Chapter 23

Since she couldn’t return the locket, Bleria ignored her discomfort.

Perhaps it was because she had hidden the pendant in her pillow, but from that day onward, she began having nightmares almost every night. There was nothing she could do about it. Last night was no exception; once again, her sleep had been restless.

Bleria strained to open her groggy eyes and looked into the mirror.

“All done,” said the maid, stepping aside with a satisfied smile.

Bleria’s reflection appeared in the mirror.

Today was the day Harriet was hosting a tea party. Although Bleria had asked for a simple look, her appearance was extravagant from head to toe.

Maybe she wanted to thank me for the jewelry I gave her last time.

“Isn’t it a bit much?” Lucy hesitated, gauging Bleria’s reaction.

“I think it’s perfect,” Lucy said with conviction. “You’ve been sleeping poorly lately, haven’t you?”

Bleria paused. Unsurprisingly, her recent lack of sleep was evident on her face. Looking in the mirror again, she thought this level of preparation was necessary.

“And besides, you’ll be regarded as one of the hosts today,” Lucy added.

“You’re right. Good work,” Bleria said with a nod, standing up.

It’ll be fine, she thought. Harriet could command attention even in plain clothing.

After finishing her preparations, Bleria headed to the tea party. She greeted Harriet and took her designated seat. To avoid the awkwardness of both hosts sharing a table, Bleria sat at a separate one.

Her tablemates were mostly docile individuals who wouldn’t dare antagonize her. Mostly.

“So, you’re finally getting married. It’s been quite some time since your engagement, and we haven’t heard any news. I was beginning to wonder when you’d share the happy announcement,” someone remarked.

“My father and Duchess Allnight tend to be very prudent, so it took a bit longer than expected,” Bleria replied with a polite smile.

“Now that you mention it, Lord Heaven must have felt the delay keenly.”

“I must admit, I was worried until recently. There have been unpleasant rumors circulating of late,“ a sharp comment interjected into the pleasant conversation.

The speaker was Emera Clover, a Count’s daughter known for her love of gossip. She and Bleria shared a minor but troublesome history.

Emera had been spreading rumors about Bleria at a ball when their eyes met. Startled, Emera had clumsily overturned a table, making a spectacle of herself. Out of pity, Bleria had pretended not to notice, but Emera bore a grudge, and no one else knew she had been caught speaking ill of Bleria.

Perhaps Harriet had invited her for this reason, but sharing a table with her was an unfortunate twist of fate.

“Isn’t it the first time there’s been talk of Lord Gopher having a secret lover?“ Emera asked with feigned innocence.

“That kind of talk is…“ someone began, but Emera interrupted.

“I’m only bringing it up because we all know it’s baseless. Lady Bleria, have you heard such rumors?“

“You must have,“ Emera pressed. “He even gave you a ring to reassure you, didn’t he?”

Others tried to smooth over the tense atmosphere.

“Lord Gopher certainly has a thoughtful side,“ one said.

“Don’t worry too much. There are always strange rumors before a wedding,“ another added.

“But is giving gifts really reassuring? They say that when someone cheats, they tend to be overly kind to their spouse out of guilt, don’t they?”

Emera seemed determined to provoke Bleria, her relentless words demanding a response. Finally, Bleria spoke.

“Come to think of it, wasn’t there a time when you treated your former fiancé exceptionally well, Lady Emera? It was such a pity things ended in a broken engagement.“

Emera’s face turned scarlet. Her voice trembled with anger.

“I don’t see how that’s relevant to this conversation.“

“It was a joke. I apologize if it offended you,“ Bleria replied calmly.

“It’s a baseless rumor that I was unfaithful, and that’s why the engagement ended,“ Emera insisted.

“I thought you enjoyed baseless rumors, given your interest in spreading them about my fiancé,“ Bleria said, sipping her tea before continuing.

“If you find only others’ rumors entertaining, perhaps you could share more about this supposed lover of Lord Gopher’s. What kind of person are they, according to the gossip?”

Confronted so openly, Emera was rendered speechless. She looked pale and stared down at the table.

Even after Emera’s spirit was broken, Bleria felt a lingering anger and disgust. For someone to come to a tea party hosted by the Heavens and attack her so maliciously—it was infuriating.

‘Gopher isn’t cheating,‘ she thought.

Even if he were, he wasn’t the type to shower her with gifts out of clumsy guilt.

Suppressing her fury and disdain, she stared at Emera until the woman was crumpled in her seat. Only then did Bleria change the topic.

“I heard Lady Veronica recently acquired a painting by Gloria,“ she said.

