During a break, as Alexis prepared to tease Julius about his love life, the butler entered with a letter addressed to Julius.
The letter bore the Manscott family’s seal. Julius quickly broke the wax and read its contents.
“What the—?”
Julius froze in place, his mouth hanging open in disbelief.
Curious, Alexis peeked at the letter. Its contents read:
"Sending the elder daughter was a mistake. We will send the younger daughter instead. Please proceed with tomorrow’s marriage as Tina’s, not Sophia’s. Sophia agrees to this arrangement."
“—That old fool!” Julius exclaimed.
“…Julius, I have a favor to ask—”
“—I don’t mind, but wouldn’t it be faster to storm into the Viscount’s estate directly?” Alexis interrupted.
Agreeing to Julius’s request, Alexis remained convinced that the true problem lay with the troublemakers in the Manscott family.
The next day, seeing Julius still paralyzed with shock, Alexis forced him into a carriage and departed immediately.
* * *
That morning, Sophia finished dressing and tried to leave her room, only to find the door wouldn’t open.
Did the lock break because it’s so old?
She jiggled the knob and pulled harder, but the door remained stuck. In desperation, she banged on the door and shouted for help, until a familiar voice replied:
“Good morning, Sophia. How are you today?”
“—Rauno! What are you doing here?”
“Your father asked me to keep you in this room all day. I’ve been here since this morning.”
“W-what’s going on?!”
“Well, you see, after you left, your father had to take over the work you were doing. But Tina couldn’t manage the responsibilities of a lady of the house. Things in the mansion fell apart quickly. Your father couldn’t handle the household duties on top of his own, and it even started to affect his external relationships and work. Everyone was in a bind.”
Previously, Sophia had managed all the household affairs in addition to the viscount’s work. She had learned everything with the guidance of the head maid. If Tina needed help, she could have sought similar guidance.
“Tina’s great at socializing and makes a dazzling impression, but she’s no good with boring tasks like correspondence or seasonal greetings. Anyway, I can’t risk my future wife’s family falling apart. Since Tina said she wouldn’t mind marrying into the frontier, everyone thought swapping you two would make everyone happier.”
“What about my happiness?!”
“Managing the household is your role, Sophia. Be reasonable.”
What kind of reason is that?!
Anger boiled in Sophia’s chest, but it was an unfamiliar feeling. She could only open and close her mouth soundlessly, her fists clenched in frustration.
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