Chapter 153
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 153
“Oh, Harriet!”
It was a familiar voice—the kind that made her want to keep her head turned away.
But Harriet, recalling her resolve to never shy away from a fight that came looking for her, turned to face her opponent with a defiant expression.
“Bella?”
Bella called Harriet’s name, but the moment she confirmed it was her, she pointedly ignored her, offering a bright smile only to Gerard.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Gerard turned to greet other acquaintances. Only then did Bella deign to look at Harriet.
“You look surprised to see me here, don’t you?”
A triumphant smirk played on her lips. Harriet returned the look with a cool smile of her own.
“Oh, I knew. I fully expected you to attend. I just didn’t expect to run into you quite so soon.”
“Me neither. But guess who told me you’d be coming?”
“Do I really need to know?”
“It might be good for future reference. It was Duke Kailas.”
Harriet snorted, finding Bella’s arrogance utterly ridiculous.
“So? What’s your point?”
“That’s for you to figure out. Anyway, your partner is quite dashing. He suits you.”
The implication was transparent. Gerard was old enough to be her father; Bella was essentially telling her to be grateful for even a second marriage to an older man.
“Sorry to disappoint, but he’s a business associate. We’re here on professional terms.”
Bella leaned in, whispering with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
“Everyone says that while they’re busy making connections. Try harder, Harriet. Given your standing, you should at least try to snag that old man while you still can.”
Harriet was about to snap back when Cedric, having found his seat, approached them.
“You’re already here.”
He gave Harriet a slight, respectful bow before extending his hand to Gerard, who had noticed him a moment late.
Gerard looked around at the surrounding seats and remarked, “It seems this entire section is composed of those invited through Your Grace’s connections.”
“Ah, I found it bothersome to seek out acquaintances and greet them individually, so I requested the seating be arranged this way.”
It was a request only someone of Duke Kailas’s stature could make. Who else but a high-ranking member of the Imperial family would think to rearrange an entire theater’s seating chart for their own convenience?
As Harriet was once again struck by the sheer weight of his power, two chimes—ding, ding—echoed through the hall.
“It seems the opening address is about to begin.”
This was a proper theater, not a party venue. They had come to see an opera, which meant they needed to take their seats quickly.
Harriet checked the number on her invitation and sat down. To her right was Gerard; to her left was Cedric. And to Cedric’s left sat Bella.
As she smoothed her skirt and straightened her posture, Harriet noticed people positioned in the pit below the stage, clutching cameras. She had heard that Count Pelodier, who had poured his soul into the theater’s opening, had only granted press passes to a few weekly newspapers—and even then, only on the condition of pre-censorship.
I thought they’d only photograph the owner or the performers, but they’re even taking pictures of the audience.
It made sense. As photography advanced and newspapers became more widespread, the aristocracy had become objects of public fascination. Figures like Bella and Daphne were revered as goddesses by the commoners, their fame rivaling that of the most celebrated actors.
But Harriet was different.
Given her history of clashing with the three major newspapers, even the slightest slip-up would be seized upon and used to ridicule her. To avoid becoming an easy target, she sat with her back rigidly straight.
*
Bella cast a sidelong glance at Harriet and swallowed her irritation.
Why is she in that seat, of all people?
Bella was Cedric’s official partner for the evening, yet it was utterly galling that Harriet was the one sitting directly next to him. She knew the seats were typically arranged in a male-female-male-female pattern, meaning another woman was bound to sit beside ‘her man,’ but why did it have to be Harriet?
It must be because of Sir Austin.
It was common knowledge that Gerard Austin was Cedric’s closest confidant. It was only natural for him to be seated nearest to the Duke, and Harriet, as his partner, had simply lucked into the adjacent spot.
Though it’s a useless stroke of luck for a woman like her.
The fact that no rumors had surfaced between Cedric and Harriet, even after she had retrieved his father’s keepsake, proved she held no appeal for him. Satisfied with that thought, Bella subtly leaned closer to Cedric and whispered into his ear.
