# 16
**Chapter Sixteen**
I followed Harold into the room.
“There are some business deals going on with the Meier family, but they are still hesitant. Since Mrs. Meier has a lot of power there, if we can win her over, it would be beneficial to me.”
Mrs. Mayer was strict about her social relationships. Even the heroine, Ella, tried to approach her out of admiration, but failed.
I couldn't help but think that mastering dancing might be harder than trying to impress a lady...
“Impressing her might be more successful than dancing,” Harold said.
Was he praising me, or was he implying that mastering the dance was practically impossible for me?
I sat on the bed and asked, “Why do you think that is more likely?”
“Just because it is.”
“…What does that mean?”
So, he was implying that I had no hope of dancing, right?
Harold turned to the side, opened his eyes lazily, and said, "I just have a feeling. The lady and I have similar personalities, so I can guess."
I inclined my head, but before I could reply, he added: “So, do your best, Duchess.”
As he put on his suit, Harold remembered his conversation with Diana from the night before.
“Can a person really change that much?”
No matter how difficult street life was, Diana's values and personality had changed so much that he barely recognized her. It's like she's a whole other person.
But it didn't seem like she was faking it.
The Diana he knew did not have the acting skills to show that innocent, oblivious smile, nor the patience to maintain it constantly.
Was that the reason he felt disconnected, the reason Diana appeared in his mind more frequently?
After finishing his preparations, Harold stood in front of the mirror, adjusting his clothes. His hair was neatly styled, his tie was perfectly placed, the dark blue suit was wrinkle-free, the pocket watch was tucked into his jacket, the gloves were checked for any emergency—check everything.
Finally, he sprayed his perfume, filling the air with the scent of fresh forest air.
His health problems were completely hidden, and any trace of the bitter medicine smell was drowned out by the perfume. There was no evidence that Harold Duke was dying. Everything about it seemed perfect. A satisfied smile formed on his face.
At that moment, Ivan knocked on the door and entered the room.
“Your Highness, this is the guest list for Ms. Mayer’s party.”
Harold looked at the list Evan had provided. His indifferent sea eyes suddenly turned sharp.
“I see my brother is coming too?”
“Yes. He is attending as Lady Ella’s companion.”
“Hmm.”
Harold's eyes turned cold.
“In the past, he would not have gone near a party that Diana was attending.”
It couldn't be that Kayden didn't know that Diana would be at Mrs. Meyer's party.
However, Kayden decided to go to the party.
Before, when Diana was following him, he treated her as if she was beneath him, like street trash. And now this?
Did Kayden even realize that Diana was Harold's wife?
Clear annoyance crept onto Harold's face, but he quickly hid it with his usual devious smile.
He stared at the bottle of perfume on the table, lost in thought.
“Ma’am, this is the last thing we need to do.”
"Good."
As we were finishing up preparations for Mrs. Mayer's party, I noticed someone outside the door. Anna caught my gaze and quickly opened the door, revealing Harold standing there.
“Looks like you're still getting ready.”
“We're almost done.”
As soon as Harold entered the room, the maids hurried to finish the work. Their quick and effective movements ended everything in the blink of an eye.
I got up and walked over to where Harold was leaning against the wall.
“Did you really come to accompany me?”
'Isn't it a little early to head to the party? He didn't look very happy when he came in.'
“Yes, something like that.”
He gave me a vague reply, then motioned for the maids to leave. When we were alone, he offered me something he was carrying under his arm.
'Wait… is that…'
“Perfume?”
“Yes, I thought you would like it, and I had an extra bottle,” Harold explained.
“You brought this for me?” Diana asked, surprise evident as she extended her hand eagerly.
“Yes,” Harold said with a slight smile.
Diana could not hide her joy as she received the gift, her hands trembling slightly with excitement.
“Do you really like me that much?” Harold asked, his wry smile deepening.
"Yes! It's exactly my taste," Diana exclaimed. The scent was pure, forest-like, unlike anything she had ever smelled before.
“My scent seems to suit your taste,” Harold joked.
“No, I mean the perfume itself! Not your scent!” Diana defended quickly, trying to avoid further teasing.
“Sure, I smell,” Harold continued to joke, but I stared at him silently, annoyed by his teasing.
Honestly, Harold can be really hurtful sometimes. No, not sometimes—most of the time.
“To make sure you use it well, I'll put it on for you first,” he said, taking the bottle again.
“But I can do it myself—” Diana began, but before she could finish, Harold stepped forward, his body touching hers as he sprayed perfume on the back of her neck.
The scent spread as he gently sprayed down the sides of her neck, then pulled back, his face reflecting a look of satisfaction.
“Hmm, not bad,” Harold said. He put the perfume bottle on the table and checked his watch.
“It's almost time. Shall we go, ma'am?”
'Looks like it's time to leave already.'
I put my hand on top of his.
Upon arriving at the Meier family mansion, Harold got off the carriage first and extended his hand to her.
Diana took a deep breath, preparing herself.
“Nervous?” Harold asked.
“Yes, sort of,” I answered, feeling a tingling sensation in my chest, as if I were about to give an important presentation.
“Excessive stress is not good for you.”
“That's right. I prepared myself mentally, so I'm fine now.”
I stood next to him, smiling, and Harold winked at me before laughing softly.
"good."
After a while, one of Mrs. Mayer's servants led us to the entrance of the ballroom. Before the servant opened the doors, Harold leaned over and whispered to me alone: "Remember, you are the Duchess. There are few women here who have a higher status than you."
The large arch doors opened, and although they tried to hide it, all eyes turned subtly towards us.
We exchanged short greetings with some of the nobles who approached us, and then we turned towards Mrs. Mayer.
“Thank you for inviting us to such a wonderful party, Mrs. Mayer,” I said.
"I'm the one who should be thanking you both for coming. You look great in your matching outfits," she replied, waving her fan gently as she looked me up and down.
“You have become more beautiful since your marriage, Duchess. I think many of the ladies here will be curious as to which designer made your dress tonight.”
“If you're curious, I'd be happy to share,” I said, raising the corners of my lips just enough to exude confidence without sounding overly modest. Mrs. Mayer's eyes crinkled in agreement, clearly satisfied with my response.
“It's always good for men to associate with women, and women with men, don't you agree?”
“Are you suggesting that I separate from my beautiful wife?” Harold joked.
“Only if you're the kind of person who knows how to be considerate of the woman he loves.”
“Well, I guess I don't have a choice then,” Harold replied, letting go of my hand, winking playfully at me as if he was reluctant to leave my side. His endearing demeanor was impeccable, as usual. While I was impressed, I couldn't help but feel a little worried.
'What if Harold suddenly has another seizure, like last time?'
The way he took his pain without showing it made me even more worried. I reached out and grabbed his hand just as he was about to turn away from me.
Exchanging glances with him, I whispered: “Come to me if you begin to feel unwell, Harold. Count me in.”
I tapped his hand gently with my fingers, signaling him to come to me if he felt any pain in his chest.
"I will. I promise," he said, gently interlacing our fingers before letting go of my hand.
It was clear from his gesture that he understood what I was worried about.
Finally, I felt some peace and let him go.
When I turned, I saw Mrs. Mayer watching me from her fan, her lips curved in a knowing smile.
“The newlyweds seem to be as excited as ever,” she commented.
'No, it's not like that.'
“Your affection reminds me of the first days of my marriage,” she added in a tone of longing.
'Seriously, it's not like that!'