~Chapter 30~
‘What was his name again? Gray? Greg? I think his last name ended in “tro” or something…’
Harriet couldn’t quite remember his name, but he was the man who had seemed friendly when Trisha had introduced him to her earlier.
He looked to be in his early thirties, wore expensive and stylish clothes, and although he seemed talkative, his tone wasn’t overly light or annoying.
And now, just like Harriet, he was standing alone, quietly sipping his drink without anyone to talk to.
Harriet decided to approach him.
“Excuse me. The Countess of Phelon introduced us earlier, but I didn’t get a chance to properly greet you. I’m sorry, but may I ask your name again?”
“Ah, I’m Greg Lambert. And you must be Miss Harriet Listerwell, correct?”
“There’s no one who doesn’t know my name, but I hardly know anyone else’s. It’s really quite troublesome.”
Harriet gave an awkward smile, and Greg laughed heartily in return.
“Well, that’s what getting to know people is for. To be honest, I don’t know a lot of names either.”
“That’s a relief to hear. You’re very kind.”
With that bit of praise, the conversation began to flow naturally.
He was the eldest son of the Lambert Viscount family, married five years ago, and is currently helping his father with the family business as the heir.
The word “business” piqued Harriet’s interest.
“What kind of business is Lord Lambert involved in?”
“He mostly invests in national infrastructure and public facility construction. Lately… well, I probably shouldn’t be saying this…”
There’s nothing more frustrating than someone stopping mid-sentence. Harriet hadn’t asked with any genuine curiosity, but now that Greg had stopped himself, she was even more curious. So, pretending to be completely clueless, she coaxed him a bit.
“What’s there to worry about telling me? It’s not like anyone would come to me to talk about ‘business.’ I’m just genuinely interested in learning about the Lambert family and you, Sir Greg. It’s practically my debut in society, after all.”
Greg waved his hand as if to say it wasn’t a big deal.
“Ahaha, it’s not that there’s a big secret. I just worry it might come off as bragging. My father recently won the rights to a bridge construction project.”
There had been a recent industrial boom in Genoa, and along with road maintenance and railway expansion, many bridge projects were starting up.
The Heron River, which cut through the capital from north to south, was both a symbol of Genoa and, at times, an obstacle to industrial development.
“A bridge, you say? Where exactly…?”
“Hm. That’s actually top secret… hmm…”
Greg looked around cautiously, then leaned in and whispered.
“You absolutely mustn’t tell anyone else. We’re going to build a bridge connecting Bouth and Chadbury.”
Bouth and Chadbury were two industrial areas facing each other across the Heron River. Ships often traveled through that part of the river, but if a bridge were built there, both regions would likely see major growth.
“If that’s the case, Bouth and Chadbury will probably expand quickly. It could really impact the industrial development of Genoa as a whole.”
“Exactly! So if you happen to have any spare funds—or if you know someone you could borrow money from—you should invest. We’ve already hit our funding goal, but if you’re interested, I can speak to my father on your behalf.”
“I’m not really familiar with investments…”
“Well, if investing in the project feels like too much, you could always buy property or land in Bouth or Chadbury. Real estate doesn’t run away, after all.”
It was tempting information—but Harriet didn’t have the funds to buy any land or buildings right now.
Trying to sound casual, she asked, “When is the bridge expected to be built?”
“The project will be made public within a year, and construction will begin right after. By then, any land or property will already be taken. I’m only telling you this because I owe the Countess of Phelon a favor.”
After that, they talked about more ordinary topics. Since more people had gathered around, Greg didn’t bring up the business again.
Harriet said goodbye and turned away, heart pounding.
‘I got valuable information from another noble family’s business, just like Bella would!’
The fact that she now knew about a confidential bridge construction project made her feel excited and confident—like she had achieved something big.
At the same time, she began to feel anxious.
Just as Greg had said, she’d need to buy land or property before the project became public to profit from it—but where was she supposed to get that kind of money?
‘I need to think this through carefully. I have a year, after all.’