“Count Pelodier seems nervous.”
Jim Pelodier had appeared on stage under the spotlight. He seemed so overwhelmed by the sight of the packed house that he was alternating between wiping his eyes with a handkerchief and laughing, unable to start his speech.
Cedric replied without turning his head toward her. “He put a great deal of effort into establishing this theater. It’s understandable that he’s at a loss for words.”
“He truly is an amazing man. They say he’s elevated the Empire’s theatrical arts to a new level.”
“He is a man who knows how to spend money properly.”
As their small talk concluded, Count Pelodier finally began his address. After a moving speech and a brief introduction to the premiere, the curtain fell.
The muffled sounds of stagehands moving heavy equipment echoed from behind the velvet. Then, the conductor dramatically swung his baton. With a magnificent swell of music, the curtain rose again to reveal a world entirely transformed.
Bella whispered to Cedric again, “The stage changed so completely in such a short time! It’s marvelous.”
“They are veterans, after all.”
The music continued. On stage, actors in splendid gowns and tailcoats mimed the spreading of rumors, whispering behind their fans and laughing. Then, the ensemble began to sing in unison.
“Oh, she has fallen! In love, she has fallen!”
“Was she not the one beloved by all?”
“No, no, she was not. In truth, her heart was given to none.”
“Then who has plucked that solitary flower?”
“It was none other than—it was none other than...!”
A sudden, dramatic silence followed.
From the wings, a man and a woman walked out, looking deeply in love. Enraptured by the emotions they had just discovered, they sang a duet of courtship. Then, as if to show the origins of their romance, the play shifted back in time, and the main act truly began.
The premiere of Thorn Rose at the Pelodier Theater lived up to its reputation, captivating every soul in the audience. Until the final note of Act 1, no one could tear their eyes away.
As the curtain descended on the image of the despairing heroine—who had gravely misunderstood the hero—the audience let out a collective sigh before erupting into applause.
“Act 2 will begin after a fifteen-minute intermission. Restrooms are located at the ends of both corridors. Please be seated three minutes before the performance resumes.”
At the announcer’s prompt, the audience began to chat, stretch, or head for the exits. Bella watched Harriet leave her seat, then felt her heart skip a beat when Cedric suddenly leaned toward her.
“Miss Bella. I have a question.”
“Yes, please ask.”
Cedric lowered his voice. “Do all women have a fondness for diamonds?”
“Hmm... As far as I know, yes.”
His gaze briefly swept over Bella’s hand. “Then why aren’t you wearing that famous engagement ring of yours?”
“Oh, that? I don’t wear it every day. I thought a necklace alone would better complement today’s dress.”
Her engagement ring from James was famous for its enormous diamond. There had even been ‘criticisms’ that placing such a heavy gem on Bella’s delicate finger was an act of cruelty. Bella loved the ring for exactly that reason; she believed its weight represented her worth.
But today was the day she intended to seduce Cedric. There was no reason to wear another man’s mark.
Cedric watched Bella’s hand as she idly toyed with her slender diamond necklace.
“Indeed,” he said. “It seems better that you aren’t wearing that ring. In fact, it would be better if you never wore it again. Ever.”
Bella’s hand froze instantly.
What does he mean by that? He was speaking too softly for anyone else to hear. He was speaking only to her. How was she supposed to interpret the suggestion that she should discard another man’s engagement ring?
Of course, Bella was not the type to get flustered and ruin her own momentum. She simply met his gaze with a meaningful look and a seductive smile.
“That would depend... on if I were to acquire a diamond more captivating than that ring.”
Cedric, his eyes slowly tracing a path from the top of her head down to the nape of her neck, replied, “Personally, I find a woman most beautiful when she wears only diamond earrings.”
“And why is that?”
“Because a necklace only serves to obscure the lines of a beautiful neck.”
At his unexpected answer, Bella feigned a bashful surprise, lightly nudging his forearm with her elbow.