SMR | Chapter 14
by Luna~Chapter 14~95454730fa1da6dd
“Whenever Bella went to the masquerade, she wore a mask that covered most of her face and dressed in a way that didn’t reveal much skin. And when she met the men she seduced in the garden, she always wore a robe.”104b1197da5ab400
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The men, e978313d7d who had d3c089cad1 touched and 01e4ea5652 even kissed fe593440ad Bella, wanted 2081b96646 to see her again d6b7319a37 in the 4b240de45d bright sunlight, 883e98bb47 but Bella, ffeaba10b9 who only desired a 98cbcfee3e night of pleasure and 718594b587 the valuable 0e40912e81 information those 2010dacc8d men held, rejected their c36afc8bba advances. And during 333a436268 those times, c5f40733d6 Harriet served 089d3f6fc5 as the 51169a4493 perfect cover 970ab3ef83 for Bella.830d6b56139fd02f
“It was my niece’s doing. Bella was unwell that day and didn’t leave her bed, let alone attend the ball. It seems Harriet took Bella’s invitation.” John told the man who had come all the way to the mansion, apologizing. Naturally, the man was not only confused but furious.aa4e354db7f33958
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However, embarrassed e547b6dbba to admit 65802fabd7 he had 7aa00bb7d9 been fooled 7d4e2775af by someone cdfc436f0f like Harriet, 3b27a6b5b9 the man 4f3c3c61ca kept quiet, a6feb79ea5 and more 848c1bc06c men ended 18fd34a5f6 up falling b19a16ac0c for the 42b51e10e6 same trick.89359a0935e11303
“For the past three years, I’ve become the scandal maker of society in this way.”44d98e990c54b4fe
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“Why didn’t you 66afb3cbff explain yourself?”e4f7bc2d52324dac
“I wanted to. If my c7bf543a1b uncle hadn’t 1786112ded threatened me 8dfba7b4bb to leave 0ef68ec08a the house 31a5d97b4e if I 6cb7259eab went around 4a81c65d27 saying such things,” Harriet said with deca71cd61 a bitter 4ca3929b23 smile.9cd8b9e29248e123
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She had begged Bella 0055044b1b to stop doing such things, but Bella never 8f9ea581c6 took her seriously.401306bdcc9f55e0
“How was I supposed to know that guy would come all the way to the house? Anyway, I gave Father useful information, so I did my part,” Bella had said.e6e3337ea825a4be
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The rest was “your job.”3dffd7433dd375ac
When Harriet protested, her c8d89b5c57 uncle scolded 861f8a0330 her with 3deebe52bf a frown.6b780a222189e365
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“What else could you do for our family if not for this? You need to earn your keep!”b78480cec1206f02
At first, 9b760eb21e it was about helping a9e20cb305 Bella, but over time, 40e14ec188 it became 1cc14cf21c an expected 15da8d8902 task.c8ea900282d90de8
However, Harriet still 6826349439 couldn’t understand the last scandal.6c9cdb85f1149c5c
“I don’t know how the Duke of Kailas’s brooch ended up attached to my skirt at the victory banquet. Who played that trick on me?”2649937d09f48387
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With a long e2d2fd8487 sigh, Harriet finished 60e0ce046c her story.8de5b5ca47aed677
Feeling awkward with the silence, she smiled sheepishly.030402646e6b57da
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“It sounds like a lie, doesn’t it?”8acfcd40fd97a1b6
Catherine and 0af6b916b7 Agnes wore c03b34c824 complicated expressions.0de7ed2c9e64e54f
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They say c1e3fcd8af you should 32e3364e2f hear both 435956dcd7 sides of f093a2f637 a story, d97de904a8 but weren’t ffd4d6cd0a these two 4748290922 sides too e56beb699f different?c923286186fa7a89
However, Harriet’s version seemed to make more sense.ccd2b02c0ac0487b
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‘If Harriet had truly been impersonating her cousin and tarnishing the family name, Viscount Listerwell, who is her legal guardian, wouldn’t have allowed this to go on for three years, would he?’c085ae74e010023c
Maybe he had spoiled 952d9b3a4c her out of pity, as she had lost 80f5eca05d her parents. But even so, wasn’t 71b464159e Viscount Listerwell also responsible?8828ff1230906292
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Then, when f181f3019e the situation got out 33c5817aca of hand, c78edc7cb9 they threw 8171d31986 Harriet away, as if cutting off 3dd93a0d52 a troublesome 49991c86fc limb, and b4ca84d132 sent her 6489b8b1e2 to the caba7af268 convent.1b5ff5cad3eb4230
Catherine, unable ab7566574b to smooth 048089faf4 out her 798aa619d4 furrowed brow, asked,86bf668bb672e6c8
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“If it’s not a lie, then 2e7d59a510 I’m even more 4ac7572a39 worried. Even if 99b55bbbd6 you return 9273ffc4e4 next year, 3f962bf76d what guarantee 479295497c is there 5ae11b280b that the fe7ba891e3 same thing won’t happen 504bd76a32 again?”11807e5f89b07032
Harriet bit her 600bb3b1ab lip and whispered,a70abca81fcf7661
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“We can only hope that Bella gets married soon. If we don’t live in the same house, she won’t be able to use me as her stand-in.”
