Both Letticia and Kenneth were utterly shocked by the intense verbal attack, their mouths agape. Kenneth, in particular, seemed to be hearing it for the first time, his eyes widening three times larger than usual.
“A parasite?”
“Is that true, Austin?”
“If you’re curious whether it’s a lie, ask other Eastern nobles. If you ask those from our generation who are second sons or younger, they’ll all answer the same as me. It was his habit to say that the children of nobles who are not heirs are nothing but leeches clinging to the family.”
Letticia’s expression involuntarily twisted at such harsh words. If this were true, the mere thought of Lord Jarvis visiting the mansion was revolting.
‘Wait, aren’t they Eastern nobles? Isn’t that area somewhat similar to the capital?’
The capital of the Ponteon Empire was surrounded by mountain ranges to the north, west, and south. Thus, the east was the only region connected by flatlands, allowing for easier interaction with the capital.
Because of this, cultural disparities were relatively minor compared to other areas, and since the region focused on agriculture, its people were generally warm and well-natured.
This is why, in the original story, Duchess Averil was able to adapt fairly well to Eastern society. The Duke, too, wished to introduce Ariette into the Eastern social scene if given the opportunity.
But was discrimination like this still prevalent, even there?
‘No, this isn’t about class discrimination—it’s a matter of competition over resources.’
The empire’s inheritance law adhered to the principle of primogeniture. This meant that the family title and assets were exclusively inherited by the eldest son, while younger siblings were either given a small portion of the family wealth or encouraged to find a profession and become independent.
Under such a *primogeniture system, children other than the eldest were of no value. At best, the second child held some worth as a spare heir, but with advancements in medicine and magic reducing mortality rates, the possibility of inheritance had become slim.
As a result, children other than the heir usually found their own path, such as becoming retainers, administrators, civil servants, or knights, or receiving some assets to start a business.
While most families provided support for these endeavors, it was said that some begrudged even that.
Kenneth seemed to be thinking along those lines, his expression darkening as he muttered.
“No wonder Lord Jarvis isn’t well-liked among Eastern nobles. So that’s why….”
“Yeah. Watching someone like that gain popularity among the women in the capital’s social circles is infuriating. Honestly, seeing Lady Sharon dislike him was incredibly satisfying.”
“Letticia values personality over family background or wealth. And her taste in appearances… is rather particular.”
“Of course. As Kenneth’s cousin, her discerning eye is no surprise. Recognizing Sir Bright is proof of that.”
Count Selburne even clapped his hands, to which Letticia responded with a smile.
“That’s because he’s such a genuine person. He’s diligent and very considerate.”
“I’ve heard about that as well. Many of my friends were students in the Department of Public Administration.”
“Oh, so you must be juniors of Sir Bright?”
“Yes. Would you like to hear some of the stories I’ve heard from them?”
Letticia immediately nodded. Ezkhiel rarely talked about himself, so she had heard little about his academy days.
“You’re familiar with the Ralph Barthset incident, right? Some of the victims were my friends, and they all decided they couldn’t live like that anymore, so they collectively entrusted evidence of his corruption to Sir Bright.”
“Ralph Barthset ?”
“Yes. They waited for months without any news and had almost given up hope. But later, when His Highness the Crown Prince ordered an investigation, it became clear that Sir Bright had kept his promise.”
Hearing this, Letticia quickly glanced at Kenneth, who gave her a subtle shake of his head, signaling her to feign ignorance.
The fact that Lenard reported Ralph Barthset’s corruption during the academy incident was kept secret from the public. If it became known that the Countess Sharon’s family had targeted the Barthset Dukedom, which held the position of Minister of Internal Affairs, it could potentially spark political strife.
To manage this, Matthias concealed Lenard’s involvement, claiming instead that Ralph’s corruption had been exposed from within the academy. As a result, the whistleblower’s identity was never revealed. Considering the magnitude of Ralph’s misdeeds, it wouldn’t have been surprising if anyone had reported him.
Thus, publicly, Letticia knew nothing about Ralph’s academic misconduct. Sticking to her role, she tilted her head and asked deliberately,
“But why did they entrust the evidence to Sir Bright? Was there no one else?”
“Among those slated to become His Highness’ aides, Sir Bright was the most intimidating to Barthset .”
