“Then, make sure to stock up properly in advance. The Duke’s family might clear out all the inventory.”
“I’m working on a plan for that too, though the Lady might try to stop me.”
Lenard still seemed undecided about whether to prioritize satisfying Ariette or the Duke’s family trio. However, when the topic of Ariette’s marriage came up, something seemed to click in his mind, and he asked Letticia,
“Have you heard anything about Lady Averil in social circles?”
“How could I? She hasn’t even debuted yet. She doesn’t attend gatherings either.”
“Then has she really given up on her debut? If she wanted to debut, she should be learning etiquette for an audience, but if she hasn’t started studying yet, that’s practically the same as giving up.”
“It’s not just the same—it means she has completely given up.”
It seemed that Ariette’s phobia of private tutors had not improved at all.
How did she debut in the original story? Did she get chosen as a Diamond just because she was ridiculously beautiful, ignoring etiquette altogether thanks to the heroine’s halo?
Since Matthias fell for Ariette after their first minuet together, it couldn’t have been because he threw a tantrum to get her chosen. If that had been the case, people would have demanded the abolition of the Diamond selection system altogether.
“Since she’s working as a civil servant now, maybe she’ll meet someone there. She might even meet the Crown Prince and become the Crown Princess.”
“If that happened, there would be a huge backlash. Besides, she just started working—how could a mere junior civil servant meet the Crown Prince?”
That kind of impossibility was exactly what made romance fantasy stories so compelling, no matter how lacking in realism.
Since she couldn’t say that outright, Letticia simply retreated quietly to her room.
***
A response to the invitation arrived the same day it was sent.
The reply was so enthusiastic that it almost felt overwhelming, as if the sender was ready to rush over immediately.
“Why is this person replying so quickly? And the content is so intense…”
Seraphina already seemed oddly fond of Letticia, and now Ariette was acting this way too. It made Letticia wonder if she was about to become the center of a heroine-attachment trope.
Fortunately, since the invitation was sent on short notice, her older brothers couldn’t take the day off from work and had to go to their jobs. That meant the only visitor to the Sharon Count’s residence was Ariette.
“Lady Sharon, thank you so much for inviting me!”
“I should be the one thanking you, Lady. The Sharon Count’s household is honored to welcome you to this garden.”
After exchanging greetings, Letticia guided Ariette toward the freesia flowers that the Averil Ducal family had sent as a gesture of apology.
Walking through the white freesias that shimmered into gold, Ariette looked truly lovely—like a fairy of spring.
If only her maid and guard weren’t sticking so close to her, Letticia might have voiced her admiration.
“The freesias are blooming beautifully. They’re as stunning as the freesia fields in our territory!”
“Our gardeners work diligently. Since this is a symbol of goodwill between our families, it must be well-maintained.”
“…My brothers also wished you well today, so there won’t be any discourtesy toward you like last time!”
Ariette spoke as if making a vow, perhaps recalling the incident from five years ago. However, the mere mention of discourtesy seemed to displease her maid and guard, darkening their expressions slightly.
Are they dogs or something? Shouldn’t they just wear collars at this point?
But as soon as they met Letticia’s gaze, their expressions quickly returned to normal.
Even so, Letticia felt no satisfaction in this slight improvement compared to the past. Choosing to ignore them entirely, she continued showing Ariette around the garden before leading her to the pavilion.
There, Lenard was already waiting, seated with refreshments prepared.
“Lord Sharon, how have you been?”
“Have you been well, Lady Averil?”
Lenard rose from his seat and greeted Ariette gracefully, prompting her maid to turn toward Letticia.
“Forgive me, Lady Sharon, but may I speak?”
“Marsha!”
Ariette, startled, tried to stop her. The name sparked a memory in Letticia—this maid was the same insolent one who had once glared at her in the past.
“I apologize, Lady Sharon. Marsha, step back.”
“It’s fine, Lady Averil. She is your maid—it’s just one question.”
Letticia responded coolly, prompting the maid to take a deep breath before speaking, her tone as restrained as she could manage.
“I was not informed that Lord Sharon would be joining us today. May I ask what this is about—”
“If it’s about that, I already told the Lady. Is that enough?”
Letticia cut the maid off and took her seat, making it clear that as long as Ariette had been informed, it was irrelevant whether the maid had been.
