MLIIWTFL Chapter 248

248

"The His Highness contacted you directly through your private communicator, Arie. I only went to ask what happened because I needed to understand the situation."

"I already explained everything. Sir Bright only did me a favor at my request."

"For someone like Sir Averil, it wouldn't be difficult to request an audience with His Highness. Wouldn't it have been better to just ask him directly?"

When Letticia asked with a slightly sharp tone, Alexander immediately dropped his smile and replied.

"Of course, the petition for an audience was approved. However, since it wasn't for official matters, my turn was pushed back. Waiting for it would have been too late to resolve Arie's issue."

"I understand why you'd seek Sir Bright instead of waiting for the official route, considering how busy His Highness is. But no matter how well Sir Bright may know His Highness's intentions, he can never be more accurate than hearing it directly from His Highness himself. If you want an answer that truly satisfies you, I recommend asking him directly."

"I would, if I could. But His Highness is so busy that even arranging an unofficial audience is no easy task. It doesn't always go the way I'd like."

Lenard spoke politely yet firmly, but Alexander's expression remained unchanged.

Sensing the atmosphere beginning to sour, Ariette quickly set her teacup down and raised her voice to change the subject.

"Um, you'll both be attending the ball this year, right? Especially since Lady Sharon is making her debut."

"Of course. The two of us must attend together. Will the Lady also be showing her face at the ball this year?"

"Yes. Now that I'm of age, I've been told I can attend evening banquets even late at night."

Lenard played along with Ariette's attempt to lighten the mood. Letticia also realized that locking horns with Alexander wouldn't solve anything, so she shifted her gaze away from him and joined the new conversation.

"My brother's birthday cake will be prepared by the patissier at our capital residence. His skills may not match Faymont's, but he's still very good. He makes Eastern-style chocolate cake especially well."

"Eastern-style chocolate cake? That's the one with apricot jam under the chocolate glaze, isn't it? Does Sir Averil like chocolate?"

"No, in our family, no matter whose birthday it is, we always prepare Eastern-style chocolate cake. It's Arie's favorite."

"But it's your birthday, Sir Averil. Shouldn't you be having the cake you like most?"

"My favorite is opera cake, but it has coffee in it, which doesn't suit Arie's taste."

At his matter-of-fact reply, Letticia gave Alexander a questioning look. He didn't seem to find it strange at all to have a cake catered to his younger sister even on his own birthday. Assuming Letticia was concerned about something else, he explained further.

"That doesn't mean Arie's birthday is treated like any other day. On that day, we specially commission a grand five-tier chocolate cake with elaborate chocolate decorations from a master artisan."

"…Come to think of it, I heard they hold a festival in Elrey for Lady Averil's birthday. Don't you spend your birthday in your domain?"

"I don't have a festival for my birthday. I'll be celebrating the day in the capital, of course. I'll visit later on, but not on the actual day."

"They hold a festival for the Lady's birthday, but not for the heir's?"

There was a trace of incredulity in Lenard's tone. Letticia silently agreed with him.

In any noble household, the child who received the greatest honor and recognition was always the heir who would succeed the family. No matter how much a lord might dote on another child, it would break all order if they were favored more than the heir.

That was why, in the Sharon Count's household, Lenard's birthday was celebrated with a banquet second only to Patrick's and Camilla's. Even the Empress herself would attend on that day, offering him congratulations and gifts, and staying for hours to cement his standing in society.*

For that reason, celebrating the youngest daughter Ariette's birthday in a grander fashion than the heir Alexander's was something that defied the very logic of noble society.

"Brother, that's why I told them not to go overboard with my birthday. If they celebrate mine bigger than Father's or yours, of course people will find it strange…"

"But you know none of us really care about birthdays. Then isn't it only right to pour our efforts into the birthday of someone who does?"

"Still, if the three of you hardly celebrate yours while Lady Averil gets a festival for hers, won't that make things uncomfortable for her?"

"That could never be."

Alexander cut off Letticia's words. Surprised that she might have struck a nerve, she frowned. But Alexander only turned to Ariette with an even softer expression than usual, taking her hand in his.

