This year, expenses for dresses and accessories had skyrocketed as a result, but Sophia, now 19 and already engaged, silently accepted these costs.
“It’s an incredible amount of money, but Father and Tina say it’s still on the cheaper side. I’m not familiar with these things, so I wouldn’t know,” Sophia thought.
Sophia’s experience in society was limited to her debut at a single ball. Since her engagement was already settled, she had no need to participate in social gatherings to find a match. When social obligations arose, her father would take Tina. Until the day she inherited the family and attended with Rauno, Sophia had no reason to enter society again.
After dinner, Sophia returned to her father’s study and resumed her work. By this point, she had already taken over the household responsibilities sufficiently to manage the Viscount family whenever needed.
One day, the Duke of Citrona paid an unexpected visit to the Manscott family. The young duke, who had inherited his title at an early age, caused a stir with his sudden appearance. Sophia, startled, couldn’t help but wonder:
“Could it be that Tina has caught the duke’s eye? But I thought he was already married… Could this mean she might become a second wife?”
Summoned by her father, Sophia nervously went to greet the duke. However, she quickly sensed from the tense atmosphere that this wasn’t the pleasant topic of her sister’s marriage. Instead, she grew worried that her father might have made some grave mistake.
In the parlor, Tina sat between their father and Sophia, while the Duke of Citrona sat opposite them.
“So, do you have any defense for Miss Tina’s foolish actions?” the duke demanded.
“No, not at all. My deepest apologies,” Maion replied, bowing his head repeatedly in contrition. Beside him, Tina hung her head low, tears streaming down her face, occasionally sobbing.
Unaware of the situation, Sophia held her breath as she watched. The duke sneered and laid out the facts.
“Then you admit that Miss Tina attempted to seduce my sister’s fiancé, nearly causing an engagement to be called off, and shamelessly tried to take his place for herself?”
The revelation left Sophia speechless. She knew her sister had been anxious and had been told to marry into a good family. But for Tina to pursue someone already engaged was utterly disgraceful.
“My daughter meant no harm! The gentleman must have been so charming that she simply got carried away talking to him. She’s at an age where she’s starting to feel anxious, and she just wanted to ask for a good match to be introduced to her.”
“Hmph, is that so? I’ve received complaints about Miss Tina’s behavior from others as well. —Very well, if she’s that desperate to find a husband, I can introduce her to someone. Coincidentally, someone has been asking me to help find them a suitable match. What do you say?”
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