SMR | Chapter 79

~Chapter 79~

‘Thank goodness people are seeing Viviana in a good light. That’s only possible because she’s worked so hard to maintain her reputation all this time,’ Harriet thought as she watched the gossip and conversations unfold from a distance.

Still, Harriet knew well that reputation alone wasn’t enough. Even Viviana’s solid image had been shattered instantly by a few words from Bella. If the situation had been reversed, Viviana’s words would have had no such power.

That was Bella’s strength—her power. She could twist reality and label someone a villain with nothing more than a flick of her tongue. And the sad truth was that Viviana herself had helped cement that power over time.

Bella had always wielded her influence skillfully—pulling allies close, casting enemies aside. That was her game, and she played it well.

‘But not anymore, Bella,’ Harriet thought with resolve, her eyes narrowing slightly. ‘You won’t get away with doing whatever you want. Fixing the lies you’ve spread about me won’t be easy, but I’m ready to do whatever it takes.’

Harriet was done playing defense. She chose to fight back with a strategy that would directly weaken Bella’s power—she would destroy the tools Bella used to manipulate others.

Her recent efforts to help Viviana weren’t just out of friendship or sympathy. Yes, she wanted to protect others from falling victim to Bella’s tactics—but she also had her own reasons. Harriet was aware that the first step to clearing her own name was to damage Bella’s reputation.

To do that, she had to align herself with people who disliked Bella—even if they weren’t willing to say so out loud. That’s where Annabelle came in. Annabelle had long harbored a subtle rivalry with Bella. Harriet not only supported Viviana by assisting Annabelle in clearing the image, but she also strengthened her own network of allies.

In exchange for Annabelle’s help in turning public opinion, Harriet would need to faithfully attend all of Annabelle’s upcoming tea parties. That was the unspoken deal.

But Harriet saw it as a small price to pay to dispel the damaging rumors about Viviana. Her time and effort were well worth it in comparison to the benefits.

The fact that Annabelle had a subtle rivalry with Bella made things even easier. And more than Annabelle’s help, this was the most important lesson learned:

Bella wasn’t as universally loved as she liked to pretend.

There were people—more than Harriet had expected—who secretly disliked her.

‘If only I’d known this sooner… I wouldn’t have endured so much alone,’ she reflected with a twinge of regret.

Still, she was grateful that it wasn’t too late. At least now, she had a chance to set things right.

***

Meanwhile, in another part of the ballroom…

“Cedric!”

A loud voice called out to the Duke of Kailas.

Edgar, who had left to dance and hadn’t returned, was supposed to be Cedric’s partner at the event. But instead of Edgar, someone far less welcome approached him.

“Albert,” Cedric replied calmly, setting down his glass of champagne on a nearby table and standing up.

The man who had called him was Albert Kingsley—Cedric’s older cousin and the son of Benedict.

And of course, Albert wasn’t alone.

“I wanted to introduce you to some of my friends,” Albert said with a grin, throwing an arm casually around Cedric’s shoulder as if they were best friends. “Everyone, meet my cousin Cedric—the Duke of Kailas, as you probably know.”

The way Albert introduced him made it sound like Cedric was someone beneath him, someone whose status he could toss around at his convenience. Just like his father, Albert always acted as though the dukedom was something he had control over.

It irritated Cedric every time.

Still, he offered a polite smile and nodded calmly. No point in creating a scene.

Albert, either unaware of Cedric’s true feelings or simply pretending not to notice, went on with the introductions.

“This here is Duane Morris, Cain Hensler, and Jonathan William. And the lovely ladies beside them are Christine Walter and Leslie Auger.”

The young men and beautiful women greeted Cedric with bright smiles. Then, as if on cue, a shallow, loud conversation began to erupt.

“Wow, you’re really tall up close. Are you around 190cm?”

“Not quite that tall,” Cedric replied with a short laugh.

“You only seem that tall because you’re next to a short guy! Hahaha!”

“Who did you come with tonight? Doesn’t look like you have a partner.”

“I came with a friend, but I don’t see him around right now.”

“What about Miss Christine or Miss Leslie? Either one would look perfect next to a duke like you.”

Cedric could feel his patience fading.

The words weren’t outright rude—but they were irritating, shallow, and increasingly personal. And unfortunately, he couldn’t just push them away and walk off. Even as a duke, acting discourteously would draw criticism.

Albert knew this, of course.

