My Lover Isn't Interested With The Female lead!

 

 

 

“You said we were going to Lake Naphier, right? So, have you booked the boat and everything?”

 

“Kenneth will make the reservation. A four-seater boat.”

 

“A four-seater? Why not go for a two-seater?”

 

“If you do that, would Ezkhiel want to ride with you? He’d prefer to ride with me.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Due to a lack of time for dates, she had to make a compromise.

 

Lenard looked at his sister with a pitying expression.

 

“Do you even have any progress? Last time I checked, I wasn’t sure if Ezkhiel liked you.”

 

Letticia was irritated by the blunt remark.

 

“At least it didn’t seem like he hated me. We had a good conversation.”

 

“That doesn’t mean much. That guy is so polite that he doesn’t show his dislike even towards arrogant nobles who try to push him around.”

 

“Are you comparing your younger sister to those kinds of people?”

 

When Letticia glared at him, Lenard shrugged.

 

“Well, I’m not trying to directly compare you, but what I’m saying is that you shouldn’t assume Ezkhiel likes you just because he’s polite. He’s someone who can completely suppress his feelings for the sake of etiquette.”

 

Understanding what Lenard meant, Letticia briefly reflected on Ezkhiel’s behavior.

 

Soon, she found a reason to believe that Ezkhiel didn’t dislike her.

 

“Lord Bright was very firm with people he didn’t like, even though he was polite. But he doesn’t act that way with me.”

 

“That’s only when the other person crosses the line too much. Even if he keeps his distance, he maintains his courtesy.”

 

“Then what about blushing? Lord Bright often blushed when we danced the waltz together!”

 

“Do you think that was because he likes you? Isn’t it possible that he was simply tired from dancing?”

 

“He also had good conversations with me during meals! We talked about desserts for at least ten minutes!”

 

“Desserts? With you?”

 

Lenard seemed genuinely surprised at this statement.

 

“Yes. We talked a lot about what kinds of desserts we like and what kinds of tea go well with them. For example, we discussed how straight tea goes well with strawberry cakes and white opera cakes, and how it’s good to add a slice of lemon to tea when eating lemon-flavored desserts.”

 

“How much time have you spent with him to have a conversation about desserts….”

 

Lenard’s voice was filled with disbelief.

 

Curious, Letticia asked.

 

“Why? Doesn’t he talk about desserts with others?”

 

“…He tends to avoid it.”

 

Lenard answered with a complex expression.

 

“He seems to think that liking tea and sweets isn’t manly. I don’t know who told him that.”

 

“What? Who says that nowadays?”

 

Letticia couldn’t hide her astonishment.

 

There was a time when coffee was considered a man’s drink and tea a woman’s. During that time, it was common to say that sweets were for women and men should prefer bitter things.

 

‘But wasn’t that something people said a hundred years ago?’

 

Even between Lenard and Kenneth, Lenard prefers coffee, while Kenneth prefers tea, but neither has faced much criticism for their tastes.

 

Moreover, the number of male customers visiting Faymont isn’t low.

 

While it’s rare to see groups of men or individual men coming alone, it doesn’t mean it’s shameful for men to enjoy desserts.

 

Lenard nodded in agreement but didn’t omit a guess.

 

“Ezkhiel also comes from an old aristocratic family, so there might have been people around him saying such things. Some families with long traditions but low ranks tend to hold on to such beliefs.”

 

“Those families you mentioned, the ones obsessed with trends from a hundred years ago and refusing to send their children to the Academy?”

 

“Yes. Fortunately, the Bright family did send him to the Academy, but from what I’ve heard, they seem like the type that struggles to adapt to changing times or outright refuses to do so.”

 

“Wow, they’re completely old-fashioned.”

 

“Exactly. That’s why Ezkhiel had a hard time drinking coffee at the Academy, even though he didn’t like it. He was compulsively drinking only black coffee, with no sugar or milk.”

 

“Black coffee? For someone who likes sweets?”

 

“Yes. That’s why he doesn’t touch coffee at all now.”

 

Letticia hadn’t realized there was such a backstory to why he stopped drinking coffee.

 

She made a mental note never to suggest coffee to him in the future.

 

“So, after graduation, he started enjoying tea and desserts freely?”

 

“Yes. He said he was so overwhelmed with work that he wouldn’t be able to get through it without those things.”

 

Letticia cursed Matthias in her mind.

