“If it keeps going like this, I feel like when the time comes to propose, he’ll be all teary-eyed and ask, ‘Are you really okay with me?’ and try to back out. Honestly, I have no idea what to do.”
“Even at the recent garden tea party, he was looking at you with that tragic expression, like the heroine of a sad love story. I had a bad feeling then; this isn’t going to be an easy fix.”
“Exactly. I even considered just rushing in, kissing him, and then saying I’ll take responsibility. Or maybe creating a scandal so he has no way to back out.”
“…..Do you want to go to the villa where grandfather is staying?”
Kenneth asked, his eyes wide open and completely serious.
Kenneth asked with his eyes wide open, his tone completely serious. But since his words were half in jest, Letticia simply raised her hands and shook her head.
“I don’t like the countryside. I’ll live in the capital.”
“If you want to stay in the capital, don’t even dream of a scandal. It could escalate into something so big that even your wealth wouldn’t be enough to resolve it.”
“Alright, alright. So, I’ll give up on the scandal and just rush in, then?”
“Do you really want to resort to such an unethical method?”
At Kenneth’s reproach, Letticia puffed out her cheeks and turned her head. It wasn’t as if she was asking him to take responsibility—she was saying she would take responsibility herself, yet it was still considered unethical?
“A kiss should be fine, right? It’s not like we’re living twenty years in the past.”
“Who’s stopping you from kissing? If you both agree, kissing is perfectly fine between lovers. But don’t do anything that would require talks of taking responsibility. Even if no one finds out.”
“But, come on! Every time I try to make a move on Lord Bright, he keeps retreating. Wouldn’t it be better to push him to the edge of a cliff so he has no choice but to grab my hand?”
“You’ve been reading that romance novel about a contract marriage, haven’t you? The one where the heroine asked for a divorce—what did the husband do?”
Recalling the popular contract-romance novel from this quarter, Letticia answered.
“He said he couldn’t divorce her because he loved her. Then he hid the contract he made with her and even threatened people around her to keep the marriage going no matter what.”
“And what did the heroine do?”
“She eventually got a divorce. Why?”
“What was the husband’s biggest mistake there?”
Kenneth crossed his arms and looked at Letticia. Realizing what he was hinting at, Letticia responded with a sulky face.
“He never said he loved her. He just assumed she’d figure it out from his changed behavior, and he believed that as long as they kept the marriage going by force, everything would turn out fine.”
“Right. If you keep avoiding the fundamental problem and only maintain a superficial relationship, it will eventually end in disaster. With Lord Bright’s personality, if you kissed him, he’d immediately step up and say he’ll take responsibility. But would a marriage that started off on the wrong foot really work out?”
“Ha… I guess that won’t work either?”
“Exactly. Ultimately, the biggest task is restoring his self-esteem.”
“That’s my end goal, too. It’s just a long road to get there.”
Letticia wasn’t considering using shock therapy or extreme measures on Ezkhiel because she wanted to. It was because the issue wouldn’t be resolved unless Ezkhiel fundamentally changed his perception of himself as being a suitable partner for her. No matter what Letticia said to console him, it would only be a temporary fix.
“I don’t understand why it’s not enough that we both like each other. Sure, other people’s opinions matter when you’re selling jewelry, but beyond that, isn’t it unnecessary to care?”
“Not everyone ignores public opinion as long as there’s no tangible harm, Letticia.”
Kenneth sighed. The people of the Sharon family were generally cool and independent-minded, but Letticia, perhaps because she took after her mother Camilla, was particularly headstrong.
She followed the rules she absolutely had to but only because the inconveniences of breaking them were bothersome—not because she feared the consequences or cared about public perception.
To someone like Kenneth, who worried about hurting others’ feelings, her mindset was not only surprising but sometimes outright shocking. Ezkhiel likely shared a similar perspective to Kenneth on this matter.
“In life, you don’t live solely on love. If you disregard relationships with others or your reputation in society, it won’t just affect you—it’ll also make life difficult for your partner. It’s natural for him to be concerned about that.”
“I do worry about those things, brother. But I get annoyed when people don’t fully accept my words because of some irresponsible gossip. It makes me want to punch those people.”
“Then next time you encounter such irresponsible individuals, praise Lord Bright enthusiastically in front of them. Make sure they can hear and understand.”
