My Lover Isn't Interested With The Female lead!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

‘Just in case, you should practice reading ‘The Golden Wave’ in advance. They might make you recite it to pick on you.’

 

‘Why would they make me read poetry at an outing? It’s not even a literature meeting.’

 

‘They might go that far just to find fault with you. So, it’s better to be prepared. It’s always better to be prepared than not.’

 

At first, Letticia thought Kenneth was worrying unnecessarily, but it actually happened.

 

“Why, Lady? Surely you’re not saying you can’t do it?”

 

Letticia smirked at those who were mocking her as if challenging them to watch her.

 

“Of course not. I’m always prepared.”

 

Kenneth handed a piece of paper to Letticia at just the right moment. It was the poem <The Golden Wave> that Lady Eunice had mentioned.

 

“I’m embarrassed to say that I’m not confident in reciting from memory. Would it be alright if I read it aloud instead?”

 

At Letticia’s words, people began to murmur. They couldn’t believe she had actually prepared for it.

 

‘Ariette didn’t have to deal with this kind of scene in the original story, it’s annoying.’

 

Thinking of the original diamond, Letticia cleared her throat and composed herself. The mothers, who had regained their composure, began to guard against her again.

 

“Oh my, a person who tittled as a diamond doesn’t need to be humble!”

 

“That’s right. If the Empress called you the queen of flowers, reciting a poem should be easy.”

 

“There’s no need to memorize it. We should be thankful you prepared to read it aloud.”

 

As the mothers’ praise, mixed with malice, began to press her, Viscountess Paulette quickly intervened, not wanting to offend Letticia.

 

“I’m worried that I might disappoint you all because of your high expectations. Shall I start?”

 

“Of course, go ahead!”

 

Before anyone could say anything else, Viscountess Paulette quickly gave permission.

 

With the host’s permission, Letticia cleared her throat and began to recite the first lines of the poem.

 

“It was a star on the ground, shining brilliantly in the afternoon sun.”

 

Letticia’s voice resonated over the boat, drowning out the sound of the water on the tranquil lakeside.

 

There was not a single word, intonation, or emphasis that was lacking.

 

“And so, I sang with these daffodils, praising the joy of life and the light of the earth that dwelled in these flowers.”

 

She ended the reading deliberately, leaving an echo.

 

The first to applaud on the silent boat was sir Paulette.

 

“That was an excellent reading, Lady! It’s the best I’ve ever heard in my life. It was as if the goddess of art was before my eyes!”

 

“I feel the same way, Lady. Just listening to it painted a vivid picture in my mind. I could see the daffodils dancing before my eyes.”

 

Viscountess Paulette also praised her openly, supporting her son.

 

Even the women who were trying to find fault couldn’t say anything about her reading.

 

“You flatter me, Viscountess Paulette. It seems my feelings were conveyed through the reading. I found the part where Lord Blunt compared the swaying daffodils to the dance of the stars particularly moving.”

 

Letticia smiled brightly and provocatively at Lady Eunice, who had attacked her first.

 

“What did you think, Lady Eunice? Did my lacking skills meet your expectations?”

 

“Thank you for the wonderful reading, Lady Sharon. If your reading skills are that good, I can expect great things from your recitation as well, right?”

 

“Oh, you don’t need to give me another opportunity. Even though I was chosen as a diamond, if you give me all the opportunities, I would be embarrassed.”

 

Letticia pretended to decline humbly but made a bold challenge.

 

“Since we’re on the subject, I would love to hear your reading, Lady Eunice. Surely, it will be a much more excellent recitation than my inadequate reading.”

 

“What? Me?”

 

“Of course. You must be confident since you brought it up first. Surely, you wouldn’t demand something of someone that you can’t do yourself.”

 

“Of course, I can do it.”

 

Forced to recite a poem, Lady Eunice tried to appear confident.

 

But Letticia, not intending to let her off, set the standard for her.

 

“Since I recited <The Golden Wave,> shouldn’t it be a related poem? How about <Moments of Waiting for Love>? It’s also by Lord Blunt and fits the current mood perfectly.”

 

Lady Eunice’s face turned pale at the suggestion. Only literature professors who studied Lord Blunt’s poems would memorize that poem, which was hundreds of lines long.

 

However, having forced Letticia to recite <The Golden Wave,> she couldn’t back down without losing face.

