Chapter 121
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 121
“What are you so afraid of? Just don’t get caught. It’s not the Countess’s bedroom; it’s just the room of a grandniece staying here. Even if you do get caught, it won’t be the end of the world.”
Far from being comforted, Esther, a maid of the Fellon Family, burst into fresh tears at his words. Of course, the man threatening her wasn’t the compassionate sort to feel any sympathy.
“Just pretend to clean, go in, and swipe any documents or letters with her name on them. Just bring them to me—I don’t care if they’re useful or not—and I’ll wipe away your brother’s 40,000 Dirham debt. Understand? Where else are you going to find a deal this easy?”
“What are you going to do to Miss Harriet with those? You’re not planning something terrible, are you?”
“So, you’d rather something terrible happen to your brother? If that’s the case, fine by me.”
Esther couldn’t let that happen. No matter how much of a troublemaker he was, she couldn’t leave her only sibling to the mercy of a gang of back-alley thugs.
In the end, Esther snuck into Harriet’s room—the room of the young lady who had been nothing but kind to her since she arrived at the mansion. Cold sweat rolled down her face and her heart hammered against her ribs, but driven by the desperate need to save her brother’s life, she began to rummage through Harriet’s desk.
Stealing the letters was the easy part. Invitations and correspondence that had already been answered or required no reply were tied neatly with string and set to one side.
But that alone wasn't enough.
What should I do? They seemed to want legal documents or secret letters…
The desk was meticulously organized. The unlocked drawers held nothing but stationery, pens, and basic writing supplies.
With trembling hands, Esther checked Harriet’s vanity and even the drawers of the nightstand beside the bed.
Nothing! There’s nothing here.
There was no way those men would believe her if she simply said she couldn't find anything. With tear-filled eyes, Esther scanned the room, desperately praying for God to save her brother.
Perhaps her prayers were answered. Suddenly, a bag sitting on the shelf behind the desk caught her eye. It was the bag Harriet had carried during her recent visit to the Saint Clarissa Convent.
She probably wouldn’t keep anything important in there, but…
Esther opened the bag, determined to check every possible lead. It felt light, almost empty, but to her surprise, it contained a file with several documents bound together.
“Oh…? This… if it’s this…”
Esther couldn't make sense of legal jargon, but the official seal stamped at the bottom was all that mattered to her. She tucked the file and the bundle of envelopes into the bottom of her laundry basket and piled Harriet’s dirty clothes on top.
She scanned the room one last time, but saw nothing else that looked like a stroke of luck. There were surely more valuable things inside the locked desk drawers, but getting into those was impossible.
I have to get out of here. Now.
Wiping her sweat-dampened forehead with the back of her hand, she began to push the laundry basket toward the door.
But at that moment, the door clicked open.
“Oh? Esther?”
“M-M-Miss Harriet!”
Esther nearly fainted on the spot. She was certain Harriet would see her flustered state, suspect her immediately, and overturn the laundry basket to see what she had stolen.
Instead, Harriet gave her an apologetic look.
“I must have opened the door too forcefully. Did I startle you?”
“Oh, no! Not at all!”
“Thank you, as always. It’s thanks to you that I always have clean clothes and a tidy room.”
“It’s… it’s just my job, Miss.”
“Even so, I know you take special care of me, Esther. Here, it’s not much, but buy yourself something nice to eat on your next day off.”
Harriet slipped something into Esther’s apron pocket.
“No! Please, Young Lady, you don’t have to!”
“Nonsense! I’ve already given it, and I have no intention of taking it back. Now, off you go. Quickly!”
Harriet gently nudged Esther’s back, ushering her out of the room.
Thanks to that, Esther escaped without being caught, but she felt as if a heavy stone had been lodged in her chest. Inside her apron pocket lay a single 100 Dirham banknote.
“Heaven will surely punish me for this.”
Wiping away her overflowing tears, she slowly pushed the laundry basket down the hall.
*
Bella, examining the letters and documents Esther had stolen, was struck by a wave of shock and horror that momentarily eclipsed her guilt.
