Chapter 55

The article’s content was exactly what Marianne had claimed in front of everyone. It began with her life story. Being orphaned at a young age due to an accident and being adopted by the Vanetti family. The joy of gaining a new family. But the sadness and shock when Harriet didn’t welcome her.

“’My sister… frowned the moment she saw me. Perhaps she wasn’t pleased that I set foot in the Vanetti family, where she was the only princess.’ Mrs. Chasselot shed tears as she spoke of the wrongly tied knot from the beginning.”

“I never did such a thing!”

Outraged, Harriet shouted, clutching the newspaper as if to crumple it. Earl Eiden gestured to the remaining article.

“’My sister always bullied and tormented me when no one was watching. Even when showing what I learned on the piano to the adults, she would always play a more difficult piece right after me, making me seem inferior.’”

Harriet repeatedly stopped reading, astonished. The more she read, the more ridiculous it was. It was Marianne who always asked to have her turn. Now she was turning even this into harassment. Harriet took a deep breath.

“You don’t have to read it all.”

“No, I must.”

The day the journalist interviewed Marianne was shortly after Harriet had left for her honeymoon. That day, Marianne had betrayed her without any guilt.

“Coco.”

Lennox, noticing her pale complexion, cautiously checked on her. Harriet, refusing his supportive hand, continued reading the article.

“‘Outwardly, my sister treated me very well. Mikhail, who had been engaged to my sister for ten years and knew me for a long time, was very sick of her duplicitous nature. We…… naturally fell in love.’”

Blood rushed to her head, making it hard to breathe properly. If she could, she would have returned to the Vanetti Estate to grab Marianne by the hair and wake her up.

Ultimately, Harriet gave up reading further and crumpled the newspaper, throwing it to the floor.

“This isn’t worth reading. It’s fabrication. All lies.”

Lennox, having heard about the recent events, nodded understandingly.

“Don’t worry. We’ll issue a correction article immediately. Thank you for informing us, Uncle.”

Though the gratitude was merely words, Lennox respectfully bowed to Earl Eiden, who had been the first to bring this news. However, Eiden showed no intention of leaving quietly.

As Harriet stared at him, wondering what more he wanted to say, Eiden smirked and got to the point.

“That was just the introduction. There’s more I want to say.”

“What?”

Lennox frowned, signaling the butler to escort the unwell Harriet inside. Understanding his intent, the butler cautiously extended his arm to Harriet. At that moment, Eiden blocked their path.

“No, she should hear this too. It’s about her.”

“Uncle.”

Lennox’s voice lowered, quietly warning him to stop.

While the two men locked eyes in a tense standoff, Harriet, having calmed her surprised heart, grabbed Lennox’s arm.

“No, I’ll listen.”

She felt that nothing could shock her more than recent events. Blinking her dry lips, she asked calmly.

“What is it?”

“Claire Millet.”

“…”

Harriet nearly bit her tongue at Eiden’s response. It was an unexpected name. She didn’t dare ask how he knew her.

“Do you know her?”

Faced with the direct question, she couldn’t deny it. He must have some evidence. After a moment of silence, Harriet nodded.

“She’s Theodore’s mistress.”

“I didn’t expect you to admit it so easily.”

“Didn’t you already know?”

“What happened to her?”

“What?”

Harriet blinked in disbelief.

“She’s gone missing, they say.”

“She’s… under protection.”

“Why?”

“Do I have to explain? It’s a family matter.”

Judging by Eiden’s lack of knowledge about Claire’s whereabouts, he hadn’t put a tail on her. Instead, he likely had an anonymous informant. Harriet felt she knew who that informant might be.

“Why don’t you wait until Marianne wakes up to hear the rest?”

Eiden intended to undermine Lennox by first undermining his wife, Harriet. Suppressing her rising anger, Harriet coldly met Eiden’s gaze.

“Unfortunately, the doctor said they don’t know when she’ll wake up.”

Eiden hesitated, seemingly struck by her words, before retaliating.

“If there’s something you’re hiding…”

“Enough. What are you doing to someone who’s already unwell?”

Before Eiden could finish, Lennox intervened.

“If you don’t leave now, I’ll have you removed by force.”

“You’ve grown up.”

“Indeed, I’ve grown too big for an uncle to manipulate like a puppet.”

After a tense exchange, Eiden finally conceded.

“Fine, let’s leave it at that for today.”

“I won’t see you out.”

Lennox coldly nodded as he turned Harriet towards the mansion. Just as they were about to enter, Eiden’s voice stopped them.

“Oh, one last thing.”

The two halted and turned. Eiden, with an enigmatic smile, asked softly.

“While investigating Claire Millet, I discovered an interesting person related to her.”

“…”

“Do you know this woman?”

Eiden retrieved a locket necklace from his pocket. Gesturing for her to take it, Harriet opened the pendant. Inside was a portrait of an unknown woman.

“I don’t know her.”

“Look closely.”

“Truly, I’ve never seen her before.”

Yet it was strange. Though unfamiliar, she felt as if she’d seen her before. Someone she’d never met, yet she couldn’t stop staring.

“Let me return it.”

In the next moment, Lennox snatched the necklace from Harriet’s hand as she was drawn into the pendant.

“Then.”

Returning the necklace to Eiden, Lennox wrapped an arm around Harriet’s waist and led her inside without looking back.

As the door slammed shut, leaving Eiden alone, his secretary cautiously approached.

“Earl… Are you alright?”

Though he hadn’t overheard the conversation well, his superior had been openly humiliated by his young nephew. The secretary wondered if Eiden’s pride had driven him mad.

However, Eiden, blinking as if in a trance, turned to him.

“Let’s get in the carriage.”

“Oh… Yes.”

The secretary signaled the coachman, who promptly brought the carriage forward. As soon as they boarded, the coachman cracked the reins.

The secretary, sitting across from Eiden, swallowed dryly. Though his master appeared calm, he had a fiery temper. As he pondered how to lighten Eiden’s mood, an unexpected laugh escaped Eiden’s lips.

“Earl, are you alright?”

“Puhahaha!”

Initially a deflated sound, Eiden’s laughter grew as if he’d eaten a whole firecracker. The secretary shivered at the maniacal laughter, fearing his master’s wounded pride had driven him insane.

Regardless, Eiden continued laughing until the carriage passed through the Ducal Mansion’s gates. As his laughter ceased abruptly, his face returned to a stoic expression, startling the secretary.

“Send someone to the newspaper.”

“Of course, should we issue a correction article? It might be better if you take the lead, even if it stings a bit…”

Eiden chuckled at the secretary’s suggestion and nodded.

“A correction article, yes. But it will be an even bigger bombshell.”

“A bigger bombshell? What do you mean?”

“Only now do I understand the true intent of what Marianne Chasselot approached me to say a few days ago.”

“Pardon?”

“Isn’t a divorced woman better than a vulgar illegitimate child?”

“They say to keep your enemies closest, Earl. That also means to place your ally closest to your enemy, doesn’t it? If you help me, I can be your furthest, yet closest ally.”

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t say it myself, but I’ll give you a hint. Claire Millet. Dig deep into this name. You’ll find a path.”

“She must have been targeting Lennox.”

The secretary’s eyes widened at Eiden’s increasingly cryptic mutterings. Unable to contain his curiosity, he was about to speak when Eiden interrupted.

“Tell the newspaper this.”

Leaning back in his seat, Eiden lit a cigar.

“Harriet Coco Vanetti is an illegitimate child. The illegitimate offspring of a mere unknown actress from a theater company.”

To attack an enemy, one must first attack what the enemy loves most.