My Lover Isn't Interested With The Female lead!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Welcome, Lady Sharon, Lord Sharon.”

 

“…Hello, Viscountess Paulette. Thank you for inviting us.”

 

“Thank you for the invitation, Viscountess.”

 

Letticia and Kenneth quickly responded to Viscountess Paulette’s greeting.

 

Dressed appropriately for the casual outing, Viscountess Paulette smiled warmly and spoke kindly.

 

“I’ve heard a lot about you from the Countess, your mother. I regret we couldn’t greet each other at the palace ball.”

 

“Perhaps it’s for the best, as now we can have a leisurely conversation. The palace ball was so crowded and hectic.”

 

“Hoho, young ladies have such a pleasant way of speaking. By the way, if you have made your debut, you must be looking for a charming partner like your parents. If you don’t mind, may I introduce you to a suitable gentleman?”

 

“If he’s someone you recommend, I’m sure he’s a wonderful men. I would love to meet him.”

 

Letticia responded to the somewhat blunt question with a conventional answer. She had been advised by Camilla that such questions usually indicated someone wanted to push their son or nephew, and a careless response could lead to unwanted marriage discussions.

 

Upon Letticia’s acceptance at her offer, Viscountess Paulette called over a young man who had been attending to other guests.

 

He appeared to be in his mid-twenties, with a moderately handsome appearance.

 

“Lady Sharon, this is my son, Rowan Paulette. He is 24 years old.”

 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Sharon.”

 

Smiling, sir Paulette bowed his head in greeting. Letticia also greeted him with a friendly smile.

 

However, Viscountess Paulette seemed intent on furthering the introduction, quickly pushing her son forward to join Letticia.

 

“Since this is your first time here, you might need someone to show you around. My son is well-versed in Rodinia and can accompany you on a walk. Rowan, please guide the lady until the end of the walk.”

 

“Yes, Mother.”

 

As sir Paulette nodded, Viscountess Paulette gracefully stepped back, not overstepping her boundaries. Letticia felt a sense of foreboding from the blatant matchmaking attempt.

 

‘As the eldest son of the Paulette family, he must have quite a few admirers…’

 

According to Kenneth, the Paulette family had maintained a respectable reputation in society due to their estate and social gatherings. Despite a previous financial decline, they had since recovered and were financially stable.

 

With his family’s background, Rowan was considered a suitable match, making many interested in him.

 

‘I’ll entertain him during the walk and then find an opportunity to leave with big brother Ken.’

 

With her plan in mind, Letticia began the conversation cheerfully to avoid any awkwardness.

 

“Thank you for guiding me, sir. I’m looking forward to seeing the famous flower gardens of Rodinia.”

 

“I’ll do my best to meet your expectations. There are several flower gardens on the way to the lake, and I hope they will delight you.”

 

Sir Paulette offered his arm to Letticia and began escorting her. Kenneth naturally stepped back but maintained the required 3.5-meter distance for chaperoning.

 

‘Keep an eye on us, big brother.’

 

‘Don’t worry.’

 

Exchanging quick glances, Letticia followed the other guests and began the walk.

 

The outing involved a long walk through scenic areas, followed by a picnic lunch prepared by the servants once everyone was hungry.

 

Riding horses would have been more enjoyable, but the outing was designed to encourage conversations between men and women while walking.

 

“Rodinia is known for its diverse spring flowers, but the most famous is the daffodil field on the hill by the lake. The view of the yellow daffodils covering the hill is so beautiful that the renowned poet Lord Blunt wrote a poem about it, describing it as a dance of the stars.”

 

“Wow, it sounds truly beautiful. I can’t wait to see it.”

 

“We should arrive in about 30 minutes. We’ve arranged for lunch nearby, so you can enjoy the view while eating. By the way, what kind of flowers do you like?”

 

“Recently, I’ve been admiring roses. Their lush, vibrant petals are truly captivating.”

 

“Come to think of it, you were nicknamed ‘Rose’ by the Empress herself. In celebration of that, we should consider planting roses in Rodinia next year.”

