~Chapter 118~
“Harriet will be the one to become the devil. I’m always the winning angel.”
It was so easy for her to make that happen. Ever since she took Harriet’s title as the baroness, she had done this kind of thing several times. It wouldn’t be difficult again, even if it was a small issue, as long as she could find a way to exploit it.
“Anyway, I need to stop Harriet’s connection with the Kailas family from continuing.”
She had already failed once, so this time, she couldn’t afford to be careless.
Bella, running her fingers through her messy hair, thought about who might be able to introduce her to Jeremiah.
To break the connection between Cedric and Harriet, it would be more effective to target Jeremiah instead of Cedric.
***
In the rattling carriage, Harriet looked at her lighter bag and thought about the past year or so.
‘It feels like it was such a long time, but it hasn’t even been a full year since I returned to the capital.’
She had returned to Genoa on June 1st last year, and then she had attended the Vanderbilt Count’s party at the end of that month.
Now, it was early April, so it had been about 10 months.
‘The year I spent in the convent passed by really quickly, though.’
It felt like the year would be long because of the simple and repetitive tasks, but it wasn’t at all. Maybe it was because she had enjoyed making soap, or maybe because she was focused on getting revenge on her uncle’s family.
Anyway, today, Harriet was on her way back after visiting St. Clarissa Convent for an important matter.
“Welcome back, Sister Harriet!”
The head of the convent, Catherine, and the vice-head, Agnes, warmly welcomed her as always.
Emma, who had become an essential part of Clarissa, looked more mature now, and the sisters who made the convent’s products treated Harriet like a savior.
Sofia and the monks in the soap workshop were working harder than ever, with Sofia excitedly explaining and showing the new soap samples. It seemed she wanted to brag about every single one.
The herb workshop and the apiary were doing well too.
Since people had recognized the value of their work and were willing to pay high prices, everyone had a renewed energy.
“Sister Harriet, if you ever feel tired or weary, remember you always have a place to return to. This is your home, and we are your family.”
Catherine said, embracing Harriet as she left. Harriet felt incredibly grateful for those words.
Thanks to that, Harriet didn’t feel lonely. She had a lot of people who would wipe her tears and laugh with her, so she could keep moving forward.
‘Clarissa is more stable now. The only risk is that Duke Kailas is the sole investor, but for now, he is still helping faithfully. The logistics plan covering production, delivery, and sales is also well organized.’
The quality of their products was top-notch.
With more staff and equipment, and the harvests from the olive and herb farms improving, better products were being made at the convent.
So for now, she didn’t need to worry about that.
‘Now, I need to think about new opportunities. Something that can grow what I already have.’
Ten months ago, Harriet never could have imagined where she was now.
She now owned 165 hectares of fertile land in Perilas, a three-story mansion, 1,000 square meters of prime land in Lowerberry, as well as rental income from Perilas and her earnings and shares from Clarissa.
But that still wasn’t enough.
‘After the autumn harvest, a lot of money will come in from Perilas. Maybe I should do something with the land in Lowerberry, or leave it and invest in another business?’
After parting ways with Cedric at the picnic, Tez had introduced her to several people.
Although none of these relationships were likely to get very deep, Harriet had taken note of which businesses people were involved in. After the picnic, she immediately looked into those businesses.
‘Hables Vineyard seemed good, and the seasonal business also had a promising outlook. With commoners’ living standards improving, the dairy business is also likely to be booming for a while.’
But putting all her spare money into one place felt risky, so she decided to spread the investment across a few businesses.
Just thinking about it made her feel like the future was full of possibilities. Imagining the huge profits from each business she invested in, Harriet found herself smiling alone.
‘Could I really become a huge fortune-maker?’
Of course, she knew things wouldn’t always be easy. She would probably experience investment failures and might be betrayed by someone.
But for now, she just wanted to fully enjoy the excitement and hope she was feeling. Even if storm clouds were approaching, she wanted to savor the moment.
***
Jeremiah seemed to be living a leisurely life on the surface, but her schedule was actually packed.
Cedric handled most of the Duke’s family business, but Jeremiah still took care of the interior decorations, entertaining guests, gardening, and royal affairs.
She also had to meet with the imperial family’s distant relatives and deal with the constant flow of invitations, especially since so many people wanted to invite the Duke’s mother, the Empress’s beloved younger sister.
Spring and autumn were particularly busy seasons with a lot of tea parties. Even if she carefully selected which ones to attend, she still ended up going to two or three each week.
Today, she was heading to the Lindberg Count’s residence.
“Thank you for coming, Lady Kailas!”
“You must be sorry to miss out on the spring garden at the Lindberg mansion. Your tea party is just my style.”
“Oh, how kind of you! This year, I’ve prepared milk tea. I hope you like it.”
Lady Lindberg, like Count Vanderbilt’s wife, was a leading figure in high society and hosted these grand and high-class tea parties every year, inviting notable figures from society.
Although it was called a tea party, the large hall of the mansion was filled with so many guests that it felt more like a daytime banquet.
The guests were selected purely based on their fame and reputation, with no regard for their status, political views, or personal connections.
So it was a chance to meet many different kinds of people, though sometimes it meant running into uncomfortable individuals.
“Lady Jeremiah! I can’t tell you how much I’ve been looking forward to your attendance today.”
“Lady Hendrick, I’m no longer ‘Your Highness.’ I’m perfectly fine as Lady Kailas. But thank you for your warm welcome.”
Jeremiah gave a bright smile to Lady Hendrick, who had rushed over to greet her with exaggerated politeness.
She had learned the social skills necessary to deal with annoying people through her upbringing as a princess, and with just one smile, people often felt like they had become her close acquaintance. Many people would bring her interesting information or happily do difficult favors for her.
It was a transaction that always paid off, so she would smile until her cheeks hurt.
Lady Hendrick was still smiling proudly, pleased that Jeremiah had addressed her without making any mistakes.
But today, there was another reason for the greeting.
“Oh, by the way! If it’s not too much trouble, can I introduce you to someone?”
“Introduce? I’m curious.”
After Jeremiah gave her permission, Lady Hendrick gestured excitedly, and a young lady came walking toward them.
Even from a distance, it was obvious she was an extraordinary beauty.
As she got closer, Lady Hendrick wrapped her arm around the young lady’s shoulder and said, “This is Miss Bella Listerwell. You’ve probably heard of her. She’s famous for being the most beautiful young lady in society.”
As she introduced Bella, she lifted her skirt and made a polite greeting.
Jeremiah was intrigued by the name Listerwell, but she didn’t make a big deal out of it and accepted Bella’s greeting.
“Oh, I think I’ve heard of you. You’re called the ‘Golden Rose,’ right? Isn’t that the nickname they give you?”
“Ah, I’m embarrassed. I’m just the daughter of a common baron.”
Bella, besides being beautiful, had impeccable manners. She didn’t show off her popularity, and she listened respectfully to the older ladies, acting demurely.
‘No wonder she’s famous.’
Even as another woman, Jeremiah couldn’t help but be drawn to her. She could tell Bella’s popularity wasn’t exaggerated.
Though she found it interesting that Bella was from the Listerwell family, her interest ended there—until Bella approached her.
“Lady Kailas…”
Just as the conversation with the other ladies had quieted down, and Jeremiah was sipping her tea, Bella spoke up.
