“I heard your family matters have been giving you a headache lately?”
That was what Ezkhiel heard from his superior the moment he arrived for work that afternoon.
Ezkhiel, who had been agonizing over how to break the news about his relationship with Letticia before rumors could start, was caught off guard by the unexpected question, and his answer was a bit delayed.
“…I apologize. I issued instructions to the knights assigned to me by His Highness due to personal matters.”
“There’s no need to apologize. That’s exactly why you were assigned those knights in the first place. More importantly—didn’t the Baron say he was planning to retire? Then why is he spending his remaining strength seeking out for you?”
“Well, it’s… because of an issue regarding my lover.”
At the mention of ‘lover,’ Matthias’s eyebrows twitched slightly. Ever since he learned who Ezkhiel was seeing, he would always react like this.
***
Ezkhiel had become involved with a woman who was once considered a strong marriage candidate for his superior.
Just hearing that much would be enough for anyone to understand why this situation was so awkward—enough to make putting it down as the reason on a resignation letter seem reasonable.
That’s why, after starting a relationship with Letticia, Ezkhiel had spent a long time agonizing over how to report it to Matthias.
Of course, he knew very well that there were no romantic feelings between Matthias and Letticia.
If there had been, Matthias would have added more social gatherings to his schedule, or Letticia would have asked Ezkhiel about Matthias’s activities at least once.
But even knowing that, Ezkhiel didn’t have the courage to bring it up casually. It had taken him several days just to work up the nerve and figure out how to report it.
Finally, after waiting for a rare moment when his superior seemed to be in a good mood, Ezkhiel managed to confess, handing over a play report that Judith had helped him draft.
However, Matthias’s reaction was none of the things Ezkhiel had anticipated.
“With Lady Sharon? You, sir?”
“Yes. If Your Highness had feelings for her, then I am deeply sorry…”
“Hah…”
With a look that said he had heard it all now, Matthias asked his chief aide in a serious tone.
“Sir Bright, is your type women who are airheaded?”
“What?!”
Ezkhiel couldn’t help but raise his voice involuntarily. *Airheaded? Was he implying that Letticia was like that?
“No, that’s not quite the right phrasing. To be precise, women who pretend to be airheaded, and act oblivious.”
“Pretending to be airheaded? Just what exactly do you think of Lady Sharon?”
Ezkhiel couldn’t help but show his displeasure at such a comment, feeling it was far from the Letticia he knew.
However, instead of reprimanding him for his disrespect, Matthias responded in a cold voice.
“She’s a Sharon through and through.”
The emotion conveyed in Matthias’s voice was one of strong hostility.
Ezkhiel instinctively flinched and stared blankly at him.
Frowning deeply, Matthias continued.
“At first, I thought she was no different from any other girl from the liberal arts department—armed only with a level of knowledge suited for social circles, chasing after the fantasy of true love, and living in a sheltered world.”
“………”
“But after speaking with her a few times, I realized otherwise. She only pretends to chase after such fantasies. Deep down, she’s a calculating woman who measures everything by what benefits her most. Exactly the kind of daughter one would expect from Count and Countess Sharon.”
Hearing Matthias’s cold assessment of Letticia’s character, Ezkhiel was a little taken aback. While he hesitated to agree that she was cold-hearted, he couldn’t deny that the rest of the evaluation hit quite accurately.
“I never truly believed that Lady Sharon wanted the position of Crown Princess out of sincerity. The strength of the Sharon family doesn’t come from official political power but from the unofficial influence they wield through connections and favoritism. Still, just in case, I tossed out a bait to see her reaction, but she slipped away under the pretense of obliviousness. It was laughable, really.”
“Then… Your Highness, you never intended to bring Lady Sharon in as the Crown Princess from the beginning?”
“If her loyalty had shifted from her family to me, I wouldn’t have minded putting her in that position. Despite the political complications, she was widely acknowledged as a gem. Plus, inheriting the Countess’s network would have made dominating the social scene a trivial matter.”
In the capital, mere social standing alone wasn’t enough to control high society.
Even if someone had a prestigious title, without charm or capability, they were often just used by others—being left unharmed was considered lucky.
Thus, it wasn’t strange that Matthias, even if he despised general education graduates, still wished for his future consort to manage the social scene skillfully.
