“Brother Ken, can you help me with something?”
“…Why do you look so serious? What kind of help do you need?”
Kenneth was about to return to his room after breakfast when Letticia suddenly called out to him. He gave up his piano practice and followed her to the parlor.
Seeing Letticia deliberately brew a strong Ridere tea—Kenneth’s favorite—while waiting for him, it was clear she was about to make a troublesome request, and that gave him a headache.
“Let me guess, you want to come up with a plan to drive out Lord Jarvis from the social scene?”
“I would love to do that too, but this time, it’s about Lord Bright.”
“Oh, that’s a relief.”
Kenneth relaxed and sat down comfortably, sipping the tea Letticia had prepared with two teaspoons of sugar and a generous amount of milk, just the way he liked it.
Since Letticia had already set her heart on Ezkhiel, it was inevitable that this topic would come up.
The Sharon Count family, which advocates marriage through true love, also emphasizes storytelling. The legendary marriage of Patrick and Camilla, the love story of Irene and her husband who met at work, and even Brian and his wife who fell in love during their academy years and married after graduation—these couples all shared their romantic tales publicly.
Likewise, Letticia and Ezkhiel’s love story needed to be curated to highlight the elements that would appeal to the public. Kenneth had been rummaging through romance novels to craft a decent narrative for them.
But Letticia shattered Kenneth’s peace of mind in just five seconds.
“What do you think has a higher chance of success: causing a scandal with Lord Bright or suddenly announcing an engagement?”
“Cough!”
Kenneth choked at his cousin’s shocking question. Startled, he began coughing uncontrollably.
It took a while before his coughing subsided. Once he caught his breath, he cautiously asked, still in disbelief.
“Uh, Letticia? I think I must’ve misheard you. Could you say that again?”
“Between causing a scandal and announcing a surprise engagement interview—”
“No, I didn’t mishear! What on earth are you talking about?! Are you some obsessed character straight out of a romance novel?”
“Oh, Brother Ken, how do you even know that term?”
“You use that term sometimes. No, wait—that’s not the point right now!”
Kenneth buried any hope that he had misheard his cousin’s ridiculous statement.
As his eyes bulged and he shouted in disbelief, Letticia explained the situation step by step.
“You know I invited Lord Bright yesterday, right?”
“Yes, you even took him to the music room and played the piano enthusiastically.”
“Right. So, everything was going well at first. I asked about the songs he liked, played the ones I could, and even told him I’d choose one of them for the upcoming concert.”
“So, what went wrong?”
Kenneth looked at her with suspicion, trying to figure out what could have gone so horribly wrong that Letticia was now suggesting something so outrageous.
Under Kenneth’s doubtful gaze, Letticia started recounting yesterday’s events in a mixture of grumbling and playful complaints.
***
Letticia had been with Ezkhiel in the music room. Of course, since they weren’t engaged yet, leaving an unmarried man and woman alone in a room was out of the question. The door was technically open, but only by a tiny crack that made it seem shut. The guards were a few steps away, making the atmosphere feel as though they were alone.
In the traditional aristocratic social circles, reaching this stage meant the family had given their tacit approval of Ezkhiel as a suitor. Nervous, Ezkhiel sat on a sofa slightly away from the piano, listening to Letticia’s performance.
Letticia played a lively dance piece first, then transitioned into a calm solo. However, not being fond of slow pieces, she unconsciously sped up, turning the performance into a version that was about 1.5 times faster than the original.
“Oh, it happened again. Was that too fast?”
“No, not at all. In fact, it sounded so natural I thought it might be the original rhythm.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I tend to play faster without realizing it because I’m a bit impatient when performing slower songs.”
“…Honestly, I also thought this song felt a little too slow at its original tempo. I prefer your version.”
Hearing Ezkhiel’s words, Letticia grew even more excited, transitioning into the next melody at an even faster pace. Despite the tempo, she skillfully followed the sheet music, impressing him with her technique.
“In that case, should I play this piece at the concert? I have one solo performance scheduled.”
“Would that really be alright with you?”
“Why not? I mean, I wore that outfit to the audience ceremony, and it worked out fine—I even became a Diamond!”
“……….”
