Chapter 37
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 37
"You claim you’re innocent, yet you’re content to let this infamy cling to you?"
"It’s not as if I can simply shed it overnight, even if I wanted to. And as Great-aunt Trisha said, this notoriety is exactly why I’m famous. I plan to leverage it."
Trisha’s brow remained furrowed. While fame was a tool worth utilizing, she wondered if it wasn't too dangerous to let the misunderstanding of Harriet being a 'loose woman' persist.
"I’m starting to think you’re still naive. High society is a place of two faces. A woman must be wanton in the dark, but pure in the light."
If one crossed the line where people could no longer turn a blind eye, the accusations would fly instantly. Everyone would point fingers and ostracize the offender in unison. If Harriet were cast out, her return would be utterly meaningless.
However, Harriet saw things differently.
"I became certain of something at the Vanderbilt party. Curiosity is a far more potent motivator than people realize."
She’d had her doubts that night, but since the party, several invitations had arrived for her. They were requests to attend small tea parties, and interestingly, every single one came with the same caveat: 'Please keep this invitation strictly confidential.'
Even though they knew associating with Harriet would tarnish their own reputations, their curiosity was simply unbearable.
"I was a scandal maker before, too, so I wondered why these invitations are only coming now. Thinking back, when I was consumed by a sense of injustice and misery, they probably figured there wouldn't be any juicy stories to be had by prodding me."
"And now?"
"My claim that I spent a year reflecting in a convent makes it seem like I’m readily admitting to my past. They likely think I’m more approachable now—someone they can actually talk to."
"So, they want to hear the sordid details of your scandals firsthand. Is that it?"
"Either that, or why else would they bother inviting a reviled scandal maker? I’m more than happy to attend and get a feel for the atmosphere."
Trisha tapped the armrest of her chair, her gaze searching.
"But you said you didn't cause those scandals, didn't you? What will you tell them when you go?"
Harriet’s eyes gleamed. "Couldn't I simply turn those stories into rumors that benefit me?"
For now, Bella and her uncle’s credibility far outweighed her own. If she tried to expose the raw truth needlessly, it would only backfire.
But words were wondrous things; without telling a single lie, one could give people the stories they wanted to hear while achieving the desired result.
That was the very lesson Roxana had thoroughly drilled into her.
Trisha listened, appearing to ponder Harriet's words deeply before finally nodding.
"Hmm. It’s your business, so handle it as you see fit. But remember this: people will try to use you to get to me."
"I will never do anything that would bring shame upon you, Great-aunt."
"We’ll see."
Having delivered her warning, Trisha rose and exited the drawing room.
Left alone, Harriet let out a dry, awkward laugh. Deciding to tidy up before heading to her room, she began returning the chairs to their original places.
It was then that she discovered a thick blanket tucked beneath the chair Trisha had been using.
It’s the height of summer. Why is there a lap blanket out?
It was a strange detail, but Harriet simply folded the blanket neatly and placed it on the seat.
*
"Here is the information you requested on the House of Listerwell. It covers most of their history from the last twenty years."
The man who had been smoking on the Vanderbilt terrace appeared a week later, handing Cedric a thick stack of documents.
"Good work. It’s highly probable that the next party I attend will be hosted by Count Sheldon. Scout the area beforehand."
"Understood."
Less than five minutes after they met, the man vanished again.
Cloud, the intelligence network Cedric had personally organized, always operated this way. Edgar, who had helped Cedric build the group, was the only exception; most members operated individually. They didn't even know each other's identities, and contact time was kept to a minimum during handoffs.
Thanks to these precautions, no one yet knew of Cloud’s existence—despite it being the most capable intelligence-gathering organization in the Empire.
Twenty years' worth, and yet it’s thinner than I expected.
Cedric flipped through the documents as if reading a novel. He had never found the trivial histories of other families interesting, but strangely, the information on the House of Listerwell flowed easily. There were quite a few dramatic incidents, making him wonder if everyone in that family lived such turbulent lives.
The first, undoubtedly, was the tragic death of the previous head of the house, Arthur Listerwell.
June 28, 1866: Arthur Listerwell drowned alongside his wife.
Location: The center of Tasia Lake in Albrecht Park.
Their bodies were discovered a week later in Saint Antoine Park on the opposite side.
...As there was no specific will, the title was inherited by his younger brother, John, rather than his daughter, Harriet.
Cedric vaguely recalled the drowning accident at Albrecht Park. He remembered hearing that boating had been sparse for a long while afterward. The documents described the circumstances in considerable detail.
John Listerwell was the first to discover the scene and call for help. But by the time rescuers arrived, they had already sunk...
In truth, boating accidents happened often, but few resulted in death. They usually occurred in shallow waters. For some reason, Arthur Listerwell and his wife had rowed far from the lakeside into the deep. Had they been so engrossed in the scenery that they hadn't noticed how far they’d drifted?
The image of a cheerful outing transforming into a scene of sudden tragedy was vivid. But was it truly a tragedy for everyone?
It must have been a stroke of luck for John Listerwell. Arthur, who doted so much on his daughter, died suddenly before he could even leave a will.
Two years before Arthur’s death, the law had been amended to allow daughters to inherit titles, but this was only recognized if the previous head had explicitly left a will. Even then, such successions often fizzled out if collateral branches opposed them. Since the law was still new at the time, a twelve-year-old Harriet must have had everything stripped away by her uncle, likely unaware of her own rights.
Cedric skimmed the pages quickly until the name 'Harriet' appeared again.
Harriet, who had become a dependent of her uncle’s family at twelve, barely appeared in the records until she was seventeen. What appeared far more frequently were stories about Bella.
...Bella Listerwell was renowned for her beauty from a young age and was well-regarded for her kind and bright disposition. Even before her father inherited the Listerwell title, she would appear at parties with Harriet Listerwell, or...
...When Bella Listerwell turned fifteen, she began to receive earnest courtship, and it was confirmed that early marriage proposals had already begun to arrive.
...Bella Listerwell frequently met with her suitors and acted as the center of her social circle...
To summarize, Bella had been popular since childhood. She was surrounded by both men and women who praised her; in her circle, one's proximity to Bella determined their own popularity.
Judging by her behavior, she seems like a typical queen bee.
However, the public's opinion seemed to differ, as there were almost no negative rumors regarding Bella.
On the other hand, the scandals were all centered on Harriet Listerwell, who had been quiet until then... starting the moment she turned eighteen?
The year the two cousins turned eighteen, Harriet suddenly exploded into the spotlight. And not for anything good.
...The man's name was Julian Faith (second son of the House of Faith). Harriet Listerwell, who had long admired him, intercepted Julian's letter to Bella Listerwell and replied in her stead...
That was exactly what Cedric had overheard at the party.
After that, Harriet was constantly entangled with men. Just as she had with Julian, she allegedly extorted flowers and gifts from men by impersonating Bella in letters. She was even accused of attending masquerade balls with Bella’s invitations, pretending to be her cousin to engage in promiscuous behavior.
Tez Roark, the man who had been 'humiliated by Harriet' at the polo match, was also listed as one of the men who had mistaken Harriet for Bella at a masquerade ball and become intimately involved with her.
After reading that far, Cedric tilted his head, a frown forming.