MLIIWTFL Chapter 149

 

 

 

‘At least sneak a sip in secret with the servants or maids—come on.’

 

When Letticia was a child, she was sometimes forbidden from having snacks as punishment. But she had managed to sneak some from the kitchen a few times. Drinking coffee felt the same way to her. Since it wasn’t alcohol, she didn’t feel particularly guilty about it.

 

However, Ariette seemed to have grown up too innocent for such tricks. So instead of sharing her little scheme, Letticia simply cut a slice of cherry pie and placed it on Ariette’s plate.

 

“For tea, we’ve prepared cherry pie. You should try it. It’s nice to have a consultation, but the main reason you’re here is to enjoy tea with us, right?”

 

“I will. Thank you, Lady Sharon.”

 

Following Letticia’s recommendation, Ariette sliced the pie with her knife and took a bite. Her face immediately lit up.

 

“It’s so sweet and tangy! I don’t get to eat cherries often. Was this made at the Count’s estate?”

 

“No, I bought it from Faymont. All the desserts and tea treats for my tea parties come from there.”

 

“Ah, now that I think about it, didn’t you say that Faymont’s rented building belongs to you, Lady Sharon?”

 

“Yes. Thanks to that, I have an additional source of income aside from my dowry, so I can afford some luxuries.”

 

At the mention of income, Ariette mumbled the word softly, then suddenly asked Letticia,

 

“Lady Sharon, what kind of gifts do you give the Count and the Young Master?”

 

“Gifts? Well…”

 

Caught off guard by the question, Letticia tried to recall. If she remembered correctly, she had given Patrick a set of luxury fountain pens and Lenard a book related to his frequent reading interests.

 

“I gave my brother a book.”

 

“A book?”

 

“Yes. He said he wanted it. It was either a business or economics book—I can’t quite remember.”

 

“In our family, we just say what we want as gifts.”

 

Lenard chimed in from the side, and Ariette nodded in understanding.

 

“That sounds very convenient. I envy how easy it is to decide on gifts.”

 

“It’s beyond convenient. At this point, I don’t even need to ask anymore. I’ve been giving books for so many years that changing the pattern would feel strange.”

 

Letticia shrugged before continuing to explain what she had gifted Patrick.

 

“And for Father, I gave him a fountain pen.”

 

“A fountain pen?”

 

“Yes. Some fountain pens have embedded gemstones, so I asked my uncle to design one and have it custom-made.”

 

“Custom-made… How much does that cost?”

 

At Ariette’s question, Lenard subtly shook his head. It was probably beyond her budget.

 

Seeing this, Ariette lowered her head slightly in disappointment. Buying gifts for her brothers was manageable, but a gift for the Duke was a different matter.

 

“Lady, haven’t you saved up any allowance? People usually buy gifts with their saved-up money.”

 

“Allowance… But that’s not money I earned myself.”

 

Ariette’s voice lacked energy, but her determination was clear. Especially when she emphasized “money I earned myself,” the words rang even louder.

 

“I’m already a grown adult, and while I still have a lot to learn, I’ve been hired as a civil servant. So, I believe I’m now someone who can at least afford to buy gifts for my family. I want to show that to my father and brothers.”

 

“That’s a great sentiment, but with such a small budget, your choices are very limited.”

 

“…Yes, I was foolish not to know the market prices.”

 

A hint of embarrassment crossed Ariette’s face. She felt ashamed that, even at her age, she had no sense of how much things cost.

 

‘Do those three blockheads even realize their overprotectiveness made Ariette feel this way?’

 

While Letticia inwardly cursed the overprotective trio, Lenard offered Ariette some reassurance.

 

“It’s true that you didn’t know market prices before, Lady. But today, you memorized everything I told you, which means you’ve already made progress. You’ll keep learning and understanding more. After all, people continue learning throughout their lives.”

 

“Lord Sharon….”

 

Ariette, who had been on the verge of tears, relaxed slightly. Seizing the moment, Lenard subtly shifted the conversation toward Letticia.

 

“Besides, Letticia isn’t exactly the best comparison, Lady. Her additional income alone is around 4,000 to 5,000 a year.”

 

“4,000 to 5,000?!”

