Chapter 21

“His Grace the Duke is very busy. Even though Her Highness the Princess paid a personal visit, he could only spare time for a meal and not even for a cup of tea.”

“There was something urgent to take care of. He only recently inherited his title, so it’s understandable.”

The Marchioness Douglas and the Dowager Duchess quietly set down their teacups.

Smiles lingered at everyone’s lips, but the conversation exchanged was sharp.

Sophia, who was quietly observing the scene, looked around with an indifferent expression.

It was only after several visits to the Raselles Duchy that Sophia finally had lunch with Kaiden in the greenhouse.

The exotic flowers and butterflies with blue wings were beautiful, but in Sophia’s eyes, there was only Kaiden.

The man she met after a long time was still handsome. His long, deep-set eyes, straight nose, and finely shaped lips were beautiful. In some ways, he seemed ascetic, and at other times, sensual, making her curious about the man’s hidden nature within.

After Astrid Hamilton disappeared, Kaiden suddenly left for the battlefield, making it impossible to approach him further. But when Norton died and all obstacles were finally gone, Sophia revealed her long-hidden intentions to the King and Queen.

She confessed that she had loved Duke Kaiden Raselles for a long time and that she would absolutely marry him.

The union between a Princess and a great noble would greatly benefit the royal family, so the King and Queen actively supported their daughter. The Dowager Duchess Raselles also promoted a marriage befitting the family’s status.

The only problem was Kaiden. The man in question never showed any willingness to marry.

Sophia was admired by young noblemen and was the flower of society. Everyone was desperate to have tea or dance with her, but for some reason, Kaiden always kept his distance.

If only she had given up on Kaiden when she was engaged to Norton.

He was her first love.

The moment she saw him, the second son of the Duke, Sophia began a love that risked her entire life. Even after countless rejections, she could not give up her feelings.

By now, her emotions for Kaiden had become so tangled that she could not tell if it was affection or hatred. If she could, she would have liked to gouge out the eyes of every woman hovering around Kaiden.

Sophia lifted her head and looked over the maids standing back. All of them were neatly dressed, but none were particularly beautiful.

As Sophia let out a light sigh of relief, the Marchioness Douglas spoke.

“Dowager Duchess, I heard that the late Young Duke’s mistress recently entered the mansion?”

“……Yes, her circumstances were so pitiful that I wanted to help her become independent.”

“If she’s a fallen noble, her status is no different from a commoner, but you are very compassionate,Dowager Duchess.”

The Dowager Duchess maintained her elegant posture, but her fingertips trembled slightly.

Princess Sophia was to become family in the future, so it was uncomfortable to bring up such a subject in front of her.

The Dowager Duchess tried to change the subject gracefully, but the Marchioness Douglas, perhaps intending to vent her frustration about Kaiden leaving so soon, did not back down.

“Soon, the marriage with Her Highness the Princess will proceed, but surely that mistress won’t continue to stay at the ducal residence?”

“The master of the Raselles family will decide matters of the house.”

The Dowager Duchess’s eyes flashed sharply in displeasure, and Sophia quickly gave a look to the Marchioness Douglas. However, the Marchioness Douglas pouted her lips and spoke.

“Why don’t we let Her Highness the Princess serve that woman a cup of tea?”

“Aunt…….”

Sophia’s eyes widened in embarrassment, but the Marchioness Douglas held her head high.

She seemed intent on seeing Brielle’s face before withdrawing her intentions.

Originally, it was unthinkable for a lowborn mistress and a noble Princess to sit at the same table. However, Sophia was also curious about what kind of woman had entered the mansion.

She could show generosity to a guest staying at the ducal residence out of her station and teach her the ways of society.

“Miss Selinger would also be honored to be greeted by Her Highness the Princess.”

The Dowager Duchess, watching the situation with a cold gaze, rang the bell. She then instructed a maid to bring Brielle immediately.

An awkward silence fell over the table.

Sophia thought it was just as well. If Brielle entered society, Sophia’s name would also be mentioned along with dirty rumors. So it was better to see that shameless face in advance.

After a while, a woman in a white dress entered the greenhouse.

“Oh my.”

The Marchioness Douglas unconsciously exclaimed, then quickly closed her mouth.

When she heard the rumors about Brielle Selinger, she thought she was just a vulgar woman with a pretty face, but her manner as she walked in was extraordinary.

Taken aback, she glanced to the side and saw that Sophia also had wide eyes. Only the Dowager Duchess spoke calmly.

“Miss Selinger, this is Her Highness Princess Sophia and the Marchioness Douglas.”

“Hello. I am Brielle Selinger.”

Brielle was a beauty whose elegantly twisted blonde hair and clear green eyes stood out.

From head to toe, her posture followed royal etiquette, and there was nothing to criticize.

Above all, Brielle Selinger reminded them of the hateful Astrid Hamilton.

How could someone look so similar unless they were blood relatives?

Sophia’s gaze sharpened for a moment, but she quickly regained her bright smile. In any case, the woman in front of her was someone she had to put down.

“You resemble someone I know, so I hesitated for a moment. Please, have a seat.”

“……Yes, Your Highness.”

Anyone could greet politely. But in the end, she was just a fallen noble who became a governess; as soon as she opened her mouth, she would make a mistake.

Sophia softly curled up the corners of her lips, looking forward to seeing Brielle embarrassed at any moment.

But as time passed, her expectations were shattered.

This can’t be.

The Princess’s hand, setting down her teacup, trembled slightly. She had intended to show personally how uncultured Brielle Selinger was and how she brought shame to the ducal family, but there was not a single flaw.

The woman sitting in front of her seemed to have lived as a noble lady for a long time.

She was accustomed to being served by maids and maintained proper boundaries in social conversations among nobles.

How could a fallen noble possess such grace?

The Marchioness Douglas also watched Brielle with a questioning look. Then, her gaze suddenly landed on the emerald earrings.

The jewel, which resembled her green eyes, shone brilliantly. Mixed with transparent diamonds, it was obvious at a glance that it was something brought from the famous jeweler in Duddingston.

“Miss Selinger, your earrings are very pretty. Did the Dowager Duchess lend them to you?”

“I wouldn’t dare touch the Dowager Duchess’s jewelry; I wore something provided in the mansion.”

“I see…….”

The Dowager Duchess sipped her tea without any rebuttal.

Throughout tea time, Brielle thoroughly acted as a bystander. She did not want to offend the Princess, but she also could not degrade a guest invited into the mansion, so she chose this attitude.

Sophia asked Brielle questions as much as she wanted, but Brielle skillfully avoided every trap. Yet, when it came to the jewelry, she answered honestly.

Could it be that Kaiden bought it for her?

Every year on Sophia’s birthday, the Raselles Duchy sent her gifts, but she never felt that Kaiden had personally chosen any of them.

Even after graduating from the Academy, when Sophia begged the Queen to invite him to the palace, Kaiden never even handed her a single flower.

Even when he worked in the royal administration, he always kept a strict line.

Could such a cold man really…?

Sophia’s gaze grew fierce, but Brielle only gently curved her lips and said nothing more. That look, as if telling her to imagine whatever she wanted, was even more irritating.

She really couldn’t leave such a woman by Kaiden’s side any longer.

She needed to pick up her teacup to hide her trembling fingers, but Sophia simply could not muster the strength.

From the first time she saw her, Brielle’s resemblance to Astrid had bothered her, but now it was almost enough to make her feel sick.