To teor, Crescent was soone special.
It was clear he held a particular fondness for her, whether rational or otherwise.
Sienna’s clenched fists grew even whiter.
“For soone so important, Crescent didn’t seem to care that much. That’s even more irritating.”
Wasn’t it proof that teor was more hung up on her?
What exactly made Crescent so unique and precious to him?
Suddenly, another young lady spoke up.
“What exactly did Miss Crescent do to you, Lady Sienna?”
“Ahem.”
“Hm-hm.”
The young ladies cleared their throats, stealing glances at Sienna.
Sienna lowered her gaze, hesitant as though it was difficult to talk about. After a mont of hesitation, she finally spoke.
“Truthfully, I’m sure Miss Crescent didn’t an anything by it. I didn’t think much of it either, but when others got upset on my behalf, I didn’t know where to put myself.”
“What could have happened…?”
“Oh, co now! How could you call that aningless? Lady Sienna, you’re just too pure for your own good.”
“That’s exactly what I think! Crescent said it herself, didn’t she? That even if you got married, she’d still be the most beloved in the Pluto Ducal House!”
“She outright dismissed and belittled you. Acting as if she were the actual daughter of the Pluto family, despite being nothing more than an adopted stray. And look where it got her—disowned and thrown away. What a wise family.”
“Oh my.”
The young ladies collectively sighed in relief, patting their chests as if a great weight had been lifted.
Sienna, however, rely looked on with a faint trace of pity in her eyes, refraining from adding any further remarks.
Listening to her peers disparage Crescent was satisfaction enough.
“That’s so refreshing.”
In truth, Crescent had never said anything to slight her.
At first, Sienna had genuinely tried to get along with Crescent as family.
But after hearing that teor liked Crescent, she was overwheld by emotions she couldn’t control.
In a fit of anger, she had lied in front of the other young ladies.
Watching them beco outraged on her behalf had helped soothe the burning turmoil inside her.
Besides, there was no chance her lie would be exposed since Crescent would never appear in their social circles.
Instead, she’d likely see teor every day at the Holy Palace.
Sienna clutched her dress tightly.
Just thinking about it made her chest tighten with jealousy.
And now, she was certain of one thing: teor did harbor feelings for Crescent.
Even worse, Sienna intuitively knew she could never surpass her.
Crash!
That’s when it happened.
The sound of shattering glass outside the room caused everyone’s eyes to widen in shock, Sienna included.
What was that?
She hadn’t ordered more tea, had she?
Was it just soone passing by and making a mistake?
As Sienna considered dismissing it, a voice rang out.
“M-my apologies, Lord Pluto! I didn’t realize you were here!”
“L-Lord Pluto!”
“….”
What?
A chilling sensation crept up Sienna’s spine.
What had they just said?
Lord Pluto?
The young ladies, equally shocked, exclaid in unison.
“Lord Pluto? Did I hear that right?”
“I heard it too!”
While the young ladies exchanged puzzled glances, Sienna urgently gestured to her maid.
The maid quickly moved to the door and opened it.
With growing anxiety, Sienna peeked beyond the door.
Two servants were picking up shards of broken glass from the floor, and behind them stood a figure.
A holy knight, clad in a pristine white uniform with a light blue sash draped elegantly over his shoulder.
His dark, sharp gaze pierced straight through to where Sienna stood.
“!”
Sienna shot to her feet.
His serene blue eyes, now cold and unyielding, seed to radiate a different hue.
Why was he looking at her like that?
Had he heard the conversation that had just taken place in this room?
The other young ladies, startled, rose from their seats as well.
Feigning ignorance, Sienna plastered on a bright smile and approached teor.
“Lord Pluto, what brings you here unannounced? Did you just arrive?”
Though Sienna’s tone was cheerful, the young ladies exchanged awkward glances, unable to muster the courage to greet teor themselves.
teor offered a faint, almost imperceptible smile before lowering his head briefly.
It was absurd.
Straightening, he spoke.
“Lady Tudor, it seems you hold quite a few misunderstandings about Crescent.”
“….”
Sienna’s mind went blank.
Completely blacked out, she couldn’t think at all.
teor had heard everything.
Every word spoken about Crescent in this room.
But Sienna quickly composed herself and calmly responded.
“It’s not what you think, Lord Pluto. I can explain everything.”
Turning to the other young ladies, she added,
“Ladies, it seems there’s been a misunderstanding with Lord Pluto. Would you kindly give us so privacy? I’d appreciate it.”
“Ah, yes, of course.”
“See you next ti, my lady.”
The noblewon masked their embarrassnt as they hurried out of the room.
Once the room was empty, teor stood silently for a mont, staring at Sienna.
Finally, with a faint, humorless smile, he stepped further into the room, facing her.
The door clicked shut behind him, leaving only the two of them in the drawing room.
teor had heard every word exchanged in this room.
Though he’d never cared about Sienna’s socializing, to think she’d stoop so low as to spread baseless rumors and insult soone innocent—it was unforgivable.
Why did people look down on Crescent?
Especially those who’d never saved a single life, unlike her.
“Sienna.”
teor’s voice was cold as he called her na, laced with derision.
“Even if we had married, I would never have loved you.”
“What?”
Sienna bit her lip hard.
She had already suspected as much, but hearing it outright crushed her.
For four years of engagent, teor had made no effort to love her.
teor’s voice dropped lower.
“Still, I would never have hated or ignored you. You were my fiancée, and you would have beco the mistress of the Pluto Ducal House. But now, even that is no longer possible.”
Sienna’s hands clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
What was he saying?
Over sothing as trivial as Crescent’s insults?
It was unbelievable.
Though he’d never been kind or affectionate, he’d always treated her with respect. Yet now, even that was gone.
He had cast away even the basic courtesy he’d extended to her.
“This is absurd.”
Though she wanted to scream at him, Sienna couldn’t do so against the heir of the Pluto Ducal House.
She forced herself to remain composed and said,
“I’m sorry. It’s entirely my fault. I shouldn’t have let the other ladies speak such nonsense. I apologize for not stopping them.”
teor’s frustration deepened.
“Did Crescent actually say that to you? That she’d be the most beloved in the Pluto Ducal House?”
Sienna found his trust in Crescent infuriating.
What if her words had been true?
“You must know Crescent very well, Lord Pluto.”
“Sienna, you’re the one who knows nothing about Crescent. She’d never say sothing like that, and my family and I know that for a fact.”
Sienna laughed bitterly.
She felt as though a dam inside her had finally burst.
“Even so, I’m still your fiancée. Do you really need to hurt twice over?”
“And that’s why, Sienna.”
teor’s voice grew colder.
Though he fought to remain calm, his frigid tone betrayed his fury.
“I think it’s ti to end our engagent.”
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