SMR | Chapter 18

~Chapter 18~

The fear that had once felt like standing on the edge of a cliff was completely forgotten. Self-pity was a luxury she couldn’t afford anymore. Her goal was no longer just about surviving. She felt that the only way she could go on living was by avenging her family, including herself.

Someone once said that if a person is tormenting you for no reason, you should give them a reason to do so.

“A scandal maker? Fine. If they’re going to call me that, I’ll become a real scandal maker.”

Harriet resolved to become the biggest scandal for her uncle and Bella.

***

By the time Cedric noticed that the trees had become bare, winter had already crept up to his feet. The smell of the winter wind sometimes drags old memories out, often bitter ones.

Cedric was absentmindedly fiddling with the brooch his father had given him just before his last battle, recalling their conversation from that day.

“Why are you giving me this all of a sudden?”

It was a brooch with a 50-carat emerald-cut ruby, finely crafted by a skilled artisan, surrounded by diamonds that shone brilliantly. He always thought it was too fancy for his father’s taste.

“Just in case.”

“What do you mean, ‘just in case’?”

“Take good care of it. Don’t lose it.”

He didn’t like it. Giving something like this before a battle felt like leaving behind a keepsake. So, he made a meaningless joke instead.

“Well, wearing something this shiny would make me an easy target for the enemy. How did you end up with such a brooch anyway?”

“Your mother gave it to me.”

He had seen this brooch since he was young, but it was the first time he’d heard that. His parents had always been distant from each other, so he couldn’t imagine them exchanging gifts like that. Sensing his surprise, his father spoke.

“Cedric, don’t hate your mother too much.”

“Hate her? Why would I…”

“I was the bad one. I married someone far better than I deserved and never gave her what she wanted.”

Those words made his insides churn for a moment.

“So, is that why you turn a blind eye to her lovers? You know about them, don’t you?”

His father smiled faintly at that.

“As long as your mother can smile, what’s the problem? Nothing changes, after all.”

What had he said in response? Ah, yes.

“If that’s what marriage is, then I’ll never get married.”

His father, uncharacteristically, burst out laughing.

“You really are just like your mother. Hahaha!”

Why had he looked so happy? No, why hadn’t Cedric taken a longer look at that joyful face? If he had known it would be the last time, he would have asked him to smile just a little longer, maybe even for a hug.

Cedric clenched the brooch tightly and closed his eyes. To others, his father may have seemed cold and distant, but when it was just the two of them, they would talk about this and that, and he would even smile faintly.

“Why didn’t you show that side in front of others? You knew their true intentions.”

If he had, maybe his father would still be alive.

To outsiders, it must have seemed like he was dragged to the battlefield because he couldn’t refuse an unreasonable request from the emperor. And rightly so—whether they won or lost that war, the empire was bound to suffer losses. The only ones who stood to gain were their enemy, the Kingdom of Firma.

Even though the empire’s homeland was under attack, none of the nobles were willing to step forward. In fact, they were subtly trying to shift the burden onto the imperial family. That’s when Roan stepped up.

“I’ll lead the army. Since I’m the emperor’s brother-in-law, it will be easier to pressure the other nobles if I take command, as the imperial family will already be bearing the heaviest burden.”

Just as Roan had predicted, the emperor was able to squeeze the nobles for supplies to keep the supply lines open, and they successfully reclaimed the border region of Kypren, which Firman forces had occupied. If Roan hadn’t died, it would have been a perfect victory, but he lost his life while preventing a surprise attack on the army Cedric was leading.

Defeating the weakened Firman forces and forcing them to surrender wasn’t all that difficult for Cedric.

“My father fought the whole war, but I’m the one being called a hero. He always ends up getting the short end of the stick.”

The brooch clutched between Cedric’s firm fingers scattered the cold winter sunlight across his face.

“Or is this, too, a trap you set to catch those bastards?”

Now that Cedric was only in his mid-twenties, perhaps people thought they could ignore him. As soon as word spread that Roan had died, the traitors quickly began surfacing.

