Ch#84
Ch#84
Ch#84
~Chapter 84~
“We don’t need to kill him ourselves. If we use Albert, things will sort themselves out.”
“Do you think the empire is stupid? If they investigate Albert, the connection to Firmer will eventually come to light. But that’s not what’s important right now.”
The baroness took another sip of her drink and continued.
“If Cedric dies a miserable death as a drug addict hooked on Angelic, the empire will rush to bury the incident quickly to protect its reputation.”
Even if Firmer were exposed as the mastermind behind it, no one would want to honor Cedric after he’d already disgraced himself in front of everyone. The public wouldn’t support revenge against Firmer.
“And that’s not all—this will also tarnish Rowan Kailas’s reputation. In the long run, it’s a far greater victory.”
The tide of the Kiffrein War had turned during the final battle in which Rowan Kailas had participated. That was why Firmer hated Rowan Kailas even more than Cedric.
While the baroness explained, Leslie anxiously bit her nails and asked.
“So what are we going to do now? Just drag him down without killing him?”
“Let’s get him addicted to Angelic. We need someone who can get close to him.”
“That can’t be me. My face is already known because of Albert!”
“Don’t be so hasty. We have plenty of pawns to use. All we need to do is bait the trap and wait.”
There was one thing the baroness had learned while spying in the empire for years. In places ruled by greed, there were always people willing to betray family or friends for personal gain.
“I already have someone in mind. Just wait a little longer.” She flashed a sly smile and finished her drink.
Strange rumors began to circulate after the Loral Family’s party ended. They said Harriet Listerwell had been caught enjoying a passionate moment with a man in a secluded corner.
“You said you wanted to shake off that scandal-maker label. So what’s this? I want to hear it straight from you, Harriet.”
Trisha lay in bed, her face stern as she scolded her.
But Harriet didn’t blush or bow her head.
“I can’t explain everything right now. But one thing’s for sure—I’ve put myself in debt to an important person.”
Trisha frowned. Harriet bit her lip. She didn’t want Trisha to doubt her, but since she didn’t know for sure what drug Cedric had taken, spilling everything now seemed dangerous.
Besides, she wasn’t even sure if Cedric would be okay with her telling Trisha about it.
“You can’t tell me? I’m your guardian.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“What if I quit being your guardian and kick you out of this house? Is it worth that?”
Harriet swallowed hard.
“I’m not certain yet. But if I hadn’t taken the shame of this scandal upon myself, something even worse would have happened to that person.”
“You did it to protect that man’s honor?”
Harriet opened her mouth, then closed it again. She fell silent.
Honestly, she couldn’t understand herself why she felt the need to protect Cedric like this. Her mind was a mess, and she feared she hadn’t thought it through properly.
But even looking back, she would have made the same choice.
“Punish me if you want. But I don’t think I did anything wrong.”
“You won’t explain anything, but you want me to believe you’re innocent? What kind of judgment am I supposed to make?”
“…I’m sorry.”
Trisha let out a deep sigh.
Harriet had grown a lot in a short time.
She was still immature in some ways, but she was smart.
But now the ‘scandal-maker’ image had returned—stronger than before. Things would be even harder going forward.
‘Did I expect too much from her?’
That thought made Trisha suddenly anxious.
Helping Roxana and Harriet wasn’t about expecting repayment. Her role was to support them, not demand anything from them.
She nodded slowly and looked at Harriet again.
“Fine. If you insist so strongly, I’ll trust you. Just don’t regret it.”
“Yes, Grandmother.”
“Don’t judge people too hastily. He may owe you now, but he might forget it soon. Then you’ll be the only one left facing people’s scorn.”
Harriet gripped her skirt tightly.
Would Cedric forget that night? He might. He’d been drugged, after all. He might not remember anything.
But she thought she wouldn’t regret it.
“I’ll steel myself for it. Even if people mock me, I’ll hold my head high.”
“Hmph! You’ve gotten bold.”
Trisha let out a wry laugh.
But seeing Harriet grow stronger brought her a little comfort.
“Well, it’s not such a bad sight.”
She sighed and dismissed Harriet. Harriet stood, bowed, and turned to leave.
And just as she took her first step, a voice came from behind.
“Don’t hurt.”
Harriet stopped and turned around.
Trisha had already lain back down and wasn’t waiting for a reply. That night, her back looked unusually small.
“Good night.”
Harriet carefully etched that fragile back into her memory and quietly closed the door.
She thought she’d calmed down, but the moment Harriet returned to her room, her heart plunged back into turmoil.
“Don’t go. Stay with me.”
Cedric’s voice seemed to whisper right against the nape of her neck.
She threw herself onto the bed and squeezed her eyes shut.
“I’m crazy. I must be crazy!”
Ever since the party, she’d been replaying that moment with Cedric and berating herself. But when she was alone, the memory came alive again.
Cedric had been out of his mind on drugs, but why had she accepted his kiss? Was there any excuse or justification?
The scariest part was the thought that Cedric might remember everything and misunderstand her.
Yet amid the guilt, a strange excuse-like thought bubbled up.
‘How could anyone not fall for a kiss that good!’
She’d never imagined a kiss could feel like that.
She used to think they were disgusting—who would want to exchange saliva? But when it actually happened, it wasn’t dirty at all.
When their tongues tangled, a brand-new sensation shot through her whole body. She’d only wanted to feel more.
Then that thought flashed through her mind.
‘Would it have been the same with someone else?’
Would she have felt that thrill with someone other than Cedric? With Julian Pace? Or Thez Locke?
‘Ugh. I don’t even want to imagine it.’
It would have felt repulsive and degrading instead.
So it was because it was Cedric. But what did that mean?
Harriet buried her face in the pillow again and thought deeply.
Cedric’s red eyes, his skin glowing blue under the moonlight, his lips slick with her saliva… And—
“Why not? You want it too.”
That sweet, seductive voice.
Those memories made her head spin.
Right then, the clock beside the bed chimed.
Harriet gasped like a guilty child caught doing something bad. Then she sighed and muttered to herself.
“…I should stop thinking about it.”
Yes. Some things were better left buried.
She suddenly bolted upright and headed to the bathroom. She needed to splash cold water on her face.
Genoa was full of discreet shops without signs. Places that closed their doors to conduct shady dealings.
One popular spot among them, known by the nickname ‘Audience Room,’ was a reservation-only suite where guests’ identities were kept strictly secret. It was perfect for lovers having secret trysts.
Today, in one such ‘Audience Room’ called the Ladies’ Salon, two well-known figures from Genoa met in secret.
“I’m disappointed, Tez.”
Bella, lounging lazily on one side of the large round bed, spoke to Tez as he entered the room, her tone cold.
