My Lover Isn't Interested With The Female lead!

 

 

 

The following afternoon, Letticia, who had finally fallen asleep in the early hours of the morning, woke up only after noon had passed.

 

She got out of bed and went downstairs for lunch instead of breakfast. In the dining room, Patrick and Lenard, who seemed to have stopped by the house briefly in their outdoor clothes, were present. Camilla and Kenneth, who appeared to have just woken up like Letticia, were also there.

 

“Father, Big Brother, what brings you home?”

 

“There are some matters we need to discuss concerning yesterday’s events.”

 

“We won’t be able to stay long as we need to head out again right after lunch.”

 

Letticia sat at the table and began slicing the omelet that was served. Although she had eaten soup, meat dishes, and other late-night snacks until very late the previous night, she was always hungry after sleeping.

 

“For now, we’ve identified the person who tried to pour wine on you yesterday. He’s a fallen noble who even sold off his title. He attended the party as a chaperone for Lady Parnell.”

 

“Lady Parnell? Who is she?”

 

“She is from a family of loyal customers of Sharon Jewelry. Although they are called loyal customers, their purchases are not significant, and even their frequency has decreased recently.”

 

“Even so, they were still considered loyal customers, so they were included in the invitation list. But to think they would do something like this…”

 

Camilla stabbed her omelet with her knife in frustration. It was a good thing she had at least maintained her composure as a lady and didn’t completely ruin the dish.

 

“Is Lady Parnell involved in this as well? Was she some kind of spy?”

 

“She is from Canotia. To be precise, the lady was just being used, and it seems the chaperone acted on his own.”

 

Lenard continued after Patrick’s explanation.

 

“Being a fallen noble, he had become a burden to the distant relative Parnell barony. However, with Lady Parnell’s impending marriage, he wouldn’t be able to continue serving as a chaperone, leaving him in a precarious position. He received an offer from Canotia that promised him 1,000 gold coins if he ruined our ball, and 3,000 gold coins if he managed to ruin your dress or jewelry and cause you embarrassment.”

 

“These crazy bastards…”

 

Letticia ground her teeth at the absurd proposition she could never have imagined. There should be some limit to unethical behavior.

 

“So, he tried to pour wine on your dress when he got caught by Ezkhiel. Realizing he was caught, he attempted to cause a scene to ruin the party, but since you dismissed him as a mere drunkard and had him removed, that plan also failed. When Lady Parnell was questioned, she was shocked and claimed she had no idea he would do something like that. He will probably be expelled from the Parnell household as well.”

 

“There have been people who tried to ruin my ball party before, but they only resorted to using their employees. I was so focused on that angle that I never saw this coming. But there’s no way to regulate chaperones…”

 

Camilla, who rarely showed any self-blame, appeared visibly regretful. Patrick gently held her hand in a gesture of comfort.

 

“That’s not something you could have controlled. You can’t demand that guests verify the chaperones they bring along.”

 

If it were the imperial family, it might be a different story, but if such acts were committed among fellow nobles, it would cause great offense, leading them to suspect us.

 

The purpose of hosting a ball is to win the favor of the people, but behaving like that would have the opposite effect.

 

“Isn’t there something we can do about him? Can’t we turn him over to the guards and make it public that Canotia sent a spy to sabotage our ball?”

 

Letticia asked, but Lenard shook his head.

 

“There was no actual damage done, so there’s no point in filing a complaint. Besides, our only evidence is his confession.”

 

“So, for now, we’ve decided to remove the Parnell household from the list of loyal customers, under the pretext that the chaperone accompanying the lady caused a disturbance while intoxicated. We’ve already discussed this with the Parnell household last night.”

 

“Is that all? Can we not do anything against Canotia?”

 

The real mastermind, Canotia, had slipped away, leaving only the chaperone to take the blame under a different charge than his actual wrongdoing. Although it was clear that dealing with such underhanded activities was challenging, it was infuriating that there was no way to hold them accountable for their covert actions.

 

“Officially, there was no incident, so nothing can be done. Officially, that is.”

 

Patrick answered in an even tone. Although it seemed like he had something in mind, there was no point in asking further, as he would not disclose it now.

 

“…Then what about the future? We host at least one ball every season.”

 

“We plan to conduct secret verifications of the chaperones. If anyone attempts to target our guests, they would likely approach people of lower status who would draw less attention. By gathering information about them, we can identify potential threats.”

