Chapter 3

"Is she... that rumored...?"

"...Her younger sister stole her fiancé, right?"

"...And not just once, but four times. Quite the scandalous sisters, aren’t they..."

Whispers laced with hidden laughter mingled with the gentle music, brushing past their ears.

It was as bright as midday, the ballroom illuminated by chandeliers and candelabras. Among the sounds of the duke's household musicians, there were several voices mocking Cordelia.

(How can she not get tired of it... every single time...)

The first time her engagement was broken, she had endured the ridicule from the sidelines to some extent.

But, after all, they were just onlookers.

Even if she was mocked and pitied, compared to her sister who caused real harm, they were like insignificant insects.

She thought she had become thick-skinned in a bad way.

But, as the one who practically carried the weight of the earl's household alone, Cordelia had no time to indulge in tragedy.

She moved through the dazzling candelabras, trailing the hem of her dress, searching for familiar faces.

"Oh, Miss Cordelia. ...I'm sorry to hear about this time..."

The greeting from the male noble who called out to her was rather awkward.

She understood that he was being considerate about the broken engagement, but it was also troublesome.

She informed her acquaintances about the recent engagement break and exchanged updates and information.

By the time she finished her rounds, Cordelia felt subtly drained.

To take a break, she received a glass from one of the duke's servants and savored the wine.

"Hey, Miss Cordelia. How many months do you think this time?"

"...Hailoot"

She swallowed the liquid in her mouth and called out the name of the young man who spoke to her familiarly.

His black hair, tinged with blue, fell over his eyes of the same color.

He was a young man who resembled a friendly cat, an artist by profession.

Though not a noble, he often appeared in social circles as a patron's guest.

Cordelia's family had commissioned a portrait from him about two years ago.

...The model for the portrait was Priscilla alone, and there was no part for Cordelia, but that was nothing new.

Since then, they had maintained a subtle friendship, somewhere between acquaintances and friends.

"What do you mean by 'how many months'? Are you talking about some kind of bet again?"

"It's good to be quick. I'm talking about your sister."

"Priscilla's?"

"Your sister and how long her new engagement will last... It's the main topic of conversation for the drinking crowd right now."

"Drinking topic... You're asking me directly about this?"

"If you answer me now, you can give a confident answer when others ask, right?"

Hailoot answered without any shame.

...Indeed, it felt better to hear it from Hailoot first rather than being suddenly questioned by onlookers.

"Confident answer, huh. Are you planning to use my answer to make money from betting?"

"Maybe the gift for our next meeting will be more luxurious."

Cordelia chuckled and relaxed her shoulders, finding it easier to laugh than to be pitied or gossiped about.

"I think about four months. Toppak is slow, so it might take that long."

"How confident are you in that prediction?"

"Who knows? We'll see. I'll look forward to the gift for our next meeting."

She sipped her wine, finding it a bit more delicious than before.

As she swallowed, Hailoot stared at her intently.

"...Miss Cordelia, you've changed."

"Have I?"

"Before, you used to be more depressed after an engagement was broken."

"I guess I've gotten used to it. Besides, I've given up."

Hailoot waited silently for her to continue.

He seemed light-hearted, but he was surprisingly perceptive and could keep a secret.

"I think I was being naive. I used to hope that one day, a wonderful fiancé would become my husband and break the cycle of the earl's household revolving around my sister."

She swirled the liquid in her wine glass.

"But I realized that my naivety might have been one of the reasons for the four broken engagements. After all, I never fell in love with my fiancés. I just expected them to fulfill my irresponsible hopes and the obligations of a noble marriage."

She chuckled and drained her glass.

"...It's bitter."

Ironically, Cordelia and Priscilla might have similar inner qualities.

Projecting selfish desires and expectations onto their fiancés without truly seeing them.

Though they didn't look alike, the bond of blood couldn't be underestimated.

"So, I've decided to give up. No more engagements or marriages for me. I finally realized that I need to take responsibility for the future of the earl's household and my own future."

With this resolve, worrying about the broken engagement seemed even more ridiculous.

Her parents had never shown her any expectations or affection.

So, she decided to act for the earl's household in her own way.

Cordelia clinked her glass against Hailoot's playfully.

"A toast to my new beginning."

It was an inappropriate toast for someone who had just had her engagement broken, but Cordelia felt a sense of relief.

However, Hailoot's reaction was unexpected.

She thought he would join in her playful toast, but he remained silent.

"Hailoot?"

"No more engagements or marriages, huh..."

"Yes, that's right. Is there a problem—"

"The thieving cat sister has the nerve to show her face at a ball."

A cold voice cut through Cordelia's words.

The speaker, a young lady with luxurious, curled blonde hair, approached with the sound of her heels.

