While Camilla was busy dealing with them, Letticia was able to take a brief moment to rest, sipping her tea.
After a few minutes passed, and the visiting time ended, they left. Almost immediately, the butler entered to announce the next visitors.
“Viscount Plumfetter, Viscount Gillis, and Lord Carmen have arrived.”
“That makes it five visitors so far. Are there more?”
“There are three more carriages waiting, but they haven’t alighted yet.”
Hearing the butler’s words, Letticia almost sighed. This meant there were eight suitors scheduled to arrive today.
“…Let them all in,”
Hoping that none of them had brought amateur poetry, Letticia directed the butler to allow the remaining suitors inside.
***
Viscount Plumfetter appeared to be nearing his thirties, sporting heavy sideburns that felt overwhelming. Although he wore a high-quality cravat and a coat aligned with the latest trends, it seemed more like he was draped in them rather than carrying them gracefully.
On the other hand, Lord Carmen was strikingly handsome, with his sun-kissed brown skin and black hair exuding an exotic allure. He wore a light shirt with several buttons undone under his coat, an unconventional look that suited him surprisingly well.
Between these two distinctive individuals stood Viscount Gillis, who seemed unremarkable compared to them. However, the sharp, predatory glint in his eyes ensured he didn’t fade into the background.
“It’s an honor to meet the brightest diamond, Lady Sharon. I brought a bouquet of flowers that I believe suits you, the queen of flowers.”
Viscount Plumfetter handed over a pale pink rose bouquet. Not to be outdone, Viscount Gillis quickly presented a darker-colored rose bouquet.
“I, too, have brought flowers I believe suit the lady best. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find one matching the magnificent color of your hair, but I scoured every farm near the capital to select the finest roses.”
It seemed Letticia was destined to receive only roses this season. While she didn’t dislike roses, seeing bouquet after bouquet of them made her wonder if she might grow tired of them soon.
“Haha, seeing everyone else offering such valuable gifts makes me feel embarrassed about mine,”
As the silent battle of nerves continued between Viscount Gillis and Viscount Plumfetter, Lord Carmen, with a relaxed expression, handed Letticia a gift box and a bouquet of red roses.
“My roses may pale in comparison to theirs in color and cost, but I assure you, my gift won’t,”
“You’ve piqued my curiosity, my lord. I can’t wait to see what’s inside,”
When Letticia unwrapped the gift box, a long, luxurious box wrapped in packaging bearing the word ‘Costoso’ emerged.
“It’s Costoso, the finest wine from the South. Now that you’ve come of age, I assume you can enjoy a glass of wine?”
“I only partake occasionally during meals. Even so, thank you so much for such a precious gift.”
In truth, she had never even had a sip of alcohol, but Letticia maintained her composure, politely expressing gratitude, and handed the gift to her maid.
Seeing this, Viscount Plumfetter, seemingly desperate to not be outdone, practically forced his gift box into Letticia’s hands.
“Please accept my gift as well, Lady. I ordered the latest creation from Faymont especially for you.”
“Oh my, it looks delightful. I’ll enjoy it during this afternoon’s tea time.”
“Lady, please accept my gift as well. It’s a poetry collection featuring masterpieces from classical to modern times.”
“How artistic of you, Viscount. Thank you so much.”
After passing Viscount Gillis’s gift to the maid along with the others, Letticia sat down to brace herself. She knew what was coming next—recitals and musical performances.
“Well then, Lady, allow me to recite a poem I composed, inspired by you.”
“How conventional—a poem. Surely music is the ultimate art form, and nothing expresses love more fittingly than a song?”
“The worst kind of torture is being stuck with the wrong person.”
“I was trained by a first-class vocalist. If I had chosen, I could have been the empire’s greatest artist.”
‘What a narcissist,’
Letticia thought, exasperated. His self-indulgence reminded her of the exaggerated gestures of the Marquess earlier when reciting his own poetry.
‘I just want to see Lord Bright soon…’
Letticia hoped that, should Ezkhiel visit, he wouldn’t exhibit such arrogance with terrible self-written poetry or awful singing.
‘Then again, it’s Lord Bright. Even if the lyrics or singing were lacking, I might still bear with it because his voice is pleasant.’
