SMR | Chapter 174

~Chapter 174~

As expected, a reply from Cedric arrived quickly.

“…It’s rather short notice, but would tomorrow be possible?”

Meeting the very next day was unusual enough—but the appointment was set for 6 p.m.
That alone meant this was not an ordinary formal meeting.

Anyone else might have been nervous, but not Bella. Whenever she suggested a meeting with a suggestive undertone, every man reacted the same way.

And the next evening, Bella wore modest, proper-looking dress over provocative lingerie.
Men always went crazy for that contrast.

‘As if you’d be any different.’

Unless a man had an unusual sexual taste, almost no one could resist that kind of temptation.

After checking her reflection, Bella applied a special lipstick as a final touch.
It contained Anghelic.

“They say the amount a man ingests through an intense kiss is quite significant. I even added an especially sweet flavor.”

When she had gone to Albert to get drugs for Cedric before, he had handed her this lipstick along with various forms of Anghelic, wearing an expression that clearly showed what kind of situation he was imagining. She had never used it—until today. Tonight, she intended to succeed.

‘I even dusted Anghelic powder on my fingertips. I’ll brush his lips with them, then kiss him—perfect. I’ll ingest some too, but so what?’

Imagining Cedric looking at her as if he wanted to devour her sent a shiver of excitement down her spine.

Still, she forced herself to stay calm and arrived at the ducal residence right on time.

“Welcome. I’ve been waiting for you.”

The quicker-than-usual escort, the softly lit reception room, and Cedric’s subtly sensual greeting made Bella certain: today would decide her fate.

Seated across from each other, they talked briefly about ordinary topics—weather, health, palace events.

But as the sunset deepened, Bella revealed her true intent.

“…Let’s stop this kind of talk. Neither of us is really interested, are we?”

“That’s refreshing to hear.”

“I wanted to see you, Duke. Without any other purpose. Purely.”

When Cedric smiled in clear pleasure, Bella stood and moved to sit beside him. Normally, she would have been stopped immediately.

But Cedric didn’t look flustered—and Bella sat down smoothly, as if she’d expected this.

“I’ve always been curious about this seat.”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. You know how I feel.”

“You said our relationship was just a smokescreen for breaking off your engagement.”

“And I also said I wanted to experience true love.”

Boldly, she placed her hand on Cedric’s cheek.

“I won’t pretend in front of you.”

“….”

“Honestly, I wanted the man known as the best husband candidate in the Astoga Empire. The hero who saved the nation. The ice flower on a cliff.”

Her thumb gently brushed over Cedric’s lips.

“And I can become everything you desire, Duke. If you don’t believe me, feel free to test it.”

“A test…?”

“Invite me to your bedroom. If you don’t like the night we spend together, I’ll never trouble you again.”

She whispered seductively as she slowly leaned closer.

Her heart pounded.

The amount of Anghelic Cedric would ingest through this kiss would be enough to get him into bed.

Once that happened, slipping him the pills she’d prepared would be child’s play—and what followed didn’t require much imagination.

As she felt his warm breath near her lips, Bella nearly drowned in ecstasy, already imagining herself as the future Duchess.

But just before their lips touched, Cedric grasped her shoulders and pushed her away—not roughly, but firmly.

“Cedric…?”

As she called his name in confusion, he spoke.

“The consequences of my actions are not mine alone. The Kailas family would bear them. That’s why I must push you away.”

“Are you saying I’m unsuitable for you because I’m just a baron’s daughter?”

“No. I mean that the Duke of Kailas cannot appear to lay hands on a woman who already has a fiancé.”

Bella’s eyes widened.

“What if… I didn’t have a fiancé?”

“I cannot say anything that would influence an agreement between your family and another. That is the responsibility of my position. But you can infer what I have not said.”

Of course she could.

Bella realized she had reached a crossroads.

James Cheslow… or Cedric Kailas.

Was there even a choice?

“There are rumors that our relationship is more than ordinary. At this point, my father would allow me to break off the engagement.”

