“Are you saying you want to purchase the jewelry chain?”
She instinctively asked back at the completely unexpected proposal, and Letticia looked at Seraphina, who nodded without any change in expression.
“Yes. Although I haven’t learned anything about management, I believe that if another Diamond of this season, namely myself, were to use the jewelry chain, it would result in a favorable outcome for Sharon Jewelry.”
“…….….”
Letticia quietly mulled over Seraphina’s proposal.
As Seraphina mentioned, if she were to purchase the jewelry chain, it might seem like someone who once wore Canotia’s jewelry dress wasn’t satisfied and switched to Sharon’s jewelry chain.
Letticia already harbored resentment toward Canotia for the near wine-spilling incident at the Sharon Count’s ball. If she could use this opportunity to crush Canotia’s pride and image, it would be welcome.
‘But isn’t this too advantageous for us?’
Most people who see the jewelry chain would associate it with Camilla or Letticia, not Seraphina.
Of course, if Seraphina coordinated the chain well and showcased it stylishly to others, that fashion might leave an impression. However, as long as it’s labeled ‘Sharon Jewelry’s chain,’ it cannot be separated from Letticia.
It seemed too irrational a choice for someone who had purchased a jewelry dress for publicity.
“Aren’t you a VIP client of Canotia Jewelry, Lady? Didn’t you wear Canotia’s jewelry dress at the last ball? Although it was overshadowed by Lady Cassilis.”
Letticia, who asked suspiciously, received an earnest and principled answer.
“It’s a gesture of apology. I believed Lady Cassilis’ words and publicly accused you in front of many people. Ideally, I should have apologized to you on the spot, but since it’s so late, I need to show even more sincerity.”
Seraphina took a sip of tea, showing a slightly gloomy demeanor as she lowered her gaze.
“It might sound like an excuse, but I was so flustered back then that I missed the opportunity to apologize because I was focused on verifying the facts. I never imagined that Lady Cassilis would lie to me.”
Her softly spoken words carried a strong sense of betrayal. If what she said was true, Seraphina had genuinely taken Melanie’s side because she trusted her.
However, if she was betrayed in such a manner, cutting ties would be understandable, but it still didn’t explain why she had believed Melanie’s ridiculous claims in the first place.
“The Countess and her son even knelt down. Didn’t you wonder why they didn’t lodge a formal protest as a family?”
“Lady Cassilis made it sound like the Sharon Count family might have something on them. Since she was one of the few people from my hometown I could see in the capital… and all I’d heard were bad things about her, I couldn’t judge properly.”
Letticia barely held back a sigh.
Trusting a friend’s words and acting recklessly often led to trouble, even back in the academy. Since Seraphina was educated by private tutors and not at the academy, she seemed to lack such experiences.
“Then why did you suddenly change your stance when Lady Cassilis was being criticized?”
“When I heard what Lady Cassilis said, the atmosphere among the people changed immediately. It was as if they were looking at someone who said something absolutely unacceptable. If that were the case, the one at fault must have been Lady Cassilis. But instead of acknowledging her mistake, she kept insisting she had done nothing wrong…”
Seraphina frowned in frustration.
“After listening to what you and others had to say, it seemed clear Lady Cassilis had done something wrong. But I never imagined it was severe enough for everyone to side with Lady Sharon. If I’d known, I would have informed the Countess and stopped her from bringing Lady Cassilis to the ball.”
The reason why Melanie, who had caused such a scandal, attended the ball was revealed.
It seemed the Countess had believed Seraphina would handle the situation well, making her plight somewhat pitiable.
“I also apologized to the Countess for my actions leading to this situation. I will refrain from acting recklessly without understanding the full circumstances in the future.”
“…If you’re reflecting so deeply, then I understand.”
With Seraphina showing both remorse and genuine repentance, Letticia decided to accept her apology.
Letticia disliked people who stubbornly refused to acknowledge their mistakes, not those who reflected and apologized sincerely.
“So, what will happen to Lady Cassilis? It’s been making headlines in gossip journals like Lucinella and others.”
“The entire Cassilis family will be heading to the western region in a few days. Staying in the capital would be too unbearable for them.”
