SMR | Chapter 14
by Luna~Chapter 14~531aa61e8a230713
“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.”33dc91ab40c567ac
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The men, who 393db055bf had touched and 5247376451 even kissed Bella, 24d8b65274 wanted to see 57efd1642a her again in 52eb9bd663 the bright sunlight, ab6130a364 but Bella, who 76704c30b3 only desired a 52b1d31a94 night of pleasure 305073e799 and the valuable cfbf2ed035 information those men df8eb6af3c held, rejected their c2c774b35f advances. And during those times, 335cca5b44 Harriet served as the f711a0fcb6 perfect cover for Bella.15aa6380e15f2b75
“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.f0aef56c888ba7fc
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However, embarrassed to admit 9e39eca17d he had been fooled 70cf9757c9 by someone like Harriet, 8609c021ee the man kept quiet, 5d2528baf8 and more men ended b9d7d9941f up falling for the 34bfe37265 same trick.d488da66623e12ed
“For the past three years, I’ve become the scandal maker of society in this way.”1520083fd8fef22e
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“Why didn’t you 12e2146270 explain yourself?”e1bb463f782f17a4
“I wanted to. If my uncle e4fcb64e2c hadn’t threatened me 0538a9c582 to leave the 1bddb738ef house if I c52f6f7703 went around saying f182a358cb such things,” Harriet a7f0434055 said with a 9af674a5a1 bitter smile.a08de5218e5741d8
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She had begged 951e69482d Bella to stop dff75a17ac doing such things, e2191176a2 but Bella never 11a3625eda took her seriously.b3d6ec328f60e54c
“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.4709fd21d32bd30f
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The rest was “your job.”ba5c42685a45d7a7
When Harriet protested, a9a9022479 her uncle scolded a8bb0b05f2 her with a 5830caacc7 frown.9475d15a2fcf961a
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“What else could you do for our family if not for this? You need to earn your keep!”b22ac0a0de6c99b4
At first, it e9875f49e7 was about helping 953b54f28e Bella, but over 5a740b0656 time, it became 6e2f527562 an expected task.7f5331a922fcd63d
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However, Harriet still couldn’t b48e9880a0 understand the last scandal.4b5f23cc1b240374
“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?”f372733d7e364023
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With a 6fdb6c07ad long sigh, 9ddfd88905 Harriet finished eb0790e194 her story.cab6938bae68b7fa
Feeling awkward 9a6ffb3b29 with the 779585368e silence, she 5798bb8d3b smiled sheepishly.03dc19cf4655f64e
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“It sounds like a lie, doesn’t it?”b3631f87804de4c7
Catherine and Agnes wore a960fe0cdd complicated expressions.a6c3348d6822b867
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They say f11bf5d55c you should 8f7003b38d hear both 71f96def70 sides of d612c9e965 a story, 620f4b673b but weren’t 9d46486fa4 these two 4eb99be60a sides too 8ffdb17c52 different?632f85d65bea2805
However, Harriet’s version seemed to make more sense.3a0ea842355cda12
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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?’6b9a46d142dc011e
Maybe he had 024fb3e005 spoiled her out c05107217c of pity, as 8c6f59802a she had lost 82b002bfd1 her parents. But even 59e6f7bd19 so, wasn’t 42afe5ef4d Viscount Listerwell 388b166efc also responsible?7b04bbc14aff3edc
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Then, when the situation 84a1f2bd57 got out of hand, 56cf06a864 they threw Harriet away, 5f45601b09 as if cutting off c5a6995b68 a troublesome limb, and 57abf73307 sent her to the d3d1470587 convent.f3b8d8a90c6c06fc
Catherine, unable to 5c9c57f928 smooth out her 97d19e0d09 furrowed brow, asked,aa70439706921efe
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“If it’s not 59fb12bee2 a lie, then f02b92cfcb I’m even more 46682daffa worried. Even if you e884e4a8be return next year, c02733c916 what guarantee is a4680b99af there that the c1b9badac7 same thing won’t 4c85440c3c happen again?”a2c1b36dbe2b4459
Harriet bit d5e91edc55 her lip 5c9cfddd00 and whispered,f8888ec792dd7fa6
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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.”7d7e852aa0400e67
Until then, she could ceda96bc8f only hope Bella would e83db521a9 behave.5f671a277b85806a
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Harriet felt helpless 07badd44b7 again. She thought she had a18e4cecd6 nowhere left to return 4346f48d1f to.085b37bcbccebf5d
But as long cb7605d674 as her uncle 580656051d was her guardian, ea5d2e51b6 she couldn’t escape bc84eab43c from the Listerwell 9f6cc0c19c family, like a 06c3c34721 dog chained by 758e54c2b2 the neck. It pained her deeply.fc153c98a10faf62
