You’ll Regret Stealing Him from Me — My Sister Who Took My Fiancé and Celebrated Was a Fool - Chapter 4

After finishing the cleanup at the venue, I finally returned to my family home and reported the details of last night’s events to Father in his study.

“So that’s what happened last night…”

Father—Edgar, Marquis of Altvier; listened with a stern expression.

“I’m deeply sorry, Father. Because of my mistakes, I’ve brought disgrace upon our family.”

I bowed my head low. No matter the reason, the fact remained that I had tarnished the family’s honor. As his daughter, I felt the weight of responsibility keenly.

“No, Seraphina. This wasn’t your fault.”

Father spoke gently, but his expression remained grim. If anything, it darkened further as he listened. He let out a heavy sigh while staring at a letter on his desk.

“Late last night, an official missive arrived from House Vandering by special envoy. A formal notice of the engagement’s annulment, along with a harsh letter of protest directed at you.”

Father picked up the letter, its wax seal already broken. It was a formal document on heavy parchment, stamped with the Vandering family crest.

“The contents were quite severe. Accusations that you stole ideas from Isabella, doubts cast on your past party successes, demands for accountability over your engagement to a ‘problematic individual,’ and even criticism of our family’s ‘lack of proper upbringing.'”

“So, House Vandering has officially declared me the problem, then.”

“That’s the gist of it. They’ve dismissed all your past social successes as questionable, even going so far as to call you a fraud who stole credit from your younger sister to build a false reputation.”

A dull ache spread through my chest. This wasn’t just Lord Roderick’s personal opinion, it was the official stance of the Vandering ducal family. Years of carefully built trust had crumbled overnight. I’d always been careful in my dealings with them, but it seemed all that effort had been for nothing.

And it was likely all due to my sister’s schemes.

“I was the one who let Isabella run wild.”

Father’s voice was thick with regret and self-reproach. He looked utterly exhausted, a far cry from his usual dignified self.

“Losing her mother so young left her lonely. I didn’t know how to guide her when her heart grew twisted, so I ended up spoiling her instead. When I should have disciplined her strictly, I looked away out of pity. And now, because of that, you’ve suffered greatly. As a father, I’m ashamed.”

His expression was painfully remorseful, his shoulders slumped as if bearing the weight of everything alone. True, I wished he had acted sooner. Isabella’s misbehavior wasn’t new. But the root of the problem lay in her own nature and choices.

“This isn’t your fault, Father. In the end, it was Isabella’s own decision.”

I spoke firmly. While Father might share some responsibility, blaming him now wouldn’t solve anything.

“Seraphina…”

Tears welled in Father’s eyes. My defense of him seemed to pain him even more.

“Why don’t you rest? You’ve been working all night, you must be exhausted. You don’t look well.”

I knew my fatigue showed. But there was still too much left to do.

“I’ll see this through to the end. Personal apologies to the guests, plans for reparations, measures to restore our family’s honor. I won’t rest until all of it is settled.”

I had to fulfill my responsibilities completely. I couldn’t leave things half-finished. That was both my pride as a socialite and my duty as a daughter of House Altvier.

“I see… But don’t push yourself too hard. If you collapse, nothing will be accomplished.”

Father watched me with concern. His kindness soothed my weary heart.

By now, Isabella was probably with Lord Roderick, reveling in her victory after stealing my fiancé.

Whatever became of them was no longer my concern.

I couldn’t afford to be emotional. I had to accept this situation calmly. If I let anger or resentment cloud my mind, I wouldn’t be able to make sound judgments. The truth would come out eventually. Those without merit who stole others’ achievements would inevitably be exposed. Until then, I would focus on what I could do and move forward steadily.

That was my way.