*˖:✧ ⑅•.⋅༻♔༺•⑅ ✧:˖*
All of Cody’s actions were reported to the King. He was still being watched because he was still young. Thus, he had been severely scolded by the King when his disagreeable course of actions were reported.
He was given a month’s confinement as punishment. During that time, he studied everyday under the guise of spiritual training.
The reason why I know this is because Cody came to apologize to me as soon as his confinement was lifted.
But even though he apologized to me, I’m sure he didn’t think his actions were problematic. In fact, he said he felt sorry for Betty and asked me to be kind to her.
Betty leaned close to him and said, “You’re so kind, Cody-sama.”
From that day on, I stopped seeing him often talking to Betty, and he never really leaves me behind. Yet he still acts as if he cares about her from time to time.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
“Kiyaaaa!”
Noble children who have yet to debut in the noble society often come along with their parents to tea parties as a way to prepare for social activities.
Betty and I were invited to a party held by a countess who was an acquaintance of my father.
A buffet was prepared for the tea party. I was having a conversation with a lady. At that time, Betty, who happened to pass by, suddenly fell down.
“Betty, are you okay?!”
Andrea immediately rushed over. The nobles around us turned their eyes at Betty to see what’s going on.
The dress my father had picked for me to wear was now stained. Betty glanced at me looking very afraid. That alone made the people around think that I deliberately did something to her.
Andrea even glared at me.
“Dahlia, you’re so despicable! Why would you humiliate your own sister?!”
The Countess next to me quietly moved away from me, trying not to get herself involved. The nobles around looked at us, half-doubting Andrea’s words.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Please don’t play dumb!”
“I’m not. She fell on her own.”
“What did you say?”
“Mother, stop.”
Betty tried to stop Andrea with tears in her eyes. Then she looked at me with a forced smile, her eyes looking very frightened.
“It’s—, it’s not Onee-sama’s fault. I—, I fell on my own.”
Even though what she said is true, she’s made it look like she’s lying to protect me. That’s the idea she’s trying to present to the people.
“You’re such a kind girl, Betty. I can’t believe you’re still defending your sister even after what she did to you.”
Andrea embraced Betty. Betty glanced at me and stuck out her tongue. What a vicious child.
“Duchess Stewart, something else must have caused her to fall. I think. Miss Betty is of similar build to my daughter. We’ll have her dressed in no time. Miss Dahlia, how about you? Let me help you too.”
The countess, the hostess of the tea party, immediately guided Betty and Andrea to another room. The nobles around were quiet for a moment but later acted as if nothing happened.
◇◇◇ Find the original chapter at g.com.
******’s Side
“Did you see what happened just now?”
“Yes, the whole thing. Didn’t miss one single detail.”
A handsome young man with silver hair and purple eyes watched everything that had happened. He snorted with laughter.
“The Duke seems to have brought in a great deal of poison.”
A man with black eyes and black hair, who also looked handsome though not as much as the guy with the silver hair, wrinkled his eyebrows as he frowned while the silver-haired guy continued to laugh.
“It’s no laughing matter. I feel sorry for the princess.”
“I know. Never thought something like a prostitute would be able to prop herself in a tea party only high-class nobles attend. There’s even two of them.”
The silver-haired man’s smile turned cold as he glanced at the disappearing figures of Betty and Andrea.
“Let’s go. We have to report this.”
“The discussion before isn’t merely a suggestion, it will surely be carried out.”
“No problem.”
The black-haired man followed the silver-haired guy, who turned its heel firmly.
*˖:✧ ⑅•.⋅༻♔༺•⑅ ✧:˖*