Chapter 87
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 87
‘This woman is Harriet Listerwell!’
Fading memories suddenly snapped into sharp focus.
“Although it was Baron Belburn’s doing, I cannot simply turn a blind eye. We don’t have an urgent need for this land, so I would like to make a proposal to the Bank President…”
The image of Arthur Listerwell—the man who had stepped forward to take responsibility for the mess surrounding Baron Thomas Belburn’s estate, dealing with the farmers and merchants protesting for their unpaid dues—overlapped perfectly with Harriet’s face.
Father and daughter were truly the spitting image of one another.
“Please, have a seat. I am Harriet Listerwell. You are the Bank President of Perilas Asety?”
“It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Howard Scott. Do you truly have no idea why I have come here today?”
Even as he asked, Howard felt he already knew her answer.
“Should I? To be honest, today is the first time I’ve ever heard of a place called Perilas or a bank named Asety.”
It was just as he thought. John’s awkward, suspicious behavior finally made sense.
Howard opened his bag, withdrew several documents, and handed them to Harriet. He began to recount a long, detailed history.
“About eleven years ago, your father, the late Viscount Arthur Listerwell, lent a sum of money to Baron Thomas Belburn. The land and mansion described in these documents were put up as collateral…”
He did his best to explain the situation in simple terms: Thomas, drowning in debt, had fled with his family in the middle of the night. Arthur, having seized the collateral, had then mortgaged the property back to the bank to raise the funds needed to pay off the abandoned farmers and merchants. He had set a ten-year contract period, after which Harriet was designated as the sole recipient of the estate.
However, as Howard spoke of how John had presented a forged power of attorney to seize the property for himself—and how Harriet had seemingly ignored repeated summons by claiming she was too busy—he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
It felt as if he were intruding upon a private family feud. This was especially true because Harriet’s expression remained unreadable throughout his entire explanation.
‘What is this young lady thinking?’
He knew she was only in her early twenties, yet her lack of outward emotion was striking. Only after meticulously examining the final page of the documents did Harriet finally nod and speak.
“How did you know I was here?”
“The Listerwell family coachman informed me. He even drove me right to your doorstep.”
“The coachman? Do you mean Uncle Terry?”
“I don’t know his name, but he was a thin man with gray hair, appearing to be in his early to mid-fifties.”
Harriet was more shaken by the news of Terry’s assistance than by anything else Howard had said.
‘Could it be… was he trying to help me?’
Terry had served the Listerwell family for thirty years. He remembered the days when Harriet’s parents ran the household, and Harriet had always been fond of him; he was the one who had driven her carriage since she was an infant.
However, after John inherited the title, she had assumed all the old servants had shifted their loyalties to stay in her uncle’s good graces.
‘I had more allies than I realized.’
The realization gave her strength, but it also filled her with a pang of regret. If only she had opened her heart and looked around sooner, she might not have spent so many years struggling in such lonely silence.
She gazed down at the documents on the table. A faint, bittersweet smile tugged at the corners of her lips—the kind of expression where one couldn't tell if she wanted to laugh or cry.
“So, if I simply sign here, the land and mansion you mentioned will be mine?”
“There is still a formal identity verification process, but essentially, yes.”
“It’s that simple?”
Howard paused for a moment before replying calmly.
“While the act of signing may be simple for Your Ladyship, the events of the last decade leading to this moment were anything but. Do you truly believe Viscount Arthur’s decision to name you the recipient—and his insistence that you must appear in person—was a simple matter?”
“…”
Only then did Harriet’s lips curve into a genuine smile, though it lacked any real brightness.
“The date on this contract… it was signed just three days before my parents passed away. That is likely why I am able to reclaim this now. Father… he wouldn't have had time to record this in the family ledger.”
If it had been in the ledger, John would have seized it long ago. Her younger self would have had no power to defy her uncle’s commands. It was a cruel irony of life: her father’s sudden death immediately after signing the contract was the only reason this inheritance had survived to reach her today.
“Now, do I need to prove that I am Harriet Listerwell?”
“I do not doubt Your Ladyship, but we must follow procedure. Please sign here first.”
He placed another document alongside the one Harriet had just signed, carefully comparing the two. The reference document was a signature Harriet had made as a child. Having worked in banking for decades, Howard was an expert in handwriting authentication.
“Your signature hasn’t changed much. Good. Now, we shall proceed with the second step.”
Howard presented a final piece of paper with text written on it.
“Please fill in the missing words in these blanks.”
Harriet looked at the paper, her breath catching as she instinctively covered her mouth.
「Our Harry, sweet babe. Playing with Mama, off to dreamland you go. Frolicking with ____ and ____, you fly away to visit ____.」
Before she even finished the first line, her eyes welled with tears. A melody, etched into her very soul, began to flow from her lips.
“Playing with Mama… to sleepy dreamland… with butterflies… and larks…”
These were the lyrics to a lullaby her mother, Lillian, had composed herself. It felt as if the song she had forgotten for over a decade was being sung to her once more in her mother’s gentle voice. She hadn't heard it in years, yet she remembered every word perfectly.
Howard waited until Harriet sang the final line—‘to visit Mama’s dreams’—before taking a handkerchief from his pocket and offering it to her.
“I am truly sorry for the loss of your parents.”
For a long while, the only sound in the drawing room was the echo of Harriet’s soft sobs. But she could not let herself be lost in the past forever. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to regain her composure.
“Haa… I apologize for the unsightly display.”
“Not at all. I understand. I truly understand.”
Harriet took a deep breath, looked down at the land return confirmation form, and signed her name firmly at the bottom.
Once the signature was confirmed, Howard handed over the ownership deeds for 165 hectares of fertile land in Perilas, along with a mansion boasting twelve rooms, four bathrooms, a garden, stables, and a servants' annex.
“The land is currently fully leased to tenant farmers. Until now, we have acted as your agents, managing the tenant fees and the proceeds from agricultural sales by depositing them into an account under Your Ladyship’s name. This is the profit accumulated since the contract began.”
He presented a bankbook. The balance was a staggering 213,000 Dirham.
“As mere agents, we did not touch the principal. However, if Your Ladyship chooses to invest and manage it, your profits will only grow. If you continue to do business with us, we can provide you with further market information.”
“I will. The fact that you did not simply hand this over to my uncle is proof enough of Asety Bank’s transparency and integrity.”
Harriet wiped away her tears and extended her hand. Howard, feeling a sense of pride that his often-criticized rigidity had been validated, smiled and shook her hand firmly.
*
After Howard departed, Harriet waited for Trisha to wake up before sharing the news with her and Roxana.
However, rather than being overjoyed by Harriet’s new status as a major landowner, Trisha was consumed by rage at John’s treachery.
“John… what has that scoundrel done now?!”
Fearing the woman might collapse as she pounded the bed with her bony fist, Roxana quickly poured a glass of water and offered it to her.
“Getting too agitated is bad for your health. Lady Harriet has safely recovered the land, so perhaps you should try to calm down?”
“Do I look like I can be calm right now? Not only did he slander my only niece and kick her out without a single penny, but he actually tried to steal the land that belonged to her in secret?!”