Chapter 131
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 131
Jeremia’s spring tea party was a magnificent feast of blossoms. Under the transition from late spring to early summer, the flowers in the Ducal House’s gardens flaunted their most brilliant hues.
Among them, the flower that stood out most was Jeremia Kailas herself. She remained as radiant, beautiful, and poised as she had been during her days as the ‘Beloved Youngest Imperial Princess.’
"It has been a long time. I trust you have been well?"
As Trisha offered her greeting, Jeremia rose from her seat to courteously welcome the elderly lady.
"Welcome, Lady Fellon. I heard your health had been failing recently. Are you feeling any better?"
"The medicine I recently began taking is proving effective. Thank you for your concern."
After exchanging the expected pleasantries, Trisha beckoned Harriet—who had been following quietly behind—to her side. She then bowed her head to Jeremia once more.
"I wish to offer my sincere gratitude for your efforts when my grand-niece was in crisis. Please forgive my belated thanks."
"Oh, what are you saying? It was Lady Fellon’s request, so of course I had to help. Besides, that knight was a disgrace to both the Imperial Family and our own house."
The one who had actually petitioned the Empress for help on Harriet’s behalf that day was Cedric. However, it had only been possible because Jeremia hadn't stood in his way.
Knowing the power Jeremia Kailas still wielded—revered as both the 'Youngest Imperial Princess' and the 'True Mistress of the Ducal House'—Trisha made sure to offer her gratitude to Jeremia before approaching Cedric.
"I was anxious, unable to properly fulfill my role as a guardian due to my illness, but thanks to the Ducal House’s assistance, my worries have been eased. Thank you once again."
At Trisha’s repeated thanks, Jeremia waved her hand dismissively, though she was secretly surprised.
‘For that stubborn old woman to bow her head so low... Does she truly cherish Lady Harriet that much?’
Trisha Fellon was not someone to be taken lightly. This had been true even when her husband, Oster Fellon, was alive, but even after his passing, the Fellon family had thrived in various businesses and maintained ironclad connections with key Imperial figures.
That success was entirely due to Trisha Fellon’s capabilities.
Nor was she merely competent. When people grow old and lonely, they often fall into the trap of being swayed by flatterers, but Trisha unhesitatingly cut off anyone who tried to cling to her, protecting her family and assets with a cold efficiency.
Because of that, she was sometimes called eccentric, but she cared little for the whispers of cowards. So sharp was Trisha’s judgment of character that even Jeremia didn't doubt the individuals she recommended.
How surprised she had been, then, to hear that such a discerning and wise woman had become the new guardian of the 'Scandal Maker,' Harriet Listerwell.
Jeremia’s gaze naturally shifted to Harriet.
‘She seems fine for now, but I must keep an eye on her. It isn't rare for a person to change the moment they get a taste of power.’
A young lady had been granted an audience with the Empress, and the Empress had publicly shielded her. For an ordinary person, such a thing would naturally breed arrogance. Those who had ignored her until now would suddenly be falling over themselves to be kind, and her standing in High Society would have shifted overnight.
‘So, this is the final test.’
Jeremia’s decision not to stop Cedric from rushing to Anastasia to ask for Harriet’s protection had also been a trap she’d laid. She wanted to see if Harriet had approached Cedric with sinister intentions, as Bella claimed, or if she had merely been slandered.
Even if it were the latter, if Harriet lacked the wisdom to handle the good fortune that had come her way, Jeremia intended to withdraw her favor entirely.
Without revealing her inner thoughts, she offered a faint smile.
"Oh, by the way. I shall be hosting a party soon. Lady Fellon and Lady Harriet, you will both attend, won't you?"
"An evening party so soon after a tea party of this scale? What is the urgency?"
At Trisha’s question, Jeremia feigned a distressed expression and sighed.
"Cedric is already twenty-seven. He still shows no intention of marrying, so wouldn't a mother’s heart be burning with worry?"
"Are you planning to scout a daughter-in-law at the party?"
"It would be ideal if a young lady caught Cedric’s eye, but if not, I shall have to find one myself. Even if we begin discussions this year, the wedding wouldn't be until next, so we are running out of time."
