Chapter 173
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 173
It was a natural question for her to ask, yet Cedric found himself at a loss for words.
What was the right answer?
More importantly, how was he supposed to interpret the fact that Harriet hadn't pulled away? She hadn't tried to escape the kiss at all. He had convinced himself that only the word 'revenge' held her interest, not Cedric Kailas himself—but was he wrong?
His mind was a chaotic mess, making speech difficult. But he knew that if he just stood there like a fool, he would surely end up hurting her.
"It wasn't... a calculated move."
Saying 'I did it because I like you' felt too abrupt. It might make him sound like the sort of man who kissed any woman who caught his eye.
He desperately wanted to say something that wouldn't insult her—something that conveyed his true feelings without leaving room for misunderstanding—but for the first time in his life, his mind was a total blank. Cedric was utterly flustered.
Harriet, however, merely offered a faint smile.
"So, even the Duke has moments when things don't go according to plan?"
"I do. Especially since you constantly defy my expectations."
Even as the words left his mouth, he thought he sounded foolish. Yet, Harriet’s smile widened slightly, as if his answer had pleased her.
"The fact that I don't follow your Grace’s script... it’s regrettable, but I find I quite like it."
He could only stare at her, unable to find a retort. Was it just his imagination, or did Harriet’s eyes seem unusually clear and bright as she looked back at him?
If there were even the slightest sign of encouragement, he would have rushed in to claim her again. But he couldn't move recklessly; it felt as though a delicate crack had formed between them. He could only suppress his longing and regret, gazing at her for a long, silent moment.
Finally, Harriet broke the silence.
"If you don't want me to misunderstand, please tell me now."
"And if I do?"
"Then I’ll try to turn back time to before that 'accident' just now."
Cedric let out a soft, breathy laugh and shook his head.
"It won't be... a misunderstanding."
He felt a surge of both love and gratitude toward Harriet for taking the lead while he was acting so witlessly. The constant impatience he felt regarding her seemed to subside, if only for a moment. That was, until Harriet added one last remark.
"Don't worry. I won't ask for anything too grand; I know my place. I think I understand how these things work now."
"Pardon?"
"So, this means... you're asking to date, right?"
"If you will allow it."
He felt as though something was subtly off, but since she wasn't technically wrong, he agreed. Harriet nodded with a look of quiet pride.
"Should I assume the duration lasts until this plan reaches its end?"
"Pardon?"
"Well, we’ll have to play that by ear. We don't know how things will turn out, after all. Anyway!"
The young lady, looking like a bright, excited squirrel, gave a shy smile.
"This is my first time... dating."
"It is mine as well."
"I consider it an honor to be the Duke's first partner. Well then..." She touched the back of her neck, looking embarrassed. "I should get going. I think the wine is finally hitting me. If I stay any longer, I’ll definitely do something foolish."
"Harriet."
"I’ll see you next at the Vanderbilt party. You’ll smile when we meet, won't you?"
"...Of course."
Harriet took a step back with an awkward, suppressed smile, then suddenly darted forward to press a light kiss to his cheek.
"I'm really going now. Goodbye."
With that, she fled the office as if the room were on fire.
Only after her presence had completely vanished did Cedric’s mouth twist into a wry line.
I never thought I’d meet such a proponent of casual romance. To speak of the day we break up on the very first day of dating...
He was so dumbfounded that he couldn't stop the hollow laughs from escaping his throat.
Hadn't they just confirmed their feelings with that kiss? Even if one didn't call it love, it was clearly something far deeper than mere interest. If both sides felt the same, shouldn't the natural conclusion be marriage? Even if he conceded that point for now, who suggested an expiration date the moment a relationship began?
The more he thought about it, the more indignant he felt.
To play with me and then discard me... she is certainly no ordinary woman.
Of course, Harriet likely hadn't meant it maliciously. The idea of a Duke marrying a common noble was something even Edgar, the personification of a free spirit, couldn't have imagined.
But that didn't mean Cedric had to accept that logic. He was a man who had spent his life getting exactly what he wanted. He was the one who decided what was possible.
The plan proceeds as intended. Nothing changes.
Despite the monumental shift in their dynamic, his resolve remained the same.
"Heaven is so close, yet it refuses to be caught in my hand..."
