Ch#69
Ch#69
Ch#69
~Chapter 69~
“Do I look like someone who interferes in who my daughter meets? The carriage will depart in 30 minutes, so just make sure you’re back by then.”
Daphne then turned to look at her parents.
With Trisha already having given her permission, it would make the atmosphere awkward if her parents said no.
“Al, alright. Don’t stay out too late, Daphne.”
“Thank you, Father.”
Before they could change their minds, Daphne grabbed Harriet’s hand and hurriedly slipped out of their sight.
The two walked so quickly that they were slightly out of breath. They only sat down on a bench in the temple square where people were gathered, chatting and exchanging greetings.
“I’m sorry for dragging you all the way here, Lady Harriet. But I really wanted to see you….”
“It’s an honor. Honestly, I wanted to see you too, my lady. I’m so glad you look much better than last time.”
“It’s all thanks to you, my lady.”
Just then, the bell from the tower rang out, signaling the end of the service. Daphne looked up with a smile and asked,
“When did you start attending St. Paolo Temple? I hadn’t heard that you were a devotee here.”
“Actually, today is my first time.”
“Really? Which temple did you go to before?”
“I didn’t attend any.”
To Daphne, who had grown up regularly attending temple, this was astonishing.
“Th-then… did your faith deepen while you were at the convent?”
“Not particularly.”
It was a bold answer that could almost sound like blasphemy.
As Daphne floundered, unable to find a response, Harriet looked at her and added,
“But through God’s grace, I did learn one important thing.”
“What was that?”
Harriet recalled the time she had run to the convent cathedral in tears. Flickering candlelight, cold stone floors, and the statue gazing down at her with a serene expression. She remembered screaming toward it in her broken, despairing state.
“I realized one thing. If I don’t take care of my own life, no one else will do it for me. That I have to stay sharp and guide my own path.”
Daphne looked as though she’d lost her words again.
Harriet’s expression grew resolute as she continued.
“It doesn’t mean ignoring your parents’ advice or rejecting your friends’ actions. It means recognizing that you are the one responsible for whatever life you choose to live.”
“I’m not sure I fully understand….”
“It means no one else can change your life, my lady. Only you can. And Lady Daphne, I think you already know that.”
“Wh-what do you mean?”
“Instead of hiding away, you chose to step out into the world. Instead of crying in the darkness, you chose to smile under the sun. Isn’t that exactly how you’ve decided to save your own life?”
Daphne’s eyes widened, her eyelashes trembling.
Harriet perfectly understood how much courage it must have taken for Daphne to come to such a crowded temple and smile as if nothing was wrong—and what that meant to her.
It wasn’t her parents or her childhood friends. It was Harriet Listerwell, someone she’d only met once, who recognized it.
“Lady Harriet….”
“I’m doing my best too. I have to. If I don’t, those monstrous people will tear me apart.”
Harriet smiled. It was a slightly playful yet strangely calm and wise smile.
Daphne felt like leaning on Harriet’s shoulder and crying.
But she had promised herself she wouldn’t cry anymore.
So instead, she forced a small smile. It was an imperfect one, trembling slightly as she held back tears, but Harriet responded with a warm smile of her own.
Then Harriet glanced around and lowered her voice.
“This might be a name you don’t want to hear, but… let’s talk about Bella.”
Just hearing the name made Daphne’s mind go blank for a moment, but she nodded and listened closely.
“Never show any weakness in front of her. Pity? Sympathy? Bella couldn’t care less about that. The moment you show even a hint of vulnerability, she’ll treat you like easy prey.”
“E-even so, I probably won’t see her again….”
“As someone who’s watched Bella for a long time, let me tell you this: no matter what you expect, you’ll definitely cross paths with her again.”
Harriet spoke with conviction.
If Bella were the type to stop at just stealing one man, she never would have targeted James in the first place.
“She’ll try to take not just your fiancé, but everything you have. She won’t stop until you’re completely broken. And even then, she’ll pretend she never meant any harm, putting on an act of innocence.”
At Harriet’s sharp words, Daphne looked confused. Even after the broken engagement scandal, Bella still enjoyed a good public reputation.
Noticing Daphne’s doubt, Harriet let out a short laugh.
“Right now, I probably seem more suspicious than Bella does. That’s fine. After you go through it a few more times, you’ll understand what I mean.”
In the distance, Count Laurel and his wife were approaching. It seemed Trisha could no longer keep them there.
Harriet stood and extended her hand to help Daphne up.
“How you remember this conversation is up to you, my lady. But please keep just one thing in mind. It’s you who defines your own worth, my lady. Don’t let Bella define you.”
Daphne nodded as if entranced. Harriet gave her a warm smile, then dipped into a slight curtsy with polite grace.
“May God’s blessings and grace be with you, Lady Daphne.”
With that, she quietly withdrew and turned away.
She had said everything she needed to.
Harriet sincerely hoped no one else would fall victim to Bella’s cruelty.
A short while later….
As the excited atmosphere of the new year began to settle, Harriet’s accountant visited her with the first financial report.
“Lady Listerwell, happy new year.”
The middle-aged accountant greeted her politely before pulling a stack of documents from an envelope and placing them on the table.
Harriet had been tense ever since hearing he was coming.
“I’d like a moment to brace myself before diving in. So… overall, how is it? Are we in profit? Or… a loss?”
Her brand, ‘Clarissa Soap & Herb’, had been popular from the start, with solid sales figures. Even so, her heart pounded at the thought of hearing ‘loss’.
But the accountant chuckled as if it were absurd.
“A loss? You have a good sense of humor.”
He confidently opened the report.
“To put it bluntly, it’s a huge success. It’s hard to find a beauty brand that’s done this well lately. Of course, maintaining this success will be the real test.”
Only then did Harriet lean forward eagerly and scan the documents.
Since the ingredients were sourced from the convent, production costs were negligible. Even the packaging, crafted meticulously to give a ‘convent product’ feel, had cost less than expected.
‘The biggest monthly expenses are store rent, distribution fees, warehouse storage, and salaries.’
After taxes, salaries, production fees paid to the convent, and profit shares, most of the remaining profit went to her primary investor, Duke Kailas.
But the accountant didn’t seem worried about that.
“It’s true that your share is small until the investment is fully repaid, but even so, the figures are impressive. Over the past three months, revenue has been about 110,000 diram.”
“Wh-what? 110,000 diram?!”
“Excluding what you’ve already received, your dividend comes to about 70,000 diram.”
It was still an enormous sum.
‘I used to think 20,000 diram was a lot….’
Learning it wasn’t a loss but a massive profit made her heart race even harder.
For a moment, she imagined herself in a grand mansion, draped in jewels, tossing bundles of cash into the air. Perhaps she was getting ahead of herself.
Harriet took a deep breath to shake off the fantasy.
“My personal share is small, but it looks like the company is really doing well.”
“Indeed. We’ve set aside funds for expanding the convent’s olive and herb farms as you requested. And we’ve prepared an emergency fund for unexpected expenses….”
“I’m not complaining. What kind of owner wouldn’t be happy that their business is making money?”
“Very wise. Some people get greedy and try to take too much too soon. That often leads to the company collapsing when problems arise.”
The accountant nodded in satisfaction.
Harriet skimmed the report again, then hesitated before asking,
“How long will it take to fully repay the investment?”
