From David’s perspective, the reasons their parents scolded Ezkhiel were utterly absurd.
Sure, Ezkhiel might not have been the kind of son they wanted, but he was a kind and considerate person. He may have lacked assertiveness and been a little shy, but those weren’t real flaws—especially considering how well-liked he was by those around him.
On top of that, he was incredibly intelligent. He had risen to the position of the Crown Prince’s chief aide purely through skill, surpassing even high-ranking nobles. Any other parents would have been proud, bragging about him to anyone who would listen.
Yet, when Ezkhiel was scouted by the Crown Prince, his parents had responded with disbelief, spitting out cruel words like, “How could someone like you possibly catch His Highness’s eye?”
It was as if, to them, Ezkhiel had to remain a pathetic and incompetent son. They refused to acknowledge any of his strengths, always belittling and denying his achievements.
David couldn’t help but think—it was a miracle that his brother had turned out as well as he did despite growing up under such parents.
“Let me ask you something first. Is that article true? Are you really seeing Lady Sharon?”
“Yeah. We’re still in the dating stage, but I’ve already met the Count and Countess. Depending on the Sharon family’s schedule, we plan to make our relationship public soon.”
“Seriously? That’s amazing! Congratulations, man!”
David grinned and clapped his brother on the back. He had always spoken as if Ezkhiel was hopelessly pining for an unattainable love, but now that his brother had actually succeeded, he couldn’t help but feel proud.
“Didn’t I tell you? You might be exactly her type. Was I right or what?”
“Yeah… You were right. I never even considered it, but it turned out that way.”
As he thought about Letticia, Ezkhiel’s previously troubled expression softened into a warm smile. But it didn’t last long—his parents came to mind again, and his face turned serious as he asked David,
“But why did Father and Mother come here in the first place? Was it really just because of that gossip article?”
“That was the final straw, but it’s not the only reason.”
David took a long drink of the cold water a servant had brought him, then sighed. His expression was a mix of satisfaction and bitterness as he continued.
“Father is retiring. His doctor told him that, for the sake of his health, he should stop working and step down.”
“Retiring? Then—”
“Yeah. Soon, I’ll officially be Baron Bright. The responsibility of maintaining this long-standing noble family will rest solely on my shoulders.”
David’s voice was laced with sarcasm. Ezkhiel fell silent for a moment, looking at his brother with concern. He knew that the Bright family’s financial situation was far from stable.
The old nobility, unable to adapt to changing times, were gradually falling into economic ruin, their positions taken over by rising new nobles. The Bright family had held on longer than most, but that was only because both their father and David had worked as government officials, bringing in much-needed income.
But now, their father was retiring, leaving David as the sole breadwinner. Ezkhiel had already separated from the family, and he had no intention of returning.
“Will you be okay? Once Father retires, supporting the household will be expensive. You’ll also have to take care of Mother…”
“Yeah, which is why I suggested marrying a suitable young lady from a wealthy new noble family. But when I brought it up, both of them nearly had a heart attack. They went on about how they would never allow the Bright bloodline to be tainted by commoner wealth, that no matter how desperate the family was, I shouldn’t have to make that kind of sacrifice. What nonsense.”
“…So their interference in my relationship with Letticia is because…”
“Exactly. They want to insert financial support for the Bright family into the marriage contract with the Sharon family. Since I’m the eldest son and heir, I have to marry a pure-blood noblewoman to preserve our lineage. But as for you, the second son, they think it’s fine to sell you off to a wealthy new noble in exchange for money, so the Bright family can maintain its status among the neutral factions. Ridiculous, isn’t it?”
David’s voice was dripping with disdain. Ezkhiel felt another wave of disappointment wash over him.
He had long suspected that his parents didn’t truly love him, but hearing their cold, calculated plans confirmed it. They had no interest in his happiness; they were only concerned with using him as a tool for the family’s benefit.
“What have they ever done for me to justify treating me like their retirement plan…?”
They acted as if they had done him a great favor, but in reality, all they had provided was what any parent should—food, shelter, education. They had sent him to the academy and covered his tuition, but that was simply their duty, not a grand sacrifice.
If not for David constantly reminding him that their parents’ so-called sacrifices were meaningless, Ezkhiel might have truly believed he was an ungrateful son and given in to their demands.
“…Do you think they’ll go to Lady Sharon directly?”