"Not just us, everyone in our domain rejoices in Arie's birth. How could she ever dislike that? My lady, surely you don't feel discomfort when reminded of how much you're loved?"

"…If it felt excessive compared to others, I think I would."

"Excessive, hm? That word doesn't apply to our Arie. She is our family's treasure, our land's blessing. No matter how much she receives, it will never be too much."

"O-Oh, Brother…"

Startled, Ariette called out, but Alexander only tightened his grip on her hand, still wearing that gentle expression, and rose from his seat.

"It seems it's time for us to go. Thank you for the delightful tea, Lord Sharon, Lady Sharon."

"…I hope the time you spent here was satisfactory, Sir Averil."

Letticia somehow managed to keep her voice even as she offered parting words.

But the moment she heard that the two had left the reception room and their carriage had departed from the house, she threw aside all pretense of composure and ran to Lenard.

"Brother, did you see that? What was with him? Why the sudden smile, like he had ten snakes writhing in his gut?"

"You must've struck some kind of nerve… But honestly, that family is so strange that I can't even guess what the problem might have been."

"Well, the way they treat birthdays is already ridiculous. Instead of putting the same care into the Duke's or the heir's birthday, they pour everything into celebrating the youngest daughter's? If they're not careful, people will start spreading rumors that the Duke plans to make her heir instead of the eldest son."

If this were any other household, one might have thought the Duke was deliberately raising Ariette to counterbalance Alexander, setting her up as a rival. But the Averil Ducal House was truly obsessed with Ariette. They weren't scheming, just indulging in sheer daughter-obsession.

Even so, Lenard stared for a long while at the spot where Alexander had been sitting, as if something still didn't sit right with him.

"This is ridiculous. If it were me, I could never just let it go. Sure, you contribute plenty to your house, but I am the heir. How could I stand by and watch my position be threatened?"

"At the very least, we have no intention of threatening you, so don't worry about that, Brother. But you're right, it is strange. Sir Averil was also raised and educated as the heir, wasn't he? Then why does he just go along with all this? Even the birthday cake, he chooses what his sister likes over his own preference. That's not even celebrating his birthday properly. I would hate that."

"…Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if Sir Averil harbored resentment deep down."

At Lenard's words, spoken as he sipped his now-lukewarm coffee, Letticia froze and looked at him.

"Harbor resentment? Sir Averil?"

"I'm not saying for certain. But it wouldn't be strange, would it? Of course, it's possible that he has extraordinary tolerance, at least when it comes to his sister, and truly doesn't mind that she's loved and favored more than he is. Still, favoritism is favoritism. And in families where favoritism runs strong, I've rarely seen the overlooked child grow up without resentment. Especially if that child is the heir being overlooked."

"But look at how he acts. He's the kind of man who caused such a fuss just because she went to buy jewels and happened to be alone with you, brother. He's so crazy about his sister—how could he resent her being loved?"

"That's why I don't know. Maybe the Duke reassured him that his position as heir is unshakable? Or maybe… he simply doesn't see his sister as a rival at all."

It was such a brutally realistic interpretation that Letticia hadn't even considered it. And it was also an interpretation that outright denied the idea of "a doting family showering the heroine with unconditional love."

But no, they really do love Ariette. Even if it's mostly obsession, it's still love. So why would resentment exist?

In the typical "sister-obsessed" stories, the brothers would treat any favoritism shown to their sister as natural, if anything, they'd be frustrated that they couldn't shower her with even more. They might demand more affection for themselves in exchange, but at its root, everything was still based on love.

Yet when Letticia recalled the expression Alexander had worn earlier, she couldn't dismiss her brother's interpretation.

That expression had carried the weight of someone who silenced dissent through sheer intimidation.

'…The original story wasn't supposed to be a dark, twisted one. So how much of this can I really trust?'

The "hidden sinister settings not revealed in the original" was a common cliché in reincarnation stories. But thinking that far would only lead her down an endless rabbit hole, so she forced herself not to dwell on it.

Still, now that her knowledge of the original story had reached its limits, she needed an interpretation outside its bounds.

'I suppose I'll have to talk to those people myself at the banquet.'

🍓; Lenard's birthday banquet was the third most important, after Patrick's and Camilla's.