As the meeting concluded, everyone dispersed back to their respective groups to prepare for departure.
Vanessa, the only neutral party, seemed uneasy being alone and struck up a conversation with Dayna. Letticia was about to join the conversation when Evelyn approached her.
“As expected, I can’t help but admire Lady Sharon’s skills. Simply incredible.”
The tone was one that could easily be mistaken as genuine praise by someone unfamiliar with the social scene.
“Getting an apology and an invitation from Lady Eskis over the reckless actions of Lady Cassilis wasn’t enough; you even managed to sell her the family’s signature jewelry chain. The daughter of a merchant is indeed different.”
“I think you might be mistaken. Lady Eskis invited Dayna and me to the charity event alongside debutantes with Diamond-related nicknames purely because she thought it would be a good idea.”
“That’s the issue. Lady Eskis is not particularly familiar with the capital’s social circles, and we are trying to support her as much as possible. Yet, she’s relying on debutantes she’s had no previous interaction with, simply because they share similar nicknames. Doesn’t that make you wonder if we’re insufficient in some way?”
Evelyn wore an expression that seemed genuinely concerned.
It was said that violets symbolized diligence and humility. At least outwardly, she appeared to embody those qualities.
In response, Letticia, embodying her nickname as a rose, smiled confidently and replied with grace.
“It seems Lady Norton truly has a nickname that suits her perfectly.”
“What?”
Evelyn slightly furrowed her brows at the unexpected response. Letticia continued speaking with the same smiling expression.
“Violets represent diligence and humility, right? Just as the name suggests, you’ve been diligently taking care of Lady Eskis, and on top of that, you’re so modest.”
“…Hearing such compliments from Lady Sharon, who is known as the rose, is a little overwhelming.”
“However, don’t you think being excessively humble isn’t always ideal? It could lead to misunderstandings, making it seem as though one is pretending to be modest while secretly taking pride in appearing humble and trying to show it off.”
“………!”
The pointed remark, masked as an innocent observation, slightly cracked Evelyn’s composure. However, perhaps because Letticia had already one-upped her earlier, Evelyn quickly returned to her usual expression.
“As expected of someone called the Queen of Flowers. You even have the composure to offer such advice.”
“I’m glad you took it as advice. I was slightly worried I might have spoken out of turn.”
The room grew tense as the two women exchanged smiles devoid of any warmth or goodwill.
Just as Dayna, who had been watching the exchange, was about to intervene, Seraphina and Audrey approached. Each addressed Letticia and Evelyn respectively.
“Lady Sharon, may I have a moment to speak with you?”
“Lady Norton, let us take our leave.”
At Seraphina’s request, Letticia immediately turned and left with her. Evelyn, too, followed Audrey with feigned reluctance.
Once in the adjacent room, Seraphina dismissed even the attending maid and closed the door. Surprised by her sudden actions, Letticia grew slightly wary.
In a cautious tone, Seraphina asked,
“Lady Sharon, did you happen to say something that might have upset Lady Norton?”
“…She seemed a little tense, likely from being around unfamiliar people.”
Letticia deliberately softened her words, as she had heard that the old nobles preferred such indirect language.
Seraphina appeared to understand, her expression hardening as she nodded.
“Lady Norton has been somewhat skeptical about this gathering, so I’ll have a separate discussion with her.”
“Not only Lady Norton but also Lady Mortimer seems to share the same sentiment. Will this event proceed as planned?”
“It must proceed. This is the first charity event of the season, after all.”
Seraphina spoke decisively, then added in a cautionary tone,
“I want this concert to continue smoothly without interruption. So please, even if Lady Norton and Lady Mortimer make unpleasant remarks, I hope there won’t be any conflicts.”
“So are you telling me to smile even if those two provoke me?”
When Letticia glared at her, Seraphina shook her head.
“I’ll speak to them so that they refrain from making any offensive remarks. After all, I’m sure they understand that sometimes one must set aside their emotions to fulfill their duties.”
“They seem unable to set aside their emotions, which is why they act that way toward me. Especially Lady Norton—she has plenty of reasons to harbor ill feelings toward me.”
The disgrace of being compared at the ball in Lucinella hadn’t even been a month ago.
Moreover, considering that the old nobility present here were likely attendees of Evelyn’s ball, Audrey or Giselle might unconditionally side with Evelyn.
