"Our time is far more valuable than yours! Put away that petty, small-minded attitude," Charles said, his tone turning hard.
"When people converse, basic courtesy is required. Greeting each other, asking after one another's well-being; these aren't a waste of time. They're a mark of culture and consideration for social graces. And we are your elders; we should be treated with even greater humility and respect. Didn't your mother teach you even this most fundamental principle of how to behave?"
Sophie froze, stung by Professor Cadogan's words.
"You know nothing about my family. Please don't casually criticize my mother!" She was angry now, precisely because he had attacked her mother.
"I'm judging based on your behavior. That's not criticism; it's observation."
Sophie's voice sharpened. "Judging from my behavior, or from my 'family background'? I believe my mother raised me extremely well. From childhood until now, no one has ever questioned my manners. The only people who claim I lack breeding and upbringing are Lady Harrington of the noble Harrington family—and the esteemed Mr. and Mrs. Cadogan."
Charles narrowed his eyes. "The moment a girl opens her mouth, others can tell whether her family is truly refined or not. That has nothing to do with money, or how educated her parents are, or what professions they hold!"
"If a child's behavior really reveals the true nature of the parents, then Miss Lara Cadogan—who constantly accuses others of having no manners—must have been raised by an extraordinarily well-mannered pair of parents!"
Isabella gasped again, audibly this time.
"Given the way you're speaking and conducting yourself right now, my daughter wasn't wrong at all. You truly are a person without any breeding," Charles said, his voice growing colder and more cutting.
"How I speak and behave is not for the Cadogan family to decide. And I certainly don't need to sit here any longer listening to you dissect and insult me." With that, Sophie stood up, ready to leave.
"Sit. Down." Charles raised his voice, unleashing the unmistakable authority of a professor. "Whether you see me as a professor at LSE or simply as the parent of your university classmate, since you claim to defend your mother so fiercely, then act like a well-bred young woman: sit properly and let us finish this conversation."
Sophie stood rigid beside the table. The air crackled with tension… After three long seconds of standoff, she sat back down.
Seeing the atmosphere turn icy, Isabella hurriedly tried to smooth things over. "Of course," she began in a conciliatory tone, "the reason we came to find you today is indeed because of our daughter Lara."
Sophie stared at the tabletop, her face blank, saying nothing.
"Lara's mental state has been very poor lately. She's even had suicidal thoughts and can't attend classes anymore!" Isabella decided to be brutally honest, hoping to lower Sophie's defenses.
"Which parent wouldn't have their heart torn apart seeing their child like that? Miss Sophie Davies, you're not a parent yet, so perhaps you can't fully understand how my husband and I feel. But Lara is our only precious daughter. For her sake, I really believe we have to talk to you properly."
"Say whatever you want to say. Be direct," Sophie replied, her voice perfectly calm.
"Lara has liked Ned since she was very young—long before you ever met him," Isabella said slowly.
"And therefore I'm supposed to hand Ned over to her?" Sophie saw right through the intention.
"Even if you didn't know before, you know now. Since you know, why are you still with Ned?"
"Should I not be with him, then? If not, please tell me exactly why we shouldn't be together."
Isabella faltered for a moment. "Of course you shouldn't! Lara treated you as her best friend—how could you steal the person she loves?"
"One-sided affection or love is just a crush," Sophie said, looking Isabella straight in the eye, her gaze cool and clear. "Feelings can't be forced. Love is about fate. Two people come together only because they're fated to like each other and then decide to be together. That makes love something shared between two people."
Isabella's smile froze. "So what you're saying is that Ned likes you now and no longer likes my daughter?" She dropped the smile entirely, patience gone.
"That's a question you should ask your daughter yourself. It would be far more appropriate," Sophie replied, irritation creeping into her voice.
"Even if two people like each other, they still have to consider the feelings of everyone around them!" Charles said sternly. "Mature people, in everything they say and do, take others into account and do not hurt their family or friends. Only immature people use 'fate' as an excuse to indulge their own desires, to be selfish and willful, seeing no one but themselves."
"Exactly!" Isabella jumped in. "My daughter trusted you so much, treated you like a true friend. How could you steal the person she loves most and hurt her just for your own happiness?"
"If you ever genuinely considered my daughter a friend, you should break up with Ned right now," Isabella declared.
Sophie stared at her for a long moment before finally speaking. "That's ridiculous. Your demand is completely unreasonable. I'm sorry, but I will not break up with Ned."
Isabella's eyes widened in shock. "You… after everything we just said, you're treating it like wind passing your ears? You're not listening to a single word?"
Sophie didn't bother to defend herself. She simply stood up, ready to leave.
"Selfish people naturally have no loyalty or righteousness," Charles said icily, staring straight ahead with a sneer. "The moment betraying someone serves their own interests, they've already stopped treating that person as a friend."
Sophie whipped around and glared at the stone-faced Charles.
"Please don't throw the word 'betrayal' around so cheaply. Those two characters aren't weapons for cursing or condemning others. I know very well what it feels like to be betrayed!"