One day, Lady Adelaide Barnes, daughter of the Earl, is informed by her fiancé, Lord Ben Thomas, son of the Earl, that he is breaking off their engagement.

Beside Ben, there was a girl.

The girl's name was Lily.

She was a girl whom the Barnes household had taken in and cared for, following the death of her parents.

Ben claimed Lily was his true love and declared Adelaide an evil woman who abused his stepsister, Lily.

—Wait?

"Stepsister," he says?

No, she's not my stepsister—she's my cousin (by blood), isn't she?

Furthermore, while she has been adopted, she holds no rights equivalent to a biological child of the Earl's family; she's merely what one might call a hanger-on, isn't she?

Adelaide thought all this, but didn't tell Ben the truth.

This was because, according to the collective will of the Earl's family, they wanted to get rid of Lily.

When Ben learned the truth, it was already too late.

*Also simultaneously published on AlphaPolis.*

*Now also available on Kakuyomu.*

*E-book adaptation confirmed!*

*Thank you very much (*^^*)!*