“Oh, you’ve heard the delightful news!“ another exclaimed.

Shifting the conversation to an art enthusiast’s favorite topic, the atmosphere quickly lightened. Excluding Emera, the group resumed chatting as though nothing had happened.

Though Bleria joined in, she struggled to focus. Damian’s earlier words resurfaced, unsettling her.

Was this venting my frustration, too?

Venting at another noble—something she could never have imagined in the past—no longer seemed implausible.

Her head throbbed. She raised her teacup, hoping the black tea would alleviate her exhaustion. At that moment, a servant approached with new tea foods, seemingly at Harriet’s signal.

Among the new dishes was a familiar fruit.

The sight of it snapped Bleria to attention.

“This is…“

“It’s a green grapefruit imported from Garbelli, my lady,“ the servant explained.

Bleria quickly turned toward Harriet’s table, but the servant there had already switched the plate and left. Unfortunately, just as Bleria looked over, Harriet popped a piece of the fruit into her mouth.

Oh no.

Green grapefruits contain toxins. While harmless to healthy adults in small amounts, they posed a risk to children or the infirm. Most notably, they could sometimes induce miscarriages in pregnant women.

What if Harriet is pregnant…

Countless thoughts flashed through Bleria’s mind in that brief moment.

Damian had warned her not to speak of the past. The knowledge about green grapefruits came from assisting midwives; she couldn’t let that show.

Harriet might not even be pregnant. Even if Bleria’s hunch was correct, eating the fruit only increased the risk of a miscarriage—it wasn’t a certainty.

Still, in her current precarious situation, where the truth about her identity could be exposed at any moment, causing a scene would only make things worse.

“Bring me water,“ she said, her voice trembling.

“Pardon?“

“Water. Bring it. Now!”

She shouted at the servant and immediately dashed toward Harriet. Her dress seemed to tug at her feet, weighed down by hesitation, but her legs moved regardless.

Before she knew it, she had reached Harriet’s table. Harriet blinked in surprise, startled by Bleria’s sudden approach.

“Bl-Bleria?“

“You just ate the green grapefruit, didn’t you? Did you swallow it?“

“What on earth are you talking about…?“

Harriet’s pronunciation was clear; she didn’t sound like someone holding food in her mouth.

Too late.

As Bleria’s face grew even paler, the servant hurried over.

“My lady, I brought the water!”

Without hesitation, Bleria poured the tea and filled the empty cup with water. Harriet, utterly confused by Bleria’s behavior, drank several glasses of water as instructed.

The murmurs among the tea party guests grew louder, and Harriet’s complexion became ashen.

This is beyond what I can handle on my own.

Bleria closed her eyes tightly, then made a decision.

“Harriet, we need to stop the tea party.”

***

Harriet later met with her physician, Amelia, and resolved the matter.

“Congratulations, my lady,“ Amelia announced cheerfully.

Though Bleria wasn’t the one directly involved, her body sagged with relief. Her frantic actions hadn’t been in vain.

On the other hand, Harriet seemed utterly unprepared for this revelation, despite going along with Bleria’s insistence. She stared, frozen, her large eyes unblinking.

“Pregnant? Me?“

“Yes, you’re truly expecting this time,“ Amelia confirmed.

This time?

Amelia’s gaze shifted toward her when Bleria lifted her head at the unexpected phrasing.

“You seemed to have suspected something, my lady. Isn’t that right?“

“I only had a hunch. Will the green grapefruit cause any problems?“

“Thanks to your prompt action, I believe there will be no issues. We must monitor her condition, but everything should be fine.“

“In that case… Bleria, was that why you suggested I see the physician?”

Harriet, trembling, ran her hands over her face several times. Bleria hesitated before taking Harriet’s hand, mimicking how Harriet often comforted her.

“I’m sorry, Harriet. I didn’t tell you because I was afraid of disappointing you.“

“There’s nothing to apologize for; this is something to celebrate. I was foolish—brushing it off as no big deal when you told me to see Amelia. If I hadn’t…”

Harriet gently touched her stomach, and Bleria asked softly, “Does my brother know?“

“By now, he should have been informed. Both the young master and the lord.”

No sooner had the words left Harriet’s lips than there was a knock at the door, which then swung open.

Damian entered.

He was unlike his usual composed self. His hair was disheveled, and his typically impassive face was now unmistakably filled with shock. Sweat glistened on his pale cheeks, and his abrupt arrival left Bleria, who had jumped to her feet, momentarily speechless.

I knew he loved Harriet, but…