My Lover Isn't Interested With The Female lead!

 

 

 

“…But he didn’t visit during the visiting season.”

 

“Oh, that’s right. Then, maybe he’s not planning to get married this time either…”

 

At Ezkhiel’s small rebuttal, Percy hesitated briefly before seemingly remembering something and speaking again.

 

“Now that I think about it, Sir Bright, you took a half-day off on the second day of the visiting season! Did you visit someone?”

 

“…It was a personal matter.”

 

Ezkhiel sighed internally at the thoughtless comment from his subordinate, which brought back memories he didn’t want to recall.

 

Today’s Lucinella might announce the mid-season rankings of debutantes, but he didn’t think his name would be mentioned.

 

‘’Even Count Selburne is popular, but to make matters worse, there’s also Lord Jarvis….’

 

The mere thought of the handsome man who interrupted the conversation right after Ezkhiel’s violin performance—a performance he had practiced for tirelessly—was enough to stir up his long-standing feelings of inferiority.

 

Ezkhiel felt suffocated, as if mocking himself for being so excited when Letticia had sent him a note, hinting that she was waiting for him.

 

The tea leaves Letticia liked, the bouquet of lisianthus flowers he chose thinking she might be tired of roses—all of it seemed so inadequate in front of her.

 

‘…In the end, I couldn’t even say anything properly.’

 

When Letticia asked him to visit during the open season, Ezkhiel wondered if he was dreaming.

 

Dancing the waltz together, sharing a late-night snack, talking at length about his favorite tea and desserts, and sitting side by side in the carriage chatting—he thought it was all just courtesy. Or, to be precise, he tried to convince himself it was just that.

 

‘Why would she like someone like me?’

 

Ezkhiel’s parents had often scolded him, saying he wasn’t manly enough. He avoided hunting because he hated shooting animals for fun, didn’t enjoy card games because he wasn’t bold, refrained from drinking because he didn’t want to behave poorly in public, and avoided coffee because he disliked its bitter taste.

 

Moreover, the noble ladies he had met through family introductions since childhood had always regarded him indifferently.

 

To them, an ideal man was someone handsome enough to fulfill society’s fantasies, brimming with confidence and energy, who could express his charm through uninhibited and humorous conversation.

 

Someone like Lord Jarvis.

 

‘…Even Lady Sharon will eventually fall for someone like that.’

 

It was all too easy to imagine the emotion in those pink eyes, which always sparkled with affection whenever they looked at him, turning into cold indifference.

 

Although he had never experienced the former, the latter was a sentiment that always emerged in the eyes of women after just a few exchanges with Ezkhiel.

 

Ezkhiel, who found boasting entirely unsuitable for his personality and always spoke with caution, was typically perceived as indecisive and frustrating by noble young ladies.

 

Disliking those gazes, he avoided dancing altogether, which eventually led to a reputation among the nobility as someone too busy to have hobbies, with a perpetually lifeless demeanor.

 

Even the parents who considered him a desirable son-in-law only focused on his position as an aide to the crown prince. When it came to Ezkhiel’s personality, all they ever said was, ‘He’s diligent.’ But Ezkhiel knew that ‘diligent’ was just a polite way of saying ‘boring.’

 

Thinking this way left him feeling increasingly suffocated, as if a weight was pressing down on his chest. It even made the thought of facing Letticia unbearable.

 

If anything, his workload had piled up again by the time he returned from his half-day off, which he considered fortunate.

 

For once, he was grateful for his workaholic superior.

 

Yet, when he saw Letticia again after a week, she approached him just as warmly and greeted him with the same friendliness. That meant she hadn’t yet lost her fondness for him.

 

‘Well, she’s too polite to treat her brother’s friend poorly.’

 

Reminding himself of this eased Ezkhiel’s mind a little, and a faint, weary smile crossed his face. At least, Letticia wasn’t like other women who dismissed him outright.

 

In that case, even if he asked her out, she probably wouldn’t rudely reject him.

 

‘…Should I ask her to see a play with me?’

 

Now that his work seemed to be winding down, Ezkhiel resolved to take a vacation and visit Letticia this time.

 

While she still showed some affection toward him, he wanted to create as many memories as possible.

 

***

 

Letticia arrived at Judith’s palace and was promptly guided to Judith’s chambers.

 

At first, Letticia wondered if the empress had sent word in advance, but upon seeing the guest accompanying Judith, she immediately understood why.