She’s receiving this many invitations? Harriet Listerwell? That wretched scandal-maker?
The thick bundle of invitations featured a staggering array of names, ranging from minor nobles to the most prestigious aristocratic families. Recalling how Harriet couldn't secure a single invitation back when she lived with the Listerwell family, this was an unbelievable transformation.
A gathering of young ladies her age is one thing, but even Countess Vanderbilt and Countess Lilburn invited her? This… this is dangerous. Extremely dangerous.
Until now, Bella had assumed Harriet was only able to show her face in such circles because of Trisha. But given the news of her tea time with the Empress, it was becoming clear that Harriet Listerwell was being invited in her own right, not merely as a ward.
However, the theft hadn't just yielded unpleasant social news. It had provided the file Esther had taken from Harriet’s bag.
The documents inside were all related to <Clarissa>’s former name, <Saint Clarissa Soap & Herb>. But what caught Bella’s eye was the name listed as the company’s representative: Harriet.
“Harriet… was the owner of that damn soap shop…?”
Wasn’t that the very shop that had opened on the day of her and James’s party, completely ruining the atmosphere? Bella realized now that it hadn't been a coincidence.
Fury surged through her, but she didn't have time to dwell on it. She had finally found the leverage she needed to destroy Harriet.
“It was a smart move to hide that you were the representative, Harriet. If only I hadn’t found out, right?”
Bella let out a sharp chuckle. “You really should have guarded such important documents better.”
Everyone believed <Clarissa> was an enterprise run by the Saint Clarissa Convent. In reality, it was for the personal gain of a mere minor noble! Harriet had hidden that fact, pretending to help the convent while lining her own pockets, making fools of the Imperial Family and the entire aristocracy.
Bella was truly curious to see how the Empress or the Kailas Family would react once this hit the papers.
*
If one were to name the three largest newspapers in Genoa, they would be the Daily Genoa, the Astoga Tribune, and the Lawrence Journal.
If an article appeared simultaneously in all three, it meant the news was of monumental importance—or that someone was determined to make it so.
“What in the… what on earth is this…!”
Harriet, who was having a simple breakfast while reading the morning papers prepared by Butler Andre, dropped her bread in shock when she saw her name on the page.
The article wasn't particularly long, but the fact that it was printed at the bottom of the front page of every major paper was a catastrophe. The headlines were anything but kind.
「Who is the True Owner of <Clarissa>!」
「Profiteering in the Name of God! The Hidden Truth of <Clarissa>」
「Exploiting the Desire to Help Orphans: An In-Depth Look at <Clarissa>」
Harriet’s hands trembled as she reached for the Daily Genoa first.
「…According to an anonymous informant, contrary to rumors that the profits generated belonged to the Saint Clarissa Convent, the representative of <Clarissa> is merely a minor noble.
After persistent efforts to reach the informant, this paper has obtained the identity of the shameless individual who sold the name of God and the convent for profit. For the sake of the public good, we intend to reveal their name.
The person who amassed immense wealth by selling soap made by the convent's orphans—children who worked through the freezing winter—is none other than…」
“Gasp!”
Harriet involuntarily threw the newspaper aside. The words ‘Harriet Listerwell’ were printed with agonizing clarity.
Just then, Roxana burst into the room.
“Miss Harriet! Have you seen the papers…! Ah, you’ve already seen them.”
Seeing the pale green sheets scattered on the floor and Harriet’s deathly pale face, Roxana quickly grasped the situation.
“M-Madam… I don’t understand how this could have happened…”
“I know you’re confused, but pull yourself together. Let’s finish reading the other papers, then we’ll go to Lady Fellon.”
“Does Great-aunt know as well?”
“She’s an early riser, isn’t she? She must have already read them.”
Harriet squeezed her eyes shut, then clenched her jaw and forced them open again.
Roxana was right. She couldn't afford to panic, no matter how unsettling this was. She didn't know who had orchestrated this report, but she couldn't afford to fall straight into her opponent’s trap.
Harriet took a deep breath and unfolded the next newspaper.