SMR | Chapter 10

~Chapter 10~

At my uncle’s house, I always carried stomach medicine with me. I constantly had diarrhea or constipation, and it was normal for me to have gas or stomach pains, so I just accepted it as part of life.

But since coming to the monastery, except for the first few days, I haven’t had any stomach discomfort at all.

‘Why is that? Is it really because this place is blessed by God?’

Even though I didn’t believe in miracles, I couldn’t help but wonder.

As I thought about it more, I realized that what I ate here was completely different from what I ate when I lived in the capital.

Back then, I ate two meals a day at most, and if Bella upset me, I’d skip meals entirely. Then some days, I’d binge eat to make up for it.

‘I used to eat a lot of sweet and greasy food.’

Despite that, I didn’t gain weight thanks to the stomach issues that followed each meal. Even when I wanted to eat lightly, my aunt always insisted, “You have to eat well!” and made sure there was meat in every meal.

At first, I thought she cared about me, but over time, I started to think maybe that wasn’t the case.

There was one time I got really sick after eating roast pork, but even after that, roast pork often appeared on Harriet’s table.

‘She probably doesn’t even remember that it made me sick.’

That wasn’t the only unpleasant experience with food.

There was a time I mentioned that my rash seemed to get worse after drinking certain teas, and instead of concern, I was scolded for complaining. There were also times when I was forced to eat food I didn’t like.

If I said that Bella seemed oddly pleased while watching me struggle, would that be taking things too far?

‘Now that I think about it, there was that time I almost choked after eating crab, too.’

My lips and throat swelled up so much that I was terrified.

When I suggested that the food might be causing the symptoms, my uncle reacted as if I were personally attacking him.

“This food made you sick? Everyone else ate it, and only you had a problem. You’re just making a fuss over nothing.”

After that, I couldn’t bring it up anymore.

Whenever I felt my throat swelling after eating something, I’d quietly put down my fork and rush to the bathroom to throw up.

But at the monastery, that never happened.

“Dry bread, vegetables, honey, milk, cheese, wine, fruit, sometimes ham…”

Here, we hardly ate meat; meals were always at the same time, and I’d always do something physically tiring after eating. There was no set time for tea, and sweet desserts were out of the question.

But I wasn’t sick, so I didn’t miss the food from the monastery at all.

“I guess I need to eat more simply and move a lot more than I thought.”

With that newfound understanding, Harriet gave a small smile.

***

As summer arrived, the social scene was busy with big and small events, with cold drinks and cucumber sandwiches on the side. Nobles’ schedules were packed throughout July and August, and those who were late in getting invitations had to pull all their strings to get one.

During this busy time, John burst into the house, holding something in his hand, and called out loudly for Bella.

“Bella! Bella, where are you?”

“Dad, you scared me! What’s going on?”

Bella leaned over the railing on the second floor with an annoyed expression, but instead of explaining, John, with an excited face, asked her, “Bella! Do you have plans next Wednesday?”

“Yes, I’m going boating with my friends at Torres Park…”

“Cancel that.”

“What?”

Bella frowned at the one-sided command, but John proudly waved what he was holding and shouted, “I got an invitation to the party at Viscount Kingsley’s estate! Do you know who’s going to be there?”

“If you’re this excited about a party at Viscount Kingsley’s estate… does that mean the Duke of Kailas is attending?”

“As expected of my smart daughter!”

John ran up the stairs and hugged Bella tightly.

“Dad! You’re messing up my hair.”

“Oh, sorry, I was just so happy.”

Bella gave a small smile and snatched the invitation from his hand. The elegant card invited them to a party at Kingsley Estate the following Wednesday.

“Where did you get this?”

“Well, I was at the gentleman’s club the other day, and I complained a bit to Count Arens, telling him that I was embarrassed to show my face after the victory banquet and hadn’t received any decent invitations since.”

“Count Arens? That kind old man?”

“Yes! And today, he gave me this invitation, saying he didn’t want to go because it’s too hot, so I should go instead.”

