After Kyla went up to the study, Silas left for Ashton on a business trip.

Penelope saw this as the perfect opportunity to speak to Jayden.

She wanted to help him understand Kyla’s situation. If she could convince him that Benedict Norton would be a good match for his sister, Jayden would surely come to understand.

Keeping this in mind, she searched the manor for Jayden and eventually found him quietly reading a book in the study.

“So here you are.”

At her voice, Jayden lifted his head.

“Miss Rothermere.”

He smiled gently, his eyes softening. Every time she saw it, she thought the same thing—he was a man whose smile put others at ease.

Taking a seat across from him, Penelope glanced at the book in his hands.

“A law book? Don’t tell me you’re planning to become a lawyer.”

“Ah, haha. Not quite, but I thought it might be useful to study. It’s interesting as well.”

“You could always leave troublesome matters to a lawyer.”

Penelope smiled as she continued.

“Speaking of which, I heard that Mr. Benedict Norton—the one we met earlier—is quite a capable lawyer.”

“Ah, is that so?”

“I believe his grandfather was a nobleman, wasn’t he?”

“Yes…”

Penelope thought his expression seemed to stiffen slightly.

“I’ve run into Mr. Norton a few times here in Chatsworth, and he’s always been so kind and pleasant. He seems like a truly good man. If I knew a suitable young lady, I’d almost want to introduce her to him.”

Penelope continued to praise Benedict while Jayden closed the book he was holding and placed it on the table.

He was looking at her differently now.

Penelope felt a flicker of unease.

She had expected Jayden to disapprove of Benedict as a potential match for his sister.

But she hadn’t expected him to react so strongly to just a few words of praise.

Still, she couldn’t stop.

Above all, she was curious: why was he reacting this way?

“Miss Feilding has been here in Chatsworth since May, so it’s already been three months since she began working as a piano teacher. As her brother, what do you think?”

“I’m not quite sure what you’re asking, Miss Rothermere.”

A faint smile touched Jayden’s lips, but it was clear he was on guard.

She would have to tread carefully.

“This may be presumptuous of me, but… in my opinion, it would be such a waste for Miss Feilding to grow old as a piano teacher. Wouldn’t you agree, Mr. Feilding?”

“Kyla is only staying in Chatsworth as a piano teacher for the time being.”

“Oh? Is that so? Then will she be returning to the Feilding estate?”

Penelope looked at him in surprise.

Hadn’t she been forced to leave that household? Had she been mistaken?

If Kyla returned to the Feilding family, Penelope would have no reason to remain involved with Silas.

Penelope would be most grateful for that.

“That’s not the case. But she won’t be staying here for long.”

“Then perhaps… does Miss Feilding have plans for marriage?”

“Not at the moment… but someday, I suppose.”

Jayden brushed his fingers over his lips. For some reason, his face seemed slightly flushed.

“Someday? As I recall, Miss Feilding is a year older than I am. The older a woman gets, the harder it is for her to find a good husband.”

Penelope felt a sense of pity for his naivety.

“Perhaps because you’re not her real brother, you’re not thinking about her getting married. If you want to see her married off, though, you should find her a suitable husband and arrange an engagement within the year. She has no parents and is not under the protection of adoptive parents. She even works as a piano teacher. Truthfully, given Miss Feilding’s circumstances, it won’t be easy for her to marry into a high-ranking family.”

Shaking her head, Penelope subtly observed his expression.

He didn’t seem particularly offended.

“If you’re having difficulty finding a suitable match… it seems Mr. Benedict Norton has taken an interest in your sister. As her brother, what do you think? You may not be aware, but a man like Mr. Norton would make quite a fine husband.”

“I’m not so sure.”

Jayden’s expression turned cold in an instant.

Penelope’s heart sank.

Had she pushed too far?

Had she been too direct?

Unease crept over her as she looked at him.

“Miss Rothermere, I believe Kyla is a woman of both beauty and intelligence—far more than most. It’s only natural that many men, not just Mr. Norton, would take an interest in her.”

“Ah… yes…”

“As for Mr. Norton, I don’t know what kind of man he is, nor do I have any interest in finding out. And I am certain that Kyla has no interest in him either.”

As she listened, Penelope slowly realized something.

He was angry with her.

However, his tone remained polite.

His expression did not harden.

And yet, there was no mistaking it.

The faint edge in his voice, the smile that had vanished from his face, and the chill in his eyes — colder than she had ever seen — made his anger clear beyond doubt.

Perhaps he simply disliked Benedict Norton.

Or maybe he resented her for interfering in his sister’s future.

But was that really enough to provoke such anger?

Penelope couldn’t understand.

After all, Kyla wasn’t even his real sister.

“As you said earlier, Miss Rothermere, Kyla is not my biological sister. But to me, she is more precious than anyone else. I will handle her marriage myself, so I would appreciate it if you would refrain from concerning yourself with it any further.”

Jayden looked straight at Penelope.

His gaze, directed squarely at her, carried a clear warning.

“I regret that this seems to have caused you unnecessary concern. I’ll make sure nothing like this happens again.”

Rising from the sofa, Jayden offered a brief farewell before leaving the study without another word.

Left alone, Penelope sat there in a daze.

His words echoed in her mind.

‘Not my real sister. ‘

‘More precious than anyone else.’

He had emphasized them.

