SMR | Chapter 90

~Chapter 90~

If Angelique were truly a medically safe drug, Cedric would have never even thought to dig deeper into it in the first place.

But according to the investigation, that drug was already leading people to break the law. Some were getting it prescribed through depressed friends, others were faking symptoms of lethargy to receive it, and some even bribed doctors under the table to get access.

This wasn’t medicine anymore.

“Angelique is a narcotic.”

“Well, they say even narcotics can be beneficial if used in small doses. Albert would have just flipped that idea to his advantage.”

Cedric clicked his tongue quietly, not in surprise, but in irritation.

Whether the Emperor would actually punish Albert remained uncertain. Cedric knew how these things worked. Influence had a way of shielding the guilty.

“For now, let’s just watch and wait. By the way, have you looked into the ingredients of the drug?”

“We’re still investigating,” Edgar said. “But if you ask me… something’s off. If the only goal was to take over the ingredients, then why is it so hard to find any information? The fact that it is… means there’s something more.”

He smirked, the kind of smirk that only came with suspicion backed by confidence.

“They’re hiding something. That much is clear.”

Cedric leaned back, folding his arms, his mind drifting toward his knowledge of Albert’s social connections. He remembered that Viscount Kingsley, one of Albert’s close allies, had also once served under the Duke of Kailas. Any affairs around those circles were typically reported to Cedric, who kept a tight surveillance network.

But with just these ‘official’ networks, it would’ve been hard to pull off such secretive dealings.

Which meant there were likely connections even Cedric didn’t know about.

“I remember how Albert started hanging around strange people once he launched his pharmaceutical business.”

“Maybe they’re just investors backing the drug?”

“Maybe… or maybe not.”

“Hmm… Alright. I’ll dig into those shady-looking men as well.” 

Edgar stood up right away. Though he looked lazy on the surface, he was actually Cloud’s best informant—and he never delayed once he decided to act.

***

Meanwhile, in another part of the empire, a man named John was growing increasingly anxious. Ever since Howard, the banker, had left, John had doubled the number of men he’d sent to find a woman who resembled Harriet.

He had to act fast. There was no way he could let that man show up at Bella’s engagement party. If that happened, hiding her existence in the Pellon estate would become almost impossible.

He needed a disguise. A woman who could pretend to be Harriet long enough to sign the papers of inheritance.

John had searched theater groups, shady alleys, and even brothels—anywhere he might find someone bold enough to pretend to be another woman. After several sleepless nights and tireless searches, he finally found a potential candidate.

Her hair was slightly paler than Harriet’s, but they were similar enough to be mistaken for one another.

“What did you say your name was?” 

“Lily Adler,” the woman answered, eyes slightly narrowed.

“That’s a fake name, isn’t it?”

“I forgot my real one,” she shrugged.

John gave a short, dry laugh. “Well, I don’t care who you used to be. If you can walk into Aseti Bank and convincingly call yourself Harriet Listerwell, that’s all I need.”

He handed her a small slip of paper.

“This is Harriet’s childhood signature. You have two days. Learn to copy it perfectly.”

Lily raised her eyebrows. “And if I do, you’ll really give me fifty thousand dirhams?”

“Of course. But if you say a word about this to anyone—” His voice dropped, low and chilling. “—I’ll extract fifty thousand Dirhams’ worth of flesh from your body.”

She didn’t know exactly how much flesh that was, but she knew it meant death.

Terrified but desperate for the money, Lily agreed. She moved into the Listerwell estate and spent two days practicing Harriet’s signature over and over again, mimicking her handwriting until she could reproduce it with ease.

John also had her trained in basic noble etiquette—how to sit, how to speak, how to walk like a lady. Luckily, Lily had some prior experience working as a background actor in small plays, so she adapted quickly.

When she finally managed to sign without hesitation, John’s eyes lit up.

“Perfect. That’s it.”

He dressed her in one of Harriet’s old gowns and prepared the carriage. Though the rush might’ve seemed tireless, John had barely slept in days, and he wanted this matter resolved as quickly as possible.

As the carriage raced toward Perilas, John leaned back, the corner of his mouth twitching in satisfaction.