Having been branded in various society papers as a ‘debutante who used hate speech,’ Melanie would no longer be welcomed by any noble in the capital’s social circles.
Being expelled from Countess Freke’s ball and losing Camilla’s support were already severe blows. Being featured negatively in society journals sealed Melanie’s fate, essentially ending her social life.
Though her future in the western region was uncertain, the fact that the entire family had to relocate due to her disgrace suggested that her standing within her own family would also deteriorate significantly.
“Do you think Lady Cassilis will engage in western social circles?”
“No, there’s no chance of her being invited in Clarence. I informed my mother of the truth as soon as I found out.”
Seraphina spoke firmly, indicating she had acted swiftly upon discovering the truth about Melanie’s actions.
“The Cassilis family can no longer shield their eldest daughter, so she’ll likely end up in a convent.”
“She’s paying a hefty price for deceiving others and failing to grasp the situation.”
Sending someone to a convent is one of the harshest punishments for a child who has disgraced a noble family. It cuts off all secular relationships, imposes a strict and frugal lifestyle, and involves labor suited to the self-sufficient nature of convent life.
For someone accustomed to being served as a noble, only prison or execution would be worse.
‘One careless remark, and her life is ruined.’
Speculating that things might not have escalated as much had she been in western society instead was pointless. Since their ties were severed, there was no need to dwell on it further.
As Letticia resolved to forget about Melanie, Seraphina hesitated before carefully opening her mouth.
“And aside from the apology, there’s something I’ve always wanted to ask. Would it be alright to bring it up?”
“A request?”
Letticia couldn’t think of anything Seraphina might want to request from her and nodded out of curiosity.
After receiving her consent, Seraphina relaxed and stated her request.
“I heard that during your time at Phileas Academy, you founded a group called ‘March Blossoms.’ Could you tell me about its activities?”
“March Blossoms?”
“Yes. And if possible, I’d like to meet the person who handled its practical operations.”
“…Well, both I and Dayna are currently active in society.”
“Ah, you mean Lady Dayna Hailey. Then would it also be alright to ask for an introduction to her?”
Seraphina asked without any hint of discomfort. Her attitude was the complete opposite of how she detested western nobles, which puzzled Letticia.
‘Don’t the western and southern regions have significant regional animosity?’
Suspicious that Seraphina might also be acting, Letticia decided to confirm her sincerity.
“May I ask why you’re interested in March Blossoms?”
“I heard it was a research group for new nobles in the liberal arts department to learn etiquette and refinement, which piqued my interest. If it’s not too intrusive, could you tell me who was in charge of the education?”
“Education… Well, I primarily took the lead in teaching. The rest of the group helped each other review. For practical activities like tea parties and dances, we frequently practiced at regular meetings.”
“Then, were all the members originally good students?”
“…By the time we graduated, everyone had excellent grades.”
Unable to outright admit that her friends weren’t initially good, Letticia diplomatically replied. Catching on, Seraphina responded with admiration.
“Remarkable. That must mean Lady Sharon’s teaching methods were exceptional. It couldn’t have been easy to instill such etiquette and refinement in new nobles of lowly birth.”
“…What did you say?”
Unsure of what she’d just heard, Letticia asked for clarification.
Noticing the tension, Seraphina looked slightly alarmed and asked,
“Did I say something offensive?”
“No, it’s just… Hah…”
At a loss for words, Letticia sipped her tea to calm herself.
After calling them people of ‘lowly birth,’ Seraphina had the audacity to ask if she’d said anything offensive. Was she even aware of what she was saying?
“Since I grew up in the western region, I understand that I might not be familiar with the culture of the capital and could unintentionally cause discomfort. If I’ve offended you in any way, please let me know.”
“…What do people in the west call new nobles?”
Now calmer after sipping her tea, Letticia asked while suppressing her emotions. Seraphina hesitated as if unsure whether it was appropriate to say but eventually answered.
To be precise, her hesitation suggested she wasn’t sure if what she was about to say was acceptable.
“They’re called people of lowly birth, nouveau riche, fools who mistakenly believe money can buy honor.”
“…Saying that in the capital would lead to charges of defamation.”
“Really?”
Seraphina widened her eyes in surprise.
Her expression revealed she’d never imagined those terms could be considered hate speech.