The external enemies were obvious—those people who had envied his sudden rise to a dukedom as the ordinary second son of a baron. And some people envied his luck and feared losing their own power.

What Cedric had newly confirmed this time was the internal enemies.

“Those who enjoy wealth and power under the name of Kailas dared to be involved in my father’s murder?”

That was something he could never forgive. Cedric was preparing their downfall slowly but surely. As he was coldly looking over the information on his desk once again, he heard a knock at the door.

“Come in.”

With his permission, the visitor entered—it was his friend, Edgar Dawson, who had recently returned from two years of studying abroad. Cedric put the brooch in his pocket, stood up, and gave him a light hug.

“It’s been a while, Ed.”

“Thanks for the warm welcome, Ced.”

“I’d prefer if you didn’t call me that.”

“Then should I call you ‘Your Grace’?”

“Spare me.”

Edgar laughed and took a seat. Cedric instructed the maid waiting nearby to prepare some tea and sat across from Edgar, crossing his legs.

“So, how does it feel to be back home after such a long time?”

“How else would it feel? Home is home, after all. Even though people act the same as they did before, I still find it comforting.”

“Seems like you’ve been traveling around a lot.”

“My father dragged me around like a dog. He made me attend so many parties, saying I had to make my face known!”

He shook his head in mock exasperation, but he didn’t lose his playful smile. Edgar spoke as if complaining about his father’s ridiculousness, but Cedric, knowing the affection between them, saw no need to offer comfort.

“So, did you hear any interesting rumors?”

“Well… Apparently, the Listerwell family cut off their guardianship over their niece.”

Cedric froze at those words.

“You know about the Listerwells?”

“Not really the Listerwells themselves, but I do know Bella and Harriet Listerwell. They’re both quite famous.”

Cedric had no interest in either of them, but he was curious about the news that Harriet had lost her guardian.

“What do you mean by ‘cut off guardianship’? Did she get a new guardian?”

“No. They’ve sent her off to a convent and just cut off her guardianship entirely.”

“Then what happens to her?”

“She’ll probably have to become a nun or something. I heard she caused a lot of trouble while I was gone.”

Edgar picked up the teacup the maid had placed in front of him. Just as he was about to take a sip, he glanced mischievously at Cedric.

“You’re not saying anything about it, but she caused her last scandal with you, didn’t she?”

“Would you really call that a scandal?”

“Of course! A woman tried to seduce a man and got publicly humiliated for it.”

Edgar sipped his tea, waiting for Cedric to explain. Despite his light-hearted manner, Edgar was still the eldest son of a count’s family, so he made no sound as he drank.

“It really wasn’t a big deal. I lost my brooch, and it seems she found it and wore it, not knowing it was mine… At the time, I was feeling a bit sensitive because of my father, so I caused a scene.”

“That’s a bit different from what I heard.”

“Either way, it’s not something I want to dwell on.”

Knowing where to draw the line, Edgar tactfully changed the subject. He wasn’t the type to persist with jokes or gossip if it would make his friend uncomfortable.

“Anyway, that aside… Mind if I stay with you for a while?”

“What’s with the sudden request?”

At Cedric’s question, Edgar scratched the back of his head.

“My father’s starting to get suspicious. Why do you think he dragged me around with him everywhere as soon as I got back, without even giving me a chance to make my own plans?”

As soon as the word “suspicious” was mentioned, the smile vanished from Cedric’s face. Edgar’s role in Cedric’s secret intelligence organization was a secret even from his own family.

“Where did he start to get suspicious?”

“I’m not sure why, but he requested to see my attendance record. And then he found out that his supposedly diligent son, who was so passionate about Kandian literature, barely managed to avoid being expelled.”

Cedric put his hand to his forehead.

“You should’ve at least had someone manage that for you.”

“How could I have known my father would go that far?”

“So, what excuse did you give him?”

“What excuse could a young man studying literature give?”

Edgar spread his arms wide and proudly shouted, “Love! That’s the only answer!”