Chapter 91
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 91
John was consumed by a white-hot fury over the land that had slipped through his fingers.
"To the Fellon Estate! Quickly!"
"I apologize, Master, but no matter how fast we go, we won't arrive until well after sunset."
"Shut up and drive!"
Screaming with a face turned a violent shade of crimson, John looked like a demon straight out of scripture. Terry, his spine chilling at the sight, had no choice but to lash the already exhausted horses once more.
Damn it, that rat-faced bitch! How dare she steal my property?
To John, the land in Perilas was already his. To have it vanish just as he was about to grasp it left him bordering on insanity.
Lily, sitting opposite him, didn't dare mention her payment. She swallowed dryly, terrified. If she brought up money now, his rage would undoubtedly be redirected at her—especially since she was dressed to resemble Harriet.
I quit my job at the bar for this? What am I going to do? I’m cursed. Truly cursed.
She grumbled silently, holding her breath as she endured the bone-rattling shaking of the carriage. Fortunately, John was so blinded by his own wrath that he seemed to have forgotten she even existed.
Lily managed to safely disembark after they passed through the Genoa City Gate, but she knew she would never forget the murderous glare John leveled at her before she left.
"Listen well. If you breathe a word of today’s events to anyone, I will tear you limb from limb. If you value that miserable life of yours, you’d best keep your mouth shut. Understood?"
With a heavy clink, a small pouch was tossed at her feet.
She hastily snatched it up and felt the weight of coins inside. To her disappointment, however, they weren't gold. They were silver coins worth 100 Dirham each.
Only five hundred Dirham?
It wasn't a small amount for three days' work, but for a man who claimed to be a great noble, his generosity was pathetic.
But what could she do? Lily shoved the pouch into her bodice and bowed her head low.
"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about, My Lord. I was merely enjoying a ride in the carriage of such a kind-hearted nobleman. W-well then, I shall take my leave."
The quick-witted woman knew exactly what answer would satisfy John, and she was able to scurry away into the night.
Terry, however, was not so lucky.
He had to race down the dark road all the way to the gates of the Fellon Estate, his heart hammering with the fear that John might discover he was the one who had revealed Harriet’s location.
The moment they arrived, John leapt from the carriage and began ringing the bell violently, not even sparing a glance for Terry, who was desperately trying to gauge his mood.
"Damn them! What is taking so long?"
Even as he watched the servants approach from the distance, John gnashed his teeth. Not just Harriet, but Trisha, who protected her, and everyone else in this mansion—he hated them all so much he felt he might lose his mind.
*
Trisha, Harriet, and Roxana were in the middle of dinner when news arrived of a sudden guest. They exchanged confused glances, but the confusion vanished the moment they realized it was John.
"If he’s rushed over at this hour, his business is obvious. He must be on his way back from Perilas."
Trisha, who had finally come down to the dining room for a meal after a long absence, was deeply displeased that her pleasant evening had been interrupted.
Harriet, fearing that Trisha might become overstimulated and collapse if she confronted John in her current state, stood up with a forced, cheerful smile.
"He’s a guest we’ve been waiting for, so we should welcome him properly. Grandmother, why don't you finish your meal before coming up?"
"Now you’re treating me like a child."
"Oh, come now."
As Harriet turned to leave, Roxana spoke up.
"If he is angry enough to lose all reason, there is no telling what he might do. It is dangerous for you to meet him alone, Lady Harriet."
"She’s always been needlessly brave," Trisha added, clicking her tongue as she set her napkin aside and wiped her mouth. "The moment I heard John was here, my appetite vanished. Let’s go. I want to see what kind of nonsense he intends to spout this time."
In the end, Harriet met John accompanied by a formidable group: Trisha, Roxana, Butler Andre, and the security personnel they had recently hired.
John stormed into the drawing room, huffing as if he were about to strike someone, but he hesitated. He seemed visibly intimidated by the wall of people standing protectively around Harriet.
She greeted him with a bright, polished smile.
"Welcome, Uncle. It has been quite some time."
A flustered John shifted his gaze left and right, then cleared his throat unnecessarily.
"Ahem! I have something to discuss with you, so why did you bring Auntie along? To cause such a scene...!"
