SMR | Chapter 53

~Chapter 53~

The phrase on the poster, “If I wash away your sins, you will be saved,” which quoted a scripture, was strangely fitting.

 People stopped by the store and looked at the poster, laughing a little but also impressed.

“A soap that washes away sins? Haha!”

 “I guess dirty skin is a sin for women.”

 “Really? Should I buy one for my wife too?”

Even middle-aged men who normally didn’t care about beauty products bought several bars, saying they’d give them to their wives.

 Of course, most of the customers were women.

“I heard this soap is really good. Even Lady Kailas uses it!”

 “People who’ve used it sent their servants early this morning when they heard the store was opening today. We should buy some before it’s all gone.”

 “They say part of the profit goes to helping orphans at a monastery.”

Even dressing the store clerks in uniforms that looked like nun habits was a great idea.

 Harriet had guessed that people would feel like they were donating to a church when they gave money—and she was exactly right.

Because of that, all the soap sold out long before the store’s closing time.

 “What? It’s already sold out? It’s only 3 PM!”

 “We’re sorry. We didn’t expect it to sell this well. We’ll get more stock this evening, so please come again tomorrow.”

When something is hard to get, people want it even more.

 They became obsessed with finding out just how good this soap really was.

That day, everyone talked about St. Clarissa Soap & Herbs, the soap it sold, and its model—Harriet.

***

The Cheslow family’s ballroom was filled with luxury.

 Electric lamps with glass shades, rich flowers and fruits, fancy champagne and delicate glasses, and even a high-cost chamber orchestra.

 It was the perfect autumn evening party.

And the most dazzling person there was Bella Listerwell, standing beside James, holding his hand.

Even though she wasn’t married yet, she acted like the hostess of the party.

 That could’ve been criticized, but she looked so stunning—like a goddess—that no one dared complain.

“What a wonderful party.”

 “Thank you for coming. I hope you enjoy your time here,” she said with a bright smile, standing beside James to greet guests.

There aren’t many young people’s parties this big. Now no one will even remember Harriet’s little tea party.

In truth, Harriet’s tea party had been small—just a few close acquaintances. Nothing unusual in the Empire.

 So technically, Bella didn’t need to go this far just to compete.

But the very idea that Harriet might try to regain anything—her place, her reputation—was unacceptable to Bella.

You were better off hidden away in that monastery. I’ll make sure you realize that.

Bella was determined to show how different she and Harriet were.

 Even though her engagement date with James hadn’t been set, the Cheslow family already treated her like a daughter-in-law, and James was still clearly in love with her.

The dress she wore tonight was a gift from James—it was probably the most expensive one she owned.

Her plan was to enjoy everyone’s praise during the party, and near the end, hand out gifts much more luxurious than Harriet’s had been.

Trying to win people over with gifts might seem a little cheap, but Bella’s goal wasn’t to win them over—it was to make Harriet’s gifts look pathetic.

No one’s going to remember some soap when they see this La Bonaz cream.

She had spent a lot of money preparing the gifts, but she believed it would be worth it.

However, inside the ballroom, something was happening that Bella didn’t expect.

“Did you get the soap?”

“Just barely. My maid was almost too late.”

 “Wow, that was close. I bought ten bars this time—kind of wish I’d gotten more.”

 “You were lucky. After 1 PM, they limited how many each person could buy. My maid only managed to get three.”

Everyone was caught up in talking about St. Clarissa Soap & Herbs, the store that had opened that day.

And not just the soap—there was more to come.

“Did you see the poster? Miss Harriet looked so beautiful in it!”

 “I heard the company that signed an exclusive deal with Saint Clarissa Monastery chose her as their model the moment they heard she gave the soap as gifts.”

 “They made a great choice. Miss Harriet used to have bad skin, but it cleared up thanks to that soap. You couldn’t ask for a better model.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Many people said they now saw Harriet in a new light.