“Sir Bright was intimidating?”
“Yes. Despite all the grades Ralph had manipulated, he couldn’t surpass Sir Bright. In fact, within the Department of Public Administration, it was well-known that Ralph held a grudge against Sir Bright for this. Some of the later exposed scandals were even poorly handled attempts at overtaking Sir Bright’s top position.”
“Now that you mention it, I think I heard he was the academy’s top graduate….”
Letticia vaguely remembered hearing this somewhere.
Count Selburne, looking proud, chimed in,
“He almost never missed being the top graduate. That’s why His Highness personally scouted him as an aide.”
“Really?!”
“Yes. And despite all this, he was known for kindly answering questions from his peers and juniors. So, when he became the chief aide, everyone sincerely congratulated him. Among nobles who were not heirs, he was a figure of aspiration.”
“Wow….”
As expected, she had chosen her ally well.
Count Selburne, noticing Letticia’s pleased expression at hearing good things about someone she liked, glanced at the carriage before continuing,
“So, this might be presumptuous of me, but if you’re considering associating with Sir Bright, it would be best not to invite Lord Jarvis. He’s the kind of person who looks down on nobles without inheritance, calling them leeches. You can imagine what he might say to Sir Bright.”
“You’re right. Thank you for the advice, Count.”
“It’s nothing special. While I may be a Count now, I also once admired Sir Bright. And frankly, I don’t really enjoy seeing Lord Jarvis succeed,”
Count Selburne said with a smile. And since you’re my friend’s cousin, of course, I’d treat you well.
With an annoying suitor turning into a reliable ally, Letticia thought of sharing this news with Ezkhiel. Perhaps it would boost his confidence.
***
The box seats at Rosen Theater were as excellent as their reputation.
Although watching the performance from the box seats was more challenging than from the regular audience seats, the magical sound devices installed here and there made the actors’ lines perfectly audible. Most importantly, the live experience of being in the theater was extraordinary.
While enjoying the performance, Letticia whispered to Ezkhiel, who was sitting beside her. The two occupied the front row of the box seats, while the other three sat together in the back row.
“Oh, in the novel, the male and female leads meet inside the clock tower, but here they’ve changed it to in front of the tower.”
“Meeting inside the tower would make it hard for the audience to see. This way is better.”
“That’s true. Oh, it’s the confession scene now!”
As Letticia enthusiastically observed the play through her opera glasses and chattered on, Ezkhiel smiled. He had been unsure if Letticia would enjoy this play, but thankfully, she seemed to be having a great time.
‘Three more outings left… Where should I take her next?’
Since Letticia mentioned she enjoyed shopping and horseback riding, perhaps a suggestion to ride horses in the park would be a good idea. Ezkhiel wasn’t particularly skilled at riding, but just watching Letticia ride would likely bring him joy and clear his mind.
‘Or would a visit to a flower garden or a botanical garden be better? Maybe afterward, we could have tea together at Faymont. Could I allow myself that much indulgence?’
Letticia was the only person who had ever talked so enthusiastically about desserts with him. Ezkhiel even thought that if Letticia ever chose to meet someone else, he might still try to arrange tea with her, as a friend of her brother.
Of course, she wouldn’t treat him with the affectionate attitude she showed now. But even just friendly conversations about shared interests would be enough to make Ezkhiel happy.
While Ezkhiel was contemplating their next outing, the play ended, and it was time to return by carriage. Lenard turned to Kenneth and said,
“Ken, Letticia and I will ride this carriage back. You three can take the other one.”
“All of a sudden?”
“Why, brother?”
“I have something to discuss. Ezkhiel, Austin, you both take care on your way back.”
Lenard grabbed Letticia’s hand, guiding her into the carriage, waved goodbye to the others, and shut the door. As the horses began to move, Letticia, bewildered by her brother’s sudden behavior, was about to complain when Lenard spoke with a serious expression.
“Letticia, just confess to Ezkhiel already.”
🍓; *Primogeniture is a system of inheritance where the eldest child, usually the eldest son, inherits the entire estate or title of the family. This practice was common in monarchies and aristocratic families to keep wealth and power concentrated within a single lineage. There are different types of primogeniture, such as absolute primogeniture (where the eldest child, regardless of gender, inherits) and male-preference primogeniture (where sons are favored over daughters).
