I Will Return My New Brother - Chapter 211

Rany, who swiftly approached me, looked askance at Bertin.

“Do you attend every banquet? You should have just stayed to pray at the temple, why bother coming here and there?”

“There is family business.”

Looking at the brief answer, he was definitely dragged here against his will.

I spotted the Gramia family, dressed formally, in the distance.

Those graceful figures looked as though they came straight out of a picture.

No one would be able to imagine how twisted and rotten they were underneath.

Bertin changed the topic by praising my dress.

“You look good with pastel tones. It’s beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

Rany, who expressed the exact same sentiment a few days ago, clenched her fists.

It seemed that she felt extremely humiliated for having the same thoughts that he did?

In a way, they are actually a match made in heaven.

They didn’t even plan it, how could they mirror each other so well?

“I think you can even wear a slightly dark shawl to go with it.”

Rany’s expression had crumpled the moment Bertin finished his words.

Turning her head as if she didn’t want to admit it, Rany mumbled to herself.

“I want to split my head open for thinking the same way as him.”

You’ll die if you split your head open.

“Let’s treat it as Bertin having good taste, just like you.”

Rany gritted her teeth and whispered.

“No, let’s just say we’re both idiots.”

Was it so unacceptable for her to say that they were both good?

Why did it have to end up with the conclusion that both of them were stupid?

Ignoring a fuming Rany, Bertin straightforwardly asked a question.

“So, why did you suddenly poke the Crown Prince and decide to attend this banquet?”

I shifted slightly as he asked the question, avoiding his smiling gaze.

Based on his guileful attitude, he definitely had his assumptions, but he didn’t ask.

I wouldn’t answer even if he asks, though.

It would immediately reach Zen if I told Bertin.

That thought alone made my heart drop.

“Bertin.”

Lady Gramia, who had approached us swiftly, reached out her hand to her son.

It seemed like there was something that needed to use Bertin’s fame and beauty.

In the distance, a young lady was looking at us with a very excited expression.

I wonder if she’s the daughter of a new business partner?

If not, she might be a young lady of a family they had to curry favor with.

Rany clicked her tongue behind the woman, who disappeared with his son after greeting me with an elegant smile.

“That aunty is always an obnoxious person. Look at how she avoided looking at me on purpose. She’s definitely insinuating that she’s not to be associated with the lowly daughter of nouveau riche.”

It was unexpected of Lady Gramia, who was always displeased with me for my and Bertin’s friendship, to greet me first.

Compared to her blatant act of ignoring Rany, it could be considered an incredibly generous treatment.

As expected of the power of authority.

It must mean that she wasn’t foolish enough to ignore the young lady of a Ducal family.

Turning my head unfeelingly, I spotted Abigail, who tried hard to hide her anxious expression in the distance.

She was with the students she got along with within the academy nowadays. She acted nonchalant, but it was obvious she was nervous.

“We have to start the plan before it’s too late. Looking at Abigail’s condition, it seems like we’ll be exposed if we take too long.”

“When the Crown Prince arrives, everyone will flock to him. Let’s start then.”

Right after Rany finished whispering, the attendant announced the arrivals of the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess.

When everyone bowed their heads to the people who entered through the opened door, the Crown Prince raised his hand in a dignified manner.

Jeremy, who was stiff next to me, slowly bowed his head to the Crown Prince.

“Second Prince, come here.”

The Crown Prince was casual when he called Jeremy to his side, but the atmosphere was awkward.

People flocked to the two brothers, who gazed in different places.

“You two seem to have a very good relationship today.”

It seemed like the way the two brothers were awkwardly avoiding each other’s gaze wasn’t noticed by them.

Since they were family, there were plenty of compliments about ‘how good they looked together’ and ‘how alike they were’.

“This broken family is well commended.”

I blinked at the sarcastic remark.

The moment ‘broken’ word flowed out, my gaze turned to my mother. She was pretty far away.

She, who already had a wine glass in her hand, was interacting with noblewomen with a smile on her face.

“Go out before the dance starts. I’ll make the proper excuse.”

I only looked away from my mother at the whisper.

The people that filled the hall were all smiling without any worry on their faces.

It was such an irony since the organizer of this banquet, Duke Bolton, was well known for his lack of expression.

Since he stepped into the hall, never once did he glance at Mom.

* * *

I went out into the hallway of the mansion. The security was far stricter than Miller’s mansion.

A knight in all black approached me and asked bluntly.

“Is there any problem, miss?”

“Ah . . .”

Just in time, there were sounds of females beyond the hallway even though it was faint.

It seemed like Rany had kicked up a fuss at the lounge timely.

“I think there are some young ladies quarreling.”

The knight’s eyes narrowed.

The other knight who was standing across from him also turned his head at my words.

“I don’t want to tell the other people in the hall. They are still minors, and if there’s a scandal going around . . .”

As I slurred the end of the sentence, they exchanged gazes as if they understood.

The banquet hall was noisy with the music, and everyone was busy with their own conversations.

There was a high possibility that the noise happening in the lounge didn’t reach the hall.

Who would walk up to the Crown Prince and straightforwardly say ‘there’s a fight’?

“If Sir knights could go and control the situation . . .”

As they were determined to control the situation before it escalated, the four knights on guard in the hallway headed into the lounge.

Glancing at them, I walked away hurriedly, pretending to return to the hall.

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