Chapter 86
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 86
‘The man responsible for this mess deserves to be ground into the dirt.’
The mere thought of Albert—who had feigned friendship only to slip that vile drug into his drink—made Cedric’s stomach churn.
He had been keeping a close watch on the father, Benedict, but it seemed the son was so filial that he was offering up his own neck for ruin first. Cedric, who was already sharpening his blade, saw no reason to refuse the invitation.
‘Just you wait, Albert.’
A cold smile touched Cedric's lips.
* * *
It was a day in mid-February when the President of the Perilas Asety Bank arrived in Genoa.
He had come because of Harriet Listerwell, who had failed to respond despite his repeated letters.
"Is this the place? The Listerwell Mansion?"
He glanced back and forth between the address on his memo, his map of Genoa, and the imposing mansion surrounded by a stone wall. No matter how many times he checked, this was undoubtedly the Listerwell residence.
He folded the map and memo, tucked them into his inner pocket, straightened his attire, and approached the gate. After ringing the bell attached to the pillar a few times, a servant quickly rushed out.
"Who goes there?"
"Good day. Is this the Listerwell family residence?"
"It is, but..."
"Would you please inform the Viscount that a representative from the Perilas Asety Bank has arrived? He will understand."
The mustachioed gentleman, dressed in a neat grey wool coat, radiated an air of profound reliability. That was why the servant was so baffled by John’s panicked reaction when the visitor was announced.
"Wh-who did you say?"
"He said he is from the Perilas Asety Bank, sir."
"This is madness...!"
John couldn't even finish his sentence. He ran his hands frantically through his hair.
He was currently preoccupied with preparations for Bella's engagement ceremony and hadn't yet found a suitable replacement for Harriet. While he would have loved to grab just anyone to play the part, he had to be careful. He needed to be prepared in case a problem arose later and the Asety Bank demanded testimony.
If he could find someone with similar physical characteristics to Harriet who could perfectly imitate her signature, Harriet's frantic claims of "I never did such a thing!" would carry no weight.
‘Calm down. First, I need to make an excuse to send the bank official away without arousing suspicion. Then, I must find a girl quickly.’
He cursed his own laziness and instructed the butler to escort the guest to the drawing room.
The butler, oblivious to the situation, took a liking to the guest, whose demeanor was as polite and upright as one would expect from a high-ranking banker. He offered him a seat in the drawing room.
"If you will wait a moment, the Viscount will be with you shortly."
"Thank you. However, my business is actually with Miss Harriet Listerwell rather than the Viscount. Would it be possible to see them both?" Howard Scott, the Bank President, asked as he took his seat.
If Harriet happened to be out, he was prepared to make another appointment for the following day. It was becoming a significant burden to continue holding onto land and property that were no longer under their management.
However, the butler's reply was entirely unexpected.
"Miss Harriet? She doesn't live here."
"I beg your pardon?"
What could that mean? John had insisted that Harriet lived in this mansion and that all correspondence should be sent only to this address.
But she didn't live here? A butler of a noble house would never be unaware of the family members residing within the home. Howard instinctively realized that the unease he had felt regarding John all this time hadn't been paranoia after all.
"Has she never lived here?"
"That’s not it. She lived here for about ten years, but she moved out recently."
"Since when, exactly?"
"Now that you mention it, it’s been quite a while. Let’s see..."
Just as the butler began counting the days, the drawing room door swung open and John appeared. Howard rose from his seat to greet him.
"It has been a long time, Viscount Listerwell."
John, who had been hoping for some naive junior clerk, was horrified to realize the guest was the Bank President himself. Of course, he forced a bright smile and shook the man's hand warmly, careful to hide his inner turmoil.
"Why, if it isn't the President! How have you been? Hahaha!"
"Well enough, thanks to you."
"What brings you here? I’m quite surprised by this sudden visit."
He meant it. If Howard had contacted him beforehand, John would have manufactured an excuse to prevent him from coming.
And Howard had, in fact, visited without notice—knowing it was technically impolite—precisely to prevent such stalling. Though, truth be told, he had hoped his premonitions were wrong.
"My business, of course, concerns only one matter. However, I just heard something rather puzzling from your butler. He claimed that Miss Harriet does not live here..."
