Please Lend Me 50 Million - Chapter 16

The Tea Time Hall featured a central fireplace, a sofa, and a grand piano located in the back. Except for the area under the sofa, which was covered by a plush rug, the hall was made of cold marble, giving off a stiff atmosphere despite its bright colors.

The first thing that caught her eye was the tea set placed on the table. Contrary to Asha’s suspicion of his dark motives, it had a quite refined composition.

Of course, it wasn’t the flamboyant kind decorated with dainty desserts that noblewomen usually prepared. However, the fact that lemon madeleines and black tea pound cake—which Asha liked—were prepared caught her eye.

If the maid had prepared this, she would have at least included one flashy dessert for appearance’s sake, but the lack of finesse in the arrangement clearly showed who had prepared it.

“You’ve come?”

“Harriet.”

Feeling her presence, he put down the newspaper he was reading. A cup of coffee was placed next to the newspaper, while a dark-colored tea was prepared at her seat. Anyone could see it was a bitter medicinal tea. Where on earth did he get such tea…?

The silver-rimmed glasses he wore while reading the newspaper made his sharp impression look even colder. However, his kindness embedded in various parts of the table was so warm that it made Asha, who had been weighing what his motive might be, feel guilty.

He ordered the maid to find a newspaper from early March and turned his gaze toward Asha. It was the moment he witnessed Asha’s crumbling expression. Harriet tossed a playful remark.

“My, don’t be moved by just this, Asha. I am a man of many motives.”

“Harriet, will you give me a moment to enjoy being moved? I admit you can be mean sometimes, but I hope you realize that you’re mostly kind.”

“That is an undeserved compliment.”

Asha glared at him playfully as he tried to rain on her parade, but wanting to see the tea set he had prepared more closely, she sat down right next to him. Although it was a tea set that would be harshly criticized as coarse among noblewomen, it was decent for a gentleman who had never prepared a tea set before.

“What is that in your hand?”

“Ah.”

Only then did Asha look down at the business plan she was holding. She had forgotten to leave it in the office and brought it along. Getting caught with a business plan felt like being caught doing something behind his back, so she quickly hid the documents behind her.

However, it wouldn’t work on this man, who would know if even a single thread moved within his mansion.

Even though Harriet obviously knew what was written on the paper, he raised an eyebrow and waited for her to explain it herself. Finally defeated by that gaze, Asha slowly opened her mouth.

“…It’s a business plan.”

“Is there a business that piques your interest? I recall my lady always conducted business with her own ideas.”

Harriet discarded the cold tea and picked up the teapot to fill her cup with warm tea. The steam rising from the tea, his kind tone, and the lemon madeleines prepared for her.

Everything melted the heart of Asha, who had spent her day rushed while preparing for a new business. Relaxing as she smelled the fragrant tea, Asha leaned back comfortably against the sofa and showed a weary smile, unlike her usual self.

“A few ideas catch my eye, but instead, it’s hard to trust them. Is it because I’ve been deceived before? I’m just filled with worries.”

Harriet’s hand wrapped around Asha’s shoulder. Just as she was finding comfort in his hand slowly rubbing her shoulder, he suddenly spoke. Unlike his lips, which were curved in a soft smile, his eyes were faintly sunken.

“Your previous partner was someone you’ve known since the Academy, wasn’t it?”

“Gale Serman?”

Asha’s mood plummeted into the gutter at the mention of Gale Serman. The person who made Asha like this. The very person who ran off with a massive sum of fifty million Rublangs. And a classmate she had known since the Academy.

Asha tried to recall Gale Serman from their Academy days, but there were no clearly memorable episodes. That was because even though she had known him since then, they had only exchanged a few words. Since they only started actively socializing after she married Harriet, Gale Serman’s motive was obvious.

If his pleasant wit or his values regarding business hadn’t matched hers, she wouldn’t have even looked at him, and Asha swallowed a belated regret.

So there was no way her feelings for Gale Serman could be good. Perhaps because of her bad feelings, a hint of reluctance was smeared in her voice as she spoke of him.

“Yes… well.”

“Weren’t you close? I thought you had many memories together.”

Asha, who had been listening to his heavy voice, widened her eyes and looked up at him.

“Me? With him?”

Why on earth? Since her meetings with Gale were entirely in the office or at business sites, she didn’t know Harriet was harboring such a misunderstanding.

Did I look close to him?

Asha tilted her head and searched her memories for scenes Harriet might have misunderstood.