MLIIWTFL Chapter 150

 

 

 

“Thank you so much for inviting me! I don’t have many close friends among my peers, so I’ve always admired the idea of gathering for tea together.”

 

Letticia felt a slight pang of guilt as she noticed how genuinely happy Ariette seemed.

 

In truth, this invitation was nothing more than a pretext for shopping. Yet, seeing how much joy it brought Ariette made Letticia realize just how little meaningful interaction she had with others.

 

‘Well, she probably didn’t have any real friends back at the academy either.’

 

At the time, the old noble families had gathered around Audrey, while the new nobility had centered themselves around Letticia. The neutral faction nobles, on the other hand, lacked the cohesion to form their own group.

 

Even calling them a ‘neutral faction’ was a broad generalization. Some were former old nobles who had married into new noble families, while others were new nobles who had purchased the titles of old noble houses. These two groups were vastly different.

 

The former were more accustomed to the culture of the old nobility, while the latter leaned towards the values of the new nobility.

 

Ariette had neither the inclination nor the ability to unite these neutral nobles. As a result, the only ones who approached her were those looking to benefit from her status—like Josephine and Sophia, nobles on the verge of ruin.

 

But even those two had been forced to leave the academy after their misdeeds against Letticia were exposed.

 

That meant Ariette likely went through her time in the liberal arts department without making any real friends before transferring out.

 

‘And since she also struggles to fit in at work… I guess making friends is out of the question. She probably has to be mindful of the Duke’s family as well.’

 

With that thought, Letticia felt a growing urge to be kinder to Ariette.

 

“Hearing you say that makes me wish I had sent you an invitation sooner. If we had met in high society after we both became adults, it might have been different. But since our paths diverged, I hesitated to reach out.”

 

“I never saw myself as someone who could gather and lead people like Lady Sharon or Lady Wallace. That’s why I gave up on my debut when I transferred out of the liberal arts department.”

 

At Ariette’s words, Lenard’s face briefly darkened before returning to normal.

 

It was clear now—Ariette had no intention of making a social debut. That meant the opportunity to sell debutante jewels was officially gone.

 

‘I suppose it’s lucky for me that she won’t be debuting… No, wait. If she ends up becoming the Crown Princess, Seraphina will definitely approach her.’

 

As an unflattering scenario played out in her mind, Letticia hesitated. Should she encourage Ariette’s debut or not?

 

Given Seraphina’s proactive nature—she had even visited an orphanage—it was only a matter of time before she reached out to Ariette. And when that happened…

 

‘She’ll definitely ask me to set up a meeting for them!’

 

Ariette had just admitted she had no friends and hadn’t entered high society. That left only two ways to approach her: through her workplace or through noble family connections.

 

And if Seraphina needed someone to facilitate an introduction, Letticia would likely be the first choice.

 

If Letticia did arrange a meeting, and Seraphina started lecturing Ariette on the virtues required of a Crown Princess…

 

‘Not just Seraphina, but even Matthias and the Duke’s family would completely blacklist me!’

 

The three men of Duke’s family who raised Ariette were a given, but Matthias was also completely enamored with her. Even after reading just a few pages of the original novel, it was clear—he saw everything about Ariette in the best possible light, rationalizing her every flaw.

 

Seraphina’s meddlesome nature in advising Ariette would undoubtedly be perceived by others as ‘How dare she, not knowing her place, give unsolicited advice to our perfect Ariette?’

 

Naturally, the blame would also extend to Letticia for arranging such a meeting.

 

Realizing this, Letticia felt that whether Ariette debuted or not, the path to hell was already laid out before her.

 

‘Hahaha… Maybe I should just abandon the empire and flee to another country? Maybe I should embark on an adventure to a newly discovered continent and relocate Sharon Jewelry there?’

 

As Letticia momentarily entertained the idea of running away, Lenard continued his conversation with Ariette.

 

“If you’d like, Lady Ariette, I can cover the cost of the jewelry in advance, and we can place a reservation for you. Would you like me to bring a brooch catalog next time?”

 

“Yes! Should I make the reservation the same way as before?”

 

“That sounds good. If you send a letter to Sharon Jewelry, Letticia can send you an invitation in return, just like this time.”

 

“Actually… if possible, I’d like to pick up my order in person.”

 

“Of course, that’s no problem at all. Once you select a brooch, I’ll provide an estimate, and you can settle the payment for both the brooch and the tie pin at that time.”

 

Typically, it was the role of a butler or maid to handle payments for purchased goods. However, since Ariette seemed to be keeping this a secret even from her own household staff, she would have to manage it herself.