 

As Lady Eunice found herself in a bind, her mother quickly intervened.

 

“While another work by the same author is good, wouldn’t a long poem be too tedious? It would be better to go with another poem about daffodils.”

 

Lady Eunice’s mother’s words made Letticia glance at Kenneth.

 

Kenneth winked his left eye slightly, signaling her to let it go.

 

“That’s true. How about <The Joy of Daffodils>? It’s a simple poem that everyone can enjoy.”

 

“Of course! It’s one of my daughter’s best recitations. We would love to share it with everyone.”

 

When Leticia stepped back, Lady Eunice’s mother looked relieved, but Lady Eunice herself was red with humiliation.

 

She eventually started reciting the poem forcibly, but perhaps due to Letticia’s provocation, her voice trembled, she stumbled in the middle, and even got some words wrong.

 

“In the spring breeze… blooming daffodils, the world of small flowers… among the petals, joy settles…”

 

The only thing better about her recitation compared to Letticia’s reading was that it was memorized. After she finished, there was polite applause, but no words of praise.

 

“Thank you for the recitation, Lady Eunice.”

 

Only Viscountess Paulette, as the host, made a formal comment, but others openly started gossiping.

 

“How could her voice tremble like that?”

 

“Just trembling would be fine, but she got the lines wrong. It wasn’t <The Joy of Daffodils,> it should be <The Misery of Daffodils.>”

 

“She was probably intimidated by Lady Sharon. But still, such poor performance must be due to the Countess’s lack of education. A true lady should stay composed even in such situations.”

 

Lady Eunice’s face burned with shame at these words. She glanced hurriedly at those who had joined her in targeting Letticia, but they avoided her gaze and whispered among themselves.

 

‘What a shallow relationship. They’re not even friends.’

 

They had united temporarily against the common enemy, Letticia, but would turn against each other at the first opportunity. Letticia pitied Lady Eunice for relying on such a fragile bond.

 

‘This is exhausting…’

 

Throughout the rest of the boat outing, which had essentially turned into a poetry reading, Letticia stayed on edge, hoping the farce would end soon.

 

***

 

When the boat outing ended and they returned, it was almost time for the meeting to conclude.

 

After saying goodbye to Viscountess Paulette, Letticia quickly got into the carriage with Kenneth and left the estate.

 

“You worked hard, Letty.”

 

“Honestly, I’d rather dance fifteen consecutive times at a ball…”

 

Leaning back against the carriage seat, Letticia complained, and Kenneth, for once, looked at her with a mix of sympathy.

 

“I had a feeling it might happen, but when it did, I was speechless.”

 

“But how did you even think of that, Ken? Poetry recitations aren’t a normal part of outings.”

 

“From what I saw while accompanying Aunt to social events for a year.”

 

Kenneth sighed and offered his advice.

 

“The amount debutantes spend in their first year in society is enormous. And since they must marry within three years of debuting, they don’t hesitate to undermine each other, even if it means resorting to dirty tactics.”

 

“But do people support that? Isn’t that making a fool of themselves?”

 

“You saw it today. When there’s a common enemy, people band together to criticize.”

 

Kenneth’s words were unusually cynical. He must have seen some nasty things over the past year.

 

“Moreover, people have a funny way of justifying themselves. Competing with someone as extraordinary as you makes them feel it’s okay to use underhanded methods. This isn’t just true in society; it’s the same elsewhere.”

 

“That’s ridiculous.”

 

As Letticia scoffed, Kenneth continued with his serious advice.

 

“So, I hate to say it, but… if someone approaches you, it’s best to be cautious first. There are many who will act friendly at first and then spread your weaknesses everywhere.”

 

“Do such people really exist?”

 

“At a ball last fall, a debutante’s dress tore while she was waltzing. The first person to spread the story was supposedly her friend. They eventually fell out and joined different factions. The friend tried to fit in with her new group by going too far and ended up disgracing herself.”

 

Kenneth’s expression was full of contempt as he spoke. He clearly didn’t like the shallow relationships and interactions filled with flattery that couldn’t even be called friendship.

 

‘It looks like I’ll have to give up on making new friends in social circles for a while.’

 

Making genuine friends seemed impossible as long as she was a competitor in the marriage market.

 

She suddenly missed the friends she made at the academy.