Andrew had three younger sisters, all rather spoiled. Thanks to that, despite being a man, he knew how to tie up hair.

“I’m truly sorry about this.”

As he carefully fixed Serine’s disheveled hair, he spoke with quiet apology.

“Lady Serine doesn’t usually attend social gatherings, so it seems His Highness the Grand Duke failed to recognize you.”

Reading his lips through the mirror, Serine’s gaze shifted slightly.

‘So that man is the Grand Duke of Cardinel…’

The rebel of the Rigenberg royal family. The wild stallion of Cardinel… Valoid was always accompanied by a trail of unsavory titles. If one were to count how often he became the subject of gossip, it might even surpass Serine herself.

‘If I get entangled with someone like him, my reputation will be ruined.’

More than anything, as far as Serine knew, he was her father’s political enemy. She had seen her father, more than once, vent his anger while hurling insults about Valoid.

It was best to keep her distance.

“My lady, would you like to check your hair?”

At Andrew’s suggestion, Serine looked more closely at her reflection—and her cheeks flushed red.

Now that she saw it clearly, her lips, cheeks, the nape of her neck, and even the upper part of her chest were smeared with color.

“Here, please use my handkerchief.”

“…Thank you. I’ll have it cleaned and return it to you.”

“There’s no need. You came as a guest of the Tate family, and yet had to experience something like this—I can only feel regret.”

“It wasn’t your fault, Lord Andrew.”

Serine’s voice, as she replied softly, sounded composed. But if one looked closely, the hand holding the cloth trembled slightly as she wiped her face.

“Um… Lord Andrew. About what happened today…”

“Please don’t worry about what comes next. I will make sure, without the slightest doubt, that Lady Serine’s reputation remains untouched. I give you my word on the name of the Tate family.”

Serine, who had been holding her breath as she fixed her gaze on Andrew’s lips, finally relaxed. She had secured his promise—now it was time to escape the tiger’s den.

“I’ll keep what happened today to myself as well… so may I take my leave?”

“I hope you enjoy the rest of the ball, Lady Serine.”

Serine rose on unsteady legs. From behind her, she could feel an intense gaze, sharp as if it might pierce her back. If she could, she would have ignored the Grand Duke entirely and fled.

But there was a hierarchy between them she could not disregard.

“Y-Your Highness, I… I hope you also have a p-pleasant evening.”

With her eyes lowered and her words stumbling, Serine hurried away.

“My pleasant evening just ended.”

At times, being unable to hear wasn’t such a bad thing.

***

“What on earth were you doing, Sister?!”

The moment she stepped out of the balcony, Suzanna grabbed Serine’s arm.

“You told me to wait there! Why didn’t you come instead?”

“How could I? The Tate family’s servants were blocking the entrance!”

Only then did Serine notice the maids standing guard at the balcony doors.

‘When did that happen?’

It seemed Andrew had taken care of it.

“What happened inside? Why aren’t they letting anyone in?”

Suzanna pressed on relentlessly.

“Well? Aren’t you going to answer?!”

Her fingers dug in painfully. Once again, it was Andrew who stepped in.

“Thank you for your help, Lady Serine.”

Andrew, having come out from the balcony, spoke smoothly.

“You discovered that the railing was damaged and informed us. Thanks to you, we were able to prevent a potential accident. We’ll begin repairs immediately. We’ll also guide the guests to use the other balconies.”

“Oh my, is that so? I’m so glad my sister could be of help.”

Suzanna instantly slipped back into her angelic demeanor, linking arms with Serine. Thanks to that, the situation was resolved.

“I told you I’d introduce you to someone, didn’t I? Come with me.”

Now completely reassured, Suzanna hummed lightly as she pulled Serine along.

“This is Sir Gale. He’s a distant cousin of Dulcia’s.”

‘The ‘well-endowed’ Sir Gale…?’

Reluctantly, Serine lowered her body in greeting. Gale was tall—far taller than she had expected—so she inadvertently bowed right at his midsection.

“Sir Gale has just joined the Royal Knights. It’s his first time in the capital—impressive, isn’t it?”

“We are grateful for your service, Sir Knight.”

Dulcia placed a hand lightly over her chest as she greeted him with feigned sincerity. Suzanna lightly tapped Dulcia’s shoulder, laughing brightly.

