Thankfully, she was eating an ice cream cake at the time. If it had been tea, she might not have been able to close her mouth, and it would have spilled down her chin.
As it happened, Dayna accidentally dropped the fork she was using to eat the ice cream cake.
“Are you saying… that we should run a social gathering together with Lady Eskis?”
“Yes.”
Letticia tried to stay calm as she reflected on what Seraphina had just said.
It seemed that Seraphina had anticipated their shock because she confirmed her statement without showing any displeasure. Letticia wanted to bury her head in her hands at such a bolt-from-the-blue suggestion.
‘Why do the female lead and the villainess keep flocking to me? Did someone put honey on me or something?’
It was already enough trouble when Ariette wanted to join the ‘March Blossoms’ club back at the academy, which Letticia had refused, leading to a whole ordeal. Now, Seraphina was proposing to create a ‘March Blossoms’ version for the social scene.
Letticia had barely managed to avoid the crown princess route and focus on safely wooing Ezkhiel. But just as one problem was resolved, another always seemed to arise, as if it was some kind of universal law of headaches.
Moreover, even considering the practicality of the matter, it was utterly unconventional. Although the ratio of new nobles in the social scene had increased, the interactions between old and new nobles were largely superficial.
Unless there were business ties between the families, typically, new nobles mingled with new nobles, and old nobles with old nobles. While they might invite each other as guests to gatherings, they rarely saw each other as partners to co-host events.
‘Why not just do it with your cousin? It’s not like you’re one to preach about equality among all nobles, old or new.’
Feeling a headache coming on, Letticia sipped her tea instead of reaching for more ice cream cake and cautiously asked,
“Why not collaborate with Lady Wallace instead?”
“Lady Wallace said she wasn’t interested in this gathering, so I’m preparing for it on my own.”
Letticia was taken aback by that response. Since coming to the capital, Seraphina had done nearly everything with her cousin, Lady Wallace, so Letticia naturally assumed it would be the same this time.
‘Even if Seraphina’s status is higher, Lady Wallace surely has more connections in the capital.’
Although Letticia didn’t know much about Seraphina’s social circle, she assumed that her network largely depended on Lady Wallace’s acquaintances.
The fact that Seraphina wanted to involve Letticia and Dayna was already surprising enough, but proposing to organize a gathering without Lady Wallace’s involvement would surely provoke resistance from the people who usually socialized with her.
What on earth was Seraphina’s reason for taking on such a risk to make this proposal?
While Letticia was lost in thought, Dayna asked,
“Lady Eskis, are you aware that my family is a merchant family based in the South?”
“Yes. I’m also aware that Viscountess Hailey is from an new noble family in the South.”
“…And yet you are still making such a proposal to me? Not just to Letticia?”
Dayna looked at Seraphina with eyes full of disbelief. Seraphina, as if fully understanding Dayna’s reaction, frowned slightly and replied,
“I also find it regrettable that most Western nobles do not consider new nobles as their equals. Although bloodlines no longer guarantee one’s status, the old order still holds strong in the West.”
“I’m well aware of that. I’ve heard plenty of stories about a certain Count who, when my father traveled to the West for business, insisted he enter through the servants’ entrance and had him deal with the butler.”
Letticia was so shocked that she almost interrupted. That behavior was the kind of attitude one would show to a mere supplier of goods to the estate, not an equal guest or business partner.
Even if it was a deliberate act to deny recognition of Lady Hailey’s status, it was excessively malicious.
“…They don’t even uphold the basic etiquette of hosting guests,”
Seraphina sighed with a similarly complicated expression. However, her reaction seemed more like disappointment in her fellow nobles’ disgraceful behavior than empathy for Dayna’s plight.
“Of course, it wasn’t Lady Eskis who did that. But growing up hearing such stories, it’s hard for me to believe that you would treat us as equals.”
“Whether you believe me or not is your choice. But I think we can agree that we don’t know enough about each other yet to argue about trust. That’s why I have one more proposal to make.”
Letticia tensed, wondering what more could be said. Dayna, too, gripped her fork slightly tighter.