Until then, she 2687e5f7f1 could only hope 2a379a1049 Bella would behave.78def5705571b503
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Harriet felt helpless again. She thought she 7a5b8fd2c3 had nowhere left 1572ac699c to return to.
But as long as her uncle was her guardian, she couldn’t escape from the Listerwell family, like a 72c2b5febc dog chained by 1c9e9379fe the neck. It pained her deeply.4da97a0fbf4f66f6
***704a038101c167da
Daphne Laurel, 89e058abd9 at twenty-one, 8bb19b5392 was a 496179ea19 delicate and 1aa3127c45 pure beauty 15ca38dd62 with dazzling 0f4801f0f0 silver hair 59c71c9476 and enchanting 089ab44947 purple eyes.1d811f92d84b62a8
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She was the precious daughter of the Laurel 1f82c950db family, who owned vast da63aad5a8 crystal mines, and she was also engaged to 11e2777f35 the eldest son of ab3e20d752 the Cheslow family, an 9abdfd9801 earl.7d279fc0e984800e
Although she 9d465114b3 had been ed7c337af4 considered a 09383ee7b5 beauty in society from 7b1f2ca017 a young age, due a1a3ab1d05 to her early engagement d992729b8e and shy 116449e27f personality, she 0fcc335a4a didn’t attract cba1c9ec32 followers like 2492f5e8e8 Bella did. She was mostly satisfied with her fiancé, James.
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However, her 0edbf2f74c gentle and diligent fiancé 3d07c38daa had been acting strangely a956590f52 lately.e3319bf52514bace
“Dear Daphne, I won’t be able to meet you this weekend either. My friends have been pestering me, so I’m going hunting in the Herbos Forest this weekend. I’ll make sure to catch a nice fox for your winter scarf. Wishing you good health, James.”386f8b0001a08db6
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Once again, the letter 6896a93d74 James had sent through ed3801c23b the messenger was disappointing.
‘It’s almost been a month since we last saw each other…’
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They had never gone this long without seeing 713b62d5d6 each other. Even when 058c5cfa99 James was d5aed77552 busy with his training as the 6a4764d78a heir, or when he d6548e221a had to c4b666749e attend the military training all noblemen 57f71ab64c were required 1ffd0b0d00 to do, 138ec496af he still 1a2690e48d made time 3a76c49489 to meet cee22c0c62 Daphne.b5be18732c105d4e
And there was something else that ebc0c248b6 seemed off.87850afad74b5fd8
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“Dear Daphne, Wishing you 001577fa79 good health, James.”06e418139fdbcb83
The way he b09921c075 started and ended his letter was bbddfa8707 different from before.0422eac9d23dd22d
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He used to begin with “My dearest Daphne” ea5137be7d and add phrases like 69a2102112 “I dream of you,” “my goddess,” or “the 60cc23e4c7 owner of my soul,” 2ff9f25b40 all sorts of overly c93245e70e affectionate words.d994e4b57635b37f
The way he e64afdee04 signed off was 4e6ae7a252 different too. He used 6e090f9207 to call 6d1a8765ca himself “your b9361ca6a9 eternal servant,” 89763904c9 “burning with 82b46bb90e longing,” or “the luckiest man in e85ede621d the world.”da1dc9700edcc302
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But now, “Dear” and “wishing you good health”? These are the kinds 9a8587a189 of words you’d use 91c32ea078 in a letter to b7e12c5895 an acquaintance, not a edfb4894e2 lover.a6d0c6262d5ec4d4
‘No, maybe he just wants to write more e23cac5a39 maturely since we’re not 9e6df946bd kids anymore.’120a35bde540b6d6
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She could 3c428751d8 understand his ae43297eb2 recent busy schedule too. As the heir, 45d840018e he needed to e56351dd2e maintain his connections.67b7c6b5aa963104
Even so, she d43c8af991 couldn’t shake the a55aebcba2 uneasy feeling she 57c9699af2 had when they acfbfd6968 last met.baa0a7cf48882bea
Back then, he e489181e7e seemed distracted.4394a3d791a18350
“I want to make a bouquet with flowers from the garden. I was thinking of replacing some of the roses with hydrangeas or peonies. Which do you think would be better?”a8809ee69332965c
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“Well, either would be fine.”598e8271f877d996
“Oh! And we e039e1c7d8 should have 36b9865845 the wedding 70ba13f8bf at Elvinas 8968a99c4b Temple, right?”f306408a88887d69
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“Yes, I suppose…”2960323c1122b7ed
He nodded, but b7b2052056 his eyes were focused on his 1438796c44 barely touched drink, 3898b81fd1 and his replies 1aa5d4a1ff were half-hearted.ab9ba9cf17f34fe1
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‘Is something wrong?’41554c64d483dd72
Daphne was worried faed7533f7 about James.18ddb0a70cba5f09
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For him, dc7e59f624 who had fe47157826 always been 5e094de69e happy to da8a0f375d be her bccd875fbb fiancé, to 1afadf2198 be so 2a725490c2 distracted even 66989bfbba in front ef9e8fd930 of his d15158c168 beloved meant 84304ea871 something was 7816454c06 clearly bothering him.
