“How can you be so oblivious?”

There wasn’t even a greeting. The moment Sophia faced Aisha, she snapped at her without preamble. Aisha simply stared back, calm. Unlike when she faced Ian, her eyes had settled, showing none of their earlier turmoil.

“It’s been a while, Sophia.”

Aisha greeted Sophia first. Her eyes were still tinged red, yet her voice was composed. The unexpected calmness made Sophia bite her lip and narrow her eyes even further.

“Is this really the time for polite greetings?”

“I honestly don’t understand why you’re so angry, Sophia.”

Despite Sophia’s sharp words, Aisha didn’t flinch. She straightened her back and spoke slowly, prompting Sophia to cross her arms and tilt her chin up. The bright red dress she wore, paired with her golden hair, only highlighted her innate arrogance.

“Ha! This is why nouveau nobles are such a problem. No sense of manners or consideration.”

At that, Aisha’s face hardened slightly. ‘Nouveau noble’—it was an insult used by old families to disparage those with less history.

The Lloyd marquisate, the family of Ian and Sophia, had been part of the Caesar Empire since its founding. In contrast, the Parden countship—Aisha’s family—had only just passed its hundredth year on the noble registry. In the capital’s aristocratic society, a century was considered a very short lineage, an easy target for subtle scorn.

Yet the Parden family was among the ten wealthiest houses in the empire, and their current influence was considerable. Aisha’s father, Graham Parden, was a prominent official in the Imperial Treasury and an established member of the central noble council. Her eldest brother, Edward, served as aide to Crown Prince William. Her second brother, Daniel, was so accomplished that, at only twenty-four, people already spoke of him as a future leader of the knights. And what of her twin brother, Arthur? He was a rising academic talent, sought after by the professors at the capital’s academy.

Despite their recent arrival, no one dared insult the Pardens to their faces. It was clear to everyone that the family was destined to become more prominent, so it would be unwise to make enemies of them.

However, Sophia’s situation was slightly different. Her family, the House of Lloyd, had served the imperial family since the foundation of the empire — a lineage that anyone would envy. Although they experienced some hardship following the sudden death of the previous marquess and marchioness, they were still, by any measure, among the empire’s most prestigious families. Born into such privilege and accustomed to admiring gazes, Sophia’s pride in her heritage was immense.

That pride was the real reason she lashed out at Aisha. This party was meant to shine a spotlight on Ian and the esteemed Lloyd family—yet, because the Pardens had made the largest donation at the charity event, attention had shifted to them instead.

It grated on Sophia’s nerves. To think that a family barely a hundred years old could steal the limelight with a bit of money… Her pride wounded, she brought up Ian just to take Aisha down a peg.

“This is the first banquet Ian and I have attended since returning from our trip. So what are you doing here with the rest of the Parden family? You’re splitting everyone’s attention.”

As she’d expected, the mention of Ian made Aisha’s composure falter. Sophia caught the crack in her expression and pressed her advantage, her tone sharper still.

“And Ian brought a different partner tonight. When you show up, it just gives people another reason to criticize him.”

“…”

“Don’t take this the wrong way. It’s not like you and Ian are engaged. Sure, there’s been talk, but nothing’s settled yet, right? So you showing up and dragging Ian into pointless gossip—it’s not just trouble for him, it’s a headache for the whole Lloyd family.”

Sophia knew exactly how much her words would wound Aisha—she knew all too well the truth of Ian and Aisha’s relationship, and the current state of their engagement. But she felt no guilt.

‘Who does she think she is, aiming for a position she doesn’t deserve? Hmph!’

She’d disliked Aisha since childhood. Their parents had always told them to get along, but Sophia couldn’t stand her. After Aisha’s parents died and she came under the Parden family’s care, Sophia’s hatred only deepened. Once she was old enough, she never hesitated to make Aisha’s life harder.

“…You’re right. I wasn’t careful enough.”

It was just as Sophia was relishing her own superiority that Aisha quietly spoke up. Certain she’d won, Sophia was already planning how to press her advantage further.

“That’s all you have to say?”

“…”

“If you know you’ve done wrong, how about apologizing properly? Bow your head and say you’re sorry, say it sincerely. Standing there with your chin up like that is just embarrassing. Do I really have to teach you even this?”