 

Ariette’s eyes widened in shock as she turned to Letticia. Even if she didn’t know exact market values, she understood how massive an annual income of 4,000 to 5,000 gold was.

 

“How do you earn that much? Is it all from rental income on your buildings?”

 

“Not exactly. It’s a combination of my investment returns from Faymont, rental income from my buildings, and my salary as the promotional model for Sharon Jewelry.”

 

“…That’s really amazing….”

 

Ariette murmured in awe, but her expression soon turned gloomy. Maybe she felt inadequate compared to Letticia. She didn’t look like she was about to cry, but she definitely seemed dispirited.

 

“With that kind of money, you could easily prepare a gift even the Count wouldn’t be ashamed to carry.”

 

“Well, I’ve never really had to worry about money.”

 

Letticia nodded in agreement. Sensing a hint of desperation in Ariette’s voice, she quickly asked,

 

“If I invest in a business too, could I earn money on my own like you, Lady?”

 

“Invest…?”

 

Hearing that word, Letticia recalled the original story. In it, Ariette had started a business and made her high-society debut in the fall.

 

Did that mean Ariette had an innate talent for business? Or had the Duke’s family assigned people to help turn her ideas into reality?

 

Either way, Ariette had succeeded in the original story. If that was the case, perhaps encouraging this idea could help Letticia gain some favor.

 

“Why don’t you start a business yourself, Lady?”

 

“What?”

 

“Hey.”

 

Ariette was surprised by Letticia’s unexpected suggestion, while Lenard frowned slightly—likely recalling the many failed business ventures Letticia had attempted in the past.

 

“Elrey doesn’t just produce wheat; it has a variety of fruits as specialty products, right? You could build a business around that.”

 

In the original story, Ariette’s business had been something along those lines. Letticia couldn’t remember the details, so she left it at that. But even that brief comment seemed to spark an idea in Ariette’s mind.

 

“That… might actually work….”

 

“Lady Averil, I’d advise you not to take Letticia’s words too seriously. She has only one success—Faymont—compared to more than ten failures.”

 

“Brother? But one success is still a success! And Faymont is thriving.”

 

Letticia shot Lenard a slight glare, making him sigh before turning to Ariette.

 

“For now, why don’t you focus on choosing a gift rather than thinking about business? The only one left is the Duke’s gift, right?”

 

“Ah, you’re right….”

 

Ariette, who had been deep in thought about Letticia’s idea, snapped back to the original topic at Lenard’s words. The remaining challenge was finding a suitable gift for Duke Averil within her budget.

 

“Depending on whether the Duke wears a necktie or a cravat, you could give him either a tie pin or a brooch. Brooches are a bit more expensive, though, so I’d personally recommend a tie pin.”

 

“Ah, my father wears cravats more often.”

 

“Then a brooch would be the better choice. But… that might exceed your budget.”

 

After a quick mental calculation, Lenard regretfully delivered the bad news.

 

“If you really want to prepare a gift for the Duke as well, you might have to wait until next month when you receive your salary.”

 

“…In that case, could you keep these tie pins at Sharon Jewelry for me in the meantime?”

 

Ariette pointed at the tie pins she had chosen earlier and made a request to Lenard.

 

“If my father or my brothers see them, they’ll end up arguing over them. I want to give them all their gifts at the same time.”

 

Hearing that, Letticia felt like suggesting she just throw one gift into the middle and let them fight it out—the winner could keep it.

 

Lenard probably felt the same way, but as he was in charge of the store’s operations, his professional smile didn’t waver.

 

“Of course, we’d be happy to hold onto them for you. Would you like to choose the brooch now, or would you prefer to pick it out later?”

 

“…Later?”

 

Hearing that word, Ariette’s eyes widened as she looked at Lenard.

 

“If I come back later, does that mean you’ll invite me for tea again?”

 

“If that’s what you’d like, then of course, we’d be happy to invite you.”

 

Letticia quickly responded in a friendly tone. She needed to keep an eye on Ariette and Matthias’s budding romance, so inviting Ariette over more often wouldn’t be a bad move.

 

‘And if Matthias ever tries to make Ez’s life difficult, I might be able to use Ariette to do something about it.’

 

Concealing her true intentions, Letticia flashed a warm smile. Ariette, delighted, clutched the hem of her dress tightly.