“I’ve been independent from the Bright family for years now. While I don’t hold a title, I am the head of my own household. So, even if the head of the main family, our father, were to give me orders, I am under no obligation to follow them.”
“I told him the same thing, but he wouldn’t listen. He has nothing to give to you, so I have no idea what he’s basing his actions on.”
In noble families, parents held absolute influence over their children because they controlled the family’s finances.
Most of the time, parents owned all the assets and could decide at their discretion how much wealth to pass down to each child. If a child fell out of favor, they risked being excluded from the inheritance and left with nothing.
Even marriage didn’t necessarily resolve such issues. Many nobles relied on their parents for financial support during their early married life.
Even when some of the family assets were gifted during the marriage, it was usually only a small portion. More commonly, parents provided their children with a separate home and living expenses in the form of allowances.
No matter how grand their residence or how substantial their future dowry might seem, noble children didn’t have direct access to these funds right away.
In some cases, parents even exploited prenuptial agreements, leaving their children with no choice but to obey if they couldn’t earn enough to sustain their lifestyle independently.
However, Ezkhiel was different. The Bright family’s entire fortune was set to be inherited by David along with the title of Baron.
The only support Ezkhiel had ever received from the family was his tuition for the academy. Even the money to purchase his house had come from his first paycheck as the Crown Prince’s chief aide.
For this reason, Ezkhiel could ignore Baron Bright’s words without any consequences.
Though he understood this logically, Ezkhiel still found himself shrinking under his father’s shadow unless he repeated these facts to himself several times over.
Perhaps this reaction was the result of nearly twenty years of experience growing up under such circumstances.
“…Ez, let me ask you something. Do you think things will work out with Lady Sharon?”
David, watching Ezkhiel’s trembling hands with a concerned gaze, asked gently. Ezkhiel gave a self-deprecating smile in response.
“Brother, after reading Lucinella, how can you even ask me that? Look at her suitors—Lord Carmen, Marquess Digby, Count Cromwell, and even Lord Jarvis. Do you really think someone like me stands a chance with her?”
“What’s wrong with you? Do you think anyone can just become the Crown Prince’s chief aide?”
“You’re right—that’s something I’m genuinely proud of. I’ve worked hard for the past four years to earn this position, and I’d bet there’s no one else who could handle it as well as I do. But…”
Ezkhiel couldn’t keep the words that had plagued his mind for years from spilling out.
Words he had heard hundreds, no, thousands of times since childhood. Words that denied his worth.
“A woman like Lady Sharon would never like someone as dull, mediocre, boring, and unmanly as me.”
“Ha…”
David let out a sigh, unable to continue speaking, and looked at his brother with a complicated expression.
After a few seconds of silence, David broke it with a suggestion.
“Still, hey, you’ve become friends with Lenard Sharon, haven’t you? Back when we were kids, those brats from families we mingled with used to look down on you, but Lenard seems to think highly of you. Couldn’t he help you?”
“Lenard’s an unusual case, even among new nobles. Even if he thinks well of me as a friend, that doesn’t mean he sees me as a good match for his sister.”
“Well, if worse comes to worst, why don’t you use your position to push forward? Those other guys are all trying to get ahead with titles like Noble Assembly members or Interior Ministry officials. You’re in a better spot than them, earning more money and being closer to power!”
“Lady Sharon isn’t the kind of person to base her decision on things like that. She said herself she’d only marry someone she truly loves.”
“Ah, right. That family is famous for marrying for love…”
David rubbed his forehead in frustration. Even he couldn’t imagine Letticia falling for his younger brother.
“So what are you going to do? Why don’t you ask Lenard for help?”
“Even if Lenard helps, the important thing is the lady’s feelings. And Lady Sharon is someone who’s incredibly thoughtful and determined. If she decides something isn’t right for her, she won’t change her mind.”
“Well, who knows? Maybe her tastes are unusually unique!”
“If I cling to that kind of optimistic hope, it’ll only hurt more later. I’m just going to do my best to court her this season. That way, even if I see her marry someone she truly loves later, I’ll be able to wish her happiness sincerely.”
Hearing his brother’s resigned tone, David couldn’t bring himself to offer more cheerful words.
