Side Story 8: In Front of the Fountain (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Side Story 8: In Front of the Fountain (1)
With the arrival of March, the ducal gardens began to stir.
As pale green shoots sang of the coming spring, vitality bloomed in corners that had seemed desolate only a short while ago. The fountain in the rear garden also resumed its dance in March—a sight that Harriet and Rainier particularly loved.
“Mama! Look at that!”
Rainier had been pestering her to visit the fountain since early morning. Now, she pointed at the cascading water and bounced on her heels with pure excitement.
“You have to watch where you’re going, Rain!”
“Faster! Faster!”
In the face of such wonder, warnings were useless. Unable to resist her daughter’s insistence, Harriet gathered her skirts and ran alongside her.
“Wow! Oh, wow!”
Arriving at the edge of the basin, Rainier let out a series of breathless exclamations, spreading her tiny, dimpled hands. Droplets of mist slipped through her small fingers.
Though it pained Harriet to see how quickly her child was growing, she soothed her heart by pressing this beautiful moment firmly into her memory.
“Rain, be careful. You’ll fall in.”
Cedric appeared unnoticed, scooping up Rainier just as she leaned precariously over the water’s edge. The child’s giggles rang out, spreading through the garden like warm sunshine.
“You’re here already? I hope you didn’t rush on our account.”
“It was nothing.”
Harriet had set off first while he was receiving a report from a <Cloud> informant, but despite the head start, he had caught up quickly. She didn't press for details, choosing instead to play with Rainier by Cedric’s side.
Their four-year-old daughter eventually grew tired of the fountain. She moved on to digging in the dirt with dry twigs, pointing at singing birds to ask their names, and running clumsily across the grass.
When the nanny finally approached to announce that the outdoor table was set for snacks, Rainier didn't even look back. She dashed straight for the food.
“It seems she still prefers eating over playing,” Harriet chuckled, watching her daughter’s retreating back.
Cedric wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Watching their little angel munch on her favorite cookies was a sight they could enjoy all day without ever growing weary.
But even as they watched that heavenly scene, their position required them to discuss more grounded, earthly matters.
“Bella Listerwell was paroled this morning.”
“She was released? She didn't even serve five full years.”
“She was apparently a model prisoner. Though, given that her jailers were all men, the records aren't particularly credible.”
Harriet let out a hollow laugh. How exemplary could a criminal involved in multiple murders truly be to earn a release after only five years?
“It seems someone is backing her. We haven’t heard a single word about this until now.”
“No. Actually… I knew.”
Harriet’s eyes widened.
“I didn’t want to trouble you with it,” Cedric added.
“...So, the fact that she was released despite you knowing means this was your intention.”
“To be honest, prison wasn’t serving as a place of atonement for her.”
Harriet nodded. She knew Bella had been living comfortably in a well-appointed private cell. No doubt the woman felt wronged, claiming everything she once enjoyed had been stripped away, but compared to the weight of her crimes, it had been a life of excessive luxury.
“Tell me what happened.”
“Julian Faith took her in. I suppose you could say he’s finally being rewarded for his years of devotion.”
“Well, we’ll have to see if it truly is a reward.”
For the past five years, Julian Faith—the protagonist of Harriet’s very first scandal—had been the one looking after Bella. Upon learning that the person he had been exchanging letters with was indeed Bella, he had immediately returned to her side.
“Those letters we exchanged, that pure love… it wasn’t a lie, was it? I still cherish them.”
What he had said back then wasn't a lie. Childish and laughable as it was, he had been sincere. His only misfortune was that the object of his intense first love was Bella—a woman who was the living embodiment of deceit and greed.
“Did the House of Faith just stand by and watch?”
“A few years ago, a business Julian got involved in did quite well. Because of that, his family can’t really say much.”
“Haa… Bella really is lucky, isn’t she?”
Cedric’s expression remained cool. “Perhaps that was true while she was behind bars, but things will be different now.”
“Are you planning to intervene?”
