~Chapter 23~
Moreover, in her bag was the “Guardian Assignment Notice,” which officially stated that Countess Pellon was now her guardian. So, what did she have to fear?
Harriet was lost in memories of the past year she had spent at the convent when someone knocked on the door.
“Sister, have you packed your things?”
“Oh, Emma!”
Harriet welcomed Emma, who had come to get her, with delight. On her first day at the convent, Emma had seemed so cold, but now Harriet found her endearing and lovable. They shared similar pasts, which made Harriet feel closer to her than to others.
Emma was trying to act composed about their farewell, but her red eyes and nose showed she had cried somewhere earlier.
“The carriage will arrive soon. Before that, you should say your final goodbyes to everyone.”
“Yes, I should.”
Harriet patted Emma on the shoulder, and Emma turned her head, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
They had only spent a year together, but they had grown very fond of each other.
“Emma, take care. I’ll work hard too and help you achieve your dream.”
“Please don’t worry about me, Sister, just…,” Emma couldn’t finish her sentence and sniffled, wiping away her tears again.
Everyone at the convent knew about Harriet’s situation. While people say you shouldn’t worry about nobles, even the commoner nuns felt sorry for Harriet and worried about her after she left.
But Harriet wasn’t afraid.
Now that she had a clear goal, she felt more excited and motivated than scared.
“I’m not joking. I’ll definitely achieve my goal, and I’ll help you and Mother Superior Catherine too. I’m telling you this now so you don’t give up in the meantime.”
At these words, Emma nodded.
“I’ll live my life diligently so I won’t be ashamed in front of you, Sister.”
Harriet smiled at her and tightly gripped the handle of her suitcase.
It was time to charge back into the world that had abandoned her.
Clatter, clatter.
The cheap hired carriage rattled and shook much more than the Listerwell family carriage she had ridden in when she came to the convent.
But even that seemed like part of the adventure to Harriet.
“I wish I could do more to help you as you start your new life, but right now, this is all I can offer.”
Catherine, had given Harriet a small religious statue and some products made at the convent as farewell gifts.
There were soaps, skin tonics, herbal oils, and ointments—items Harriet had used often, so she was very grateful.
Opening the pouch that faintly smelled of soap, Harriet smiled softly.
“It was surely God’s guidance that led me to St. Clarissa Convent.”
She was so thankful of the God. After all, her life had completely changed since entering the convent.
Her outlook on life had transformed, and her health had improved, but the biggest change was that her uncle was no longer her guardian.
What had once felt like a death sentence now seemed like a blessing that had opened the door to a new life.
“It might be a bit scary, but Great-Aunt Trisha is a much better person than my uncle.”
She could tell without a doubt.
Though the tone of Trisha’s letters was strict and cold, she had helped Harriet improve herself over the past five months.
Through Roxana, who visited the Pellon estate every two weeks, Trisha sent Harriet newspapers from Genoa and even provided some money to use for her return to the capital.
With the money Baron Villey had given her, Harriet wouldn’t need to sell any of her jewelry for a while.
‘God is watching over me. Stay strong.’
Though she thanked the god, she wasn’t sure if what she planned to do next would align with divine teachings.
Even now, when she thought about the truth Baron Villey had revealed to her that day, she felt such overwhelming anger that it was hard to breathe, and she was filled with a desire for revenge.
But how could she possibly achieve that?
She couldn’t accuse her uncle of being a murderer without any evidence, nor could she claim any rights to the title or estate.
‘If I recklessly brandish a sword out of anger, I’ll only end up dead, and if I start talking about what Bella did, people will accuse me of slandering my cousin.’
So, the only way she could think of for revenge was to succeed on her own. Even that wouldn’t be easy.
She had to return to society, not as “the niece of Baron Listerwell,” but as “Harriet Listerwell,” make a name for herself, earn money, and achieve complete independence. She had to clear her name and shed the shame that had been wrongfully placed on her instead of Bella.
‘I don’t know how much help Great-Aunt Trisha will provide, but I’ve already promised not to bother her, so expecting more would be rude.’
Just the fact that she had agreed to be Harriet’s guardian was something to be grateful for. The Pellon family was connected to the royal family, and Trisha was someone who held all the power within the Pellon family. No one in society could treat her lightly.
It was still a mystery to Harriet why Trisha had agreed to become her guardian. Even Roxana didn’t seem to know Trisha’s true intentions.
“Madam Pellon rarely changes her mind, so do your best not to become one of those rare cases,” Roxana had said before leaving for Genoa.
Since Harriet had been the one to ask Trisha to become her guardian, it would have been strange to ask why she agreed, so Harriet had only expressed her gratitude so far.
‘Maybe I’ll be able to ask someday.’
Lost in that thought, Harriet suddenly noticed the carriage slowing down.
“Huh?”
Curious, she looked out the window and saw they had already entered Genoa. The carriage was slowing down because there were many other carriages waiting to pass through the city gate.
“I’ve finally… returned.”
Harriet took a deep breath as she gazed at the massive city gate.
Her simple travel clothes, outdated hat, worn-out shoes, and cheap luggage bag—these were all she had now. But two years from now, everything would be different.
“Just wait. Even I’m curious to see how far I can go.”
Harriet clenched her teeth with determination.
“The guest is arriving today, right?”
“That’s what I heard. Apparently, it’s a woman, but who could she be?”
The maids at the Pellon estate were busy preparing to welcome a guest for the first time in a while. However, they had no idea who was coming.
They had been instructed by Trisha to prepare a room with good lighting, and seeing as a vanity table had been placed there, it seemed likely the guest was a woman. That was all the information they had.
“Even the butler’s been tight-lipped. I’m dying of curiosity!”
“Well, I’m excited. This house has felt so empty with just Madam here. Maybe it’ll feel more lively with someone else around.”
“Or it could mean we’ll just have more work to do.”
They spent the entire day speculating about the guest, who was supposed to arrive in the evening.
As the sun began to set, the doorbell at the Pellon mansion finally rang.
Butler Andre took a deep breath before opening the door.
Standing outside was a young woman in modest clothing, her face showing a mix of tension and nervousness. Even though Andre knew who she was, he still asked, “How may I help you?”
“Hello. I’m Harriet Listerwell. I’m here to see Countess Trisha Pellon. Could you please let her know I’ve arrived?”
Though she seemed on the verge of biting her tongue out of nervousness, Harriet quickly gathered herself and finished her sentence without further hesitation.
Andre thought Harriet seemed more composed and intelligent than he had expected.
“We’ve been expecting you. Please, come in.”
Andre politely welcomed her in. Despite the grandeur of the mansion, which might have easily overwhelmed her, Harriet did not glance around but quietly followed Andre.
He led her to the parlor where Trisha was waiting.
“Madam, Miss Harriet Listerwell has arrived.”
“Yes. Let Harriet come in, and you, Andre, step out for a while.”
Andre bowed respectfully and left, while Harriet slowly approached Trisha.
Trisha, who had been drinking tea, turned her gaze to her grandniece.
As their eyes met, Harriet bowed politely.
“It’s been a long time, Great-Aunt. Once again, thank you for becoming my guardian…”
“Enough. You’ve said it plenty of times in your letters. What’s important now is what happens going forward.”
Trisha cut off Harriet’s words and motioned with her chin toward the seat opposite her.
“Sit down.”
As Harriet took her seat, Trisha didn’t take her eyes off her for a moment.
As expected, Harriet’s appearance didn’t sit well with her.
“You must have had a hard time.”
“No, life at the convent was easier and more enjoyable than I expected. I met many good people and…”
“I wasn’t talking about the convent.”
