# 2
### Chapter Two
It made sense for Harold Baisen to be cold towards me.
'Diana was blinded by love and openly shameless.'
Even in front of Harold, she mentioned that the champion would inherit the title soon.
Although she knew that Harold had to die for the hero to become a duke.
“Yes, I have come to my senses. I sincerely apologize for my earlier rudeness.”
Harold raised the corner of his mouth with a sarcastic smile and began to clap slowly.
Applause, applause, applause. The sound echoed in the room.
“Well, I don't know how long you'll be like this, but congratulations on finally coming to your senses.”
"Thanks."
“…Hmm. So, what do you want? Let me be clear, if you are here to use me to meet Kaiden, forget it.”
“I did not come to meet Lord Caiden.”
"So? Money?"
Harold gave me another look, examining me from head to toe.
“If you want money, I might be willing to give you some, given all the differences between us.”
…the money!
'Ah, after I almost starved to death in the streets, just hearing the word money makes me drool.'
I almost asked him how much he could give me.
I took a deep breath, trying to regain my composure, and stated the real reason I came.
“I'm here to make a deal with you, Duke.”
“You? With me?”
“Yes, with you, Duke.”
“Huh, didn’t you tell me that you came to your senses?”
"Yes."
“Well, it doesn't seem so to me.”
Harold clasped his hands, clearly annoyed and even a little irritated.
“I can help you regain your health, Your Highness.”
At that moment, Harold's expression hardened.
“Don't you understand that there are things that should not be said? Madam?”
Since Harold was diagnosed with a terminal illness at the age of thirteen, he has been constantly pestered by doctors from all over the continent claiming that they can cure him.
He was harassed not only by fraudsters, but also by fanatics of strange cures.
In saying this, I struck a chord—the delicate balance between hope and despair that he had carried for years. I felt the heavy pressure emanating from him as if it were pressing on my shoulders.
“It seems I misjudged you. If you don't want to be dragged outside, I suggest you leave on your feet.”
“I came here because I can really do this.”
Instead of being intimidated or submitting to his murderous intentions, I steeled myself and extended my hand.
“Please, give me just one chance to prove it.”
“…”
Harold pursed his lips tightly. His sharp blue eyes stared at me as if assessing me.
I didn't avert my gaze.
The pressure suddenly lifted off my shoulders.
“How do you plan to prove it?”
“All you have to do is hold my hand.”
“That dirty hand?”
"Yes."
True, of course.
I quickly wiped my dusty hands on my clothes.
“Do you think that will keep them clean, ma'am?”
“Um. No.”
It is mentioned in the novel that due to his illness, Harold developed a type of germaphobia.
At this rate, I was worried he would reject me without even giving me a chance because he thought I was too dirty.
So, I decided to change the way I express myself.
“Can I borrow a knife, please?”
Harold took out a dagger from inside his jacket and handed it to me.
"Thanks."
When I took the dagger out of its sheath, my reflection appeared on its sharp edge.
I took a deep breath, holding the dagger tightly.
Then…
“Madam, have you lost your mind? Why are you hurting yourself all of a sudden...!”
Harold jumped up and snatched the dagger from me.
Blood flowed from the deep wound on my arm. He gritted his teeth in anger.
“Seek a doctor immediately...!”
“No, no need, Duke.”
“I don't plan on dealing with your body in my house!”
I grabbed his sleeve, preventing him from leaving.
Then, I violently wiped away the blood and extended my arm towards him.
“I'm completely healed now.”
Although the wound was deep due to the sharpness of the blade, it no longer hurt, and I was completely healed.
“The wound... how is that possible?”
“Does this prove I was being honest?”
Harold furrowed his eyebrows in disbelief.
But he saw it with his own eyes, so he finally returned to his seat on the sofa.
“Explain.”
"Yes!"
In this world, there was no such thing as divine power that healed people, so I explained in detail.
“You can heal wounds and diseases...but that requires contact and the extent of contact affects the quality of healing?”
“Yes! You totally understand.”
I clapped my hands just like Harold had done before.
Applause, applause, applause.
