Chapter 133
Anghelic Temptation
“Phew…”
A puff of white smoke drifted through the dim bedroom like a ghost. Albert exhaled slowly, the scent of tobacco mixing with the heavy air.
“I think we need to increase Anghelic production,” he said lazily. “The sales at the yacht parties are going up every week.”
He turned his head slightly toward the woman lying beside him.
“Tell the pharmacist in Firma that I want to raise the import of Darsenger by twenty percent.”
“You can’t just take more because you want to,” Leslie said with a soft laugh.
“The royal family of Firma knows how valuable this is. They won’t hand it over easily.”
“Then offer them more money.”
She smirked. “Money isn’t what they really want, and you know it.”
When she sat up slowly, the silk sheet slid off her shoulders, revealing pale, flawless skin. Albert’s hungry eyes traced her body as if he were devouring her with his gaze.
Leslie leaned back against the same cushion he was lying on and whispered, her voice low and teasing.
“What Firma really wants… is Cedric Kailas’s death. But now that I think about it, your idea might be better.”
“My idea?”
“Yes. The one about making him addicted to Anghelic. Once that happens, you’ll finally get your revenge—and it’ll be easier to kill him.”
Albert grinned and nodded eagerly.
“Exactly! Killing him now isn’t easy. Even if we succeeded, the Imperial family would hunt the killer to the ends of the earth.”
“But if Duke Kailas becomes addicted, he could die of an ‘accidental overdose’ or even take his own life. No one would suspect murder. The only question is… how do we make him take the drug?”
Albert frowned.
Cedric had once drunk wine mixed with pure Anghelic at the Laurel family’s party, but that wasn’t enough. Addiction required at least a month of consistent exposure.
However, all of Cedric’s food and drink were strictly checked for poison, and since he didn’t smoke, there was no way to give him the drug that way either.
“Tsk. We’d need someone close to him—someone who could keep feeding it to him.”
Leslie’s eyes gleamed as if she’d been waiting for that moment.
“Don’t you have a very beautiful client?”
“Who? Ah… Bella Listerwell? No, that won’t work. She’s engaged.”
“Being engaged doesn’t stop a woman from meeting other men. Even married women have lovers.”
She smiled slyly, remembering what one of her accomplices—who often posed as the Baroness of Ozère—had once said.
“Bella Listerwell. She looks innocent, but she’s dangerous. Do you really think she got Daphne Laurel’s fiancé by luck?”
“I heard that man fell for her first.”
“Not at all. She seduced him.”
Leslie remembered seeing Bella at the Kingsley family’s party, where Cedric had publicly humiliated her. Later, she had followed Bella and James Cheslow to a private room and overheard everything.
“She’s greedy. If she ever gets the chance to have Cedric Kailas, she’ll never let it slip away.”
“But our goal is to kill him. Why would she help us?”
“She doesn’t need to know that part.” Leslie chuckled. “Just stroke her pride a little. She’ll cooperate.”
Albert smirked. “You’re right. No need to show all our cards.”
Leslie giggled softly.
“Come on, Albert. The most desirable man in the Empire, right in the palm of her hand? Bella Listerwell won’t say no to that. Use her.”
And so, she told him exactly how to lure Bella in.
***
Two days later, Bella came to visit Albert—just as she always did when her supply was running low.
But this time, she wasn’t there only to buy Anghelic.
“I’ll take ten days’ worth of Anghelic and more of the medicine I bought last time.”
“Oh, that one? I’ll tell the factory to prepare it. Come back in two days.”
“Just send someone to deliver it. Here’s the address.”
She handed him a slip of paper. The address was somewhere on the outskirts of Genoa—just like before, she clearly planned for someone else to pick it up.
“Ah, right! You wanted this kept secret.” Albert grinned. “No worries.”
He handed her the Anghelic first. Bella nodded, counting the small glass vials carefully.
At first, she’d only taken it once in a while for fun. But now… she couldn’t live without it.
This stuff really does heighten the pleasure.
Whenever she slept with Tez, taking Anghelic made her body feel electric. It sharpened her senses, dulled the pain, and made the experience last longer.
And when she was with James—her official fiancé—it was the only way to endure the boredom.
At first, it was thrilling to steal Daphne’s man, she thought bitterly. But compared to Tez, he’s a complete disappointment. So dull.
Worse, he walked around, thinking he was some kind of passionate lover.
Ugh. I want to play with other men. Tez is good, but a little variety makes life more exciting.
What Bella truly craved wasn’t love or stability—it was the thrill of being desired by many men.
And whenever that craving grew too strong, she thought of Harriet.
Back then, I could just pin the blame on her for everything…
She had once thought of her cousin as nothing more than a nuisance, but now she realized what a mistake it had been to drive her away to the monastery.
Because of that, Harriet had gained the support of the Pellon family—and even access to the Duke of Kailas and the Imperial Court.
As she slipped the new drugs into her handbag, she overheard Albert’s voice, full of smug pride.
“Even the noble Duke Cedric Kailas isn’t immune to temptation. If any woman could get him hooked on this, she’d soon become the next Duchess of Kailas. Hahaha!”
Bella froze.
“Duke Kailas doesn’t use this? Who doesn’t take Anghelic these days?”
“He’s old-fashioned. Maybe even still a virgin.”
“What? Seriously?”
“I’ve never once heard of him having a woman. Though lately, there are rumors about him and Harriet Listerwell… but I doubt it’s anything serious.”
At the mention of Harriet’s name, Bella’s hand twitched.
She remembered vividly the humiliation of trying—and failing—to seduce Cedric herself. The ruby necklace she’d chosen so carefully, the way she’d exposed just enough skin, her practiced smile—all of it had fallen flat before his cold, indifferent eyes.
How satisfying it would be to see those same eyes filled with desire—and to flaunt it right in front of Harriet.
She licked her lower lip unconsciously.
Albert’s voice cut through her thoughts.
“I actually tried once, you know.”
“Tried what?”
“To get him to try Anghelic. I sent one of my prettiest girls to him, but apparently, she wasn’t his type. He rejected her outright.”
“Is he… not interested in women? Maybe he prefers men?”
Albert burst into laughter so loud it made the room shake.
“Hahaha! That might actually make sense!”
He laughed until tears ran down his cheeks.
“Well, even if he’s into men, he’ll still have to marry a woman eventually. The great Kailas family needs an heir.”
“True. He’s the only son, after all.”
“Exactly. I’d say he’ll marry within a year or two, tops.”
Albert chuckled again, then added with a smirk, “Unless, of course, someone gets pregnant first. That would speed things up quite a bit.”
“If it’s just a one-night affair, wouldn’t he treat the child as illegitimate?”
“Not Duke Kailas. He’s too righteous for that. He’d marry the woman instead of branding her a sinner.”
His tone lowered, turning almost serious.
“That’s why I said it earlier—if someone could seduce him and get him addicted to Anghelic, make him lose control just once… that woman would become the Duchess of Kailas overnight.”
“…Are you sure about that?” Bella asked quietly.
“Absolutely. As long as she’s a noblewoman, he’d make her his wife. Love wouldn’t even matter.”
Albert spoke as if it were an amusing joke, but Bella didn’t find it funny.
Unlike James, who adored her blindly, the Count and Countess Cheslow were cold and disapproving. Their distant faces flashed in her mind—and for the first time, Bella began to consider that maybe… she could use this to her advantage.