That land will finally be mine.

The thought gave him immense pleasure—enough to make him momentarily forget the stress of the past week. Even giving half the property to Bella no longer felt as painful.

***

Two hours later, the carriage arrived in Perilas.

Lily groaned, clutching her stomach. “Ugh, I thought I was going to throw up.”

“Get a hold of yourself, Harriet,” John snapped. “You know what to do, right?”

“Yeah. Go in, act like the sweet little niece, don’t talk too much, and just sign wherever they tell me to.”

“Exactly. Let’s go.”

John held his head high and walked confidently into the Aseti Bank, with Lily politely following behind in full noblewoman attire.

It was business hours, so the bank had a few customers, but John ignored them all and made his way directly to the front, where Howard, the bank manager, sat behind the counter.

“Mr. Scott! I’ve come again, as promised!” he called out, cheerfully.

Howard looked up—and his face shifted subtly, his expression unreadable.

“What brings you here today, Lord Listerwell?”

“Oh, come now, what else would I come for? Unlike last time, this visit will go much more smoothly. I even brought my dear niece with me!”

Howard’s eyes moved to Lily.

“Ah… I see. And you must be Miss Harriet?”

Lily stepped forward and gave a small bow, trying to act shy and polite.

“Pleased to meet you. I am Harriet Listerwell.”

John smiled broadly. “Finally tracked her down. I know you’re busy, so let’s get right to the paperwork, shall we?”

But Howard didn’t move. He simply smiled and shook his head.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand, Lord Listerwell. Miss Harriet Listerwell already came here and claimed the property.”

“What?” John’s voice cracked.

Howard remained calm. “Yes. About five days ago. She came herself, verified everything, and opened a new account with us.”

John’s head spun. His eyes darted around as if trying to grasp some invisible explanation.

“That—That’s ridiculous! You’re saying Harriet… already signed the documents?”

“That’s correct. She even inspected the land and mansion.”

“That’s impossible!” John shouted, his mask of politeness shattering. “Someone is mimicking her! How could you let that happen? Didn’t you verify her identity?”

Howard remained unfazed.

“With all due respect, I don’t understand your confusion. According to Lord Arthur Listerwell’s instructions, we confirmed Miss Harriet’s identity using a two-step process.”

“Identity verification?” John’s hands were shaking with fury.

Howard brought out a piece of paper.

“Lord Arthur stated that if Harriet ever came to claim the land, we should confirm two things. First, her signature must match.”

“Then Harriet, sign the paper??” John barked.

But Howard didn’t budge.

“And the second condition—she must correctly fill in the missing words here.”

He handed over a short note with a few missing lines. It took John a while, but he realized it was a lullaby.

“This? This childish thing is your verification process?”

“Lord Arthur said the real Harriet would never miss a single word. And the woman who came five days ago got it exactly right.”

Howard slid the paper and a pen toward Lily.

“Here you go. Please fill it in.”

But Lily hadn’t been warned about any of this. She froze and stared at John, unsure what to do.

John, panicking, slammed his palm onto the paper and crumpled it up.

“I am the head of House Listerwell! The estate belongs to my family, and my word should be final! What is this nonsense?”

Howard looked unimpressed. 

“Unfortunately, the Empire’s law disagrees. Honestly, we could report you for obstruction and attempted fraud.”

“What did you just say?”

“Miss Harriet has been living in Genoa for some time now. She left the Listerwell estate years ago and is under a different guardian. And yet, you’ve been lying to us.”

Howard’s eyes turned cold.

“You couldn’t forge a legal document, so you brought a lookalike to fake a signature? Who’s the real fraud here?”

“You little…!”

“And frankly, she doesn’t even look like Miss Harriet. Same hair color doesn’t mean anything.”

He even clicked his tongue in disappointment.

Everyone in the bank was now staring. Murmuring filled the air. The mood was turning tense.

“J-Just you wait!” John blurted out, storming out of the bank.

Lily followed in a panic, nearly tripping over her dress as she raced after him.

What was meant to be a flawless plan had crumbled into a public embarrassment.