Chapter 2 (Part 1)

Chapter 14

“No.”

Harriet gritted her teeth and glared defiantly at the man in front of her.

“That day was just… an accident. That’s why you went abroad without any problem.”

“It wasn’t just that day. I’ve consistently bumped into you.”

“Bumped into? Not picked a fight?”

His sharp eyes glinted coldly.

“Don’t dodge the question. While I was abroad, I didn’t receive letters, calls, or visits from you. How long am I supposed to cling to you?”

Cling?

The unfamiliar word made Harriet’s focus waver. They were just rivals, barking at each other like cats and dogs whenever they met. To be precise, she had been the one to show her claws unilaterally as he gradually grew more arrogant.

“Coco. If you can’t do it, it’s okay to step back. You’re not good with numbers, so helping Aaron with his homework would be too much, right?”

“Don’t worry. I can calculate the width of the coffin you’ll fit in, even if I have to stay up all night.”

“Did you cry? Even if you deny it, your eyes are red underneath. I understand; you’re too fragile to handle such things.”

“The tears are from dust! If you tell anyone, you’ll find yourself floating in the river tomorrow.”

Just as he had been in front of the orphanage gate, Lennox Diorne was always a cunning rogue disguised as a ‘perfect man’ to Harriet. Under the guise of kindness and comfort, he would subtly scratch her pride until she exploded.

She had wondered why that crazy guy acted like that towards her, but now she thought she knew the reason. Lennox Diorne needed someone to vent his stress on, and Harriet, who wore her emotions on her sleeve, was perfect for it.

Nothing more, nothing less. She shouldn’t mistake his obsession. Lennox Diorne was a sandstorm in the desert that one couldn’t escape once caught. Only after being deeply submerged would one realize they were completely entangled.

If he ever found out she was an illegitimate child…

“Don’t make things up. You just find my reactions amusing.”

Harriet deliberately avoided the creeping shadow climbing up her ankle. As if not allowing her to look away, his large hand with bulging veins gripped her chin, fixing her gaze. Lennox asked clearly.

“Do you really think that? Even though you’re drawn to me.”

“It’s a delusion. Even if you were the last man on earth, that wouldn’t happen.”

“Delusion?”

Lennox grinned crookedly and ran his fingers through his hair. Unlike his usual neat appearance with mousse, his tousled blond hair shimmered like jewels in the sunlight. Harriet found herself slowly lowering her gaze.

A handsome forehead, sharply arched eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes that gleamed with arrogance yet sensuality, and lips that curved into a graceful arc even when expressionless. Though she hated to admit it, Lennox Diorne was an impeccably handsome man. He was unmatched by any man she had met.

God, in his cruelty, had given him a dark and sinister nature as well as his looks.

“It’s cute how you try to run away, but it’s starting to get boring.”

Harriet’s mind went cold as if doused with cold water at his next words, just as she had been admiring his looks.

Cute?

Even if there was only a two-year age difference, Harriet was undeniably older. She was also the sister of his close friend.

“…Cute?”

Harriet, exploding at his overly arrogant behavior, kicked his shin.

“Ugh.”

Lennox, groaning at the unexpected attack, withdrew his hand from her. Harriet, triumphantly placing her hands on her hips, scolded him.

“How dare you speak informally to me? So arrogant.”

Thinking she had delivered an unexpected blow, her golden eyes sparkled.

“Say I’m cute one more time. Then…”

It was at that moment when Lennox chuckled at the sense of accomplishment in Harriet’s eyes.

“Brother!”

A girl who had been waiting for a chance to join them suddenly squeezed between them.

“Now do the laundry with me. You’ve done enough with that lady, right?”

“Sure. That sounds good. I was just about to help hang the laundry.”

Harriet, responding as if she had been waiting for this moment, quickly took off her apron and left the spot. The girl, who had smiled brightly, soon looked at Lennox with a worried face.

“Brother, do you like that lady?”

“No.”

The answer came immediately. Lennox watched Harriet’s profile as she scurried away to help the staff.

