SMR | Chapter 148

~Chapter 148~

“Why is this person sending me an invitation…?”

Although Cedric had made her acquainted, it seemed unlikely that he would send her an invitation.

As Harriet opened the invitation, expecting a formal greeting, she discovered a few lines at the end that explained why she had received it.

“…Lady Daphne has mentioned you a lot. Cedric too. Could I possibly become a good friend of yours? – Edgar Dawson”

Thanks to Cedric, Harriet at least knew Edgar Dawson by face now, but they were not close enough for him to send her a personal invitation.

She opened the card, expecting a formal, polite message. Instead, at the end of the letter, a few extra lines explained why she had been invited.

[…Lady Daphne talks a lot about you, Lady Harriet. Cedric does as well.

I was wondering… could I also become a good friend to you?

Edgar Dawson]

There had been rumors for some time that Edgar Dawson had taken Daphne, who had broken off her engagement with James Cheslow. Every time Daphne attended a party, Edgar had asked her to dance, making these rumors seem true.

So, it made sense that Daphne had mentioned her.

‘But what exactly did the Duke of Kailas say about me?’

What could they have talked about?

Harriet’s mind flashed back to that night of the Duke’s party, and her ears grew warm with embarrassment.

‘Could this hunting competition be part of the plan they talked about?’

She vividly remembered Cedric whispering in her ear that night.

No, what stuck more in her memory were his voice, scent, and the warmth of his body.

‘Anyway, how careless of him to flirt with women like this. The only reason there are no scandals is because of the Duke’s power.’

What woman could resist that voice and attitude?

Harriet knew it too well, and though she felt bitter, she couldn’t deny it. He was handsome, and she had fallen for him. That was the end of it.

‘Anyway, Dawson’s hunting competition… Daphne and the Duke of Kailas are both attending, right? Then… I’ll go.’

She decided to go, using Daphne as an excuse, just to see him.

Perhaps she would witness Cedric and Bella together, but Harriet sent a response, accepting the invitation. There was no way she was going to miss the chance to see Cedric again.

***

The Dawson estate owned the Bovex Forest in northern Genoa. It was not only vast but also exceptionally beautiful, making it famous. Every two years, they held a fox hunting competition.

However, the competition had been skipped the previous year because Edgar hadn’t returned, and Dawson’s health had been poor. So, this year, with the event happening again, the attendance was higher than ever.

“If these people each catch just one, the fox population will be wiped out.”

“Most of these people came for the outing. The hunting competition is just a spectacle.”

“Well then, I’ll have to shine and make sure I stand out.”

James laughed as he pulled out his hunting rifle.

But his friend, who had been laughing alongside him, suddenly glanced around, and in a small voice, he asked,

“Didn’t it feel awkward coming here today?”

“Awkward? Why?”

“Why? Didn’t you hear? Lady Daphne is now with Edgar Dawson. Aren’t you bothered by it?”

For a moment, James’s face froze, but he quickly shrugged, acting like it didn’t matter.

“Good for them. Daphne should move on and meet another man. That way, I won’t be called the bad guy anymore.”

“You really are a success. You got engaged to both of the most beautiful women in society.”

“Ha ha ha! It happened by accident, but my true love is Bella only.”

James, after packing his rifle and gear, went inside the venue looking for his glowing trophy—his fiancée.

But no matter how much he looked around, he couldn’t find that shining blonde hair.

‘Hasn’t she arrived yet?’

Bella stood out wherever she was, so it was reasonable to assume she hadn’t arrived yet if he couldn’t spot her.

As he walked toward the tents where his acquaintances were, he finally spotted the golden shimmer he had been looking for.

“Huh? Why is she coming out of there?”

Bella was emerging from the Duke of Kailas’s tent, talking to Cedric in a friendly manner.

“What’s going on?”

Suddenly, an unpleasant memory flashed in his mind.

A friend had once told him that they had seen something strange at the Duke of Kailas’s party.

“Before you arrived, Bella was alone with the Duke of Kailas on the balcony.”

He had been considering whether to say something or not but had dismissed it, thinking it was a misunderstanding or that he had seen it wrong.

But now, seeing them like this, his stomach twisted.

He quickly walked toward Bella.

Cedric had already moved to talk to other people, but it didn’t matter because James wanted to talk to Bella.

“Bella!”

“Oh, James!”

Bella greeted him with a bright smile and waved her hand.

Seeing her dazzling beauty, his irritation slightly faded, and a soft smile appeared on his face.

“Did you just arrive?”

Bella hooked her arm through his and asked sweetly. Though his anger had subsided, he still felt a bit annoyed and puckered his lips before asking,

“Why did you just come out of the Duke of Kailas’s tent?”

“The Duke of Kailas’s…? Oh, I see how it might look. But I went there to greet Lord Kingsley.”

“Lord Kingsley?”

“Yes. I heard my father owed him a favor, so I went to say hello.”

At this, James looked again and noticed that the Duke of Kailas’s flag was flying outside the tent, along with many other flags from the various noble families.

But there was still one thing that didn’t sit right with him.

“But earlier, it looked like you and the Duke of Kailas were very friendly…”

At this, Bella frowned slightly, as if she didn’t understand.

“I went to greet the Duke and the Duchess, and the Duchess was very kind to me. I think that’s why the Duke smiled and saw me off. But did it really look that friendly?”

“Really? Well, from a distance, it seemed like you were smiling too much…”

“The Duke was being kind to me, so I couldn’t be cold with him. James, are you jealous?”

“Ah, ha ha! No, I’m not. I just thought you and the Duke might be close.”

Now, all his doubts were cleared.

‘Right, I’ve been thinking nonsensically.’

Bella was his fiancée.

It wasn’t something he wanted, but the process had been quite public, and everyone knew about it.

Cedric Kailas wouldn’t have flirted with Bella, and Bella, who only had eyes for him, wouldn’t have done such a thing either.

“Well then, now that I’m here, let’s head to our tent. We might run into Daphne if we stay here.”

“I was actually planning to go over there soon. I feel like a criminal when I’m around Daphne.”

“What nonsense are you talking about? If anyone’s going to accuse you, use my name. You’ve done nothing wrong.”

“How can I use your name just to make myself feel better? I’ll just avoid her on my own.”

James was touched by Bella’s kind nature.

“There’s no one like you. But it hurts me when you get hurt.”

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her forehead.

Bella smiled gently and leaned on his shoulder, but in her mind, she was thinking something completely different.

‘Thank goodness James is clueless. Anyway, the Duke of Kailas has agreed to my proposal, so now I just need to play my part well.’

It was true that she had greeted Lord Kingsley. At the Duke of Kailas’s party, she had led Cedric to a quiet spot and made sure they were left alone.

Of course, she didn’t feel particularly guilty about it, as it was done at Albert’s request, but it was still good to build a strong relationship with Cedric.

But Benedict wasn’t in the Duke of Kailas’s tent.

There, he had just greeted Cedric and showed everyone that he was with her.

“I see you’ve arrived.”

He didn’t say much but stood near her, close enough for her to feel his presence.

He had even introduced her to Jeremiah.

Cedric Kailas had rarely personally introduced a young woman to his mother.

‘The progress isn’t as fast as I’d like, but I won’t rush it. I have to approach him carefully.’

Cedric, who hadn’t been comfortable around women, was clearly making an effort.

According to Albert, he had never even hugged a woman, so once that barrier was crossed, it wouldn’t be hard to win him over.

‘All I need to do is get us alone together. Then, secretly slip him some “anghelic powder,” and he’ll never be able to refuse me.’

Bella smiled secretly as she imagined the day ahead.