Chapter 323
“Caleb!” Anthony frowned slightly upon hearing the name.
He had just opened his mouth to tell the servants to turn him away when Sophie’s eyes lit up. She spoke faster than he could, “Caleb’s here? Let him in, quickly!
A moment later, Caleb arrived and knocked at the door.
“Sophie, what are you doing here in Anthony’s courtyard?” Caleb asked.
The moment Anthony saw Caleb, the warm expression on his face faded into cold indifference.
He hadn’t forgotten what kind of person Caleb was. After calling off Eliza’s engagement, he shamelessly tried to pursue Sophie. Later, h still tried to take advantage as if he were entitled to everything. Anthony thought, ‘Does he really think our Duke’s estate is his personal playground? That he can just take his pick of the girls here?
Without changing expression, Anthony said, “Sophie is my sister. What’s wrong with her visiting her own brother?”
“Uh… no, of course there’s nothing wrong with that, Caleb replied awkwardly.
He had just made a casual remark, but Anthony’s mood seemed unusually sour today.
Caleb reflected a little, just a little, on his behavior. He realized that perhaps he’d been a bit too harsh to Eliza in the past. But what did that have to do with the rest of them? He hadn’t said anything bad to Anthony or Sophie.
So as far as Caleb was concerned, he had done nothing wrong, and Anthony’s coldness seemed totally unreasonable.
Not that it mattered. He hadn’t come to see Anthony today anyway.
Sophie asked, “Caleb, what brings you here today? Are you looking for Anthony?”
Caleb shook his head. “No, I’m not here for Anthony”
He smiled at Sophie and said, “I came to see you. I have something I’d like to give you.”
The moment he said that, Sophie’s cheeks flushed with a shy smile as she responded, “You’ve already given me so many gifts, Caleb. I couldn’t possibly accept another one.”
“It’s just a small token! As long as y
you like it, I’ll get you whatever you want,” Caleb said confidently.
Anthony shot him a frosty glare and said flatly, “Sophie is the daughter of the Duke of Mowbay. Whatever she wants, we, her brothers, an provide. There’s no need for an outsider like you.”
Caleb quickly waved his hands and said, “Hey now, Anthony, that’s not fair. The gifts I give Sophie are very different from yours.” Different how?” Anthony asked, clearly annoyed.
Then something occurred to him, and he let out a cold laugh. “Oh right, you’re right. They are different. Unlike you, we don’t steal from our own homes to give gifts. Everything in the Duke’s estate already belongs to Sophie. No need to sneak around”
That last lie left Sophie beaming with satisfaction, and she thought, ‘Now that’s more like it.
This sickly brother of mine can still say some nice things sometimes.
Of course, the Duke’s estate belongs to me–Sophiel
Caleli was visibly irritated by the jab. His face darkened slightly as he retorted. “I only did that to make Sophie happy. I just didn’t check with my mother first, that’s all. But seriously–how is taking something from my own house considered stealing? Everything in the Marquis’s estate belongs to me, Galebt“
With that, he shot Anthony a cold glance, not bothering to argue further. He turned and pulled something out of his sleeve, looked traight at Sophie, and said excitedly. “Sople, I brought this for you”
“What is it?” Suphie asked, puzzled, as she looked at the object in his hand–an emerald hairpin that was clearly chipped and had been Broken befor
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Chapter 323
Caleb’s cheeks flushed red as he spoke. This is the heirloom we only pass down to daughters–in–law in the Marquis’s estate. It’s also the roken of engagement I plan to give to my future wife.
“I once told you that I would marry you, and now I’m giving you this hairpin to reassure you. No matter how much your uncle objects, 1 Caleb, will never break that promise.”