My Lover Isn't Interested With The Female lead!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The day after the outing, Letticia decided to spend her lunchtime alone with a friend on the 5th floor of Faymont.

 

“Dayna, I thought I was going to die yesterday!”

 

At Letticia’s slightly exaggerated complaint, Dayna gave her a warm, comforting smile.

 

“Just hearing about it sounds exhausting. I would have been tired too.”

 

“Really, dealing with that kind of rivalry is so annoying! Dayna, have you ever experienced something like that?”

 

“Not as much as you, but a bit. Being a debutante with a nickname, I’ve had my share of people being wary of me.”

 

Dayna offered her sympathy, understanding Letticia’s feelings.

 

To cheer themselves up, Letticia and Dayna each chose their favorite treats: a triple berry tart and a mille-feuille.

 

“I originally just wanted to go for a picnic and enjoy the scenery, but look what happened.”

 

“That’s too bad. The daffodil fields in Rodinia are famous for their stunning views.”

 

“Right. I’m thinking of going horseback riding in the big park instead. Do you want to join?”

 

“I’d love to. Let’s invite Valerie and the others too.”

 

Thus, a horseback riding outing with friends was arranged.

 

Excited about the idea of going horseback riding, Letticia received another suggestion from Dayna.

 

“But Letticia, wouldn’t it be nice if the five of us hosted some kind of gathering together? It would show that our connection continues even after graduation, and it would reassure those who will debut in the fall.”

 

“Oh… I hadn’t thought of that.”

 

Letticia felt a bit guilty as the head of the group. She had been so preoccupied with her social debut that it had slipped her mind.

 

They decided to leave the March Blossoms event as an internal academy gathering and pass the presidency to one of their juniors.

 

However, to maintain the group’s prestige, they needed to do something together in society to emphasize that their connection still exists.

 

“Let’s make it a charity event. Besides attending balls and social gatherings, charity work is also a duty of debutantes. We could have a concert or an exhibition.”

 

“But during the debut season, we’ll be busy attending balls and other gatherings. There won’t be time to practice, so maybe an auction or an exhibition would be better?”

 

“Then an exhibition sounds good. It wouldn’t be hard to gather art pieces from our families’ collections.”

 

Dayna quickly turned Letticia’s idea into a practical plan.

 

Once the general plan was set, Dayna volunteered to contact the rest of their friends.

 

“Letticia, you should go out and meet people, build connections. It will be necessary for your future social activities.”

 

“But I feel bad for pushing everything onto you. Are you really okay with it?”

 

“It’s fine. It’s better for us if you establish a strong foothold in society. You’re the first Diamond among the new nobles. If you do well, it will make things easier for all of us.”

 

Dayna’s words made Letticia feel a bit pressured. Being the representative of the new nobles and their poster girl was already a hassle.

 

But after leading the academy life as the head of their group, she couldn’t just quit the social scene as soon as she stepped out.

 

“Besides, everyone is looking forward to it. They think you might not only be the first Diamond of the new nobles but also the first crown princess.”

 

Letticia nearly spat out her tea at the thought.

 

“Wait, Dayna. Do you really think I could become the crown princess?”

 

Dayna nodded confidently.

 

“Why not? Her Majesty the Empress has said you are the most outstanding of all the debutantes, and no one disputes it. Honestly, the only one who can compare to you in beauty is Lady Eskis, and you have a larger dowry, so your conditions are better.”

 

“But my lineage and family are issues. She comes from a pureblooded great lord’s family.”

 

“Your maternal side is also from a great lord’s family. If you’re not qualified, then the neutral faction wouldn’t be either. Besides, Her Majesty the Empress will support you, so what’s there to worry about?”

 

Letticia couldn’t admit that marrying Matthias itself was the issue.

 

“Well, I need to marry someone I truly love. It might sound like a luxury, but it’s more challenging than an arranged marriage. It’s not just about me loving them; they need to love me back too.”

 

Letticia brought up the justification of her family’s policy, that’s a justification where everyone would accept.

 

“Besides, even if you fall out of love, you can’t separate or divorce. So only marry if you are sure you can live together for the rest of your life.”

 

“They want a love marriage but don’t allow separation or divorce. I can’t tell if that’s conservative or progressive.”

 

Love marriages started with Letticia’s parents’ generation.

 

Specifically, it became a trend starting with Letticia’s parents and the Duke and Duchess of Averil.

 

Traditionally, noble marriages were seen as alliances and contracts between families, a duty to pass on noble bloodlines to future generations.

 

Once married and having produced heirs, they were free to have love affairs. Divorce was almost unheard of for the sake of family honor, and even separation was rare.

 

However, as new nobles began to join the upper class in large numbers and old nobles became obsolete, the old guard began to change.

 

Marriage was no longer absolutely about exchanging bloodlines.

 

Moreover, the concept of ‘love marriage’ spread throughout the empire when two couples from different social statuses shook the empire by marrying for love.

 

Following their example, many old noble families began marrying their children to new nobles under the pretense of ‘not being able to oppose their children’s love.’

 

Nobles originally despised materialism and revered romance. For such nobles, marrying for love was seen as romantic.

 

After that, the notion spread, especially among the younger generation, that marriage, a matter to be decided after meeting each other, was outdated when arranged by parents.

 

Thus, even conservative nobles in Letticia’s generation insisted on setting up chaperoned meetings, ensuring the couple met and dated before getting engaged.

 

Also, as it became necessary to claim they married for love, overt infidelity became almost nonexistent after having children.

 

While divorces remained rare, the practice shifted to discreetly keeping a mistress rather than openly parading one around.

 

However, the Count of Sharon’s family strictly prohibited separation, infidelity, and divorce. Their reasoning was that a romance like a novel should not turn into a scandalous drama.

 

“It’s thoroughly pragmatic, but I understand why it has to be that way, so it’s fine.”

 

“It might be better than pretending to have a love marriage. My aunt said she’d return to her family home after her daughter gets married.”

 

Dayna, looking a bit gloomy, cut a small piece of her mille-feuille.

 

I had heard before that Dayna’s aunt married into an old noble family, but it seemed like a typical show-window marriage.

 

When old noble families married new nobles, they often used the excuse that they couldn’t oppose their children’s love, even if the new nobles lacked lineage.

 

Though some genuinely loved each other, many lived in such show-window marriages.

 

Knowing that a friend’s aunt was living such a life was bittersweet.

 

To lift the slightly somber mood, Dayna spoke in a brighter tone.

 

“Then you should aim to fall in love with the Crown Prince. It’s great, isn’t it? Falling in love with someone so perfect and marrying him sounds just like a romance novel.”

 

“…Well, it does.”

 

Letticia couldn’t bring herself to shatter Dayna’s dreams.

 

‘That perfect guy is the one who, in the future, assigns guards to watch his beloved and reports her daily schedule, not to mention plans to isolate her from her family and confine her in the Crown Prince’s palace…’

 

Recalling Matthias’s obsessive behavior from the original story, Letticia shuddered.

 

He was jealous of even his beloved’s family, thinking about how to keep her away from them.

 

‘Ariette could rehabilitate him, but I can’t.’

 

Ariette, who gave Matthias endless love, earned his trust, and healed him, seemed almost saintly.

 

Letticia, who was holding her breath and cutting the tart to bring it to her mouth, dropped it at Dayna’s next words.

 

“My father says the new nobles in politics have decided to support you. I’ll find out if they’re attending any events with the Crown Prince. If there’s an opportunity, they’ll probably help you.”