“No way… Could he possibly be in love with her? No… that can’t be right…”

Penelope murmured under her breath.

And yet—

The displeasure he had shown when she mentioned Benedict Norton could not be explained any other way.

His sharp reaction to the mere mention of Kyla’s marriage had unsettled her.

There was only one conclusion that fit.

Jayden Feilding was in love with Kyla.

Despite being unaware of her intentions with Silas, he had fallen for her.

Penelope scoffed quietly.

Men were fools.

It was almost laughable to be so easily deceived by a woman who feigned innocence and purity.

She had never understood why that woman had been expelled from the Feilding household. She had simply assumed it was the result of a serious error of judgement.

But now, Penelope felt she could guess the truth.

With that innocent face, she must have seduced Jayden.

What if she were to marry him?

Penelope let the thought take shape.

Silas would never take his friend’s wife as a lover or mistress.

But they would still see each other far too often and far too closely.

Jayden would be wasted on a woman like that.

Penelope despised the very idea.

Nevertheless, the fact that Kyla had been driven out suggested that the Feilding family opposed the match.

That was enough.

She now knew exactly who she needed to meet.

Once August was over, the social season would begin again.

The time of year when everyone returned to their townhouses in Ashton was approaching.

The Lesters, the Feildings — and she herself — would all be there.

A crooked smile spread across Penelope’s reddened lips as the setting sun bathed her in its golden light.

***

It was a bright, clear morning.

While the Countess of Rothermere was talking to the Duchess of Lester, Penelope decided to go for a walk by herself.

Hoping to run into Silas, she made her way to the rear garden.

There, by the fish-shaped fountain in the middle of the garden, she found him. He was standing still, his gaze fixed absently on the flowing water.

He looked flawless in his beige trousers that accentuated his long legs, checked vest and perfectly tailored morning coat.

“Your Grace.”

At her call, he turned.

The sharp line of his jaw and the depth of his beautiful eyes made her heart pound fiercely.

“Miss Rothermere.”

A faint smile flickered across Silas’s lips before disappearing.

Though she knew it was merely a polite expression he offered to everyone, it still stirred something quietly within her.

‘I don’t want to lose this man. Especially not to that woman.’

“It seems you always take a walk at this hour, Your Grace.”

Though she already knew his routine in detail, Penelope asked as if she didn’t.

“Yes.”

His answer was brief.

“I thought you might be with Mr. Felding. I see you’re alone.”

“Ah, yes.”

Of course, she already knew why he wasn’t with Jayden.

At that very moment, he was probably watching Kyla practice the piano.

Silas undoubtedly knew exactly what Jayden was doing and with whom.

A sudden thought crossed Penelope’s mind.

Did this man know that his only close friend was in love with Kyla?

“Yesterday, I happened to have a conversation with Mr. Jayden Feilding in the study.”

“…I see.”

Two words.

As brief as ever.

He continued to stare at the flowing water.

“He truly cares deeply for his sister. It surprised me—he’s nothing like my own brother.”

“Is that so.”

One word this time.

Penelope’s lips twisted faintly.

“Then again, if you think about it, Miss Kyla Felding isn’t even his real sister, is she?”

“…”

She deliberately spoke Kyla’s name, but he didn’t react in the slightest.

Not a flicker in his expression.

Not a shift in his gaze.

“Mr. Jayden Feilding said the same thing himself—that she isn’t his real sister. I always thought they were such a devoted pair of siblings, but now that I think about it, they didn’t seem like siblings at all…”

She trailed off.

Only then did he turn his gaze towards her. Looking down, he seemed to invite her to continue.

His tall figure cast a long shadow over her.

Meeting his dark, unfathomable gaze, Penelope slowly parted her lips.

“They seemed… like lovers.”

Her voice trembled slightly as the words slipped out, and she swallowed unconsciously.

“Ah, lovers. Is that so?”

He let out a short, dry laugh.

Then, as if nothing had happened, he turned his gaze back to the fish-shaped fountain and showed no interest whatsoever.

In that moment, she understood.

He already knew.

He knew how Jayden felt about that woman, and it had been weighing on him all along.

That was why he had looked at her and let out that faint, curious laugh, as if testing what she might say.

Penelope clenched her teeth.

Seeing him deliberately turn away from a woman her friend loved made her feel utterly miserable.

Yet when she thought about it calmly, she realized it wasn’t entirely unfavorable for her.

For Jayden’s sake, Silas would hesitate.

He would try to suppress whatever feelings he had for Kyla.

But that didn’t mean she would simply allow Jayden and Kyla to end up together.

If they got married, Silas would inevitably have to face her again, whether he wanted to or not.

She couldn’t allow that.

She would make sure that woman never came near him again.

For now, no matter how bitter it felt, she had no choice but to turn a blind eye and let things remain as they were.

But once she was engaged to Silas, she would find a way to separate Kyla from Jayden, no matter what.

It was clear that the Feilding family disapproved of her.

If she made proper use of Benedict Norton, it wouldn’t be difficult.

Penelope stepped closer to Silas and naturally slipped her arm through his.

His indifferent gaze rested on her for a moment before drifting back to the fountain.

The thought that another woman occupied his mind made her chest ache.

And yet, even so, she couldn’t bring herself to let him go.

Penelope swallowed back a bitter, self-mocking smile.