Chapter 177
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 177
“Wait, if they weren't lovers, then why did Lady Bella break up with James in the first place?”
“Exactly. She certainly went around acting like she was the Duke of Kailas’s mistress...”
“What did she actually say?”
“She never admitted it outright, but whenever someone asked, she wouldn’t deny it. She’d just say, ‘You’ll find out soon enough,’ and then...”
“Oh, my! Look at that. Look at Lady Bella’s face!”
Those watching Bella gasped. It was the first time they had ever seen the face of Bella Listerwell—the woman said to have the heart of an angel—twist into such a terrifying mask. She was trembling, her eyes fixed on Cedric and Harriet in a murderous glare.
“Good heavens. Was she just deluding herself this whole time?”
“If that’s true, how embarrassing is this?”
“Surely not. She wouldn't have kicked away her position as a future Cheslow daughter-in-law based on a mere delusion, would she?”
“Pfft!”
The crowd couldn't suppress their snickers.
Regardless of the whispers or the judgment of the room, Cedric and Harriet took their places to lead the party’s first waltz.
“Whew... Do I look strange?” Harriet asked softly. To the onlookers, it appeared as though she were whispering sweet nothings into his ear.
Cedric replied with a charming smile. “It would be better if you smiled a bit more. You look far too tense.”
“Really? I’m trying my best...”
“If you lean on me a little more, we’ll look even more like lovers.”
At Cedric’s suggestion, Harriet gave a small nod and leaned into his chest. She swallowed hard, feeling as though she could hear the collective gasp of the crowd echoing through the hall.
‘He’s so natural at this, as expected. It would have been truly embarrassing if I’d shown any lingering awkwardness about that day.’
Harriet felt she had made the right choice by greeting him with a smile today, acting as if nothing had happened. Thanks to that, everything was going according to plan—so perfectly, in fact, that she found herself wondering if the time she spent as Cedric’s real lover had been nothing more than a dream.
As they drew close, mimicking the intimacy of the other couples, the orchestra finally began to play. The two moved in perfect unison, like partners who had practiced for a lifetime. They separated, faced one another, and stepped in rhythm—one step to the side, then the other. Holding one hand high, they began to revolve in a slow, graceful circle.
“Your dancing isn't bad at all. It seems your modesty last time was an exaggeration.”
At Cedric’s words, Harriet was reminded of the waltz they had shared in the dark corner of the garden. She remembered him saying then, ‘Someday, we should try dancing in a grand hall, too.’
“I’ve practiced a bit more since then. As you know, I have no desire to bring shame to Your Grace’s name.”
When she replied with a playful chuckle, Cedric let out a soft laugh. The vibration from his chest sent a faint tickle through her.
Just then, a fresh murmur rippled through the ballroom.
“It seems our tragic lead has made his entrance,” Cedric whispered.
Harriet subtly shifted her gaze. Standing far apart from Bella was James Cheslow, exchanging stiff greetings with his acquaintances.
“I didn't think he’d show up. He’s certainly persistent.”
“He likely came to throw a punch at me. But now that I’m dancing with you, I wonder how he’ll react?”
James had clearly dressed with care, perhaps conscious of being compared to Cedric, but he was a shadow of his former self. His eyes were sunken, his skin sallow, and his lips were dry and peeling. As Cedric suspected, he had likely arrived intending to cause a scene, but seeing the man he considered his rival dancing with another woman left him looking utterly bewildered.
Bella, noticing his arrival, seemed momentarily flustered, but her mind quickly began to whir. Calculating was, after all, her greatest strength. Realizing she would look ridiculous if she didn't acknowledge James, Bella approached her 'former' fiancé with an expression of deep concern.
“James! You look terrible. Are you unwell?”
She reached out to caress his cheek, just as she used to. If James had simply allowed the gesture, she might have had a chance to salvage the situation. But James, having regained his composure, seized her wrist before her hand could touch his skin.
“Lady Listerwell has no reason to concern herself with my health,” he said coldly. “We are nothing to each other.”
