At the debutante ball, Prince Frederick escorted Isabelle, and the atmosphere between the two was so pleasant that many speculated there might be a marriage between Prince Frederick and the Wiscombe family.

However, out of nowhere, Prince Frederick suddenly announced his engagement to Lady Parma Gareth.

At Parma’s birthday party, Frederick not only gifted her a present but also performed a musical piece for her personally. He also escorted her and danced with her at the party.

Up until that moment, people thought Frederick was merely keeping a political balance between the two duchies, doing for Parma what he had done for Isabelle.

But less than a month after Parma’s birthday party, Prince Frederick’s engagement to Parma was officially announced.

Originally, the Empress and the Duke of Gareth had planned to announce the engagement at Parma’s birthday party. However, Frederick had stubbornly refused to get engaged until he had met Parma in person, which delayed the announcement.

The Wiscombe family was left reeling, blindsided by the Empress, just as Prince Robert had warned. As Sophia read the letter, a smile crept across her face. Ellie felt satisfied, knowing that simply handing Helen’s letter to Sophia had conveyed the news without needing to say it herself.

Sophia shared the news with Baron Ariel. What came to her mind first was the velvet pouch of money.

“We can spend it now, right? It’s like a sign telling us to use it.”

Baron Ariel smiled as well and said, “Damn Wiscombe! They’ve still got a long way to go.”

***

Meanwhile, the Duke of Wiscombe paced in his study, and the Duchess turned away from him, speaking to Philip.

“And Isabelle?”

Philip replied indifferently, “She’s probably in her room. I don’t think she even wants to see me.”

“Her pride must be terribly wounded. Especially since she despises Parma, and now Prince Frederick has chosen Parma. Even though it was the Empress who made the decision, it won’t be easy for Isabelle to accept. Duke, will you invite the former Duchess?”

“…What?”

The Duke stopped and looked at the Duchess, who sighed before speaking.

“Mother, the former Duchess, needs to either console Isabelle or knock some sense into her. We can’t just sit here idly while the Empress plays with us. We need to act.”

The Duke nodded. The Duchess smiled at him and said, “Prince Frederick is definitely not infatuated with Parma. Even if the Empress and the Cressida family work tirelessly on his behalf, Frederick can easily mess things up. If Isabelle doesn’t give up and continues to shake Frederick, how do you think Lady Gareth will react? Do you think her fiery temperament will allow her to stay calm? Frederick might change his mind once he sees Parma causing a scene. Would he want to spend his life with a woman like that?”

The Duke said, “But my mother… Will you be able to endure it?”

“I must. It’s not about me right now. Mother needs to come here and somehow soothe Isabelle. Doing nothing after being slighted by the Empress is not how we operate. We need Mother’s help.”

“Alright… Philip?”

Philip stood up and answered, “Yes, I’ll go right away.”

The Duchess then spoke to Philip, “On your way back from seeing the former Duchess, stop by Ariel.”

“Ariel? That’s hardly a place worth visiting on the way to our family’s estate.”

“That’s just a figure of speech. Go to Ariel and check on Robert’s situation. He might refuse to see you at Umbriel, but you can have Baron Ariel or Sophia find out for you.”

“Yes, but I doubt they’ll be happy to see me in Ariel either,” Philip replied.

The Duke, irritated, said, “But they don’t have the guts to kick you out like Prince Robert did. The debutante event is over. If they still hold a grudge over that, make them realize what Wiscombe is capable of. Whether you threaten them or coax them, make sure you get a message to Prince Robert.”

Philip scoffed and said, “Do you really think Robert would come back to our side just because of that? It’s exhausting enough just to go to Ariel, not knowing if they’ll even listen.”

The Duke, sneering, said, “As soon as you get to Ariel, show them who’s in charge. Let them know that anyone who gets in Wiscombe’s way won’t be left alone. If Ariel dares to act insolently, teach them a lesson. Philip, follow the Duchess’s advice.”

Philip nodded and left to prepare for his trip.

Though Philip had no complaints about how the Duke and Duchess treated him like a subordinate, he was frustrated by the unnecessary threats. When had Wiscombe become a family that had to rely on intimidation to gain cooperation?

Philip’s bitterness also stemmed from something else—the realization that Wiscombe had been used. And it was something he had already anticipated.

Even though Wiscombe’s power remained intact after the rift with Robert, it seemed the Empress and the Cressida family couldn’t care less.

“They probably think that as long as they have Gareth, Wiscombe doesn’t matter,” Philip mused bitterly.

Philip genuinely despised the Gareth family.

***

Meanwhile, Robert, buried in estate matters, heard the news of Frederick’s engagement to Lady Gareth. Mav, delivering the news, shook his head in disbelief.

“Poor Wiscombe. They thought it was all but done, only to have Prince Frederick engage Lady Gareth instead. They’re paying the price for how they treated you.”

“No. It’s not the price for wronging me but for trusting Cressida. I haven’t made Wiscombe pay yet.”

Mav hesitated. “Perhaps Wiscombe will try to reconcile by pushing Isabelle toward you again. What if you, begrudgingly, accepted their peace offer?”

Robert scoffed. “Cressida will go to great lengths to ensure I don’t marry into a powerful family. I’m sure they’ve already put plans in motion to sabotage any union I could form, using this engagement to Gareth as a way to check Wiscombe.”

Mav, defeated, sighed. “Does that mean we’re stuck in Umbriel indefinitely, never to return to the capital?”

Robert, glancing back at the papers on his desk, said, “The faster we handle things here, the sooner we can return to the capital, don’t you think?”

