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~Chapter 58~
Seraphina sat alone in the carriage, her shoulders shaking in anger.
“How could Gregory do this to me?!”
She could understand that he was tense because of Larit.
After all, Larit’s actions had practically destroyed his engagement and his connection to the Ansi territory.
Seraphina herself had also been struggling in society ever since things went sour with Larit.
And Gregory had probably been hit even harder than she was. She could understand if he was a little distant.
But still—
“Even so, how could he treat me like this?!”
Her voice came out like ice.
“Take me to the Gusto townhouse.”
They soon arrived at the Gusto family’s townhouse.
The servants looked surprised and troubled when Seraphina Lopez suddenly appeared.
“Lady Lopez?”
“What brings you here…?”
Seraphina noticed right away that their attitude had changed.
Before, they would have bent over backwards to please her.
Now, while they were still polite on the surface, it was clear they were keeping their distance.
Seraphina forced a bright smile.
“Where’s Gregor?”
She deliberately used Gregory’s nickname to show how close they were.
But the servants’ expressions remained stiff.
“He… went out, my lady.”
“He went out?”
He knew she would be at the Peony gathering today.
Before, he would have come to pick her up without fail.
“He really prioritized something else over me?”
Cracks appeared in Seraphina’s perfect smile.
“He said he would be back late tonight.”
“Then I’ll wait for him inside.”
“Pardon?”
Without waiting for a reply, Seraphina strode confidently into the townhouse.
She knew the layout well, as if it were her own home.
“Lady Lopez!”
A servant called out in alarm, but Seraphina ignored them and stepped into the drawing room.
She leaned back comfortably on the sofa and looked up at the servant with a tilted head.
“What’s the problem?”
Her gentle smile now carried an unsettling chill.
“Surely, you’re not planning to throw me out, are you?”
The servant looked at her with a complicated expression before shaking their head and backing away.
“Of course not, my lady.”
Seraphina spoke as if she were the lady of the house.
“I’d like some warm tea. Can you manage that?”
“Yes, my lady.”
A short while later, tea and sweets were brought in.
It was the same brand of tea Seraphina had always enjoyed.
Only then did she feel a little calmer.
Gregory at least still kept tea and snacks for her at the townhouse.
That was a small comfort.
But still—
“This time, I can’t let it go.”
She couldn’t afford to lose Gregory. Never.
That evening, Gregory finally returned home.
His eyes widened when he saw Seraphina.
“Sera? What are you doing here?”
“I just felt like we haven’t been spending much time together lately.”
Seraphina smiled sweetly.
“I came by to see your face. Aren’t you happy to see me?”
She fully expected Gregory to welcome her warmly.
But instead—
“Why are you being so dramatic?”
“…What?”
The unexpected reaction made Seraphina blink in shock.
“We saw each other at the Gusto estate, didn’t we?”
Gregory dropped onto the sofa, rubbing his face in frustration.
“Since we’re here now, let me ask you something.”
“Ask me? About what?”
After a brief hesitation, Gregory sighed and spoke.
“…About Larit.”
Larit again?
Deep lines appeared on Seraphina’s forehead.
“I thought she broke off the engagement out of anger, but it’s dragging on longer than I expected.”
Gregory glanced at Seraphina.
“But… there’s no way she’s forgotten about me, right?”
“…”
“She’s just a little upset. She’ll come back to me eventually… right?”
Even as he asked desperately, Seraphina didn’t answer.
She couldn’t.
She simply stared at Gregory with an icy expression.
“Sera?”
Gregory called to her uncertainly.
“Ah.”
Snapping out of it, Seraphina gave him a teasing glare.
“Gregor, I’m hurt.”
She tried again, speaking sweetly.
“It’s been so long since we saw each other, and all you can talk about is Larit?”
Gregory looked at her with calculating eyes.
There had been a time when her sweet words and loving glances would have melted him.
But not anymore.
“Sera… is of no use to me now.”
He had once enjoyed showing her off as one of society’s most striking ladies, alongside the Claudius princess.
She was beautiful, charming, and pleasant to be around.
But that was all.
“If this keeps up… I’ll be ruined.”
Gregory clenched his teeth in frustration.
The Gusto family might rank higher than the Ansi family, but Gregory was the second son.
He wouldn’t inherit the title.
If he wanted to survive, he had no choice—
“I have to hold on to Larit, no matter what.”
But reality was harsh.
The Ansi territory was small but valuable.
The Ansi title.
And Larit herself.
All of it was slipping away while he was distracted by Seraphina.
And Larit had recently become stunningly beautiful, enough to catch the eye of other young noblemen.
Feeling his stomach twist, Gregory suddenly stood up.
“It’s late, Sera.”
Seraphina looked up at him in confusion.
“Gregor?”
“You should go home now. I’m tired and need to rest.”
Leaving Seraphina behind in the drawing room, Gregory walked out without a backward glance.
“Gregor!”
Seraphina jumped to her feet and called after him.
But he didn’t even turn around.
“You… really…!”
Seraphina’s face twisted with rage as she was left standing alone.
It was almost midnight by the time Seraphina arrived at the shared townhouse where she lived.
She stared at the building with heavy, dark eyes.
In truth, owning a private townhouse in the capital was a privilege.
Land prices were so high that only the wealthy could afford it.
Most nobles couldn’t even dream of it.
That’s why poorer nobles often stayed in shared townhouses when they had to remain in the capital for long periods.
“I hate this.”
Seraphina was one of those nobles.
Although the building was kept clean and well-maintained, she couldn’t stand it.
Just moments ago, she had been at the Gusto family’s luxurious townhouse.
Now, she had to come back here.
The building was located far from the city center where the true nobility lived, a long carriage ride away.
“When will I finally escape this cheap shared townhouse?”
Seraphina’s eyes turned sharp as she thought of Larit and Gregory.
She had built her reputation in society with their help.
But every time she stepped foot in this place, she was reminded of the difference—
The difference between a baron’s daughter with no land and the only princess of Claudius.
“I can’t stand it.”
Grinding her teeth, Seraphina entered the townhouse.
Her emerald-green eyes, once praised as the finest gemstones by society, now glimmered with a dangerous edge.
Bang!
She slammed the door behind her, and silence filled the night.
