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Sophie had anticipated this outcome. The Marquis of Ironridge’s family valued its reputation above all else. Though Jessica had tarnished it over the years, Margaret had constantly been cleaning up after her. The younger members of their family were always cautious, guarding their actions and words to avoid bringing disgrace to their name.
For a family that had stood for over a century, preserving their honor was paramount. They would rather suffer in silence than let their name be sullied.
What’s more, the fault lay with Jessica, Margaret’s own daughter-in-law.
“The Jaffe family came today,” Margaret continued, breaking her usual discretion.
She never aired her household’s dirty laundry, not even a whisper-but today was different. The matter had occurred at Hell Monarch Estate and during Helen’s birthday banquet, no less.
“Rebecca was adamant that my son had ruined her daughter’s reputation. With so many witnesses present, they now claim their daughter’s marriage prospects are ruined. They’re even willing to lower their standards and have Ms. Jaffe enter our household as a concubine.”
Sophie, not wanting to comment too much on the situation, offered gentle consolation, “It’s already happened, Madam Winchester. Perhaps it’s best to make peace with it.”
“Forgive me for causing you such trouble, Your Grace,” Margaret quickly composed herself, restoring her usual grace.
However, her earlier confrontation with the matriarch of the Jaffe family had shown her just how shameless people could be.
Sophie smiled slightly. “I’ve seen a lot, Madam Winchester. It’s always difficult to deal with those who lack honor.”
Margaret was touched by her words, a hint of regret in her expression. “You must have had a hard time back then.”
“Don’t let it trouble you,” Sophie replied gently. “If she lacked proper conduct before, once she enters your household, she’ll have to follow the rules.”
Margaret sighed, nodding. “Everyone knows what happened yesterday. She wasn’t interested in my son. I’ve already reprimanded him-how could he be so foolish? After so many years in the bureaucracy still not learned caution or the importance of maintaining
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boundaries. This is a serious lapse in etiquette. This time, it was just about taking a concubine, but what about next time? This serves as a lesson for him to never be so careless again.”
Sophie was aware of Margaret’s level-headedness, and agreed, “That is true, especially when it comes to matters between men and women. Otherwise, you end up with another parasitic in-law.”
Thinking back to the events of that morning, Margaret felt a wave of frustration wash over her. “I’ve already seen enough of that today The desperation to latch on, that brute force, that utter shamelessness-I’ve rarely Ove encountered such things in my life, but today… I’ve truly learned.”
When Rebecca arrived this morning, she had spoken bluntly. Her daughter’s reputation had been ruined, and with so many witnesses present, her marriage prospects were now bleak. If the Marquis of Ironridge’s family refused to take responsibility, she threatened to make the scandal public.
The Jaffe family’s reputation was already tarnished-what harm would it do to drag the marquis’ family down with them?
The Jaffe family was nothing but a rotten bunch. Whoever got involved with them would be tainted. Handle it discreetly, and the damage would be minimal. But if it were to explode into a full-blown scandal, then the Marquis of Ironridge’s hundred-year reputation would be destroyed in the blink of an eye.
In the end, it all came down to marrying an unworthy wife.
If Jessica hadn’t schemed against the Hell Monarch, this mess wouldn’t have landed on their doorstep. Now, it was up to Jessica to figure out how to clean up her own mess.
After Margaret took her leave, Helen hurried into the sitting hall.
However, she only found Sophie sitting alone, leisurely sipping coffee, her expression contemplative.
Helen frowned and asked, “Wasn’t Madam Winchester supposed to be here? I rushed over, thinking I’d get to have a chat with her.”
Sophie rose and curtsied gracefully. “Mother, Madam Winchester just left a short while ago.”
“She’s gone?” Helen said, out of breath, sinking into a chair. “Wasn’t she here to talk to me?”
Her disappointment was evident. She thought Margaret had been here to see her. Helen often envied Eleanor, who was always surrounded by visitors from high society.
“She was here for you as well,” Sophie explained gently. “But when she heard you were still recovering from last night’s festivities, she didn’t want to disturb you and left early.”
With just one glance at Helen’s expression, Sophie could tell what was on her mind. Her mother-in-law’s thoughts were never hard to guess.
“Overindulging in wine has its consequences,” Helen muttered, her thoughts turning to her son’s outburst the previous night. She glanced at Sophie carefully, and asked, “Did Rafael give you a hard time last night?”
Sophie cleared her throat lightly and answered, “No, he just said a few words to me, and that was it.”
“Just a few words?” Helen could tell Sophie was fibbing.
Who knew her son better than her?
When everything was fine, he could be pleasant enough, but when something truly angered him, a few words wouldn’t smooth things over. She suspected Sophie had endured much more of his temper than she was letting on.
The poor girl was trying to cover for him.
Helen’s heart softened at the thought. “I know you’re in charge of the inner courtyard, and matters like taking concubines should be your decision. But if he doesn’t like it, don’t bring it up again. It’ll only provoke his scolding or wrath. Men, when they lose their temper, can be ruthless-even to their own mothers.”
Sophie’s face flushed as she recalled what Rafael had whispered to her earlier that morning before leaving for court: “If I didn’t have to attend court today, you wouldn’t have been able to get out of bed.” Embarrassed, Sophie quickly turned her head away and murmured, “Yes, I understand.”
Seeing Sophie avoiding her gaze, Helen sighed and called out, “Gillian, instruct the kitchen to prepare some royal jelly for the princess consort. She needs to recuperate.” “Understood, my lady,” Gillian replied before excusing herself.
Helen then asked about Serena, and Sophie relayed the events truthfully.
After hearing the story, Helen was momentarily stunned. “Madam Winchester really agreed to let her into the family? It’s clearly a setup, and not even aimed at her own son!” Although Helen had been in high spirits the night before and hadn’t noticed all the details, she had pieced things together through the morning chatter while getting ready for the day. “The Marquis of Ironridge’s family has upheld its reputation for over a century. They wouldn’t want even a whisper of scandal,” Sophie explained.
“For the sake of that reputation, they’ll just submit? If it were up to me, I’d let people say whatever they want. There’s no way I’d allow her through the door! A little thing like her, with a hundred schemes in her head? People like that have no place in the household,” Helen said firmly.
Helen had always been wary of overly scheming people. She knew she couldn’t outmaneuver them, so she preferred to keep them far away.
Sophie chuckled softly. “Even if she’s full of schemes, once she’s in their household, they’ll be crushed one by one. She won’t survive long if she doesn’t fall in line.”
Helen thought about it. The Marquis of Ironridge’s family was indeed a strict household with countless rules. It wasn’t easy even for a legitimate wife to navigate, let alone a concubine.
Life would be tough for Serena there.
Losing interest in the topic, Helen shifted the conversation to the preparations for Kiera’s engagement gifts and dowry.
Sophie reassured, “You don’t need to worry, Mother. The dowry is already being prepared, and Queen Kylie won’t slight Kiera. Their residence is currently being
Logan, she’ll only go to the Quinton family’s residence for the wedding ceremony. After that, she and Logan will reside in their own estate.”
renovated. When Kiera et
Helen nodded. “I’ve set aside some dowry money for her. As her sister-in-law, you should contribute as well. After all, Rafael has saved quite a bit over the years.” Sophie smiled. “Don’t worry, Mother. I’ll make sure it’s more than enough.”
Helen propped her elbow on the table, looking at Sophie thoughtfully. “You know, you handle things so efficiently. You really put my mind at ease. I think… I really like you.” Sophie was momentarily stunned.