Beyond personal connections, there were factional issues at play. More importantly, Audrey had been a long-standing rival of Letticia, even though they had never interacted during their academy days.
Letticia, representing the new nobility, firmly set her boundaries with Seraphina. She had a sense of her position as a representative of the new class and disliked being provoked.
“If they cross the line with their remarks, I’m letting you know now that I won’t participate any further. I’ve already hosted a charity exhibition once, so even if I withdraw, no one can say I haven’t fulfilled my duties.”
Nobles typically hosted one charity event per season. Since Letticia and Dayna had already fulfilled this obligation, participating in Seraphina’s concert only served to boost their reputation or avoid unwanted suitors.
Understanding this, Seraphina didn’t frown but instead nodded calmly.
“Yes, Lady Sharon, you’ve already upheld your noble duties. I admire how you’ve managed to fulfill your obligations despite being busy with suitors.”
“Your compliment embarrasses me. In any case, I trust you’ll handle those two ladies well.”
“Yes, I’ll remind Lady Mortimer and Lady Norton of their duties as nobles. If I tell them that Lady Sharon has already fulfilled her responsibilities, they might manage their emotions better.”
If this was truly said with pure goodwill, it was remarkable. Coupled with her smiling expression, it was even more impressive.
‘What she’s really saying is: ‘If Letticia, a mere new noble, could do it, why can’t you?’’
Such a provocation would surely stir the pride of the old nobility. Letticia worried that this might lead them to cry out for ‘down with Letticia’ and undergo fervent training just to oppose her.
“Lady Sharon, please set an example for those two as well. This is our first charity event, after all.”
“I’m not sure about being an example, but I’ll cooperate to ensure the event proceeds smoothly. Since Dayna handled most of the practical work, it would be better to assign more roles to her.”
“Noted.”
Seraphina nodded without resistance. Letticia found it rather curious how Seraphina showed no reluctance to delegate more tasks to Dayna.
“Does Lady Eskis have no complaints about hosting the event with us?”
“If I had any complaints, I wouldn’t have made the proposal in the first place.”
“Others seem to have some dissatisfaction. Did you get everyone’s agreement?”
“I’ve obtained their agreement. I’m sure they’ll also accept my suggestion to adjust their attitudes.”
Letticia couldn’t help but wonder if that agreement had been made in earnest.
Wondering if there might be any other reasons to convince them, Letticia decided to ask a few more questions.
“Then, forgive me if this feels like idle chatter, but are any of the three ladies currently in the engagement stage with a gentleman?”
“Yes. Both Lady Norton and Lady Mortimer seem to be in discussions of engagement with one of their suitors.”
“Then at least those two would cooperate with this event. If the event collapses midway and proceeds only with the rest of us, it would only harm the reputation of those who opted out.”
Unfortunately, the social world isn’t a beautiful place that shows compassion to the weak. If one of the seven debutantes known for their nicknames were to withdraw from the concert, rumors and speculations—both true and fabricated—would spread wildly about why they dropped out.
At best, people might think they were ostracized from the group. At worst, they might speculate that some scandal had been quietly covered up, leading to their withdrawal.
And if that happens, marriage prospects would naturally fall apart. Regardless of the truth, appearances are what matter most in noble society.
However, Letticia’s remark made Seraphina’s expression darken slightly.
“That’s true. But even without that, Lady Mortimer and Lady Norton are people who willingly fulfill their obligations. While your feelings toward them may not be positive, I hope you’ll trust that much.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m the kind of person who believes in actions over words. I think it’s a bit too soon to place trust in them.”
“Then I hope you’ll build that trust gradually moving forward. I won’t go as far as to say you need to be friends, but at the very least, you should see yourselves as collaborators until this concert ends.”
“…Yes, I also intend to maintain a working relationship.”
If Seraphina had told her to become friends with them, Letticia would have thought she was crazy. Thankfully, it didn’t seem to be that naive of a suggestion.
In that case, Letticia decided to hold judgment on Seraphina until she saw whether Evelyn and Giselle would actually be silenced.
‘Whatever, if things really go south, I’ll just leave with Dayna and Lady Maynard.’
If Letticia left alone, it might appear strange. But if Dayna and Vanessa left with her, it could be framed as a clash between factions.
It would be disappointing not to showcase her piano performance to Ezkhiel, but she could always invite him to her home and perform for him there. That would suffice.
