Chapter 98
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 98
It’s none of my business. The Duke of Kailas can handle it himself. He has more than enough money to find a way to get it back.
Harriet, settled into the carriage heading home, stared blankly out the window, trying to settle her racing thoughts.
She tried to convince herself that Cedric wouldn’t have surrendered his father’s keepsake without a plan—that he had surely already devised a way to retrieve it.
But what if he hadn’t? What if he had only given it up by enduring a pain that felt like his heart was being torn out?
Let’s not think like this. Who am I to meddle in his affairs?
Harriet shook her head vigorously to clear her mind of the distracting thoughts.
Just as she sighed and turned her gaze back to the window, she recognized a face. Someone was sitting at an outdoor cafe table, reading a newspaper and sipping coffee.
He would know about that party…!
Her body moved before her mind could catch up. Before she could even process what she was doing, she was rapping on the wall of the carriage.
“Stop here for a moment! Quickly!”
Harriet hurriedly smoothed her dress and fixed her hair while the coachman brought the horses to a halt. Then, as if she hadn’t just been in a frantic flurry, she elegantly alighted from the carriage and stepped under the cafe’s awning.
“What a pleasant surprise, Young Master Roark.”
The man who looked up at her greeting was Tez Roark. He was the socialite rake who never missed a scandalous party and was rumored to know every trend before it even began.
“Lady Harriet! Oh, what a…!”
“I came for a cup of tea, but it seems all the good seats are taken. I apologize, but may I join you?”
“I suppose I should thank the heavens for the crowd today, then! Hahaha! Please, sit. This place is famous for its Cafe au Lait; shall I order one for you?”
“Oh, I’ll get it. I wouldn’t want to impose.”
“Such an imposition is always welcome. Waiter!”
Tez welcomed Harriet warmly and gladly bought her coffee.
As they sat across from one another, Harriet felt the weight of the passersby's stares. To an outsider, it must have looked like a summit between high society’s two most notorious scandal-makers.
Harriet took a sip of her Cafe au Lait and observed Tez. He, too, was watching her, his smirk hidden behind his teacup.
“I apologize for my behavior last time. I’m afraid I let my emotions get the better of me…”
“As I told you then, I understand,” Tez replied. “I will continue to apologize to you, Lady Harriet. As many times as it takes for you to feel better.”
Harriet hesitated, unsure of what expression to make, before finally offering a faint, practiced smile.
“Let’s stop talking about such things. The weather is lovely for a change. It would be a waste to spend it on anything but interesting conversation.”
“Those are welcome words indeed.”
Tez pulled his chair a little closer. Harriet wanted to lean back just as much, but she couldn't flee from someone she needed something from.
She began to navigate through the current trends of high society. They discussed everything from the coffee everyone in the capital was drinking to seasonal delicacies, the jewels two famous countesses were supposedly feuding over, and the new chessboards and card games found in every salon.
It wasn’t until the bottom of her cup began to show that she finally steered the conversation toward her true goal—praying that Tez wouldn't notice her intent.
“Haa, isn’t there anything more interesting? Perhaps it’s the spring air, but I’ve been feeling quite listless lately. It would be nice to find some truly thrilling entertainment.”
Uttering the remark with a sigh of feigned regret, Harriet took her last sip and prayed fervently.
Bite. Come on, take the bait!
Had her prayer reached the heavens? Tez, who had been casually glancing around, suddenly leaned forward and whispered in a voice meant only for her.
“I do know of a very interesting party.”
Her heart pounded. But Harriet was no longer a novice merchant. She merely scoffed and shook her head.
“Parties are all the same. In the end, you just show up, drink, and dance. At most, if it’s a bit more ‘stimulating,’ you might flirt with a man who catches your eye? It’s boring.”
“If that’s boring, then I think I have just the thing for you. There’s a party held on a ship out in the harbor.”
“On a ship?”
Seeing Harriet’s reaction, Tez grinned, looking delighted.
“Have you heard of something called ‘Angelic’?”
“Of course. Is there anyone who doesn’t know about that these days?”
She had never tried it, but Harriet scoffed as if it were common knowledge. Tez, completely hooked, began to divulge the true nature of the Angelic Party.
