Chapter 38
~Chapter 38~
“She didn’t seem like that kind of person.”
Cedric was certain of it. There had never been even a hint of seduction in the way Harriet looked at him.
On the contrary, it was Bella Listerwell who had been the one trying to seduce him.
If Harriet had truly been chasing after only the men Bella was interested in, she would have reacted in some way when Cedric had offered financial support at the convent.
But she had clearly been displeased and refused. It had been the same at the Vanderbilt family’s party.
Strangely enough, Bella had been acting oddly too.
‘At the victory banquet and at her uncle’s party, Bella Listerwell definitely threw herself at me. Would a modest and kind young lady use her cousin’s mistake as an excuse to approach a man she was meeting for the first time?’
Some might say Bella’s intentions were pure, but Cedric, who didn’t view women in such a favorable light, couldn’t think that way.
In his eyes, Bella was simply someone skilled at making herself stand out by putting Harriet down.
If that was the case, then Harriet had been unfairly treated. And yet, she hadn’t actively tried to explain herself or defend her position.
“No—perhaps she couldn’t.”
A girl who had lost her parents and was living as a dependent on her uncle, swept up in rumors of jealousy toward her cousin and constantly chasing after men.
In such a situation, who held the real power?
Now, Harriet had a new protector. She no longer needed to rely on Viscount John Listerwell. And upon her return to high society, she wore the expression of someone ready for revenge.
Cedric’s lips curved into a slight smile.
“This should be entertaining to watch.”
He tossed the documents he had finished reading into the trash bin.
Harriet received another letter that would change her life on a day in early July.
After finishing her foreign language lesson with Roxana and returning, she sat down at her desk to do her homework. On it waited a silver tray holding several letters.
She first reached for the thin, yellowish envelope. It was the cheap kind used at the convent.
‘It’s from Abbess Catherine!’
She had been just about to write a letter saying she was doing well in Genoa.
With excitement, she opened the letter, but its contents were unexpected.
“…A few days ago, your uncle, Sir John Listerwell, visited the convent and caused a scene. He showed up unannounced around 8 p.m. and insisted on taking you away, saying there was an important family matter. …Is everything all right?”
The news that John, who always acted kind and generous in front of others, had revealed his true colors was shocking.
Even more surprising was that he had come at such a late hour, which clearly meant there was some urgent matter. But when Harriet had last seen him recently, he hadn’t said a word about it.
‘All he told me was to keep quiet about Bella. What on earth was he planning?’
If he had come to fetch her, it meant there was some event or gathering she needed to attend. But Harriet couldn’t even guess what it might have been.
However, that wasn’t the only reason Abbess Catherine had written.
“…I have a difficult request to make. As you know, our convent’s long-cherished wish has been to build a facility to protect and educate abandoned girls. Thanks to the generous donation from Duke Kailas, we were able to start construction early this year—but now the funds have run out.
We considered halting the work, but recently we received word from an orphanage in the Eper region that’s on the verge of closing.
They asked if we could take in their girls. If not us, those children have nowhere to go, so we’re in a position where we must hurry to complete the facility.
…So I wanted to ask. Do you think it might be possible to request support from Countess Felon?”
The orphanage was shutting down due to lack of funds. It had relied on imperial government support, but as the number of children grew while the subsidies stayed the same, it had piled up debts and decided to close.
The boys were to be taken in by a nearby monastery, but the girls were to be sent to the nearest women’s convent, Saint Clarissa.
Harriet was well aware of the financial strain this would put on the convent. She could picture Abbess Catherine agonizing over the budget and how much she must have hesitated before writing this letter.
‘But in my current situation, it’s hard to ask Great-Aunt Trisha for help.’
Not long ago, Trisha had warned her.
“People will try to use you to get to me.”
And that didn’t just mean bad people. Even good people might want to connect with Countess Felon—and Harriet, the newly discovered relative of the notoriously picky and sharp-tongued noblewoman, was an appealing link.
So Harriet had to be careful.
‘Even if it’s with good intentions, if someone I know receives help from Lady Trisha, it could lead to rumors. Besides, there’s no guarantee she would help.’
She had promised Trisha she wouldn’t cause her any trouble.
So no matter how much she wanted to help, she couldn’t ask her great-aunt to get involved in convent affairs.
‘Without relying on her— is there something I can do myself?’
When she left the convent, she had promised Emma.
That someday she would help her and the convent.
Harriet hadn’t expected that day to come so soon. But if she could contribute even a little.
Of course, it wouldn’t be easy. Saint Clarissa Convent needed money, and so did Harriet herself. The real problem was that neither had a clear way to obtain funds.
But Harriet decided not to give up easily.
‘If I make friends or build connections, I might be able to ask them for help. It’s still relying on others, but it’s better than hanging on just Lady Trisha alone.’
With that thought, Harriet resolved to accept as many invitations as possible. She glanced over the other letters on the silver tray. Most were light tea party invitations, but one caught her eye. It was from Annabelle Leighton.
‘She was the first to send an invitation right after the Vanderbilt party.’
At first, Harriet had thought the second invitation from Annabelle was a mistake. But this letter had an extra line added: “Nothing unpleasant will happen, so please rest assured. I sincerely hope you’ll consider attending.”
The fact that Annabelle had sent a second invitation meant she truly wanted Harriet to come—and that suggested she might be a bit more friendly than the others.
‘It seems like a suitable event for my first high society debut.’
Harriet opened a drawer and took out the fresh stationery and envelope she had prepared in advance.
To the kind and considerate Lady Annabelle Leighton,
Thank you for the tea party invitation. I’m sorry for the delayed reply, as I received your second letter just as I was about to write back.
I happily accept the invitation. I would be endlessly grateful if you welcomed me warmly that day. With eager anticipation,
Harriet Listerwell
After writing the short letter, Harriet folded it with determination and slipped it into the envelope.
She realized that her original plan of simply dipping her toes into high society with a light heart was no longer enough. Now, every day mattered. Even a single tea party attendance could be a precious opportunity, and she couldn’t afford to waste any.
‘I also need to find a way to repay everything Saint Clarissa Convent has given me.’
Harriet steeled her resolve.
Lady Leighton was known for her wide circle of acquaintances and her exceptional matchmaking skills. She often received generous rewards whenever she successfully arranged a marriage. Even her quiet husband, Sir Leighton, had benefited in his business thanks to his wife’s connections.
Perhaps influenced by her mother, Annabelle Leighton also loved people and was happiest when praised for her broad social network.
Annabelle didn’t care about political factions or wealth. She even enjoyed giving people with poor reputations a chance to clear their names.
‘In a good light, that’s how it is; in a bad light, she’s collecting all sorts of gossip.’
It might seem frivolous to some, but gossip could be valuable information—or a clever way to divert others’ attention. Annabelle and her mother were quite skilled in that area.
Harriet lightly gathered the hem of her yellow dress, recently tailored at the Louvre Dress Shop, and descended to the garden where the tea party was being held.
“Lady Harriet Listerwell has arrived!”
Even before the announcement, all eyes at the garden tables were already on her.
Harriet gave Annabelle a small, elegant nod.
“Thank you for inviting me, Lady Leighton. The garden is far more beautiful than I imagined.”
“Welcome, Lady Listerwell. Thank you for coming.”
Annabelle personally escorted Harriet to her seat.
The guests seemed to already know that Harriet’s attendance had been kept secret. Their eyes sparkled with curiosity—but not all of it was friendly.
“However… you’ve arrived a bit later than expected, haven’t you?”
