Chapter 22
Lady Mayer’s gaze was full of longing, yet her expression remained elegant and firm.
In her smile, I saw Harold’s face overlapping—the kind that says, “I’m used to enduring pain,” while laughing.
Looking at that expression made my chest ache a little.
“What does it matter if your reason for starting volunteer work was personal? Thanks to you, someone’s life was saved.”
I hadn’t planned to say it, fearing I’d sound pitiful, but…
“Thanks to you, I didn’t starve to death and am still here.”
“…!”
Lady Mayer’s eyes widened in shock.
Publicly, people only knew that I had been disowned by my family. Harold, as the older brother of the male lead, was aware that I’d lived on the streets.
“How…?”
Her face was filled with disbelief. She probably couldn’t imagine how a child could be abandoned on dangerous streets.
Even the coldest parents would think twice about doing something like that. But Diana’s biological father had done it without hesitation.
“No wonder I thought you looked so frail…”
She muttered to herself, still unable to snap out of her shock. Honestly, though, I wasn’t all that thin.
“Duchess, you are eating properly, aren’t you?”
“Of course.”
Most nobles stop eating once they’re moderately full, even when their tables are filled with food.
But I eat until I physically cannot anymore.
Harold often stayed behind after finishing his usual portion, watching me eat with an expression that seemed to ask, “How can she eat so much?” But I never faltered under his gaze.
The fear of starving to death leaves deep scars, and as a result, I’d recently gained a bit of belly fat…
I decided to stop thinking about it.
“But is it alright to share such a personal story with me?”
Lady Mayer composed herself and asked.
“What if I were to go around telling others that the Duchess of Vissen once lived on the streets?”
“You wouldn’t do that, Lady Mayer.”
She wasn’t the type to spread rumors. There was a reason she was so respected in social circles. If this story were to get out, it would be because of someone else who knew about my past.
“I appreciate your trust, but you never know what could happen, Duchess.”
“I’ll deal with the consequences myself.”
I smiled brightly, showing I wouldn’t regret my decision.
“I just wanted to properly thank you.”
Lady Mayer looked at me with a subtle expression.
“Lady Mayer, is something wrong?”
“It’s nothing, really. It’s just…” She took a sip of tea.
“I think I understand why the Duke married you.”
Oh, please.
If I hadn’t possessed divine power, Harold would’ve kicked me out immediately. I couldn’t tell her that, so I smiled instead. Smiling is always the best option when you have nothing to say.
Our conversation continued without pause. By the time we’d refilled our tea three times and finished most of the desserts, the sky outside had turned a dusky orange.
“It’s about time I head back.”
“So soon? Why don’t you stay for dinner?”
Dinner? I hesitated briefly.
‘Should I stay?’
Before I could agree, a familiar voice answered from behind me.
“Lady Mayer, I’m afraid that’s not possible. My wife has to return with me.”
Harold?! Why was he here? I jumped to my feet in surprise.
“I came to pick you up, Diana.”
“Pick me?”
“Yes. You were taking too long.”
His large, strong fingers slipped between mine, locking firmly in place.
“Lady Mayer, I’ll be taking my wife now. I’d like to spend some quality time with her.”
“I understand that you’re newlyweds and want to be together, but holding on to your wife too tightly isn’t ideal either, Duke.”
Lady Mayer narrowed her eyes in mild disapproval.
“Thank you for the advice, but there’s no need to worry. My wife is utterly smitten with my face.”
…Excuse me, I’m not ‘that’ smitten.
“Isn’t that right, darling?”
He flashed a seductive smile that made my face heat up. My ears turned red, and I was too flustered to deny it.
“Never trust a man with black hair based on looks alone…”
Lady Mayer muttered to herself with a deeply sympathetic expression as she looked at me.
After bidding her farewell, Harold and I boarded the carriage to return to the duchy.
As the carriage rattled along, I leaned my head against the window and stared blankly outside, her words replaying in my mind.
‘Never trust a man with black hair based on looks alone.’
In Korea, black hair was common, but here, it wasn’t. In romance novels, black-haired men were often the male leads. And they were usually characterized by intense obsession and possessiveness.
Harold, despite not being a male lead, was no exception to this trait.
‘No wonder she looked at me so pityingly.’
It would indeed be difficult to deal with someone so possessive in real life.