“On that ship, you can indulge in every pleasure forbidden on land. No one will judge what you wear, and no one will stop you from doing whatever you want, with whomever you want, wherever you want. It means there will be plenty of men to worship you all night long.”
At his words, Harriet felt a slight churning in her stomach and covered her mouth. To Tez, however, it looked like an expression of breathless anticipation.
“They say that with a few ‘Angelic’ pills, even a lady can experience repeated pleasure all night long without ever growing weary. Everyone loves it; anyone who attends once, man or woman, always comes back for more.”
“Th-that kind of party… I’d think rumors would be rampant. Why haven’t I heard of it?”
“Naturally, it’s a secret. It’s a party where many things happen that deviate from common morals and laws, so they must maintain the utmost discretion, and…” He pulled an envelope from his inner pocket and continued. “To board that ship, you absolutely must have an invitation.”
“An invitation…”
“Or, you must attend as the partner of someone who already has one.”
It was a blatant temptation. Harriet understood exactly what Tez was implying.
However, if she went with him, he would become an obstacle when she tried to secure Cedric’s brooch and escape. Besides, she had no intention whatsoever of participating in an orgy.
“…Isn’t that a bit awkward? To have a partner, yet enjoy oneself with various other people.”
“Once you’re inside, a ‘partner’ becomes meaningless anyway. You only enter together; everyone enjoys themselves separately.”
Harriet swallowed dryly. Tez laughed cheerfully and reached out, lightly caressing her cheek.
“Come with me, Lady Harriet. This time… I’ll keep your secret.”
The remark brought back a flood of bitter memories. Memories of the past, when he had made her a scapegoat to cover up Bella’s debauched lifestyle.
Whether Tez had said it consciously or merely blurted it out, his words allowed Harriet to sharpen her wavering focus once more.
“In that case, perhaps I’ll accept your kind offer. Is there anything specific I need to prepare?”
“You only need a mask. It’s the rule of the ship: if someone is wearing a mask, you pretend not to know who they are, even if you do.”
Right. That’s why he kept quiet even when he knew the person he was ‘having fun’ with was Bella.
Harriet smiled brightly. “Alright. What is the date and time?”
*
Rumors of Harriet’s meeting with the Empress spread through high society like wildfire.
And no wonder.
After all, who was Harriet Listerwell? To most, she was a wanton woman deserving of nothing but scorn—a troublemaker who, out of jealousy for her beautiful cousin, had slandered her and turned her own uncle against her. Moreover, word was that even at the recent Laurel family party, she hadn't broken her old habits and was caught in a scandalous act with some man.
For such a woman to be drinking tea with the Empress was, at first glance, incomprehensible.
However, those with keen insight immediately shifted their attitude toward Harriet the moment the rumors were confirmed.
“Perhaps the incident at the Laurel party was exaggerated? No one actually saw anything, and it’s strange that there are only rumors.”
“Exactly. Setting everything else aside, Her Imperial Majesty would have no reason to specifically summon a lady of poor conduct for a private conversation, would she?”
“I don’t know what she was like before, but I quite like Lady Harriet. I spoke with her through Lady Fellon’s introduction, and she was very polite and intelligent.”
An invitation to the Empress’s drawing room for tea—essentially a private audience—was a feat even the most prominent noblewomen struggled to achieve. Though the reason for the summons remained a mystery, if she had indeed been chosen by the Empress, it was wiser to hold one's tongue until Her Majesty’s intentions were clear.
“Didn’t I tell you? Everything would change once you returned.”
Trisha smiled, wearing an ‘I told you so’ expression as she sipped her tea. Harriet, sitting across from her, still looked bewildered.
“Even so, I never imagined things would change this much.”
Her reputation, which had been spiraling after the Laurel party, had been rehabilitated almost instantly. The flood of invitations and cordial letters arriving at her door served as undeniable proof.
“Even with the House of Kailas’s ties to the Imperial Family, arranging a meeting for you was a massive risk,” Trisha noted. “Your reputation isn't exactly stellar yet; I’m surprised the Empress agreed so easily.”