Harriet felt as though Jeremia’s gaze had flickered toward her for a brief moment, but she dismissed it, assuming she had misread the situation. What Jeremia had said bothered her more.
‘Indeed. Now that I think about it, Duke Kailas has no rumors regarding women.’
The appropriate age for a noble man to marry was between twenty-four and twenty-eight. At twenty-seven, he was at the perfect age, yet not a single woman had ever been mentioned in connection with him.
Although he had been preoccupied with the war and his father’s passing, those very facts should have made the issue of succession even more pressing.
‘He lacks nothing, so why...? Is it because of his personality? But on the surface, he seems kind and sensible. For someone of Duke Kailas’s standing, that level of temperament should be more than tolerable.’
If there had been a woman he’d dated and then broken up with, she might have attributed it to his personality, but it was strange that there wasn't even a whisper of a relationship. The woman who had spoken with Cedric at the last Albeman Bank outing seemed to be a mere acquaintance; she hadn't seen or heard of them together since.
Harriet tried to recall any woman associated with Cedric, then suddenly felt ridiculous and let out a small, self-deprecating laugh.
‘I’m getting worked up again over something that has nothing to do with me. Does it make sense that such a distinguished man has no experience? He probably just managed to keep the rumors from spreading. Something like that would be child's play for him.’
The romantic affairs of a man from a different world were not a topic she should delve into.
Perhaps because of those thoughts, a bitter smile touched Harriet’s lips. Suddenly, the garden entrance grew noisy. Servants had abruptly begun carrying chairs and setting up a stage on one side of the garden.
It didn't seem to be Jeremia’s doing. She, too, stopped her conversation with Trisha and looked toward the entrance with a bewildered expression.
But when she saw the people entering behind the servants, her face shifted into a mix of welcome and curiosity.
"Oh, what is he doing here?"
At her words, Harriet also peered over curiously. A group of people in identical uniforms followed a man, each carrying their own instrument.
‘Cedric?’
Even from a distance, he was unmistakable. His golden hair caught the sunlight, his tall physique and sharp features commanded the space, and his dignified demeanor carried that unique, subtle aura.
As he approached Jeremia, the musicians took their seats and immediately began tuning. After a brief moment of discord, they produced a magnificent harmony the second the conductor raised his baton.
"Oh my! It’s the Mardine Orchestra."
"As expected of Duke Kailas. To bring such a famous orchestra to his mother’s tea party."
The group he had brought was Genoa’s finest orchestra, so sought after that booking them was like trying to pluck a star from the sky. It was Harriet’s first time hearing them perform, but even without deep musical knowledge, she could tell their skill was extraordinary.
Only then did she realize that music had been the one thing missing from the party.
"Cedric told me not to call an orchestra for this party, saying the theme was the 'sounds of nature.' I hesitated, thinking it might be a bit dull, but to receive such a gift..."
Jeremia tried her best to act modest, but she couldn't entirely hide her delight.
Finally, Cedric reached the front. He lightly embraced his mother, then offered a nod of greeting to Trisha, Harriet, and the other nearby ladies.
Jeremia poked Cedric in the side playfully.
"This is unlike you—a surprise appearance? You said you couldn't make it today."
"Sometimes, there should be days like this," Cedric replied with a somewhat cliché answer.
He said little more, but his presence alone shifted the atmosphere. Excellent music, delicious tea, and guests of high culture—Harriet felt a sudden wave of timidity, realizing that this was what true High Society looked like. It wasn't as gaudy as the parties the Countess used to host, but it was far more dignified.
‘If I hadn't come with Great-aunt Trisha, I probably would have received quite a few disapproving glances.’
Unlike herself, who felt somewhat clumsy, everyone else’s movements seemed to flow with practiced elegance. And at the pinnacle of that elegance stood Cedric Kailas.
The very man Harriet had once thought, 'I don't want to lose to him.' The one she had treated impudently, and even warned to be careful. Suddenly, the social distance between them felt like a vast, palpable chasm.
‘What should I do? I have something to ask him today...’
Harriet tried not to look in Cedric’s direction, focusing on her conversation with Trisha. She felt anxious, as if the item she had secretly brought in her pocket was weighing her down.
But had he noticed her unease?
Suddenly, a familiar voice came from right behind her.