Chapter 32
~Chapter 32~
“If you go that way, the butler will personally serve you the drink of your choice.”
“Thank you for letting me know.”
Cedric gave a light nod to his acquaintances and took his leave. His friends, who had overheard the servant, understood why he was stepping away and waved him off casually. Cedric headed toward the terrace at a leisurely pace.
He never could have imagined—nor intended—running into Julian Freys, whose cheeks were flushed from drinking, or overhearing the conversation between him and Harriet.
It was impossible not to feel bewildered as he listened. Julian acting like her fiancé just because of a few exchanged letters, and Harriet claiming she’d written them disguised as her cousin because she liked him. Neither of them seemed in their right mind.
This cheap romantic aftermath was nothing but irritating to listen to.
‘Why am I even hearing this?’
The sudden question jolted him alert. Why had he come all the way here just on the suspicion that the woman in the green dress might be Harriet?
‘The party must be so dull that my concentration is shot.’
He scoffed at himself and was about to turn away when Julian suddenly advanced on Harriet. The aggressive posture looked like it could cause harm at a glance, so Cedric had no choice but to intervene.
The flustered Julian retreated in such an unseemly manner that even another man would find it embarrassing to witness.
And Harriet…
‘The saying that she’s grown more beautiful wasn’t wrong after all.’
She wasn’t wearing a childish dress or heavy makeup. The image of the poor girl in worn gloves and shabby convent robes was nowhere to be found anymore.
Now, her ivory skin gleamed with luster, her large hazel eyes sparkled, and her thick, full eyebrows, straight nose, and soft, red lips like pomegranate petals left a striking impression.
She hadn’t been ugly before, but thanks to the financial support from the Pellon family, she had undoubtedly transformed into a true beauty.
But what stood out most were her eyes. Even after what had just happened, there wasn’t a trace of fear in them. Her gaze was so bold it bordered on challenging, with a power that drew people in.
‘She’s changed. Completely different from that girl at the victory banquet.’
Back then, she had been a pitiful figure struggling to hold back tears. Now, she seemed utterly fearless, as if blessed by the gods themselves.
“To be precise, Your Grace knows nothing about me, does he?”
When Harriet said that, Cedric realized why he had followed the hem of that green dress all the way here.
‘She’s right. I know nothing about her. That’s why she’s intriguing.’
Cedric wasn’t one for extreme emotional swings. But ever since the Kiphrene War ended, he hadn’t found anything that truly brought him joy.
His daily life was filled with loss, betrayal, vengeance—and boredom.
Yet Harriet Listerwell kept doing the unexpected in this predictable, tedious world.
Spending a year holed up in a convent. Being abandoned by her guardian, John Listerwell. Living there like a commoner. Rejecting Cedric’s offer of sponsorship. And now returning to high society under Trisha’s guardianship, appearing so dazzling and elegant. Everything was beyond his expectations.
And her unpredictable actions continued to capture his attention.
Leaning against the terrace railing, Cedric gazed in the direction Harriet had gone and let out a hollow chuckle at the thought that crossed his mind.
‘Exploring the unknown is always alluring.’
It wasn’t like him to think that way. But humans were willing to do far crazier things just for a bit of amusement.
His eyes met those of a man smoking a cigarette nearby. The man naturally extinguished it, glanced around, and approached Cedric discreetly.
“Find out everything that can be uncovered about the Listerwell family. Especially any scandals involving Harriet Listerwell.”
Without a word, the man quietly slipped back into the ballroom.
Before long, Cedric would have a thick file on the Listerwell family in his hands. All for the sake of satisfying his curiosity and alleviating his boredom.
“What the hell happened? What is all this?!”
John was so shocked he felt like he might lose his mind.
He had been considering hiring a private detective to find Harriet, only to hear that she had shown up at the Vanderbilts’ party—which she hadn’t even been invited to. And not alone, but escorted by none other than Trisha Pellon.
“Escorted? That’s shocking enough, but that finicky old bat as her new guardian? No way!”
It was good that he’d learned of Harriet’s whereabouts without spending a dime. But to take her to Perillas and get her to sign over the land deed, he now had to deal with her guardian, Trisha.
‘That senile old hag is no fool. She won’t hand over land she could claim for herself so easily.’
And that wasn’t even the biggest problem.
What if Harriet, backed by Trisha, started blabbing about Bella?
‘The engagement to the Cheslow family is practically sealed. I can’t let her ruin it!’
Tarnishing Harriet’s reputation wouldn’t be hard. He could just accuse her of harboring a grudge for him withdrawing his support and spreading lies.
But the Cheslow family, already embroiled in scandal from their broken engagement with the Laurel family, would want this betrothal to proceed smoothly without any noise.
“Damn it!”
Pacing the room anxiously, John spat out a curse and snatched his jacket from the rack. He rushed downstairs.
“Terry! Terry, where are you?”
At his call, the butler hurried over.
“Terry’s tending to the horses. Are you heading out?”
“Then why would I be looking for Terry? Tell him to prepare the carriage right now!”
At John’s urgent command, the butler ran to the stables, and Terry, the coachman who had served the Listerwell family for years, quickly brought the carriage around to the front.
“Where to, sir?”
“To Pellan Mansion!”
At John’s irritated reply, the coachman whipped the horses into motion. He knew the way well, having been to Pellan Mansion a few times before.
‘If the master’s going alone, he’ll probably be back soon, but waiting around there would be awkward.’
Terry cracked the whip with an expressionless face.
The reception at Pellan Mansion varied wildly depending on who you were. Beggars came for money were often chased out without even a cup of tea.
When the Arthur family had visited, even a coachman like Terry had been treated warmly—but that was ages ago, now just a distant memory.
“Madam, we have an unexpected visitor. Lord Listerwell is here and requests a brief audience.”
Trisha, who had been sitting in the shaded terrace enjoying the well-manicured garden while sipping tea, smiled at the news of John’s unannounced visit.
She rose slowly and nodded toward the living room sofa.
“Let him in. Let’s hear what he has to say.”
No sooner had she given the order than John entered Trisha’s room holding a lavish bouquet.
“Aunt! I hope you’ve been well?”
“Come in, John. What’s all this?”
John lightly embraced Trisha, who was seated on the sofa, and carefully set the large bouquet on the tea table. A maid soon brought tea for him, and the two exchanged a few polite pleasantries, as it had been so long since they’d seen each other.
“Now, enough with the formalities—let’s get to the point. You wouldn’t come unannounced unless it was important.”
“Well, actually…”
“It’s about Harriet, isn’t it? Am I right?”
When Trisha spoke as if she already knew everything, John saw no need to beat around the bush.
He let out a deep sigh and furrowed his brow.
“I’m worried. I heard you’ve become her guardian.”
“That’s right.”
“Aunt, I don’t know what lies she told to earn your sympathy, but everything she says is a fabrication. She’s a pathological liar who can’t open her mouth without lying.”
Trisha raised an eyebrow at his words.
John leaned in closer, as if to add more conviction.
“You have to believe me. I lived with that girl for nearly ten years. I put up with her for my brother’s sake, but now with my daughter’s marriage imminent, I can’t bear it anymore.”
“Is that so?”
“Harriet has been jealous of Bella since she was little. She desperately tried to become like Bella, clung to Bella’s friends, and for the last three or four years, she’s been pretending to be my daughter to seduce men. Can you imagine how deranged she was?”
He continued lamenting his plight, dramatically clutching his chest.