 

Really? Letticia wanted to ask, but she only smiled.

 

At least he wasn’t openly flirting, so he was still better than the men who had pursued her at the balls.

 

‘It’s not as comfortable as it was with sir Bright, but then again, meeting people in society is unavoidable.’

 

Unconsciously thinking of Ezkhiel, Letticia gently pushed the thought of him to the back of her mind. It’s fine to have standards when evaluating people, but comparisons should be avoided.

 

However, even that resolve was beginning to crumble after a few more exchanges.

 

“Our family’s history began when Emperor Edmund I, the second emperor of the Ponteon Empire, granted this estate to our ancestor. He was a lover of the arts rather than worldly affairs and dedicated his life to creating the flower gardens around Rodinia’s lake.”

 

“So that’s why this area is all flower gardens. Isn’t it difficult to maintain?”

 

“We have 32 gardeners employed by our family who manage it daily, so there’s no need to worry. These tasks are left to the servants, not something we need to concern ourselves with.”

 

“…You seem to have a lot of trust in your employees.”

 

“Trust? If they don’t do their job, we simply fire them. I’ve never even checked the books properly. I leave that to the steward.”

 

Letticia began to doubt if he was truly fit to be the heir of his family.

 

Even if actual work is delegated to subordinates, it’s the responsibility of the upper management to ensure things run smoothly.

 

“Focusing on such trivial matters is not very noble. By the way, if you like daffodils, shall I have a servant pick some for you?”

 

“…We should eat first.”

 

Forcing a smile, Letticia continued the conversation, though her opinion of sir Paulette had already plummeted.

 

‘If I marry this man, I’ll end up losing all my wealth to scams…’

 

While nobles traditionally took a broad view of finances, this wasn’t broad-mindedness; it was stupidity.

 

Even though Letticia wasn’t skilled in business or management, she at least checked the books when income came in.

 

‘If this continues, the servants could embezzle the estate’s wealth without anyone noticing until it’s too late.’

 

Unless they were extraordinarily lucky, the next generation of the Paulette family might lose their estate to another family.

 

‘I just hope those spring flowers by the roadside remain unharmed regardless of who owns them.’

 

With these thoughts, Letticia continued walking until they reached the hill overlooking the lake.

 

There, servants were busily laying out cloths on the grass and unpacking food from baskets.

 

In this world, picnics were quite a luxurious pastime, requiring servants to transport food and prepare the site, as well as to provide plenty of food for the guests.

 

After everything was prepared, Letticia and Kenneth took their seats, with sir Paulette sitting across from them. Other men gathered around as well.

 

“Lady Sharon, are the dishes to your liking?”

 

As Letticia nibbled on a small ham sandwich, sir Paulette’s gaze remained on her face.

 

“Yes, sir. The cook is very skilled.”

 

“I’m glad to hear that. Ah, you should try this lamb pie. It’s exceptionally tender.”

 

Letticia took a small piece of the pie out of courtesy. Although called a lamb pie, it was actually minced meat topped with mashed potatoes and baked, and as sir Paulette said, it was tender and savory.

 

Seeing her accept the offer, another man sitting beside sir Paulette quickly intervened.

 

“Lady Sharon, wouldn’t this chicken roast be easier to eat? It’s seasoned with southern spices, making it very tender.”

 

“How could you offer such greasy food to a lady right away? Lady Sharon, please try this apple pie. It’s perfect for refreshing your palate.”

 

“…Thank you for the suggestion. I’ll give it a try.”

 

Not only sir Paulette but also other men began offering different dishes, making Letticia even more uncomfortable as she had to eat politely while being watched.

 

‘Why do they keep talking to me…? All the other women are glaring at me!’

 

Moreover, the majority of today’s guests were women.

 

With all four unmarried men focusing on Letticia, it was no wonder the other women’s expressions were less than friendly.

 

In such situations, it was usually the mothers who accompanied them as chaperones that would step in.