Chapter 90

Harriet stayed longer in Marianne’s bedroom than she had expected. When she finally emerged, Lennox, who had been chatting with Franz after returning late, rose from his seat.  

“Darling.”  

“…”  

“You look pale. Are you alright?”  

Instead of answering, Harriet began descending the stairs, gripping the railing for support. Lennox, unable to bear it, approached and lifted her in his arms. Normally, she would have resisted and struggled, but this time she remained still.  

Harriet, limp like a doll, rested in Lennox’s arms as he turned to her parents and bowed.  

“Excuse us, but we’ll be leaving now.”  

“Alright. Take care.”  

“Get home safely.”  

Margaret and Franz, startled, saw the couple off. Harriet, still in Lennox’s arms, didn’t even properly bid farewell to her parents before being carried into the carriage.  

However, her doll-like stillness didn’t last long. As soon as the door closed and the carriage started moving, Harriet pushed Lennox away as if in a fit of rage.  

“Let go of me!”  

Lennox sighed softly.  

Just when he thought the walk might have eased things between them, they were back to square one—or worse, as Harriet seemed to be pushing him away even more.  

“Coco.”  

“I don’t want you touching me. Don’t touch me.”  

“What’s the problem this time?”  

“Problem?”  

“What did you talk about with her that has you trembling like this?”  

His voice was gentle, his lips curved in a smile, but his eyes were anything but.  

“Nothing much. Just…”  

“Just?”  

“I told her not to appear before me again. And if she lingered, I’d make her regret it.”  

Her words, spat out like venom, made Lennox chuckle bitterly.  

It was such a Harriet-like thing to say. She was a woman who gave generously when she cared, but once she turned her back, she pushed people away without exception. She was like a blazing fire, but once extinguished, she became ice-cold to her core.  

This woman was both scorching and freezing.  

“Liar.”  

Leaning his elbow against the window frame and resting his chin on his hand, Lennox crossed his legs.  

“What?”  

“You wouldn’t go to see someone you consider your enemy just to say that. It wasn’t a hospital visit, either.”  

His gaze seemed to pierce through her, as if reading her mind. Harriet bit the inside of her cheek.  

“Believe what you want. That’s your choice.”  

“…”  

“Shut up. I’m tired.”  

Deliberately responding more coldly, she closed her eyes.  

“On the day of the fall? Why are you suddenly asking about that?”  

“I have something to look into.”  

“I don’t remember it well, but… it wasn’t the horse I usually rode. And the stablehand who brought the horse was someone I’d never seen before.”  

“…”  

“I thought maybe things had changed while I was abroad for three years. But why?”  

Harriet didn’t answer Marianne’s question and left the room as though fleeing.  

Marianne’s fate had already been decided. Her father, Franz, would sever ties with her, and her name would be removed from the Vanetti family records. A woman who had lost both her husband and her family had only one place left to go.  

A convent.  

Margaret, her mother, would likely provide a generous donation as a final act of kindness, ensuring that Marianne could stay in a decent convent.  

If Marianne wished, she could leave the convent and live independently someday, but Harriet didn’t care about what happened afterward. They were no longer family, nor were they sisters.  

For someone like Marianne, who cared deeply about appearances and took immense pride in her noble lineage, this was perhaps the greatest punishment.  

But before that…  

In the icy silence, the carriage sped toward its destination. As they seemed to pass through a main street, Harriet, who had been pretending to sleep, slowly opened her eyes.  

“On the way back, I want to stop by and see Aaron.”  

“…Now?”  

Lennox frowned at the unexpected request, his expression reluctant.  

“You must be tired. Let’s just summon him to the mansion after we return.”  

“We’re on the way anyway.”  

Harriet raised an eyebrow at his roundabout refusal.  

“If we go back to the mansion, I’ll just be locked up again for a while. Can’t you grant me such a small request?”  

After a silent standoff, Harriet finally won his reluctant agreement.  

“…Fine.”  

Lennox nodded begrudgingly but added a condition.  

“But I’ll come with you…”  

“Don’t worry. I’m not planning to run away in this condition.”  

Cutting him off mid-sentence, Harriet preemptively blocked any further argument.  

“I’m saying there’s no need to monitor me like a prisoner. I’m your wife, carrying your child.”  

It was half a gamble. She thought he might refuse. But after a moment of hesitation, Lennox surprisingly agreed.  

