Letticia had been a little surprised when she first heard about it.
While Letticia was preparing for her debut, Lenard had been busy discussing the potential changes and product marketing strategies that might result from it. It seemed he believed Letticia would handle the debut itself without issue.
“Lenard may speak bluntly, but he takes good care of his people. There’s no way he wouldn’t have been worried about his younger sister’s debut.”
“Well, thanks to that, I got to meet you again and even dance a waltz. I should thank him for that.”
If Lenard had heard this, he would likely have asked who had suggested such a thing. Thankfully, the only other person present was Kenneth, who could stay calm even while observing his cousin’s romantic developments.
Kenneth, being the capable chaperone recognized by Patrick, Camilla, and Letticia alike, expertly interjected into the conversation just as Ezekiel blushed at Letticia’s words.
“Do you find the tea to your liking, Lord Bright? I was a little worried the floral fragrance might overpower the black tea’s aroma.”
“Oh, it’s delightful. The lady has a remarkable skill for brewing tea, and the black tea’s aroma is perfectly preserved.”
“That’s a relief. When you drink tea in the garden, the fragrance of the flowers can sometimes change how the tea tastes.”
“On the contrary, the floral scent adds a refreshing quality to it. I can see why the culture of enjoying tea in the garden became popular.”
Although the mosquito netting around the pavilion slightly obscured the view of the garden, the breeze carrying the floral scents gave the tea a unique flavor, making the experience special.
As Ezekiel enjoyed the blend of tea and floral fragrance, he set his teacup down. Kenneth, noticing the empty cup, swiftly moved to refill it but instead laid down a plate for him.
“That’s why my aunt always hosts her tea parties here during the social season. You can take a stroll in the garden midway, and on the other side, you can see the fountain. Oh, now that I think about it, my aunt planted hyacinths and irises this year. I wonder if you’ve had the chance to see them.”
“No, I don’t think I noticed them on the path I took to get here.”
“Oh dear, then you must see them before you leave. It wouldn’t do to invite you to the garden only to serve tea and send you on your way. If you don’t mind, my cousin can guide you. What do you think?”
The suggestion was quite direct, but chaperones of this era often went out of their way to assist in the romances of the debutantes under their care.
With Kenneth’s approval, Ezekiel accepted the proposal without hesitation, unlike his earlier hesitation.
“If the lady is fine with it, I’d love to see the garden the Countess has nurtured.”
“Of course, I’m fine with it!”
Letticia beamed brightly and rose from her seat. Finally, the moment Letticia had been eagerly anticipating all day had arrived.
“So, where would you like to start, my lord? I’d personally recommend beginning with the hyacinth flower bed on the right.”
“Since you recommend it, I’m curious about the hyacinth flower bed as well. Shall we head there first?”
With Ezekiel escorting Letticia, his arm linked with hers, the two strolled out of sight. Kenneth watched them leave and, once they were out of view, calmly poured himself another cup of tea.
In the past, even for a garden stroll, a chaperone would follow a few meters behind the couple. However, nowadays, it was customary to leave such moments entirely to the couple.
Letticia and Ezekiel’s walk would indeed be the alone time Letticia had hoped for.
‘Let’s hope they make some progress already. Dealing with suitors is exhausting.’
Many of Letticia’s suitors often pressured Kenneth, who managed her schedule, to arrange dates with her.
Most backed off after receiving a polite rejection letter, but a few went so far as to secretly bribe Sharon family employees or even send bribes directly to Kenneth.
Of course, Patrick and Camilla helped handle such individuals, but unless Letticia started a relationship soon, there would be no escaping these persistent suitors.
Sipping on the sweet tea to soothe his frustration, Kenneth sincerely wished for his cousin’s romance to blossom.
***
Unaware of Kenneth’s thoughts, Letticia chatted non-stop with Ezekiel during their alone time.
The hyacinth flower bed, which had served as an excuse for their stroll, was forgotten within less than a minute of their arrival. Their conversation quickly shifted from flowers to personal topics.
“So now that the art exhibition is over, you must have more free time, my lady.”
“Well, actually, I’m planning another event—a charity concert. So, for the time being, I’ll be prioritizing that over attending gatherings.”