"But I can't touch bare skin, especially with women. What are you going to do about it?"
"You'll be fine if you touch me. That's part of my ability, too."
That's why the strength of the heroine was also crucial in the adult rated novel. Its ability
Divine makes it easier to move forward…emotionally.
“You healed your wound in front of me, but how are you going to prove that you can cure diseases? And you should know that my illness is not an ordinary thing.”
“Yes, of course, I know.”
It was a rare and incurable disease that only afflicted a few swordsmen capable of using sword energy.
It was causing heart pain, even though there was no actual heart problem, and the disease was causing random bouts of pain, which increased dramatically when sword energy was used.
Everyone who contracted this disease died before reaching the age of thirty.
"But that won't be a problem. My ability can cure him. The only way to prove it is, once again, by holding hands…"
I extended my hand, pointing with my eyes, to ask how he planned to proceed.
Harold looked at my dirty hand as if it carried any plague and leaned away.
“I will prepare a guest room for you. We will continue this tomorrow.”
“Sounds good!”
I stood with a bright smile.
I had reached this point, so my deal was practically successful.
* * *
The warm sunlight gently woke me from my deep sleep.
I smiled as I opened my eyes, enjoying the soft, clean feeling of the bed.
'I'm not in the streets!'
The comfortable, clean room, with a real ceiling, brought me to tears.
The days of curling up in alleys for ten days, avoiding danger, are over.
I wiped away the tears of joy and pulled the bell rope.
The maid brought a bowl of water, so I washed and changed into clean clothes.
By the way, the clothes were spare from another maid about my size.
“The Duke has invited you to have breakfast with him.”
"Okay. I'll be right there."
“I will accompany you to the dining room.”
I followed the maid down the hall.
The sunlight streaming through the windows made me sing a gentle tune.
After scrubbing myself clean, changing into clean clothes, and getting into a warm bed, I felt happy for the first time in a while.
I finally felt like life was good again. If I could complete the deal with Harold today, it seemed like my misfortune would be over forever.
But then, I froze when my eyes crossed with a man walking towards me from the other end of the hallway.
The man's face also stiffened when he saw me.
“Diana, what are you doing here?”
Black hair and red eyes. Handsome like Harold, with similar looks.
It was the hero, Kayden.
'Wait, wasn't the hero supposed to be staying in another house in the capital?'
But with memories of Diana still echoing in my mind as clearly as a black-and-white comic strip, there was no suspicion of him.
This was bad.
Harold was already wary that I might try to get close to his younger brother through him.
If this reached the Duke the wrong way, it could lead to a serious misunderstanding.
'Oh, right, I'm not alone, am I?'
No need to worry about misunderstandings!
"I have not come to see you, sir. I am here as the Duke's guest. Isn't it, Anna?"
“Yes, the Mademoiselle is already here as the Duke’s guest,” said Anna, the maid next to me. I felt relieved to have her.
“I heard you were sent away without a penny. I'm surprised you were able to bribe a maid so quickly.”
What? But it's true!
Of course, Diana was obsessed with the hero.
For her, Kaiden was her first love and the only line that could help her escape from her family.
If he had not chosen her, Diana would have been forced to become the fourth wife of an old marquis who had already killed three wives through violent abuse.
After being accused of attempted poisoning, she was humiliated and all prospects of marriage were cut off.
Meanwhile, Kayden became more and more disturbed by Diana's constant harassment.
He began to hate her when she started harassing the heroine and eventually came to despise her.
“I don’t know how you knew I would be here today, but disappear.”
Kayden's voice was cold as he grabbed my arm violently.
He grabbed me, clearly intending to drag me outside himself.
"Ah, I didn't bribe anyone! I was really on my way to breakfast with the Duke, who invited me!"
“Miss is already the Duke’s guest! You can ask him yourself!”
I raised my voice in annoyance, and Anna added her support, but Kayden didn't listen.
At this rate, I was going to be dragged out.
After waiting six hours it's finally here!
Tears welled up in my eyes from how miserable my situation was.
At that moment, Harold came forward and grabbed Kayden's wrist.
“What do you think you are doing to my guest, Kayden?”