Fabian instantly understood Maria's anger stemmed from elsewhere; she was here to vent. He calmly summoned a housekeeper to clean the mess and poured himself another glass of wine. Casually eating peanuts, he asked, "What did she do this time? You know how she is—a young lady with a temper. You must be more patient."

"More patient? Then why don't you be more patient? That niece of yours is unbearable. She used to throw fits over food; now she argues and slams cups. She even accused me of not considering her feelings when I was at her house!" Maria's rage intensified as she spoke, wondering if the maids had witnessed the events.

"Oh? She said that?" Fabian raised an eyebrow, surprised.

"Who else? Me? What's she rambling about? With her looks, if not for her father, no one would give her a second glance! What self-esteem is she talking about?!" Thirsty from venting, Maria reached for Fabian's wine.

Fabian frowned, snatching his glass away. "Don't say that. If not for her father, you wouldn't shun her so. And Tasia isn't ugly; she looks just like my sister!"

Fabian's sister had been a beauty queen. Anastasia, at birth, resembled her mother, but as she grew, she gained weight, obscuring her features.

"So what? Her weight ruined everything!" Maria insisted. "Our Ree is prettier!"

Fabian paused, seeming to reconsider his words. Maria glared. "What? Do you disagree?"

He rolled his eyes. "Of course I think Ree is pretty!"

Satisfied, Maria felt better. "Speaking of, where is she? I haven't seen her in two days."

"We haven't been home in two days. You're with your miracle doctor; I'm bidding on a project. Ree's off experimenting. We're all too busy."

"Whose fault is that? Isn't it all for you and our family? If you were more like Cameron, I wouldn't be running around like this. I'd be home peacefully," she complained.

Cameron was highly competent, achieving his position at a young age. It was a pity his wife died so young; otherwise, she would have enjoyed a happy life. Government servants, once considered lower than scholars, farmers, or merchants, now seemed to be at the top.

If Maria were a secretary's wife, many would court her favor. Instead, she struggled to prove herself worthy of wealthy society, drinking afternoon tea alone, relegated to corners in group photos. Frankly, without Cameron, her Moore family background wouldn't even qualify her for the sidelines.

This fueled her resentment. She felt as good as any nobleman's wife. Why hadn't she married better?

"What do you mean? Are you looking down on me? Have you considered Cameron's opinion of you?" Fabian's face darkened.