As he laughed to himself, he felt a gaze from across the room. He turned his head sharply, expecting to catch Edgar peeking through the door again, but it was only his father’s portrait.
Perhaps it was his own self-consciousness, but the corners of his father’s solemn mouth seemed to be twitching upward.
"...Don't laugh."
Terribly embarrassed that his father had witnessed his flushed face, Cedric muttered to the empty room.
*
"Albert! Albert Kingsley!"
Bella, who had been lurking outside the Kingsley estate all morning, spotted Albert emerging from the gates and ran toward him.
"Lady Listerwell?"
He looked genuinely surprised to see her, which only fueled Bella’s rage.
"Why didn't you reply to my letters? You refused to meet the messengers I sent! Did you really think I wouldn't come here myself?"
Albert, far more concerned with potential onlookers than with Bella’s interrogation, pulled his hat low and hissed, "What are you doing? What if someone sees us!"
"If you were so afraid of that, you should have replied! Why aren't you keeping your promise?"
Albert grit his teeth.
Since the third day of his release on bail, Bella had been relentlessly demanding a 'public announcement.' She wanted him to declare that she was never a customer of Angelic, had never stepped foot on the Kingdom Ship, and that the woman in the rumors was actually Harriet Listerwell.
But he couldn't keep that promise. Not anymore.
“Listen carefully. If Harriet Listerwell’s name so much as crosses your lips, this deal is void.”
Cedric’s warning had effectively silenced him. Standing on the edge of a precipice, Albert’s survival instinct told him that if he defied the Duke again, he wouldn't just lose his money or his title—he would lose his life.
Albert frowned irritably. "Look, Lady Listerwell! Do I look like I’m in any position to make announcements? I’m lucky to be breathing. You want me to bring up Angelic or the Kingdom Ship now?"
"Regardless of your situation, a deal is a deal! You have to pay the price!"
"That was a deal with my father, not me. and my father is currently rotting in prison!" His anger flared. "Besides, that promise was based on you saving me! Do you think I’ve been saved? Have some shame!"
"Shame? If it weren't for me, you wouldn't even know the Duke of Kailas’s intentions! How dare you speak to me like that?"
"Ha! Everyone in Genoa knows that our company’s fate rests entirely on Cedric’s whim. You think you did something grand, but don't flatter yourself!"
Albert gnashed his teeth, his voice dropping to a threatening low.
"You should be grateful I’m not spreading rumors about your true nature, Lady Bella. Understood?"
He turned up his collar and marched toward his hired carriage without a backward glance. Bella watched him go, her fists trembling.
"Cowardly wretch! No wonder he ended up in the dirt."
Cursing him changed nothing. The easiest path to ruining Harriet and escaping her own crisis had vanished.
The only way left is Cedric Kailas.
She had pretended she didn't need his help because she didn't want to appear desperate, but she was out of options. Time was running out, and the rumors were festering.
Upon returning home, Bella immediately sat down to write to Cedric.
...I heard that you have uncovered the truth behind the Late Duke’s passing and punished the culprit. I am certain your father would be immensely proud of the man you have become.
Furthermore, please do not misunderstand the matter regarding Sir Albert Kingsley. It was a request I accepted under extreme duress from his father; I felt I had no choice...
The tone was pathetic, but she didn't have the luxury of refinement. She saved the most important part for the end.
...Next time, I truly wish to see you without the burden of business. Could you spare a moment of your time?
Bella scanned the letter with cold, calculating eyes before handing it to a messenger. She was certain he wouldn't refuse.
That man wants something from me. I don't know what it is yet, but it’s there.
She had already achieved her goal of fending off other marriage proposals. Ever since the rumors of their involvement began, no other families had dared to approach the Ducal House. Yet, Cedric maintained a strange tension with her—he wasn't pushing her away.
If so, she could guess what he wanted. Even if his desires differed from hers, it didn't matter as long as she secured a meeting. This time, she fully intended to use the vial of Angelic hidden in her drawer.
If he is drugged and spends the night with me, everything falls into place.
A pregnancy would be the perfect outcome, though she knew that was a matter of luck. It didn't matter. She would spread the word that they had slept together, making it impossible for him to deny her.
In the end, Cedric wouldn't be able to punish those involved with Angelic without implicating himself. And if Albert was saved by extension, he would be forced to fulfill his promise to her.