Chapter 171
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 171
“I missed you. So much, in fact, that I found it surprising myself.”
Cedric’s words from inside the carriage had become her own, replaying in her mind every single day. She missed him. It was a strangely profound, aching longing.
Almost every night, he haunted her dreams.
In those visions, Cedric smiled at her without fail, whispering honeyed words whose true depth she couldn't quite grasp.
Waking from such dreams always left a sharp pang in the center of her chest, forcing her to curl into a ball for a long time. Sometimes, tears would well up from the sheer self-pity of her state, and she would wonder if there was any way to rid herself of these feelings.
Then, one morning, after waking without having dreamt of him at all, Harriet felt a hollow emptiness and finally realized the truth.
Loving him isn't a source of pain; it’s a blessing.
The proof was simple: despite the sadness and loneliness that followed their meetings, she never once wanted to avoid him.
Harriet changed her mind.
Feeling this way might be a once-in-a-lifetime stroke of luck. To waste such a gift on nothing but sorrow would be a waste of a life.
She decided to acknowledge her feelings and embrace this love joyfully. She would let go of what she couldn't control and let the rest make her heart flutter. She would create unforgettable memories, even if Cedric remained unaware of them.
She decided she would no longer care about his relationships with other women. Her feelings wouldn't change regardless of who he associated with, so fretting over such things was merely ridiculous.
With this shift in perspective, Harriet’s heart felt considerably more at ease.
Because of that newfound peace, she was able to remain composed in Cedric’s presence—even to the point of teasing him.
“I was surprised to hear from the busiest man in Genoa. I imagine you have a long line of people desperate to see you.”
“Even if there are many, none of them are welcome. They’re all just people demanding money.”
“So I’ve heard. They say the economy is booming thanks to the Kailas Family. You seem to regret releasing Simon for free, don't you?”
“Hmm... Actually, I extorted quite a bit from Albert, so my situation isn't as bad as it looks.”
Cedric shrugged, a relaxed smile playing on his lips. While she had spent days exhausting herself just to control her emotions and pretend to be unaffected, everything seemed to come easily to this man.
Feeling a prickle of annoyance at his effortless grace, Harriet leaned into her sarcasm.
“Isn't this front-page news? ‘Hero of the Empire, who quelled the Angelic incident at his own expense, secretly extorted funds’? I think that would make a magnificent headline.”
“I’m closer to a villain than a hero, so it hardly matters.”
“Oh, come now. Feigning villainy doesn't suit you, Duke. And you are a hero, aren't you? You solved a crisis the Imperial Family couldn't even touch.”
She praised him, uncharacteristically, hoping to see him look a little awkward. Instead, a bitter, mocking smile touched Cedric’s lips.
“A hero, huh... People use that word so lightly.”
He turned his gaze to his father’s portrait hanging on the wall.
“I haven't even touched a single one of the bastards responsible for my father’s death. What kind of hero does that make me?”
His crooked smile vanished, dying out like the last embers of burnt wood.
Benedict had been spared the death penalty. Cedric had agonized over the decision, but in the end, he couldn't bring himself to break his promise to his father.
When he had asked the Emperor to commute the verdict, the words had felt like lead in his mouth. But seeing the sentence changed to twenty years of imprisonment—and watching Marquess Pascal scramble in a flustered panic—he realized his father’s judgment had been right once again.
If Benedict died, the happiest people would be Marquess Pascal and Count Hayward. Cedric had no intention of letting his enemies cut their losses and escape so easily.
If he threw out the right bait, set the trap, and waited, they would surely walk the path of self-destruction on their own. And Benedict would make an excellent trap.
Even knowing that, the suffocating weight in his chest remained.
“Everything else is moving so fast, but strangely, the matters concerning my father’s death are at a standstill. Even though my enemies are right in front of me.”
He felt a wave of self-loathing for his perceived inaction. It was enough to sour the success of his carefully planned endeavors.
As Cedric tasted the bitterness in his mouth, Harriet, sitting opposite him, reached out and awkwardly placed her hand over his.
“I understand that feeling.”
It was a reversal of their roles in the carriage.
Cedric knew she was sincere. After all, she too had been unable to find justice for her parents' deaths.
“Thank you. That is a great comfort.”
As Cedric accepted her gesture, Harriet was finally able to offer him a genuine smile. She adjusted her posture, intending to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
“But the reason you sought me out today is...”
She assumed there would be instructions to give or information to convey, so she braced herself to stay sharp.