“A charity concert too?”
Ezekiel’s face lit up with admiration. Hearing that Letticia was organizing multiple charity events, he seemed to think highly of her for engaging in so many noble causes.
In truth, Letticia had agreed to the charity concert primarily as an excuse to turn down date requests from her suitors. Though she felt a little guilty, the fact that it was for a good cause allowed her to smile confidently.
“Yes. Lady Eskis proposed hosting a concert featuring all the debutantes who received titles this season.”
“Then it’s bound to be a large-scale event. If it’s a concert involving the most popular debutantes of the season, it’ll attract not only gentlemen but also attention from the Imperial family.”
“We’ll have to take that into account when finalizing the scale. There’s a meeting in a few days, and once the schedule is set, I’ll send you an invitation.”
“Yes, I’ll attend, even if I have to take leave.”
As a working man, there could hardly be a more earnest statement.
Touched, Letticia gently tightened her grip on Ezekiel’s arm, pulling slightly closer to him.
“L-Lady?!”
“…If I’m going to perform in front of you, my lord, I’ll need to practice even harder.”
Letticia leaned her head slightly against Ezekiel’s shoulder as she whispered, causing him to stop abruptly in front of the iris flower bed.
His face turned beet red all the way to his ears, and he fidgeted awkwardly, unable to hide his flustered expression. Seeing this, Letticia couldn’t hold back her laughter.
“My lord, we’re on a stroll together. Isn’t this much fine?”
“But what if… What if Lord Kenneth notices? What would he think…?”
“Ken isn’t watching us. It’s outdated for chaperones to follow couples even on strolls, isn’t it?”
“Even so, isn’t it customary for them to observe from the pavilion?”
“That may be true for others, but not in our family. He’s probably reading a book by now.”
“…I can only hope Lenard hasn’t returned home early.”
He must have imagined Lenard grabbing him by the collar.
Though Lenard would more likely scold Letticia than Ezekiel, Letticia chose not to point this out. Instead, she continued their earlier conversation.
“By the way, is there a piece of music you particularly like? If it’s a piece I can perform, I’d like to include it in the concert program.”
“There are pieces I enjoy… But wouldn’t it be presumptuous for me to influence your repertoire based solely on my preferences?”
“Not at all. I’ll have to decide what to play anyway, so consider it a way of helping me.”
“I see… Speaking of which, what instrument do you play, my lady? I should’ve asked that first.”
Realizing that he had been discussing the concert without knowing what instrument Letticia played, Ezekiel hurriedly asked. Letticia, unfazed, answered with a smile.
“I play the piano. String and wind instruments never really interested me.”
“Do you enjoy playing the piano?”
“Yes, I do. Its wide range allows for more variety compared to other instruments. Plus, you can sing while playing.”
“You sing as well?”
“Yes. To be honest, I prefer singing over playing. Songs are shorter than instrumental pieces, after all.”
Letticia chuckled playfully, and Ezekiel nodded as if he understood.
“Well, even a short solo piece takes several minutes. And not all of them have memorable melodies.”
“To be honest, there were quite a few times I felt sleepy while playing. During the music exam in the liberal arts department, the professor chose such a boring practice piece that even after drinking two cups of tea before going in, I almost dozed off.”
“When I was learning violin, I often thought I never wanted to play practice pieces again. It seems you felt the same way, my lady.”
“I can’t stand endlessly repeating the same measures. I don’t even enjoy listening to long pieces. That’s why I liked it so much when you performed ‘Gentle Memories’.”
Letticia smiled softly, and Ezekiel turned his gaze away with a faint, self-deprecating smile.
“That was only because I didn’t have much time to practice, so I picked an easy piece. Looking back, I was so out of practice that it couldn’t have been a decent performance. Still, both you and the Countess were kind enough to applaud.”
“What do you mean it wasn’t decent? Of all the visitors we’ve had, yours was the most enjoyable. It was much better than clumsy amateur poetry or dull sonatinas.”
“…I’m just lucky I happened to choose a piece that suited your taste.”
Ezekiel’s modest response suggested he thought Letticia’s praise was merely polite flattery. Feeling a bit impatient, Letticia deliberately spoke in a firmer tone.
