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***
At Ezkhiel’s house, aside from ham and sausage, red meats like beef or pork were rarely kept in stock.
This was because the owner couldn’t eat protein sources well, unless it was a new kind of dish, eggs, or seafood.
As such, the dinner served to David consisted of a stew made by simmering chicken and vegetables in wine, along with a vegetable salad.
He would have preferred something more filling, but knowing that his younger brother couldn't even stand the sight of such heavy food, David sat down without complaint.
Maybe it was just his imagination, but one reason he stayed quiet was also because Ezkhiel looked a little pale.
“Did something rough happen today? I heard you got scolded for leaving work early.”
“No, not that. I just… saw something I couldn’t really understand.”
Ezkhiel calmed himself by sipping lemonade and, as they began eating, asked about their parents.
“How are Father and Mother these days?”
“Father’s health has gotten worse. He seemed quite deflated since the retirement process went faster than expected.”
Ezkhiel silently took another sip of lemonade. It seemed more and more likely that his superior had been looking for a way to push their father aside.
“And Mother—this morning, she received some letter and was in an unusually good mood.”
“A letter? What kind of letter?”
“Looked like some kind of invitation. Not sure where it’s from though.”
“…An invitation was sent to Mother?”
Ever since Ezkhiel had become the Chief Aide, baronial couples like his parents had been bombarded with invitations.
However, as it became clear Ezkhiel didn’t respond to any of the requests or favors, the number of invitations had sharply declined. This season, not even a marriage proposal had come their way.
And it wasn't like their reputation was good either—plus, people had realized that they had no influence over their second son, who had moved out. So it was a natural outcome.
If an invitation had arrived again, the most likely reason was Letticia.
“If it’s something Mother would be excited about, then it must be from a high-standing noble family with real influence in society.”
“Most likely. If it were from a newly risen noble family, she would’ve just scoffed at it.”
“Haa… I need to let Letty know.”
If Mother started using not only her own name but also Letticia’s to flaunt her status in society again, Ezkhiel wasn’t sure he could stay calm.
Once again, he firmly felt that their parents needed to be sent off to the countryside soon—for Letticia’s sake as well.
David looked at Ezkhiel with a surprised expression.
“Weren’t you planning not to tell Lady Sharon anything about this?”
“I was… but then Letty said that if I kept things from her and acted on my own, it would feel like I thought of her as just a stranger… she was pretty hurt.”
Recalling what Letticia had said, Ezkhiel’s face turned slightly red, and David chuckled.
“I saw an article painting the two of you as having this dreamy, perfect romance. I guess it might actually be true.”
“Don’t tease me.”
“I’m congratulating you, man. As your older brother, can’t I at least say I’m happy you found a good woman and seem really happy?”
“When Father and Mother move down to the countryside, I’m sure you’ll find someone good too.”
Ezkhiel said that sincerely, but David only responded with a wry smile.
“Ez, how likely do you think it is for the heir of an old noble family like ours—who only has history and tradition left—to actually marry for love? It’s already complicated enough without adding love into the equation. If I insist on love too, I probably won’t ever get married.”
“But it’s not like you’re being forced to marry only to produce an heir like Father did, right? That means there’s at least a chance that the relationship could grow better after marriage.”
“Well, I guess that would depend on the other person. Still, I think it might be easier now than when our parents were around. At least I’d get to look for someone who meets my standards.”
Although their parents had always poured their affection onto the elder son, David, Ezekiel never once felt jealous. That may have been precisely why.
The Baron and Baroness had obsessed over their eldest son’s marriage for so long—did they even realize they were the very reason David had remained unmarried all this time?
“When Father and Mother hear about your marriage someday, they might faint.”
“Let them. I don’t even expect them to understand.”
David scooped a spoonful of stew into his mouth with a look that said he didn’t care anymore.
Ezkhiel nodded, having no intention of taking their parents’ side either.
“Then… could you pass on a message to Mother about the succession ceremony? I don’t really want to see her myself.”
“Mother? Wait, you’re actually planning to go along with what she wants?”
“She’s easier to persuade than Father, at least.”
“…You’ve got something planned, don’t you?”
David, weary from years of dealing with their stubborn parents, immediately perked up. Ezkhiel calmly composed himself, then revealed the plan he had discussed with Letticia.
***
According to their strategy for public perception, it was best for Letticia to stay out of social gatherings for a while so she’d appear more like a victim.
