Ch#73
Ch#73
Ch#73
“Investors are all like that. To avoid failure, they want to know every little detail about where they’re putting their money.”
“…That makes sense.”
Harriet shrugged.
She was a little surprised, but when she thought about it, it wasn’t strange at all. The incident with her parents’ passing wasn’t a secret, and everyone in the world knew that Harriet Listerwell was living with her uncle’s family.
If someone wanted to invest in her and had simply looked into facts that everyone already knew, there was no reason to take offense at that.
“Well, if you already know that much, you probably aren’t curious why I want to make money either. A young woman who’s lost her guardian and has not a penny to her name—especially one known as a scandal-maker—needs at least a minimum amount to survive without getting hurt.”
Her throat parched, Harriet took another sip of champagne. Even in the room warmed by the fireplace, the champagne cutting through the cool air still felt refreshingly cold.
“I also want to show those people who locked me away in a convent that I can succeed too. And… I have some debts to pay back.”
When the word ‘debt’ left her lips, a spark of hatred flickered in her voice. It might have been a bitterness she hadn’t even realized was seeping out.
“Repaying that debt sounds like your real goal.”
At Cedric’s sharp observation, Harriet flinched and forced a smile.
“But it’s not as easy as it sounds. For now, I’ll consider it a success if I can just take care of myself.”
With that, Harriet finished her answer.
To Cedric, it felt like a door that had cracked open to her just a sliver suddenly slammed shut again. He wondered what the key was to fully unlocking the door to that mysterious inner world she seemed to keep hidden.
‘More than that, why do I even want to open it?’
He couldn’t figure it out. Just like he couldn’t understand why he had kissed Harriet Listerwell in that dark moment beneath Genoa’s gates.
He had thought a bit of background research and a few conversations would be enough to understand her. But the more he learned about her, the greater his curiosity grew.
At that moment, Harriet turned the question back on him.
“This might sound sudden, but can I ask you something? Why did Your Highness decide to invest in me? Honestly, I thought you disliked me.”
Instead of answering right away, Cedric picked up the champagne bottle and refilled both their glasses.
As if on cue, they both raised their glasses at the same time.
Before the aftertaste of the alcohol could fade, Cedric finally spoke.
“I’ve never hated you.”
“Have you already forgotten? At the victory banquet.”
“Even then, I didn’t feel any disgust or hostility toward Lady Harriet herself. If anything, the situation itself was just irritating.”
Just remembering it brought on a wave of fatigue. He hadn’t even recovered from the shock of his father’s death, yet everyone was celebrating the victory, chattering about the succession, and crowding around him.
All Cedric could do at the time was clutch the brooch his father had left behind and endure. Acting like the perfect heir to the family, pretending to be calm under the weight of everyone’s expectations.
“I never thought it was your doing either. I might have lashed out at you a bit in the heat of the moment at first, but after hearing your explanation, I realized it couldn’t have been you.”
“You really… thought that?”
“If I hadn’t, things would have gotten much worse. I’m not the type to easily forgive an insult.”
Harriet recalled the way Cedric had looked at her back then. There hadn’t been hatred in his demeanor. He even seemed somewhat calmed down.
‘So he believed me.’
She hadn’t realized it at the time. The whole world had felt like it had turned its back on her.
Even the other ladies who had attended Annabelle’s tea party had said something felt off about the situation. Maybe it hadn’t been as hopeless as she’d thought.
Maybe she had just been too deeply trapped in her uncle and Bella’s scheme to see straight.
“Thank you.”
“I’m not sure I deserve to hear that. In the end, my overreaction is what got you locked away in that convent for a year.”
“That’s what made me who I am today. So I really should be grateful.”
Harriet lowered her gaze. Life was full of ironies, wasn’t it?
She took a long sip of champagne and then reached for the bottle.
“Would you like another glass?”
“With pleasure.”
Cedric drained the last of his glass and held it out to her.
Golden liquid flowed from the deep green bottle, catching the flickering light of the fireplace.
The two of them didn’t leave that spot until the bottle was empty.
They exchanged occasional words, chased each other’s gazes, and shared wordless smiles—like people who wanted to stay that way forever.
Meanwhile…
As John sifted through the stack of New Year’s greetings, he spotted one envelope and scowled deeply.
“What now?”
Without hesitation, he tore open the envelope and unfolded the letter inside.
[May God’s grace and blessings be upon the Listerwell family.
As there has been no reply even into the new year, I am sending this letter again. We politely request that Lady Harriet Listerwell visit in person this year to sign the confirmation documents regarding the return of the land and estate.
– Manager, Perillas Aseti Bank]
After reading the letter, John crumpled the paper with a savage expression and tossed it into the trash.
“Damn it!”
Just thinking about Perillas territory made his head throb and his stomach churn.
“How the hell am I supposed to drag that wench all the way out there?!”
Even if he did manage to bring her, it would be a problem. Harriet was no longer the girl he used to know.
Now she had the powerful backing of Trisha Felon, and she was making money as the face of that shop selling convent soap. There was no way she’d sign over the land now that she’d gotten a taste of earning her own.
Did that mean he just had to hand the territory over to Harriet?
‘Absolutely not!’
There had to be a way. There definitely was!
As he clutched his aching head and groaned, someone knocked on the door. With permission to enter, Bella came in, adjusting her new winter coat and fur muff.
“Bella? What’s up?”
“I came to tell you I’m going to see James. There’s so much to do for the engagement ceremony.”
“Right, right. Have a good trip.”
But instead of leaving, Bella studied her father’s complexion.
“Is something wrong? You look terrible.”
“Sigh… It’s that Harriet girl again.”
He told her about the letter from Perillas Aseti Bank.
“They sent another demand letter. I need to get Harriet there somehow, but I can’t think of a way.”
Bella thought for a moment, then chuckled slyly.
“Dad, do you really have to bring Harriet herself?”
“That’s what I’m saying! Those country bumpkins are so stubborn! I’m the rightful Baron Listerwell—why do they need some distant cousin girl?”
John grew more agitated, raising his voice, but Bella just shook her head with a cunning smile.
“That’s not what I mean. My question is… do those people even know what Harriet looks like?”
“Huh?”
“They don’t know her face. So just hire an actress who looks a bit like her and have her pretend to be Harriet.”
“Oh! That’s it!”
John’s foggy mind cleared like sunlight breaking through clouds. His mood lifted completely.
“My daughter’s a genius!”
“But it won’t be that simple. They’ll be more cautious now, so don’t forge the signature like last time. Teach the actress to mimic Harriet’s handwriting.”
“Do we even have any documents with Harriet’s signature?”
“She signed the guardian consent form, remember? You didn’t throw it away, did you?”
“Oh, right! Perfect!”
In his excitement, John rushed to open the family safe. Inside was the document Harriet had signed when he was officially appointed her guardian.
“This’ll do it!”
“So you admit I saved you, Dad?”
“Of course! How about picking up another pretty dress on your way out?”
“No, that’s okay. I want something else.”
Bella hadn’t helped out of mere kindness.
“Once you get the Perillas land with my idea, give me a portion in my name.”
“Huh? Well… that’s…”
“Uncle gave his daughter a huge estate as a gift. Can’t Dad do the same for his daughter?”
John shivered under Bella’s cold gaze. She was smiling, but it was clear she wasn’t truly happy inside.
She was about to become a countess. There was no benefit in upsetting her now.
“Of course I can! Once we get Perillas territory, I’ll give you half of it.”
“Thanks, Dad!”
Only then did Bella’s usual bright smile return.