Ezkhiel’s cheeks flushed as he recalled that dress. Back then, while dancing with Letticia, he had turned red and averted his gaze every time he saw her bare shoulders.
‘Maybe I should wear an off-the-shoulder dress to the next ball.’
Although not as frequent as the debut season, balls were still held during the courtship season. The difference was that participants could attend with their partners.
When a man and a woman attend a ball as partners, it essentially announces to everyone that they have started a romantic relationship.
“By the way, Lord Bright, do you have any plans to attend the ball?”
Letticia asked subtly, seizing the opportunity. Considering they had even been alone in the music room together, she assumed he wouldn’t decline her proposal to be his partner.
“The ball? Hmm, I haven’t received an invitation from anyone I’m acquainted with…”
“In that case, why don’t you go to the ball with me?”
“With you, milady?”
“Yes, as my partner.”
Letticia had already stopped playing the piano and was now gazing directly into Ezkhiel’s eyes. He quickly realized the meaning behind her words, his eyes widening in surprise.
“Honestly, I don’t plan on attending many balls since I’ll be busy preparing for the concert. But if I were to go, I’d want to go with you, Lord Bright. And it’s not just the ball—I have so many other things I want to do with you. I’d love to go horseback riding, have a picnic, explore the botanical gardens, go shopping… there’s so much that just three meetings wouldn’t be enough.”
“…Did Lenard… mention anything?”
Ezkhiel’s voice trembled. Letticia nodded, not denying it.
“Yes. He told me to confess to you sooner. Even though he once said you were too good for me.”
“…I’m sorry, milady. I shouldn’t have said such things to Lenard…”
Ezkhiel, his face pale, was trembling even down to his fingertips. Letticia swiftly rose from the piano bench and grabbed both his hands firmly.
“It worked out for the better. Thanks to that, I made up my mind to confess to you sooner.”
“There’s still plenty of time for you, milady. But to decide to become my partner so hastily—”
“Hastily? Not at all. I decided on you even before the visiting season began. In fact, I’ve waited weeks because of those tedious social etiquette rules.”
“…..….”
“If it’s alright with you, I’d honestly like to dance with you three times at the ball.”
“That won’t do, milady!”
Ezkhiel, now completely pale, hurriedly tried to stop her bold words.
“Being your partner is fine. If you change your mind later, we can simply say we broke up. But if we dance more than twice, everyone will think we’re engaged. Afterward, it would tarnish your reputation if we were to part ways.”
“Why are you assuming we’ll break up?! I like you, Lord Bright! It’s not just that you’re better than other men—I truly want to be in a relationship with you!”
Letticia released his hands and firmly grasped Ezkhiel’s cheeks, ensuring he couldn’t avoid her gaze. She needed him to look into her eyes while she spoke; otherwise, he’d just keep averting his gaze and mentally retreating.
“…But if I were to become your partner, milady, you would only face ridicule. Beyond serving as the Crown Prince’s aide, I have no charm of my own—”
“I’ll put etiquette and tradition aside and say this: I’ve never found another man more appealing than you. Lord Jarvis? He’s like a peacock—all showy but utterly rude and annoying! Marquess Digby? Every word he says is so cringeworthy I just want to shut him up! They can’t even come close to half of who you are, Lord Bright!”
“……..….”
Ezkhiel stared at her in disbelief, as if he couldn’t trust her words. Letticia desperately wished her sincerity would reach him. But how could she break through that solid wall of his self-doubt?
‘Well… there is one thing I can do….’
However, it was only a short-term measure and not a true solution, so she was hesitant.
If she failed to break down Ezkhiel’s firm disbelief, he might end up uttering those clichéd lines from old romance novels—’I’m not worthy of you’ or ‘Your rightful place is with someone else’—before walking away from her life.
If that happened, Letticia would find herself as nothing more than the softer version of an obsessive male lead.
In the end, Letticia decided to resort to desperate measures to deal with the current situation.
“It seems you find it hard to believe, but let me remind you—I’m part of the new nobility. Have you ever seen a new noble and an old noble share the same tastes? Their cultural differences always cause conflicts!”
“Well… that’s true….”
Ezkhiel finally seemed to understand as she brought up the difference between the new and old nobility. Seeing a slight change in his expression, Letticia seized the momentum and eagerly continued persuading him.