“The faster we work, the more work piles up in front of us. I’ve fallen for that trick too many times. I was just venting. But do you think Wiscombe won’t come to you here in Umbriel? They’re the desperate ones now.”

“Indeed. It wouldn’t surprise me if Philip showed up. Wiscombe needs me to rattle the Empress, after all.”

Mav sighed again. “If they come back just to use you again, it would be better to ignore them completely, wouldn’t it?”

Robert agreed.

***

Philip now stood outside the gates of Ariel’s outer wall.

As soon as Philip Wiscombe sent word that he would visit Ariel, Baron Ariel shut the gates. The last time the outer gates of Ariel had been closed was during the time of Baron Ariel’s father, and even then, it was to restrict travel due to the spread of disease. Such was the intensity of Baron Ariel’s anger.

Baron Ariel blamed himself for what had happened to Sophia. He believed that if he had hosted Sophia’s debutante ball, she would not have faced such humiliation. Though Sophia blamed herself, Baron Ariel could not shake the guilt. It was his fault.

‘Of course, it’s my fault. Smart as she is, Sophia volunteered to suffer because of our estate’s poor circumstances. It’s on me.’

Sophia, intimately aware of the estate’s dire financial state, had repeatedly refused to hold a debutante ball. That’s why Baron Ariel had finally decided to send her to the capital.

Baron Ariel didn’t want Sophia to live her life alone. He had even started saving a little bit at a time for her dowry. Regardless of whether her future spouse held a title, he just wanted Sophia to find a good match. Even though the estate was important, it was not more important than Sophia’s life.

After losing her mother in childhood, Sophia had helped with estate matters without complaint. She never resented Baron Ariel, and in return, he wished to at least ensure that Sophia had what others took for granted.

He should have looked out for her more carefully, and now he regretted it. If Wiscombe tried to shake or use Sophia again, he was determined to stop them at all costs.

‘Not a second time. Even if it means severing ties with the Duke of Wiscombe.’

Baron Ariel could not directly retaliate against Wiscombe for hurting Sophia, but he could prevent them from setting foot in Ariel again, even if it cost him his estate.

With these thoughts, Baron Ariel had the outer gates locked.

***

Philip dismounted his horse and began pacing in front of the closed gates.

“Dare they block Wiscombe?” he muttered to himself with a scoff as he simmered over Ariel’s audacity. While Philip fumed, Baron Ariel appeared on top of the wall. Despite Ariel’s reputation as a poor estate, the defenses around the gate and wall seemed solid.

Baron Ariel looked down at Philip and called out, “It’s an honor to have the young lord of Wiscombe visit Ariel. However, our humble estate is not worthy of your presence, so I must ask you to turn back.”

Philip glanced up at the Baron. Surrounding him were the guards and servants of Wiscombe, ready to act in case of trouble. Seeing their cautious stance, Philip waved them off. They retreated slightly, but the tension remained as the guards on Ariel’s walls also stood ready.

Philip forced a smile and replied, “I’ve only come to visit family, Baron. Your hospitality is the coldest I’ve ever experienced.”

“I, too, think I may be treating you too harshly. However, I hope you understand my feelings after what happened to Sophia.”

“I hear you’ve been in frequent contact with Prince Robert and working well together.”

“Prince Robert made amends with my child and showed sincerity. Sophia accepted his apology. But Wiscombe? There’s been no word. Ah, I did hear that the Duchess gave my child a pouch of money. A dowry, was it? Please send my regards to the Duchess. Tell her I’ve been foolishly holding onto the past, but that pouch reminded me of my mistake. I thank her for helping me realize it.”

“By making Wiscombe your enemy, Ariel will gain nothing,” Philip remarked coolly.

“You’re right. We won’t gain anything by making enemies. But what would we gain by groveling before you?” Baron Ariel’s voice was steady.

Philip’s relaxed posture bordered on laziness as he responded, “You may not gain much, but there’s plenty you could lose. Even in this backwater estate, you have enough authority to flex as a baron, commanding soldiers and all. In the capital, however, barons and nobles like you are as common as dirt, living no better than commoners. Soldiers? Ha! That’s a joke.”

“A better situation, you say? Are you threatening to take Ariel from me now? Is Wiscombe threatening me?” The baron’s voice was edged with ice.

Feigning shock, Philip exaggerated his reaction. “Threatening? No, not at all! I’m simply enlightening you on how fortunate you are. Having a poor estate is still better than having none at all. Without land, what are you really? A noble in name, maybe. Without money, life is, well… far from comfortable.”

Philip chuckled, joined by his retainers. Baron Ariel’s face remained stony as he replied coldly, “I understand you perfectly, Philip Wiscombe. Being the only heir of the Wiscombe family, your words certainly carry weight.”

Even after their conversation ended, Baron Ariel didn’t open the gate but continued to watch Philip closely. Philip sighed, mounted his horse, and turned to leave.

“You’ll regret this day. Enjoy the time you have left with your family in Ariel. You may not see them for much longer.”

The baron responded politely, “I appreciate the advice. I’ll follow your words, Wiscombe.”

Philip and his party rode off, while Baron Ariel watched them disappear into the distance. Beside him, John, one of the baron’s trusted aides, looked on with growing concern.

“Do you think Wiscombe will really take action?” John asked nervously.

“They will,” the baron replied. “That’s why we need to move first. John, I’m sorry, but you must leave for the capital… no, leave at dawn tomorrow. Take Jack with you. It’s about time that boy started learning from you, isn’t it?”

“Yes, my lord,” John replied, his face set with determination.

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