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***5f47f01bae81fe27
Daphne Laurel, at ab89dc83d0 twenty-one, was a 78496cd108 delicate and pure dae8937f47 beauty with dazzling 021918dde8 silver hair and 9cbc222f7e enchanting purple eyes.1f35573239a3da25
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She was the precious 4ffe23e130 daughter of the Laurel 05d932c09c family, who owned vast 057ad6eaf4 crystal mines, and she d4a4ecf679 was also engaged to 58782f8686 the eldest son of 418dbf6638 the Cheslow family, an f030141e89 earl.2258417bd2f17c2a
Although she d9d00d411e had been 5700a87b52 considered a 99abb8c94f beauty in 899d897fe5 society from 05dcf1aa41 a young 791b4a7221 age, due 128ade67e6 to her 3ec4669797 early engagement 93404d094c and shy d7b8678702 personality, she 43e41bafa0 didn’t attract cedb4371da followers like 6224bb1587 Bella did. She was 6401299bf3 mostly satisfied 43dbaec960 with her dcb3370628 fiancé, James.d00946232c3751fe
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However, her 22e7ee3ce9 gentle and 839dcd807b diligent fiancé 8586ae1b29 had been dedf3afb04 acting strangely f49d3d465e lately.2e9a1326f3099339
“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.”bc6b604c0d7c488f
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Once again, the letter 6f9d483690 James had sent through 0cac4f7f1f the messenger was disappointing.687875a144f1d26a
‘It’s almost been a month since we last saw each other…’9d6a85b0b3e7a4fd
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They had never gone 88bb899673 this long without seeing e09db418aa each other. Even when James bea35a1971 was busy with e707486e7e his training as b61d332a6b the heir, or 0b59828baa when he had 777ec856fd to attend the d13d4934f3 military training all 2a3ef3ddb7 noblemen were required e4d5ddd2d3 to do, he 0f7061209c still made time 540530c150 to meet Daphne.d05b8320516f6a70
And there 0c8df71f92 was something 9067e9e066 else that 6395db0b52 seemed off.4a860ef41a6b580d
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“Dear Daphne, b48909d5b5 Wishing you f1e0453781 good health, c581633d57 James.”31ebef11caf4f3e7
The way he 3f677da66b started and ended d8cbbf316f his letter was c550768476 different from before.a371f08faabbc33b
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He used to 112556a137 begin with “My a1029805fe dearest Daphne” and ecc7c4d715 add phrases like d84cf9ae39 “I dream of e634be22d4 you,” “my goddess,” 97a87cd1b1 or “the owner 7b377e3837 of my soul,” 04ca7d1e92 all sorts of 8076c62c01 overly affectionate words.66e95f9fbdbaa9b2
The way 1b1796513c he signed 9e038f12bc off was dde491a05c different too. He used c6bff671f2 to call 307995dee9 himself “your 0e71d3e696 eternal servant,” 7c3a3829d1 “burning with 047948cf09 longing,” or 77a9a2fe24 “the luckiest 00817c4881 man in fe04c340c2 the world.”ded4854906392d67
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But now, e82738c79f “Dear” and 8fbc7ecc3e “wishing you c03010faf8 good health”? These are the 71b6621d8e kinds of words 9b849a2755 you’d use in 0ebaa4d743 a letter to 482579233c an acquaintance, not e0a726ae3a a lover.2faa3cc4eca7750c
‘No, maybe he just 01e138b002 wants to write more 27bbfc3fab maturely since we’re not 2d0e3520ac kids anymore.’49af926b6c082523
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She could understand 660ddb9a7d his recent busy 6f075950f3 schedule too. As the heir, 963c863b6c he needed to f89684363a maintain his connections.ca3e042bcd9f2a3e
Even so, she f9a99b47f9 couldn’t shake the 012bf024a3 uneasy feeling she 55799974c3 had when they 6d8418e62e last met.59f0f2e687e4f477
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Back then, he seemed f4513257d6 distracted.0f62c7a2d49b2e20
“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?”6176dda9654574d7
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“Well, either 6242b58c7c would be 0a10071e6e fine.”d50df07e44f6e1a9
“Oh! And we 9843ad3cac should have 4dfe23f0de the wedding e8257cbc53 at Elvinas 8eafa1a168 Temple, right?”2bd22f97b252a70b
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“Yes, I suppose…”55f1557894719839
He nodded, df41c9bd25 but his b243538ab4 eyes were cb692194a8 focused on 0604a7a752 his barely 0ad422209d touched drink, 12fc3167d5 and his 54bfeb47f4 replies were f174a506a7 half-hearted.c1559c36f0293838
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‘Is something wrong?’dcf8246674cd7cba
Daphne was worried about 4f1adf0ee0 James.e448df4558a74ad3
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For him, who had 5dafc5c197 always been happy to 786a2ef7b3 be her fiancé, to 085f9b35f2 be so distracted even 0c68687241 in front of his 1468973f86 beloved meant something was d85745980f clearly bothering him.33cd32b18f3a8b66
