“Lady Sharon, may I have a moment of your time?”
As the servants moved the harp and cello, Seraphina approached Letticia and quietly asked. Since Dayna was engaged in conversation with Vanessa, Letticia nodded willingly.
“If it’s just for a moment, that’s fine. What is it?”
“I wanted to ask you something. Do you or the Countess regularly donate to any charities?”
“Uh… My mother does. There’s also Sharon Jewelry. But I don’t have one yet.”
Camilla regularly donated to a charity supporting widowed women. Sharon Jewelry, rather than directly funding schools or orphanages in impoverished areas, scouted talented graduates and sent them to branches across the country.
However, Letticia, who had just come of age, had never donated. She wasn’t particularly interested in it in the first place.
“Then, have you ever visited an orphanage or hospital to personally deliver food to the children and patients?”
“I haven’t done that either… Is that a tradition in the West?”
“Yes, in Clarence and the surrounding regions, it is.”
Letticia tried to picture Seraphina holding a basket of food, handing out pieces of bread to ragged children. However, imagining such a noblewoman—one who exuded elegance and high status—doing something like that seemed impossible. It just didn’t seem to fit.
“What’s wrong, Lady Sharon? Are you feeling unwell?”
“No, it’s just… Did Lady Eskis personally do all that? Instead of having maids handle it?”
“Of course, the cooking and carrying of food baskets were done by the maids. But distributing them is a duty that the members of our marquisate must fulfill themselves.”
“…That’s a bit unexpected. I thought Western nobles disliked being in the same place as commoners.”
At Letticia’s words, Seraphina furrowed her brows slightly, as if offended.
“I understand why you might think that, but I’d like to correct that misunderstanding. Western nobles take great pride in themselves, but they do not look down on commoners. We are taught from a young age that charity and kindness toward them are our responsibilities, and we take those duties seriously.”
“So, personally handing out food is considered charity as well?”
“Yes. Of course, we cannot personally attend to every poor person. But at the very least, I make sure to visit the elderly who have no choice but to rely on others’ sympathy and orphans who have lost their parents.”
“That’s… quite impressive.”
Letticia couldn’t help but be genuinely amazed. Seeing the orphanage firsthand earlier had already been remarkable, but Seraphina—despite her strong sense of social status—was also one of the most dedicated philanthropists she had ever met.
“So even after coming to the capital, I’ve been searching for people who uphold their duties as I do. But what I’ve found is that most simply collect donations at charity gatherings, then have their servants deliver the money without bothering to check how it’s actually used. I just don’t understand—what’s the point of raising funds if they don’t even ensure they’re spent properly?”
“Well, I suppose they think it’s better than throwing money into the gutter. Plus, it improves their public image.”
“Raising donations just to enhance their own reputation is nothing more than an empty imitation of true duty. Why don’t they try to inherit the real essence and spirit of their obligations?”
“Because… it’s not easy.”
Letticia shrugged. Honestly, if someone told her to do the same, she wouldn’t want to.
Making sure the money is used properly? I agree with that. But actually going to check myself? That sounds like a hassle.
Living as rigidly as Seraphina, faithfully fulfilling every duty, seemed far too demanding for an 18-year-old. Especially for those who had just debuted in the dazzling social scene—lectures about obligations felt like nothing more than tiresome nagging.
“Even if people say you shouldn’t always take the easy path, very few would willingly choose the harder one. And you can’t force them to, either.”
“That… might be true.”
Seraphina bit her lip for a moment but soon regained her composure and lifted her head.
“There’s no point in continuing this discussion with you right now. Still, thank you for answering my questions and for listening.”
“No problem. Talking with you, Lady Eskis, lets me see things from a different perspective, which is interesting.”
“Thank you for saying that. Also, I know you’re friends with Lady Hailey, but in gatherings like this, I would appreciate it if you maintained proper decorum in conversation.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize… I’ll be more mindful next time.”
Seraphina left after offering her final words of advice.
Just then, Dayna—who had finished her conversation with Vanessa and had been waiting for Letticia—approached.
“Thanks for today, Letticia. I think I might be able to steer this toward getting a proper interview.”