For a split second, John shot a venomous glance at the butler. Then he chuckled heartily, slipping back into the role of a good-natured man.
"Harriet has gone down to the countryside for a short stay at a relative's house. If you had contacted us beforehand, I would have informed you so you wouldn't have made a wasted trip."
"Is that so? When is she expected to return?"
"Well, she didn't leave with a set date, so..."
"Ah! Now that I think of it, your daughter's engagement ceremony is next month, isn't it? Surely Miss Harriet will be back by then. She would hardly miss her cousin's engagement when they live under the same roof."
A cold sweat broke out across John’s back at the pointed remark.
His excuses were too flimsy to deny Howard's logic. Finding a stand-in for Harriet, having them practice her signature, and coordinating their stories all within the single month remaining felt impossibly rushed.
But he had no choice.
"O-of course! Hahaha!"
"Understood. I shall drop by again around that time, then."
"I apologize for the repeated delays. Harriet tends to find these matters a bit bothersome. You know how ignorant young women can be regarding financial affairs."
Even in his panic, John didn’t miss the chance to disparage Harriet. He needed Howard to form a negative prejudice against her, which would allow John to maneuver things to his advantage later.
Howard didn't respond one way or the other. He simply nodded and picked up the bag he had placed on the floor.
"I apologize for the intrusion. I’ll take my leave now."
"Ah! Allow me to provide you with our family carriage. You would have to walk quite a distance to catch a stagecoach, wouldn't you?"
"I couldn't possibly impose."
"Impose? Nonsense! I feel terrible for making you come all this way, so please, do not refuse."
John maintained the act of a considerate, polite gentleman until the very end. He had to—at least until he could successfully transfer the land and property in Perilas into his own name.
Ultimately, Howard accepted the offer and took the Listerwell carriage to the coach station. Once inside, his mind became a muddled mess.
‘So, in a month, I’ll finally meet the real Harriet Listerwell? Does that mean I can stop worrying? Why do I have such a bad feeling about this...’
The land and property in Perilas, which had been entrusted to their management, were more valuable than any other asset the Asety Bank held as collateral. Continuing to hold onto property that needed to be returned brought no benefit to the bank. They had been depositing the profits into an Asety Bank account until Harriet could sign for them, but continuing such an effort without even receiving a commission was a net loss.
The previous Viscount Listerwell had been a man of integrity who never shirked his responsibilities, and out of gratitude for that, the bank had performed this service—but they couldn't keep it up forever.
He sighed, and just then, the carriage came to a halt in front of the station.
"We’ve arrived, sir!"
At the coachman's announcement, Howard gathered his bag and stepped out. However, the coachman, whom Howard expected to depart immediately, climbed down from the driver's seat and approached him, glancing around warily.
Howard, assuming the man was looking for a tip, pulled his wallet from his coat. But Terry, the coachman, wasn't looking for money.
"I heard you came to see Miss Harriet."
"Hmm? That’s right. But I was told she went to the countryside to stay with relatives?"
At those words, Terry shook his head.
"No, she didn't. She’s right here in the capital."
"What? Where in the capital?"
"Shall I take you to her?"
Howard, flustered by the unexpected turn of events, nodded nonetheless. He needed to transfer the Perilas assets as soon as possible, and he had a sinking feeling that if he didn't meet Harriet now, he might never get another chance.
* * *
"Miss. Someone has come to see you. He doesn't have an appointment, but he says it is a very urgent and important matter."
Harriet, who was enjoying her afternoon tea, tilted her head at the words of Andre, the butler.
"Who is it?"
"He says he is the President of the Asety Bank in the Perilas region. Do you know him?"
No, she had never heard of him. She knew neither the region of Perilas nor a place called the Asety Bank.
‘Well, I’ll find out soon enough.’
Harriet thought little of it and finished the last of her tea.
"Please show him to the drawing room. I’ll be down shortly."
And so, eight months after the bank had first announced the termination of the contract, Howard finally met Harriet Listerwell in the flesh.
He had been waiting in the drawing room with a pounding heart, and he sprang to his feet the moment a young woman with neatly half-tied dark brown hair entered the room.