SMR | Chapter 47

~Chapter 47~

“You don’t know anything about this. Just do as your aunt says.”

The dresses her aunt picked for her were either puffy pink things covered in ribbons or ones so dull and tightly wrapped they looked suffocating.

They were all over the place in style, but one thing was consistent: none of them suited Harriet at all.

If her aunt just had bad taste, she could’ve forgiven it. But she clearly had an excellent eye when it came to picking out clothes and jewelry for Bella.

‘I had my doubts before, but now I’m sure. Aunt dressed me that way on purpose.’

Harriet would’ve been grateful for even a plain, decent dress.

Instead, her aunt bought her bizarre outfits that left a strong impression even after wearing them once—making it impossible to wear them again. She couldn’t ask for new ones, either, so she just stopped attending events.

And when Bella needed someone to highlight her charm, Harriet would be dragged along as the clown to make Bella shine. To Bella, she’d just been a toy. But the real question was—why had Bella hated her so much?

They had once been so close, like real sisters. Back then, Harriet thought Bella was the kindest, prettiest girl in the world. She truly believed Bella loved her.

“Harriet! Look! I picked the very first rose that bloomed in the garden just for you!”

The young Bella, holding a red rose and smiling like sunshine, looked more beautiful than the flower itself. Harriet had felt so proud that such a girl was her cousin…

But she shook off the bitter memory.

She hadn’t returned to live a life still swayed by Bella. The past would only serve as fuel for her resolve.

The Bella I knew is gone. I have to let that girl go—from my heart, too.

Now, she needed to deal with the devil who had been born in her place.

***

The charity bazaar at the House of Earl Lilburn was packed with people.

The Countess of Lilburn was the head of the St. Paolo Church’s Ladies’ Society, and this charity event—meant to raise funds for the poor—was the perfect place to show off both piety and sympathy.

But really, it was just a social picnic disguised as a charity event.

‘I didn’t realize the Lilburns had such a big garden.’

Harriet tried not to show her surprise at the wide grounds covered in white tents.

She had never dared attend an event like this before. Her uncle hadn’t brought her, and she hadn’t begged to go either, afraid of being mocked.

But now, no one dared to laugh at her. In her hand, she held a formal invitation addressed to her from Countess Pellon.

“Hello, Lady Lilburn. I’m Harriet Listerwell, attending on behalf of Countess Pellon. We met briefly at the Vanderbilt party.”

“Of course I remember! Please, come in. I received the letter saying you’d attend.”

“The Countess asked me to apologize that she couldn’t come in person.”

“Oh, you being here is more than enough. The good stuff at the bazaar always sells out fast—go claim anything you like, quickly! Hoho!”

Harriet smiled and exchanged greetings with the Countess.

In the past, she would’ve hidden in a corner not knowing what to do. But this time, she was lucky to know someone.

“It’s been a while, Lady Annabelle.”

Annabelle Leighton, who had invited her to the tea party before, greeted her warmly.

“Oh my! Lady Harriet! That dress is stunning! Where did you get it?”

“From Lubar’s Atelier. Countess Pellon, is a regular there.”

“Goodness! That place is famous for being super expensive.”

“Really? She never told me the price, no matter how many times I asked.”

That reply drew envious sighs from the ladies nearby. A young woman with a wealthy sponsor and a sudden rise in status—it was the kind of story noble daughters loved to dream about.

Harriet exchanged a few light pleasantries, soaking up just enough envy before she started wandering the bazaar—pretending to browse but actually looking for someone likely to pick a fight with her.

Her goal today was buzz. Nice conversations weren’t worth much.

Then she spotted a group of young women drawing the attention of the crowd.

‘There they are.’

With a small smile, Harriet walked calmly in their direction—just enough to be noticed but not so obviously headed their way.

“Huh? Harriet Listerwell?”

Carolyn, who was standing right next to Bella, spotted her immediately.

‘Thanks, Carolyn. I knew you wouldn’t miss me.’

As Harriet smiled confidently, Bella’s friends all turned to look at her.

Harriet pretended to be surprised and then greeted them with a sweet smile.

“Oh my, Bella! It’s been so long. How have you been?”

Bella was still stunning—truly the “Golden Rose of Genoa,” glowing like sunlight. But there was clear surprise in her eyes when Harriet greeted her. She quickly masked it with a fake, angelic smile.

“Harriet! Oh my goodness, you’ve changed so much I didn’t recognize you!”

“My skin’s cleared up a bit, but is it that different?”

“Well… You used to struggle with a skin disease, remember?”

Bella clearly wanted to remind everyone of Harriet’s embarrassing past. But that was exactly what Harriet had hoped for.

“That’s true. The doctor even said it was a lifelong condition. But it turns out… it wasn’t completely incurable.”

“Really?” “Yeah. What I meant was… Oh! My friends are here, and I’ve been blabbering on. Sorry. Enjoy your day!”

Harriet apologized for staying so long and walked toward the other tent, feeling the eyes on her back. ‘When a conversation is interrupted in the middle, even if you weren’t interested before, it makes you curious.’

Plus, having smooth, clear skin was the beauty standard that every noblewoman and young lady desired. Among Bella’s friends, there were those who couldn’t stop wearing thick makeup due to acne and pimples. So, it was clear they were dying to know what Harriet had meant by “What I meant was.”

As expected, after Harriet left, Bella’s friends began whispering.

“How did her skin get so perfect?” “Didn’t she just say there’s a way to fix it? What is it?”

They were curious, but they couldn’t just follow Harriet and ask. They were Bella’s friends, and Harriet was the one who had once made things difficult for Bella—she was the “enemy.”

Bella, of course, noticed the change in her friends’ demeanor.

‘Harriet Listerwell. What did you do?’

Bella was just as surprised by Harriet’s transformation. Even after hearing her friends’ excited chatter, Bella thought, ‘It’s still just Harriet. What’s the big deal?’ But seeing Harriet in person today was a shock. Harriet’s skin showed no signs of the past rash or acne.

‘How could this happen after all the effort I put in to ruin her skin?’

Bella had been obsessively trying to damage Harriet’s skin. She’d researched which foods caused allergic reactions and cunningly added them to Harriet’s meals. Once she confirmed that greasy food would cause Harriet’s acne to flare up, Bella made sure Harriet was “well-fed” with fatty meats and fried foods.

It had been a stroke of luck when Bella discovered a cosmetic with ingredients that didn’t suit Harriet. But Bella made sure Harriet only used products with that ingredient afterward.

‘After all that effort, it’s all coming undone in just a year? How is this even possible?’

Bella had always believed Harriet would never become beautiful, that her skin would forever show the scars of her past.

“She’s really become pretty, huh?” One whispered comment stung Bella’s ears, bringing back memories of when everyone used to focus on Harriet.

Bella forced a bright smile, like summer sunshine, and looked at her friends.

“Oh, speaking of skin care, I tried the new cream from Labonaz the other day. It’s super moisturizing and smells amazing.” “Labonaz cream? I heard it’s sold out everywhere!” “Really? I got mine as a gift…” “From who?”

Soon, Bella took the lead in the conversation. Anything Bella used was bound to attract attention, especially if it was expensive and hard to get.

Bella skillfully returned to the center of the group, giving a shy smile to her friends who envied her, while secretly gritting her teeth in frustration.