MLIIWTFL Chapter 243

243

The Duchess of Dinever, despite being regarded as the matriarch of high society, was not someone who frequently hosted social gatherings.

Even in her younger days, when she had just debuted and soon married the Duke, she quickly took on the role of a hostess. But unlike the Countess of Freke, who often held grand balls and large-scale tea parties, the Duchess preferred gatherings centered on discussions of culture and the arts.

For that reason, young nobles found the Countess of Freke approachable and longed for her invitations, whereas the Duchess of Dinever's gatherings felt more like a trial to endure, unless one was truly confident in their own refinement and education.

However, a personal invitation from the Duchess was another matter entirely.

Because of her deep interest in the arts, the Duchess had a discerning eye and was a patron to countless artists, from rising talents to those considered masters. In an aristocratic society that measured dignity by one's appreciation of culture and the arts, this was an immense strength. It was why, despite only hosting small, intellectual gatherings, the Duchess of Dinever's influence never fell behind that of the Countess of Freke, who threw lavish parties.

So, when Letticia received an invitation from the Duchess for tea, Dayna was both surprised and envious.

"The Duchess rarely invites unmarried debutantes. What on earth did you do, some kind of magic?"

"Well… maybe she just liked the fruit éclairs."

Letticia brushed it off lightly with a guess, reluctant to reveal the true reason. But since the Countess of Freke had also invited Letticia to her banquet, Dayna concluded on her own that the leading ladies of society were recognizing Letticia's worth.

"If possible, it would be good to be introduced to some of the Duchess's artistic connections as well. But that'll take more time. For now, what matters most is making sure she sees you as someone worth engaging with."

"I'm not really that interested in art unless it matches my taste."

"That's fine. You'd be surprised, many of those with firm opinions on art are actually desperate to talk about it but often have no one to listen. All you need to do is act amazed, as if you're seeing a whole new world, every time they introduce something."

Dayna's advice, drawn from her experience helping with her family's business and attending various gatherings, was practical and something Letticia thought worth remembering.

Unfortunately, she didn't get the chance to use it this time.

When she arrived, she was immediately shown into the Duchess's drawing room, where the Duchess was already waiting. The éclairs Letticia had brought as a gift were swiftly placed on a plate and served at the table.

"I've heard young people these days enjoy flavored teas. Do you as well?"

"Yes, I do. But when I eat these éclairs, I prefer plain black tea with just a bit of milk. The fruit flavor is already quite strong, so if the tea has a strong aroma too, they don't really go well together."

"In that case, Ridere would be the best choice."

As the Duchess carefully prepared the tea, the maids quietly withdrew from the room.

Normally, hosts would spend a few minutes making small talk about the weather, recent events, or the arts before moving on to more serious topics. But the Duchess's deliberate dismissal of the attendants and clear intention to speak privately put Letticia on edge.

The Duchess, however, spoke bluntly.

"First, have some tea. You went through the trouble of bringing this tea food at my request, so it's better to enjoy it before we get into heavier matters."

"I was just about to drink before the tea got cold anyway."

Grateful that the Duchess was at least giving her time to enjoy a sip of tea and an éclair, Letticia didn't refuse and picked up her fork.

Her manner wasn't rude, but it was bold enough that the Duchess gave her a surprised look, as though caught off guard.

"…Camilla really did give birth to a daughter who resembles me. Most young debutantes either freeze up or make mistakes as soon as they stand before me."

"Well, I've seen you since I was little, so I know that as long as I behave properly, you're someone who shows generosity. Besides, I've always been a little fearless."

"True enough. That kind of courage must be what let you dare to ask me about the late Empress."

When Letticia smiled mischievously, the Duchess's stern frown softened just a little. The heavy subject matter made the atmosphere rigid, but the tension eased somewhat.

"Before I begin, let me ask you, how much have you heard from Camilla?"

"My mother told me that the year she debuted was also the year Her Majesty, the late Empress, made her debut. Though they sometimes chose two 'Diamonds' in a season, that year only the late Empress was chosen. My mother was given the nickname 'Ruby' instead. That's about all I know, the bare facts."

Letticia answered carefully, and the Duchess pressed further.

"Then, in your opinion, why do you think only Her Majesty the late Empress was chosen as the Diamond?"

