SMR | Chapter 34

~Chapter 34~

“But Uncle, you knew. You knew I believed you. You knew I had no one else to trust but you!”

He had known, and yet he betrayed that desperate trust in the cruelest, most mocking way.

“And now you’re here talking about trust like it’s something you care about? That’s just funny to me. If you hurt others so easily, you should be ready to be hurt in return.”

“So you’re saying you’re planning to ruin Bella’s engagement, is that it?”

“I never said that. But from now on, Uncle, you won’t be able to assume anything about me. I’m no longer going to act the way you expect.”

Harriet secretly hoped he would be constantly anxious, doubting her every move, until he had a complete breakdown.

But her parting words would remain graceful—she would never let someone like him see her crack.

“Take care on your way back. May the Lord’s blessings be with House Listerwell.”

With a slight bow, Harriet tapped her foot hard on the floor of the carriage. Her coachman understood the signal and got the horses moving again, leaving John’s Listerwell carriage behind.

“Damn it!”

John ground his teeth as he stared at the back of the departing carriage.

He’d thought he could intimidate her, then sweet-talk her like before and drag her off to Perillas easily. He hadn’t expected Harriet to snap back so sharply.

It had been a bad plan from the start, but instead of admitting that, John just felt bitter about how much Harriet had changed. He returned home in a foul mood.

***

“I’m back,” Harriet said as soon as she arrived at the estate. She went straight to see Trisha.

Normally, Trisha would respond with something like, “Alright, go rest,” but this time she gestured Harriet to come closer.

“John was here a while ago.”

“Oh… I must’ve seen him on his way back then.”

“What? You saw him?”

“Yes. He said if I go around spreading rumors about Bella, he’ll do whatever it takes to throw me out of Genoa.”

Since it had been over an hour since John left and Harriet had just come back, that could only mean he’d waited for her. He must’ve been really desperate.

Trisha gave a sarcastic scoff and shook her head.

“He told me all kinds of things about you—said you were a pathological liar and that I should throw you out immediately.”

“Did he say I’ve lost my mind from jealousy over Bella, too?”

“Oh yes, I think he did mention something like that.”

Harriet just nodded calmly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

A liar. A pathetic girl who envies her cousin.

For a while, she thought she only had that reputation because she was blamed for Bella’s actions. But now, seeing the situation, she wouldn’t be surprised if her uncle had been the one spreading those stories on purpose.

That’s how it had to be. So that when I one day revealed the truth about Bella, no one would believe me.

And of course, that would make Bella seem even more angelic by comparison.

“You speak like someone who’s known the truth for a long time,” Trisha said.

“Well, it’s not that surprising anymore. So, hearing what my uncle said… did it make you want to cancel your guardianship?”

“That’s a bit arrogant to ask.”

“Sorry. I guess seeing my uncle again reminded me how bitter the world can be.”

Harriet gave a hollow laugh, and Trisha clicked her tongue in sympathy.

Just yesterday at the party, Harriet’s eyes had sparkled so brightly. But now they looked empty, like old wounds had been torn open again.

“You should be thankful to John. After hearing him talk, I started to believe you more.”

“Believe… what about me?”

“That none of the scandals were actually your fault. Tsk.”

John had made a big mistake by getting flustered. If he’d just kept quiet, Trisha might’ve stayed neutral. But instead, he’d rushed in and insisted Harriet was a liar—basically proving that Harriet had been telling the truth all along.

“I’m already scared of what I’ll hear when you do tell me everything.”

The fact that Trisha had chosen to believe her instead of John made Harriet feel like a fresh breeze had blown in from behind her.

I have one more person on my side now.

And this time, it wasn’t someone far off in a distant capital, but someone right here in the heart of Genoa.

Still, this was no time to relax. That trust was still fragile, and she couldn’t afford to let her guard down.

