Some hours had now passed and, due to the overwhelming pressure of Duke Criswell, Bradley had been forced to stay for lunch; however, once he noticed the lack of an element at the dining table, a certain restlessness settled. Even so, he didn’t pursue the matter. Instead, he glanced over the bright room, seeing how the wood glimmered and how the servants quietly lowered their heads, afraid of even taking in a breath.

   “Did you enjoy this morning’s tea, Lord Bradley?” Alvin asked as his knife slowly sliced a piece of the tender venison meat sitting on his elaborate plate.

   “Yes, very much so. I am grateful for your invitation.” His response was composed and polite, making the Duke’s lips curl upwards, in the shape of a crescent moon.

   “By all means, you know you are always welcome here.” The elder man’s thin fingers grabbed one of the embroidered napkins and brought it to his mouth, cleaning it with gentle pats.

   Amanda was sitting across from Bradley; yet, her hands barely moved, forcing the delicious food to be left untouched. Her deep blue eyes focused on the man standing in front of her, eating them alive with transparent lust. Not even the intense fragrance emanating from the meat was enough to return her soul to reality.

   The sound of cutlery being placed down on the table was heard and then Alvin continued. “How about we settle the marriage date for the beginning of Blistering? We are all very excited to welcome you into the family, my future son-in-law.”

   As the Duke emphasized his last words, a strange tension rested on the table. Bradley already knew this topic was about to rise, eventually. Because of his father’s request, he had to leave the capital for a long period, forcing their marriage to be delayed; but now that he was back, there was nothing preventing the ceremony to occur.

   “I’m afraid we cannot provide you with the exact date just yet; the mines we discovered in the northern part of our land are taking a tool on our resources and time. Having a wedding when there’s such instability would not be beneficial. I’m sure you understand.” A polite smile appeared on his lips.

   Alvin knew he couldn’t push this matter further, otherwise it would only sound like his soul was too eager, reflecting poorly on the whole family. Even though his aura seemed calm and comprehensive, his inner thoughts were cursing the young man who didn’t seem keen on settling down so soon.

   In fact, the second son of the Trace’s had been delaying this matter as long as he possibly could. He was well aware of how wicked Amanda’s ideals were and how twisted her personality was. In his eyes, she was nothing more than a troublesome spoiled child who cared about nothing other than her own toys.

   “Of course, My Lord. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you might need any extra manpower.” As a businessman whose objectives were set in stone, Alvin reinforced the benefits of the marriage at hand.

   “You’re very kind Duke.” After finishing his lunch awkwardly, he glanced at Amanda’s plate, which continued to be untouched. Her whole being was focused on him, as if someone had drugged her into a trance.

   His eyes then observed the large table, with only three people sitting in its surroundings yet the overwhelming amount of food seemed to be able to feed all the servants in the room. His mind then recalled the young woman he had met some hours before. A hint of a smile graced his lips.

   This sudden memory sparked some curiosity within the young man’s heart. “Are you perhaps, housing any guests today?”

   “Of course not. How could we, when we knew you were coming?” As if she had been reborn, Amanda quickly intervened, snorting slightly when speaking.

   Don’t tell me... Bradley’s mind connected the pieces of the puzzle. If that young woman wasn’t a guest, then there was only one result left, an option he didn’t want to consider. ... she’s his rumored second daughter?

   “When I was searching for Lady Amanda, I crossed paths with a young girl with unique black hair. Might she be your mysterious sister?” As these words left her fiancé’s mouth, Amanda clenched her fists under the table and her heart rate spiked. She could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks at the speed of light.

   “You see My Lord...” As the Duke was replying, hoping to swiftly change the course of conversation, his eldest child rudely interrupted him.

   “Indeed, she is my younger sister, Ophelia. Unfortunately, because of her peculiar behavior, we try to keep her inside the estate as much as possible.” A smile rested on Amanda’s expression, yet clearly forced, since the corners of her lips twitched repeatedly.

   “That girl is a very troublesome individual.” Alvin nodded in agreement at his daughter’s offensive words.

   Bradley knew they were hiding something, so he stirred the pot further. “During our brief encounter, she appeared to be quite graceful.”

   “Graceful?” Amanda snorted and rolled her eyes, right before crossing her arms as if she was about to throw a tantrum. “That brat wouldn’t see grace even if it fell on her lap. She is self-centered, childish and egoistic.” Her hands pushed her hair backwards, but her mouth continued to speak, unfiltered. “Ophelia thinks everyone else is beneath her. How could I take her to social gatherings? It would be a fiasco.”

   The guest listened to his fiancée’s words attentively, a tinge of satisfaction hidden behind his bright emerald eyes. These were the true colors of the woman he was about to marry. How utterly disgusting.

   Alvin’s hand punched the table loudly, forcing the young woman to regain her sense of self. “Amanda! Have some manners!” His eyes glared at her coldly, causing her to shudder and freeze in place. His attention was then shifted towards Bradley, who continued serenely drinking a bit of the red wine. “Please forgive her rudeness, it seems I still have much to teach her.”

   He nodded but prevented Alvin from turning the tides on the conversation at hand. “Do you agree with her thoughts, Duke?”

   “Ophelia is indeed a troublesome child. She must take after her deceased mother’s worst habits; may God have her soul.” His eyes twitched slightly as he tried to maintain his regular composure. “She is also very sickly, can’t stand being outside her room for too long… it is a very problematic situation as you can imagine.”

   This was a very sensible topic. Alvin despised his younger daughter, but he couldn’t insult her bluntly like Amanda did; that would only show how the house had problems at its core. Gossip was bound to follow nobles wherever they went and the Duke didn’t intend to bring more attention than necessary to his house, at least for now.

   A spoiled, sickly girl is it...? Even with the host’s words, Bradley continued to find the matter strange and couldn’t help but to think their conversation was made of complete and utter lies. After all, how could a noble woman whose attire was out of fashion, clearly worn out to the brim, be spoiled?

   As Duke Criswell regained control of the conversation, his guest’s thoughts were lost somewhere else. He couldn’t help but think about how a maiden, no older than 15, was being neglected and clearly exiled from the rest of the family.

   Even then, he remained quiet, not mentioning the matter further. That young girl was rather smart, cunning and blunt, traits that didn’t appear often in the noblewomen in the capital whose sole pleasure relied on gossiping and mocking others with their simpleton words.

   He couldn’t forget how she had swiftly trapped him with her annoying eldest sister or how indifferent she was to his charms. Feeling his pride strongly hurt, his interest within the Criswell estate had shifted. He wanted to make that strange girl admit defeat towards the only thing he held up in high regard: his power of seduction.

   Simultaneously, Amanda’s depths observed his father, dumbfounded. She couldn’t believe the words that had left Alvin’s mouth, especially knowing how much her mother meant to her and how kind-hearted she truly was. A strange uneasiness embraced her soul, forcing her to drink the water glass in a single gulp, hoping it would be enough to drown her negative feelings.