Chapter 29.
Trisha’s advice had been correct.
How fortunate that I remembered her singing at the home of my cousin, Viscount Ainborough, three years ago.
With this, the first hurdle had been cleared. The way Viscountess Vanderbilt’s face had brightened—just as it had when she first greeted Trisha—was proof enough.
Of course, entering the party without a hitch didn’t mean the work was over. Rather, it had only just begun. Look. The faces of those who recognized me were stained with shock.
“Harriet Listerwell? Is that really her?”
“I wondered who that was, but it really is Harriet Listerwell. I didn’t recognize her because her skin disease is gone.”
“Wow… was that young lady always this pretty?”
“That’s secondary—look who she’s with. They say Countess Felon is her chaperone!”
Stories that began in small whispers rippled outward, passing from one ear to the next until, suddenly, every gaze in the room was brushing over me.
My chestnut hair flowed in smooth ripples; my red lips glistened with a hint of moisture; my nails were neatly groomed; and my porcelain skin looked undeniably healthy.
The woman everyone called an ‘ugly duckling’ had vanished, and the woman who would be labeled the new flower of high society stood in her place.
One man, who hadn’t yet realized that I was Harriet Listerwell, even went so far as to request a dance.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, my lady. I am Adam Hofner. I know it is rude to approach someone who has just arrived, but I did not want to lose the opportunity to someone else. Might I have the honor of being your first dance partner?”
Since my debutante ball at age fifteen, when I had taken turns dancing with young noblemen alongside Bella, this was the first time I had ever received such a request.
However, I did not feel particularly happy or moved.
‘Isn’t this man one of Bella’s followers?’
He was a man who used to extol Bella, preaching the theory that a woman was only a true beauty if her skin was flawless, and who had always looked at me—while hives spread across my face and body—with eyes full of contempt.
“Who would dance with a woman like that? It’s gross. She might pass that skin disease on.”
Yes, he had even said things like that.
The man who had once sneered was now blushing, requesting a dance. Since he couldn’t see the hives he feared were contagious, he didn’t even recognize me as the same person.
I glanced down at his outstretched hand before looking back up at him.
“It might be contagious, are you sure about that?”
“Pardon?”
“I’m Harriet Listerwell. You used to be so afraid of even coming into contact with me.”
“Uh…? Harriet Listerwell…?”
I sent a light smile at his bewildered expression and turned away.
I had not a shred of lingering attachment to him, but it seemed to be a scene where her pride was shattered for one woman who had a crush on him.
As expected, a young lady who used to stick by Bella’s side approached quickly and sneered.
“It has been so long, Miss Harriet. I don’t think we’ve seen each other in a year; what have you been doing all this time?”
Everyone knew I had been sent away to a convent, so asking what I had been doing was a question clearly intended to humiliate me.
I smiled brightly.
“For the past year, I have been at St. Clarissa’s Convent, reflecting on my past deeds and living a life of purity according to the word of God. I was nervous about being back in Genoa after so long, so thank you for speaking to me first. By the way, your name is…?”
Because I answered so calmly when she had expected me to be ashamed, the young lady who had spoken to me became flustered. Furthermore, she knew my name, but I did not know hers; it felt strangely like she was already at a disadvantage.
“It’s Viviana Delus. We’ve met several times, so it’s upsetting that you don’t remember.”
“I’m sorry. Even though we’ve seen each other several times, I’ve never once been introduced.”
At those words, Viviana could find nothing more to say. Since they had never formally exchanged names, it was only natural for me not to know it, and she only knew what she had heard about me from Bella.
As Viviana stammered, another young lady standing next to her attacked more overtly.
“Do you know how much Bella suffered because you tarnished the family name?”
For a moment, I almost flared up in anger. It wasn’t me who tarnished the family name, but Bella—that girl. The Duke Kaylas brooch incident was absolutely not my doing.
However, getting angry here would be equivalent to losing the fight.
I lowered my eyebrows and tilted my head slightly.
“I am truly reflecting on my past. Since my uncle has also severed his guardianship over me, I am sure there has been no trouble caused by me since then.”
I said I was reflecting, but my expression was devoid of any remorse. Just as she was about to retort, I added.
“And Bella seems to be doing well, too? Was it the eldest son of the House of Cheslow…”
At that, Bella’s friends looked around, suddenly wary of the gazes of others.
The fact that Bella had become lovers with James, who was Daphne’s fiancé, was an unexpected event even for them. After all, if Bella were an angel, she never would have accepted the advances of a man who already had a fiancée.
But they firmly believed in Bella.
“The relationship between Miss Laurel and Lord Cheslow was already broken!”
“That’s right. Lord Cheslow clung to Bella with such devotion that she had no choice but to accept him.”
In response to their defense, I shrugged with a face that implied I couldn’t understand.
“Did I say otherwise? I just said it seemed like she had found a good lover.”
Only then did they realize they had blurted out things they hadn’t even been asked about, and their faces turned red. Didn’t they look like thieves with guilty consciences?
I cast an ambiguous smile toward them, as they had not yet become Bella’s ‘true’ friends.
“It seems Bella didn’t come today, so please give her my regards. I shall take my leave now.”
I bid them a refreshing farewell and parted ways.
The ladies left behind were beyond flustered; they were shocked, as my attitude was far too different from before.
I, who used to only deny my actions and couldn’t even offer a proper excuse, was now acknowledging my past, yet I somehow still appeared to have ‘won.’
“She’s completely changed. We should probably tell Bella.”
“Huh? Uh, yeah, we should.”
The two of them had no choice but to turn away, clutching their folding fans tightly.
However, Viviana, in particular, found it difficult to shake off her curiosity as to how I had obtained such clear skin, when I had suffered from worse acne than she did.
After all, one of the reasons she couldn’t approach Adam Hofner was because of the acne on her face that refused to heal no matter what she tried.
* * *
Having finished my petty battle of nerves with Bella’s friends, I was introduced to high-society figures by Trisha.
Not the mere fledglings who hung around Bella, but the real power players who moved the Empire’s wealth.
“It’ll be hard to memorize them all at once, but try your best to remember. There is a big difference between remembering their names when you meet them again and failing to do so.”
“And they would likely already know my face and name.”
“That’s right. Come to think of it, you’re quite a famous figure in high society yourself!”
I thought Trisha was teasing me and gave a bashful smile. But Trisha’s eyes sparkled.
“Even if it’s in a negative light, everyone knows you, right? In a way, that is a great asset.”
That was a part I hadn’t thought of before.
“I suppose you’re right. Everyone knows me.”
If so, could I use my reputation to do something? A concrete method hadn’t come to mind yet, but I felt like I could put it to use someday.
In any case, the goal of this party was to introduce myself to as many people as possible and leave the impression that ‘Harriet Listerwell was surprisingly normal.’
Even though Trisha was my chaperone, she couldn’t stay by my side the whole night as she had far more acquaintances than I did.
Having sent Trisha off to her friends, I approached the area where drinks were placed, conscious of the surrounding gazes. Sangria and punch were prepared to suit a summer night.
The Vanderbilts’ wealth could be glimpsed even in the way they didn’t spare the expensive ice.
‘I need to strike up a conversation with someone who seems reasonably decent.’
The content of the conversation didn’t matter much. I just needed to show that Harriet Listerwell was someone who could hold a sensible conversation.
I sipped the sangria, which had become quite low in alcohol content after being mixed with sparkling water, and scouted for a conversation partner. Someone who wouldn’t just stiffen up and walk away if ‘Harriet Listerwell’ spoke to them.
Then, someone decent caught my eye.