While Letticia entertained these thoughts, Viscount Plumfetter’s song and Viscount Gillis’s poetry recitation came to an end.
She clapped politely and offered a formal smile before Lord Carmen seized control of the room for the last act.
“Unlike the others, I lack the skill to entertain with poetry or music, so may I instead share a travel story, Countess?”
“A travel story from Lord Carmen? That would be delightful! I’ve heard you’ve been working on trade with your father, the Duke.”
“Yes, my family mainly trades with southern countries. Among them, I oversee dealings with San Severo, a country I’ve adored ever since my first visit with my father at the age of seven. I’ve returned almost every year since.”
Finding his travel story more intriguing than amateurish poetry and music, Letticia adjusted her posture, ready to listen attentively. The stark change in her demeanor didn’t go unnoticed by Viscounts Gillis and Plumfetter, who glared at Lord Carmen. However, Lord Carmen ignored them and continued his tale.
“I’ve traveled through the northern and central regions of San Severo, but I must say, the central vineyards are the most stunning places I’ve ever visited. The wine made from their grapes is exclusively imported by our duchy, and I’m thrilled it’s been gaining popularity in the capital recently.”
“Oh yes, I remember that San Severo wine is exclusively imported by your family. Last year’s vintage was scarce, though. Was there a reason for that?”
“A typhoon hit San Severo last year. The grapes we cultivated were ruined, and we barely managed to fulfill the orders.”
“That must have been tough,”
Letticia responded sympathetically, Viscount Plumfetter scoffed and interjected with a smirk.
“Pfft, making a fuss over something so trivial? Aren’t you ashamed to reveal your incompetence?”
“Incompetence?”
Lord Carmen looked at him in disbelief, while Viscount Plumfetter smirked smugly, as if his statement was perfectly justified.
“Claiming you couldn’t meet production targets because of a typhoon—are you saying that a winery representing an entire country didn’t even have reserves?”
“We had vintages from the year before, but last year’s vintage must be produced that same year. How could we possibly have reserves?”
“You could’ve harvested the grapes before the typhoon hit. The farmers were just lazy, weren’t they? That’s why this happened. And to think you’re doing business with such a place—clearly, Carmen lacks discernment.”
Letticia was so stunned that she was at a loss for words. Kenneth, Camilla, and Viscount Gillis were equally speechless.
‘Is this guy for real? Wait a second, this feels oddly familiar…’
As Letticia pondered over the strangely familiar conversation, Lord Carmen shrugged and shook his head.
“Since you don’t have an estate, Viscount, it’s only natural you wouldn’t know much about farming. The grapes weren’t harvested yet because it wasn’t the right season. Unless the winery staff are gods, they couldn’t possibly pick the grapes prematurely and ripen them.”
“That’s exactly what the winery should figure out how to do!”
“People can manage what’s within their power, but they can’t control what nature must handle. Isn’t that right, Lady Sharon?”
Lost in her thoughts, Letticia hadn’t caught Lord Carmen’s question. However, recalling a scene from the original story, she quickly deduced what he must have asked.
– “We can’t hold farmers responsible for what should be left to nature. Farming is not something that can be accomplished solely by human effort, after all.”
It was the moment when Ariette, as the lady of a duchy responsible for the empire’s wheat production, displayed her dignity.
Remembering this, Letticia gave an appropriate response she thought suited the situation.
“I don’t know much about farming either, but I believe Lord Carmen is right. Humans cannot overstep the bounds of nature.”
When Letticia sided with Lord Carmen, Viscount Plumfetter’s expression twisted for a brief moment. Despite Lord Carmen being the heir to a duchy, it stung the Viscount’s pride to be outshone by someone younger.
‘Serves him right for making such a foolish remark.’
Letticia coolly shook her head internally and deliberately changed the subject.
“Rather than that, could you share more of your travel stories, my lord? What is the northern region famous for?”
“The northern region has more mountainous terrain compared to the central region. It’s particularly known for its beautiful highlands where cattle and sheep graze. The mountains are so tall that snow accumulates on the peaks, and in winter, the view becomes…”
As Lord Carmen continued his tale, Letticia managed to maintain a smiling face while barely concealing her inner turmoil.
Lord Bernardo Carmen, and Viscount Plumfetter.
Both men were suitors who had approached Ariette in the original story.
