Chapter 51

Without pause, Harriet rode to a luxurious hotel. She even remembered the room number Marianne often stayed in. Demanding the key, the hotel manager broke into a cold sweat and blocked her.

“She instructed not to let anyone in.”

“I’m her sister.”

“But…”

“It’s urgent.”

“Still…”

No matter how much Marianne had insisted, there was no sign of the manager backing down. Harriet glanced around the hotel and spotted the family tapestries hanging at the desk.

“The family that helped establish this hotel and was granted the right to stay in any room at any time, correct?”

“That… is correct.”

“Well, my surname is Diorne, so I have rights to that privilege.”

Smiling, Harriet applied silent pressure. The manager, unsure of what to do, eventually handed over the key. As soon as she received the key, Harriet headed straight for the room where Marianne was staying. She opened the door without knocking.

“Oh, the smell…”

As soon as she stepped into the room, the smell of alcohol assaulted Harriet’s nose. Holding her nose with one hand, Harriet frowned.

“Marianne. Wake up.”

But there was no movement. Harriet spotted the ice in the wine basket and dumped it over Marianne’s head as she lay in bed.

“Kyaa!”

Startled by the sudden dousing, Marianne screamed and opened her eyes.

“Do you want to die? What are you doing…”

“Get up.”

“…Sister?”

Seeing Harriet standing like a grim reaper, Marianne’s face turned pale. Harriet, unfazed, grabbed her arm and pulled.

“This is no time to be holed up drinking. Wash up, change clothes, and come out.”

“Let go of me!”

Marianne, shaking off her hand as if having a fit, stood up, soaking wet.

“Why should I? Who do you think you are?”

“You heard Mikhail came yesterday, didn’t you? That’s why you’re holed up here. Am I wrong?”

“How do you know that…!”

Glaring at Harriet with wide eyes, Marianne soon realized something and questioned her.

“Did Father call you?”

“So you don’t even bother with formalities anymore.”

“Who dumped ice water on a sleeping person?”

Grinding her teeth, Marianne cursed and grabbed a towel lying around to dry her hair.

“You better pull yourself together and go. Only then can you think of what to do.”

“What do you mean?”

“Mikhail is talking about divorce.”

Marianne’s eyes wavered, seemingly unaware of this possibility.

“Did you two meet…?”

“No. We didn’t. There won’t be any private meetings.”

“Then…”

“He told Father.”

“Crazy!”

Marianne clutched her head and trembled as if having a seizure.

“He’s lost his mind. How could he do something like that?”

“You aren’t really in a position to talk.”

“What?”

Marianne glared fiercely at Harriet, who responded coldly, arms crossed, without blinking.

“You told the reporter my secret, didn’t you?”

“Th-that…”

“He came to see me yesterday. I spent more than I expected to keep his mouth shut.”

Marianne, who had been glaring as if she would pounce, quickly backed down.

“It was a mistake.”

“You know best whether it was a mistake or not.”

“Anyway, it’s been smoothed over, hasn’t it? Isn’t that enough? It didn’t even make it to the papers.”

“You’re really shameless.”

Harriet was beyond disbelief, almost stunned. She let out a dry laugh. Yesterday, she had resolved to grab Marianne by the hair and shake her, but even that thought vanished. Doing such a thing seemed wasteful on a woman like Marianne.

But it was something that needed to be addressed, so Harriet warned coldly.

“If you talk carelessly about me one more time, you’ll regret ever being born.”

“…”

“You shamelessly showed up at my birthday and somehow managed to set foot in society despite what happened three years ago.”

Marianne nodded in response to Harriet’s icy words that seemed to freeze even her heart.

“I swear, if anything like that happens again, I’ll use every means at my disposal to bury you socially.”

Marianne took a short breath. The face confronting her was calm and expressionless, almost frighteningly so. It wasn’t filled with anger or trembling. Harriet forced Marianne to respond.

“If you understand, say you understand.”

“I… I understand.”

Overwhelmed, Marianne nodded humiliatingly. Harriet sighed, turning away.

“Good.”

At a glance, Marianne’s appearance was a mess. Her hair and face were in disarray, a testament to how recklessly she had been drinking without even removing her makeup.

“Then wash up and change your clothes. Come to the family home by tonight.”

There was no answer again. Harriet narrowed her eyes and pressed once more.

“Did you understand?”

“…I understand.”

Avoiding her gaze, Marianne hid under the blanket. Harriet clicked her tongue at the sight and left the hotel room.

* * *

Despite her earnest request, Marianne didn’t show up until the last moment. Franz was furious, ordering his servants to find her.

