Chapter 113
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 113
A few days after Tez’s visit, Harriet found herself sipping champagne with him in the gardens of Albeman Bank’s headquarters, where the full splendor of spring was on display.
"I’d heard the rumors, but there really are a lot of people here."
"That’s because many influential figures you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else attend events like this," Tez replied.
The vast garden was bustling, yet it was a testament to the crowd’s breeding that not a single voice was raised in a spectacle. Under the pavilions scattered across the lawn, plush couches were arranged for comfort, and tables placed every few steps were continuously replenished with chilled champagne, refreshments, and light finger foods.
True to the nature of a spring outing, everything was bright and fresh, but the expressions of those in conversation remained serious and intense.
Tez nudged Harriet’s shoulder with his own and whispered, "Just by listening in on their conversations, you’ll find plenty to learn, My Lady. Shall we?"
He led Harriet toward a group of his acquaintances.
"Oh, Tez! Long time no see."
"I didn't expect to see you at a place like this. Have you finally come to your senses? Ahahaha!"
"And your beautiful partner here is... oh?"
The man, poised to ask for an introduction, froze the moment his eyes landed on Harriet. Before he could say anything untoward, Tez smoothly cut him off.
"This is my friend, Miss Harriet Listerwell. Miss Harriet, allow me to introduce Sir Josh Coburn, Sir Oliver Green, and Sir Jack Wells. We all root for the same polo team."
Only then did the men compose themselves and offer bright smiles.
"A pleasure to meet you, Lady Listerwell."
"The pleasure is mine. I am Harriet Listerwell."
Harriet laughed it off, pretending not to notice their hesitation, but she knew exactly why they had paused. The ignominy of being a "scandal maker" still clung to her like a second skin.
As the men spoke, Harriet listened intently to the exchange. Some of the terminology was difficult to grasp, and she was occasionally startled when they burst into sudden laughter, but she focused on finding the meaning behind their words. She was determined not to let this opportunity go to waste.
However, whenever she caught their gazes sweeping over her, appraising her from head to toe, her resolve wavered.
It’s to be expected, given they’re Tez Roark’s acquaintances, but isn't this a bit much?
Her initial impression of the event—an outing filled with cultured individuals—was rapidly crumbling. Moreover, ever since the conversation began, Tez hadn't paid her the slightest bit of attention. They seemed to be doing nothing but trading insincere compliments and stroking each other's egos. Frankly, it felt like a waste of time; she was nothing more than an ornament standing at Tez’s side.
When Josh Coburn scanned her for the third time, Harriet reached her limit. She tapped Tez’s arm.
"Please excuse me for a moment."
He looked slightly flustered but quickly recovered, nodding with a smile.
Harriet could guess what the topic of conversation would shift to the moment she turned her back, but she refused to stand there like a simpering doll any longer. She walked away quickly, though in truth, she also genuinely needed to find the powder room.
"Surely they didn't all come here just to flatter one another," Harriet sighed as she washed her hands and exited the restroom.
She couldn't help but wonder what she was even doing there.
Should I just walk around and try talking to someone else?
If all she could do beside Tez was smile mutely without participating, there was no point in staying. As she walked slowly, planning her next move, a familiar voice drifted toward her. Or rather, a familiar laugh.
Wait. Cedric Kailas?
He was standing with someone, laughing as they conversed. His golden hair shimmered in the spring sun, a sight so radiant it felt like a mirage.
Why do I keep running into this man? Is he following me?
Harriet scoffed at her own ridiculous thought the moment it crossed her mind.
If anything, it looks like I’m the one following him!
It was absurd for someone of her standing to be lurking about, whereas it was perfectly natural for a man of Cedric’s wealth and power to attend high-society auctions and outings. Cedric would likely be even more surprised to find her here.
She wanted no part of the judgment that would surely follow if he saw her, and she knew she should hide. Yet, for some reason, her feet wouldn't budge. Was it because his smiling face was so dazzling, or because the person he was talking to was such a young, beautiful woman?
"So, Lady Spence, you will be inheriting the House of Spence’s jewelry business, then?"
"That is the plan. To be precise, it will be my future husband, not me, who takes charge of the operations."
Perhaps it was because the way he treated that woman was so utterly different from how he treated Harriet. Their conversation felt like it belonged to a world far removed from her own.
What am I even doing here?
A wave of doubt and self-reproach washed over her once more. But at that moment, Cedric glanced around and his eyes locked onto hers. His expression stiffened instantly.
I didn't see him. I didn't see him.
Flustered, Harriet pretended she hadn't recognized him. She averted her gaze and hurried away.
*
For Cedric, the Albeman Bank’s spring outing was a tedious yet necessary obligation.
A significant portion of the Kailas Ducal House’s liquid assets was distributed among Albeman Bank and its subsidiaries. Consequently, the bank always afforded the Ducal House the highest level of prestige, making it difficult to decline their invitations. Moreover, the event was a rare chance to maintain connections with people he only saw once a year.
Discussing business was fine, but dealing with those who approached him with ulterior motives was exhausting—specifically, women who tried to dress up trivialities as matters of great importance, much like the one before him now.
What is Count Spence thinking, passing the jewelry business to a daughter like this? She claims it’s her inheritance, yet she knows absolutely nothing about it.
All she talked about was how the man she eventually married would take over the reins. It had been over a decade since the laws were amended to allow daughters to inherit property and titles, and while the legal landscape was shifting, it seemed the women themselves were slow to change.
And yet, some manage to cleverly reclaim their stolen assets. Then again, if everyone were like that woman, court battles would have tripled by now.
He found it slightly amusing that he was thinking of Harriet even in this situation, but it was precisely this setting that brought her to mind. Harriet was the most audacious, intelligent, and daring businesswoman Cedric knew.
Compared to her, he had nothing to say to Lady Spence. He let his gaze wander.
Oh?
At first, he thought his mind was playing tricks on him. A chill ran down his spine. He had just been thinking of Harriet, and there she was.
But the moment their eyes met, she abruptly turned her head and walked away.
Harriet!
He almost moved to follow her instinctively, but Lady Spence, utterly oblivious, spoke to him again, snapping him back to reality. He couldn't just chase after her blindly. He noted Harriet’s direction and racked his brain.
How did Harriet get in here?
There was no way she would have received an invitation in her own name. That meant she was someone’s guest, but he knew Trisha hadn't attended such events in years.
A sudden thought occurred to him. He borrowed a pair of opera glasses from Lady Spence—he never thought he’d be grateful to her for bringing such a thing to a garden party. He raised the small binoculars and looked toward where Harriet had gone.
Sure enough, Tez Roark was there, chatting animatedly with his companions.
Why does she keep entangling herself with that fellow?
They didn't seem to have a serious relationship, so why? Amidst his annoyance, his gaze swept over the men standing with Tez. They weren't strangers.
Those bastards are definitely...!
They were the type who gathered at every polo match, getting worked up over crude talk about women. They were a nuisance, and he remembered them clearly.
He wanted to hope Harriet had come with someone else, but besides Tez Roark, there was no one she would know in that direction.
However, for some reason, Harriet’s steps were slow as she returned to her spot. Judging by the way she was looking around, she seemed poised to change direction the moment she spotted anyone else worth talking to.