~Chapter 116~
When Cedric was talking to Lady Spence, he clearly made eye contact with Harriet.
But instead of acknowledging him, she turned her head. Normally, when you run into someone you know, you’d at least greet them out of politeness.
It didn’t make him angry, but rather… a bit excited.
‘Could she be jealous?’
Just thinking about it made him embarrassed, but for some reason, he kept feeling hopeful.
If that were the case, should he encourage her jealousy or clear up the misunderstanding quickly?
If he showed jealousy about her connection with Tez, what would Harriet think?
…No, Harriet probably wouldn’t think much of it.
“Being a ‘scandal maker’ requires quick thinking,” he chuckled to himself.
Lately, that’s how he felt.
Just thinking about Harriet would make an hour fly by, and even though nothing particularly exciting was happening, he found himself laughing.
Being with her was more enjoyable, but for now, he couldn’t approach her carelessly.
The squirrel was brave, but also scared.
He absentmindedly played with the ruby brooch he had tucked into his coat, muttering to himself, “I want it.”
For the first time in his life, a man who had everything started to feel desire.
***
The day after the picnic, Tez woke up late, had a leisurely bath, dressed carefully, and headed to the “Ladies’ Salon,” a reserved room.
He was feeling lighthearted, knowing he had gathered some good information and was about to meet Bella.
Tez arrived at the room first, sitting on a sofa next to the bed and thinking about Harriet and Bella.
“Harriet Listerwell… the more I see her, the better she seems,” he thought.
Bella’s opinion of Harriet had to change.
Harriet wasn’t stupid or ugly. She wasn’t without connections or friends, and she certainly wasn’t lacking in male attention.
If it hadn’t been for the scandal that Bella had framed her with, she would have already been surrounded by men.
Tez should probably thank Bella for making it so easy to pursue Harriet without competition.
He placed a silver matchbox on the table, but instead of lighting a match, he started thinking about the time he had spent gathering information on Harriet.
He’d hired informants to learn about her movements, preferences, and relationships. This allowed him to find excuses to meet her again and put himself in a comfortable position in their interactions.
However, since the informants were commoners, they couldn’t identify the nobleman who had been with Harriet at the auction.
“The man who was with her at the auction—who was he? If I asked, I’d risk revealing I didn’t actually see him myself,” Tez thought.
His informant said that the man wore a hat, making it difficult to recognize him, but he helped Harriet at the auction and left right after she won the bid. It didn’t seem like they were close.
“He was probably just the auction representative sent by Lady Pellon.”
Tez didn’t really care who the man was; what mattered was that Harriet was quickly growing her wealth and had somehow formed ties with the powerful Duke Kailas and even met the Empress, thanks to her guardian.
“If I could get Harriet, I could use her in many ways…”
Just as he was lost in thought, the door opened, and Bella walked in.
“Oh, my goddess,” Tez said, standing to greet her.
Bella was even more beautiful and alluring in person than Harriet.
But Bella, just like before, had a sulking expression and passed by him, sitting on the sofa.
“Stop wasting time and just tell me what you found out,” Bella said.
Tez’s mood soured, and he frowned before sitting across from her, saying something he didn’t really mean.
“Bella, don’t be like this. Honestly, I’m weighing my options between you and Harriet.”
“Wait, what?” Bella responded, incredulous, but Tez shrugged like it was no big deal.
“Harriet is beautiful and smart. Plus, she doesn’t have a boyfriend. I think it might be better to have a long-term relationship with a woman like that. Anyway, you’re already engaged, so you won’t be around long…”
At that, Bella’s eyes narrowed in irritation, but she didn’t get upset. Instead, she smiled slyly.
“That’s a hasty judgment, don’t you think? These days, even married women have one or two lovers.”
“Is that so?”
“Besides, you like light relationships. Harriet is more serious, so she’s the type to cling to you.”
Bella poured champagne into two glasses, then opened Tez’s matchbox and took out a small pill instead of a match. She dropped it into the drink, and the pill quickly dissolved.
“Let’s drink first and talk more,” Bella suggested.
They exchanged heated glances as they drank.
After finishing the last drop, Tez set the glass down and said, “Albert Kingsley is going to become very wealthy from Anghelic. Will you make him your lover too?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I just get the feeling you know him well. Do you buy pills from Albert too?”
“Doesn’t everyone these days?”
Bella pretended not to know what he meant, but Tez shook his head.
“I’m not blaming you. He’s been bragging about how the most beautiful women in society are his customers, so I was just curious.”
Bella didn’t answer but instead slowly lifted her skirt, revealing her thighs as she pulled off her stockings.
“If you’re just talking about this, you should leave.”
Tez, eyes burning with lust, stood up quickly, grabbed Bella, and threw her onto the bed, tearing off her clothes.
Bella, already panting, twisted her body, and as she moved sensually, Tez began to burn with desire. With the help of Anghelic, they had another passionate encounter.
Afterward, both of them were left breathing heavily, lying on the bed.
“You’re the best, Bella,” Tez murmured, satisfied.
Bella snorted in amusement. It was something everyone said to her, so it didn’t mean much.
Afterward, she complained, “You said you learned a lot about Harriet. Stop making me wait and just tell me.”
Tez lay down, his face pleasant, and in a lazy voice, he began to speak.
“I went to the Anghelic party with Harriet.”
“With her? Why?”
“Surprisingly, she approached me first. I pretended to be interested to figure out what she was up to.”
Bella, who was about to laugh, suddenly froze, remembering something.
“Did she wear a blonde wig? And a beauty mark here?” She pointed to her neck and chest.
Tez hesitated but nodded vaguely.
“That sounds familiar.”
Bella was certain.
“That girl was pretending to be me! Was she trying to ruin my reputation?”
She sneered. Her reputation was strong enough that it couldn’t be ruined by something like that.
But learning that Harriet was targeting her wasn’t pleasant.
Tez, noticing Bella’s odd reaction, picked a grape from a bowl on the table and asked, “Do you know what Harriet did there?”
“I’m not into quizzes,” she replied.
Tez laughed and then revealed the answer.
“She went there to retrieve the late Duke Kailas’s heirloom.”
“The heirloom? You mean the ruby brooch?”
“Yeah, she boldly grabbed it. Come to think of it, she met Cedric Kailas because of that brooch, didn’t she?”
Bella snickered.
“How could I forget that brooch? It’s the one that got Harriet sent to the convent.”
Tez continued, “She went there specifically to find it. She was 100% after that brooch.”