 “The soap she gave me helped a lot with my acne.”

 “Huh? Now that you mention it, Miss Viviana, your skin has improved!”

 “Not just me. Everyone who went to her tea party saw improvements. And I think we may have misunderstood her. Once I spoke to her properly, I found her kind and easy to talk to.”

Viviana truly liked Harriet now. Not only had Harriet given her extra soap, but she even sent a letter later with advice on managing her diet.

 Knowing how painful acne could be, Harriet had recommended eating less greasy food, more vegetables, and taking daily walks. That thoughtful letter had deeply touched Viviana, who had been quietly struggling with her skin issues.

Even though Harriet had risked being criticized for speaking so honestly, people instead found her words relatable and kind.

 “I thought the same. I first met her at Annabel’s tea party, and she was polite and fun to talk to. I don’t know what she was like in the past, but I think she’s changed.”

 “Who hasn’t made mistakes when they were young? Harriet lost her parents in an accident—of course she was lost for a while. But now she’s mature and thoughtful in every way.”

 “Come to think of it, I can’t quite remember what her old face looked like. I must not have seen her much.”

In people’s minds, the image of “ugly Harriet Listerwell”—the one Bella had worked so hard to build—was quickly fading.

 And it had taken just a year of absence and a few small changes for that to happen.

About an hour into the party, Bella finally realized that everyone around her was only talking about one thing: the soap store and Harriet.

“Did you know, Miss Bella? Your cousin became a model for that place.”

 “Sorry? A model for that place? What do you mean…?”

 “Oh, I guess you haven’t heard because you were busy preparing the party. A soap shop called Saint Clarissa Soap & Herb opened today on Seviole Street, and your cousin, Miss Harriet, became their model.”

“What?”

Bella’s eyes widened.

As she stood frozen in shock, the people around her kindly filled in the details—how people lined up early in the morning, how everything sold out by 3 p.m., and how popular the poster with Harriet’s face had become.

That soap shop officially opened today? And of all days—today?

Bella felt like she’d just been smacked in the back of the head.

 Only now did all the words she’d been half-hearing earlier finally click: soap, Harriet, Seviole, skin, tea party, gifts, monastery…

All of it pointed to that store.

Then someone else spoke up again.

“If Miss Bella had been the model, I bet the soap would’ve sold even better.”

 As if trying to comfort her.

Bella barely resisted the urge to grab that person by the hair. Instead, she forced a troubled smile.

“But being a model is still just selling your face. Noble families usually wouldn’t be thrilled if their daughter-in-law did that. I wonder if Harriet will be able to marry properly now.”

 “That’s true.”

 “Even if it wasn’t modeling, she probably wouldn’t have an easy time marrying into nobility. I mean, she is your cousin, Miss Bella, so I shouldn’t say this—but her past behavior wasn’t exactly ladylike…”

That was the kind of reaction Bella had been hoping for.

 But instead of looking pleased, she furrowed her brow and said:

“Harriet is a sweet and pure girl. The fact that she falls in love easily shows how sincere she is. Yes, she made some poor choices, but I believe it was just because she was scared.”

Now she was waiting for someone to say, “Wow, even after all that, you still defend her? You’re so kind-hearted, Miss Bella.”

But the reaction this time was… different.

“Then she must’ve been really hurt. I heard she doesn’t accept any men these days.”

 “Oh, you mean Julian Faith?”

 “He follows her around like a lost puppy—it’s actually a little sad.”

At the mention of Julian’s name, Bella’s expression twitched.

She still hadn’t gotten over the shock of seeing him carry Harriet’s umbrella and follow her around at the Earl of Lilburn’s charity bazaar.

Just when she thought she had buried the memory, it resurfaced and dragged her mood down again.

But the people around her didn’t stop there.

“Julian Faith is just the start. She doesn’t go to many parties, but when she does, she turns down every dance request. She says she doesn’t want to get anyone involved and have them be criticized for it.”