Chapter 34
Diana soaked in the bathtub, letting the maid’s hands massage her body. The warm water and gentle touch eased her fatigue.
‘Being a wealthy noble is truly the best,’ she thought, humming a little tune and enjoying the moment.
After finishing her bath, she headed to the couple’s bedroom, where she saw Harold’s broad back.
“Harold, you’re here already?”
He had mentioned discussing the greenhouse garden with the butler, so she hadn’t expected him to arrive before her.
“You’re a bit late today.”
“I was deciding where to place the roses, so I took longer to bathe.”
She had chosen to put them by the window so she could enjoy their freshness every morning. Satisfied with her choice, she admired the roses by the windowsill.
“Diana, come to bed.”
They sat on the bed, holding hands. As divine energy flowed from her, Harold’s facial muscles relaxed.
She figured it must feel like his pain was fading, which explained his softened expression. Diana glanced down at their joined hands.
…They’re so big.
She always thought this, but Harold’s hands were large. His fingers were long and thick. The first time they held hands, Diana had to spread her fingers so much that it hurt.
I wonder how much bigger his hand is compared to mine?
Suddenly, she thought about it and moved her fingers. She imagined there would be at least one joint difference between their hands or maybe two.
She wiggled her fingers as curiosity grew.
“Diana.”
“Yes?”
Startled, she looked up. Harold raised a brow as his sharp blue eyes narrowed.
“Your reaction is strange. I only called your name.”
“What’s strange about it? You just startled me, that’s all!”
“It was more like someone caught by doing something odd.”
Ugh. Diana bit her tongue lightly. She had only been startled, but the way Harold stared made her feel as if she’d been caught having weird thoughts.
No, I wasn’t thinking anything strange. Reassuring herself, she lifted her gaze confidently.
“I was just thinking about how much bigger your hand is than mine,” she said quickly.
“Hand?”
“Yes, our hands! Nothing weird about that, right?”
Harold looked down at their hands, which were still held together. He’d held hands for healing before, but never compared their sizes. He stretched out his other hand, which Diana didn’t understand at first, but then Harold said simply:
“Try it.”
“Go ahead.”
Ah. He wants to compare hand sizes.
Not expecting this suggestion, Diana hesitated before pressing her hand against his.
His hand was over two finger joints larger.
“It’s even bigger than I thought,” she said.
“You’re just small.”
“No, you’re the one with big hands. Mine are pretty average.”
“This is average? I’ve never paid attention to women’s hands, but that doesn’t seem right.”
Harold curled his fingers around hers, covering her small hand entirely.
“Is it with these small hands that you’ve been healing me?” he asked.
“Well, something like that,” Diana said with a proud smile.
Harold let go of her hand and looked into her eyes.
“It’s surprising you only asked for 10,000 gold coins. Isn’t that too modest?”
“I’m more surprised you think 10,000 gold coins is modest! That’s a fortune!”
“It’s the price of my life.”
Well… That’s why I confidently asked for 10,000, she thought, now second-guessing herself. Should I have asked for 20,000?
Diana thought for a moment, realizing that she might have undervalued his life with such a small amount. She glanced away.
“Diana, are you really satisfied with such a small amount?”
“…”
She had been satisfied just a minute ago, but now she regretted not asking for 20,000 gold coins instead.
Harold then whispered, his voice low and enticing, “Since you saved me, you should desire something greater.”
Her eyes widened. Wait, does he mean…
“You’re offering more?”
“Yes, I’ll give it to you,” Harold said, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips.
He pulled her arm gently, guiding her closer. Diana’s hand, guided by his, landed on his cheek.
“…?”
Wait, what?
She stared at her hands on his face, then back at Harold’s smiling eyes.
Diana realized something.
Wait. Harold never actually said he would give me money directly, did he?
No, he had only said he’d give her “more,” but never mentioned money.
“Take me.”
“…What?”
Harold tilted his head slightly and pressed a kiss to Diana’s palm.
“If you have me, you’ll have everything I own,” he whispered, his warm, soft lips moving against her skin with each word.
Diana glanced out the window just in case, but the sky and earth were perfectly normal. She thought, It should be turned upside down, but everything is fine. This is weird.
“Harold, could you let go of my hand for a moment? I need to pinch my cheek,” Diana said.
Harold’s eyes narrowed slightly at her request. And then…
Chomp.
“…!”
He gently bit the soft, fleshy part of her palm.
“Isn’t this more effective than pinching your cheek?”
Diana blinked in stunned silence, her lips parted in disbelief. She couldn’t shake off the sensation of his teeth on her palm and found herself seriously contemplating:
Has he gone mad?
Or maybe there was some hidden intent behind his actions. Harold was a man of great wealth, and Diana was someone who openly craved riches.
Maybe this is a test, she thought. He could be checking if I’m tempted by the wealth and power I’ve enjoyed as a duchess.
Realizing how close she’d come to falling for it, Diana felt a cold sweat run down her back.
“Harold, honestly, I’m perfectly fine with just 10,000 gold coins. Not a penny more, not a penny less,” she said firmly.
“You claim money is your top priority, so why settle for so little? You seemed happy when I mentioned giving more,” Harold said, leaning in so close that his gown opened slightly, revealing a smooth, straight collarbone. Below it, his well-toned chest seemed to tempt her senses, making her feel dizzy.
Ugh! Diana quickly turned her eyes away, feeling weak to such temptation. After just rejecting one, another was too dangerous.
“…”
Harold remembered how pleased she was when he offered more rewards. Clearly, she didn’t dislike wealth, but it wasn’t her number one priority either.
As a duke, Harold had encountered all kinds of people, including those who placed money above everything else, even their own lives.
Your words and actions don’t match, Diana, he thought.
If money were truly her top priority, she would have fallen for Harold’s offer right away. She had assets from his personal business and had accumulated wealth for centuries; he was the one who could easily make her rich.
So if it wasn’t money that mattered most to her, then what was it?
What could I use to tempt her that wasn’t wealth or power, things that everyone else desired?
Harold’s dark blue eyes seemed to devour Diana, scanning her from head to toe, looking deeply into her.
Her freshly washed pink hair gave off a pleasant scent, and his gaze lingered on her rounded forehead, eyebrows, eyes, nose, and lips, studying every detail.
Then, he noticed something peculiar:
And then, Harold noticed something unusual. As Diana had been looking out the window, her blue eyes had briefly glanced at his clothes before quickly turning away.
Ah, so, that’s it.
He barely swallowed a smile that almost escaped from his lips.
“Diana, are you feeling very tired right now?” he asked.
What a sexy, sly man.