"I wanted to see the face of the uninvited guest who barged into my home. Is there a problem with that?"
John shrank further at the sharp edge in Trisha’s voice. His habit of only acting tough in front of those he deemed weaker was nothing new.
Harriet suppressed the scoff that threatened to escape and maintained her polite facade.
"As you know, Uncle, I am merely a guest here. I could hardly stop the mistress of the house from greeting her own visitor. Please, sit."
John sat on the sofa opposite Harriet and surveyed the room. Trisha’s expression was cold, but she didn't look like she was about to physically attack him, and the rest were merely servants. Slowly, a fraction of his confidence returned.
"What on earth brings you here at such an hour?" Harriet asked.
Reminded of his purpose, John glared at her.
"You! You went behind my back and took the land and mansion in Perilas, didn't you? Where did you learn such manners? That is Listerwell property! Even buying or selling a single span of that land requires my permission as the Head of House!"
"Listerwell property, you say?"
"Of course! You are a member of the Listerwell family, which means you must follow my orders. Did you think you could just cut ties because you’re living under a different roof?"
She had expected him to be difficult, but this level of brazenness was beyond her imagination. Harriet was momentarily speechless, not even knowing where to begin dismantling his logic.
Seeing her silence, John assumed he had gained the upper hand. He leaned back, affecting an air of magnanimity.
"Taking into account that you are young and ignorant of the world, I won't make a scene. If you come with me to Perilas tomorrow and transfer the deed to my name, I’ll even give you some pocket money so you won't feel too slighted."
"And if I refuse?"
"Refuse? Are you really going to try and take me to court? Do you honestly think you can win against me in a court of law?"
At that, Trisha, who had been listening in silence, burst into a sharp, mocking laugh.
"Ahahaha! My goodness, I’ve lived long enough to see something truly amusing. Hahahaha!"
"A-Auntie! This is no laughing matter! Is it wrong for the Head of House to manage the family’s assets? You’re a Head of House yourself, you should understand!"
"Oh, I understand perfectly. But you’ve been a Head of House for over ten years, and yet you seem to know absolutely nothing."
The smile vanished from Trisha's face instantly.
"If the property of every Listerwell family member was owned solely by the 'House,' then how did you inherit the land in Bobex? You know, the land Arthur gave you when he inherited the title."
"W-well, at that time, I was married and... I was a son!"
"What does that matter? You are well aware that the male-preference inheritance laws were repealed two years before Arthur even died."
Trisha let out a hollow laugh and turned to Roxana.
"I found it most amusing when he threatened to go to court. I wonder which of them is truly 'ignorant of the world.'"
"Indeed," Roxana replied smoothly. "The probability of Lady Harriet winning in court is at least ninety-nine percent—and that’s a conservative estimate."
"I’ll block the remaining one percent," Trisha added. "So, the win rate is a clean hundred."
John felt his blood boil. They were mocking him, plain and simple. But he knew that if he provoked Trisha, he wouldn't even get his initial investment back. He had no choice but to target Harriet again.
Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Harriet beat him to it.
"Uncle. Do you truly believe the land in Perilas belongs to you?"
"Of course it does!"
"Then why did you try to snatch it behind my back? If it were your rightful property, there would have been no need to deceive Mr. Scott, nor any reason to forge my signature."
Harriet’s eyes were fixed on him, cold and unyielding.
"That’s because I was afraid you’d get greedy and cause a fuss! Auntie, as I told you before, you wouldn't believe how much she’s coveted other people’s things since she was a child!"
Harriet shuddered. The way he slandered her with blatant lies, even to her face, was sickening.
"I have never coveted what isn't mine. And you, Uncle, know that better than anyone."
"What are you talking about?"
"At the end of last June, you rushed all the way to the convent in the middle of the night to collect me yourself, didn't you? Right after you stopped by Perilas. If that land was something I didn't need to know about, then why were you so desperate to take me there back then?"
The memory of the convent had resurfaced when Howard visited. At the time, John had insisted it was an urgent matter. She had wondered for months what could have been so pressing, but nothing had come of it. Only after hearing about the Perilas estate from Howard did the pieces finally click into place.
"You... you!"