Sophia intended to restore her bruised pride from the charity event by making Aisha bow to her. But after admitting her carelessness, Aisha only looked at Sophia quietly. Annoyed that things weren’t going as planned, Sophia, who’d been savoring her sense of triumph, snapped and let loose with a crude insult.

“It’s bad enough being associated with your Parden family… Do you really think our ancient Lloyd house should mingle with a family barely out of diapers? The Pardens—whether the people or the family—just have no class.”

“I have nothing to apologize to you for, Sophia.”

The harsher Sophia’s words became, the calmer Aisha’s expression grew. Her hands folded together, her sky-blue eyes simmered with a quiet fury. Sophia raised her voice, picking up on the unyielding tone.

“What? You just admitted you were in the wrong a moment ago!”

“I regret that I caused an uncomfortable situation, unintentionally. But I have no intention of apologizing to you—I don’t believe I need to. And I’d appreciate it if you stopped insulting the Pardens. It’s unpleasant to listen to.”

The more Aisha refused to back down, the more Sophia’s green eyes flared with anger. At a loss, she bit her lip, then threw another of Aisha’s vulnerabilities at her.

“Could you say the same if Ian was the one demanding it?”

“…Of course. The Parden family made significant contributions to this charity event. We—and I—have every right to attend tonight’s party.”

She hesitated for just a moment but then nodded. As much as Ian had hurt her, he had never openly insulted her family in front of her, unlike Sophia. Still, that moment’s pause was all the opening her rival needed. Sophia folded her arms, a mocking smile curling her lips.

“How ridiculous. As if you could say a word in front of Ian! You’d hardly dare to breathe.”

“…”

“Does Ian know? That the girl who begs for an engagement in tears before him acts so brazen with me, the only daughter of the Lloyd family?”

“…”

“Aisha, you should get this through your head. I’ll never accept you as my brother’s wife, or as the mistress of the Lloyd house. If it were a hundred years ago, someone like you wouldn’t have even been fit to draw my bathwater, let alone serve as my maid.”

Aisha felt no need to respond—it simply wasn’t worth it. But the part about “begging for an engagement” stung. For three years, the engagement had gone nowhere… and she was the only one pining over it.

As her expression clouded with sorrow, Sophia’s green eyes lit up with satisfaction. She opened her mouth to drive the knife in deeper—only for two men to enter the lounge at that moment.

“What’s going on? Why is it so loud in here?”

The ones who entered were Daniel and Arthur. At the appearance of the Parden men, Sophia flinched and quickly composed her expression. Unlike with Aisha, whom she thought she could torment easily, Sophia was wary of the Parden men—especially Daniel.

Daniel, who doted on his younger sister, often took direct revenge on Sophia whenever she bullied Aisha. When they were younger, Sophia had once pushed Aisha into a puddle, only for Daniel to grab her by the head and shove her into the puddle as well. Being covered in mud in front of everyone was mortifying, but Sophia had been so scared of Daniel she hadn’t even dared to cry.

“…It’s been a while, gentlemen of the Parden family.”

Watching Daniel carefully, Sophia mustered her pride, lifted her chin, and greeted them first. But her attempt at courtesy was met with indifference—Daniel didn’t even acknowledge her greeting. He stood there, arms crossed, glaring openly at Sophia with thinly veiled contempt.

Flushed with embarrassment at being snubbed so openly, Sophia’s cheeks reddened. Then Arthur, who’d been standing behind Daniel, stepped forward and bowed politely.

“Lady Sophia. It’s been a while.”

Daniel glanced sideways at his brother, clearly displeased, but whatever his expression, Sophia managed to maintain her dignity, giving Arthur a slight nod in reply. Their eyes met for just a moment.

“It’s only proper that I excuse myself when family wishes to speak privately. I’ll see you all another time. Aisha, I hope to see you again soon.”

Unlike her earlier entrance, Sophia’s exit was graceful and composed. Aisha merely inclined her head in response to her farewell. Whatever she made of it, Sophia left with a haughty snort, her face twisted in annoyance.

“What did she say to you?”

Daniel, who’d been on guard until Sophia left, immediately turned to Aisha and questioned her. Looking at her brother’s concerned face, Aisha shook her head and answered, her voice drained of energy.

“…Daniel, can we go home now? I just want to rest.”