Duchess Katharina.

Surrounded by her entourage, Katharina glared at Cordelia with a threatening presence.

"If the sister is as bad as the sister, it's no wonder. Being dumped so recently and already entertaining another man, what a shameless pair you are."

Cordelia sighed at Katharina's malicious and hostile provocation.

It was unfair.

Unfair to the extreme.

—Katharina's fiancé's infatuation with Priscilla was an open secret in society.

Priscilla was bold and often acted too familiarly with men, leading to misunderstandings.

Her romantic entanglements were a headache for Cordelia, but Priscilla was 15 and an adult.

No matter how frustrated Cordelia was with her sister, it was unfair to take it out on her.

"I apologize for my sister as a member of the same earl's household. But it's meaningless to direct your anger at me. If you have complaints, say them to her directly."

"Oh? You're willing to hand her over without defending her? How heartless. You really are her sister, aren't you?"

"I'm just saying it's pointless. If you want to insult her so much, why don't you send an invitation to our house when she's there?"

Cordelia replied calmly, and Hailoot chimed in, providing support.

"Interesting. Please invite me and my friends on that day."

"......!!"

Katharina bit her lip in disgust.

"Fine! I have no interest in visiting the den of thieving cats!"

She stormed off with her entourage, leaving Cordelia to the gazes of the onlookers.

Katharina was arrogant, but as a noble lady, she was capable of basic cost-benefit analysis.

Priscilla, with her extraordinary beauty, had many secret admirers.

Directly bullying Priscilla would make enemies of those men.

Though she hated Priscilla, Katharina also wanted to avoid damaging her own reputation.

As a result, Cordelia, as Priscilla's sister, became the target of her frustrations and harassment.

Cordelia felt a sudden wave of fatigue, but more trouble was about to hit her.

"Big sister! Look, look! Isn't this dress beautiful!?"

"Priscilla?!"

Seeing her sister, who shouldn't have been there, Cordelia approached her.

"What's going on, Priscilla? You were supposed to stay home today."

"Why should I stay home? It's unfair. I'm good at dancing. A little bit of dancing should be allowed, right?"

...Does she think the ball is just a casual party?

As usual, Priscilla only saw what she wanted to see.

Priscilla, as the sister who had stolen Cordelia's fourth fiancé, was currently the center of attention.

Balls, though glamorous, were also fierce arenas of noble maneuvering.

Bringing her innocent and prone-to-misstatement sister to such a place was terrifying.

If Priscilla were to appear at the ball, it could severely damage both her and the earl's household's reputation.

Cordelia had convinced her parents to keep Priscilla at home and had hidden all the formal dresses she could wear to the ball.

"Priscilla, did you... get this dress...?"

"From Toppak. The lace is intricate and beautiful, don't you think it suits me?"

Priscilla twirled gracefully.

As she said, the delicate lace accentuated her slender figure, and it did suit her.

(How much did this dress cost...?)

It was an extravagant piece, lavishly adorned with high-quality lace.

It must have cost around 200,000 gil, enough to buy ten of the dress Cordelia was wearing.

That her sister would ask for such an expensive dress from her fiancé, a stranger, and that Toppak would indulge her, was beyond Cordelia's comprehension and desire to understand.

She was at a loss, but first, she needed to get Priscilla home to prevent any more trouble.

"Priscilla...?"

A deep, rumbling voice came from behind her sister.

It was Katharina.

It was too late to hide from her. Katharina's eyes narrowed sharply at the sight of the hated Priscilla.

Katharina snatched a wine glass from a nearby person and approached them with surprising speed for someone in a dress.

(No way, she's not going to spill that wine on us, is she!?)

Cordelia had indeed told her to direct her complaints at Priscilla.

(But to resort to physical harassment in a fit of anger is too childish!)

Katharina raised her right arm, holding the glass, aiming for the innocent-looking Priscilla in the lace-covered dress.

(That expensive dress can't be stained...!)

Priscilla's dress, estimated at 200,000 gil.

Cordelia's dress, a fraction of that, a few thousand gil.

The glass flew through the air, and without hesitation, Cordelia stepped in front of Priscilla.

Splash.

The liquid hit not Priscilla, but...

...not Cordelia either.

"Huh...?"

A drop of crimson slid down golden hair.

The young man who had shielded Cordelia stood there, dripping with wine.

"Who are you...?"

"Ah...!"

A high-pitched scream erupted from Katharina.

The usually haughty girl was now pale and trembling.

"How... How could it be Prince Leonhardt!?"

Thank you for reading.

I would be grateful for bookmarks, ratings, and comments.

The next chapter will be posted tomorrow, so I hope you will look forward to it.