There are no shortcuts to marriage, young man.

Meanwhile, in the drawing room of the Bennet Mansion, Charles sat in a single leather wingback chair. To his right was Haines, with Atlas next to him, and on his left sat Zoren Pierson. 

Tension hung in the air, thick and palpable. No one spoke for a moment. Their expressions were grim, especially Atlas. Zoren, however, maintained a dignified and composed demeanor.

The current issues on the table were: Penny's marriage, the story behind the dissolution of her engagement with the Ito family, Penny's drunken antics, and Zoren's request to take her home with him.

It was a lot to process, and Charles and Haines didn't know where to start. They weren't even sure what emotion should dominate their hearts, given that everything had been thrown at them all at once.

"I apologize for how the engagement was dissolved," Atlas finally broke the silence after several long minutes. "I won't make excuses. I take full responsibility."