That meant she had no choice but to spend her time off leisurely at home.
But without shopping or theatre trips, she was fidgety and couldn’t sit still.
'This isn’t a vacation—it’s house arrest!'
Letticia was the type to always go out when she had free time. She didn’t dislike reading at home, but she much preferred watching plays. Instead of enjoying the garden, she wanted to have tea in a lively café in Faymont.
So when Dayna and Vanessa came to visit on the second day of her 'vacation,' Letticia welcomed them with open arms and had the finest tea and desserts prepared in the garden to entertain them.
However, contrary to Letticia’s excitement, the two guests didn’t seem in the right mood to savor the luxury.
“Letticia, are you okay?”
“We read the papers, Lady Sharon. I mean… how could they treat someone like a criminal without a shred of evidence…?”
Since Letticia had been mentioned in the articles as a comparison to Audrey in the favoritism scandal, both Dayna and Vanessa were clearly worried.
Judging by their reactions, neither of them had been treated as suspects like Letticia had.
“Well, it wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience, but I’m fine now. Still, I think I’ll be staying home for a while—don’t feel comfortable going to social gatherings.”
“That might be for the best. I went to one yesterday, and everyone was only talking about Lady Eskis fainting…”
Vanessa, who usually found Letticia intimidating, now seemed to feel a sense of camaraderie over the shared situation and spoke more comfortably than usual.
Dayna also joined in with an indignant expression.
“I worked so hard promoting that charity concert, even practiced like crazy for it—what was it all for? Who would do something like that to Lady Eskis?”
“Well, whoever did it, it definitely wasn’t for attention. All the focus has completely shifted in the wrong direction.”
Letticia responded dryly, pouring tea for Dayna and offering desserts.
“Anyway, that’s what the knights are for—to investigate things like this. It’s not like we did a criminal probe ourselves, how would we know? Come on, before the tea gets cold. I even told them to prepare the tea snacks you like.”
“You’re really letting this go so easily? You could’ve ended up being framed as the culprit!”
“My family wouldn’t allow that. And it’s not like the knights could use force on me—what, do they expect me to just confess?”
“They didn’t use violence, sure, but it was terrifying! It was my first time at the knight headquarters—I never want to go back.”
Vanessa shuddered, and Letticia slid her a teacup while asking.
“Did they ask you anything weird? Like if you had any grudges against Lady Eskis or something?”
“No, they were more like… Did anything happen between you and Lady Sharon? They kept pressing—‘Are you sure? Are you lying? Are you covering for her?’—over and over.”
“Ha. So they were planning to make me the culprit from the start, huh.”
Letticia let out a short laugh of disbelief, and Dayna added.
“But they didn’t ask me stuff like that. They asked things like who handled the tea leaves that day, or if I saw which tea Lady Eskis drank.”
“Then even within the knight order, they’re probably divided. Some who want to make me the culprit, and others who don’t.”
“Who would do something like that anyway? Could it really be Count Wallace? Or is there someone else pulling strings behind him?”
Vanessa’s face went pale.
Letticia sighed, thinking there was no way they'd enjoy dessert at this rate.
“Either way, Sir Averil is the one in charge of the investigation. It won’t go the way Count Wallace wants.”
“That’s actually what worries me more, Letticia. You and Sir Averil, in the past—”
“That’s in the past. I already got an apology and compensation. I don’t want to talk about it anymore, Dayna. And honestly, in this situation, Sir Averil’s better than the commander. At least he is neutral.”
Letticia didn’t usually like talking politics or factions, but she knew this kind of logic was easier for Dayna and Vanessa to accept.
As expected, Dayna still looked uneasy, but she seemed to understand.
“True, the old noble families are in total chaos right now. And because it was Lady Eskis who collapsed, the western nobles are furious.”
“Same here. All the old-noble friends I have keep grilling me—who’s the culprit, do I know anything—and won’t let it go…”
“Me too. Some even asked me outright if the new nobility did it out of jealousy toward the old nobility.”
“They asked that to your face?! What were they thinking?”
“Well, if they’re smart, it was an intentional provocation. If not, then they’re just brainless.”
Letticia decided maybe this vacation that felt more like probation wasn’t so bad after all.
If even Dayna and Vanessa—who got far less attention—were being treated like that, Letticia herself would have been attacked for every little word or gesture.
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