SMR | Chapter 167

~Chapter 167~

“Welcome, Baron!”

In the dimness of the night, John warmly greeted Benedict, who had arrived in a hurry.

But Benedict didn’t even have the composure to smile back at the welcome.

“We don’t have time. Let’s skip the pleasantries and get straight to business.”

“I agree. This way, please.”

John quickly led him to the sitting room where Bella was waiting.

Because the meeting was held in strict secrecy, the mansion’s lights were kept low, and no servants were called in.

After Bella personally poured him a cup of tea, Benedict finally caught his breath. Still, he kept rubbing his hands together, trying to calm his anxious nerves.

“I believe you can guess why I came here.”

“Is it about Sir Albert?”

At John’s guess, Benedict nodded silently. His tightly clenched jaw revealed both anger and worry.

“We can’t fall apart like this. There has to be a way to negotiate. Miss Bella—how are things with Cedric?”

He looked at her with a hopeful gaze. To be honest, he was deeply disappointed that she still hadn’t managed to get Cedric to take Angelic. But right now, she was the only person who could approach him.

Bella knew that as well, so she didn’t shrink back at all.

“We’ve been exchanging letters and keeping in steady contact since the opera.”

“You haven’t met him?”

“As you know, he’s been extremely busy lately.”

There was no need to say why. It was obvious—it was the reason Albert was now in prison.

Benedict clenched his teeth, then forced himself to speak again.

“If you help save Albert, Miss Bella, the Kingsley family will fully support the Listerwells. I promise you.”

“That’s vague. Exactly how much support are you offering?”

“We’ll give Baron Listerwell five hundred thousand dirams as a lump sum, and another five hundred thousand directly to you, Miss Bella. After this incident is resolved, we’ll also introduce our heir, young Aston, to key figures. Beyond that, we can provide positive support for any businesses the Listerwell family is involved in.”

Although they held the same rank, the Kingsley barony had far greater influence. They were wealthier and served under a ducal house, which meant their connections were on a much higher level.

John’s face immediately brightened, but Bella remained cautious.

“You applied for bail, correct?”

“Of course.”

“Then I have one more request. When Sir Albert is released, I want him to publicly state that I never took Angelic, nor was I a passenger on Kingdom. No—he should say that Harriet Listerwell disguised herself as me and boarded the ship.”

“That won’t be difficult at all. It doesn’t even cost money.”

Only then did Bella nod lightly.

The shock she’d felt when she heard, just days ago, that Harriet had begun exposing her still hadn’t faded.

Up until now, no one had believed Harriet. That was why Harriet had kept her mouth shut and endured it all.

But now the situation was different. Everyone was paying attention to Harriet. Several people had already come asking whether her story was true.

Bella was furious—at Harriet, at the people who dared listen to someone as insignificant as her, and at Tez, who had caused this entire mess.

‘How dare they make a laughingstock out of me? Just wait. I won’t let this go.’

She clenched her fist tightly. Her perfectly manicured nails dug into her palm, but perhaps because the side effects of Angelic still lingered, she didn’t even feel the pain.

* * *

In mid-September, when the wind began to carry the scent of autumn, Cedric finally agreed to see Bella.

He had assumed she wanted him to take pity on her difficult situation, but the conversation took a slightly different turn.

“It really feels like autumn is coming now. Last night was chilly enough that I reached for a shawl.”

“The heat has certainly eased.”

“They say it’s easy to catch a cold at times like this. It’d be much nicer if you had someone beside you to hold while you sleep.”

Cedric let out a light laugh at that.

“For a moment I thought you were pretending to be a proper young lady—but I quite like how that story ended.”

“I told you I’d be honest with you.”

Bella smiled sweetly, then lifted her teacup and took a sip.

Cedric quietly watched her.

“I’ve heard there are some troublesome rumors going around lately…”

“Rumors? Oh, you mean the summons?”

When he didn’t respond, Bella smiled faintly and shrugged.

“The truth always comes out eventually, so I’m not worried. Honestly, Duke, you already know who it was that boarded the ship while imitating me.”

Cedric still didn’t answer, but his smile grew slightly deeper.

Bella shot him a mildly annoyed glance.

“Of course, I know you won’t reveal it. After all, it involves the former Duke’s keepsake. Still, don’t you think it was incredibly malicious of Harriet to disguise herself as me?”

“I don’t know what her intentions were. It seems there’s some history between the two of you, but that’s not something I need to concern myself with.”

“I suppose so. That’s fine. What matters to me is that at least you know I’m innocent.”

Bella still looked confident and seductive, as if she had nothing to fear.

Cedric tilted his head slightly and asked,

“Then why did you come to see me today? I thought you wanted my help, but apparently not. That’s interesting.”

“Do you only meet people when there’s a clear purpose? If I had to give a reason… it’s because I wanted to see you.”

Cedric smiled again. He was reminded of how he’d once told a woman he missed her, only to be coldly rejected.

“I see. To be honest, everyone who comes here usually has an agenda. So hearing that you came simply because you missed me feels rather refreshing.”

“Oh my, you must have been lonely…”

Bella lowered her brows and pretended to sympathize with him.

After that, they continued with light, superficial conversation—about the weather, good places for dates, hobbies they’d been into lately—rather than politics or the mood of high society.

Eventually, the topic shifted to family and friends.

“…So my family is quite close. We stay in touch even with distant relatives. When things get tough, blood is the only thing you can really rely on.”

“…That’s usually true.”

Cedric paused briefly before answering. Bella either didn’t notice the meaning behind that silence—or rather, she misunderstood it.

“Oh. I may have made things awkward. Especially since you’re having trouble with your cousin, Sir Albert…”

“It’s not awkward enough to bother me.”

“Well… still, isn’t it sad for close relatives to turn their backs on each other? You don’t have siblings, so Sir Albert is basically like a brother to you, isn’t he?”

Cedric found Bella amusing. She had a way of making people laugh—different from Harriet, but effective in her own way.

“Then let me ask you—when your cousin was in trouble, did you feel sorry for her?”

“I’ve always felt sorry for her face.”

Bella tossed it off as a joke, and Cedric burst out laughing. Bella laughed along with him.

At a glance, the two of them seemed to get along remarkably well.

Still smiling, Cedric spoke.

“If Albert were to come himself, kneel, and beg, that might be one thing. But it’s difficult for me to help him first. After all, he was the one who picked the fight.”

“Ah… because of the brooch…!”

Nodding as if she understood, Bella looked up at Cedric and added carefully,

“But don’t you think Harriet might be involved with Sir Albert somehow? Otherwise, how would she have known the brooch was there?”

“I don’t know how Miss Harriet got involved. I did thank her for retrieving it, at least. But one thing is certain—Albert stole it.”

Cedric lifted his teacup, his smile still lingering.

While he drank, Bella couldn’t see his expression, but she became convinced that Cedric had feelings for her.

What he said next only strengthened that belief.

“…Please convey what I just said to Albert.”

“What? I—!”

“I would’ve been happier if your visit truly had no purpose. Still, it wasn’t bad.”

Cedric was smiling, even though he clearly knew why she’d come—his gaze seductive, his expression teasing.

‘I’ve never had a man desire me while being this aloof. That’s pretty refreshing too.’

Bella let out a small laugh and nodded. The negotiation was settled. All that remained was to pass the message on to Albert—and then her part would be finished.