Caring About Reputation

"Apologize? Are you out of your mind, Sophie White?" Lily Evans looked at Sophie White's smug expression, half amused and half exasperated. "At this point, do you really think the Prince is coming to save you?"

Sophie White was full of inexplicable confidence. "The Prince will definitely come to save me. Hmph, Lily Evans, you really don't understand the bond between me and the Prince. Back then, he personally taught me martial arts and military strategy. So many long, lonely nights on the frontier, I was always there by his side. The scent of books and ink, the general reading under the lamplight—such romantic scenes. You never witnessed any of it, tsk tsk."

As she spoke, Sophie White raised her eyebrows at Lily Evans, hoping to see jealousy and anger on Lily's face.

But Lily Evans only disappointed her. Lily shook her head and sneered, "Back then, you were just a ten-year-old brat—hardly the poetic scene you imagine. The Prince only took you in because of your father. He taught you martial arts and strategy so you could defend the nation, not so you could harm innocent children!"

Sophie White sat with her legs crossed, letting out a mocking laugh. "Lily Evans, you talk a good game, but deep down you're just jealous that I got to stay by the Prince's side in the barracks. Anyway, the bond between me and the Prince is extraordinary. I'll just wait here patiently—the Prince will come to rescue me."

"I'm telling you, the Prince isn't coming," Lily Evans glanced at Sophie White.

Sophie White's eyes darted as she glared at Lily Evans. "Lily Evans, you're always so cunning. You—you're not secretly planning to execute me without telling the Prince, are you? I'm warning you, once the Prince finds out you bullied me behind his back, you'll regret it!"

Lily Evans glanced at Sophie White, then pulled out the Prince's Seal of Authority that Alexander Hayes had given her. "Sophie White, you do recognize this, don't you? This is the Prince's Seal—he handed it to me himself and put your entire case in my hands."

The moment Sophie White saw the seal, her face turned ashen, and she suddenly jumped up. "No, I don't believe it! You're lying! Lily Evans, you sly fox, you must be lying! The Prince would never abandon me. No matter what I've done, he'll always save me!"

Lily Evans tucked the seal away and looked at Sophie White, who was now in a panic. Smiling, she said, "Miss Bianca, maybe you should save your breath. Aren't you curious how I plan to deal with you?"

"Wh-what are you going to do..." Lily Evans's composure and expression made Sophie White tremble with fear, afraid that Alexander Hayes really had abandoned her.

"The traitors of the White Family, and now their heirs come to harm others. Naturally, they must be severely punished." Lily Evans smiled as she met Sophie White's gaze.

Sophie White lunged forward, grabbing the thick wooden railing and shouting frantically, "Nonsense! My father never betrayed the Kingdom of Jin! The White Family gave everything for our country! You witch, how dare you slander my ancestors! The Prince once promised me that one day he'd clear the White Family's name and restore our honor. You know we're innocent, yet you insist on calling me a traitor's heir. If the Prince finds out, he won't let you off!"

Sophie White grew more and more agitated. "The White Family is innocent! I won't let our name be tarnished by false accusations. I will clear my father's name! Lily Evans, you can't call us traitors—you can't!"

Lily Evans looked calmly at Sophie White. "Sophie White, you seem awfully concerned about your family's reputation, don't you?"

Sophie White gritted her teeth. "I swore—this life, I will clear the White Family's name! Otherwise, when I face my ancestors in the afterlife, I would have no words for their loyalty and sacrifice!"