When Bridgerton Season 4 introduces Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), viewers first meet her the same way Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) does: as the mysterious Lady in Silver at Violet’s masquerade ball. Poised, intelligent, and quietly confident, Sophie moves through high society as though she belongs there. And in many ways, she once did.

Before she ever worked as a maid at Penwood House, Sophie was raised under its roof as the ward of Lord Penwood, who was, in truth, her biological father.

Here’s what we know about Sophie’s childhood and how it shaped her story ahead of the season’s final episodes.

Sophie Was Lord Penwood’s Illegitimate Daughter

Sophie was born from Lord Penwood’s affair with a maid. Her mother died when she was still very young, leaving Sophie without a maternal figure and without any official claim to her father’s name.

In Regency society, being born outside of marriage carried lasting consequences. A nobleman could acknowledge his illegitimate child, but doing so risked scandal and social fallout. Instead of publicly claiming Sophie as his daughter, Penwood presented her as his “ward.” The title allowed him to raise her in his household without admitting the truth.

Privately, Sophie understood who her father was. Publicly, she occupied a carefully constructed position, close enough to privilege to benefit from it, but never secure within it.

What Does “Ward” Mean in Bridgerton?

In the context of the series, a ward is a child placed under the legal guardianship of a noble household, often after being orphaned. It was a socially acceptable arrangement that protected status and reputation.

For Sophie, the label functioned as protection and concealment at the same time.

She received an education. She learned languages. She wore fine clothes and grew up surrounded by aristocratic customs. Her upbringing explains why she can navigate a ballroom with ease and why she feels neither intimidated nor dazzled by members of the Ton, but her position depended entirely on her father’s presence.

How Lady Araminta Changed Sophie’s Life

Everything shifted when Lord Penwood married Lady Araminta, a widow with two daughters of her own.

While Penwood may have hoped his new wife would accept Sophie as part of the household, Araminta quickly recognized what the term “ward” truly concealed. Sophie was not merely a dependent, she was her husband’s illegitimate child.

That realization carried social and financial implications. In a world where inheritance and advantageous marriages determined a family’s future, Sophie’s existence complicated matters.

After Lord Penwood’s death, Sophie lost her only protector.

From Noble Upbringing to Servitude

With Penwood gone, Sophie had no legal standing and no inheritance. Lady Araminta chose to keep her in the house, but not as family. Instead, Sophie was forced to become a maid in the same home where she had once lived as a lady.

The fall was abrupt and humiliating. The privileges of her childhood disappeared overnight. She now answered to her stepmother and stepsisters, who treated her as a servant rather than as someone who had once shared their status.

However, Sophie endured. Her experience as both an insider and an outsider shaped her resilience. She understood the rules of high society, but she also learned how to survive without its protection.

See how Sophie’s story unfolds when Bridgerton Season 4 Part 2 drops on Feb. 26.