Westminster Bank

"Miss Windsor... If you ever get the chance, you simply must introduce us to your cousin... We'd love to behold the legendary Dragon Knight in person."

A group of ladies chimed in agreement. Windsor was about to offer a few pleasantries, but before she could speak, a young lady from the Hestia Family stepped forward and said coldly:

"A chance? What chance could there possibly be? Have you ladies forgotten that Baron Constantin is a Lawbreaker, currently being hunted by the Inner Side?"

She sneered at Windsor, who was staring right back at her. "A Lawbreaker who was cast out of the Constantine Family, no less... Even if Miss Windsor is his cousin, I imagine it's not so easy to see him."

The smiles on the surrounding socialites' faces vanished. They instinctively glanced at Windsor, but she simply lowered her head and said meekly:

"Miss Claire is right... My cousin Baron is a Lawbreaker now, so I truly can't see him... That's why I usually just buy the latest newspapers to check if he's safe..."

"Miss Claire, please don't make things difficult for me again, like you did at Mr. Jill's engagement party. I am just as you said I was—nothing more than a commoner girl who's stolen a noble's perch... Logically, I shouldn't even be in the same company as a lady from such a prestigious family as yourself..."

With those words, the image of a delicate young cousin—one who worried for her beloved cousin but, due to social pressure, could only keep that concern locked away in her heart—instantly materialized in everyone's minds.

At the same time, it painted Claire as insolent and unreasonable.

This was plain to see from the looks the other noblewomen were giving Claire and the ladies of the Hestia Family who stood with her.

'The last engagement party... If I recall correctly, it was for the Lancelot Clan and the Hestia Family. The whole business of Lancelot breaking off an engagement with the Constantine Family was common knowledge throughout the Inner Side... We thought the Hestia Family was being magnanimous by inviting the Constantines, but I never expected their children to be so base.'

"You! When did I ever say such things to you at the last engagement party? The reason they didn't want to associate with you was because of your cousin, the Bloodless Baron!"

"If Miss Claire says so... then it must be true... Perhaps I've misremembered," Windsor said in a tiny voice.

But anyone with eyes could see that Windsor was the one backing down.

At that, the other well-bred young ladies began to chime in. "Miss Claire, since Miss Windsor has already said as much, you should let it go. To spare and forgive is a virtue."

'What do you mean, *I* should let it go? She's the one making things up and causing trouble!'

Claire's chest heaved. For a moment, she was at a loss for words. After a long pause, she finally managed to choke out, "You and Baron Constantin don't even have a relationship... The Constantine Clan only started sucking up to him after he went from a Bloodless to a Dragon Knight..."

Windsor said shyly, "But didn't Miss Claire just say the reason you led the effort to isolate me at the engagement party was because of my 'Bloodless cousin'... If I'm not mistaken, my only Bloodless cousin is my cousin Baron, isn't that right?"

So that was the trap she'd laid.

Claire's face went pale, and she instinctively clenched the handkerchief in her hand.

Windsor added in a delicate voice, "I know that in your heart, Miss Claire, you've always looked down on women of my station... But before I became a member of the Constantine Family, I was first and foremost Mr. Baron's cousin. As his cousin, am I not even allowed to feel heartache for him?"

"I..." Claire was speechless. It felt as if something was lodged in her throat. To make matters worse, even her own family's friends were now telling her to just drop it.

'Drop it? I've barely said anything at all!'

"Besides," Windsor continued, "however the Constantine Clan chooses to treat my cousin Baron, that is ultimately the Constantine Clan's internal affair. Miss Claire... if I recall correctly, your surname is Hestia, isn't it?"

Windsor said in a syrupy-sweet voice, "I know that your Hestia Family bears a grudge against the people of the Constantine Family because of what my cousin Baron did at the Dragon Spear ceremony... On behalf of the Constantine Clan, I sincerely apologize to you. And I promise I won't get in your way here."

She gave Claire a curtsy, then gracefully departed with her companions, leaving Claire and the other young ladies of the Hestia Family standing there in disarray.

'Weren't they saying that Windsor of the Constantine Family was gentle and soft? This was clearly a needle hidden in cotton! We've only just clashed, and we've already been defeated after just a few exchanges.'

Pound, who had been about to step in and help his sister, froze in place at the sight. He scratched his head. He felt that while his sister was as gentle and quiet as always, there was something... different about her. Something wasn't quite right.

If Baron were here, with his past-life experience of having judged countless people, he could have calmly told him:

"'That 'something' is what we call 'green tea.' But since this is Britain, I suppose you should call it 'black tea.'"

In short, a verbal assault on the Constantine Family by the Hestia ladies was defused with just a few of Windsor's well-played, cunningly innocent words.

Just then, a graceful and regal beauty, adorned in gold and purple, approached. Claire and the ladies beside her greeted the woman, "Miss Barbara."

After returning the courtesy, the beautiful Barbara's gaze lingered for a moment on Windsor's departing figure.

'Windsor of the Constantine Family, you say... How interesting.'

Meanwhile, just as a fight was about to erupt between Aile and Zick at the entrance to the auction house, a voice suddenly rang out:

"Don't disgrace your respective families out here in public."

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