your mother still shows.”
What a joke. Although ‘Diana’ had lost her mother when she was young, the woman had been nothing like the “low-class” description Vincent threw at her. Diana’s mother had been incredibly beautiful, passing on those looks to her daughter. She had a rough exterior, but her graceful presence was unmistakable, and she had been strong enough to love a daughter she hadn’t chosen to have.
“You don’t want to end up homeless again, do you? Just give me some money now, and you’ll get it back later.”
As Vincent’s weak attempt at persuasion droned on, Diana calmly sipped her tea.
*Knock, knock.*
‘Looks like the dress shop staff are leaving.’
Diana had asked the butler to knock twice when the staff left, signaling she no longer had any reason to deal with Vincent.
“There’s no way the Duke’s residence would entertain a thug like you as a guest. Looks like there’s no need to discuss further here, huh?”
She set down her teacup and walked toward the door without a second thought.
“Hey, hey! Where are you going? Stop! I said stop, damn it! Fine, I’ll call you the Duchess! Duchess!” Vincent called after her, but Diana was already out of the room. In her place, the butler entered the drawing room.
“I’ll see you out,” Standing next to the butler were a few sturdy attendants, clearly prepared to forcibly escort Vincent out if needed.
“That won’t be necessary,” Vincent stood up, gritting his teeth as he stormed out of the Duke’s mansion.
‘Diana, how dare you ignore me?’
He had even gone as far as calling her “Duchess,” but still, she’d disrespected him.
He had considered scrapping the plan and persuading Ella, thinking Diana might be useful as long as she was Duchess.
‘She needs to be taught a lesson.’
Vincent glared at the massive mansion before storming off, breathing heavily with anger.
***
It was the night before the party.
‘This is bad. I can’t sleep.’
I had to be up early and running around tomorrow, but I was too anxious to sleep. I glanced over at Harold, who was sleeping soundly next to me. Even in his deep sleep, he clung to my hand like it was a lifeline.
‘I want to get some air.’
Carefully, I started prying Harold’s fingers off my hand, one by one. First the thumb, then the index finger, and as I was about to move his middle finger, his hand twitched.
Gasp.
‘Did I wake him up?’
I stared at his face, nervous that I might have disturbed his sleep, but luckily, his long, thick eyelashes remained still.
Phew. I continued carefully until I freed my hand. I waved it over his face just to be sure.
‘Great, I didn’t wake him.’
Even though all I did was free my hand, I felt like I’d accomplished something huge. I tiptoed to the terrace as quietly as I could.
A chilly breeze seeped through my pajamas, making me shiver.
‘I should’ve brought a shawl.’
Rubbing my arms, I gazed outside. The sky was clear, filled with stars and a bright moon. Even without streetlights, it was surprisingly bright.
Lost in thought, I began to practice my dance moves. I had practiced right up until bed, so my body naturally fell into the right form. I began to step in time with the beat I had in my head.
“Ah…!”
My foot got tangled up again, and I braced myself for the pain as I closed my eyes, preparing for the fall. But instead of hitting the cold ground, I felt a warm, muscular arm catch me. A solid chest pressed against my back, protecting me from the fall.
I didn’t even need to look to know who it was.
“Harold.”
I tilted my head back, and my eyes met his deep navy gaze.
“You’re still hopeless at using your body, Diana,” he said, looking down at me.
“You’re not sleeping?”
“I woke up when someone was trying so hard to sneak their hand away earlier.”
“Oh…”
I thought I hadn’t woken him up, but I guess I had. Feeling guilty, I averted my eyes, and Harold’s lips curled into a smile.
“So, how did you know it was me without even looking?”
“You have a distinct smell.”
“I did wash, you know.”
“Not that kind of smell. It’s your scent… You always smell like a cool forest.”
It was a refreshing scent, like the kind you’d breathe in during a morning walk in the woods. I always found it soothing enough to help me fall asleep—though not tonight, since I had too much on my mind.
“Maybe it’s the cologne I use all the time.”
“Oh, so that’s what it is. No wonder it smells nice.”
I unconsciously sniffed the air like a curious dog.
“So, what’s keeping you up at this hour, Diana?”
Harold lowered his head, his smooth nose nearly touching my forehead. His dark hair fluttered in the breeze, reflecting the moonlight and shimmering like silver threads.
Seriously, he’s ridiculously good-looking. I pushed aside the overwhelming urge to admire him and stepped back.
“I’m just worried about tomorrow. It’s my first official event as the Duchess. What if I mess up?”
It was also my first social event since ending up in this body. The wedding had been nerve-wracking, but this was on a different level.
‘I should probably practice one more time.’
I extended my hand to Harold.
“Harold, will you dance with me?”
“That’s supposed to be my line, isn’t it?”
Harold took my hand and kissed the back of it before looking up.
“One last dance, but remember, we’ve got an early start tomorrow.”
Hearing “last practice” made my shoulders tense up. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and lifted my nightgown slightly before lowering it again.
“Please take care of me.”
Harold’s large hand encircled my waist. Even through the thin fabric of my nightgown, I could feel the warmth of his body.
We’d practiced dancing together a few times when Harold had free time, but this was the first time we were doing it on the terrace in the middle of the night. It felt different, somehow.
The sound of the chirping insects felt like a band’s music, and the moon and stars looked like sparkling chandeliers. But with such a scenic view, the sight of a man and woman dancing in loose pajamas was so out of place.
“Wow, this is weird.”
The contrast was so off that I couldn’t help but laugh.
“…!”
Once again, my foot got tangled.
“Focus.”
Before my body lost its balance, Harold securely caught my waist.
Phew. I sighed in relief and focused back on the dance.
“Honestly, I don’t get it.”
Harold, who had seemed deep in thought, spoke quietly.
“What do you mean?”
“I never asked you to be perfect as the Duchess. I don’t expect that. As long as you don’t make a mess, I’d be thankful. And even if you do mess up, I’ve been prepared for that from the start.”
“…”
“While I recover, I just thought of it as a stain I’d have to deal with.”
His hand tightened around my waist, and I could feel a sharp tingle run up my spine through the thin fabric of my pajamas.
“Diana, why are you trying so hard?”
Last time, he treated me like a monkey, and now it’s a ‘stain’… We’d been together for quite some time, but did he really still think of me as some kind of stain?
I scrunched my nose in annoyance and answered.
“Whatever the reason, this is my role, and I want to do my best. I hate the thought of not even trying and just sitting back, saying I can’t do it. It feels like I’m not failing because I can’t, but because I choose not to.”
It was just my nature.
And I didn’t want Harold and the Vissen family to become a joke because of me either.
“Hm.”
Harold still seemed confused, narrowing his eyes slightly.
*Tap.*
“Ah!?”
At that moment, I stepped on Harold’s foot and startled, I quickly pulled away.
I froze, and Harold, following my lead, stopped too. His voice softened with an almost regretful tone.
“Don’t worry. It’s not that you can’t dance because you haven’t tried. It’s just that you can’t dance.”
“…”
That was annoying, but I couldn’t argue with it.
I pouted, unable to say anything.
Harold brushed past me and said quietly, almost teasingly,
“If you really want to take responsibility as the Duchess, maybe try charming the Marchioness Mayer instead.”