“Thank you, Great-Aunt. I hope the day comes soon when I can tell you everything about me. When that time comes…”

Harriet took a deep breath and let it out slowly. In her mind, she saw the faces of her parents, who once held her small hand and brought her to meet Trisha and the Count and Countess of Phelon.

“When that time comes, I want to receive some comfort from you, Grandmother. So until then, I promise I won’t disappoint you.”

Trisha clenched her thin fist. There was so much sadness pouring from Harriet’s determined expression.

But she wouldn’t comfort her just yet. If she wanted to forge the strongest steel, it still needed more tempering.

“Alright. I’ll be looking forward to it. You must not be feeling great right now—go upstairs, get some rest, and have something tasty.”

Grateful for Trisha’s kindness, Harriet returned to her room.

However, standing in front of her room, waiting for her, was Roxana—who was not as forgiving as Trisha.

“I heard you met with Viscount Listerwell today. Both of them.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She probably knew more than just the fact they had met. When it came to Trisha, there was little Roxana didn’t know.

“If it weren’t for you, the Madam wouldn’t have allowed that man to step foot in this house.”

After studying abroad under the Phelon family’s support and serving as Trisha’s assistant for ten years, Roxana now taught Harriet by Trisha’s order. But that didn’t mean she had warm feelings toward Harriet.

To Roxana, Harriet was nothing but trouble—someone who caused stress for her benefactor Trisha, and a potential threat that could betray her at any moment.

So she was quite displeased that Trisha had to deal with something unpleasant again because of Harriet.

“Viscount John Listerwell has made very inappropriate requests to the Madam in the past.”

“Inappropriate… requests?”

“He once asked her to recommend the Listerwell family for a business project reserved only for royal bloodlines. He also tried to borrow money from her or introduced acquaintances he wanted her to support. Of course, he never succeeded.”

Harriet could easily imagine how that had gone—pretending to be all nice and trying to manipulate gently.

But Trisha was not someone who could be fooled so easily.

“You should understand clearly how much the Madam is sacrificing because of you. If you ever forget that kindness and act ungratefully, I will persuade her to cast you out—no matter what.”

Even though Roxana didn’t yell or show anger, her calm warning was chillingly frightening.

Harriet didn’t feel like she had to bow her head, but she also knew that Roxana wasn’t saying this out of spite. She simply cared about Trisha.

Harriet herself still didn’t fully understand why Trisha had chosen to be her guardian—how much more confusing it must be for Roxana.

“If I ever do something like that, please scold me properly, Miss Roxana. If there’s a misunderstanding, I’ll clear it up. If I make a mistake, I’ll correct it.”

“I hope you mean that.”

Roxana replied in the same cold tone, even after seeing Harriet’s humble attitude.

***

John wasn’t the only one busy the day after the Vanderbilt family’s party. Friends who came to visit Bella for afternoon tea brought up all sorts of gossip about Harriet.

“If you had seen her yourself, you might’ve fainted from the shock. She came back completely changed!”

“Yeah. Before, she always tried to deny everything and pretend she was innocent—then she’d get caught lying and apologize reluctantly. But this time, she actually admitted it all. Said she did those things and went to the convent to reflect.”

“And the problem is—it made her seem even more shameless. Whether then or now, it never felt like a real apology.”

Nodding and agreeing with each other, Bella’s friends went on gossiping, while Bella barely managed to hold back a mocking smile.

‘Even my father made a fuss about Harriet this morning… Everyone’s going on about her. But come on—it’s just Harriet. What’s the big deal?’

Bella let them keep badmouthing Harriet for a while longer. But when they started repeating themselves, she finally lowered her gaze and nodded as if she were sad.

“Thank you all for telling me in advance. I think Harriet probably holds a lot of resentment toward my father and me now that her guardianship was cut off. But it was truly out of concern that we hoped she would reflect and become a better person. That’s why we spent so much money to send her to the convent.”

Bella lowered her head with a sigh, looking as though she was full of worry.