“…Alright. I’ll trust you this time.”  

***

Should I run away now? Could this be my chance?  

It would be a lie to say she wasn’t tempted. Harriet wrestled with the impulse as she stepped out of Lennox’s carriage and walked down a familiar path.  

However, she suppressed the temptation and reached her destination.  

“…Sister?”  

Aaron greeted her with a disheveled face, as though he had just woken up.  

“Don’t tell me you’re alone…?”  

“As you can see.”  

“Lennox… let you come alone?”  

Looking incredulous, Aaron glanced around. Harriet gestured subtly with her eyes.  

“You see that man dressed entirely in black over there? He’s been following me.”  

“…”  

“He’s probably here to keep an eye on me.”  

It was something she realized as she neared Aaron’s house. The man who had been following her at a fixed distance had stopped when they reached the front of the house.  

While Aaron stood dumbfounded, Harriet shrugged her shoulders and stepped into her younger brother’s home without waiting for an invitation.  

“This place hasn’t changed.”  

“It’s a mess, isn’t it…?”  

It had been a long time since she’d visited Aaron’s townhouse. It was similar in structure to her own townhouse, but unlike hers, Aaron didn’t hire maids because of his artistic temperament.  

“You should hire someone to take care of the house.”  

Clicking her tongue, Harriet scanned the table, which was cluttered with newspapers and several empty coffee cups.  

“You’ve got some nerve, barging into someone’s house unannounced and saying that.”  

“Do you really want to say such a cold thing to your sister, who escaped from being locked up by her husband and dramatically came to visit you while pregnant?”  

“…That’s not fair.”  

Aaron averted his gaze and quickly added in his defense,  

“The house is messy because… I told you, I don’t like having other people around.”  

“Hmm. For someone who says that…”  

Harriet smirked as she picked up something from the couch.  

“Whose handkerchief is this?”  

“That’s…!”  

Aaron snatched the handkerchief from her hand, his face turning bright red.  

“Why are you touching other people’s things?”  

“It’s not yours, is it? It’s Yvonne’s.”  

“T-that’s…”  

“My little brother has grown up. It feels like just yesterday you were hiding behind my back with a runny nose.”  

“Sister!”  

Flustered, Aaron, his face now as red as a beet, quickly changed the subject.  

“Did you just come from the family estate?”  

“Yes. Marianne was awake.”  

“…Really?”  

“You must have been pulling an all-nighter working on your art. No wonder you’re behind on the news.”  

Holding her swollen belly carefully, Harriet looked for a spot to sit on the couch. Aaron quickly arranged several cushions to make it more comfortable for her.  

“Thanks.”  

“No problem. Should I bring you some tea?”  

“No, just some warm water will do.”  

“Alright.”  

Aaron nodded and disappeared into the kitchen, returning shortly with a glass of water.  

“Should I call Yvonne over?”  

“No need. It’s better if she doesn’t come. There’s someone outside keeping an eye on me, and it wouldn’t look good if they saw her.”  

Shaking her head, Harriet firmly declined Aaron’s suggestion.  

“More importantly… I came to ask two favors of you.”  

“Two favors?”  

“First, keep an eye on Marianne for me.”  

“What?”  

Aaron looked stunned at the unexpected request.  

“She—no, that woman—can’t harm you anymore.”  

“I know. But I might need to know her whereabouts later. She’ll probably stay in the convent for now, but if she leaves, I want to know where she goes.”  

Aaron stared at her, waiting for an explanation, but Harriet remained silent. After blinking a few times, Aaron eventually nodded.  

“…It’s not a difficult task. I don’t know why, but alright.”  

“Thank you, Aaron.”  

“What’s the second favor?”  

“The stablehand at the family estate has probably changed recently. Find the one who was working on the day Marianne fell from the horse and bring him to me. I have questions for him.”  

“The stablehand? Why?”  

Aaron looked increasingly confused, as though he were becoming lost in a maze.  

“What are you trying to find out? I thought your top priority was escaping from Lennox’s control.”  

“Of course it is. That’s why I’m asking these two favors.”  

“What…?”  

“Aaron.”  

Harriet sighed softly and clasped her hands together. Yvonne had probably only told Aaron part of the story—what happened after the incident three years ago, and how Harriet had sabotaged the men she met afterward.