MLIIWTFL Chapter 108

 

 

 

“I also made it clear not to treat Dayna like a commoner, but she claims she’s not narrow-minded enough to deny someone’s status just because they lack lineage.”

 

“If she truly said that, she’s more enlightened than I thought.”

 

“…Enlightened?”

 

Letticia looked as if she’d heard something unbelievable.

 

As someone who had only heard stories about how closed-minded Western nobles were, it was hard for her to imagine.

 

“Yes. Normally, Western nobles won’t even recognize someone as a noble if they lack lineage. But to acknowledge someone as a noble despite their lack of lineage is rare, even among the old nobles of the capital. How many of them looked down on your father, even though they weren’t better than him in any way other than lineage?”

 

Even the Sharon family, regarded as the highest among the new nobles, wasn’t free from being dismissed for being new.

 

Kenneth also faced disdain due to his mother Alice’s semi-noble lineage when he started frequenting the social scene as Camilla’s secretary.

 

Yet for a daughter from the central family of the Western social scene in Clarence to separate lineage and status was remarkable.

 

“Perhaps times are changing, and even the West can produce more open-minded individuals. Thankfully, the West isn’t completely rotten. After all, no matter how noble the bloodline, it won’t automatically put bread on the table.”*

 

Like it or not, the West was Camilla’s hometown. While she wouldn’t mind if their rigid traditions backfired, she didn’t wish for them to fall behind the times entirely.

 

Camilla, deep in thought and feeling pleased, didn’t notice her daughter’s complicated expression.

 

Even if she had noticed, there wasn’t much she could do, so perhaps it was better she didn’t.

 

***

 

Returning to her room after discussing with Camilla, Letticia dismissed all her maids before letting out a deep sigh.

 

“Ha…”

 

Camilla seemed to think Letticia was surprised by how Western nobles seldom separate lineage from status. But that wasn’t the case.

 

“Even Mother takes it for granted that there’s a hierarchy in bloodlines.”

 

Living in a world where social classes actually existed and distinctions in lineage were acknowledged, Letticia still regarded lineage as just another credential.

 

Even in her previous life, people’s perceptions often changed depending on their parents, so it wasn’t hard to see it as a continuation of that notion.

 

She had never thought of lineage itself as guaranteeing something inherently noble.

 

‘Just because I inherited this blood doesn’t mean I can suddenly wield special magic or anything.’

 

For something to be called a noble lineage, shouldn’t it come with a certain pride-inducing ability as a bonus?

 

Her pragmatic way of thinking would have shocked other nobles, so she never voiced it aloud, but she couldn’t worship the absolute value of lineage.

 

However, not only Seraphina but also Camilla inherently believed that new nobles had inferior bloodlines compared to old ones.

 

Even Camilla, who married into the new nobles and is considered one of the most open-minded old nobles.

 

“…I don’t know. It’s not like I’m going to start a revolution and change the world.”

 

Fortunately, Letticia, who wasn’t the type to dwell on things for long, quickly let go of her thoughts and decided to write a letter to Dayna.

 

After all, she had already told her not to speak of things like ‘lowly birth,’ so she could avoid the worst-case scenario.

 

***

 

The next afternoon, before preparing for the evening’s gathering, Letticia received a visit from Dayna.

 

Clearly alarmed by the letter, Dayna rushed over, prompting Letticia to start with a simple greeting to calm her down.

 

“Dayna, have you had many visitors?”

 

“Visitors… yes. Eight people came.”

 

“That’s a lot! That’s a relief.”

 

It’s said that debutantes who have earned nicknames typically receive marriage proposals from 6 to 8 suitors. Of course, this included not only prominent high-ranking nobles but also newly rich nobles or even impoverished, nearly ruined ones.

 

“Well, whether there’s someone worth marrying is a different story. How about you? How many have visited you?”

 

“Twenty-seven.”

 

She tried not to sound boastful, but it was unavoidable. The number was over three times Dayna’s, and most of them were high-ranking nobles.

 

“Twenty-seven? That’s incredible!”

 

“With that many, I spent ages listening to their recitals. Oh, what tea would you like? How about rose tea?”

 

“Rose tea?”

 

“Yes. All the visitors brought roses, so we have an abundance.”

 

Except for Ezkhiel, who brought lisianthus, every suitor brought bouquets of roses, filling the Sharon family’s residence with a heavy rose scent.

