Sophia, the elder sister, watched her father and younger sister Tina leave for the ball before heading alone to the kitchen.
She warmed up leftover soup from lunch and prepared her own dinner using bread left over from breakfast.
Although they employed a cook, Sophia refrained from asking them to prepare a single meal just for her. The cook was working for a modest salary, and Sophia was mindful not to inconvenience them, knowing she couldn’t afford to lose their help.
After finishing her preparations, Sophia reached for a jar from the shelf. The jar she held shimmered with ruby-red strawberry jam.
“This is the last one. Oranges won’t be cheap for a while yet, will they?”
The jam was Sophia’s special creation, made with strawberries bought during early spring at a steep discount. She had deliberately chosen overripe strawberries sold in bulk for a single coin, then used the family’s large pot to make her luxurious “Homemade Strawberry Jam,” consisting only of strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice.
In the summer, she made orange jam, and in the winter, she used apples gifted by acquaintances to make jam, always adding them to her solitary meals. These jams were a small but cherished luxury in Sophia’s otherwise humble life.
The reason for such modest living was that Sophia’s family, the Viscount House of Manscott, teetered on the brink of financial ruin.
Sophia’s father, Maion, managed the impoverished Viscount family with meticulous plans to ensure his daughters wouldn’t face hardships in the future. Since their early childhood, he worked diligently to make these plans a reality.
The first priority was proper etiquette training, which both daughters received equally. Afterward, each daughter was given education tailored to her intended future.
For Sophia, the eldest, the plan was to marry her cousin Rauno, the second son of the Manscott Count and Maion’s elder brother, as an adopted son-in-law to inherit the family.
For Tina, the younger sister, the focus was on enhancing her appearance so she could marry into a good family. After her debut in society, she was brought to tea parties and balls to attract attention.
—This wasn’t discrimination, Maion believed, but a necessary distinction. As an impoverished viscount, there were limited options, and it couldn’t be helped.
Maion firmly held this belief. While he blamed himself for his lack of capability, he took pride in having prepared at least one viable path for each of his daughters through his tireless efforts.
Tina, bearing the weight of her father’s expectations, had turned 18 and was growing anxious. The Manscott family needed her to find a good match as soon as possible.
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