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My Lover Isn’t Interested With The Female lead!
✽ CHAPTER 41✽
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The next day, Letticia didn’t wake up until 11 AM. As she was about to have a late breakfast with Camilla, Kenneth entered the dining room holding a social magazine.
“Aunt, here is today’s ‘Lucinella.'”
“Alright, let’s take a look.”
Camilla took the magazine from her nephew and began to read it. Letticia moved closer to her mother to look at the paper.
On the front page of the one-sheet newspaper was a grand headline, [This Season’s Diamonds Are the Rose and the Swan!] along with a picture of Letticia and another ‘diamond’ descending the grand staircase at the imperial palace.
“The Empress has choose this season’s ‘Diamonds’, they’re Lady Letticia Sharon, the eldest daughter of Count Sharon, and Lady Seraphina Eskis, the eldest daughter of Marquess Eskis…. Ah, yes, that was her name.”
Letticia had completely forgotten about the other diamond while she was focused on Matthias yesterday. However, considering people’s reactions, she realized it was necessary to learn a bit about the other diamond as well.
‘First, let me read about myself.’
Letticia decided to read the article about herself first.
After a brief background on Letticia and the incident from six years ago, the article described the curiosity and expectations people had for her. It then vividly described the dress and jewelry Letticia wore, as well as her hairstyle.
[Lady Sharon appeared with her family’s characteristic Sharon pink hair tied in a braid and wearing a daring off-shoulder dress. The dress, adorned with frills on the bodice and white embroidered details, was made of chiffon, emphasizing a bright and fresh charm. A green sapphire necklace adorned her somewhat bare neck.
Her mother, Countess Camilla Sharon, known as the ‘Ruby of the West,’ set the fashion standard for debutante dresses over the past 20 years with her debut attire. Now, with her daughter appearing in a new dress, perhaps this off-shoulder chiffon dress will become the new standard for debutantes for the next 20 years.]
“Why are there only compliments? Did you pay them or something?”
“If ‘Lucinella’ could be bought, it wouldn’t have such credibility, would it?”
Kenneth quipped with an incredulous expression. Letticia, having just made an offhand comment, quietly moved on to the next sentence.
[Moreover, Lady Sharon demonstrated her skills without hesitation at the prestigious Imperial Ball. How many debutantes can flawlessly perform not only the basics like the cotillion, quadrille, and tradition dances of the pontéon, but also the minuet, waltz, gavotte, and polka.
The Empress called her the ‘Queen of Flowers, the Rose,’ meaning Lady Sharon is the best among all the flowers of society.]
At this point, Letticia wondered if the article was meant to praise her or to make her the target of other debutantes’ envy. With an uneasy feeling, she read on until the end.
But the article also praised Seraphina Eskis and five other debutantes whom ‘Lucinella’ had named ‘noteworthy debutantes.’ There were only compliments throughout.
“So, we shall see how many suitors flock to these seven debutantes, including the two diamonds…. What is this?”
Even after finishing the article, Letticia couldn’t shake the strange feeling.
Five years ago, when ‘Lucinella’ covered the incident with the Averil Ducal House during her academy days, it portrayed the Averils as villains, making Letticia shine in contrast. But now, there was not a single negative comment about anyone; it was all praise.
“Is this how ‘Lucinella’ usually reports at the start of the social season?”
“Apparently. There’s a belief that writing negative comments in the first article of the season brings bad luck.”
“Still, giving such high praise to some debutantes might incite jealousy among others.”
“That’s the strategy.”
“Strategy?”
Letticia asked, surprised by Camilla’s response. Camilla glanced at the article and replied cynically.
“It’s ‘Lucinella’s’ method. If there’s a debutante who receives a lot of attention, she’ll also attract envy and malice, leading to more newsworthy stories.”
“What is this? That’s pure instigation!”
“It’s a long-standing tactic. They did the same during my time.”
Hearing Camilla’s indifferent reply, Letticia recalled what Matthias had said last night.
“…Do you not know the story behind your mother, Countess Sharon, being called the Ruby?”
At the time, she thought he was merely mentioning her mother’s influence. But now, considering he used the word ‘story,’ there was definitely more to it.
Furthermore, Matthias’s unpleasant tone added to her worries.
“Mother, now that I think about it, why are you called the Ruby?”
“Huh? Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”
Camilla asked with a puzzled expression. Letticia briefly recounted what Matthias had told her the previous day.
