5:The True Heiress—A Lunatic!

"She's spouting nonsense!"

But it wasn’t Sophia who finished this sentence; it was Eleanor Richmond.

She pulled Isabella into her arms, glaring at Sophia with a look so severe it was almost sharp. “Sophia, I know you have grievances against Bella. After all, the two of you have had vastly different upbringings despite being sisters. It’s normal for you to feel resentment, but you need to understand—this isn’t Bella’s fault!”

Her tone was loaded with meaning, her eyes filled with a warning that was impossible to miss. “Bella is the most precious child in the Richmond Family. When she was three years old, I nearly died from carbon monoxide poisoning, but it was your sister who cried out and brought help. If it weren’t for Bella, you might not even have a grandmother to meet today. The Richmond Family owes you a debt, and as your elders, we will compensate you. But that doesn’t give you the right to bully your sister!”

“If the family that raised you never taught you these basic manners, then I have no problem teaching them to you from today onwards!”

Her words were like a thunderclap, echoing through the grand banquet hall so that everyone could hear.

The whispers that had been swirling around Sophia shifted once more.

"I never knew the Richmond Family had such a story. No wonder the old lady dotes on Bella so much."

"If I were in her place, I'd dote on Bella too. Isn't it said that Isabella is the Richmond Family's lucky star?"

"But the things this new third daughter said didn’t sound made up..."

"She’s just come back from the countryside; it’s normal for her to feel twisted seeing how Isabella is treated..."

Amidst the murmur of fragmented conversations, Margaret Richmond, who had been somewhat displeased with Sophia earlier, now found herself in a dilemma. She urged gently, “Mother, please don’t be so harsh on Sophia. She just came home...”

“Precisely because she just came home, she needs to understand the rules!” Eleanor was unyielding, comforting the weeping Isabella while fixing Sophia with a stern, unwavering glare. “You’ve been here all this time, and have you called me ‘grandmother’ even once? Do you not even know the basics of respect?”

·

In the center of the opulently dressed guests, Sophia stood with her fingers lightly playing with the hem of her dress.

Then she lifted her gaze, looking at the old woman who was so harsh only toward her. Slowly, she parted her lips. “Grandmother?”

She tilted her head slightly. “Have you raised me even for a day to claim the right to act like an elder? The director of the orphanage only earned the title of ‘grandpa’ after I gave him a concussion. So how about you let me hit you once, and I’ll call you ‘grandmother’? How does that sound?”

——

Silence.

Whether they were openly watching or pretending not to notice, whether they were older socialites or young debutantes, whether they were distinguished gentlemen or aloof young heirs, everyone froze in place.

It was as if time had stopped, and everyone had the surreal sense that they were dreaming.

Eleanor Richmond, at the center of it all, had her entire face freeze up, her expression cracking inch by inch. The wrinkles on her face began to redden as an unbelievable fury erupted from her aged eyes.

“You... you, you, what did you just say?!!!”

Even Isabella forgot to cry. She looked at Sophia in disbelief. “Are you crazy?! How could you say that to Grandma?!”

“Whose grandma? Yours?” Sophia’s dark pupils flicked over to Isabella, a mischievous glint in them. “We’re not related by blood. How could we have the same grandma? Stop trying to get close to me.”

“...”

“...Ugh…” Eleanor gasped, clutching her chest and collapsing. Margaret Richmond screamed as she caught her.

"Get a doctor, quick!"

“Get the medicine! The heart pills!”

“Grace! The emergency pills!”

“Sophia, stop talking!”

"Someone call for help! Hasn't Mr. Richmond returned yet?!"

——

The scene devolved into chaos—people fetching medicine, others carrying Eleanor, some screaming, and still others running around in a panic. The once-glamorous banquet hall turned into a frenzy, with guests making way for the family doctor while murmuring excitedly among themselves.

“I never dreamed I’d witness such a spectacle tonight.”

“Is the Richmond Family’s new third daughter a lunatic?”

“What a terrifying mouth and mind. What kind of person says things like that in a setting like this? I’d better stay far away from her.”

“Can she really stay in the Richmond Family and not get kicked out?”

“But she kept insisting that Isabella isn’t the real daughter of the Richmond Family...”

“I don’t know why, but just looking at her face makes me believe what she says.”

“Is the Richmond Family about to change?”

“It’s not just the Richmond Family that might change; it’s all of California. This girl’s so dangerous, it feels like she could turn all of L.A. upside down.”

……

“Seb... Seb, your fiancée is terrifying. Should we just call off this engagement?”

In the corner, Agatha Carrington shivered as she watched Eleanor Richmond being carried off in disgrace.

When she didn’t receive a response for a while, she turned to look at her grandson, only to see that his usually gloomy face was lit with a rare smile.

Following his gaze, she saw that the person he was watching with such a peculiar expression was none other than the Richmond Family’s terrifying new granddaughter, Sophia.

“Seb?”

Sebastian Carrington was still thinking about the phone call from earlier.

·

“Sophia? Are you talking about Eleven? Why the sudden interest in her?”

“Eleven—is that her nickname? Why a number?”

“She was the eleventh child adopted by Dean Harris at the orphanage, so they called her Eleven.”

“Tell me about her.”

“Well,” the old teacher hesitated, sucking in a breath. “To be honest, I don’t know much about her. You haven’t said why you suddenly want to know. I’ve mentioned her to you before, but you didn’t seem interested.”

“I ran into her by chance. Now I’m curious.”

“That makes sense,” the old man sighed. “Most of what I know is from Dean Harris, but even from his few words, it’s clear she’s a very special child.”

“What do you mean by ‘special’?”

“She’s got a special personality and special talents—more than I can say for sure, but Dean Harris once said she learns everything easily and is extremely stubborn. She’s been difficult since she was little, always getting stuck on things. That’s why Dean Harris didn’t let her focus on any one thing for too long; he said it would make her too rigid. She scared him a lot. Every time he mentioned Eleven, he would say something about how ‘great talent meets its downfall’ or ‘too much strength snaps easily.’ Oh!” The old man seemed to remember something important and quickly added, “And one more thing—she has a very sharp tongue and doesn’t care who she offends. I heard she made an adult cry when she was only eight years old, just with her words.”

“But Dean Harris liked her a lot, I could tell. Out of all the kids at the orphanage, Eleven was his favorite and the one he worried about the most. So, despite all her flaws, I think she must be a very likable child.”

——

Likable?

Sebastian Carrington watched from afar as the girl stood tall in the center of the crowd.

The looks from those around her were strange—some were filled with disgust, others with rejection, disdain, curiosity, or even excitement at the chaos she had caused. But none of them were kind.

She didn’t seem likable at all—more like someone who made everyone hate her.

But for someone with such qualities, in such a special time, to become his fiancée... It was like a gift from heaven, a perfect match.

Hearing heavy footsteps approaching from outside the hall, Sebastian Carrington caught sight of a familiar figure. He smiled, maneuvering his wheelchair forward.

He turned to Agatha Carrington and said, “Grandmother, I think this fiancée is wonderful.”

“I like her very much.”