The news that would 9659374e98 shake Daphne to her b0e3cacddd core came just a e2aca3728a few days later.8ff51dc29abc9d93
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“Melody! What’s going on? You seemed urgent 499f818377 in your letter, c493bfbdef so I came 31897f6134 right away.”7dfca52666386d73
Daphne greeted her friend daeba7128a Melody Luce, who had a585e8ae56 sent a letter insisting 142f97ed50 they meet as soon d14e86c02e as possible.faec635592b86c83
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But Melody 7bb58c7f5d wasn’t smiling 3e823d21b2 at all.da1a6f59fdeb5e9d
“Daphne, I need to 818959f7aa talk to you privately. It’s really important.”d1137c131ca169ee
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“Oh, okay. I’ll send the 9b5eef34d5 maids away.”532bdb1d8e3c09a8
After dismissing 1b3258a412 the maids 6e9c823a98 who had 8d8776f8b3 been waiting 67cc962338 on her, bd77234d64 Daphne offered 21be5ead4a Melody a a204d6dade drink, sensing fd5c8436d6 that something c7310142ac was wrong.3f6390343465ef9e
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“Here, have a drink 070ec0df52 and catch your breath, 4d40a48677 Melody.”2d8bd3849e47fa7f
But instead of cf368d7613 taking the drink, ff867ca244 Melody grabbed Daphne’s 24b2cb7128 hands. Her eyes were full f548ae577e of concern.4571b615f20352a8
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“Daphne, what I’m about d8ca0a87ce to tell you isn’t 6bd08a5366 a lie, and it’s 5c3023b66a not a misunderstanding. You trust 77b341ff9a me, right?”e66666b2cabdf25d
“Of course I trust 8ebc2047a0 you. But why are you e98cfa7d54 being so serious? You’re starting 940c2c54ef to scare a00c9ae514 me…”795187ea6477c5ae
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“Daphne, last 11b10e0560 weekend my f50ef5d4de family went 8be28d58a1 on a f77c9d112c picnic to ece57cc757 the Herbos a1b0370b17 Forest.”7a413a47a402dcdf
“I know. You mentioned 9631831fe5 you’d go d7bf1323d6 on a 18487a8ff2 fall picnic d32cdc69cf before it e51e60d8df gets colder.”d40aba4481306cee
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Daphne, nodding with facc40f620 her big innocent 290e95203f eyes, had no 169def129e idea what bombshell d60763e188 was about to 2a917b355b be dropped on 72904964f9 her.c04395275e6e7de6
Melody sighed and said,9cb3136223960383
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“We saw… 93c70ad108 Lord Cheslow 6d680409dc there.”06015a63782e0783
“Oh! You ran into James? He told c47e88770d me he 825f0bf2c9 was going 4608cfe820 hunting in b71cb7f4bc the Herbos cd90c99153 Forest with 52baa5712a his friends. But did you have 4e575219ed your picnic near the 01a1d61deb hunting grounds? That sounds dangerous.”03dd5b445b1f67f0
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Melody shook her c1e123bf3d head fiercely.3dc4c0200411c9f8
“Hunting? Do you think b6c4dfe614 he was hunting a8dc6d67c1 with a woman db3c839ed3 by his side?”f6a8e084ce4cea6a
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“What?”236e1697caa25619
“James was 50a617c8da with Bella 5f61ccb08b Listerwell! They didn’t look a18a9a430d like they were 68d5264bc4 just friends.”c4b36030c8aeb884
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For a moment, 6df36116bb Daphne was speechless, 300239619b staring blankly at 9ef2863277 Melody.b9dc26c4223b91fe
“There were no other ae424d6d59 people around except the 8d8ac87fa8 servants attending to them. It seemed like they ae4692e682 didn’t notice us, but 22f4867a9d they also didn’t seem c435707edc to care about being 871ad01309 seen.”feeba3c527739d8f
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“That can’t be…”82710122b05f59a7
“Before the rumors 9d7ae84c08 spread, you need bf6653f7b2 to call Lord 80fbc8d9a4 James and confront c867363d8b him. You might even 9c8522ed71 have to ask 00960d8a5b your father, the a1055be43a Earl, for help.”f0d5d14f3cf5de5e
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Melody’s concern was valid.d8e3237c3a371f82
Daphne and James had 0ddc82cdea been engaged for five 7735032224 years, and both families c81d5b3561 were well-known. Everyone thought they 155b95a203 were a perfect cf6090cc6c match.ea02c2e37c05a3f8
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Though their wedding a7d454f758 had been delayed f577994005 due to Daphne’s a5adebfd10 young age and 21d29cada3 James’s duties as 806ad6800a heir, they were a5ed84a8b1 finally planning to 2b1855f5d3 marry next year. Everyone knew about 18ce29b86b it.4fd9ec507db02dbf
‘And yet, at a 3f5382a56b time like this, he 72b615e015 goes on a picnic e0b6a96f7a with another woman?’290eb8d44e892787
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4b9014d0c56e0893