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The Baroness let out a shrill scream at the eldest son’s declaration.
"David, what are you talking about?! Even if it’s about Ezkhiel, you’ve always been our proud son. Don’t tell me, did Ezkhiel threaten you or something? That vile, ungrateful wretch!"
"Mother, you raised Ez yourself. How could you not know him by now? No, the truth is, you two never truly tried to understand us. All that ever mattered to you was whether we met your expectations. You never cared about what we liked, or what we wanted."
To the former Baron and Baroness, their children were nothing more than heirs to carry on the Bright family name. That’s all. And because of that, the children knew better than anyone how to strike back at them most effectively.
"I played along with your wishes while you were alive. But now, I’ll live how I want. Whether I marry into a new noble family who only wants my bloodline and turn House Bright into a neutral faction, or I sell off the whole estate and erase the name 'House Bright' altogether, one thing’s for sure: I won’t keep the family going the way you want. So get used to it."
"David!"
"You can’t do this! You can’t destroy our house, our legacy!"
The former Baron banged on the carriage door, his face contorted like he could hardly breathe. Having lived his whole life for the sole purpose of passing on the family to the next generation, nothing could’ve hit him harder than hearing his heir say he’d end it all.
But David merely turned his head after calmly studying their reactions. The former Baron realized then, his son truly meant what he said.
"I… I’ve wasted my life. If I had known it would turn out like this, I should’ve disowned you all and passed the title to one of those detestable cousins!"
Ignoring his father’s lament, David turned to his younger brother and asked.
"Ez, we’re about to depart. Is there anything else you want to say before we go?"
Ezkhiel paused, glancing at the former Baroness who was now crying in shock, and softly called out to her.
"Mother."
The former Baroness, sobbing, immediately looked up at the sound of her son’s voice, hope flickering in her eyes, as though thinking he might change his mind.
"You once told me that no woman would ever look twice at me if I didn’t enjoy meat dishes and alcohol, if I disliked hunting and gambling, or if I couldn’t play sports."
"Yes! I taught you that, didn’t I? And even though you never followed what I said, I never gave up on you, not even once!"
The former Baroness nodded fervently, clinging to the last sliver of hope. But Ezkhiel hadn’t spoken out of gratitude.
"But Letticia… she knew I liked sweet desserts and tea, and didn’t care at all. She said I didn’t need to hunt or gamble. And whether I was good at sports or not, it didn’t matter to her."
"T-that can’t be true! She must be lying to you to get you to marry her. That’s the only explanation!"
"Letticia doesn’t have any reason to do that. She’s not that kind of person. She simply… likes me for who I am. That’s just the kind of person she is."
Ezkhiel shook his head. The former Baroness, dumbfounded, glared at her son as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
"Why are you even telling me this? Are you trying to say I was wrong? Do you feel better if you insist that you’re right?"
"…I wonder. Why, indeed."
Within his heart, the younger version of Ezkhiel was still protesting to his mother. Saying he wanted to eat cookies. That he liked the scent of tea. That he didn’t want her to deny who he was.
But the adult Ezkhiel knew the truth. No matter how much he tried to plead, his mother was never going to change her mind. There was no point in speaking to her at all, it wouldn’t make a difference.
So then, why was he still saying these things?
"Maybe… I just wanted to prove to myself that I could finally say it to you."
And the moment he said those words, Ezkhiel felt it. He had finally freed himself from the chains his mother had placed on him. The lifelong belief that 'someone like me could never be loved.'
He still thought Letticia was too good for him. But now, he no longer believed that receiving her affection was beyond his worth.
With that clarity, Ezkhiel stepped back with a lightened heart. David, who had been quietly watching, smiled and signaled to the coachman.
The carriage began to move. They could hear the former Baron and Baroness yelling something behind them. But Ezkhiel didn’t look back.
***
Letticia went to see Ezkhiel the day after the succession ceremony.