Harriet Coco Vanetti was someone he devoted his life to. Even while abroad, his obsession didn’t stop.

After the disgraceful broken engagement, even though he knew Harriet frequently changed men, he did not return immediately because she had not crossed the line with anyone. Harriet seemed to almost enjoy the increasingly dirty rumors surrounding her, as if warning others to stay away with her thorns fully extended.

That aspect was displeasing, yet also a relief. The fact that Harriet’s reputation hadn’t hit rock bottom was partly due to her background, but also thanks to him. He had quietly dealt with the men who boasted about their night with her as if it were some great achievement. At least the breakups were always clean.

So, this feeling was more than just ‘liking’ her.

“You’re Aaron’s friend, right? He talks about you a lot. Come visit often.”

Looking back, meeting her that way was the root cause. Since they met as his sister’s friend and friend’s sister, she obviously didn’t see him as a man. If they had met when they were a bit older, as adults unrelated to Aaron…

But on the other hand, he was glad to have met her in those younger days. At a time when he was becoming disillusioned with the two-faced people around him, Harriet Coco Vanetti approached him as a fresh shock. From the start, she was different from others around him. Her emotions and thoughts were amusingly transparent on her face. Initially, it felt like he had found an intriguing toy. There was fun in teasing her and watching her reactions. That accumulated and solidified into what it was now.

He realized this feeling was his first love at her engagement ceremony. When he saw Harriet holding hands with another man, a fierce and terrible pain engulfed him as if his whole body was on fire. He couldn’t stand by and watch Harriet become another man’s woman. So…

“I’m Marianne. I haven’t had the chance to properly introduce myself. I’m disappointed. Like Harriet, I’m Aaron’s sister too.”

The clear voice stopped the fragment of the past from surfacing.

“Brother? What are you thinking?”

“Nothing.”

Lennox shook his head with a sly smile.

The curtain washing ended only by dusk. Harriet, stretching her stiff body, dozed off in the carriage on the way back. Though her body was tired from the physical labor after such a long time, her mind felt clear. At least while volunteering, she didn’t think about the troublesome family matters.

It was a low voice that woke Harriet from a deep sleep without dreams.

“Coco. We’re here.”

“…”

“Coco.”

“…Oh.”

Harriet, waking up, rubbed her eyes. She should have seen Lennox’s face opposite her, but all she saw was the carriage ceiling. As she wondered about this, she realized she was lying down.

Hastily sitting up, Harriet forgot her words and blushed. Lennox, smiling teasingly, said playfully.

“My knee was about to go numb.”

“Then why did you touch a peacefully sleeping person?”

“Touch, you say? Someone might misunderstand if they hear. Not that it matters to me.”

“Does the ‘perfect and flawless’ Young Master need to create such a big flaw?”

With a scoff that suggested disbelief, Harriet adjusted her dress and opened the carriage door.

Before she could step onto the footrest for an escort, a sharp remark pierced her.

“Are you filth?”

“…What?”

“Earlier, you mentioned being a toy, a flaw. Why do you speak of yourself as filth?”

“What nonsense are you talking about? I never…”

“Then, is it not?”

The question was colder and more chilling than ever. Her neck felt cold, and the hairs on her body stood on end. Unable to turn back, Harriet froze instinctively. Just as she thought she heard a heavy sigh, Lennox, who had stepped out of the carriage in one stride, showed her his open palm.

The mischievous glint in his eyes had turned to icy coldness as he looked up at her. The chill made Harriet feel her lips dry up.

Lennox Diorne was a man she had known for half her life. As a boy and as the complete adult man he was now. That made him a man she couldn’t accept even more. Yet now, he appeared as a stranger she had never seen before.

“Goodbye, Miss Vanetti. It was a pleasant time.”

As soon as she awkwardly accepted his escort and stepped onto the ground, a cold farewell descended upon her head. Before Harriet could respond, the carriage door closed. A completely different appearance, like fire and ice.

Harriet was more curious than ever about what was going on in Lennox Diorne’s mind. She fell asleep with such peculiar feelings.

Unaware that unexpected bad news would arrive the next day.