Don’t Trample on Innocent Love

The Denev family was a noble lineage that inherited the title of Marquis and placed great importance on honor. They always maintained a noble demeanor and pursued impeccable perfection. 

Ophelia’s three older brothers had always upheld the family’s traditions. It should be said that they had upheld them until now. The shock had been significant since the eldest brother passed away due to illness. The second and third brothers began to stray from the path. Ophelia’s father, Eric Denev, had disciplined them sternly but eventually gave up.

And now, Ophelia’s brothers had gotten into trouble.

“What did I just hear?”

Eric broke the chilly silence in the parlor. He had clearly heard his son’s plea upon his recent return from running away, but the words seemed so unreal. Fabian, her second brother, who had nervously twitched at the corner of his mouth, lowered his head as if he were a criminal.

“Anything I say would look like an excuse at this point..  I’m so ashamed that I have no words to explain myself. We tried to handle it within our means, but the situation escalated. Father.”

“So, you’re telling me that after declaring that you are no longer tied with this family, you ventured into business, got scammed, and ended up losing everything. And now, you’re spouting nonsense about borrowing a fortune in the name of Denev and being unable to repay it?”

Ophelia, who had been silently observing, swallowed a gasp. It was because it was the first time she had seen her father, Eric, utter such vulgar words and insults. If such obscene language came out of Eric’s mouth, known for his seriousness and elegance, it meant that something significant had happened.

Her second brother, who had returned after a long absence, was originally someone who enjoyed the pleasures of life. He had little interest in business, and his actions were too light to take on a political position. However, he didn’t seem like such a foolish person. How did things end up like this?

He had declared his intentions to leave the family after the death of her eldest brother. Her father had become fixated on Fabian after losing his elite son. He wanted to maintain the family’s dignity, believing that Fabian was the only one capable of carrying on the lineage.

He secretly assigned someone to monitor Fabian’s every move, immediately summoning him if he deviated even slightly from the expected behavior. Eric even invited the girl from the Hanmihan family, whom Fabian had a crush on, and openly humiliated her in an attempt to disregard her. As a result, Fabian faced her contempt. Unable to bear his father’s surveillance and confinement, Fabian left the family. And the third brother, who had a gentle personality, followed Fabian.

Of course, they invited Ophelia to go with them, but she flatly refused. Leaving the family was foolish; she didn’t even try to understand Fabian’s decision. 

Wasn’t the current situation the consequence of their actions?

“Selling the family name?”

“…”

“What were you thinking?”

“… I’m sorry.”

“It’s not going to end with sorry; I want to know what you were thinking. You said you despised the Denev family and left, only to use the family name to borrow money? Do you have any sense? I’m asking if you have any brain cells, enough to call yourself a human being!”

Eric’s anger escalated as he pondered Fabian’s words. Eventually, his pent-up frustration exploded as his fist forcefully struck the table. Fabian’s shoulder flinched in surprise. Ophelia couldn’t hide her pity any longer. Truthfully, she didn’t even know why she had to hide it. Unlike Fabian, who lowered his head like a guilty person, Ophelia elegantly and calmly lifted her teacup.

“So, older brother, how do you plan to resolve this situation? Now is not the time to seek forgiveness. It’s time to come up with a solution.”

Fabian’s face reddened at his younger sister’s sharp remark. He initially bowed deeply as if he would bury his head on the floor. Still, suddenly, he lifted his head with a flash of determination.

“Father, I haven’t been without thoughts either. By the time I regained my senses, it was already after the incident had occurred. I tried to resolve it on my own to avoid causing trouble, but due to my lack of ability, I had to reach out to acquaintances for help. However, it felt too shameful to do so, and it meant committing wrongdoing against you, Father. That’s why I’ve been contemplating how to repay the debt without tarnishing our honor. And then…”

Taking a deep breath, he looked at Ophelia. Unlike his usual self, his scrutinizing gaze left Ophelia feeling an inexplicable uneasiness.

“We can marry Ophelia to that businessman.”

It was the moment when her elder brother, who came back after a long time, was reduced to trash in an instant.

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