“They probably will. Honestly, supporting our parents in their old age is going to be difficult as things stand. I might even have to ask you to lend me some money. So, of course, they’ll be desperate to squeeze financial support out of the Sharon family however they can.”
“Ugh…”
Ezkhiel clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Just imagining his parents going to Letticia and saying the same things they had said to him made him feel as if the ground beneath him was crumbling.
The idea of exposing her to his shameless parents was bad enough, but what worried him more was that Letticia might have to endure insults and humiliation she should never have to hear.
“Tell Lady Sharon about this in advance, and if our parents really do go to see her, make sure she doesn’t meet them. Like you said, this is your marriage, and only you have the right to decide. I’ll also make sure to have people in place to keep them from getting to her.”
“…Brother.”
Ezkhiel, who had been silent, lifted his head to look at his older brother. His usual gentle expression was replaced with a determined, almost fierce look.
“I have an idea. Will you hear me out?”
***
“My Lady, here is a letter.”
“Just leave it there.”
Letticia was reviewing the revised documents regarding an upcoming concert’s media coverage from the Sharon Jewelry promotional department when the butler brought in a letter. She took it and began sorting through her correspondence.
Most letters Letticia received were either personal or visit requests, as invitations to formal gatherings were typically handled by Kenneth.
Recently, she had mostly been receiving visit requests from Dayna and Seraphina. However, among them were occasional letters from Ezkhiel, which she always looked forward to. Whenever a new letter arrived, she would excitedly search for the ones from her lover.
“Let’s see… Here it is!”
Finding Ezkhiel’s letter beneath Seraphina’s, Letticia hummed happily as she used a paper knife to open the envelope.
His writing, neat and well-organized as always, made it easy to read. But as she scanned the letter, she suddenly paused at a particular line—his handwriting seemed slightly unsteady, as if he had hesitated while writing.
“Ignore my mother if she comes to see you?”
“His mother… Baroness Bright?”
Letticia barely restrained herself from crumpling the letter in anger. Even without remembering what Stella had told her about the Baroness’ reputation, she already had a bad feeling.
‘If that woman shows up, rumors about me and Ezkhiel dating will spread like wildfire. Maybe I should tell Father that we should publicly announce the relationship now and wait to reveal my new jewelry collection when we get engaged?’
It was already a hassle rejecting suitors who kept requesting dates. More importantly, Letticia had no desire to link arms or share intimate moments with other men out of social obligation when she was already in a relationship.
Besides, as people often said, love and a cough cannot be hidden. There was no real reason to keep their relationship a secret, so it was only a matter of time before the truth came out.
Just as Letticia was contemplating how to convince her father, she was pulled from her thoughts by a knock on the door.
“My Lady, Lady Hailey has arrived.”
“Oh, right! I’ll be there shortly!”
Letticia quickly gathered the documents regarding the concert’s media coverage and stood up. Today, she had planned to discuss the proposal with Dayna before their scheduled meeting.
When she entered the drawing room, Dayna was already waiting. She was dressed quite elegantly, her green gown complementing her distinctive milk-beige hair, and she even wore a delicate moonstone chain.
Letticia, noticing the extra effort Dayna had put into her appearance, playfully teased as she took her seat.
“Dayna, welcome. If you’re heading out for a date later, should I make this quick?”
“No need. I just came from one.”
Something about Dayna’s tone was off. It was unusually cold, making Letticia blink in surprise.
In all the years they had known each other, Dayna had never spoken to her in that manner.
‘What’s wrong? Did something upset her?’
However, Dayna wasn’t the type to take her frustration out on others, even if she was troubled by something.
Letticia’s curiosity turned to confusion as Dayna fixed her with a sharp gaze. Then, without a word, she reached into her handbag, pulled out a newspaper, and placed it on the table, sliding it toward Letticia so she could see the headline.
“‘Queen of Flowers, an Intimate Meeting with the Crown Prince’s Aide’…”
Letticia read the headline aloud before realization struck her like lightning.
She had completely forgotten—she had never told Dayna that she was dating Ezkhiel.
‘Damn it, I forgot!’
Right after they had started dating, she had been too focused on helping Ezkhiel build his self-confidence. Then, with all the issues surrounding the concert, Matthias, and Ariette, it had completely slipped her mind.
She had even told Seraphina—who wasn’t even a close friend—yet somehow, she had forgotten to tell Dayna, one of her closest companions.
Oh… not gonna lie, I too would be upset if I were Dayna… 😥😢💔