THEODORE HENRY AINSWORTH

My beloved ladies and gentlemen of high society. As the doors of April open, under those brilliant lights, our new La Prima has finally donned her dazzling crown.

The noble eldest daughter of the 300-year-old Windsor-Chesterfield line, Lady Guest. The lavish feathers on her hat and the gold thread embroidery of that classic dress she supposedly stitched herself were truly beyond beautiful. However, everyone, do you know the shadow hidden behind that blinding brilliance?

Sadly, what is hidden beneath those noble dress hems is not the shining glory of a family, but a mountain of debt amounting to hundreds of thousands of pounds and a collapse on the brink of bankruptcy.... (Omitted)

A hat adorned with lush flowers and feathers, a classic dress with delicate gold thread embroidery. Embodying the dignity of the 300-year Windsor-Chesterfield family, she was the universally acknowledged La Prima of this season.

Her goal was singular: to find the perfect groom to prevent the family's downfall. If she could save the Earldom, which was on the verge of bankruptcy due to her father's massive debts, and protect her young siblings, she was more than willing to use the crown of being the season's finest bride. And everything was going smoothly.

Until 'Lady X's' newsletter was distributed throughout the hall.

The family's most shameful secret, the one she wanted to hide most, was cruelly exposed in the middle of high society.

In an instant, laughter and cold looks of contempt poured toward La Prima. Her mind went numb at the low murmurs echoing in her ears. Yet, she did not lose her smile for even a single moment. Gripping her fan so tightly her fingertips turned white, she maintained the calm and refined smile of a lady, just as she always had.

To her, who valued the family's honor as much as her life, this revelation was not just a simple embarrassment; it meant the absolute end of her house.

She couldn't even breathe in the middle of the social ballroom like this. She secretly avoided the eyes of her aunt, her chaperone. She knew well that being caught leaving the ballroom alone without a guardian was a fatal mistake that could lead to being permanently ostracized. But right now, she had no room to care about such etiquette.

Clutching her skirts, she headed toward the dark terrace in the corner of the ballroom as if escaping.

Swing—!

The greatest libertine of high society, Theodore Henry Ainsworth.

Even in the pitch darkness, the glowing red tip of his cigar faintly illuminated his sharp jawline. Beyond the thick cloud of smoke exhaled from his lips, a vivid red handprint remained on his left cheek. It was the mark of a hard slap from someone, but the man himself looked arrogant, as if he didn't care in the least.

Smoking with his tie loosened and his shirt slightly disheveled, he let out a smirk as he noticed the tear-filled eyes of the woman who had burst through the door.