Chapter 4
~Chapter 04~
Aston asked Bella with a face brimming with curiosity, as if he were dying of curiosity. At his words, the same curiosity appeared on the faces of the Listerwell Viscount couple.
When Bella had first mentioned her plan to “pin a brooch Harriet could only dream of onto her dress,” they had simply assumed she would handle it well and hadn’t asked any further questions. But if the owner of that brooch was the Duke of Kailas, then it was a different story altogether.
“I’m curious too, Bella,” John said.
“Pfft!” Bella burst out laughing, as if a funny memory had just come to mind.
“Originally, I planned to use the brooch from the eldest son of the Cheslow Viscount family. Lambert Junior stole it especially for this.”
If it had only been the Cheslow family brooch, Harriet would have been met with scorn. The owner of the brooch, James Cheslow, was the longtime fiancé of Daphne Laurel, another famous beauty in high society.
“But luck was on my side! I was lingering around nearby, trying to catch the Duke’s eye.”
Bella had been milling about in the crowd of people trying to shake hands with the party’s host.
‘Why won’t anyone move aside?’
She had glared fiercely at the backs of the old nobles who showed no sign of giving way. Right then, someone called out to Cedric from behind, and the moment he turned around, Bella spotted something sparkling falling from his chest.
Cedric, who had turned his gaze, and the people in front of him were all too busy checking who had called him to notice that something had dropped.
“It took some effort to pick it up without being seen, but I pretended my shoe hurt and bent down quickly to grab it.”
“Wow, Sis, you’re amazing!” Aston exclaimed in admiration.
“Don’t get cheeky with me, Aston.” Bella winked playfully at her brother. But she didn’t look upset at all.
“Then, when the lights went out in the party hall, I quickly pinned the brooch on Harriet and waited nearby, pretending I knew nothing about it.”
“You’re the one who told the Duke, right, Sis?” Aston asked.
“Who else? I was the only one who knew Harriet had the brooch.”
But as Bella recalled that moment, her expression hardened slightly.
“I heard you’d lost your brooch. If you don’t mind, could you describe what it looks like?” Bella had approached Cedric, but despite her youthful beauty that could captivate any man, he hadn’t even smiled. He just seemed urgent to find it and calmly described its appearance.
“It’s a 50-carat emerald-cut ruby brooch surrounded by diamonds.”
Of course, Bella already knew. It wasn’t her style, but the gem was so dazzling that her heart had raced the moment she saw it.
Pretending to be uncertain, Bella had said awkwardly, “Um… My cousin was just bragging about a brooch she received as a gift, and it looked similar to what you’re describing. It might not be yours, though…”
“But why suspect your cousin?” Cedric had asked.
“Oh, I’m not suspecting her or anything…” Bella had hesitated, unable to find the right words. Fortunately, Caroline, who was nearby, had kindly chimed in.
Caroline had explained that Harriet had a notorious reputation for chasing after men Bella liked, sending them love letters, and seducing them. It was already a famous scandal in high society. No man would confess love to Harriet, and even if one did, he wouldn’t pin a brooch on her so publicly.
“After that, well, you all know the rest.”
Even Bella had been startled to learn that the brooch was an heirloom from the late Duke. But as expected, Cedric hadn’t made a big fuss about it.
“If we say we sent Harriet to the convent, the Duke will be quietly pleased, too. He said it was fine, but showing that we’re taking responsibility…”
“That would be fortunate indeed,” John replied.
“Even if not, there’s no loss for us. We’re not entangled with the ducal family anyway. Plus, now we have a reason to talk to the Duke.”
Bella smiled confidently. Getting rid of Harriet was a success in itself, but forming a connection with Cedric was a perfect victory with an extra gain.
Then Aston cut in with a skeptical tone. “No matter how great you are, Sis, would the ducal family want to marry into ours? Mom, Dad, don’t get your hopes up too much.”
But Bella thought differently.
“Why not? The late Duke of Kailas was the second son of a viscount family, wasn’t he? He caught the princess’s eye and became a duke. My situation isn’t any worse than that.”
“Bella’s right. In the end, marriages are decided by the duchess, and the Duchess of Kailas is famous for being a romantic,” Miriam said, taking her daughter’s side with hopeful enthusiasm.
To this happy family, the ducal family’s misfortune of losing their family head or Harriet’s unjust banishment to the convent meant nothing.
“Cedric! Or should I call you ‘Your Grace the Duke’ now?”
“Inside, you should, but for now, ‘Cedric’ is fine, Uncle.” Cedric politely replied as he welcomed Viscount Benedict Kingsley to the ducal mansion.
Today was the dinner to which Cedric had invited all his vassals and relatives. Everyone who could attend had gathered, and Viscount Kingsley was the last to arrive.
As Cedric led Benedict to the dining room and opened the door, everyone rose from their seats. It was a show of respect for Cedric, but Benedict lightly nodded, making it seem as if they were honoring him.
Benedict was fully aware of the awkwardness his actions created. In fact, he was deliberately acting that way to draw attention to himself.
“Thank you for your help so far. It’s fortunate that Rowan Kailas died, but I’m still uneasy that Cedric survived,” Marquis Pascal said.
“He’s just an inexperienced young fool who knows nothing of the world. What is there to fear?” Benedict retorted.
“It’s not worry for myself. But if he finds out about our relationship, do you think he’ll let you off easily, Viscount?” Pascal shot back. Though he had profited greatly from the information Benedict provided, he subtly belittled him as a coward who couldn’t stand up to his own nephew.
This pricked Benedict’s pride.
‘If I can just get Cedric under my thumb, then Marquis Pascal and Count Hayward will kneel before me too.’
To do that, he first needed to win Cedric’s favor.
Benedict guided Cedric to his seat, firmly patting his shoulder.
“You must be exhausted from handling one major event after another,” he said, scanning Cedric with a worried expression.
“You look like you’ve lost some weight. Are you eating properly?”
Even as he asked, his hand lingered on Cedric’s back.
“Of course,” Cedric answered.
“That’s a relief! Health comes first when leading a ducal house. I understand your grief over losing your father, but now more than ever, you need to take care of yourself.”
“You speak wisely, Uncle,” Cedric agreed politely.
The word “weak” didn’t suit a young war hero, but Cedric played along with his uncle’s tune. Satisfied with Cedric’s response, Benedict patted his shoulder once more and nodded.
“If you need any help, come to me anytime. Rowan and I were the spitting image of each other, so from now on, you can think of me as your father.”
“Haha, I’d have to ask Aunt and my mother first,” Cedric said with a smile, and the others in the room chuckled lightly.
It was true that Benedict and Rowan had been identical twins at birth, but now in their mid-fifties, anyone could easily tell them apart by their looks and mannerisms.
Benedict, who had been born five minutes earlier and become Viscount Kingsley, smiled often, had a silver tongue, and was adept at navigating society. Put kindly, he was a businessman; put harshly, a merchant.
In contrast, Rowan had been taciturn and stubborn, upright and loyal. He was a sturdy knight who rarely smiled. His deep thoughts and sparse words made him feel suffocating to be around.
So, no matter how similar they had once been, no one could look at Benedict and think of Rowan.
“The wait has been long. Now that everyone’s here, let’s begin the meal,” Cedric declared.