In fact, he was counting on it.

‘Let’s see how long our noble duke can stay composed,’ Albert thought with amusement.

While continuing his forced conversation, Albert discreetly handed a small bottle to Leslie, standing behind Cedric.

Leslie took it without a word, carefully opened it, and dropped a few clear drops into Cedric’s glass of champagne.

Satisfied, Albert suddenly acted as though he’d just realized they were bothering Cedric.

“Alright, everyone, give him a break! I think we’ve overwhelmed him. Sorry about that, Cedric. They just really wanted to meet you.”

“It’s no problem,” Cedric replied coolly.

“Oh, come on. You’re a dashing and successful duke! But seriously—are you really not interested in Christine or Leslie? I could introduce you properly, if you want.”

“I’m sure both ladies will find better men than someone like me,” Cedric said, lowering himself with practiced humility.

But Albert heard something else entirely—‘How dare you bring women like them to me?’

Swallowing the urge to sneer, Albert grinned and said, “Well, you never know what the future holds. Let’s not draw lines so fast. Anyway, how about a toast before we part?”

That, Cedric welcomed.

Raising his glass, he offered a polite farewell.

“It was a pleasure meeting you all. I hope you enjoy the evening.”

“Cheers!” they all said, clinking glasses and drinking.

As Albert watched Cedric sip his drink—now diluted with a far stronger dose than the commercially sold —he felt his nerves settle.

‘Just a few drops of the concentrated extract should be enough to trigger the effects,’ he thought smugly. ‘If he’d finished the whole glass, he might have started drooling in public.’

But Albert wasn’t greedy. He was satisfied with subtle attacks.

He leaned over and whispered to Leslie.

“The greenhouse is behind the garden. You know it?”

“Of course.”

“I’ll bring the others in ten minutes. Get everything ready.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure the great Duke Kailas ends up exposed—body and pride,” she whispered with a sly smile.

The two exchanged twisted smiles before walking away.

***

As soon as they left, Cedric dropped the polite mask and stared coldly at their retreating backs.

‘So this is the crowd he runs with now—drugged-up idiots and women used as bait. Disgusting.’

Their glassy eyes, messy clothes, loud laughter—it was all so tasteless. Everything Cedric despised.

Even the way they treated the women in their group, talking like they were disposable entertainment. Though considering the way Leslie had been practically rubbing against him moments ago, he wouldn’t be surprised if that were true.

He reached for his champagne glass again, but paused. He didn’t want to drink from the same glass he had toasted with Albert. Something about it felt off.

Instead, he took a fresh glass from a passing server and resumed scanning the ballroom.

His eyes scanned the ballroom again—searching.

There she was.

A woman in a soft pink dress, with dark brown hair flowing down her back.

‘The balcony now? What is she trying to find out this time?’

His troublesome business partner, Harriet, had been darting all around the hall like a restless bee. Trying to look casual, no doubt, but Cedric had been watching her from the beginning.

And he knew exactly what she was doing.

She was collecting information. Gossip, rumors, anything of value.

‘I wonder if she’s found anything interesting yet,’ he thought, smiling faintly as he took another sip.

But this time, something was off.

The heat spread quickly—too quickly. It wasn’t the same drink as before.

“…Am I drunk?”

He tilted his head, confused.

No… it wasn’t drunkenness. It was something else entirely.

His chest felt tight. His heart raced. A strange warmth bloomed inside him—like a fire had been lit just beneath his skin.

His fingers trembled.

And worst of all, he felt something unusual and unfamiliar creeping through his body—a tingling sensation, like static, like…

Like his entire being was about to lift off the ground.

‘What is this? Poison? Aphrodisiac? Who did this? When?’

His mind raced, but there were no answers. Only questions.

Still, he remained calm. No one had noticed yet. But it was only a matter of time.

He had to think. Had to escape. But his thoughts were foggy. His vision blurred.

There was only one clear thought in his mind—I cannot lose control here.

‘I need to get out of here. Now.’

He looked around, desperate to find a quiet place to regain control. And just then, through the open doors leading to the garden, he saw a blur of pink—like a bundle of flowers heading toward the rose greenhouse.

Without thinking, his body moved.

He didn’t know why, but his instincts led him in that direction. He tried to walk like normal, to act like everything was fine.

He didn’t know if it was working.

Just as he passed through the door, he felt something—or someone—brush against his left arm.