Even as she tried to stay calm, Harriet could feel the heat rising to her cheeks from excitement. She stepped out onto the terrace to get some fresh air and cool her head.
But there were already several people out there, admiring the garden or smoking. Harriet didn’t want to join them, so she slipped into a darker, more secluded corner.
“Haa…”
Taking a deep breath helped her settle down a bit, and the excitement began to fade. Now, with a clearer head, the whole situation started to feel a bit silly.
‘I must’ve gotten a little too carried away. Trusting the words of someone I just met… Even if that guy was telling the truth, I still need to check if it’s really worth investing in.’
Just knowing information doesn’t put money in your hand. What truly matters is how you use that information—and Harriet knew she still had a lot to learn.
‘Pull yourself together, Harriet. Don’t forget why you came back to Genoa in the first place.’
She gave herself a little pep talk and took a moment to collect herself. Once the heat in her cheeks had cooled, she decided it was time to head back in. But just as she turned around, someone approached her—a familiar-looking young man who seemed a bit drunk.
“Didn’t think I’d see you again in society… Harriet Listerwell.”
His tone was rude, and his words lacked any form of respect, which made Harriet frown.
“Who are you…”
“Oh, so you’re pretending not to know me now? As if acting like it never happened could erase the past.”
“I’ll let the rudeness slide, but first—tell me who you are. Then I can try to remember you or not.”
The man gave a short, incredulous laugh, then suddenly scowled and spat his words bitterly.
“Julian Faith. Ring any bells now?”
“Julian Fa… Oh!”
She remembered now—her very first scandal as a “scandal maker”!
This was the man who had gone around bragging that he was Bella’s fiancé after exchanging letters with her. But Harriet had been the one who confessed to pretending to be Bella and apologized to him.
Now she knew why he looked familiar. Even before that day when she apologized, Harriet had delivered letters to him on Bella’s behalf a few times. Back then, he had looked more like a pretty boy…
He was still handsome now, no doubt about it—but his drunken, arrogant behavior made him look completely unappealing.
Harriet straightened her posture, lifted her chin, and braced herself.
‘I won’t back down from a fight anymore. Even if it turns into a nasty fight or dirty mess.’
Backing down before had never earned her any praise for being peaceful—it only made people say, “See? She didn’t even deny it. That means she must have done it.”
That’s why, when she left St. Clarissa’s convent, she had already thrown away that old teaching: “If someone slaps one cheek, offer the other.”
Harriet smiled sweetly.
“I remember now, but I still don’t understand why you’re acting this way toward me. I doubt it’s because you want to look back.”
“Look back? For me, it was a nightmare!”
“Isn’t that a bit dramatic?”
“Ha! Still as shameless as ever!”
“And you, Sir Julian, have grown a lot more rude. Well, you weren’t exactly reasonable back then either. Pretending to be Bella’s fiancé just because you got a few letters—that was crossing the line.”
At that, Julian’s eyes lit up with fury.
“And what about you? You wrote those letters pretending to be Bella because you liked me! Was that reasonable?”
“I already apologized for that. Why are you bringing up something that ended over three years ago?”
Now that she said it out loud, it really was strange.
Harriet remembered the whole thing clearly because it had been such a humiliating incident.
Julian had come to the Listerwell estate thinking Bella had called for him. And in front of him, Harriet had apologized again and again.
“I… I liked you, Sir Faith… and when I saw your letter addressed to Bella… I made a terrible mistake. I’m sorry.”
It had been so hard to speak, trying to confess something that wasn’t even true.
He had looked at her in disbelief, then exploded with anger. Bella had tried to calm him down by apologizing on Harriet’s behalf—but only after Harriet had already said sorry dozens of times.
Anyway, that was how it ended.
Since then, Harriet had been to a few parties where Julian was also present, but he never approached her like this. That’s why she hadn’t recognized his face right away.
Maybe her words hit a nerve, because Julian gritted his teeth and stepped closer, as if he might hit her.
Just as Harriet instinctively took a step back—
—but before anything could happen, someone stepped between them.