“His Highness asked me if I knew the story behind it. He also mentioned that since I am your daughter, it’s only natural that I would become a diamond.”
Camilla’s expression hardened at those words. It was rare for Camilla to show such a reaction, which surprised not only Letticia but also Kenneth.
“Aunt, what does he mean by that?”
“Ha… To think His Highness knows about that story. Well, it’s not like it’s a forbidden secret, even though people prefer to keep it quiet.”
Camilla sighed, as if just thinking about it gave her a headache. It seemed like there was indeed a significant story behind it.
“Don’t go around talking about this. In a way, it’s a disgrace to the imperial family.”
“A disgrace to the imperial family?”
“What is it, Mother?”
Kenneth was shocked, while Letticia looked intrigued. Camilla began to speak cautiously.
“The year I made my debut was particularly noisy. The late Empress, the Duchess of Averil, and I all entered society at the same time.”
“The late Empress and the Duchess of Averil?”
Letticia hadn’t expected to hear about Ariette’s mother. However, what followed was even more surprising.
“Yes. At the time, the Duchess was just the daughter of a minor baronet, so she wasn’t in the spotlight yet. The commotion was mostly around the late Empress.”
“Commotion? What happened?”
Letticia tried to recall what she knew about the late Empress.
Matthias resembled her, and she was the last descendant of the Allstair family from the northern branch of the imperial family.
Before Letticia could finish her thoughts, Camilla explained further.
“The late Empress, who was then known as the Archduchess of Allstair, was designated as the Crown Prince’s fiancée from an early age. However, without making her social debut, it was difficult for her to establish herself as the Crown Princess, so the imperial family meticulously planned her debut.”
Hearing this, Letticia realized what had happened.
“Are you saying they predetermined who would be the diamond? What nonsense!”
“Letticia!”
Kenneth, startled by Letticia’s disrespectful comment towards the imperial family, tried to stop her, but Camilla did not intervene.
“Well, given the late Empress’s status and beauty, it was natural for her to become a diamond. But the only diamond? With me there, would people really accept that if I weren’t chosen as a diamond?”
It was a display of great confidence, but Letticia agreed. At that time, Camilla had such influence that she could change the dress code entirely, and her family was highly esteemed. If she wasn’t chosen as a diamond, it would be akin to admitting corruption in the selection process.
“That’s really unfair. It’s outright corruption.”
“The selection of the diamond was influenced by the political stance of the imperial family. But there was no need to make it so exclusive. Why did they take such a risk?”
“The late Emperor had children quite late. He was probably in a hurry to secure his son’s position before he passed away.”
Camilla shrugged and continued.
“That’s when Lucinella started calling me the Ruby. Normally, gemstones aren’t used as nicknames unless it’s for the diamond. Accepting that nickname was a way for the nobility to protest against the imperial family.”
“Wow… I thought it was just because of your hair color.”
Letticia and Kenneth were stunned by the shocking backstory. The corruption in the diamond selection orchestrated by the imperial family left a bitter taste.
“Well, it’s a thing of the past. But in a way, the imperial family owes me. It wouldn’t be strange for them to make amends by selecting my daughter as a diamond now. But did His Highness really say that so bluntly? To you, not to me? I can’t figure out what he’s thinking.”
Camilla frowned, staring down at the table. Letticia also couldn’t fathom Matthias’s intentions.
“Could it be that the late Empress had some grudge against you?”
“I don’t know. The late Empress generally avoided social interactions, so we hardly ever spoke. And even when we did meet, it was uncomfortable.”
Then why did Matthias speak so rudely to Letticia?
Regardless, if his biological mother was unfairly deprived of glory, any sane person would feel at least some regret or discomfort.
‘… Come to think of it, that guy is out of his mind.’
If the original story hasn’t changed much, the stalker tendencies in Matthias must still be present.
Besides being mentally unstable, Matthias was cold towards women before meeting Ariette.
“I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t like His Highness. If he treats his dance partner like that, who on earth is he planning to marry? Will he have a public vote to choose his Crown Princess?”
“How do you come up with these scenarios…”
Kenneth was baffled, while Camilla burst out laughing.
“It would be amusing if it ended like a theatrical play. But for His Highness, marriage is a duty, not a choice. And unfortunately, according to the Empress, the imperial family is prioritizing the diamonds this season.”
Letticia clutched her neck at those words. What was this all about?
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To Be Continued…
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