"My mother said she believed it was to strengthen the Crown Princess's position even from her debut, since she was already set to marry the Crown Prince. I think that makes sense too."

"Yes. That was indeed the reason. But sadly, it had the opposite effect."

Regret flickered across the Duchess's lined face. Realizing that the real conversation was about to begin, Letticia set down her fork and straightened her posture.

"Why did the Imperial Family go that far? They could have simply made both my mother and the Empress Diamonds."

"At the time, the political situation was unstable. The Great Emperor was ailing in his final years, and His Majesty had only just come of age. Many of the old nobility supported the Emperor's nephew, Duke Leopold, who was second in line for succession. The Imperial Family had no choice but to strengthen the Crown Prince's standing in every way possible. Duke Leopold opposed the Great Emperor's reforms."

Emperor Michael the Great had been a bold reformer. He encouraged commerce and expanded trade, while restraining the old nobility through policies that strengthened imperial authority.

Though noble privileges were officially abolished, many still lingered by custom. It was under the Great Emperor that these remnants were thoroughly rooted out. The private armies of capital nobles were disbanded, and provincial nobles were limited to small knightly retinues.

In addition, the Great Emperor had granted noble titles to wealthy commoners, introduced civil service examinations to open paths for lesser nobles and provincial families, and strengthened the authority of knightly orders and the courts under the banner of the rule of law.

But even the Great Emperor's reforms would fail if there was no successor to carry them on. And unfortunately for Michael the Great, his heir was born only after his third marriage, when he was already past fifty.

"No ruler wants his political rival to inherit the throne. Imagine spending a lifetime reshaping the world, only to see it all undone, what sovereign would want his life's work denied like that?"

"So His Majesty hoped that the Crown Princess would establish her position in society, win over the nobles, and support the Crown Prince. But by then Duke Leopold's faction must have been powerful, so to help the late Empress start from a stronger position, he made her the sole Diamond of the season."

"You're quick to grasp things. It saves me the trouble of lengthy explanations."

But that imperial scheme fell apart from the very start with Camilla's debut. Every noble in high society bristled at the idea that the eldest daughter of the Great Noble of the West, who had graduated from Phileas Academy's Department of Liberal Arts, was denied the Diamond title purely for political reasons.

'At least Mother didn't marry into Duke Leopold's faction. For the Imperial Family, it must have been a relief. Supporting her marriage to Father and drawing him into their camp was the next best thing.'

Shaking her head slightly at the thought, Letticia speared a lemon éclair, her favorite flavor, and asked.

"Then what did Her Majesty, the late Empress, think of the Imperial Family's decision? Was she happy at all to be the sole Diamond?"

"Do you think she would have been?"

At the Duchess's counter-question, Letticia paused to consider before shaking her head. Unless Empress Emilia had been brimming with arrogance, there was no way she wouldn't have thought about how people would perceive her being chosen alone over Camilla.

"Her Majesty was not a social woman. Accustomed to the northern culture, she struggled to adapt to the capital's ways, and she found it difficult to hide her feelings or speak in roundabout ways. When the Great Emperor summoned her before the season began and told her she would be the sole Diamond, she was so distressed she couldn't sleep for nights and even had nightmares about ruining her debut."

The Duchess gazed down at her teacup with an expression full of pity. The face reflected in the tea was her own, but her eyes were surely seeing someone else.

"And on the day of the audience ceremony, upon seeing Camilla, Her Majesty begged the Great Emperor, saying that no one would accept her being the only one chosen as a Diamond, and that Camilla should be named a Diamond as well."

"But the Great Emperor ignored her? Why?"

The Duchess spoke with not a trace of reverence toward the royal family.

"He expected Her Majesty to overshadow Camilla. Even when the Empress of the time and everyone else involved in selecting the Diamonds opposed him, he forced it through. Everyone but the Emperor himself knew it was impossible, yet he stubbornly refused to yield."

Letticia let out a helpless laugh. That the Diamond selection, something that left no one satisfied and no one happy, was born of the Emperor's obstinacy over succession worries was simply absurd.

'So it wasn't that Mother was unjustly robbed… it was that she became the shield of an old man losing his grip on reason.'

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