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“Ez… do you really think you’ll feel at peace after cutting ties like that?”
Letticia, if it were up to her, would never give those people a single coin—even if it meant going through one or two years of lawsuits and becoming the subject of public gossip. She wouldn’t care.
But for Ezkhiel, the mere thought of going through all that seemed like a massive source of stress.
“If I can cut ties with them once and for all, make sure you don’t have to suffer because of this, and shut everyone’s mouths—then I’d be willing to pay any amount.”
“What if they ask for your entire year’s salary?”
“In a situation where negotiations are impossible, I plan to throw it at them. If I hand them the money while they're on the carriage heading to the north—like His Highness suggested—and declare that this is the end of our relationship, what could either of them possibly say?”
Ezkhiel didn’t believe he had the strength to face his parents and say everything he needed to—without something to fall back on.
But if he could just get the words out—that this was truly the end—and leave them nothing to hold on to, then maybe, just maybe, he could begin to feel at peace.
After organizing his thoughts and saying them aloud, he hugged Letticia tightly once more.
“So don’t think I’m doing this as some kind of sacrifice, Letty. In a way, I’m doing this for myself too.”
“…You’re sure you’re not just forcing yourself to do something you hate?”
“No, not at all. Honestly, doing it this way gives me far more peace of mind.”
There was no trace of deceit in Ezkhiel’s expression or tone.
Though there were still parts that Letticia found hard to accept, if this truly made Ezkhiel feel better, she couldn’t object any further.
“Alright. Do what you want, Ez. But it’s probably best to send them off as soon as possible. And make sure they’re watched carefully so they never show their faces to you again.”
“Once they leave this time, I don’t think I’ll ever see them again. His Highness said the place is so rough and remote that even if they tried to escape, they’d never make it back to the capital.”
“That’s perfect. Oh, and I have a question.”
Letticia pulled her face away from his chest and looked up at him.
“Can the succession ceremony go on without the head of the family? Like if the family head is too ill to attend, could a proxy stand in or something?”
“When the family head’s health is severely deteriorated, their spouse sometimes stands in…”
Ezkhiel trailed off as he looked at Letticia.
Upon hearing this, Letticia grinned like she was plotting something.
“Baron Bright better start getting a reputation for being seriously ill starting now.”
***
The next day, a special edition newspaper featured the music recital held by the seven debutantes.
There was praise for Seraphina, who collapsed midway but returned to perform, Letticia for her swift response, and the debutantes who remained on stage and continued their performances.
There were also analyses of the passionate remarks made by Seraphina and Letticia about welfare issues.
However, the day after Letticia went in for questioning, yet another round of special editions hit the streets—this time uncovering the real story behind the stage interruption, something the previous day's papers had barely touched on.
<Lady Eskis Collapses on Stage—An Allergic Reaction to Blame?>
<Who Tried to Harm the Swan of Clarence?>
<Angels’ Concert or a Masked Catfight Among Debutantes?>
While some headlines were objective, others were clearly sensational. But every article, no matter the angle, focused on the same point: Seraphina fainted.
The following day, however, newspapers began diverging—each catering to the interests of their specific readership with wildly different content.
Everyone who picked up a paper had an opinion about the shocking incident and discussed it heatedly. The same was true for a trio of noble ladies enjoying a lunch on the terrace of a well-known restaurant famous for its midday courses.
One of the ladies, who was reading from a paper notorious for its scandalous gossip among the capital’s social publications, let out an exclamation and waved the issue toward her companions.
“Have you seen this one? ‘A Daffodil Meant to Bloom in the Swan’s Shadow’!”
“Swan and daffodil… That’s referring to Lady Eskis and Lady Wallace, right? But what do they mean by ‘shadow’?”
“What do you think? It means Lady Wallace is being overshadowed by Lady Eskis!”
The noblewomen burst into laughter. Since they weren’t personally close with either Seraphina or Audrey, they found the drama to be nothing more than juicy entertainment to tear apart and enjoy.
“Speaking of which, before this season started, everyone was going on and on about how Lady Sharon and Lady Wallace were top contenders for the Diamond of the Season. At the Academy, they even made a huge fuss, calling them the future Diamonds from the moment they enrolled!”
“But then Lady Eskis made her debut out of nowhere, so it was all over for Lady Wallace.”
