SMR | Chapter 32

~Chapter 32~

“If you go that way, the butler will serve you the drink you want himself.”

“Thanks for letting me know.”

Cedric gave a small nod to his acquaintances and left his seat. His friends, having overheard his conversation with the servant, understood why he was stepping away and waved him off casually. Cedric headed toward the terrace at ease.

He hadn’t expected—nor intended—to run into Julian Fraith, drunk enough that his cheeks were flushed, nor to overhear his conversation with Harriet.

As he listened, he couldn’t help but feel confused. Julian, acting like her fiancé just because they exchanged a few letters? And Harriet, pretending to be her cousin to write to him because she liked him? Neither of them sounded sane.

This kind of cheap love drama was irritating to listen to.

‘Why am I even listening to this?’

That sudden question brought him back to his senses. Why had he come this far just because he suspected the woman in the green dress was Harriet?

‘Guess I really lost focus from how boring the party was.’

He scoffed at himself and was about to turn away when Julian suddenly stepped toward Harriet. Even at a glance, it looked like he might do something harmful—Cedric had no choice but to step in.

Julian, flustered, backed off in a way that even another man would find embarrassing.

And Harriet…

‘They said she got prettier, and they weren’t wrong.’

She wasn’t wearing some childish dress or overly heavy makeup. Nor did she look like a poor girl in a shabby monk’s robe with worn-out gloves anymore.

Now, her ivory skin glowed, her large hazel eyes sparkled, and her thick, dark brows, proud little nose, and soft, red lips like pomegranate petals gave her a striking appearance.

She’d never been unattractive before, but clearly, with the financial support of the Pellon family, she had transformed into a real beauty.

But more than anything, what stood out were her eyes. Despite what had just happened, there was not a trace of fear in them. Bold—almost defiant—her gaze was captivating.

‘She’s changed. She’s nothing like the girl at the victory ball.’

Back then, she’d looked pitiful, trying not to cry. Now, as if blessed by God, she seemed fearless.

“To be precise, Your Grace knows nothing about me, doesn’t he?”

When Harriet said that, Cedric realized why he had followed the hem of that green dress all the way here.

‘She’s right—I don’t know a thing about her. And that’s what makes it interesting.’

Cedric was never one for mood swings. But ever since the Kipren War ended, he hadn’t found anything enjoyable.

His days were filled with loss, betrayal, a thirst for revenge—and boredom.

But Harriet Listerwell kept doing the unexpected in this predictable, dull world.

She ended up in a convent for a year. That her guardian, John Listerwell, had abandoned her. That she lived like a commoner in that convent. That she refused Cedric’s offer of support. That she returned to society under Trisha’s guardianship, now stunning and graceful—it was all unexpected.

And her unpredictable path kept grabbing his attention.

Leaning against the terrace railing, Cedric stared in the direction Harriet had gone and chuckled at a sudden thought.

‘Exploring the unknown is always fascinating.’

This wasn’t like him. But then again, people are willing to do far crazier things just for the sake of fun.

He made eye contact with a man smoking nearby. The man casually put out his cigarette, glanced around, then walked over to Cedric without drawing attention.

“Find out everything you can about the Listerwell family. Especially Harriet Listerwell’s scandals.”

Without saying a word, the man slipped back into the ballroom.

Soon enough, Cedric would have a hefty file on the Listerwells—all just to satisfy his curiosity and kill some boredom.

***

“What the hell is going on? What the hell!”

John was so shocked, he felt like he was losing his mind.

He had been planning to hire a private investigator to find Harriet—only to hear that she had shown up at a Vanderbilt party he hadn’t even attended. And not just alone, but escorted by none other than Trisha Pellon as her escort.

“An escort? That’s ridiculous enough, but her new guardian is that strict old woman? Impossible!”

He had tracked down Harriet’s whereabouts without spending a dime, which was great. But if he wanted to take her to Perillas and get her to sign the land transfer papers, he would now have to deal with her guardian—Trisha.

‘That old hag is way too sharp. She’d never let land she could claim go to me.’

And that wasn’t even the biggest problem.

What if Harriet, now backed by Trisha, started talking about Bella?

‘The engagement with the Cheslow family is almost finalized—I can’t let her ruin that!’

Discrediting Harriet wouldn’t be too hard. He could say she was lying out of revenge because he cut off her support.

But the Cheslows, already under oversight for breaking off a previous engagement with the Laurels, would want this one to go as smoothly as possible—without any drama.

“Damn it!”

John, pacing around the room anxiously, swore loudly before grabbing his jacket from the hook. He quickly ran downstairs.

“Terry! Terry, where are you?”

Upon hearing his call, the butler hurried over.

“Terry is taking care of the horses. Are you going out?”

“Why else would I be looking for Terry? Tell him to get the carriage ready, now!”

At John’s urgent command, the butler rushed to the stable, and the stableman, who had worked for the Listerwell family for years, quickly prepared the carriage at the door.

“Where shall I take you, sir?”

“To the Pellon estate!”

John’s irritated reply made the stableman hurry to the horses. He had been to the Pellon estate a few times in the past and knew the way.

‘If the master is going alone, he’ll be back quickly, but I’ll feel awkward waiting there the whole time.’

With an indifferent expression, Terry cracked the whip.

At the Pellon estate, how guests were treated depended heavily on who they were. Those there just to beg for money were quickly sent away without even a cup of tea.

When the Arther family visited, even stablemen like Terry were treated warmly—but that was a long time ago, and it felt like a distant memory.

***

“My lady, this is unexpected, but Lord Listerwell has come to visit. He would like to see you for a moment.”

Trisha, sitting in the shade of the terrace and sipping her tea while admiring the well-kept garden, smiled at the news of John’s unannounced visit.

She slowly rose and nodded toward the couch in the sitting room.

“Bring him in. Let’s see what he has to say.”

As soon as she gave the order, John entered Trisha’s room, holding a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

“Aunt! How have you been?”

“Welcome, John. What’s all this you’ve brought?”

John lightly embraced Trisha, who was sitting on the couch, and carefully placed the large bouquet on her tea table. A maid soon brought tea for John, and the two exchanged a few polite words, as it had been a long time since they had seen each other.

“Well, now that the pleasantries are out of the way, let’s get to the real reason you’re here. It must be something important if you’re showing up unexpectedly.”

“Well, the thing is…”

“It must be about Harriet, right? Am I right?”

Trisha spoke as if she already knew, so John didn’t need to beat around the bush.

He sighed deeply and furrowed his brows.

“I’m worried. I heard you’ve become her guardian, Aunt.”

“Yes, I have.”

“Aunt, I don’t know what lies Harriet has told to win your sympathy, but everything she says is a lie. She’s pathological when it comes to lying.”

Trisha raised an eyebrow at his words.

John moved closer, trying to convince her.

“You have to believe me. I’ve lived with her for nearly ten years. I’ve tolerated her for the sake of my brother, but I can’t take it anymore, especially with my daughter’s marriage coming up.”

“Really?”

“Since she was young, Harriet has been jealous of Bella. She kept trying to be like Bella, sticking to her friends, and for the past three or four years, she’s even been pretending to be my daughter, trying to seduce men. Can you imagine how crazy she was?”

He dramatically pounded his chest as he continued his sob story.