“There’s no need to thank me. Honestly, I should’ve checked in on your progress more instead of leaving it all to you.”
“But wow… I’ve never met someone so rigid before. Is that just how Western nobles are?”
Letticia let out a small, wry smile and shook her head.
“I think it’s more that the Eskis family is just unique. They have a strong sense of social status, but they also have strict standards for what it means to be a noble.”
“Still, she’s completely out of touch with reality. Who would agree with her when she talks like that? How many people genuinely believe charity events are just about helping others?”
“Maybe she doesn’t know much about people. She was educated by private tutors, after all.”
Usually, Letticia would be the one complaining, and Dayna the one reassuring her. The role reversal felt amusing.
Dayna must have noticed it too because she smiled slightly before speaking in a cheerful tone.
“Anyway, I’ll ask my father and the others what they think about your suggestion. Would it be okay to visit before the next meeting?”
“Sure. Let’s practice together then, too.”
“Right, practice. We need to practice. I can’t let Lady Eskis criticize me again.”
Seeing Dayna so determined, Letticia simply shrugged without commenting further.
Even though Seraphina was treating Dayna as a noble, the prejudice against Western nobility wasn’t easy to erase. There wasn’t much Letticia could do about that.
I guess I’ll just have to relieve my stress by watching the play later.
That evening, she had plans to attend a play at Lenoa’s request. Originally, she had intended to invite Ezkhiel to dinner, but he had replied that he couldn’t come due to a task assigned by Matthias.
Even though they had officially started dating, Ezkhiel seemed too busy to find time for a proper date, which left Letticia feeling a little disappointed.
***
At 5 PM, an imperial carriage arrived in front of the Count of Sharon’s residence.
“Lenny, Letticia!”
“We greet Your Highness, the Princess.”
Letticia and Lenoa, who had been waiting at the entrance, bowed in greeting as Princess Judith approached them excitedly. However, after the formalities, Judith pouted at Lenoa, who already looked like she wanted to leave.
“Lenny, are you really that busy? You can’t even make time for a play?”
“The entire design team is in crisis mode right now. I barely managed to squeeze in time for my school projects. And if I’m going to design an accessory to celebrate my sister’s relationship, even pulling all-nighters won’t be enough. I only get to leave work on time because I’m still a student.”
As she spoke, Lenoa shot Letticia a resentful look. The design team had already complained once before, saying it would’ve been much better if she had chosen to start dating in the more relaxed autumn season.
Letticia had argued that relationships don’t always go according to plan, but she still felt guilty for adding to the workload of the already busy design team, especially with the demands of the jewelry chain. So, she willingly agreed to take Judith’s place instead.
Fortunately, Judith was eager to hear about Letticia’s romance, so she happily allowed the switch.
That evening, Letticia and Judith spent time together at the theater, enjoying snacks and chatting while watching the play.
“Then once things calm down, you have to go watch a play with me and Brother Eustace!”
“It might be tough for a while, but I’ll try to make time.”
Judith only climbed into the carriage after getting a firm promise from Lenoa.
Curious about riding an imperial carriage for the first time, Letticia glanced around before stepping inside with the escort’s assistance.
The moment she entered, a barrage of questions began.
“Letticia, how are things with Sir Bright? Are they going well?”
“Yes, we officially started dating last week.”
“Really? That’s great! Now I’ll finally get to hear tons of romantic stories from you!”
Judith’s eyes sparkled with excitement, as if other people’s love lives were the most entertaining thing in the world. Letticia carefully chose her words before responding.
“Well, there’s nothing particularly special about it. We just go on dates and talk… that’s all.”
“But that’s the important part! When’s your next date? Is it soon?”
“I’d like it to be, but our schedules haven’t been lining up. His Highness assigned him some tasks.”
Honestly, Matthias was doing nothing to help Letticia’s love life.
She couldn’t openly complain in front of Judith, but in her mind, she was cursing Matthias to go bald.
Judith, however, tilted her head in confusion.
“Has my brother been that busy lately? Father was actually saying he should be working less, not more…”
