Ezkhiel grew uneasy, thinking Letticia would be upset by the rude question.
But to his surprise, Letticia didn’t get angry at all. Instead, she smiled brightly and began to answer the questions one by one.
“First of all, it’s his personality. Ez is incredibly considerate and kind. He always asks what I like, checks if I’m getting tired of something or feeling overwhelmed, and takes care of me with such thoughtfulness. What kind of woman wouldn’t be touched by that?”
“Well, that’s something anyone should do, Letty. Kindness isn’t about the person giving it—it’s about whether the person receiving it actually feels it.”
“That’s true. But how many people really keep that in mind all the time and act accordingly? Ez doesn’t even need to think about it—it’s second nature to him. That’s what makes him amazing.”
Letticia, calling him affectionately by his nickname, continued praising him enthusiastically. She couldn’t help but laugh when she saw Jarvis’s expression sour.
We’re only on the first point and he already looks like that. What’s he going to do when I get to the rest?
“And the second reason is his looks.”
“His… looks?”
“Of course! He’s exactly my type.”
“…As far as I know, Sir Bright has never been especially praised for his appearance.”
“No way—how could anyone look at this face and not think he’s handsome?”
Letticia looked at Jarvis with an expression of utter disbelief.
“A man who’s this refined and neatly handsome is incredibly rare. I didn’t expect so many people to overlook his charm. But then again, I was the one who found him first. I must’ve been really lucky.”
“Um, Letty, maybe that’s enough now? This is embarrassing…”
“What’s there to be embarrassed about? I’m just telling the truth.”
“It’s a bit much to call it the truth. Sounds exaggerated to me.”
“It’s not an exaggeration. I liked Ez’s face the moment I first saw it. Didn’t I tell you?”
“Y-you did? That’s the first I’ve heard of it…”
Ezkhiel blushed at his lover’s praise and looked down, which made Letticia giggle teasingly.
Their exchange made the people around them start whispering.
“So the Lady Sharon is into the clean-cut type? No wonder she seemed uninterested when she saw Lord Jarvis.”
“Well, Sir Bright isn’t exactly bad-looking. Not flashy, but he’s actually quite decent.”
Maybe it was the effect of what Ezkhiel had said earlier, but the crowd’s opinion of him began shifting in a favorable direction.
To keep that momentum, Letticia continued praising him.
“And it’s not just his looks—he’s got a lot of other great traits too. Where do I even start… I think what I liked most is how he always treats everyone with respect and takes his work so seriously.”
“I get what you mean. There aren’t many titles more honorable than being the crown prince’s chief aide. Maybe his destiny was sealed the moment His Highness noticed him.”
“I think you misunderstood me. I said I admire how he works hard at what he does. A person who takes responsibility and puts in the effort to do their job well—that’s what’s truly attractive.”
As she said this, Letticia smiled at Ezkhiel with eyes full of love, gazing at his blushing face.
Though clearly flustered, Ezkhiel accepted her affection quite naturally.
Their deep love and mutual trust were so apparent that no one else could possibly intervene—outsiders had no room to object or gossip anymore.
“Seeing them like this… they really do suit each other. Lady Sharon has a strong personality, so maybe someone calm and steady like Sir Bright is just the right match for her.”
“And did you hear what Sir Bright said earlier? He said he’s grateful for the miracle of being in love with his partner—it was so romantic!”
“Lady Sharon surprised me too. Honestly, I thought someone like her would enjoy a bit of flirting from suitors before settling down. But she chose her partner straight away in the first season—based on love alone.”
“I heard the Count and Countess Sharon also met and fell in love in their first season and got married. Maybe the Lady inherited that same fortune.”
At that point, the topic subtly shifted from Letticia and Ezkhiel to the Sharon family itself, thanks to someone bringing up the Count and Countess Sharon.
The daughter of a couple who found true love and married—now claiming that this man was the best one in the world for her.
Although Ezkhiel wasn’t exactly famous in high society, he didn’t have a bad reputation either. And as Letticia’s suitor, his name had even been entered into the Lucinella registry—a mark that he was more than qualified.
With those two facts combined, no one could say that Ezkhiel was lacking for Letticia anymore.
