Chapter 271

“…Sister Sophia!”

Dark brown hair and deep brown eyes.

Though their facial features didn’t resemble each other at all, it was clear that she shared the same blood as Sophia. She approached with a deliberately delighted expression.

“Nadia?”

Sophia’s face hardened, and she took a step back.

For a long time, Nadia had complained to those around her that Sophia stole men from her, painting her as the villain.

It was an absurd misunderstanding.

Among them were even men who had only exchanged greetings with her once but still sent marriage proposals.

But no matter how much she explained, Nadia never listened.

“But since when did you know the Young Duke? Hmm?”

Nadia clung to her as if they were close, pretending friendliness. Sophia pushed her away with a somewhat stiff expression.

“Nadia, there are other people here. Acting so familiarly like this is rude.”

She could smile and refuse politely, but she didn’t want to.

“Oh my, what do you mean ‘that kind of thing’? He may be older and it may be a remarriage, but he doesn’t even have children, does he?”

Leaving aside the fact that her aunt’s words suddenly came to mind, the way she had looked down on her as if she should be grateful even for someone at that level.

Nadia had always been like this. Smiling warmly on the surface while quietly scratching at the inside.

…Perhaps Nadia bore some responsibility for the scandal spreading through high society like wildfire.

No, she definitely did.

“Sorry. I was just so happy to see you after so long that I acted too familiarly without realizing it.”

Just as expected.

“But is it really alright for you to be walking around like this? Sister, it hasn’t even been that long since your engagement was broken.”

Just like this. With malicious eyes and a tongue hiding daggers, trying to chip away at her reputation.

“It’s alright. Someone I know invited me, so there shouldn’t be any trouble.”

Flinch.

Rather than shrinking back, Sophia wore a calm and composed smile.

A faint crease appeared between Nadia’s brows.

‘…What is this, does she have something she’s relying on?’

Even if it was an open party, Nadia had thought Sophia would never have the nerve to show up here.

Because after ‘that incident’, people had shunned her.

But now she was doing something she had never done before.

A strange sense of foreboding made Nadia hesitate for a moment.

‘…Who does she think she is. She must be relying on the Young Duke.’

But how long would she really be able to receive the Young Duke’s escort?

Nadia scoffed inwardly before opening her mouth.

“Um, Young Duke, we greeted each other once at an Imperial Palace party before. Do you perhaps remember me?”

“I remember. Lady Coventry.”

Nadia’s complexion brightened at Neville’s answer.

“It’s such an honor that you remember me, Young Duke! But how did you and my cousin come to know each other…?”

“We were introduced by someone close to us.”

“…Sister Sophia didn’t hide the fact that her engagement was broken, did she?”

She spoke as if cautiously asking, but it was an inappropriate topic to bring up in front of someone’s partner.

Neville wasn’t so oblivious that he failed to read the hostility.

“I don’t know what you were thinking, but nothing like that happened.”

Nadia lowered her brows and replied.

“Well, that’s a relief, but actually Sister Sophia has always had a lot of problems with men. Maybe it’s because she looks like that. Because of that she even had friction with Duchess Bayern…”

Neville let out a sigh.

So this is why my sister asked me to pay special attention to Count Bernard’s daughter.

Neville first apologized quietly to Sophia.

“I’m sorry.”

Sophia might not appreciate his actions, but his sister’s request likely included dealing with ‘things like this’.

“Lady Coventry, could you make it a bit clearer whether you like Sophia or dislike her?”

“…What?”

“You said you were happy to see her, but you’ve been speaking ill of her the entire time.”

Neville was annoyed by the obvious scheme.

In truth, he had seen this kind of thing so often that he was sick of it.

And yet this lady dared to speak so carelessly about someone his sister had personally asked him to look after.

“Speaking ill of her? I’m only worried about you, Young Duke…!”

When Nadia’s voice trembled as if she might cry, Neville’s eyes grew even colder.

“If you’re relatives, shouldn’t you be worried about Sophia instead of me, a complete stranger?”

“……!”

Her shallow scheme had been blocked by a remark that struck the heart of it.

Flustered, Nadia turned around.

The friends who had encouraged this conversation merely exchanged awkward glances with one another.

At that moment.

“Sophia, what are you doing here?”

Countess Coventry had appeared.

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