22.
It was written that it was not too late, even now, to return; if she would only apologize to her father, he would forgive her for everything.
‘Those who have never lost anything refuse to acknowledge the reality even after they’ve been stripped of it. Well, if she’s going to be that foolish, I’m only grateful.’
Suddenly, Harriet came to mind.
Even after her uncle had drowned and the Listerwell title passed to her father, Harriet hadn’t realized her station for a long time.
She would act as if she were still the daughter of the Viscount Listerwell, naturally trying to sit in the seat of honor or adding her voice to household matters.
At first, I was angry and would taunt her, but as the days went by, seeing the despair settle into those eyes made my heart feel at ease.
The ecstasy I felt on the day I invited Harriet to a tea party I held for her former friends just to introduce them to her!
‘The look on her face when she realized everything had been taken from her was a sight to behold. Daphne will be in the same position soon enough.’
The House of Laurel was a powerful family, so once the rumors died down, she would likely be able to betroth someone else. But it was certain that the conditions would be worse than those of James Cheslow.
Then, someday, when she ran into me—the wife of Cheslow—she would surely bite her lip.
“Pfft!”
Laughter burst out before I could stop it. At that, James lowered his head and asked.
“Is something amusing, Bella?”
“Just… it feels good to be recognized by everyone as your lover.”
“That’s my line. You’ve become the person who plucked the Golden Rose of Genoa, so naturally, I am the one who is more pleased.”
The two exchanged whispers before sharing a light kiss.
Knowing that Daphne’s friends were watching made even that brief touch feel incredibly provocative.
* * *
An unexpected turn of events was also unfolding at St. Clarissa’s Convent. Trisha had sent a reply by courier.
“It was sent by my great-aunt? Personally?”
“Yes. First, please read the letter.”
The woman in her early thirties who had brought the letter appeared far more fastidious and cold than the Trisha I remembered.
Given that she hadn’t shown even a polite smile while greeting me, it was possible she held feelings bordering on animosity toward me.
With a heart full of anxiety, Harriet unfolded the letter.
「To Harriet.
It has been a very long time. I shall omit any further flowery greetings.
I never imagined that the first letter I would receive from you would be a request for guardianship.
While I found it quite audacious, it makes no sense for you, Arthur’s daughter, to be cast out onto the streets and become a commoner. So, for the time being, I shall become your guardian, as I have the means to spare.」
For a moment, Harriet almost screamed. She had thought it the most likely path, but she had never imagined that permission would be granted so easily.
However, her great-aunt was, as the rumors suggested, no pushover.
「…Of course, there are conditions. As you are stepping into society under the shelter of my name, I will never tolerate any behavior that brings me shame.
Since it seems John did not educate you properly, you are to fully master everything you need to know with the tutor I have sent for the remaining time.」
With a ‘tutor’?
Harriet lifted her head and looked at the woman sitting across from her. Only then did she introduce herself.
“My name is Roxana Balbanus. I will be teaching Miss Harriet for the next five months.”
Would it be rude to say she looked more like a nun than the nuns themselves?
Her fastidious-looking blue eyes, her skin that was white to the point of being pale, her brown hair neatly tied back without a single stray strand, and her slightly gaunt physique all oddly resembled those of the nuns who had lived in the convent for a long time.
“That… by any chance, are you aware of the contents of the letter? It seems you will have to stay at the convent as well…”
“I have already received permission from Mother Catherine. I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, but the Mother seemed to welcome the education of Miss Harriet.”
In truth, Trisha had intended to persuade Catherine by including a petition along with the guardianship designation, but Catherine, overjoyed that Harriet had found a new guardian, had willingly accepted Roxana as a special guest.
“She must have been worried about letting me out of the convent like this. I look forward to working with you.”
“I will say this in advance: you had better prepare yourself. Miss Harriet may feel that I am strict, but this is no time for leisure.”
As expected, Roxana seemed to have no fondness for Harriet whatsoever.