“Besides, she wasn’t lacking in awareness. If she received proper imperial etiquette training as Crown Princess, even if she didn’t completely meet my expectations, she would have been capable enough to avoid making major mistakes. But in the end, she never struck me as someone who would dedicate herself to her husband’s family.”
“Perhaps because Lady Sharon knows full well that her role is to serve as the Sharon family’s ‘poster girl’. And the Sharon family likely has no intention of giving up her influence to another family through marriage.”
“Still, to think people could look past all those circumstances and believe she’d make a good Crown Princess… I really don’t know why everyone’s thinking is so shallow.”
Ezkhiel couldn’t tell whether that complaint was directed at the gossiping members of high society or perhaps at Princess Judith and the Empress, who were both friendly with Letticia.
But there was something he needed to know—so, gathering his courage, he asked.
“Then, did Your Highness never feel any affection toward Lady Sharon? I mean, not just considering her qualifications as a Crown Princess, but as someone you could truly love.”
At that question, Matthias’s gaze turned icy cold, freezing Ezkhiel in place.
‘Was that an overstep?’
Until now, Ezkhiel had never dared to talk about anything beyond work with Matthias—especially not about his emotions or personal life. Strictly speaking, Ezkhiel had been careful because he had long sensed, from the way Matthias treated others, that such topics were unwelcome.
However, as Letticia’s lover, he felt he couldn’t avoid asking this question.
Having fallen for her, he needed to know whether Matthias had ever harbored feelings for her.
Steeling himself again, Ezkhiel calmly explained his intention.
“I am fully aware that Your Highness approaches marriage with careful deliberation. But now that I am courting Lady Sharon, I had no choice but to inquire about Your Highness’s feelings.”
“I never felt any affection for her. But does that even matter? Regardless, even if Lady Sharon were to marry you, by the standards of her family, there would be no risk of scandal or separation. Aren’t we living in an age where nobles pride themselves on marrying for love rather than convenience?”
Though Matthias’s lips twisted in clear disdain as he said this, within a few seconds he managed to regain his cold, composed expression.
But even though he appeared to have smoothed over his emotions, Ezkhiel, who knew better, remained cautious and pressed further.
“Then… may I take it that my relationship with Lady Sharon will not bring any disadvantage to Your Highness?”
“Disadvantage? There’s nothing like that. And if you look at it objectively, this benefits both you and the Sharon family. It’s not an unwise decision.”
After saying this, Matthias promptly shifted the conversation back to work matters, making it clear he didn’t intend to dwell any longer on the topic.
Yet despite that, the strange hostility Ezkhiel had glimpsed in Matthias’s expression lingered heavily in his mind, refusing to be forgotten.
***
After hearing Ezkhiel’s concise report, Matthias did not bother to hide his displeasure.
Normally, Matthias was a superior who rarely interfered in his subordinates’ private matters. Yet, strangely, whenever it came to Ezkhiel’s parents, he would unexpectedly get involved.
“I’ll have to order the Ministry of Internal Affairs to expedite the Baron’s retirement.”
“Ah, no, sir. It would be less disruptive if things proceed according to regulations—”
“It’s far more disruptive and inefficient to keep the Baron in place. He’s causing endless trouble for my chief aide. Frankly, by rights, this would already be grounds for dismissal. I’m only handling it generously.”
Clicking his tongue, Matthias tapped his fingers on the desk as he muttered:
“Besides, the Baron is getting old. It would be better for him to spend his remaining years somewhere peaceful. Conveniently, I was planning to grant him a small villa in a quiet part of the North using his retirement fund. What do you think?”
“Pardon?”
Ezkhiel was taken aback by the unexpected suggestion.
Coincidentally, he too had been looking for a countryside estate where he could send his parents.
“The Baron has served at the palace for nearly thirty years. And real estate prices are much cheaper in the North compared to the capital, so it would be an appropriate use of the retirement fund.”
“I… I’m truly grateful for the thought, but isn’t that a bit too much?”
Ezkhiel shook his head with an awkward expression.
While it was natural for him and his brother David to share the burden as family, receiving help from his superior, Matthias, felt too heavy—almost overwhelming.
He was happy that, unlike the people of high society who always sided with his parents, there was someone who genuinely took his side.
However, just imagining the potential gossip and rumors that might arise from such generosity made him feel extremely uneasy.
🍓; *Silly, scatterbrained, or not very smart