“Then you would achieve your initial goal?”

“I’m no longer satisfied with just that. My goal is you.”

At her words, Cedric laughed silently.

Bella truly wanted him.

“I’ll bring you a result you’ll be satisfied with soon. Then… do what we couldn’t do today.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

That single reply completely captivated her.

The great Cedric Kailas—waiting for her to break off her engagement, anticipating a kiss and a night together.

So today’s failure wasn’t really a failure.

She returned home having achieved nothing—and yet, she burst into John’s study with confidence.

“Father! I’m breaking off my engagement with James.”

“What?”

Startled for a moment, John quickly grasped the situation.

“The Duke of Kailas demanded it, didn’t he?”

“He said it would be troublesome if a scandal broke with an engaged woman. A man that responsible wouldn’t abandon a woman whose marriage prospects he ruined.”

Even as her daughter implied premarital relations, John wasn’t flustered. He nodded in agreement.

“That’s right. Damn it. You have to grab them while they’re fired up—when is that James fellow coming back?”

“According to his last letter, soon. His friends already told him plenty about me and the Duke.”

“Good. That’ll make things faster. Don’t drag it out. Wrap things up quickly and focus on the Duke.”

But Bella had a different idea.

“No. I need to let it simmer a little. It’ll be more dramatic that way.”

“Does that really matter?”

“Of course. Men get bored quickly with things that come too easily. James needs to chase me a bit—then the Duke will truly recognize my value.”

Bella smiled sweetly.

Even though she had decided to toy with the son of one of the most powerful families, she felt no fear or tension—only excitement that made her restless.

* * *

James Cheslow returned to Genoa in early October.

The journey from Serachev must have been exhausting, but he went straight to the Listerwell estate the moment he arrived.

“Bella! Bella!”

He shouted his fiancée’s name, but the cold iron gates did not open.

“Damn it! Bella, open the door!”

About two weeks after arriving in Serachev, letters from his friends in Genoa began to arrive—meaning they had been sent almost immediately after he left.

“…James. I’m sorry to say this, but Miss Bella attended the opera with the Duke of Kailas. It was even in the papers. Something feels off.”

“…I swear I’m saying this for your sake and hers. Come back immediately and take her with you!”

“…The Duke of Kailas admitted to dating Miss Bella at the club. Everyone’s keeping quiet, but anyone who matters knows.”

As if that weren’t enough, even more shocking news followed.

“…They say Miss Bella was a customer on that ship. She even received a summons from the palace.”

“…Did you ever take Anghelic with Miss Bella? If not, you should make your stance clear quickly. The situation looks bad.”

At first, he kept telling himself it couldn’t be true. But suspicion slowly crept in.

Why hadn’t he pressed her harder when she emerged from the Kailas tent at the hunting competition? Why had he backed down when she suggested postponing the wedding?

The rumors about Anghelic and the Kingdom ship troubled him as well.

Bella wasn’t the type to access such drugs—and her body was so sensitive that stimulants would have caused her pain, not pleasure. He wanted to believe it was all nonsense, some misunderstanding.

But as time passed, a different possibility surfaced.

What if that sensitive body had been shaped by Anghelic?

What if the times she dodged his questions about where she’d been… were because she’d boarded the Kingdom?

‘No—Anghelic can come later. As long as Bella doesn’t leave me, drugs don’t matter.’

He was even willing to smooth over the palace summons. That was how much he loved her—and how afraid he was of losing her.

But he couldn’t return to Genoa immediately.

Serachev had suffered repeated river flooding over the years, and its poor infrastructure made it less promising than neighboring territories. Development projects were underway, requiring many people—and as heir, he had many decisions to make alongside his father.

Unable to return right away, he kept writing to Bella. Asking whether the rumors about the Duke were true. Begging her, if she loved him and wanted to keep their engagement, not to even meet the Duke.

But no replies came.

Not once.

Not in the last two and a half months.