“That’s a good idea. I’ll definitely do that.”
Letticia decided to take Kenneth’s advice to heart.
However, Kenneth, still doubtful of his cousin’s resolve, added one more stern warning.
“And whatever you do, absolutely no scandals. If you even show a hint of causing one, I’ll knock you out, drag you home, and lock you up—out of respect for Uncle, Aunt, and Lord Bright.”
“…I’m sorry, brother. I’ll be more careful with my words from now on.”
Letticia reflected on her habit of casually saying she would burn down the temple, realizing she had influenced even the gentle Kenneth to come up with such ideas.
***
Regardless of the details, Letticia and Ezkhiel had begun a joyful romance.
As was customary among noble families, it was only proper to inform one’s parents when starting a relationship. So, just two days after becoming a couple, Ezkhiel visited Count Sharon’s estate—not as a mere suitor, but as Letticia’s lover.
Although he had visited several times before as Lenard’s friend and, in the past month, as Letticia’s suitor, visiting as her lover felt incredibly unfamiliar.
“They are all waiting for you.”
At the butler’s announcement, Ezkhiel took a deep breath, trying to conceal his sweat-drenched hands caused by nervousness. Letticia had repeatedly reassured him that everything would be fine, but his nature made it hard for him to calm down.
‘Since I’ve made it this far, this can’t be a dream… right?’
For the past two days, he had struggled to sleep, plagued by anxiety. He feared that it might all be a dream, that he would wake up and find out none of it had happened, and that he had just been imagining things.
Because of that, his complexion in the mirror that morning had been ghostly pale, as if advertising, ‘I didn’t sleep at all.’
While it wasn’t as bad as when he had worked himself to exhaustion and developed deep dark circles, he still felt embarrassed about meeting her parents with such a worn-out appearance. He had hesitated in front of the mirror several times before finally leaving the house.
‘No, it’s still better to keep my promise and meet them than to break it.’
Standing in front of the drawing-room door, Ezkhiel tightly shut his eyes for a moment before stepping inside.
On one of the familiar sofas in the room sat Patrick and Camilla side by side. Opposite them sat Letticia, while Lenard was seated on a single armchair between the two groups.
“Welcome, Lord Bright.”
“Oh, yes! How have you been, Madam Countess…?”
Startled by Camilla’s greeting, Ezkhiel quickly bowed, prompting Letticia to rise and approach him.
“My Lord, your face is so pale. Are you alright? Would you like to delay the greetings for a bit?”
“No, Lady. I couldn’t postpone such an important matter.”
Ezkhiel offered Letticia a small smile, reassuring her as he followed her lead to sit on the sofa opposite her parents.
Once both of them were seated, Patrick, who had been silent until then, finally spoke.
“So, the two of you coming here together—does that mean you’re here to tell me you’ve become a couple?”
“Ah, yes! I am honored to say that I have started a relationship with your daughter. Although the courtship period wasn’t very long, thanks to the young lady’s kindness, she accepted my proposal…”
Ezkhiel managed to recite the lines he had practiced dozens of times the night before without making any mistakes. However, even after he finished speaking, Patrick merely nodded once without any change in expression.
“So, um, I am fully aware that I am far beneath the young lady in many ways, and I know I am not worthy. But I came here to humbly ask for your permission to continue this relationship…”
Facing a face as stoic as Lenard’s but with barely any expression, Ezkhiel found himself unable to continue the words he had prepared and shrank back.
For someone like Ezkhiel, who could read emotions from people’s expressions, gestures, and tones, someone as perpetually expressionless as Patrick was the hardest type of person to deal with.
‘Lenard and Lady Letticia show all their emotions on their faces, though…’
Ezkhiel, who was momentarily lost in a somewhat escapist thought—wondering if the two took after the Countess, who was smiling beside Patrick—was brought back to reality when Patrick asked him in a blunt tone.
“Is my daughter dating you out of charity?”
“Pardon?!”
Startled, Ezekiel reflexively asked back. Patrick, whose smooth, unlined face made it hard to believe he was much older than his son, frowned slightly before repeating his question.
“I asked if my daughter is dating you as some kind of volunteer work to help the less fortunate.”
“Volunteer work…?!”
“Then why are you being so submissive in asking for my permission?”
