“Are you saying that all the expressions I mentioned fall under that category?”
“Yes. By the way, in the capital, a noble once called another new noble a ‘nouveau riche,’ which led to a duel and a defamation lawsuit. Since the Supreme Court ruled it as an insult, no one uses that term anymore. Naturally, phrases like ‘lowly birth’ are also out of bounds.”
When Letticia explained this, Seraphina’s cheeks turned a deep shade of red. Her delicate, porcelain-doll-like face was filled with embarrassment and shame.
“So that’s why people got so upset… If I weren’t a noblewoman, I might have committed a grave offense in front of others. Thank you for correcting me, despite how unpleasant it must have been.”
“Well, didn’t they teach you these things at the Wallace Count’s household?”
“No. It seems they didn’t think to teach me, assuming it’s common knowledge in the capital.”
Seeing Seraphina’s discomfort confirmed that her infamous remark in the original story was indeed this one. It made sense that Achilles or Alexander were furious.
‘Even I got so angry that I spilled tea on her.’
Considering how furious Letticia and the Sharon family were with Melanie, it’s hard to blame the Averil family for ostracizing Seraphina from the capital’s social circles.
Fortunately, unlike Melanie, Seraphina seemed to have the manners and decency to refrain from using such terms once educated about them. If only the world had only intentional wounds, understanding people’s motives would be so much simpler.
“If you, Lady, are different from Lady Cassilis, it wouldn’t be hard to introduce you to my friend. But when I think about the deep-rooted animosity between the South and the West, I hesitate.”
“I acknowledge that disdain for new nobles is prevalent among the Western aristocracy. Everyone around me shares that opinion. Perhaps most people in the Cassilis family hold the same view, excluding the Countess.”
“For something like that, you seem to communicate well with me.”
Letticia replied cynically, causing Seraphina to shake her head.
“You are different… from other mixed-blood new nobles. You can’t be compared to them.”
After pausing to find the right words, Seraphina spoke firmly.
“The Countess of Sharon inherits the bloodlines of four of the most prominent noble families in the West: her paternal lineage from the Marquess of Wade and her maternal lineage from the Count of Seymour, along with the Everett and Lasseres families through her grandmothers. One of these families is even a great noble house descended from the ancient royal family. With such noble blood coursing through your veins, how could you possibly be the same as other mixed-blood nobles?”
Letticia was slightly overwhelmed by Seraphina’s ability to recite Camilla’s family tree more fluently than herself. Suppressing a smirk, Letticia brought her teacup to her lips to avoid showing her reaction.
Although Letticia also knew this information, she hadn’t paid much attention to it. Yet Seraphina seemed to treat it as a crucial detail.
‘This person is really obsessed with lineage.’
Despite maintaining politeness, Seraphina seemed to embody the Western aristocracy’s inherent disdain for the bloodlines of new nobles. Thanks to Camilla’s lineage, Letticia was likely perceived as a diluted version of this lowly birth. However, Dayna, who was not of noble birth, was probably regarded as nothing more than a mere new noble.*
“I can’t force my friend to attend a gathering where she might be insulted. Therefore, I’d like you to promise to treat my friend with the courtesy befitting a noble.”
Letticia’s firm stance prompted Seraphina to respond seriously.
“That is, of course, the proper etiquette. Even if one wasn’t born a noble, receiving a title from His Majesty the Emperor makes them a noble.”
“You acknowledge nobility even without noble bloodlines?”
“Bloodlines and status are separate matters. I’m not narrow-minded enough to disregard someone’s status just because their bloodline is… lacking.”
Seraphina hesitated, correcting herself as she almost uttered the term lowly birth.
‘Does she truly think bloodlines and status are separate?’
With the rise of new nobles, the capital was gradually recognizing that lineage and status weren’t necessarily linked. However, it was uncertain whether Seraphina, a Westerner, shared this belief.
Letticia couldn’t easily decide whether it was safe to introduce Dayna. After all, in aristocratic society, when someone of higher status wants to meet someone of lower status, the latter has no choice but to comply.
“Regarding the jewelry chain, it’s not something I can decide on my own. I’ll discuss it with my father first. As for meeting Dayna, I’ll set a date and send you a letter.”
“Yes, I’ll wait for the letter.”
Although Seraphina’s expression remained unchanged despite not receiving a definite answer, Letticia felt relieved that the tea time had concluded peacefully. She resolved to consult Camilla as soon as she returned from her meeting.