“It’s a misunderstanding! Please, listen to me. I can’t explain it here, but I was trapped!”
“Even if that were the case, don’t you think the timing of this revelation is a bit too convenient?”
Spitting out each word through gritted teeth, he flung her wrist away. Without another word, he turned and walked out of the ballroom.
Left behind, Bella looked around the room, shaking her head as if she were the victim of a great injustice, but no one stepped forward to take her side. As Harriet spun gracefully in Cedric’s arms, her eyes met Bella’s. For a fleeting second, Bella’s gaze turned fiercely hostile, though Harriet doubted many others noticed the mask slip.
“Bella and your uncle are in quite a mess. What do you think will happen next?” Harriet whispered, struggling to keep the corners of her mouth from curling upward.
Cedric gave a light shrug. “Hmm. Frankly, a storm in a teacup like that is none of my concern.”
Then, taking Harriet firmly by the waist, he dipped her back. As he admired the elegant curve of her body, his mind drifted back to a promise made months ago.
*
On the night of the party Jeremia had hosted to find a bride for Cedric, while they danced in that dark, secluded corner of the garden, Cedric had dangled a bait she couldn't refuse.
“Are you interested in revenge?”
As expected, Harriet had questioned his intentions, yet she couldn't help but ask, “What kind of revenge?”
“Didn't you say you had a debt to repay?”
“...Are you referring to my uncle’s family?”
He merely smiled. He watched the starlight reflect in the small lakes of Harriet’s eyes, seeing the agitation ripple through them as she looked up at him. What he was about to say would surely ignite her spirit.
“Your cousin, Lady Bella Listerwell—the one you likely need to repay most—openly tried to seduce me.”
Harriet couldn't have been unaware. She had seen Bella and him entering the ballroom from the balcony. That stiff expression on her face was the reason she had followed them all the way out here.
“At first, I was displeased, but upon reflection, I realized she could be useful.”
“For what?”
“It seems Lady Bella has allied herself with my grand-uncle. If we use her, we can feed false information to our enemies and sow discord among them.”
It was a somewhat flimsy excuse, and he felt a flicker of anxiety that she might see through him. To bolster his case, he added another point.
“I recall that your friend, Lady Daphne, also suffered because of her engagement to James Cheslow. If you help me this time, you can secure revenge for your friend as well.”
“What on earth are you planning that requires all this maneuvering?”
Though her fingertips gripped his arm with impatience, Cedric maintained a serious facade as he laid the trap to keep Harriet by his side.
“Become my lover.”
“What?”
She was adorable when she was startled. But she still looked poised to flee. He stroked the back of the startled, squirrel-like lady as if to calm her, his voice dropping to a whisper.
“Only for a time. And during that time, everyone—including Lady Bella herself—will believe that she is the one I am involved with, not you.”
“So, what is the end goal?”
“I will break her engagement with James Cheslow. That will be the beginning of Lady Bella Listerwell’s downfall. Once she loses her connection to a powerful house, she will be much easier to destroy.”
Only then did Harriet’s expression turn solemn. Cedric loved those moments—the moments when this innocent, compassionate, and often clumsy woman suppressed her true nature to become cold and calculating. He could only guess at the pain she had endured to reach this point, but from that suffering, Harriet had resolved to save herself. How could he not love that strength?
“What exactly do I have to endure?”
“A scandal.”
“Ah, yes. Being the Duke of Kailas’s lover is certainly the making of a major scandal.”
“I will protect you. I promise you will never be harmed.”
Harriet took a deep breath, lost in thought. “You’ve already planned everything, haven't you? You laid it all out, anticipating that I would accept.”
“If you help, things will certainly go much smoother.”
“Alright.”
“Are you certain?”
Harriet chuckled at his feigned surprise. “I told you, didn't I? If you need me, I’ll help with anything. Just... put me back where you found me when you’re done.”
“...Thank you.”
He hesitated before thanking her, because he knew he couldn't do as she asked. Once this was over, Harriet wouldn't be back where he found her. She would be somewhere else entirely.