MLIIWTFL Chapter 221

221

Ariette herself, despite still carrying the trauma from her former governess, was at least trying to move forward, yet it was the people around her who were holding her back.

And people with trauma tend to become highly defensive, so trying to persuade them with logic alone often backfires.

They’ll twist words, rationalize endlessly, and cling to their own views and no matter how sound your reasoning, they’ll refuse to admit they’re wrong.

That’s why the better approach is to appeal to their emotions. With that in mind, Letticia recalled a method of persuasion she once heard from Patrick.

'Father always said that when trying to persuade someone, the first thing is to get them to say 'yes.''

Once a person says 'yes' even once, their resistance tends to drop significantly, or so her father had said. He’d used that very approach to successfully persuade both her grandfather and uncle, so it had to be effective.

"Let’s just organize things first. Your Grace, Sirs, are you saying that you don’t want Lady Averil to attend the social season, so you're forbidding her from learning etiquette?"

"Regardless of whether she learns etiquette or not, she will not attend the capital's social scene."

"So, to sum it up, you don’t want her to get hurt in society. You're worried about her."

Letticia smiled gently, in a way that didn’t seem forced, and Achilles nodded.

"Exactly. As you know, status and family don’t always protect you in high society."

"Yes, you’re right. Both I and Lady Eskis are well aware of that."

"Then I’m sure you understand why we don’t want Arie to go."

"I understand. It’s clear that Your Grace and the Sirs care deeply for Lady Averil and are acting out of concern."

At those words, the duke and Achilles relaxed a bit. Even Alexander, though still somewhat wary, gave a slight nod.

But Ariette looked anxious, wondering if Letticia had genuinely taken their side. Seraphina, too, gave Letticia a puzzled glance at her sudden display of understanding for the duke's position.

Ignoring their looks, Letticia smiled brightly and clapped her hands.

"Then as long as she doesn’t attend the social season, there should be no problem with her learning etiquette, right? We have no intention of pushing her debut, so could you allow her to study it?"

"No, wait, that’s an entirely different matter! Why are you suddenly talking as if we’ve agreed?"

Achilles was flustered. Letticia tilted her head.

"But you just said you don’t want her to go to the social season. So if she learns etiquette but never debuts, isn’t everything resolved?"

"What’s the point of learning etiquette for society if she’s not going to be a part of it?"

"But she herself wants to learn, doesn’t she? Isn’t that enough of a reason? What more justification do you need beyond Lady Averil’s own desire?"

This time, Letticia firmly based her argument on Ariette’s personal will. Ariette nodded emphatically, while Alexander looked at her with a sorrowful expression.

"Arie, I understand that seeing Lady Eskis and Lady Sharon made you want to learn etiquette as well. But what pains us more is seeing you forced to do something you don’t want to, just because of our family. You don’t have to worry about any of that. Just live freely."

Seraphina’s voice turned cold.

"That’s a statement I can’t just let pass, Sir Averil."

Her emerald eyes, usually calm, now simmered with restrained anger.

"Are you telling your beloved younger sister to ignore the responsibilities that come with being a noble? Is that how you show your love?"

"What are you implying, Lady Eskis?"

Alexander’s expression turned icy.

Seraphina didn’t flinch. Her voice grew sharper, more deliberate.

"If one is born a noble, they have the duty to carry themselves with dignity and to set an example for those below them. That includes mastering all manners, whether for social gatherings, interactions with foreigners, or dealings with commoners. Every situation demands its own form of etiquette. And now you're saying she shouldn't learn those just because she won't be debuting? Are you saying you don’t want her to become a true noble?"

"It seems to me that you’re the one pushing your views on us. Isn’t it just as forceful to demand she learn things that aren’t necessary?"

"But Lady Averil herself agrees with what I’m saying. She wants to fulfill her responsibilities. Does that still sound like coercion to you?"

Seraphina looked to Ariette, who turned red and said, with a trembling voice as she glared at her brother.