Since Harold and I hadn’t married out of love, it didn’t matter much.
“You’re lost in thought.”
“I wasn’t thinking about anything silly.”
I immediately retorted, smiling at Harold’s amused tone.
“I was just thinking about Lady Mayer’s comment about black-haired men and why she might’ve said that.”
“Ah, that? It’s because Lady Mayer’s younger sister was in love with a black-haired man.”
“Was he good-looking?”
“Of course.”
Would he have been obsessively possessive as well?
“Seems like Lady Mayer has taken quite a liking to you, judging by her sudden disdain for me.”
“Really?”
I beamed at the good news, but Harold’s expression didn’t look particularly pleased.
It wasn’t that he appeared upset, but he didn’t seem delighted either. Why was that?
“Harold? Isn’t it a good thing to get along with her for business reasons?”
“It is.”
“Then why that face…”
“I personally don’t like Lady Mayer.”
“What? How could you not like such a wonderful person?”
She was my lifesaver!
“We’ve often competed for the same things. There were even times she tried to take what was mine.”
Ah. Knowing how possessive Harold was, it made sense he wouldn’t have good feelings toward her.
“Has she ever succeeded in taking something from you?”
“No. Never.”
Leaning against the window, Harold fixed his gaze on me.
“And she never will.”
***
Vincent gulped down his drink and slammed the glass onto the table. A pale-faced staff member hurried to clean up the shards and replace it with a new glass. The two young noblemen sitting nearby sipped their drinks as if this was a regular occurrence.
“Ugh, so annoying.”
“You’ve been saying that a lot lately.”
“Wouldn’t you be annoyed? I had to bow my head and apologize to some illegitimate child!”
“Oh, that’s dreadful. I’m surprised you didn’t bite your tongue.”
“I nearly did. Damn it.”
Vincent wrinkled his nose in irritation.
The brown-haired friend beside him gave his shoulder a pat.
“Cheer up. How long do you think that halfwit Duchess’s arrogance will last?”
“True. With the Duke being terminally ill, it’s only a matter of time before she’s brought low.”
Vincent snickered at the thought.
“Vincent, how about a game to lift your spirits?”
“Ugh, I blew all my allowance last time. I can’t.”
“Completely broke?”
“There’s a little left, but what fun is that?”
Vincent grumbled, running a hand through his hair. His father had already started looking at him disapprovingly for wasting money on games.
One of his friends, who had suggested a game, leaned in with a mischievous grin.
“Remember that new gaming hall in the district?”
“Oh, you mean ‘Nace’s Land’ or something?”
“They have a pawnshop there. You can use items as collateral, borrow some money, and buy them back later.”
“Hmm. That doesn’t sound too bad. Vincent, why are you still sitting there? Let’s go!”
The young noblemen urged him to go, and their persistence convinced Vincent to follow them to the gaming hall.
At the pawn shop, Vincent handed over a pocket watch and his coat, receiving a bag of money in return. The weight of the bag brought a grin to his face.
“Today feels like a winning day.”
Trusting a hunch he’d never had before, Vincent stepped into the game room.
Meanwhile, the pawn shop employee discreetly entered the manager’s office.
Inside, the guild leader of Anais, wearing a raven mask, was smoking while reviewing paperwork.
“Master, Young Lord Vincent has arrived.”
“Already?”
The guild leader stubbed out his cigarette in an ashtray and left the office. He was curious to see which reckless fool had managed to get on Harold’s bad side—the man more devilish than the devil himself.
He approached Vincent with long strides, he greeted him with mock enthusiasm.
“Ah, congratulations! I hear this is your third win already?”
Vincent looked at him and nodded politely.
“Thank you. Hm, seems like luck’s on my side today.”
Unable to contain his joy, Vincent’s lips twitched into a proud smile.
The guild leader’s brow twitched as he suppressed a sigh.
How pitiful.
He was unaware that his friends had sold him out for money, that this massive gaming hall was a custom-built hell just for him, or that he’d been marked by a man crueler than any demon, Vincent played his games happily.
The guild leader mourned silently.
‘Seriously, how did he manage to get on Harold’s bad side?’
Soon enough, Vincent would never smile again.
Oh we can’t wait for that. Get wrecked, Vincent.
Thanks for the TL!✨