Chapter 63

As he was being led away from the party venue by his family towards the carriage, Mauro was visibly dejected.

He had been shown the difference in status by the opulent party and the social connections, and to make matters worse, Mary had boldly announced her knowledge of her past life in front of everyone. How disgraceful he had been, losing his composure and lashing out at her...

It was only when he saw the pale faces of his family leading him away that he finally realized the extent of his blunder, but it was too late.

It was a complete defeat. A sense of failure welled up in Mauro’s chest.

...But,

“It wasn’t just her...”

Mauro muttered, raising the corners of his mouth while looking down to avoid his father’s gaze.

He recalled the moment when Mary spoke about her past life.

Everyone was shocked. It was natural; no one would have expected such a story, yet she spoke with confidence and without a hint of jest. Her demeanor was dignified and beautiful, which only added to the audience's confusion.

Mauro, too, had been filled with shock and anxiety.

Just as he was about to voice his objections to Mary, he caught sight of two women at the edge of his vision.

Carina and Bertina.

Mauro noticed them because, in a room filled with shock, they alone wore different expressions.

At first, they were as surprised as everyone else, but gradually their faces turned to worry, and they began to observe their surroundings. Carina seemed particularly concerned about her friend Margaret, and Bertina about her fiancé Luke.

Mauro immediately objected to Mary, leading to the current situation, but upon reflection, Carina and Bertina’s expressions had been telling. It was as if they, too, had memories of their past lives and were putting themselves in Mary’s shoes...

What further supported Mauro’s theory was that Carina and Bertina were characters in the sequel and related works of the otome game.

Mary and Mauro weren’t the only ones who had remembered their past lives. Carina and Bertina must also have their memories.

“It’s okay, I can still make it work...”

While not as powerful as the Albert family, Carina’s and Bertina’s families were still influential. He could remain calm and show a repentant attitude for a while, and when the dust settled, he could approach them.

This time, he had failed, but he would use his memories of his past life to rise to power. He couldn’t end up as just another of the six sons and six daughters of a minor branch.

Mauro decided to apologize to his family and ask them to arrange for him to stay in Feidela. If he were sent away in anger, he wouldn’t just fail to rise to power; he wouldn’t even be able to approach Carina or Bertina.

Just as Mauro was about to call out to his father, a voice came from behind.

“What a lovely party, but are the Noze family already leaving?”

“It seems they didn’t enjoy it...”

A voice that was inappropriately cheerful and another that was dark and gloomy.

Everyone stopped in their tracks and turned around, their faces pale. Even Mauro’s father, who had been red with anger at his son’s behavior just a few minutes ago, now lost all color.

There stood Lang and Lucian, with Roberto behind them.

The twins, who were almost identical in their beautiful smiles, contrasted sharply with Roberto’s cold, expressionless face. The temperature difference made the onlookers feel a chill, and Mauro’s face grew increasingly pale.

The head of the Noze family, Mauro’s father, took a step forward.

“Masters, I apologize for the trouble we have caused. It seems we have also caused inconvenience to Lady Mary...”

The head of the Noze family’s voice was weak, and it was clear he was afraid of Lang and Lucian.

Anyone would be nervous in front of the sons of the Albert family, especially in a situation where “their beloved Mary had been threatened by his son.” After being shown the greatness of the Albert family through the scale of the party, the head of the Noze family’s state of mind was unimaginable.

He must have wanted to flee immediately. To be precise, he had been trying to flee when they called out to him and stopped him.

In response, Lang and Lucian still wore their identical, beautiful smiles. They were like a painting, but their smiles were chilling.

“Our Mary is magnanimous, so she will put an end to this once it’s resolved.”

“Dear Mary is full of compassion and would never wish to punish anyone...”

“Mary is so kind and lovely that it’s a problem. Sometimes, strict punishment is necessary, but Mary is filled with nothing but love.”

“Oh, Mary is truly great and dazzling to me... Her dictionary has no word for revenge, only bright and shining words...”

With their beautiful smiles still in place, Lang and Lucian spoke about Mary.

Their love for their sister was as strong as ever. However, their smiles, which were identical and beautiful, lacked any warmth.

But their smiles gradually faded, and their expressions turned stern. Their cold gazes were piercing.

The oppressive atmosphere left the Noze family speechless. They could feel the cold anger emanating from Lang and Lucian and realized that they were beyond help.

Roberto, who was the only one who could potentially defuse the situation, stood behind Lang and Lucian, expressionless, listening to their declarations of love for Mary. When he finally spoke,

“My foolish brother is too lenient. Even when it comes to punishment, he shows too much mercy.”

He sighed, as if to say, “How typical,” and shrugged.

No one dared to contradict him, as it was a well-known fact, and the Noze family was in no position to argue.

The words “punishment” and “revenge” coming from Lang and Lucian were ominous, and anyone would pale and fall silent when their family’s fate was at stake.

Anyone in the social circle would be speechless and relieved that it wasn’t them.

The Noze family was like a frog on the edge of a cliff, facing a snake. Not just any snake, but a great serpent at the top of the social hierarchy.

The great serpent glared coldly at the Noze family, and an eerie silence filled the air. The sounds of the party could be heard in the wind, but no one was paying attention.

The silence was broken by a small sigh from Lang.

“Mary and Adi are both too soft-hearted. But, supporting a cute and kind sister from behind is a brother’s duty.”

“Yes, that’s right... We can take care of the dirty work... To protect Mary’s purity, we would gladly crush a few families...”

They looked at each other and nodded, confirming their resolve. To an outsider, it might have looked like a beautiful bond between brothers.

But their calm and beautiful words were a declaration of punishment for the Noze family. Given the authority of the Albert family, it was almost like a death sentence.

The Noze family stood there, contemplating their fate, and Mauro whispered, “No...”

Just for threatening Mary...

Though he didn’t say it outright, his hesitation and plea were clear. Lang and Lucian’s eyes grew even sharper.

“Mary is the future of the Albert family. Threatening her means we will take action.”

“If Mary bears the family name, insulting her is insulting the Albert family. We will demand compensation for the damage done to our name.”

They stated this with stern voices.

Then, they glanced at Roberto in unison, as if to say, “You too.”

Roberto, sensing the command, shrugged, looking reluctant. Still, he couldn’t ignore the orders of his masters, Lang and Lucian, and slowly turned his gaze to Mauro.

His rust-colored eyes, which should have been warm, were now sharp and chilling.

“Indeed,” he said in a drawn-out, calm voice, but the anger in his rust-colored eyes was evident, and Mauro’s breathing grew shallow.

Without addressing Mauro directly, Roberto continued in a calm tone.

“I, as a servant of the Albert family, am not in a position to comment. However, I will say one thing.”

His calm voice grew lower and more serious as he glared at Mauro.

“Mocking one’s brother is a privilege reserved only for the brother...”

Roberto’s voice was unusually filled with anger.

But he cleared his throat to hide it and quickly ended the conversation. His attitude was so obviously insincere. He ignored the knowing smiles of Lang and Lucian, making it clear.

Despite his composed expression, Roberto seemed uneasy, and he hastily returned to the main topic, saying, “Let’s get this over with.”

Lang and Lucian, who had been teasing Roberto, looked at each other and nodded.

We need to take care of this first.

What?

Of course, the family that dared to threaten the important successor of the Albert family.