“No. I won’t do a thing.” His fingertips toyed with a lock of his wife’s dark chestnut hair. “People who choose misfortune often fail to recognize good fortune when it’s handed to them. We merely need to watch her fall into ruin on her own.”
It was a chilling remark, delivered in a garden where the glory of spring had finally arrived.
*
“Bella. Let’s just live quietly, just the two of us. Please!”
Julian didn’t know how many times he had said it. His voice was earnest as he pleaded with Bella, who was busy preening in front of the mirror.
Over the last five years, she had sent him letters from prison that mirrored the feelings of their past. That was why he had tirelessly supported her. But now that she was released and settled in his villa, she seemed like a completely different person.
“Why should I? I’m going to get everything back.”
Her eyes, reflected in the glass, burned with ambition and a thirst for revenge.
Julian couldn't fathom what she was planning. Since her release, she went out every day and returned late at night. Her answer was always the same.
“To return to High Society, I need the help of my peers. I’ve been out making introductions.”
Julian simply couldn’t understand. Why did she want to be the talk of the town again? What did she hope to gain? He almost preferred it when she was in prison. Back then, she was a woman touched by his love, grateful and occasionally shedding tears of apology…
“Julian. I… I need more dresses. People are starting to ignore me because I keep rotating the same ones.”
“...”
“And I think I need a set of earrings. Perhaps two. And necklaces to match.”
“...”
“Julian?”
Bella finally turned, noticing his silence. Realizing her mistake, she quickly approached him, lowering her brows into a bitter, practiced smile.
“I’m sorry. Please forget what I just said. I was being greedy, considering I’m living off your kindness.”
Usually, when she did this, Julian would wave his hand dismissively and buy her something even better than what she had asked for.
But today was different.
“That thing you intend to reclaim in High Society… does it include the eldest son of a count?”
“What are you talking about?” She covered her mouth, her eyes wide with feigned shock.
Julian didn’t back down. “If not, then why aren’t you satisfied with me? You keep refusing even when I suggest we register our marriage and live together.”
“I told you, it’s because I feel sorry for you! If we do that, your honor and reputation—!”
“If I cared about my reputation, I wouldn’t have helped you in the first place!”
He slammed his hand against the doorframe. The bang echoed through the room—the sound of a man’s enduring love finally collapsing.
“First love should have stayed buried in the past.”
Only after wasting his time, money, youth, and passion did he finally realize the truth. What he had believed to be pure love was merely the foolishness of a man infatuated with the idea of his own devotion.
“Bella. It’s time for you to leave my house.”
“Ju—Julian…!”
“I’ll have someone escort you. Don’t even think about coming back.”
The last stroke of luck Bella could have grasped had just walked out the door.
*
After being kicked out of Julian’s villa, Bella spent hours gnashing her teeth. How dare he turn his back on her first? She had expected him to be a reliable pushover until she decided he was no longer useful.
“It’s a good thing I’ve been keeping my options open. If I’d only relied on that man, I would’ve had nowhere to go.”
She considered her alternatives and sought out a man she thought would be as easy to manipulate as Julian. He was a viscount—older, but wealthy. Though he had a wife and children, he was a lecher who had gladly welcomed her advances.
As Bella walked with him through a secluded park, she cautiously began to test the waters.
“Viscount Beverly. The truth is, I have nowhere to stay. I was wondering if you could arrange a place for me?”
Bella didn’t think it was a difficult request. To her relief, he agreed immediately.
“I’ll secure a room for you at a boarding house on the outskirts of the city.”
“What? A boarding house?”
“That way, my visits won’t be noticed by others.”
Bella’s brow furrowed sharply. A common inn—it was an insult she hadn't even considered.
“I was thinking more along the lines of a villa. Or, if that’s too difficult, a high-class hotel in the city would suffice.”
“That’s a bit much. If anyone were to see me meeting with you, Miss Bella, who knows what rumors would spread!”
Bella’s eyes narrowed into slits.
“What are you talking about? If people saw you with me, they’d envy you, Viscount. I am the Bella Listerwell!”
At that, Viscount Beverly simply scoffed.