His already pessimistic brother seemed to have given up completely. Encouraging him to hold on to hope would only be an empty consolation.
“…Are you really okay with that? You must really like her—didn’t you even visit her during the season, flowers in hand? Didn’t you say you worked overtime for several days because you had to cover for the Crown Prince and the Chancellor?”
“That’s why I’m going to give it my all. If I do, then later, when time has passed, and I hear the word ‘love,’ at least I’ll have someone and memories to think of.”
Ezkhiel stumbled over his words several times before finally finishing his sentence. Even putting into words the thoughts he had kept to himself wasn’t easy.
Every time Letticia smiled kindly at him or spoke to him with the same candid warmth she’d shown him in the past, his heart would race helplessly.
The first time they met, she had remembered him even after only one encounter, greeting him warmly and making him feel at ease.
When his words were often disorganized and unpolished, she always responded promptly, treating him as an equal.
She didn’t find his enjoyment of tea and desserts strange; instead, she enjoyed their conversations about them. And the moment she asked him to visit her during the season, it was the happiest he’d ever felt.
Even if the affection she held for him would one day fade into the love she found for someone else, and she no longer looked at him with the same warmth, he would still cherish those memories of her.
So all he wanted now was to leave her with nothing but good memories of him—to make their time together as wonderful as possible.
This was Ezkhiel’s only wish.
***
Great noble families often owned both a main estate in their territories and a grand mansion in the capital.
However, Seraphina, rather than staying in the Eskis Marquess family mansion, was residing at the Wallace Count family estate, her maternal family home.
As a result, the meeting to organize the music concert was also held at the Wallace Count family’s mansion. Letticia and Dayna, who never imagined they would visit such a place, found themselves stepping into the unfamiliar estate.
“Thank you for coming, Lady Sharon, Lady Hailey.”
“We should be the ones thanking you for the invitation, Lady Eksis.”
Guided to the reception room, Letticia decided to commend the Wallace Count family on their hospitality.
Sometimes, in old noble households, certain employees—perhaps identifying too strongly with their employers—would look down on new nobles and even harass them.
Fortunately, the Wallace family’s staff were impeccably polite, their expressions unreadable.
“This is my cousin, Audrey. I heard you haven’t had the chance to formally meet her, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to get acquainted.”
Just as Seraphina introduced her cousin Audrey Wallace, a woman with an elegant demeanor standing beside Audrey raised her voice.
“Lady Letticia Sharon?! You really came?”
“And Lady Dayna Hailey, the ‘Baby’s Breath’?! You’ve arrived so late.”
Another woman, with sharp eyes, glared at Letticia as she made this remark. Letticia recognized both women easily, having memorized their faces from the photographs published in society papers.
They were Giselle Mortimer, nicknamed ‘Daisy,’ and Evelyn Norton, known as ‘Violet.’
“Thank you for the enthusiastic welcome, Lady Wallace, Lady Mortimer, and Lady Norton. Oh, and I see Lady Maynard is here as well.”
“Indeed. It’s a pleasure to see you here, Lady Sharon, Lady Hailey.”
Vanessa Maynard, nicknamed ‘Butterfly,’ lightened the atmosphere with her cheerful response. Taking advantage of the moment, Dayna skillfully blocked any further unwelcome comments by speaking up.
“I hope we’re not too late.”
To Dayna’s polite remark, Seraphina answered with a smile.
“You’ve arrived right on time. We simply got here a bit earlier than scheduled.”
“That’s a relief. Will the meeting start right away?”
“That’s the plan.”
At Seraphina’s words, everyone took their seats.
Since Seraphina was hosting the meeting, she naturally took on the role of chairperson, soliciting opinions and guiding the discussion.
Bruuuuuuuh. Leticia needs to be very very clear to the dumb dumb
Welp, this can only go well….said no one since we all have been reading the story and seeing what happens lol
meant to say this in other comment as well but dang Bright needs to self-esteem. At first I would say its a little too meek and weak hearted but in the setting this story provided its very old school society where there is huge gaps in social power so i can see why he would think this way. Especially with what I suspect to be a not so good family environment (apart from brother).