"Lady Eskis is right, brother. I really want to learn proper etiquette so I can be someone I’m not ashamed of. It’s not like they forced me. I want this."

"Arie, you don’t have to force yourself to say that right now. If you're worried about the future, I’ll take care of it-"

Letticia suddenly cut him off, placing her teacup down and speaking flatly, her smile gone.

"Sir Averil, have you ever heard this saying?'When I do it, it’s romance. When others do it, it’s an affair.’ In short, double standards. But feel free to forget I said it."

"What exactly do you mean by that?"

"You say everything you do is out of love, to let Lady Averil live freely. But when we try to help her face reality, you call it forcing her to follow society’s injustices. I’ve been to many high society gatherings, but I’ve never seen anyone apply double standards quite like you do. For someone who barely participates in society, you’ve reached an impressive level."

At that moment, silence blanketed the entire drawing room.

The duke and his sons, Ariette, Seraphina, even the nearby staff, all stood frozen, staring at Letticia.

But Letticia, unbothered by the reaction her words caused, casually took another sip of tea and set the cup down.

Alexander’s expression twisted, turning red with embarrassment and anger.

"Do you realize you’ll have to take responsibility for what you just said?"

"I never say anything I can’t take responsibility for, my lord."

"Even if the House of Sharon receives a formal complaint because of what you said? You think you can keep that calm expression then?"

"Of course."

Letticia smiled sweetly as she shifted her gaze from Alexander to the Duke, and then to Achilles.

Though the initial shock was fading, anger now began to take root in their expressions. But Letticia had no intention of taking back her words.

"It’s not like I wanted to say that either. But the truth is, none of you have changed at all in the last five years, so I couldn’t help myself."

"What do you mean by that, Lady Sharon?" 

The Duke asked heavily. Letticia dropped her smile and looked him straight in the eye.

"Even five years ago, Lady Averil told all three of you multiple times that I hadn’t done anything wrong. She said it when Sir Achilles ran up to me and shook my shoulders, before the inquiry was even held, and again when she appeared on the day of the hearing. But all three of you brushed it off, saying there was no need to defend me, as if you didn’t hear her at all."

"That really happened?"

Seraphina looked back and forth between Ariette and the three men, visibly shocked. The duke’s face twisted as if recalling the moment, while Ariette lowered her head, biting her lip with an expression that looked on the verge of tears.

Achilles hung his head in anguish, and Alexander, lacking any retort, just glared at Letticia in silence.

"Still, I thought that maybe, after five years, things might have changed. But in the end, nothing has. If Lady Averil says something that doesn’t match your views, then you claim she’s lying to protect someone else. And if she wants to do something you don’t approve of, you insist she’s just sacrificing herself for the family."

"That’s going too far, Lady Sharon!"

Alexander raised his voice, but Letticia’s expression remained perfectly composed. Instead, Ariette, startled, grabbed his arm and pleaded with him.

"Brother, please stop! Don’t yell at Lady Sharon!"

"You don’t need to defend her, Arie. Lady Sharon, just what do you know about us to speak so rudely? Even if we’ve wronged Lady Averil, does that give you the right to judge us however you please? Are you really so arrogant as to think you understand everything?"

"You were the first to suggest that Lady Averil has been led astray by us. And if you truly love her, wouldn’t you let her do what she wants? She’s an adult now, yet her family is still deciding what she should learn, how can you call that a free life? Do you even realize how contradictory your words and actions are?"

"We’re only trying to protect her! That’s what family is, protecting those you love from harm!"

"She tries to tell you it’s not like that, but you won’t believe her. She says she wants to do something, but you tell her there’s no need. She says she wants to learn, but you say it’s unnecessary. That’s all I’ve seen, and you call that protection?"

Counting on her fingers as she spoke, Letticia finally looked up, her voice calm and her face serious, not a trace of a smile on her lips.

"Forgive me, but in society, that’s not called protection. That’s called control."

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