 

To handle the overwhelming quantity, the maids had been mobilized to turn the roses into tea, jam, and other products, but honestly, Letticia was sick of the scent and didn’t want to drink it alone.

 

“If I finish all the rose tea and jam we have, I probably won’t even want to look at roses for a while.”

 

“I can relate. I’ve been given nothing but baby’s breath flowers.”

 

It was a sentiment only debutantes with nicknames could share.

 

Giggling, Dayna gazed curiously at the vase containing the lisianthus.

 

“These don’t look like roses. What flowers are they?”

 

“Lisianthus. They’re the only flowers that survived out of the bunch I received.”

 

Just the fact that Ezkhiel brought them was enough to earn them 9 out of 10 points, but the fact they weren’t roses added a bonus point, making them truly special.

 

Dayna’s eyes lit up at Letticia’s reply, showing her interest in her friend’s romantic life.

 

“So, since these are from your visitors, who gave them to you? And what gift did they bring?”

 

“Sir Ezkhiel Bright. The gift was White Opera tea leaves.”

 

“Sir Ezkhiel Bright… isn’t he the Crown Prince’s chief aide? The second son of Baron Bright?”

 

Dayna alternated her gaze between the flowers and Letticia, looking surprised that the suitor wasn’t a Duke or Marquess but rather a lower-ranking noble.

 

“Yes. I mentioned I liked it, and he brought it as a gift. Isn’t he so thoughtful?”

 

“Well, yes… but it wasn’t the Crown Prince himself who visited, it was his aide? He didn’t come as a representative of the Crown Prince, did he?”

 

“No matter what, would the Crown Prince really send someone else in his place for such a visit? Surely, he understands the decorum.”

 

At the ball, Matthias had said he would personally visit Letticia depending on her response, so it was clear he intended to go himself.

 

When Letticia said this, Dayna looked disappointed.

 

“Then who on earth did he visit? Surely it wasn’t Lady Eskis or Lady Wallace?”

 

“If it were them, the news would have already spread like wildfire. It seems like he doesn’t plan to propose to anyone this season. Skipping the visiting season and proposing later would be unfair.”

 

“…He only danced the waltz with you at the ball, so I had hoped… but it didn’t work out.”

 

It seemed Dayna was still rooting for Letticia to end up with Matthias.

 

Taking this opportunity, Letticia decided to be clear with Dayna.

 

“Dayna, I have no intention of becoming the Crown Princess. I could never love His Highness.”

 

“What? What do you mean you could never love him?”

 

When Dayna asked in shock, Letticia confessed honestly.

 

“I’ve been interested in Sir Bright since my debut ball.”

 

“Sir Bright?”

 

Dayna repeated Letticia’s words, looking confused. It was hard for her to believe Letticia was more interested in Ezkhiel than Matthias.

 

“Yes. I’m not into the cold, stern looks like His Highness. I also dislike people who bury themselves in work.”

 

“Is that really all it takes for you to say you could never love him? If you married His Highness, you’d become the Crown Princess!”

 

Dayna’s words were practical, albeit calculating.

 

Although society had grown to support love-based marriages, in reality, the most important factors were still appearance, wealth, and status. If those conditions were met, love would naturally follow—or so it was believed. Even if it came late, love was expected to blossom after marriage.

 

Especially for the new nobles, marriage was often a calculated step to integrate into aristocratic society. In fact, it was often less romantic than the marriages of the old nobles.

 

Letticia’s values were the complete opposite. She prioritized the person she would marry over the status it would bring and valued her happiness over family or societal expectations.

 

“For me, who I marry matters more than the status I gain from it. Even if I became the Crown Princess, if our personalities clash, it would end in disaster.”

 

“But becoming the Crown Princess would allow you to do so much more. It would help the Sharon family and strengthen the position of the new nobles—”

 

Letticia felt at a loss for how to explain this fundamental difference in values. While Dayna’s perspective might be the norm for most nobles, Letticia simply couldn’t live that way.

 

“If it made me happy as well, sure. But I just don’t think I’d be happy.”

 

Letticia had no lofty ambitions about becoming the Crown Princess. Her world revolved around her family, and her dream was to find a good partner, get married, and continue living a happy life—just as she was now.

 

 

 

🍓; *Means that having a noble or prestigious background (or any form of privilege) doesn’t guarantee practical success or the ability to support oneself. It implies that, regardless of one’s status, tangible outcomes like financial stability or basic needs (symbolized by ‘bread on the table’) require effort, not just inheritance or lineage.