“Bring her here, no matter where she is or what state she’s in!”

“Yes, sir.”

The servants, bowing politely to the angry master, rushed off, sweating with urgency.

Harriet watched the retreating servants and then returned to her meal. It was a typical Vanetti family dinner.

Franz sat at the head of the table, with Margaret on his right and Theodore, the eldest son, and his wife Olivia on his left. Aaron sat beside Olivia, and Harriet was next to her mother.

Margaret glanced at the empty seat to Harriet’s left and asked quietly.

“Is the Duke not coming?”

“He’s busy, so he couldn’t make it, Mother.”

“Well, it was decided too suddenly.”

Margaret murmured, and Harriet responded with a smile. In fact, she hadn’t told Lennox that he was invited. Originally, they were supposed to enjoy another week of honeymoon, but everything had gone awry.

Soon, food began to emerge from the kitchen. Someone knocked on the dining room door.

“May I come in?”

“Enter.”

As soon as permission was granted, Harriet turned her head toward the door and froze.

“Mikhail.”

“Sorry for being late.”

“Please, have a seat here.”

Aaron stood up and indicated the empty seat to his right. Mikhail nodded and sat down without making eye contact with anyone.

As the main dishes were served and the delicious aroma wafted through the air, no one seemed to truly enjoy the food. Tonight was not an ordinary dinner.

Franz took a deep breath and broke the silence.

“I called you here because there’s an announcement to make. Though one person is missing.”

Everyone quietly stared at Franz.

“Marianne and Mikhail are getting a divorce.”

“What?”

Margaret dropped her utensils, utterly shocked.

“What… what do you mean, darling?”

“Exactly as it sounds.”

“Mother!”

Margaret, overwhelmed by the sudden divorce news, swayed as if dizzy. Harriet, sitting next to her, quickly grabbed her shoulder in surprise.

“This doesn’t make sense. Divorce? So suddenly? After all that happened?”

Theodore was equally clueless about the situation.

“Our family has already been the subject of gossip! We’ve just started getting back on track, and now a divorce? I oppose it.”

“I didn’t ask for your opinion, Theodore.”

Franz sighed slowly and coldly rebuked the agitated Theodore.

“But, Father!”

“Mikhail.”

Franz turned his gaze from Theodore to Mikhail, who sat like a criminal.

“Show it to us.”

“…Yes.”

Mikhail rummaged in his pocket and placed something on the table. It was a letter unmistakably written in Marianne’s handwriting. With a heavy expression, Mikhail explained.

“This is a letter Marianne sent to someone three years ago. It seems it was never sent, and it ended up in my hands by chance.”

Everyone froze, unsure of what to make of it, and Franz immediately instructed.

“Harriet. Take it and read it.”

“…Yes.”

After a moment of hesitation, Harriet picked up the letter with a resolute face.

“To an anonymous… advisor. I’m letting you know that your advice was spot on. Thanks to your help, I was able to spend a night with Mikhail… just a month before my sister’s… wedding.”

The shocking opening left everyone speechless, unable to even breathe. Harriet, hands trembling, continued to read.

“The drug was really useful. Mikhail thought I was my sister. And when he woke up, he regretted it, tearing at his hair… I swore, as you advised, that I wouldn’t tell anyone and that it was just… a mistake.”

The ugly truth from three years ago began to reveal itself from the shadows. Harriet struggled to steady her breath.

“As you know, things went according to plan. Mikhail ran away with me on the wedding day. We’re about to board a ship now. I don’t know how this letter will reach you.”

“What a disaster!”

Theodore slammed his fist on the table, running his hand through his hair in disbelief.

“Marianne needs to be brought back immediately and taught a lesson. She’s made a mockery of our family. Father!”

“Theodore! There’s still more to be done.”

Franz calmed Theodore and then quietly asked Mikhail, who sat still.

“There are no children between you two, right?”

“No.”

“What happened?”

Mikhail, eyes downcast, confessed calmly.

“Marianne was never pregnant. Not long after we fled abroad, she deceived me, saying she had a miscarriage while I was away.”

“You found out recently, didn’t you?”

“Yes. I discovered it when I came across this letter. I interrogated the maid and got a confession from the doctor who issued the false diagnosis.”

Though his tone was steady, his devastated eyes held pain and regret. Harriet, struggling with the shocks, clenched her teeth to avoid collapsing like Margaret.

Franz, glancing at Harriet, slowly asked.

“What do you want to do now?”

Time seemed to crawl. Mikhail raised his gaze slowly.

“I intend to… divorce Marianne.”