Chapter 10
When the name “Loretta Fideloy” came out of Sophia’s mouth, the group’s eyes sparkled. Rumors had already been going around about Ian choosing Loretta Fideloy of the Fideloy family as his partner.
“Now that I think about it, Miss Sophia. May I ask you something?”
“Go ahead.”
The person sitting to Sophia’s left asked in an excited voice, and Sophia gave a long, graceful nod with a faint smile. As soon as she gave permission, the question came flying out in a quick voice.
“Marquis Lloyd came with Miss Loretta as his partner… Is there a particular reason?”
“A reason? What exactly do you mean?”
“Until now, the Marquis always had either you, Miss Sophia, or Lady Aisha of the Parden family as his partner. But suddenly, he brought someone else… I know it’s unlikely, but is something wrong with the engagement between the Parden family and the Marquis?”
The conversation was going exactly as she had hoped, and Sophia laughed to herself inside. But outwardly, she had to act slightly upset, so she folded her fan and hardened her expression. When her smile disappeared, she could see the person who asked the question flinch. Sophia responded coldly, keeping her tone sharp.
“It seems there’s a misunderstanding. There have been talks here and there, but in the end, Marquis Lloyd never officially promised an engagement with the Parden family.”
“But didn’t the late Marquis and Marchioness…?”
“Miss Rose. Are you trying to argue with me by bringing up my late parents?”
Thinking Sophia was truly angry, the rest of the group turned sharp eyes toward the woman who had asked the question. Criticized by the others, the woman called Rose quickly apologized.
“Oh, no. I’m sorry if I was rude. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
Sophia scoffed at Rose’s timid apology, then put down her fan on the table and picked up her teacup. As she quietly sipped her tea without responding, the tension in the room only grew. After slowly putting the teacup down, Sophia glanced at each person in the group and let out a deep sigh.
“Sigh… I may have sounded a little harsh, but I hope you understand. It’s a sensitive matter, and honestly, I’ve been really stressed because of Lady Aisha.”
The group couldn’t respond, but their eyes sparkled with curiosity. A sensitive matter? Stress? Their eyes gleamed like a pack of vultures circling prey.
Now that the stage and audience were ready, Sophia’s performance began in earnest. As if she were truly exhausted, she pressed her forehead and shook her head. One person in the group couldn’t resist and even shifted in her seat as she asked:
“Miss Sophia, what in the world happened?”
“Sigh…”
Sophia sighed again, drawing it out. Then, once everyone’s attention was fully on her, she slowly spoke.
“As you all know, Lady Aisha of the Parden family was almost engaged to my brother. But recently, he firmly rejected the match.”
The unexpected news made the group gasp or cover their mouths. As she looked around at their inflated curiosity, Sophia leaned forward slightly. Then, placing a finger near her lips, she whispered in a small but clear voice full of malice:
“Please don’t spread this around. It’s embarrassing. The truth is, Lady Aisha Parden of the Parden family…”
“You’re a bit late. I’ll pay the fine, so don’t scold me too much.”
On the morning of exactly one week since falling ill, Aisha came down to the dining hall with a bright smile, as if she had never been sick. Seeing how much weight she had lost in such a short time, her family didn’t look entirely happy. Noticing their concerned expressions, Aisha quickly sat down, wiped her hands, and grabbed a piece of bread larger than usual.
“Eat slowly.”
The Count and Countess, along with Edward and Arthur, respected Aisha’s wish to act normal and continued their meal without comment. Only Daniel kept frowning. But he didn’t say anything to his sister, who had just returned. Instead, he simply tossed several slices of paper-thin ham onto her plate, showing his displeasure in silence.
“Daniel. I think we need to ask Mrs. Meritz to give you another etiquette lesson.”
When Marissa spoke in a stern tone, Daniel straightened his slouched posture. Mrs. Meritz, who had been Edward and Daniel’s tutor when they were younger, was as strict as her tightly pulled-back hairstyle.
Unlike the calm Edward, who had only been scolded a few times, Daniel had been reprimanded so often that he’d run out of fingers to count. Even just hearing her name made him freeze.
“I couldn’t reach it from here… but thanks, Daniel.”