On the evening of the ceremony itself, Ezkhiel had to stay behind with David to sort through the barony estate, which had just changed hands. Letticia, too, was busy meeting people and discussing the orphanage issue with her fellow performers from the concert.
"So, were the two of you able to get through it all safely?"
"Yes. Thanks to you, Letty, borrowing guards and maids… and the dresses and wine as well."
The most important part of the plan to have the former Baroness carry out the succession ceremony on behalf of her ailing husband was keeping her appeased until the day of the event.
That’s why Letticia agreed to only the requests that could be solved with money. Even then, she frequently excused herself by saying she had no authority in the family or that her mother wouldn't allow it, reducing the number of demands as much as possible.
In the end, all the former Baroness managed to get from Letticia was.
One off-the-rack dress
A supply of top-quality wine to serve to the guests
A few maids and guards to escort her to the villa.
However, the number of attendants Letticia provided was far fewer than the former Baroness had wanted, and they were only assigned to escort the former Baron couple to their destination, then return immediately afterward.
"Let me know the cost of the dress and wine later. I’ll send you the payment."
"That’s okay. I received a pretty hefty compensation from Count Wallace recently, so it’s more than enough to cover it."
Letticia said it lightly with a joking tone, but Ezkhiel frowned and took her hand.
"Just like with Bathurst, I really don’t understand why everyone keeps bothering Letty. She hasn’t done anything wrong."
"In noble society or the social scene, just standing out makes you a target. Still, it’s fine as long as you win in the end."
"But still, it’s better not to go through these things at all."
"That’s true."
Letticia wasn’t someone who feared conflict. But that didn’t mean she enjoyed picking fights just to gain an advantage.
Besides, this time had been particularly unpleasant. She had nearly been summoned as a suspect by the knights, and even had to spread scandalous rumors that felt straight out of a trashy novel, just to strike back.
"Well, let’s just say it served as a warning. A reminder of what happens when people try to mess with me. In noble society, you can’t let them see you as easy prey."
Letticia smiled and laced her fingers with Ezkhiel’s. She thought that gesture would reassure him.
But unfortunately, the next topic wasn’t any lighter.
"Then Letty… can you tell me now? Why did you make that request to His Highness the Crown Prince?"
Letticia looked away briefly, as if she’d been expecting this. Her family had already scolded her about it before she even saw Ezekiel.
***
"You asked His Highness the Crown Prince to leave a written document granting you the right to make a request? Why would you ask such a thing?"
Patrick rarely gets angry, so even though his question was calm, there was still an inescapable pressure to it.
Kenneth, who stood nearby, was barely resisting the urge to clutch the back of his neck in frustration,
while Camilla and Lenard were letting out sighs, seemingly stunned by Letticia’s boldness, simply waiting for her reply.
"His Highness the Crown Prince made a rare offer,
but nothing came to mind at the time. That’s why I planned to make a request later."
"That itself isn’t the issue. The problem is why you specifically asked for it to be put in writing."
Every word spoken by a royal carries a weight that cannot be compared to that of a mere noble. All the more so when it comes from the Crown Prince.
Because of that, it's uncommon to ask for those words to be documented as proof. After all, there are attendants and aides who serve as witnesses.
Faced with Patrick’s point, Letticia was at a loss for how to explain herself. In the original story, Matthias never went back on his word, but when someone’s consumed by love, you never know what kind of irrationality they’re capable of.
‘Like when I asked him to let Ez resign… He could suddenly act like he never said such a thing.’
So she had thought that, just in case, she might be able to use the document to appeal to the Empress or the Emperor. But if she explained it like that, it would inevitably lead to the question of why she didn’t trust Matthias.
"…His Highness the Crown Prince dislikes both me and my family. I just wanted to have a safeguard in place, in case something happened."
In the end, Letticia spoke only a half-truth. That was the most she could reveal for now. She couldn't outright say it was because she had absolutely no faith in Matthias’s character.
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1 Comments
finally, and may they never be seen again
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