SMR | Chapter 154

~Chapter 154~

“Oh my, Your Grace! You’re quite unexpectedly naughty.”

“Am I? I find your comment more unexpected.”

“What?”

“I told you before. I might be a little more lustful and vulgar than you think.”

Bella couldn’t hold back her laughter and covered her mouth with her hand.

The more she talked with Cedric, the harder it became for her to deny how attractive he was.

He was calling himself lustful and vulgar, yet he looked dignified and refined—almost to the point of arrogance.

And that gap between his words and his appearance thrilled her. It felt as if she was looking straight at her true self—the woman who had to act like the golden rose and angel of Genoa whenever others were watching.

So that’s why he liked it whenever I showed my real side. My whole approach had been wrong from the start.

Even now, remembering how he used to ignore her in the past made her feel embarrassed and angry.
But it didn’t matter—because she was succeeding now.

***

The next day, Bella still couldn’t stop thinking about Cedric.

Especially the part where he brought up the “diamond earrings.”

Why did he ask me about diamonds?

She tried not to jump to conclusions, but she couldn’t help feeling excited.

There was only one reason a man would ask the woman he’s dating if she likes diamonds, or talk about earrings.
He must be planning to buy her glamorous earrings—ones flashy enough to outshine the engagement ring she had thrown away from another man.

While she was stirring sugar in her coffee, happily lost in imagination, James ruined the moment from across the table.

“So, how about we schedule the wedding for October?”

“What? Why are you suddenly talking about the wedding?”

“Huh?”

James was confused. He thought she would be happy, but Bella was acting like it was the first time she’d heard about it.

“It’s not sudden. We’ve talked about it several times already.”

“But you said you’re going to Serachev soon with the Count.”

“That’s why we should decide before I leave. I’ll be gone for at least two months.”

Of course, Bella already knew that.
The opening ceremony of the Pelodia Theater would soon fill the newspapers, and she had gone with Cedric despite that.

James would be leaving at dawn the day after tomorrow, and he was extremely busy preparing.
Even if someone informed him that she had been seen with Cedric, she could deny it for a day and he wouldn’t be able to come back right away.

Serachev was far away and the purpose of the trip was to solve an important issue there.
Even if he heard rumors, he wouldn’t be able to return immediately.

Which is exactly why setting the wedding date now would be very bad.

Such news would spread quickly, and Cedric was not the type of man to fall in love with someone whose wedding date was already decided.

“October is only three months away. You’ll only have been back from Serachev for a month—that seems too rushed.”

“It’ll be a bit tiring, sure. But if it means I can become your husband even one day sooner, I’d gladly put up with a busy schedule. You feel the same, right?”

He reached out and grabbed Bella’s hand.

The way his thumb stroked her skin was full of crude desire.

Yes… this is what you call lustful and vulgar.

James had once seemed like the most gentlemanly man she’d ever met, but now she kept comparing him to Cedric.

She knew the safest move would be to marry James as soon as possible and tie him down completely—but letting Cedric slip through her fingers now felt too wasteful.

If I were the type to settle for something easy, I would’ve never caught James in the first place.

All her memories of lifelong challenges and victories gave Bella courage.

Even if she failed to seduce Cedric, she felt confident she could catch another man on James’s level.

Firming her resolve, Bella smiled softly but gently pulled her hand out of his, lifting her teacup with both hands.

“I don’t want to overwork you just because I’m being greedy. What if you collapse on our wedding day?”

“Do I look that weak to you?”

“That’s not what I mean. And I don’t want to upset the Count and Countess Cheslow. They’ve always said we should hold the wedding next May.”

When her concern for him wasn’t enough to stop the discussion, Bella brought up his parents.
They had arranged the engagement, but didn’t want to rush the wedding.

Her attitude had completely changed from before, when she had been begging to move the wedding forward.
Naturally, James was confused.

“Bella, what’s wrong? Are you upset because I kept delaying setting the wedding date?”

“Of course not! I’ve just been thinking. We always talked about it from our point of view, but this marriage will change a lot for both families too.”

“Bella…!”

His voice trembled with emotion.

“You’re so kind. Silly girl. Let me take responsibility. You can be selfish too.”

“There’s nothing I want badly enough to force you or your family. We’re going to be a family soon—why risk creating resentment over something small?”

“I said I’ll handle it.”

“I don’t want to burden you. Ah, but anyway—are you all packed for Serachev?”

Her subtle way of ending the topic made James pout sadly, but he respected her wishes.

Still, on the way home after spending time with her, he didn’t look happy.

Something’s off…

He had been distracted by her charm and smiles earlier, but thinking about it now, things didn’t feel right.

Before their engagement, Bella had pushed hard to bring the engagement ceremony forward.
Afterward, she rushed around preparing for the wedding.

But suddenly, she changed her mind? Talking about parents and timing…?

She could’ve simply changed her mind, but still…

No matter how he tried to ignore it, he felt uneasy.

Even after their engagement, men constantly chased after Bella, and marriage proposals still arrived at the Listerwell household.

Arms crossed, face stiff, he thought for a long moment before shaking his head.

No. No way. Bella only thinks of me.

She was the one who wept, begging him to forget her because she couldn’t drag Daphne’s fiancé into disgrace.

She had been more devastated than he was about breaking his engagement to Daphne.

She only struggled to reject the men who pursued her because she wasn’t cold-hearted enough.

I’m overreacting. If we marry in May next year, my parents will be satisfied too. I should be grateful Bella is thinking carefully.

James inhaled deeply, then smiled brightly.
His future still looked dazzling.

***

After James left for Serachev, weekly newspapers reported on the opening of the Pelodia Theater and the premiere of the opera.

The articles covered the opera and the performers in detail—likely thanks to Count Pelodia’s influence.

But the parts that sold the most newspapers were different:
who sat in the front row, which celebrities attended, whose dress was the most stunning.

The photo came out nicely.

Cedric folded the newspaper and set it on his desk.

The front-page photo clearly showed him and the acquaintances sitting near him.
Bella, leaning slightly toward his direction, looked especially intimate.

Cedric checked his appearance one last time, then headed to a gathering.
He didn’t usually visit the gentlemen’s club often, but today he needed their loose tongues.

“Welcome, Duke Kailas! Long time no see.”

Willow Hill was a club for young men of high noble families.

Since Cedric rarely visited, people peeked at him with interest when he arrived.

“I finally got some free time. Thank you for not expelling such a delinquent member.”

His polite joke made everyone laugh lightly.

Once he sat down, the club members greeted him formally, then slowly shifted into personal questions.
Normally, Cedric hated such nosy behavior—but today, it was exactly what he wanted.

“I saw the newspaper. You attended the Pelodia Theater opening?”

“You seem close to Lady Listerwell.”

Cedric cleared his throat lightly to set a boundary.

“If you keep bringing up that lady, she might get harmed. Please refer to her only as ‘that young lady’ from now on.”

Half joking, half serious, but enough to make them think he was allowing talk about his private life.

Everyone exchanged excited glances.

“I heard you ordered an expensive diamond earring set from Lundberg the day before yesterday. Is that by any chance for ‘that young lady’?”

“So you are romantically involved with her?”

Of course they were curious.

Bella was James’s fiancée, and James’s broken engagement with Daphne had shaken high society.

Everyone knew what it meant for Cedric to boldly escort such a woman to a public event.

And they were eager to hear it from Cedric himself.

Fortunately for them, Cedric was ready to give them exactly what they wanted.