But Cedric, who had been meeting her gaze directly until now, subtly avoided her eyes and leaned back. Was it her imagination, or did he seem uncharacteristically hesitant?
“Just to catch up on recent news. And perhaps... to have a cup of tea.”
Harriet paused.
He was once again casually uttering phrases that could easily be misunderstood.
Before, she would have stiffened and tried to gauge his exact meaning, but now, having decided to ‘enjoy the things that make her heart flutter,’ the situation was different.
She smiled sweetly and offered a bolder proposal.
“Tea would be lovely, but today I’ve brought a gift that has undergone proper inspection.”
Harriet nodded to Butler Herbert, who placed a prepared box on the table. It was wine again.
“It’s from a vineyard I’m investing in. It suited my palate well... Would you like to try some?”
Interested, Cedric opened the box.
“Edem Roser. Is it a Pinot Noir?”
“Yes. They say that varietal is difficult to cultivate, don't they? While the vineyard isn't as large as others, I gave them points for reliably producing such a challenging grape. The owner is very passionate.”
“You’ve truly become a businesswoman now.”
The curve of his lips was gentle. It was a smile so beautiful she wished she could gaze at it forever.
Cedric asked Herbert to pour.
As before, two exquisitely thin, high-quality glasses were filled with a translucent, reddish-brown liquid. After pouring, Herbert—ever the perceptive butler—quietly withdrew, leaving Cedric and Harriet alone in the office.
“The aroma is lovely.”
Cedric brought the glass to his nose, smiling contentedly.
The two lightly clinked their glasses and drank in silence. The scent of raspberries and dewy roses captivated them; the wine, acidic but not astringent, slid down their throats, leaving behind the earthy aroma of the soil where the grapes had grown.
After tasting it, Cedric swirled his glass, admiring the color.
Harriet’s gaze was momentarily drawn to the movement. She swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and said—hoping to appear as natural as possible:
“This wine somehow reminds me of you, Duke.”
The reason she had invested in this vineyard wasn't the owner’s passion or the wine's quality. It was because a single glass she’d happened to drink had reminded her of him.
He took his eyes off the glass and looked at Harriet.
Her heart hammered against her ribs, but Harriet looked down at her own glass and spoke as if confessing a secret.
“The color is exactly the shade of your eyes, isn't it? A clear reddish-brown. It’s incredibly delicate and captivating.”
His persistent gaze made her lips feel dry, but she didn't stop. She had decided to enjoy the flutter of her heart as much as possible.
“Perhaps it’s because I don't know much about wine, but I thought this aroma was the ideal scent for a grape wine. It might seem a bit light to your palate, though.”
“No, it’s delicious. More than that...”
Cedric slowly drew out the end of his sentence.
“When did you examine my eyes so closely?”
At his direct question, Harriet’s stomach clenched. She felt as if he might sneer at her, mocking her for staring at him in secret.
“Is there anything to ‘examine closely’? It’s just visible when I look at you. It’s not an ambiguous color like mine.”
“Your eye color is ambiguous? Your left eye is hazel, with a bit more green than your right. Ah, now that I say it, it really is ‘visible when you look,’ isn't it?”
Harriet unconsciously raised a hand to her face. She had always thought both her eyes were the same; how had Cedric noticed such a subtle difference?
His eyes were a clear, striking shade that left no room for misunderstanding, but many people failed to recognize her mixed-color eyes as hazel.
She had made the comment to enjoy a little thrill, but she hadn't expected such a weighty response. It left her flustered.
Think of something else! Anything else.
Otherwise, her ears and cheeks would surely flush crimson. In times like these, recalling something somber was the only cure.
“Anyway, I’m glad you like it. If the first glass was a greeting, shall we now raise a glass in memory of the late Duke Rowan Kailas?”
Cedric fell silent, then slowly nodded. He personally poured more wine into their empty glasses.
“Now that I think about it, my father loved wine too. He preferred a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon, but he wasn't particularly picky.”
“Did he enjoy drinking?”
“He didn't care for strong liquor. He believed he always had to maintain a clear mind to uphold the Ducal House, so he only had a glass or two at dinner.”
Because he had never overindulged for the sake of the family, it was impossible to know how much he truly liked it. She could only hope he hadn't forced himself to abstain too strictly.
Cedric handed a glass back to Harriet.
“Would you clink glasses with me? For a great Family Head whom no one truly knew... and for the greenhorn who can never escape his shadow.”
Harriet took the glass and replied firmly.
“I’ll toast to two heroes who saved the Empire.”
Again, the glasses met in the air with a clear, resonant ring.