***
Returning from the Afternoon Garden Party, Camilla chuckled when she saw the expression of her daughter, who had been waiting for her all along.
“It seems the Lady Eskis had a good visit?”
“She just left us with a headache.”
“Then, tell me about this headache. From your expression, it doesn’t look like you got into a scuffle. What kind of conversation left you so drained?”
If Lady Eskis had used insults like ‘half-breed’ or ‘nouveau riche,’ there was no way her daughter, so much like herself, would have let it slide.
Besides, it was unlikely that the Marquess of Eskis would have raised his daughter to be so foolish as to visit the Count’s mansion just to hurl such insults.
“First, she apologized for her comments at the ball and for siding with Lady Cassilis without understanding the situation. She said it was because they’re from the same region and have known each other since childhood.”
“Oh, now that you mention it, the youngest sister of the late Marquess of Eskis married the cousin of the late Count of Cassilis. So, they probably did have some interaction growing up.”
“Mother, you remember all that?”
“You’re the one who doesn’t remember enough. Stop relying too much on Kenneth and memorize some of this yourself.”
Letticia nodded with a resigned look, as if she were being scolded. She had always disliked studying since childhood, a trait she shared with her mother.
“Anyway, Lady Eskis said she wanted to buy our jewelry chain as a token of her apology. What should we do?”
“Our jewelry chain?”
Camilla considered the social impact of Seraphina wearing the jewelry chain. While business decisions fell under Patrick’s jurisdiction, social judgments were Camilla’s domain.
“For now, it seems like a reasonable choice—for both us and Lady Eskis.”
“For Lady Eskis as well?”
Camilla kindly explained to her daughter, who appeared puzzled.
“The capital’s perception of Western nobles is at an all-time low. People say they use hateful language so casually that they’re not worth associating with. Some even suggest returning their invitations. While Lady Eskis’s reputation is a bit better because of her Diamond status, other Western nobles are worried that people will demand their invitations back.”
Although a few Western nobles like the Cassilis family maintained estates in the West and frequented the capital, their numbers were small. Not a single Western noble attended the Afternoon Garden Party that day.
When asked, they claimed illness as their reason for absence, but only they would know if that was the truth.
“So, if Lady Eskis apologizes to you, wears the jewelry chain, and interacts with you casually at public events, it could help change the perception that she’s as thoughtless as Lady Cassilis.”
“She also asked me to introduce her to Dayna. Could that be part of her effort to change perceptions?”
“Even Lady Hailey?”
Camilla paused at Letticia’s words, finding it hard to believe that Lady Eskis had asked to meet not only Letticia but also the new noble like Dayna.
“Yes. She said she’s interested in the ‘March Blossoms’ club.”
“Why would she be interested? To the Western nobles, it would just seem like nonsense.”
“Well, considering the efforts it must have taken for the new nobles with lowly birth to appear so excellent, they say I must have taught them well.”
Letticia spoke cynically, causing Camilla to click her tongue.
In the Western nobility, if a family hasn’t been noble for at least three generations, they aren’t even considered nobles. They can’t fathom the idea of commoners acquiring refinement.
Thus, for these so-called nouveau riche, who are considered commoners by the nobles, acquiring refinement must feel as unlikely as training a dog to speak.
“Even after saying that, you managed not to fight.”
“It seemed like they couldn’t even perceive that such words could be taken as insulting. There’s room for improvement, so they’re better than the Lady of Cassilis.”
“That’s true. Still, you must have been upset at that moment.”
“Even for me, before pulling the hair of the Great Lord’s daughter, I would at least ask first.”
Letticia muttered in a disgruntled tone, but her sharp response made Camilla laugh.
Despite her straightforward personality, the frustration and stress accumulated through social events didn’t cause her to lose her composure, just like her husband.
“Still, since they asked for an introduction, I can’t refuse outright. I think I’ll need to discuss the schedule with Dayna and set a date.”
“Western and Southern nobles meeting… It’ll be a miracle if no arguments break out.”
🍓; *Letticia is perceived as slightly superior to a typical ‘new noble’ because of Camilla’s noble lineage. The term ‘diluted version’ suggests that while Letticia still carries some of the ‘lowly’ bloodline, it is somewhat improved or refined due to her connection to Camilla’s noble heritage. In this context, she is seen as better than someone who is completely of ‘lowly birth’ (or not noble at all), but still not quite on the level of traditional or old aristocracy.