Seeing Daniel pale, Aisha quickly helped him save face. Arthur picked up a slice of ham in front of Aisha and smirked at Daniel. Daniel, noticing, glared at his younger brother and opened his mouth to speak but stopped when Edward nudged him and clenched his teeth quietly.
“Edward, didn’t His Highness ask you for something specific…?”
“The Avelan family inquired about wine trade. It looks like there will be a good grape harvest in their southern territory.”
“Professor Gallant is always the same. He’s a bit old-fashioned, so sometimes it’s frustrating—but he never talks about donations, which I appreciate.”
“John the stableman said he’s quitting and returning to his hometown. He was reliable… I’ll miss him.”
The atmosphere slowly lightened. The family began talking about various things as they ate. For the past week, mornings had been gloomy without Aisha, so everyone welcomed the cheerful mood.
“Aisha, do you have any plans today?”
In the pleasant atmosphere, Aisha joined the conversation, moving her hands busily. As she struggled to eat the ham, Edward reached over and took some off her plate while asking.
“I was thinking of visiting the dress shop.”
“The dress shop? You’re going in person?”
“Yeah. Why?”
A hint of worry crossed Edward’s face as he looked carefully at his now slimmer sister. The neckline and sleeves of her dress were visibly loose.
“You only just got out of bed. Just have someone from the shop come here.”
“I’ve been in my room too long. I want to get some fresh air. The weather’s nice lately too.”
Aisha looked out the window. Late spring was nearly over, and the sunlight was already strong. Edward nodded slowly, sunlight casting over his sister’s face, then spoke as if he’d come to a decision.
“Then I’ll go with you.”
“You? What about your work?”
“His Highness is on vacation. That’s given everyone a bit of breathing room. If I send someone a message, I think they’ll understand if I’m gone for half a day.”
Aisha hesitated. She appreciated his kindness. But Edward, her eldest brother, was even more conservative than their father Graham when it came to her clothing. With summer approaching, she had planned to try on dresses with daring necklines and open backs… She’d have to give up on that.
After revising her plans, Aisha nodded. Edward placed one hand over his chest and jokingly said it was an honor to accompany a lady.
“When the boss is away, shouldn’t you be working harder? What’s going to happen to this country…”
Daniel, who had been quietly listening, suddenly cut in. Scheduled for a night shift that evening, he looked displeased with Edward taking a leisurely outing with Aisha.
“Worried about the country? You’re the one who does whatever he wants, whether the boss is around or not. Don’t think we don’t know—you always skip training and run off. Isn’t tonight’s shift even a punishment?”
“Hey!”
Arthur shot back without even lifting his head. Daniel, annoyed, pointed his fork at him but quickly lowered it when Marissa gave him a look.
“So, which dress shop are you going to?”
Ignoring Daniel’s grumbling, Edward asked Aisha. She replied without hesitation while scooping up a piece of soft cheese.
“Madam Luv’s shop on Boves Street. She wrote to say she got a lot of blue fabric from Levan.”
“That’s not far. If you’re going out in the morning, let’s have lunch nearby. It’s been a while since we went out together, so I should be generous.”
“Really? Then while you’re opening your wallet, let’s go for something expensive. Please, big brother.”
As Aisha and Edward exchanged lighthearted remarks, Daniel suddenly lifted his head and glared at Aisha. She looked back, confused by his sudden change in expression.
“Speaking of dress shops… Aisha, who are you going with to next month’s palace ball? Have you picked a partner?”
As soon as Aisha looked at him, Daniel asked in a low voice. The rest of the family stopped eating or talking and fell silent. Aisha tried to answer as casually as possible, despite all the attention. But everyone noticed her voice tremble.
“I haven’t decided yet.”
“Good.”
Daniel responded immediately. His hand still cut food into tiny pieces, and the smashed meat on his fork showed his sour mood.
“Since we’re all going anyway, don’t embarrass yourself by writing to someone to ask them to be your partner. Just go with the family. Got it?”
His words had weight. Aisha didn’t answer and instead stared at her plate. She tried not to think about it, but Ian’s words kept echoing in her ears.
He’s going to the ball too. Who will he bring? Will he go with the same partner all three days? Or will he bring someone new each time? He said we should keep our distance, so he probably won’t give me even a single day.
‘I hope he brings a different person each time.’