Audrey came from a prestigious, old noble family of the capital—one that prided itself on tradition. Her strengths lay in etiquette, refinement, and noble lineage, all traits that appealed to conservative aristocrats.
But none of her advantages held a candle to Seraphina's.
Had she been completely different—like Letticia, with no ties to factions or a contrasting background—things might’ve been different. But with Seraphina in the picture, there was no compelling reason for anyone to choose Audrey.
“That must’ve made Lady Eskis quite the thorn in Countess Wallace’s side. I mean, she came up to the capital out of nowhere and stole all the glory that was supposed to go to her daughter. And yet she still agreed to be her chaperone? That’s something else.”
“This is exactly why having a female cousin of similar age is a headache. Can you imagine the comparisons?”
“Oh, and listen to this. According to this article, out of the fifteen suitors who visited Lady Eskis during the courtship season, three of them had previously danced the waltz and shared late-night snacks with Lady Wallace. If they hadn't switched their affections, Lady Wallace probably would’ve been ranked second this season.”
“Oh my, so even during the courtship season she lost out to her cousin? That daffodil of Wallace’s?”
“Well, what could she do? Her rival is the Swan of Clarence. Lady Wallace is certainly beautiful and well-mannered, but she just doesn’t compare to Lady Eskis.”
The noblewomen burst into gleeful laughter.
Their laughter even reached the nearby club, where a group of passionate young men were engaged in a heated discussion over the same topic.
On the table sat a newspaper with the headline.
<Severe Discrimination Within the Knights—Was the Commander’s Daughter Exempt from Suspicion All Along?>
The paper was known for publishing columns by prominent intellectuals.
“They were both summoned as witnesses. So why was Lady Wallace escorted so respectfully, while Lady Sharon was treated like a suspect?”
“Come on, do you really think an ordinary knight would dare to properly investigate the commander’s daughter? They probably just took her in, flustered and apologetic, let her sip some tea, and called it a day.”
Side-by-side on the front page were two photos:
—One of knights trailing close behind Letticia and her escorts, practically breathing down their necks.*
—The other of knights escorting Audrey like gentlemen at a formal ball.
The contrast enraged the young gentlemen.
The newspaper’s credibility and its loaded, accusatory headline only bolstered their belief that their outrage was justified.
At just the right moment—when the heated chatter had briefly died down—Count Austin Selburne, who had been waiting for the right time to fulfill a friend's request, spoke in a loud voice to the man next to him so that everyone nearby could hear.
“I’ve heard that the knights who visited Lady Sharon didn’t even allow her time to eat breakfast and forced her to appear immediately. They even went as far as to threaten arrest for obstructing justice if she delayed.”
“Is that really true, Count Selburne?”
At those words, everyone turned their heads toward the voice. Count Selburne, trying to maintain a calm composure despite his feigned outrage, nodded in affirmation.
“My friend is Lady Sharon’s cousin, after all. He told me he was present that day. He was so furious that he filed a formal complaint with the knights. Only then did the deputy commander finally contact him via telecomm—he scolded the knights and gave them new instructions.”
“Wait, the deputy commander? You mean Sir Achilles Averil? Didn’t something happen between him and Lady Sharon back during their Academy days?”
“Are you referring to that incident from a few years ago? But more importantly—are you seriously telling us they treated her like a criminal?”
“Yes. They even tried to prevent a young lady—who just recently came of age—from having breakfast. And she was summoned not as a suspect, but merely as a witness.”
“That’s outrageous!”
Twisting what Kenneth had told him just enough to stir emotions, Count Selburne got exactly the reaction he expected from the other gentlemen.
“Isn’t this an abuse of power? If they’re all nobles, the investigation should be fair. How can a knight act like this—giving special treatment to the commander’s daughter while treating others like criminals?”
“Especially when His Highness the Crown Prince personally appointed the deputy commander in charge of this investigation. Isn’t this practically deceiving His Highness?”
This club was known to gather politically unaffiliated young men who freely voiced their opinions—meaning, bold and extreme statements were often tossed around without restraint.
Having tossed in a piece of firewood and watched the flames catch on their own, Count Selburne silently rose from his seat and walked away, leaving the heated young men behind.
🍓; *Which is an expression meaning they were right on her heels, making her feel pressured or uncomfortable by how near they were.
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1 Comments
Laughing my ass off, such a gossip monger these people are. But it works for letty! Breakfast is very important everyone!!
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