~Chapter 141~
“Good to see you again, Duke Kailas.”
“Welcome, Miss Harriet. I assume you’ve seen your mother?”
“Yes, I have. Since Miss Roxana will be attending the Duke’s party in place of my great-aunt, I’ve already asked for her permission and assistance.”
“So, this will be Miss Roxana’s first time greeting everyone as the heir of the Pellon family.”
Harriet nodded, and Cedric casually said, “To be honest, I always thought if someone was going to be adopted by Lady Pellon, it would be you.”
“I think Miss Roxana is much more qualified than I am.”
“I’ve heard that Miss Roxana has been Lady Pellon’s long-time assistant. She’s also a distant relative of the late Count Oster Pellon, isn’t she?”
Harriet didn’t ask where he had heard this news. In fact, she was more afraid of learning how Cedric obtained his information.
“Yes. And I have a place to return to. My great-aunt knows that, so she never brought up adoption.”
“Oh! My mistake,” Cedric smiled lightly. His smile was perfect as always, neither too extravagant nor too modest.
Harriet, feeling both nervous and amused, quickly lowered her head in respect.
“I’m really grateful for all your help this time. Checking the old medicine, securing the new one, and continuously sending Sir Nelson—if it weren’t for you, I don’t know what would have happened…”
“Don’t mention it.”
Cedric lightly nodded and smiled.
His casual response was a great comfort to Harriet, who had been exhausted and was struggling to express her gratitude. Cedric could often come across as arrogant, but at times like this, he showed kindness without making a big deal out of it.
Though Harriet hadn’t slept much over the past two days and was finding it hard to think clearly, she wanted to convey her thanks.
“It may sound cliché, but if you ever need anything, Duke, I promise to help without hesitation. I’ll prioritize it over anything else.”
For a moment, Cedric was silent, and his eyes seemed to catch the light, sparkling as if a beam of noon sunlight had hit them. Perhaps it was just fatigue playing tricks on her.
Cedric bit his lower lip thoughtfully, then flashed a mysterious smile before finally speaking.
“Well… actually, I’ve been dealing with something interesting lately, and I may need your help soon.”
“Really? What’s going on?”
Harriet asked, but Cedric grinned and avoided answering directly.
“I don’t think it’s time to reveal it yet. I’ll let you know once it’s clearer.”
“I see… If there’s anything I can help with, I’ll do it.”
“That’s a dangerous promise to make. Do you think I might ask something unreasonable?”
It was hard to tell if Cedric was joking or serious, but Harriet didn’t like the idea of her sincerity being dismissed. So, she answered more firmly.
“You saved my great-aunt’s life. I almost lost my second parents. There’s no greater debt I could owe right now. So, whatever you ask of me…!”
“Enough.”
“Pardon?”
To her surprise, Cedric interrupted her with a slightly uneasy expression.
“You’re trying to make me look like a bad person.”
“What do you mean?”
Harriet tilted her head in confusion. She had been expressing her gratitude and affection for him, but why did Cedric interpret it differently?
“Anyway, I’ll explain everything later. For now, it’s best if you head back and get some rest.”
“I’m fine, really.”
Harriet replied, trying to sound strong, but Cedric slowly walked over to her, standing directly in front of her.
Then, he gently brushed his thumb over her eyelid.
“You’ve got fatigue in your eyes. You need to rest and regain your strength for the work ahead.”
Harriet felt as if she were dreaming. The reality of Cedric standing so close, the scent of his perfume, and his hand on her eyelid felt surreal, like a distant illusion.
However, the word “work ahead” was something that hit home.
Although Trisha had escaped the crisis this time, that didn’t mean Harriet would forgive Lauren. As Trisha had said, Lauren wouldn’t give up so easily.
“Thank you for the advice. I’ll go now.”
“Tell Herbert to bring some tea that will help you sleep well.”
“Th-Thank you.”
Harriet wondered when Cedric had prepared all of that. When did he even notice she hadn’t been sleeping well?
Though curious, she decided to follow his advice—take the tea, return home, and get some rest.
A hot cup of tea and a good night’s sleep would probably help clear this odd, fluttery feeling she had. She hoped it would fade.
***
The Gossip Begins:
Soon after Trisha had regained consciousness, rumors about Cedric and Harriet started to spread.
“My uncle works at the Imperial Health Bureau. I heard Cedric went there with Harriet the other day!”
“Oh, really? What for?”
“I’m not sure, but they were together the whole time.”
When Bella overheard, she raised an eyebrow. Both Cedric and Harriet were people who made her uneasy.
Another friend added, “I also heard something strange from the Duchess.”
“What was it?”
“At the Duke Kailas’ tea party, Harriet went up to Cedric, and he didn’t push her away. They looked pretty close.”
“Maybe he was just being polite?”
“No, the Duchess said they looked really friendly, and the other ladies were shocked.”
Even a small story like this made the young ladies gossip.
After all, the subject of the gossip was Cedric Kailas, the “Ice Flower on a Cliff,” and Harriet Listerwell, the “Scandal Maker.”
“Could it be that Cedric likes Harriet?”
“That’s impossible! Cedric would never—”
“Wait, didn’t we see them together before? I thought it was just a rumor, but now… maybe it’s true?”
“No way! If this is true, I’ll never forgive her!”
Among their group, Cedric was known as “my Cedric” and was considered untouchable by anyone.
So, any woman who dared to approach him would be seen as a disgrace, someone to be punished.
But Bella secretly smirked.
‘Of course, Cedric and Harriet’s trip to the Health Bureau had to be about the medicine. Otherwise, why would they be there together?’
She had already heard about Trisha almost dying because of the medicine, and now, she knew that plan had failed.
The one who had ruined her scheme was probably Cedric.
‘It doesn’t matter. The gossip about Cedric and Harriet works in my favor. I’ll be the one to offer the solution.’
Interrupting the conversation about the Duke’s party, Bella smiled brightly.
“I got an invitation too. I’m really looking forward to the Duke’s party. It’ll probably be as grand as a royal ball!”
She showed off her invitation with a voice full of excitement. Her friends laughed, and everyone joined in on the speculation.
“Every family with a daughter of marriageable age got an invitation. Even if she’s already engaged, they still sent one. What does that mean?”
“I heard that during this party, Lord Jeremiah is trying to find a match for Cedric.”
“Someone will become the princess of the century!”
Though no one said it out loud, they all secretly thought they might be the ones to become the “princess.”
But Bella was quietly laughing at them inside.
‘A princess? Anyone can become one, right?’
Bella had worked hard to get where she was. It wasn’t luck that had gotten her this far. She had a plan.
‘We’ll see who becomes the princess.’
She pretended to nibble on a pie with strawberry jam, sipping her tea. To maintain her figure, she couldn’t indulge too much in sweets, but she had to eat something in front of her friends so they wouldn’t talk behind her back.
This was all just the beginning.