But Harriet was accustomed to the contempt or disgust of strangers she met for the first time. It stung a little because it had been a while, but since she would have to re-enter society in five months, filled with people far worse than this, she decided to treat it as practice.
“Since you are here to teach a deficient person like me, I have no intention of complaining. I will do my best.”
As expected since she was someone sent by Trisha, Roxana was an excellent teacher, well-versed not only in etiquette, poise, and basic culture of high society and the Imperial Family, but also in politics, society, and the economy in general.
She hadn’t found the lessons impossible, as she had learned etiquette and culture from a private tutor for about three years when she was young, and she had also picked things up by watching over her uncle’s shoulder or through observation while living under his roof.
However, since that wasn’t all she had to study, Harriet gave it her absolute all.
She gave up her work at the soap workshop, cut back on her sleep, and wrestled with books all day, learning not only poise but the mechanisms of society and recent social trends.
Roxana went to Genoa every two weeks, and since she was surely reporting to Trisha each time, Harriet couldn’t afford to be lazy for even a moment.
‘This is a chance I’ll never get again; I cannot let it slip away!’
That resolve was further bolstered by Trisha’s replies, delivered through Roxana.
「Roxana is not the type to be easily swayed, yet it seems you are following the lessons well. But do not be satisfied with merely that much. You have only just laid the foundation. You must continue to receive Roxana’s guidance even after you return to Genoa.」
After exchanging a few letters, Harriet felt she understood the way Trisha gave praise.
‘She mentions what I did wrong more than what I did right, but that is because she wants me to improve.’
The reason she realized this was simple: she never criticized her for the things she failed at.
It was an attitude difficult for someone who was investing their money and effort to maintain. Because of that, Harriet felt a deep sense of trust and gratitude toward Trisha Felon.
On the other hand, even after spending five months together, it wasn’t easy to get close to Roxana; she seemed to suspect—or rather, be almost certain—that Harriet was the type of person who ‘might stab the Countess in the back someday.’
‘It can’t be helped. It’s not as if everyone is going to understand me.’
It wasn’t that she didn’t feel a sense of injustice, but there wasn’t much Harriet could do. She had no choice but to follow her lessons with all her might.
* * *
Time flowed rapidly.
It felt as though it hadn’t been long since they exchanged New Year’s greetings, but as the ice melted and flowers bloomed, early summer was just around the corner.
On June 1st, a day she thought would never come, Harriet packed her bags, ending her life at the convent.
‘If I hadn’t thrown away my winter shoes, the bag would have been too small.’
Harriet pressed down on the luggage that was bulging out. Even though she had taken out the bulky shoes, the bag was full because of the winter gear she had received last winter.
Before the first week of January had passed, an anonymous parcel had arrived, containing a scarf, gloves, hand warmers, and socks that were perfect for Harriet.
It was anonymous, but she knew who had sent it.
‘That man, he must have really felt sorry for me. He doesn’t seem like the type to send things like this.’
The only person in the convent who knew she was spending the winter without even a scarf was Cedric Kaylas. How embarrassed she had been for grumbling about how he should have just brought a scarf and gloves instead.
Thanks to the items he had sent, she had been able to spend the past winter at least somewhat warmly.
‘Someday, I must return the favor.’
The fact that he had sent it anonymously suggested he didn’t want a note of thanks, so she hadn’t written a letter.
But it was true that that one small parcel remained a debt on her heart. He might have sent it with a light heart, but for Harriet, the struggle against the cold was a serious matter.
‘That’s it!’
Click. She finally managed to close the latch on her suitcase.
Harriet set the bag down on the floor and slowly looked around the room where she had lived for a year.
The hard bed, which she thought she would never get used to, had begun to feel comfortable at some point, and she had grown fond of the small table and chair.
‘I used to wonder if a person could actually live in a place like this…’
In the end, she had lived just fine.
And because of that, the days ahead didn’t feel all that frightening.
She had developed the resilience to endure cold and despair, learned the skills to make small things, and acquired the mental fortitude to find comfort in small, narrow, and shabby things.