" and Celitia? What news?"
Sophia was completely unaware of the situation. After thinking for a mont, she assud Charlotte was referring to the morning's events.
On second thought, that didn't make sense—after all, Charlotte was the one who had been embarrassed that morning. If that incident had spread, Charlotte definitely wouldn't be reacting this way.
In fact, Sophia had assud Charlotte would be sulking behind closed doors, so she was surprised to see her rushing over so urgently.
"They're all saying," Charlotte's volu showed no restraint, "that last night you and Celitia had quite a wild ti, and even ended up in the hospital because of it!"
"A wild ti? And ended up in the hospital??" Sophia was dumbfounded.
Wait, did that an what she thought it ant?
Charlotte nodded vigorously: "Yes, the people on the third floor said they heard everything clearly!"
"Heard clearly?" Sophia laughed in anger. "What exactly did they hear so clearly?!"
Charlotte misunderstood that Sophia was asking her, and her already reddened face flushed even more from embarrassnt:
"Well, the sounds from the... the bed, of course. They said the moaning was quite loud..."
Charlotte's voice attracted several onlookers who, upon noticing Sophia, all pretended to have business there and refused to leave, each one straining their ears to catch the gossip.
"You're the one who needs to lower your voice!" Sophia wanted to slap Charlotte's forehead.
Charlotte also realized her voice was too loud and quickly covered her mouth: "I'm sorry, I got a bit too excited..."
After the initial disbelief, Sophia quickly cald down.
"Let's go back first. Don't talk about this here. Tell exactly what's going on in detail."
Charlotte then told Sophia all the different versions of the rumors she had heard, leaving Sophia both angry and helpless.
The original version claid they had quarreled, which then beca a physical fight, which finally transford into "fighting" in bed, and even "fighting" their way to the hospital.
This fully demonstrated how absurdly a rumor could change as it spread.
Sophia looked at Charlotte: "Do you believe these rumors are true?"
"Um..." Charlotte hesitated.
Charlotte also lived on the third floor, but she hadn't been in the dormitory last night, so she had no idea what had happened.
When she returned and heard the rumors, all her grievances had transford into anger toward Celitia:
So this woman dared to publicly force her to apologize because she had gained Sophia's favor!
When Charlotte didn't imdiately answer, Sophia glared at her: "You don't actually believe the rumors are true, do you?!"
"Of course not!" Charlotte imdiately declared. "Your Highness would never do such things!!"
Whether the rumors were true or not didn't matter—what mattered was preventing them from becoming true.
"Sophia, it's quite obvious—this is all Celitia's deliberate sche!"
"What deliberate sche," Sophia instinctively rebuked Charlotte. "Don't make things up."
"It's true! Listen to —these rumors must have been spread by Celitia!"
Charlotte hurriedly continued, growing more confident as she spoke. "Including this morning's incident—she's deliberately trying to attract your attention!"
"This morning's incident... Charlotte, I know you still resent Celitia, but you shouldn't fabricate things about her like this."
Seeing that Sophia still didn't believe her, Charlotte grew more anxious:
"Oh, Sophia, you've really been blinded by that woman! As the young lady of the prestigious Williams family, what benefit would I get from spreading rumors about her? She's from a fallen noble family, yet she's tying herself to the Princess with gossip, and stepping on my reputation to get your attention. In every incident, not only are our reputations damaged, but she's the only one who benefits!"
Borrowing more air in her lungs she continued:
"Don't be fooled by how Celitia seems sowhat indifferent to you—she's just playing hard to get! Just thinking about such despicable tactics makes my skin crawl!!"
"Playing hard to get..." Sophia fell silent.
In that mont, Sophia actually felt that Charlotte's words made so sense.
Otherwise, why would Celitia treat her with such an attitude?
Like soone at the distant horizon, sotis watching her from afar, sotis quietly approaching to gently brush her hair, then suddenly vanishing, leaving only an untouchable silhouette.
If that were the case, Sophia had to admit, Celitia had succeeded.
Her eyes could no longer look away from her.
She found herself involuntarily drawn to pay attention to her.
"Perhaps," Sophia said with difficulty, forcing herself to find an explanation, "this is all Margaret's plot, and she's spreading rumors to damage my reputation..."
"Wouldn't that make the problem even worse? It would an Celitia is soone sent by Margaret to get close to you!"
Charlotte lowered her voice slightly.
"Duke Augs has always been dissatisfied with you. Margaret's insistence on attending Samuel Academy this ti is clearly directed at you..."
"What are you two saying about behind my back?"
Speak of the devil—the freckled girl with reddish-brown hair approached from behind them, arms crossed, looking at them with disdain.
"Well, if it isn't Sophia and her little follower... As expected of the Princess, you've beco the talk of the school before classes have even started!"
Far from being angered by Margaret's face-to-face mockery, Sophia grew even calr.
She spoke in a asured tone: "Tell , Margaret, are these widespread rumors your handiwork again?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Margaret was startled, then flew into a rage. "Your own little lover has been exposed, and now you're trying to pin it on ? You're willing to sacrifice your dignity just to clear yourself?!"
Seeing Margaret's reaction, Sophia felt that this ti she wasn't lying—the matter truly seed unrelated to her.
Could it really be Celitia...
Her previously firm belief in Celitia began to waver.
Although Charlotte had been labeled a "little follower" by Margaret, she was too preoccupied to argue and temporarily aligned herself with Margaret:
"See, Sophia? I told you it was that little tramp's doing!"
"Enough! I'll investigate this matter myself. I don't need you to say more!!"
Sophia felt her head pounding—the aftereffects of not resting well made her increasingly irritable.
She decided to go back for a nap first, then personally seek confirmation from Celitia when she woke up.
Ignoring the two girls, Sophia headed toward the dormitory.
Margaret's voice followed her from behind: "If you ask , Sophia, next ti you have your passionate encounters with your little lover, rember to keep it down, and don't get too wild!"
Without turning back, Sophia replied: "If you ask , Margaret, next ti rember to take your brain out from your chest and use it once in a while, so you don't believe everything your ears hear!"
"Pfft—" Charlotte couldn't hold back her laughter.
Margaret's face alternated between green and white with anger, her prominent chest heaving up and down, seeming to confirm Sophia's mockery about being "top-heavy but brainless."
Since when had her tongue beco so sharp?!
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