 

Even though he hasn’t met Ariette yet, this kind of harsh work environment—though she knew it from the original story—was typical of a terrible boss.

 

‘But, Lord Bright said he found his work fulfilling.’

 

Matthias, before falling in love with Ariette, seemed to push him hard but didn’t act unreasonably, so things should go smoothly at this rate.

 

‘Maybe I can prevent Ariette from meeting Matthias?’

 

It was a sudden thought, but it seemed plausible.

 

Letticia could solve the issue of the crown princess candidate herself if she succeeded in her relationship with Ezkhiel. That way, Matthias wouldn’t change for the worse because of Ariette. This would be best for both Ezkhiel and the country.

 

‘In the original story, Ariette and Matthias first met while dancing as partners when she became a diamond.’

 

Currently, Ariette had graduated from the Department of Public Administration and was now a civil servant, so Letticia couldn’t be sure if they had met yet.

 

Hoping they hadn’t met, she decided to put the thought on hold for now.

 

Right now, she was too busy thinking about Ezkhiel.

 

“So, the fact that he talked so passionately about desserts with me means he considers me quite close.”

 

“…It seems so. You two seem to have plenty to talk about.”

 

“Yes. We talk a lot. So, big brother, please help me sit with Lord Bright more often.”

 

Letticia spoke confidently, and Lenard, as if he didn’t want to hear any more, turned his head away.

 

Still, since he didn’t say no, it seemed he was willing to help.

 

***

 

After attending consecutive social gatherings from the day after the ball until the weekend, the long-awaited weekend finally arrived.

 

Early in the morning, Letticia rummaged through her wardrobe and only managed to dress and finish her makeup just before their departure time. She braided her bright pink hair and let it fall to one side, wearing a neat and refreshing blue dress. Seeing her, Lenard struggled to find the right words.

 

“How should I put it… It looks like you made an effort while trying not to look like you did.”

 

“Big brother, come on, compliment me a bit since we’re going out together.”

 

“It suits you well, Letty. You look pretty. It’s good that you didn’t choose a dress that’s too flashy.”

 

Kenneth chimed in, calming the atmosphere with his compliments.

 

She was glad she remembered Camilla’s casual comment about someone who wore a ball gown on a casual outing to impress someone they liked, only to make them uncomfortable and ruin the day.

 

“This should be fine, right? Lord Bright won’t feel burdened? It’s not a date anyway, so I tried to dress appropriately pretty.”

 

“That’s fine. For you, dressing like this gives off just the right impression of being nicely put together.”

 

“True, she does have a naturally striking appearance.”

 

Reassured by her brothers, Letticia got into the carriage with a cheerful heart.

 

Today, they planned to go boating on Lake Naphier and then take a carriage ride around the lake. Lenard and Kenneth had promised beforehand to ensure that she and Ezkhiel would sit together in both the boat and the carriage, so she had already secured time to talk to him.

 

Though they would have to part after lunch due to social commitments in the afternoon, she planned to use this time wisely to grow closer to Ezkhiel.

 

Unfortunately, in this accursed romance fantasy world, if there’s no problem, one will be created.

 

Lake Naphier is located in Naphier Park, on the western side of the capital. Because the park is vast, taking a carriage ride around the lake allows visitors to enjoy the scenic blend of prominent buildings and natural surroundings. The park is famous for its constant influx of tourists.

 

For this reason, private carriages are not allowed inside the park, and visitors must book the park-owned boats and carriages.

 

However, as they approached the park entrance, the crowd thinned, and the area became unusually quiet.

 

Puzzled, Letticia’s group got off the carriage to look around and found themselves face-to-face with Ezkhiel, who was in a heated argument with two knights at the entrance.

 

“Didn’t you hear me? Turn back now!”

 

“We cannot leave until the park staff arrive!”

 

Neither Ezkhiel nor the knights were backing down, and the situation was tense.

 

Alarmed, Letticia rushed over and asked Ezkhiel what was happening, forgetting to greet him.

 

“Lord Bright, what’s going on?”

 

“Ezkhiel, why are you out here, not inside?”

 

“Ah, Lady Sharon, Lord Lenard, Lord Kenneth.”

 

While Ezkhiel quickly greeted them with his eyes, the younger of the two knights, who seemed to have lost his patience, started shouting and even pointed his finger.

 

“How many times do I have to say it? Our lord has reserved the entire park for today!”