Chapter 14
~Chapter 14~
“Bella always wore a mask that covered most of her face whenever she went to masquerade balls, and she dressed in outfits with almost no skin showing. And when she met the men she’d seduced in the garden, she always draped a robe around herself.”
The men who had made contact with Bella and even shared kisses with her longed to see her again under the bright sunlight, but Bella—who wanted only their one-night diversions and the valuable information they possessed—rejected their suits. And every time, Harriet perfectly played the role of her cover.
“It was my niece’s doing. Bella wasn’t feeling well that day and couldn’t even get out of bed, let alone attend the ball. It seems Harriet intercepted Bella’s invitation and went in her place.” Uncle John apologized to the man who had come all the way to their estate, saying as much. Naturally, the man was confused—and furious.
But ashamed to admit he’d been duped by a child like Harriet, he kept his mouth shut, and in the end, even more men fell for the same trick.
“For the past three years, I’ve become the scandal-maker of high society in this way.”
“Why didn’t you clear things up?”
“I wanted to. If only Uncle hadn’t threatened to throw me out of the house if I said anything.” Harriet gave a bitter smile as she spoke.
She had begged Bella to please stop with these schemes, but Bella never took her seriously.
“How was I supposed to know the man would come all the way to the house? Anyway, I gave Father some useful information, so I’ve done my part.” That’s what Bella had said.
The rest was “your problem.”
When Harriet protested, Uncle would furrow his brow and scold her.
“If not for something like this, what could you possibly do for our family? You have to earn your keep!”
At first, it had been about helping Bella, but as time passed, it became a given duty.
Still, Harriet couldn’t understand that last scandal any more than the others.
“I have no idea how Duke Kailas’s brooch ended up pinned to my skirt at the victory banquet. Who could have played such a prank on me?”
With a long sigh, Harriet finished her story.
When the silence grew awkward, she gave a shy smile.
“It sounds like a lie, doesn’t it?”
Catherine and Agnes wore complicated expressions.
Both sides of the story should be heard, but weren’t these two accounts too different?
Yet Harriet’s version seemed the more logical one.
‘If Harriet had truly been impersonating her cousin and tarnishing the family name, would Viscount Listerwell—her legal guardian—have let it go on for three years?’
He might have spoiled his orphaned niece out of pity. But even so, didn’t Viscount Listerwell bear some responsibility?
And when the situation became too much to handle, he’d cast her aside like a troublesome limb and shipped her off to the convent.
Catherine, unable to smooth her furrowed brow, asked, “If what you say is true, that worries me even more. Even if you return next year, what guarantee is there it won’t happen again?”
Harriet bit her lip and whispered, “I can only hope Bella marries soon. She won’t be able to use me as a stand-in if we’re not living in the same house.”
Until then, all she could do was pray Bella behaved herself.
Harriet felt powerless once more. She had nowhere to go now.
But with Uncle as her guardian, she couldn’t escape the Listerwell family—like a dog on a leash. That truth hurt her deeply.
At twenty-one, Daphne Laurel was a delicate and pure beauty with dazzling silver hair and enchanting violet eyes.
She was the precious daughter of the Laurel family, owners of vast crystal mines, and she was engaged to the eldest son of the Cheslow family, which held the rank of count.
Known as a beauty in high society since childhood, she didn’t have followers like Bella did, thanks to her early engagement and shy personality. She was generally content with her fiancé, James.
But lately, her kind and diligent fiancé had been acting strangely.
“To my dear Daphne, it seems I won’t be able to see you this weekend either. My friends have been insisting so much that I’ve decided to go hunting in Herbos Forest. I’ll be sure to catch a fine fox for your winter scarf. Stay well, James.”
James’s letter, delivered by messenger this time too, was disappointing.
‘It’s already been nearly a month since we last saw each other….’
They had never gone this long without meeting. Even when James was busy with heir training or attending the military drills all noblemen had to go through, he had always made time to see Daphne.
And there was one more thing that felt off.
“To my dear Daphne, stay well, James.”
The opening and closing of the letter were different from before.
He had always begun with “To my most beloved Daphne” and ended with phrases like “I dream of you,” “My goddess,” or “Mistress of my soul”—all sorts of affectionate endearments.
His sign-off had been different too. Before, he’d called himself “your eternal servant,” “one burning with longing,” or “the luckiest man in the world.”
But now it was “my dear” and “stay well”? Those were words you’d use for an acquaintance, not a lover.
‘No, we’re not children anymore, so maybe he just wants to sound more mature.’
She could understand his recent busy schedule too. As heir, he needed to manage his connections.
Even so, she couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling from their last meeting.
He had seemed utterly distracted.
“I want to make a bouquet with flowers from the garden. Maybe mix in some hydrangeas or peonies instead of just roses—what do you think?”
“Hm, either would be fine, I suppose.”
“Oh! And we should have the wedding at Elvinas Temple, right?”
“Yes, probably….”
He had nodded, but his gaze was fixed on the drink he’d barely touched, and his replies were half-hearted.
‘Is something wrong?’
Daphne was worried about James.
The man who had always been overjoyed to be her fiancé was now acting distant even in front of the person he loved. It had to mean he had some worry weighing on him.
The news that would shake Daphne to her core came just a few days later.
“Melody! What’s wrong? Your letter sounded so urgent, so I came right away.”
Daphne welcomed her friend Melody Ruth, who had sent a letter insisting they meet as soon as possible.
But Melody wasn’t smiling at all.
“Daphne, we need to talk alone. It’s really important.”
“Okay. I’ll send the maids away.”
After dismissing the attending maids, Daphne sensed something was wrong and offered Melody a drink.
“Here, have some tea and catch your breath, Melody.”
But instead of taking the tea, Melody gripped both of Daphne’s hands tightly. Her eyes were filled with worry.
“Daphne, what I’m about to tell you isn’t a lie or a misunderstanding. You trust me, right?”
“Of course I do. But why are you so serious? You’re scaring me….”
“Daphne, my family went on a picnic to Herbos Forest last weekend.”
“I know. You said you were going before it got too cold.”
Blinking her large, innocent eyes and nodding, Daphne had no idea what bombshell was about to drop.
Melody let out a sigh and said, “We saw… Lord Cheslow there.”
“Oh! You ran into James? He said he was going hunting in Herbos Forest with his friends. Were you picnicking near the hunting grounds? That must have been dangerous.”
Melody shook her head vigorously.
“Hunting? With a woman by his side?”
“What?”
“James was with Bella Listerwell! They didn’t look like just friends.”
For a moment, Daphne was speechless and stared blankly at Melody.
“There was no one around except their attendants. They might not have seen us, but they didn’t seem to care about prying eyes either.”
“That can’t be….”
“You need to confront Lord James before the rumors spread. You might even have to ask your father, the count, for help.”
Melody’s concern was valid.
Daphne and James had been engaged for five years, and both families were highly esteemed. Everyone thought they were the perfect match.
Their marriage had been delayed due to Daphne’s young age and James’s duties as heir, but they were finally planning to wed next year. It was common knowledge.
‘But to go on a picnic with another woman at a time like this?’
