~Chapter 22~
The letter said it wasnât too late, even now, and that if he just apologized to her father, she would forgive everything.
“People who haven’t lost something never admit it even after it’s been taken from them. Well, if she keeps acting foolish like that, itâs good for me.”
Suddenly, Harriet came to mind.
Even after her uncle drowned and her father inherited the Listerwell title, Harriet didnât realize her true position for quite some time. She would naturally try to sit at the head of the table or involve herself in family matters, still behaving as if she were the daughter of the Listerwell baron.
At first, it made Bella angry, and she mocked her. But as she saw the growing despair in Harrietâs eyes, Bella began to feel more at ease.
She remembered the joy she felt on the day she invited her former friends to a tea party and introduced Harriet to them.
âThe look on her face when she realized everything had been taken from her was priceless. Daphne will soon end up like that, too.â
The Laurel family was influential, so Daphne could get engaged again once the rumors died down. But it was certain that her new match wouldnât be as good as James Cheslow.
Someday, Daphne would see Bella as Lady Cheslow and bite her lip in regret.
“Pfft!”
Bella couldnât hold back her laughter. James, noticing this, lowered his head and asked, “Whatâs so amusing, Bella?”
“Oh, itâs nothing… I just feel so happy that everyone now recognizes me as your lover.”
“I should be the one saying that. Iâm the one whoâs thrilled to have won the Golden Rose of Genoa. I couldnât be happier.”
The two exchanged sweet words and shared a light kiss. Knowing that Daphneâs friends were watching made even that brief kiss feel highly provocative.
***
An unexpected event was also taking place at St. Clarissa Convent. Trisha had sent a reply through a messenger.
“A letter from Great-Aunt Trisha? From her, personally?”
“Yes. You should read it first.”
The woman in her early thirties who brought the letter looked much stricter and colder than Harriet remembered Trisha being.
Even as they exchanged greetings, the woman didnât show a single polite smile. It seemed like she might have a rather negative feeling toward Harriet.
With an uneasy heart, Harriet opened the letter.
“Dear Harriet, It has been a long time. Iâll skip any further pleasantries. I never imagined the first letter Iâd receive from you would be a request for guardianship. While I find it quite bold, it doesnât make sense for Arthurâs daughter to be thrown out onto the streets and reduced to a commoner. So, for now, Iâll take on the role of your guardian, as I am in a more fortunate position.”
For a moment, Harriet almost shouted in joy. She had thought this would be the most likely outcome, but she had never imagined it would be granted so easily.
However, her great-aunt Trisha wasnât someone to be taken lightly, just as the rumors said.
“âŠOf course, there are conditions. Since youâll be entering society under my name, I wonât tolerate any actions that would disgrace me. It seems John didnât educate you properly, so for the next few months, youâll learn everything you need to know from the tutor Iâve sent.”
“A tutor?” Harriet lifted her head and looked at the woman sitting across from her. It was only then that the woman introduced herself.
“My name is Roxana Valvanus. I will be teaching you for the next five months.”
Would it be rude to say she looked even more like a nun than the actual nuns?
With her clear blue eyes, pale skin, brown hair tightly pulled back without a strand out of place, and a somewhat thin figure, she had the distinct air of someone who had lived in a convent for a long time.
“Um, do you know the contents of the letter? It seems like youâll also be staying at the convent, right?”
“Iâve already received permission from Mother Superior Catherine. Perhaps itâs just my imagination, but it seemed like the Mother Superior was quite pleased with the idea of you being educated.”
In fact, Trisha had prepared a petition along with the guardianship papers to persuade Catherine, but Catherine had been very happy to hear that Harriet had found a new guardian and had welcomed Roxana as a special guest.
“Perhaps she was worried about letting you leave the convent. I look forward to working with you.”
“Let me warn you in advanceâbe prepared. You might find me strict, but this is no time to be relaxing.”
As expected, Roxana didnât seem to have any affection for Harriet.
