Chapter 9

“A date? Oh my.”

Yvonne, having heard about last night’s events, sparkled more than ever.

“Where will you go?”

“Why, do you want to follow and watch?”

“Of course not… I’m just curious. I wonder where the Young Master Diorne would take a lady on a date.”

Lennox Diorne was a person who had never been involved in any rumors with women, even abroad.

Dazzling blond hair and rare gray eyes. With looks so outstanding they were almost mesmerizing. Not only that, but he was a perfect man who excelled academically at a foreign university and had won several amateur sports competitions.

His courteous manners and perfect gentlemanly demeanor were also beyond words. So much so that even a princess from a neighboring country, invited to a court event, became infatuated after seeing him from afar. Lennox Diorne was the ideal son-in-law and husband prospect any woman in the country would desire.

Except for one person, Harriet Vanetti standing before her.

“I don’t know where we’ll go. Maybe see an opera performance and have dinner at a hotel restaurant.”

“In places like that, who you go with is what matters. I’m really envious.”

“If you’re envious, do you want to go instead?”

“Joking aside… I’d love to.”

Yvonne laughed and handed Harriet a document.

“This is the file on Theodore’s mistress you asked about yesterday.”

“You’re quick with your work. Thanks.”

Harriet briefly thanked her and took the document, flipping through it. Initially reading the investigation report without much emotion, her expression gradually hardened.

“What does it say?”

“I have to go meet her. Did you make an appointment?”

“Not yet. I was going to send someone today…”

“I’ll go myself. She should be at home.”

Without waiting for Yvonne’s reply, Harriet stood up, grabbed her coat from the rack, and left the office.

Yvonne, surprised by the series of events, picked up the document Harriet had thrown aside. There were no particularly offensive words or sentences. Puzzled, Yvonne read the mistress’s name aloud.

“Claire Millet. An unknown actress from the Sainter Theatre Company.”

* * *

Harriet, who seemed ready to storm into the mistress’s house immediately, changed direction and headed to Theodore’s residence instead.

As she barged in, the startled employees froze, and Harriet, without hesitation, passed through the entrance hall and climbed the stairs, kicking open Theodore’s door without knocking.

“Theodore!”

Perhaps he had enjoyed a wild party late into the night, as the master of the bedroom lay sprawled on the bed, half-n*ked. Harriet, filled with rage, yanked the blanket off him.

“Get up, now!”

“Leticia… just a little more…”

Theodore, robbed of his warm blanket, rubbed his eyes and woke up, recognizing the person standing before him. His face twisted.

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

“Are you the one who’s gone mad wanting to die?”

“That’s my line!”

Panting with rage, Harriet picked up a pillow. In the ensuing pillow barrage, the groggy Theodore was defenseless.

“What are you doing! Hey!”

“An unknown actress? From the Sainter Theatre Company?”

Sainter Theatre Company.

Just hearing the name made her skin crawl with disgust. The place where her birth began. The indelible evidence of filthy blood.

“Are you talking about Claire?”

Finally understanding the situation, Theodore snatched the pillow from her hands.

“So what? Have I not met women before? Did your friend run to you and tattle?”

“She’s not my friend; she’s your wife, you bastard. And there are other places to meet women, so why meet them there? Especially there… especially…”

Harriet, on the verge of clawing his face, grabbed Theodore by the collar. Theodore laughed hollowly, baring his teeth.

“Why? Does it bother you because it’s where your real mother was?”

“You…!”

“No!”

Just as Harriet, seeing red, raised her hand to claw, the door burst open, and Olivia rushed between them. Desperately pulling Harriet away, Olivia sobbed and tried to stop them.

“Please, both of you, stop… I beg you!”

The illegitimate child of Earl Vanetti. A life born from a moment’s affair with an unknown actress. The secret of Harriet Coco Vanetti’s birth was a closely guarded secret known only to the family.

When Harriet was born, Margaret, Franz’s wife, had just miscarried a full-term child, so Harriet became her child at the perfect timing.

Margaret, Franz’s wife, was a woman of integrity and broad-mindedness. Despite being her husband’s illegitimate child, Margaret loved Harriet as her own daughter and raised her with care. Harriet, unaware of the circumstances of her birth, grew up bright and unblemished. She was destined to grow up like any other girl from a wealthy family. Until she accidentally discovered the existence and identity of her real mother at the age of twelve.

Harriet’s temperament changed after that. Though she seemed to return to her former self somewhat after a girl, who was hard to even mention now, was adopted as her sister, that sister betrayed Harriet horribly and fled abroad.

Given such a background, it wasn’t unreasonable for Harriet, filled with anger, to storm into Theodore’s residence.

Olivia, who learned Harriet’s secret long after their marriage, secretly sympathized with her.

Even when her younger sister and fiancé eloped on Harriet’s wedding day, even when she herself became the biggest victim of her husband’s affair, Olivia’s sympathy for Harriet remained unchanged.

Why did her husband have to have an affair with a woman from the very theatre company where Harriet’s real mother had been?

After the storm passed, the three sat facing each other in the drawing room, having sent all the employees away. Under Olivia’s desperate mediation, the siblings were somewhat calmed. Theodore, still not fully recovered from his hangover, declared.

“I’m going to tell Claire to have the baby.”

“Honey!”

“What? Are you crazy?”

Both women reacted sharply at almost the same time. Regardless, Theodore continued to speak his mind.

“First of all, I didn’t know Claire was a woman from the Sainter Theatre Company. Let’s make that clear.”

“…”

“No matter how you look at it, that’s the truth. Do you think I’d ask the name of a one-night stand? It just happened, and it turned out this way.”

Harriet crossed her arms and glared at her brother as he defensively mumbled.

“Is it not because of what Father said?”

“I’m not that crazy. Don’t you know Father’s temperament? If he finds out, he might disown me.”

“And yet you’re telling her to have it?”

“What else can I do when the baby is already there?”

Theodore, acting like the offended party, got up and paced by the window. Harriet, watching him incredulously, made a suggestion to Olivia.

“Just leave this lunatic, Olivia. I’ll find you a better man.”

“You better not. Don’t even think about it.”

Theodore, who turned his head sharply at the suggestion meant for him to hear, warned. Harriet silently glared at her brother before looking at Olivia, who was holding back tears with her head down.

They say the most incomprehensible thing in the world is the relationship between a man and a woman, and these two were just like that. They seemed to get close and start dating out of nowhere and even got married. Now they were almost like strangers, yet the couple was adamant about not divorcing.

She was curious about what happened between them and what feelings they held for each other, but on the other hand, she didn’t want to know at all. Harriet sighed deeply and concluded.

“Then there’s only one way.”

“What?”

The couple’s gaze simultaneously fixed on Harriet. With a face as if she had bitten into a sour fruit, Harriet presented a solution.

“When the child is born, register it under Olivia’s name. Olivia, you’ll pretend to be pregnant in the meantime.”