Surrounded by young ladies like blooming flowers, Sir Gale tried to appear composed, but the pride in his expression was unmistakable. His nose was rather large, and his mouth small—when he lifted his chin, it only made him look less appealing.

“Sister, why are you just standing there? Sit here.”

Suzanna shoved her forward, nearly causing Serine to stumble. Dulcia caught her—or rather, guided her—into a seat beside Gale.

“Oh my! Don’t they look perfect together? Like a painting.”

“Truly. I might start to feel jealous.”

Suzanna and Dulcia’s exaggerated fuss gave Gale an unnecessary boost of confidence. Brazenly, he spread his legs and pressed his thigh against Serine’s.

It was unbearably unpleasant. That was the limit of Serine’s patience. Unable to endure the farce any longer, she abruptly rose from her seat.

“What’s this? Why are you getting up all of a sudden?”

“Where are you going? Don’t leave, Sister.”

Suzanna stood as well, pressing down on her shoulder, while Dulcia tugged painfully at her hand from below. Serine refused to yield, struggling to shake them off.

“Oh my?”

“What’s all this commotion?”

A squabble between young ladies was one of the few entertainments in high society. Hearing the disturbance, nearby nobles began to turn their heads one by one.

Suzanna, ever sensitive to others’ gazes, smiled sweetly like an angel.

“Oh, Sister, honestly! Even if you don’t like it, you still have to take your medicine on time. The doctor did insist, didn’t he?”

“Medicine? I don’t know what you’re talking about, but it sounds like something you should be taking.”

“There she goes again—throwing a tantrum! That childish side of yours is almost cute.”

“Please don’t trouble Suzanna so much, Sister. If you take your medicine, we’ll give you some sweet juice afterward.”

Dulcia chimed in smoothly, playing along with the lie. The noblewomen, completely taken in, began whispering behind their fans, casting Serine pitying and critical glances.

It happened every time—and every time, the humiliation burned just as sharply.

Serine roughly pushed away the glass of juice being pressed toward her lips.

“You’re right. I don’t want to take any medicine. So I’m leaving.”

“Sister! Let’s talk, please?”

Suzanna followed, grabbing at her again. The persistence was exhausting. If not for her elder brother’s warning—that one more incident would land her in a monastery—Serine might have lashed out.

“I was trying to keep this civil, but you’re making things difficult.”

Suzanna revealed her true nature the moment they reached a deserted corridor. Without warning, she lashed out, kicking Serine’s ankle sharply with the pointed tip of her shoe.

“Ah—!”

“Serine Penrose. When we return, Father will summon me. He’ll ask how you behaved at the ball today—what mistakes you made this time to disgrace our family.”

“That’s why I’ve been careful. If you hadn’t pushed me toward Sir Gale, I could have behaved like a proper lady.”

“Are you really that oblivious? Do you not understand why I keep pushing you toward Sir Gale?”

Suzanna sneered, fixing Serine with a cold stare.

“You need to get married first so the rest of us can, too. Our eldest brother got lucky and went ahead—but what about me and Enrique? What did we do wrong? Why should we suffer because of you?”

Suzanna, the youngest, and their brother Enrique were both considered highly desirable matches in society. And yet, few families were willing to make a proper alliance.

It was because of Serine—derided as the “mistake of Penrose”—that their worth had been dragged down.

“They all whisper about it. What if they marry me into their family and end up with a deaf grandchild? It must be nice for you—not having to hear any of that.”

“What nonsense are you talking about? My hearing was lost in an accident when I was young—”

“Yes. And that accident is exactly why our family is in this state. Are you going to say it has nothing to do with you?”

‘I’ve already paid more than enough for it…’

She wanted to say it—but for some reason, her breath came too fast, and no words would come out.

“When I’m with you, I keep turning into a terrible person. I’m sick of hating myself for it! So please… I’m begging you. Can’t you just leave?”

Tears gathered in Suzanna’s ruby-like eyes as she glared at her.

“Just drop the name ‘Penrose’ after yours!”

The next moment, Suzanna lunged forward, driving Serine back into the corner. From her grasp, a damp handkerchief emerged and was pressed tightly over Serine’s nose and mouth.

Startled, Serine inhaled—and a sharp, chemical scent struck her head, making it spin.

‘Suzanna… how could you…’

Her consciousness began to fade.

In her collapsing vision, she caught a fleeting glimpse of Gale’s face approaching—twisted into a grotesque smile.