The news that 88cf8610e5 would shake Daphne 548f633757 to her core f96af789db came just a 8a463864ff few days later.
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“Melody! What’s going on? You seemed urgent in 57383fe949 your letter, so I 7f20775507 came right away.”6ccab98c08ec447e
Daphne greeted her friend Melody Luce, who had 820d2a368e sent a letter insisting 93eef3007d they meet as soon as possible.3b9cb45ff17f101e
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But Melody wasn’t smiling at all.61962666794ad626
“Daphne, I e5daeac939 need to 85e9048ce4 talk to 34b1639337 you privately. It’s really important.”26bf28bc12ce4a68
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“Oh, okay. I’ll send the 6ac0b31a80 maids away.”2c6a411de5464d8c
After dismissing the fc61197629 maids who had 048314bdd8 been waiting on 1d94cef1d3 her, Daphne offered f6a6dcd4d4 Melody a drink, d00cabfdac sensing that something 9d8876fee8 was wrong.896b12c432559d75
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“Here, have a drink and catch 999fedb312 your breath, 14e3f38cb6 Melody.”
But instead of taking 260755f8cd the drink, Melody grabbed 744d2c744d Daphne’s hands. Her eyes 660ca2605b were full of concern.69d75b15c6c3d6d6
“Daphne, what I’m d96cfe0325 about to tell f121610e83 you isn’t a e53d3c8a17 lie, and it’s not a misunderstanding. You trust me, 5905db6785 right?”64d43a71db102b7e
“Of course I 6340a737c7 trust you. But why are ea65b2ca3a you being so serious? You’re starting to scare 3cbd06e81b me…”c744cafb866986ed
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“Daphne, last 494ae7b0ec weekend my 01a888cfc1 family went 70c71e4376 on a 7b99f9f024 picnic to a0efbe9157 the Herbos b3f567afd8 Forest.”6481ff555b31b393
“I know. You mentioned you’d c4738e27e8 go on a 187a814683 fall picnic before a68cc49b4b it gets colder.”ce296f2e19f94e4e
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Daphne, nodding 4381b84246 with her 26a9574ec0 big innocent 94fb3c0967 eyes, had 5508a597bb no idea what bombshell was about 72c615fc50 to be ddf00d8551 dropped on 147236ea3d her.
Melody sighed and said,a533f2c64e53f4b3
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“We saw… Lord b020731326 Cheslow there.”d6dc3d588527ee06
“Oh! You ran into fc2975d570 James? He told ffc6919113 me he was going hunting in the Herbos fcc9355d05 Forest with b7303fb3db his friends. But did db72353bb8 you have df2d9cd36d your picnic a83561e5c8 near the 27066656dd hunting grounds? That sounds dangerous.”
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Melody shook her head fiercely.434d42c1da34ee35
“Hunting? Do you 1d0ab73521 think he b4aeabc85a was hunting with a 57dcd33761 woman by fd1eea1648 his side?”
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“What?”e87c0b5ea621d860
“James was c2405c4c02 with Bella 53393448fb Listerwell! They didn’t look like a519bc9c66 they were just friends.”d6b273906193c4e1
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For a moment, Daphne 7831e47b3b was speechless, 8e177fd2fc staring blankly 1fb54ac4ae at Melody.
“There were 56059bcab6 no other a109e7eff7 people around 73e070d4c9 except the bd44dc8b32 servants attending 99b97efb6c to them. It seemed like they didn’t notice us, but 909bfee593 they also didn’t seem 330179a2fb to care about being seen.”850500f67ca2ec2f
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“That can’t be…”0e6b596ca0b6c205
“Before the rumors spread, 1a8940e8e0 you need to call Lord James and confront 7cab876cdf him. You might even 5588b3728e have to ask ef3c45272a your father, the de4d4382a2 Earl, for help.”
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Melody’s concern was valid.
Daphne and James 82d984f027 had been engaged for five years, and both families 3008e8d55a were well-known. Everyone thought they were 4d582d8710 a perfect match.7719264c5bca3d45
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Though their wedding had 837643b625 been delayed due to Daphne’s young age and b4c2575f09 James’s duties as heir, 9726d5afbf they were finally planning 996017856e to marry next year. Everyone knew b77d3cf265 about it.b2aea906dc286e4f
‘And yet, at 4125cd78af a time like this, he goes b2566a471e on a picnic 7f034997d1 with another woman?’6dc95968f0cea739
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