But Harriet was already familiar with the disdain and contempt of strangers. It stung her heart a little, but after five months, she would have to reenter a society full of people even harsher than this. So, she decided to think of it as practice.
“Theyâre giving me the opportunity to learn, so I have no intention of complaining. I will do my best.”
As expected, since Roxana was someone sent by Trisha, she was an excellent teacher who was well-versed not only in etiquette, manners, and basic knowledge for society and the royal court, but also in politics, society, and economics.
When it came to etiquette and manners, Harriet had studied those for about three years with a tutor in her childhood and had picked up some things through observation while living with her uncle, so those lessons didnât seem too overwhelming.
However, that wasnât all she had to learn, so Harriet pushed herself to the limit. She stopped working at the soap workshop, cut down on sleep, and spent her entire days studying books, learning proper behavior, the workings of society, and the current social trends.
Roxana traveled to Genoa once every two weeks, and knowing she would report everything to Trisha, Harriet couldnât afford to slack off at all.
“This is a chance I wonât get again, so I canât let it slip away!”
Her determination grew stronger with every letter from Trisha that Roxana delivered.
“It seems youâre keeping up with the lessons well, though I didnât think Roxana would be an easy teacher. But donât be satisfied with just that. Youâve only built a foundation. Even after you return to Genoa, youâll need to continue studying under Roxana.”
After exchanging letters several times, Harriet began to understand Trishaâs way of giving compliments.
“She points out more of what Iâve done wrong than what Iâve done well, but thatâs because she wants me to improve.”
The reason Harriet realized this was simple: Trisha wasnât criticizing her failures.
That was a rare attitude for someone who was investing both money and emotional effort in her. Because of that, Harriet felt great trust and gratitude toward Trisha Pellon.
On the other hand, no matter how much time they spent together over the five months, Roxana was not easy to get close to. It seemed that Roxana viewed Harriet as someone who might one day betray the countessâor worse, she was nearly certain of it.
“Well, it canât be helped. I donât expect everyone to understand me.”
Although she felt a bit unfairly judged, Harriet knew there wasnât much she could do. All she could do was give her best in following Roxanaâs lessons.
***
Time passed quickly.
It felt like no time had passed since exchanging New Yearâs greetings, but now the ice had melted, flowers had bloomed, and early summer was right around the corner.
On June 1st, a day that seemed like it would never come, Harriet packed her belongings as she prepared to leave the convent.
âIf I hadnât gotten rid of my winter shoes, my bag wouldâve been too small.â
Harriet pushed down on her overflowing luggage. Even after removing the bulky shoes, her bag was still full, mainly because of the winter gear she had acquired last season.
Just before the first week of January ended, an anonymous package had arrived containing a scarf, gloves, muffler, and socks that fit her perfectly. Even though the package was anonymous, she had a pretty good idea who had sent it.
âThat person must have really felt guilty. He didnât seem like the kind of person to send something like this.â
The only person who knew she was getting through the winter without a scarf was Cedric Kylasâhim, and no one else. She had grumbled about how he couldâve at least brought her a scarf and gloves, so she had been quite embarrassed when the package arrived.
Thanks to the items he had sent, Harriet had made it through the harsh winter in relative warmth.
âIâll have to repay him someday.â
Since it was sent anonymously, it seemed like he didnât expect any kind of thank-you in return, so she hadnât written a letter of gratitude. However, that small package had left a sense of debt in her heart. Even if he had sent it with a light heart, for Harriet, fighting against the cold had been a serious challenge.
“Itâs done!”
Click. The lock on her suitcase finally closed.
Harriet placed the suitcase on the floor and took a good look around the room where she had spent the past year.
The hard bed, which she had thought she would never get used to, had eventually become comfortable. She had also grown fond of the small table and chair.
“I used to wonder if people could even live in a place like this…”
But in the end, she had managed to live here just fine.
So, she wasnât too afraid of the days ahead.
She had built up the strength to endure cold and despair, learned the skill of making small things with her hands, and developed the mental resilience to find comfort in small, narrow, and shabby spaces.