 

“So, that’s why you called me.”

 

Kenneth sighed, as his workload was increasing. At least it wasn’t something that needed to be done immediately, which was a small relief.

 

“I can’t even tell whether I’m a chaperone, a secretary, or the head of the intelligence department anymore.”

 

“Given that your responsibilities keep increasing, we’re considering establishing a new department specifically for managing customer information.”

 

“A new department?”

 

Lenard showed interest in Patrick’s words.

 

“Are you talking about a department responsible for gathering and managing information? Certainly, having such a department would make customer and potential customer analysis more efficient.”

 

“So, if that department is established, would I be transferred there?”

 

“That would depend on where the department is assigned. It could be created as an intelligence office under the External Relations Department, or it could become an independent department.”

 

“You’re not planning to create it immediately, are you? Big Brother Ken needs to be my chaperone until I get married.”

 

Sharon Jewelry had a department called the ‘External Relations Department’ responsible for social interactions. Officially, Camilla, Letticia, and Kenneth were all affiliated with this department, and Kenneth’s role as a chaperone was part of his secretarial duties.

 

Therefore, if Kenneth were to be transferred to a new department, he would no longer perform his chaperone duties as part of his secretarial role.

 

“It’s still in the planning stages. To create the department, we need personnel and must determine ranks and roles, so we need to discuss it with other employees as well.”

 

Patrick explained in a reassuring tone to alleviate Letticia’s concerns, as she could not afford to lose her chaperone immediately.

 

“However, until you get married, Kenneth will continue to be your chaperone. So, don’t worry about that.”

 

“Phew, that’s a relief. Without Big Brother Ken, I’d be ruined.”

 

Letticia, feeling relieved, continued to cut and eat her omelet. Kenneth looked at her with a slightly conflicted expression, unsure whether to laugh or not.

 

“Letty, you do realize you’re overly dependent on me, right?”

 

“A little? That’s why I’m always grateful.”

 

“…You really have a tough job, Ken.”

 

Patrick sighed and offered words of encouragement to Kenneth, who did not deny it.

 

As Letticia’s chaperone, Kenneth had to curate a list of men suitable to dance with her, block any inappropriate suitors, and help her successfully form a relationship with someone she was interested in.

 

Additionally, he had to remember the details of all the debutantes, which Letticia found bothersome to recall herself, making his work exhausting.

 

If Letticia were to get married, the greatest credit would likely go to Kenneth.

 

“Anyway, you should be prepared for more disruptions in the future. This time it was Canotia, but other competitors won’t just stand by. They are most concerned about you inheriting my network and influence, which would make you a dominant force in high society.”

 

“Yes, Mother.”

 

At Camilla’s warning, Letticia straightened her posture and nodded, understanding that her mother’s words were not merely self-congratulatory.

 

“It’s still annoying, though. Thanks to His Highness Eustace, it seemed like the hostility from the old noblewomen had somewhat subsided.”

 

“Instead, it looks like you’ve gained a definite enemy. Yesterday, the ball hosted by the Norton Count’s household was completely overshadowed by ours, making them the laughingstock.”

 

Kenneth pushed a society magazine towards Letticia.

 

The familiar cover of Lucinella featured a photo of Letticia and Camilla, along with an evaluation of yesterday’s ball.

 

“<Sharon’s Ball with No Room to Move, Norton’s Private Gathering>? Was their ball even on the same level as ours?”

 

From what Letticia knew, the Norton Count’s household was just an average family among the capital’s nobility. Thanks to the nickname given by Lucinella, the Count’s young lady was receiving some attention, but their reputation was not on par with the Sharon family.

 

“They aren’t on the same level. That’s why they seemed to have put a lot of effort into entertaining their guests. They even invited the Wallace Count’s family and Lady Eskis.”

 

“Lady Eskis?”

 

Letticia frowned. Seraphina, another debutante like Letticia, was not less renowned compared to her.

 

Additionally, Lady Wallace had a solid footing among the old nobility, so if the Norton household focused on gathering young members of the old nobility, they could have some influence.

 

“Besides that, they invited Duke and Duchess Dinever, Count and Countess Freke, and Countess Finsbury, among other prominent guests. It even mentions that Lady Norton had her first dance with Duke Dinever.”