The Reincarnated Noble Lady is the Infamous Viscount's Heir - I've Accepted a Contract Marriage for Estate Management. - Chapter 1.25

“Well, well, Lady Grace. Congratulations on your engagement! I had been meaning to introduce you to a proper suitor, but I never expected it to be Lord Rockwell,” said the Marchioness of Forster with a knowing smile.

The Marchioness had once been extremely enthusiastic about securing a marriage between my sister Patricia and a wealthy high-ranking noble. However, Patricia had been clear about her priorities: she wasn’t interested in lineage as much as she was in financial stability and a trustworthy partner. One of the candidates proposed was the young master of the Russells Trading House.

At the time, the Marchioness had considered his lack of a noble title a drawback, but she had ultimately been impressed by Patricia’s bold decision. She’d even remarked later how taken aback she’d been by my sister’s resolute choice.

“I was surprised by Patricia’s decision back then, and now I’m equally astonished by yours, Grace,” she added with a chuckle.

I couldn’t help but agree internally. I was still adjusting to the whirlwind of it all.

“But that leaves only Lady Abigail now,” the Marchioness said thoughtfully. “Though she might be the toughest of the three to match.”

“My sister is the type to carve out her own path, no matter the obstacles,” I replied with a wry smile.

“True, that’s certainly one way to thrive in these changing times. But I never would’ve guessed that Lord Rockwell, who’s always been so evasive about my suggestions, was secretly harboring feelings for you. How romantic!” she teased.

Wait… what? Lord Rockwell was dodging proposals from this woman?

“It seems Lord Rockwell is now safely off my matchmaking list,” the Marchioness added with a conspiratorial laugh.

I glanced at Lord Rockwell to gauge his reaction. He simply smiled politely at the Marchioness.

“I imagine there are still many young nobles at this soirée hoping for your guidance, Marchioness,” he remarked smoothly.

“That’s true,” she replied with a knowing nod.

Just then, a shrill voice pierced through the hum of conversation. The Marchioness, Lord Rockwell, and I all turned toward the commotion.

In the distance, a young lady seemed to be confronting a couple—a man and another young woman. It was unusual to witness such a scene at a high-society soirée. The girl raising her voice appeared quite young, possibly around Jessica’s age. Could she have just debuted into society?

The Marchioness sighed and muttered, “Oh, Estelle… I thought she might calm down as she matured, but it seems she still has a ways to go.”

I gave the Marchioness a questioning look, and she shrugged lightly.

“Lady Grace, you might not be familiar with her, but I’m sure Jessica could tell you all about it,” she said meaningfully.

Jessica? How does she know this? Could it be…? The only names making headlines in Jessica’s social circles right now were the crown prince, his fiancée Andrea, and Lady Catherine, the one causing quite a stir between them.

“It’s situations like this that make Lady Andrea, the Duke of Stanfield’s daughter, look unable to manage her own circle of friends,” the Marchioness murmured disapprovingly. “What a shame.”

Wait—Lady Andrea of the Duke of Stanfield’s household? The crown prince’s fiancée? And her friend… could the young lady being scolded be Estelle? And the one she’s confronting…

“Both the crown prince and Lady Catherine of the Duke of Brocklebang should really know better than to cause a scene at an event like this. That said, I can’t help but feel some sympathy for Estelle. She’s not entirely wrong,” the Marchioness sighed.

Wait. Lady Catherine of the Duke of Brocklebang? Could it be… that Catherine? The same Lady Catherine who had been the source of my broken engagement three years ago?

I couldn’t help but inch closer to the commotion to get a better look.

“You had an agreement with Lady Andrea, did you not? Yet here you are escorting Lady Catherine instead. How do you explain this?” Estelle demanded.

Oh, my. This is starting to feel like a scene straight out of a romance drama.

Estelle’s words were sharp and uncompromising, brimming with a sense of righteousness. She wasn’t wrong—it was clearly improper behavior.

“I informed Andrea that I would be escorting Lady Catherine, as she is not yet accustomed to high-society soirées. I don’t see how this concerns you,” the crown prince replied coolly.

“Informing her without securing her consent? It’s the same selfish behavior you displayed during our academy years!” Estelle shot back.

Hmm. So this behavior has been ongoing since their academy days? That suggests this arrangement has been going on for at least a year, if not longer. How curious.

From where I stood, I observed the crown prince’s “beloved” Lady Catherine. She had strawberry-blonde hair and pale green eyes.

While my memory of her had been vague, I recalled that she had a delicate and charming appearance, as my ex-fiancé had so often described. Back then, her youthful charm might have stemmed from her being closer in age to Jessica. Why didn’t I notice her back then?

The answer was simple. My ex-fiancé had left a far more striking impression with his dramatic behavior, and Catherine had remained entirely silent during that ordeal.

Unlike the over-the-top heroines of romance novels, Catherine had not uttered a single naive or dramatic word during the engagement’s dissolution. She hadn’t followed my ex-fiancé’s lead, accused me of wrongdoing, or added fuel to the fire.

She’d simply stood there, her face calm, betraying no emotion—neither a smile nor malice. Even in the throes of a dramatic scene, she had seemed detached, as though the chaos around her wasn’t real.

And now, she wore the exact same expression as she stood beside the crown prince.