I don''t care if she''s the Holy Lady or the emperor himself-she still has to respect her elders! If she dares hit me, let''s see if people won''t drown her in spit from yelling at her!"


    Dale mmed his book on the table. "Stop throwing your weight around just because you''re older.


    "Even


    en if Eliza doesn''t dare hit you,


    do you think


    think the people around her won''t?"


    "Forget Your Highness. That Reverend Mother from Saint Grace Nunnery once pped your older brother. Do you think she''d hesitate to p you?"


    That shut Adeline up for a moment. Then she grumbled, "So what if she''s a Reverend Mother? My brother didn''t fight back because he didn''t want to hit a woman. If he had, she would''ve been dealt with long ago. And now she wants toe after me? Please."


    Dale snapped his chess manual shut, tossed it on the table, and said coldly, "Since you clearly know better, why bother listening to me? Go ask your brother, then."


    Adeline nced back and saw his face-he was really angry this time. She immediately caved. "Fine, fine! I''ll shut up, alright? I''ll do whatever you say."


    Dale gave a cold snort "You already got warned once and still dared to talk back. That makes it willful disobedience. You''re grounded for three days. You''re not leaving the house.


    Adeline stared at hins in disbelief before asking, “But I said I''d shut up! Why are you still punishing me?"


    Dale shot her a look and questioned, "Didn''t you just say you''d do whatever I say? What, changing your mind already?"


    Adeline fell silent at his words.


    She hadn''t expected her first "obedience wouldnd her with a punishment! And when the mother got punished, the son wasn''t getting off easy either. Dale added, "You too. For one month. Don''t step a foot outside your room.


    Caleb looked even more stunned than his mother.


    He questioned, “Wait, what? Mum only got three days. Why do I get a whole month?"


    And it wasn''t even the estate gate he was barred from, and it was his room!


    He didn''t need to ask to know that his mother probably just wasn''t allowed leave the estate, not her actual room.


    Caleb didn''t need to ask to know that his mother was probably only forbidden from stepping outside the estate''s gates.


    Dale replied, "What, you''ve got opinions too? Want to get kicked out of the Marquis''s estate altogether?"


    When it came to his son, Dale didn''t hold back in the slightest.


    Hearing that, Caleb didn''t dare say another word.


    He could only ept the punishment quietly.


    But before that, there was something he needed to take care of


    He asked, "By the way, Mum, where''s the engagement token Eliza returned?"


    Caleb finally sterred the conversation back to the real issue. Right here. Just look at what kind of shape it''s in nus" Adeline called someone to fetch the box, muttering her displeasure the whole time.


    Caleb saw the emerald hairpin, now full of cracks from having been smashed to pieses. The moment heid eyes on it, he remembered -it really was the one he had broken. He scratched his head in embarrassmen, guilt shing across his face


    Dale''s sharp eyes cut through him instantly as he spoke. "Trying to pin your mess on someone else? What? Has the Marquis''s estate raised a coward who doesn''t even dare take responsibility for his own actions?


    Im not Caleb blurted out instinctively. But when he looked up and met his father''s eyes, it felt like all his secrets had beenid bare.


    He couldn''t keep hiding anymore. Caleb finally admitted. "It it was me. I broke it."


    "Add another month to your grounding. Tomorrow, prepare generous gifts and deliver them to Saint Grace Nunnery," he instructed.


    Neither mother nor son dared talk back again-but neither of them nned to stay grounded either obediently.


    That very night, with the hairpin in hand. Caleb slipped out of the Marquis''s estate and went to find Sophie,


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