 

As this discussion wrapped up, Letticia returned to reality, concluding that escaping the empire wasn’t a feasible plan. Meanwhile, Lenard and Ariette had moved on to discussing workplace culture.

 

Or rather, Ariette was asking Lenard questions.

 

“Do the employees at Sharon Jewelry have company dinners?”

 

“Aside from the year-end party, employees usually just gather in small groups for meals or drinks. Attendance at the year-end party isn’t mandatory either; we check in advance who wants to join.”

 

“So, company dinners aren’t mandatory, then?”

 

“Well, at Sharon Jewelry, we have a particularly flexible approach to company gatherings. But I’ve heard that in some workplaces, attendance is required.”

 

“…Then, do you happen to know what company dinner culture is like among civil officials?”

 

Letticia quickly studied Lenard’s expression. Fortunately, he remained calm and responded kindly.

 

“I do have friends and juniors who work as civil officials, so I’ve heard some stories. But customs vary between departments in the royal administration, so I wouldn’t know much about sections where I don’t have any acquaintances. Is there a specific department you’re curious about?”

 

“Well… to be honest, I’ve always skipped my department’s company dinners. But I recently found out that all my peers have been attending every single one. So now I’m wondering… was I supposed to go all along, and I just messed up by not going?”

 

Letticia instinctively glanced up at the ceiling. It seemed her older brother had now been chosen as the one to teach the novel’s protagonist how the real world worked.

 

‘Seraphina does this to me, and now Ariette is doing it to my brother? Did someone coat us siblings in honey or something?’

 

She even started worrying that one day, Matthias might go to Lenoa for relationship advice—a completely absurd and terrifying thought.

 

Unaware of Letticia’s internal distress, Lenard was racking his brain, trying to come up with a reasonable response to Ariette’s dilemma.

 

“Have your colleagues said anything to you about it?”

 

Ariette lowered her head instead of answering. Seeing this, Lenard clicked his tongue quietly, and Letticia let out a sigh.

 

‘So she overheard people talking about her behind her back… Makes sense. If she’s working in the same department as them, she was bound to find out eventually unless she was completely oblivious.’

 

No matter how much the Duke’s family tried to control things, it was like trying to cover the sky with one’s palm. At this point, Letticia was seriously tempted to march up to the Duke and ask why he even bothered with such pointless efforts.

 

“Whether it’s in the imperial palace or the private sector, the most important thing for a newcomer is adapting to their new workplace. Company dinners are officially meant to foster camaraderie, so naturally, new employees are expected to participate.”

 

“I thought so…”

 

Ariette lowered her gaze even further, looking like she was about to cry. Lenard glanced outside, cleared his throat, and gave a reassuring smile.

 

“That said, the most important thing in any job is your actual work performance. If you’re unable to attend company gatherings, then making up for it by excelling in your duties would be a good approach, don’t you think?”

 

“…You’re right. I’ll try my best.”

 

Ariette nodded with a faint smile at Lenard’s advice, but something about her expression seemed uncertain.

 

Since she couldn’t bring herself to ask if Ariette had met with Matthias, Letticia simply took a bite of her cherry pie and swallowed it down with a sip of tea.

 

The sweetness momentarily helped her forget the bitterness of reality, and she resolved to prepare for the upheavals to come.

 

***

 

As Ezkhiel returned home from work, the butler who came to greet him wore a deeply troubled expression. Even before Ezkhiel could ask what was wrong, the butler stepped closer and spoke in a low voice.

 

“Baron and Baroness Bright have come to visit. Sir Bright is with them as well.”

 

“…..….”

 

A cold sweat broke out over Ezkhiel’s entire body as he clenched his fists tightly.

 

He had continuously refused their summons by sending back rejection letters, and now they had finally decided to show up at his house unannounced.

 

‘I expected this… but they came sooner than I thought.’

 

Had the rumors about him riding in a carriage with Letticia after the theater spread that quickly? Ezkhiel wasn’t sure. The only social news he kept up with came from Lucinella, which meant his knowledge of the gossip circulating in high society was limited.

 

Noticing his master’s grim expression, the butler glanced toward the parlor before cautiously asking,

 

“Shall I summon the knights?”

 

“…Have them stand by at the door. And if you hear me say ‘Come in’ from inside… then let them enter.”

 

Forcing the words out, Ezkhiel slowly made his way toward the parlor.

 

With every step he took, it felt as though heavy lead weights were shackled to his ankles—a sensation all too familiar and utterly dreadful.