~Chapter 4~
Aston asked Bella with a face full of curiosity as if he was dying to know. At his words, the expressions of the Viscount Listerwell and his wife mirrored Aston’s curiosity.
When they first heard Bella’s plan to “pin a brooch on Harriet’s dress, a brooch that she couldn’t even dream of owning,” they thought Bella would handle it well and didn’t ask many questions. But if the brooch’s owner was the Duke of Kailas, it became a different story.
“I’m curious too, Bella,” said John.
“Pffft!” Bella burst into laughter as if remembering something amusing.
“Originally, I planned to use the brooch of the eldest son of the Cheslow Count family. Lambert Jr. had stolen it for me, specifically for this purpose.”
Even with a brooch from the Cheslow family, Harriet would have been scorned. After all, the owner of the brooch, James Cheslow, was the long-time fiancé of Daphne Laurel, another well-known beauty of the social scene.
“But then I got lucky! I was trying to get the Duke of Kailas’s attention, you know, to make an impression.”
Bella had been hovering around Cedric, mingling with people trying to shake hands with the star of the party.
‘Why won’t anyone step aside and let me through?’
She stared daggers at the backs of the old nobles, who showed no intention of giving up their spots. Just then, someone called out to Cedric from behind, and as he twisted his body to turn, Bella saw something glittering fall from his chest.
Neither Cedric, who had turned his gaze, nor the people in front of him noticed that something had dropped, as they were too busy trying to see who had called Cedric.
“It was a bit tricky picking it up without getting caught, but I pretended my shoes were hurting and bent down to grab it.”
“Wow, you’re amazing, Bella Listerwell!” Aston exclaimed.
“Don’t get cheeky with your sister, Aston,” Bella teased, wrinkling her nose at her brother. But she didn’t look the least bit upset.
“Then, when the lights went out at the party, I quickly pinned the brooch onto Harriet and waited nearby, acting like I knew nothing.”
“You were the one who told the Duke, weren’t you?” Aston asked.
“Who else could it have been? I was the only one who knew Harriet had the brooch.”
But Bella’s expression stiffened slightly as she recalled that moment.
“I heard you lost a brooch. I’m sorry, but could you describe it?” Bella had approached Cedric, but despite her youthful beauty, which any man would find appealing, he didn’t smile at her. However, it seemed he was in a hurry to find the brooch, so he calmly described its appearance.
“It’s a 50-carat emerald-cut ruby brooch, surrounded by diamonds.”
Of course, Bella already knew. It wasn’t her style, but the gem was so dazzling that her heart raced when she saw it.
Bella, feigning uncertainty, said awkwardly, “Um… earlier, my cousin was showing off a brooch she received, and it looked similar to the one you described. It might not be yours, but…”
“And why would you suspect your cousin?” Cedric had asked.
“Oh, it’s not that I’m suspecting her exactly…” Bella hesitated, struggling to find the right words. Luckily, Carolyn, who was standing nearby, kindly stepped in.
She explained that Harriet was infamous for chasing after men who liked Bella, sending love letters, or flirting with them. It was a well-known scandal in social circles. No man would confess his love to Harriet, and even if someone did, they wouldn’t openly pin their brooch on her like that.
“And after that, well, everyone knows what happened.”
When Bella found out the brooch was a keepsake from the late Duke, even she had been shocked. But as expected, Cedric didn’t make a big deal out of it.
“If we tell him we sent Harriet to the convent, I’m sure the Duke will secretly be pleased. Even though he said it was fine, we’re still showing that we took responsibility.”
“I’d be thrilled if that’s the case,” John replied.
“Even if he’s not, it’s not like we’re at any disadvantage. We’re not tied to the Duke’s family anyway. Plus, I now have an excuse to talk to him.”
Bella smiled confidently. Getting rid of Harriet was a success on its own, but making a connection with Cedric? That made the whole thing a win with no downside.
Aston then chimed in with a doubtful tone, “Even if it’s you, sis, do you think the Duke’s family would want to marry us? Mom, Dad, don’t get your hopes up too much.”
But Bella thought differently.
“Why not? The late Duke of Kailas was the second son of a viscount’s family, wasn’t he? He caught the eye of a princess and became a Duke. My situation isn’t any worse than that.”
“She’s right. In the end, the marriage will be decided by the Duke’s mother, and the Duchess of Kailas is known for being a romantic,” Miriam said, siding with her daughter and brimming with hope.
In this happy family, the misfortune of the Duke’s family losing its head or the injustice of Harriet being sent to a convent was the extreme thing on their minds.
***
“Cedric! Or should I be calling you ‘Your Grace’ now?”
“You should call me that inside, but for now, just ‘Cedric’ is fine, Uncle,” Cedric replied politely, welcoming his uncle, Viscount Benedict Kingsley, to the Duke’s residence.
Today was the day Cedric had invited both his retainers and family members for a banquet. Everyone, except those who had said they couldn’t attend, had gathered, and the last to arrive was Viscount Kingsley.
When Cedric led Benedict to the dining hall and opened the door, everyone rose from their seats. It was a gesture of respect meant for Cedric, but since Benedict gave a small nod, it seemed like they were showing respect to him as well.
Benedict was fully aware of the awkwardness his actions caused. In fact, he did it on purpose, hoping to draw attention to himself.
“Thank you for your help so far. It’s a relief that Roan Kailas is dead, but I’m still uneasy knowing that Cedric survived,” Marquis Pascal said.
“He’s just a clueless youngster. What are you so afraid of?” Benedict replied.
“I’m not worried for myself. But if he finds out about our connection, do you think he’ll let you go so easily?” Pascal remarked. Although he had benefited greatly from the information Benedict provided, he subtly looked down on him, as if Benedict were a coward who couldn’t stand up to his nephew.
This bruised Benedict’s pride.
‘If only I could get Cedric under my control, Pascal and Count Hayward would bow down to me.’
To do that, he first needed to win Cedric over.
Benedict gave Cedric a supportive pat on the shoulder as he led him to his seat.
“Must be exhausting, dealing with all these big matters one after another, right?” He asked, looking Cedric up and down with a concerned expression.
“You seem to have lost a bit of weight. Have you been eating properly?”
His hand stayed on Cedric’s back as he asked.
“Of course,” Cedric replied.
“That’s good! You need to be in good health to lead the dukedom. I understand you’re grieving the loss of your father, but now more than ever, you need to stay strong.”
“You’re absolutely right, Uncle,” Cedric agreed politely.
Even though calling Cedric ‘weak’ didn’t suit the young man who was hailed as a war hero, Cedric humored his uncle. Benedict, satisfied with Cedric’s response, patted his shoulder again and nodded.
“If you ever need help, don’t hesitate to come to me. Roan and I looked exactly alike, so from now on, you can think of me as your father.”
“Haha, I’ll have to check with Aunt and my mother on that one,” Cedric said with a smile, which made others in the room laugh lightly.
It was true that Benedict and Roan were identical twins when they were born, but now, in their mid-50s, anyone could easily tell them apart in both appearance and mannerisms.
Benedict, who was born five minutes earlier and became Viscount Kingsley, often wore a smile, spoke well, and was quick to act. You could call him a businessman or, in ruder terms, a merchant.
Roan, on the other hand, had been quiet, stubborn, upright, and loyal. He was also a well-built knight who rarely smiled. He was so thoughtful and spoke so little that being around him could be frustrating.
So, no matter how similar they had once looked, no one could ever think of Benedict as being like Roan.
“It seems we’ve delayed long enough. Now that everyone is here, let’s begin the meal,” Cedric announced.