 

“Lenny, you’re here?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Lenoa, who was holding a regular novel instead of a luxurious hardcover book, greeted briefly before focusing back on her reading.

 

Perhaps it was because she had been visiting often since childhood, but unlike the slightly tense Letticia, Lenoa sat comfortably on the sofa, looking completely at home, as if she were visiting a close friend.

 

It might have been an attitude made possible because she had sent away all the maids who usually stayed by her side.

 

“Aren’t you busy with your work? How did you manage to come here?”

 

“I pestered her to come. Lenoa’s been so busy lately that she hasn’t even been going to the academy.”

 

Judith, who had been drawing beside Lenoa, spoke as she put her drawings away. Recently, orders for custom jewelry chains had increased, so it seemed Judith simply decided to call Lenoa to the palace instead of waiting for her at the academy.

 

“By the way, Letticia, I heard you had 27 visitors this time? It was all in Lucinella!”

 

“There were quite a few visitors, indeed…”

 

When Judith pulled out Lucinella and, excited, handed it over, Letticia nodded with a wry smile. She wondered if Judith and her mother had both been waiting to pounce on her with that comment the moment they saw her.

 

“And looking at the list—Lord Carmen, Marquess Digby, Count Cromwell, Lord Jarvis, and even Sir Bright came! They’re all incredibly popular bachelors in society. Was there anyone you liked? Huh?”

 

“Princess Judith, if you ask her like that, she won’t be able to answer.”

 

Lenoa, finally looking up from her book, intervened to stop Judith. Although Judith stopped questioning, her eyes still sparkled with anticipation.

 

Letticia couldn’t guess what kind of romance novel Judith was writing in her head, but it was certain to be far more dramatic than Letticia’s actual love life.

 

“There is… someone I liked. One person.”

 

“One person?!”

 

Judith exclaimed with excitement at the mention of a single person.

 

“Only one person caught your eye? That sounds like fate. Who is it? Since you said before that you liked brown hair, is it Sir Bright?”

 

“That’s right. She made a deal with our brother that every time she danced three times at our ball, he would arrange one meeting with Lord Bright.”

 

“Hey, Lenoa!”

 

Letticia yelled when she saw her sister revealing her secrets to a friend, but Lenoa, still indifferent, turned her gaze back to her book. She looked like someone who would never talk, but when it came to friends, her mouth couldn’t be lighter.

 

“Lenard is arranging meetings for you? Are they close?”

 

“Yes. He’s been friends with my brother since their academy days.”

 

“So, it’s the classic story of falling in love with your brother’s friend! It’s cliché, but no less popular.”

 

“…But the problem is we hardly have time to meet. Lord Bright is so busy.”

 

Letticia decided to be straightforward. Since she had already mentioned to Matthias that things wouldn’t work out between them, she didn’t think admitting her feelings for Ezkhiel would be an issue.

 

“Well, if my brother is busy, then Sir Bright has no choice but to be busy too.”

 

“Is he always this busy? I heard the busy period was over. Did the Prime Minister give him more work?”

 

When Letticia asked, Judith replied with a troubled expression.

 

“Well, maybe he’s taking on more work himself to delay getting married. Especially after he danced the waltz only with you at Countess Freke’s ball. That led Father to ask if he was planning to marry you, which really upset him.”

 

“His Majesty…!”

 

Here was a complication Letticia couldn’t handle.

 

She could understand the Emperor pressing the Crown Prince about marriage as a ruler, but dragging her into it was something she wanted no part of.

 

‘If he wanted to bring up marriage, he could have waited until after Ariette debuted.’

 

Then he would have seen his son rushing to propose to Ariette, and everyone—Matthias, Ariette, the Emperor, and Letticia—would have had a happy ending. Why now, of all times, did he have to bring it up and add to Ezkhiel’s workload?

 

The thought that she might have to avoid other suitors all season under the pretext of being too busy made Letticia start resenting both the Emperor and Matthias.

 

“Hmm, should I ask Father to ease up on my brother?”

 

“If you could, I’d be really grateful!”

 

Letticia quickly nodded at the rain-in-the-desert suggestion. Imperial connections really were the best.

 

“That’s easy enough. But since you’ve already decided on Sir Bright, what will you do about the other suitors? Just reject them outright?”

 

“It’s not that simple…”

 

Letticia sighed. That was the cursed rule of this social circle.