Marsha clenched her fists, visibly irritated, but as a mere servant, she had no choice but to back down.
She’s probably thinking something like, ‘I hate that my status prevents me from protecting my Lady.’
According to the original story, that maid, Marsha, had cared for Ariette the longest. She was practically a nanny to her, and while the Duke’s household acknowledged her in that role, she was never officially recognized as a governess—she was too young and had never actually nursed Ariette.
Within the Duke’s family, her protectiveness toward Ariette was somewhat tolerated. However, from the perspective of the Sharon Count’s household, she was nothing more than a maid of the Duke’s estate.
If Ariette were still a child, a nanny maid might hold some authority. But Ariette was now an adult. There was no longer any place for Marsha to interfere.
“Lady Averil, would you prefer White Opera, Eflor, or Brie tea?”
“Oh, I’ll have Brie, please.”
“Understood. You all—I’ll prepare the tea myself. Just leave the water and wait outside the pavilion.”
At Letticia’s words, the Sharon Count’s maids obeyed without hesitation, stepping outside. The guards followed suit. Seeing this, Ariette cast a subtle glance at Marsha and her own guards.
“You all should step outside as well.”
“But, my Lady, we—”
“I’ll explain to Father and my brothers myself, alright?”
Ariette briefly glanced at Letticia before speaking again.
“The maids and guards of the Sharon household have stepped back. It would be improper for you to remain here.”
“…Understood, my Lady.”
After repeated insistence, the maid and guards finally withdrew. A fine sunshade was lowered over the pavilion. Though translucent, it was thick enough to provide a degree of soundproofing—a high-quality cover meant for private conversations.
Now that only the three of them remained, Letticia poured water into the teapot and handed the discussion over to Lenard.
“Alright, let’s begin the consultation, brother.”
“Right. Thanks for arranging this, Letty.”
Lenard gave a lighthearted thank you, clasped his hands together, and smiled at Ariette.
“Lady Averil, I regretted not being able to provide you with enough information during our last consultation, so I arranged this meeting. Is that alright with you?”
“Of course! I should be the one thanking you for accommodating my request.”
Now that her maid and guards had stepped away, Ariette seemed much more at ease, smiling brightly. Seeing this, Lenard picked up the catalog he had placed on a nearby chair and spread it open for Ariette to see.
“We left off in the middle of browsing the catalog last time. Shall we continue from there?”
“Yes, I’d like to look at the tie pins first.”
Lenard and Ariette immediately began discussing and reviewing the items.
With nothing else to do, Letticia checked the tea leaves while also observing the activity outside.
The Averil household’s maid and guards stood as close to the pavilion’s curtain as possible, though still too far away to hear Lenard and Ariette’s conversation.
What kind of behavior is this, seriously?
Letticia clicked her tongue softly, recalling the maid’s earlier attitude. She had noticed it before—Ariette’s relationship with her maid and guards lacked the proper hierarchy expected between a master and their servants.
When Letticia went out, she was always accompanied by her maid and guards. However, if she wanted to shop alone, they would wait outside the store without question, following her instructions immediately.
But Ariette’s attendants refused to step back, no matter how many times she told them to. Whether it was due to the Duke’s family’s overprotectiveness or their own intentions, it was no wonder Ariette sometimes felt suffocated.
Clicking her tongue again, Letticia checked the tea and poured it into cups. Just then, Lenard finished his explanation, and Ariette was in the middle of making her selections.
“Then, for Brother Alex, I’d like to choose the yellow topaz, and for Brother Achilles, the blue opal.”
“Alright, so the gemstones are decided. What about the metal?”
“You two can decide that—but your tea is going to get cold.”
Letticia handed Ariette a teacup, making her pause before accepting it with a small exclamation. She then passed a coffee cup to Lenard, who picked up one of the less sweet cookies to eat with his coffee.
Watching him curiously, Ariette waited for Lenard to swallow before asking,
“Lord Sharon, do you drink coffee?”
“Yes. I don’t particularly like sweet things.”
Ariette peered into Lenard’s cup as if fascinated that he was drinking strong coffee without milk or sugar.
Her expression was so full of curiosity that one might think coffee was forbidden in the Duke’s household.