However, in stark contrast to the supportive atmosphere around them, Lucian Jarvis was trembling with humiliation.
Just moments ago, he had held the lead in the conversation, but now the mood had completely shifted. The general consensus was that Letticia and Ezkhiel made a wonderful couple.
‘Damn it. Am I really the one losing here? Me? And to someone like him?’
If his rival had been the Crown Prince, simply being named alongside him would’ve been an honor.
If it had been someone like Marquess Digby or Lord Carmen—both prominent contenders—he could’ve swallowed the defeat with a bit of pride still intact.
But losing to the second son of a minor Baron family? A man who practically leeched off his family’s fortune?
That struck Jarvis’s pride right to the ground.
‘Being compared to a parasitic second son of a lowly Baron family is insulting enough, but to have the woman I’m pursuing stolen by him while I just sit here helpless?’
Unacceptable. Something had to be wrong.
Until now, every woman who had been with Ezkhiel would eventually turn to Lucian once he approached them with a smile and a word or two.
They’d be fooled by his charm, convinced that a famously handsome man had taken an interest in them—and they’d abandon Ezkhiel, even chiming in with Lucian’s dismissive comments about him.
But Letticia wasn’t like that. Rather than agreeing with him, she had gotten angry and defended Ezkhiel. On top of that, she was now spouting nonsense, calling Ezkhiel’s qualities attractive.
And what’s worse, people around them were actually nodding along, swayed by her words.
Clearly, they’ve all lost their minds.
“Maybe fate really is a thing. I thought Lord Jarvis would succeed.”
“Apparently, Sir Bright matches Lady Sharon’s ideal type. Nothing can be done about that—unless Lord Jarvis has some overwhelming charm that surpasses ideals and preferences.”
Those words reached Lucian’s ears just as he was trying to suppress his anger. He turned toward the voices—one man with a hint of an eastern accent was speaking with a woman beside him.
“So what you’re saying is… Lord Jarvis isn’t quite the peerless beauty who could beat Sir Bright and win Lady Sharon’s heart?”
“Isn’t that the case? If it were the Crown Prince, Sir Averil, or even Lord Sharon—maybe. But Lord Jarvis doesn’t quite measure up. Even back east, everyone quietly agrees he doesn’t hold a candle to Sir Averil.”
Those final words made Lucian feel like his blood was boiling.
He—not measuring up to someone else?
“Lady Sharon, Sir Bright! How have you been?”
If it hadn’t been for a slightly youthful-sounding woman’s voice interrupting just then, Lucian would’ve gone straight for the man’s throat.
But the sudden interruption threw off his timing. When he turned around, the sight of the man standing there made Lucian’s expression turn stone cold.
“Ah, Lady Averil. And you as well, Sir Averil—have you been well?”
“Thanks to your kind concern, I’ve been doing well, Lady Sharon. And good morning to you too, Sir Bright.”
With refined diction befitting the upper class, a pleasant, soft voice, snow-white silver hair, and a face sculpted like a god’s masterpiece—handsome, elegant, yet tinged with a haughty air—stood a man who drew everyone’s gaze.
‘Alexander Averil…!’
The moment Letticia spotted Alexander, she saw Jarvis clench his teeth and quietly let out a strained groan. She caught the reaction with a sidelong glance—and smiled with satisfaction.
That was exactly why she had sent not only an invitation to Alexander for the music performance, but also a letter to Arietta asking if it’d be alright to introduce someone—if they happened to attend—at the event where she planned to officially announce her relationship with Ezkhiel.
Fortunately, Arietta had responded positively, saying she would gladly attend. And, as Letticia had predicted, one of her two older brothers came along—specifically Alexander.
Although she felt a bit more awkward with him than with Achilles, Alexander was the perfect person to appear in a situation like this.
‘If it’s Achilles, that arrogant bastard might start talking about him being the second son again and look down on him.’
Of course, being the second son of the Duke of Averil—a high-ranking noble family of the East—makes him way too important to be dismissed so easily. But funnily enough, even within the imperial family, children other than the Crown Prince are sometimes subtly looked down on.
In that sense, Alexander is the most reliable card—he’s not only the heir to a Duke, which makes his status obviously higher, but he’s also better-looking.