But Seraphina showed no intention of easing their tension and continued without pause.
“At the end of this month, I am planning a charity concert centered around debutantes with the title of ‘Diamond’ or notable nicknames. Lady Wallace has agreed to participate, and I’ve sent invitations to others as well. I’d like to extend the same offer to you two.”
“A concert involving all debutantes with nicknames and titles?!”
Letticia couldn’t hold back her surprise and exclaimed loudly. Dayna, equally taken aback, quickly asked,
“If it’s about debutantes with nicknames, does that include both ‘Butterfly’ Lady Maynard and me?”
“If you were excluded, I wouldn’t use the word ‘all.’”
After taking a sip from her teacup and setting it down quietly, Seraphina said,
“To run a gathering together, it’s important to understand what kind of people we are. I will form my own judgment about the two of you as we prepare for this concert together. Likewise, I intend to give you the right to judge me.”
***
After the conversation ended, Seraphina stood up first. Once the attendant cleared her plate and left, Dayna turned to Letticia and asked directly,
“What do you think?”
“It’s not a bad proposal.”
At Letticia’s response, Dayna didn’t deny it either. If it succeeded, it was undoubtedly a beneficial proposal for both of them.
“The problem is, I’m not sure how feasible it is. Lady Eskis might be okay for now, but…”
“You think Lady Eskis is okay?”
“Yeah. She properly addressed my mother as Viscountess Hailey and made a proposal, not an order.”
“…Just how awful are the western nobles, really…?”
The story about that Count from earlier and Melanie’s incident had already left a terrible impression, but it was shocking to think there might be an even lower standard of behavior.
At this point, they might as well declare the West a separate country, Letticia thought.
“At the very least, as you said, she seems to be someone who can distinguish between bloodline and status. But I’m not sure about the other old nobles. Above all, Lady Wallace is on their side.”
“Ah… that’s unpleasant.”
Letticia grimaced and shuddered. During her academy days, she had grown sick of hearing that name from the mouths of old nobles who liked to stir up trouble.
Of course, Lady Wallace herself wouldn’t have personally directed such trouble, but it wasn’t as though students who had never even seen her would dare use her name without tacit permission.
If they had, those old nobles would have faced Lady Wallace’s wrath for using her name without permission.
“Still, since Lady Eskis is now a ‘Diamond,’ wouldn’t her influence have diminished compared to back then?”
“In the West, maybe, but in the capital, Lady Wallace still holds sway. She might even be the second-in-command with real power.”
“Ugh… It’s such a great opportunity, but this makes it so complicated.”
Letticia leaned forward onto the table, grumbling. A charity concert seemed like the perfect excuse to turn down the flood of marriage proposals she’d been receiving.
“Well, this isn’t something we can decide just by talking among ourselves, so let’s consult with our parents.”
“Yeah, I guess so… but I still want to do it. How about we at least meet and talk?”
“Letticia, did you really like music that much? Or is there something you want to do with the concert?”
Letticia, who had already achieved the top number of visitors this season, didn’t really need to enhance her reputation any further.
To Dayna’s curious question, Letticia carefully rephrased her reasoning in a way that wouldn’t sound too outrageous if overheard.
“I need an excuse to turn down marriage proposals from everyone except Lord Bright. Since his schedule is so packed, I can’t keep saying I already have prior schedule.”
“Ah… I get it. I have a couple of suitors I want to turn down too. Lately, I’ve been using exhibition openings as an excuse.”
“You too? I’ve been doing that as well.”
Next week, the charity exhibition hosted by former members of the March Blossoms club was set to take place. It had been deliberately scheduled to follow the end of the visiting season when the suitors had gathered.
Unlike the first half of the season, which focused on gaining visibility and attending as many events as possible to attract suitors, the second half leaned more toward charity activities, social gatherings, and strengthening relationships with suitors.
Thus, there was no longer a need to attend every event daily. The only challenge was managing other pressing concerns.
Such were the enviable dilemmas faced by a select few debutantes with more suitors than they could handle.