John boasted about how it paid off to be nice to important people. Bella smiled as she put the invitation back in its envelope.

“There’s not much time, so forget about a dress. Just buy me a matching set of earrings and a necklace.”

“Uh, but you already have plenty of nice things, don’t you?”

“Dad, I need to win over the Duke of Kailas! He’ll definitely be wearing that ruby brooch again, so I need to wear rubies too. The only set I have is too small.”

A proper ruby set would cost at least 20,000 dirams. John shook his head and tried to calm her down.

“You don’t need all that. You’ll stand out just fine without it, Bella.”

“Dad. Standing out is just the starting point. You need to think long-term.”

It didn’t work on her at all.

As John tried to think of a way out, Bella tugged on his sleeve and added, “This time, I’m going to apologize for the ruby brooch incident and start a conversation with him. If I’m wearing rubies too, it creates a ‘ruby connection’ between us.”

“Hmm…”

“When he sees rubies in the future, he’ll naturally think of me. People’s hearts start to soften through small connections like that.”

Bella didn’t just rely on her looks to capture men’s hearts. She instinctively knew how men fell in love from a young age.

“Men are weak to visual stimulation. And it doesn’t take much for them to believe in something like ‘fate.’ A beautiful woman they happen to meet because of their father’s brooch, and she’s wearing red rubies—just that is enough for him to fall in love, I’m telling you.”

As he listened, John found himself strangely convinced and slowly nodded his head.

“And I saved you from having to pay the settlement money to the Duke of Kailas, so you could do this much for me, right?”

“That was because of you?”

“Of course! He forgave you because I begged for it. Do you really think he did it because he found you or Harriet likable?”

At that, John chuckled. Yes, Bella was definitely his daughter. She had a way with words.

And she wasn’t wrong. If not for being taken by Bella’s beauty, there was no reason Cedric would have let that situation go so easily.

John rolled his eyes, calculating in his head.

‘If Bella really becomes the Duke of Kailas’s lover…!’

In that case, what’s 20,000 dirams compared to that? Bella would surely repay the investment with interest.

“Alright, I get it! There’s not much time, so starting today, you and your mother can go look for jewelry!”

“Thanks, Dad!”

In the end, Bella got her hands on the ruby earring and necklace set she’d been eyeing, worth 25,000 dirams.

Aston, pouting that his allowance hadn’t been raised, still had to admit that the jewelry looked stunning on Bella.

***

Early summer evenings were sometimes cool with a gentle breeze, and the sunsets were long and romantic.

Women’s dresses became more revealing, and even if men used their drinking as an excuse to undo a few buttons, no one would mind. This was why people preferred summer parties over winter ones.

Add in excellent food and drinks, and if a rare guest made an appearance, the party would be talked about for days.

‘Like tonight’s party,’ thought Benedict Kingsley, smiling secretly as he gazed down at the crowded hall.

“When is Cedric supposed to arrive?”

His son Albert had approached quietly and asked.

“He’ll be here soon. The main guest always arrives late, you know.”

“This is our party. Why is he the main guest?”

“Albert.”

Benedict placed a hand on Albert’s shoulder.

“Sometimes you have to lie low until you achieve your goals. If we can snag even one of the business rights he’s holding, what’s the harm in treating him like the guest of honor? It doesn’t cost us anything.”

“I’m just frustrated! He’s a kid, but because he’s a duke, he’s used to being treated like royalty!”

Albert clicked his tongue in annoyance.

Cedric was two years younger than him but had already inherited his dukedom and was hailed as a war hero. In the meantime, Albert would continue to be merely the heir to a viscountship for many years to come.

Whenever a situation like this happened, Albert couldn’t help but wonder what things would be like if his uncle had remained the second son of the Viscount family.

If that had been the case, Cedric would be the one fawning over others, trying to gain favor.

“Father and Uncle look exactly the same, but one becomes a duke because he married a princess, and the other…!”

“Albert!”

His father’s displeased expression made Albert quickly shut his mouth.