251
Just then, the music came to a stop. Among the people who stepped back and exchanged greetings, Letticia also took a step back, bowed her head politely, yet she continued to glare fiercely at Achilles.
"Sir Averil, if you're in your right mind, then say it again. Look me straight in the eye and tell me this, that my younger sister is so charming every man in the world is destined to fall in love with her, so even your own beloved, who loves you so dearly, would eventually leave you for her!"
Her voice was low enough that those around them couldn't hear, but Achilles clearly caught every word.
At that, Achilles's expression twisted as if he had only just realized what he had said. He shut his eyes tightly.
"…I admit I misspoke. I'm sorry."
"Do you realize that, because of what you just said, I could very well decide never to see Lady Averil again? You say you care about your sister, yet why would you say something that only drives a wedge between her and her friend? Did it not occur to you that such a thing might happen?"
"I… I didn't think of that at all. I never meant to insult Lady Sharon or Sir Bright. It's just… the thought of another man approaching Arie made me lose my composure…"
Achilles's apology was not one of empty words meant to smooth things over, but a genuine one. Seeing that, Letticia's anger subsided a little.
At least, she thought, he truly understood why she was upset, something worth being a little relieved about.
'After all, discipline only works on someone who's capable of listening.'
Since Achilles showed some promise of improvement, she allowed him to redeem himself enough to escort her again by offering his arm. Even so, Letticia still thought he had a long way to go, and stifled a sigh as she stepped off the dance floor.
But what awaited her outside was an even more ridiculous situation.
Because of Matthias's sudden request for a dance and his bold attempt at conversation, the number of eyes fixed on Ariette had increased to the point of making her uncomfortable. To shield her, the Duke stayed at her side, glaring back at anyone who stared too boldly.
Still, among the nobles approaching the Duke, there were some he could not easily avoid speaking with. And besides, he had no intention of letting Ariette leave just yet. She had promised Letticia that she would introduce her to the desserts prepared by the Duke's pâtissier, and she also wanted to have a word with Lenard.
In the end, Ariette told the Duke that she would remain with Ezkhiel, urging him to attend to his guests.
At first, the Duke nearly fainted at the thought of leaving his daughter alone with a man, but in the end, compelled by her insistence, he could do nothing but shoot Ezkhiel a sharp glare before reluctantly stepping away.
Of course, this was only because Ezkhiel was Letticia's lover. Had it been Lenard, the Duke would never have agreed.
"So, until Lady Sharon and Lord Sharon, along with Lady Eskis, are ready to go to the tea room, you'll remain here?"
"Yes! I really want them to try the Eastern-style chocolate cake our pâtissier made. They've always only had the tea foods and desserts Lady Sharon prepares at Faymont, so this time I wanted to treat them myself. Ah, but… Lord Sharon doesn't seem to eat much cake. What would be better to recommend instead?"
"These days, I hear he often eats Southern-style ice cream with coffee poured over it. They call it an affogato."
"Oh! My eldest brother enjoys that too. In that case, I'll have them prepare it."
When Ariette's face brightened, Ezkhiel felt a quiet sense of relief. He hadn't liked seeing her so unsettled earlier, thanks to Matthias's unexpected behavior.
'Why on earth is His Highness acting so rashly?'
No matter how stubborn the Duke of Averil and his sons were when it came to Ariette, they wouldn't have lost their reason to the point of openly defying the Crown Prince in front of so many people. Still, if Matthias's true intention had only been to secure uninterrupted conversation with Ariette, then he had succeeded.
The problem was, Ariette herself felt no favor from his actions, only discomfort and pressure.
Perhaps Matthias noticed this as well, for he began bringing up topics he thought she might enjoy, trying his best to suit her tastes. Yet Ariette only answered his questions politely; she never initiated, nor did she try to change the subject.
More than anything, the gaze of the nobles had shifted. As someone not yet debuted, Ariette should not have been the focus of attention. But Matthias had never shown such blatant interest in any other woman before, so now, everyone's eyes were fixed on her.
And Ariette, with all her might, struggled to hide her desire to escape it all.
'…At the very least, I should help keep the conversation going.'
Feeling guilty that he hadn't been able to stop Matthias's behavior, Ezkhiel made every effort to speak kindly and steadily with Ariette.
Fortunately, Letticia and Lenard were there as well, and simply talking about them kept the conversation flowing without pause.
"How did Lord Sharon and Sir Bright become friends, even though you were in different faculties at the Academy?"
"It began when we were assigned to the same group project across faculties."
"A group project! Oh, those always had such troublesome people. In my group, the presenter didn't even show up on the day of the presentation. It was a disaster."
"We had a few problems too, but thanks to Lenard leading our group well, we managed to finish without incident."
Ariette listened with bright, fascinated eyes as Ezkhiel recounted his school days. When he spoke of the first time he met Letticia at the Academy, she even clapped her hands lightly in admiration.
"So Lady Sharon has always been that bold since childhood!"
"Yes. Even as a freshman, she was outspoken, confident, and energetic in everything she did. When I saw her again five years later, she had hardly changed, so I recognized her right away."
Ezkhiel chuckled, recalling the way she had locked eyes with him at the Imperial Palace ball, silently pleading with him to ask her for a dance. Ariette laughed along with him, their shared amusement warming the moment.
"Your story together sounds just like a romance novel or a play. It's very romantic."
"I'm glad it comes across that way."
For Letticia, who was expected to live out a romance straight out of novels and plays, there could be no better compliment. She had often worried whether her relationship with Ezkhiel was truly the kind of romance the Sharon family needed her to have, but hearing Ariette's words eased her mind a little.
Ezkhiel let out a small sigh of relief. But then a shadow fell over him. The music hadn't ended yet, so he thought perhaps the Duke had returned, but when he lifted his gaze, his green eyes landed on a face he knew all too well, one tied to him by a bitter connection.
"…To be at Lady Sharon's side wasn't enough? You're now guarding Lady Averil as well? Just how many offerings did you make to the Goddess of Fortune to be blessed with such luck, Sir Bright?"
"…Did you also receive an invitation, Lord Jarvis?"
The moment Ezkhiel recognized the brilliant orange-golden hair, his mood plummeted. Since the day he and Letticia had announced their relationship during that fateful walk, he had not once come face to face with this man. Why was he speaking to him here, of all places?
"Our Istre territory lies in the East, just like Elrey. Naturally, we had to be invited. It seems you came in service of His Highness the Crown Prince… and that would explain why Lady Sharon is currently dancing with Sir Achilles, wouldn't it?"
Ezkhiel had no desire whatsoever to dignify Lucian Jarvis's taunting question with an answer. And Jarvis himself didn't seem to care whether he answered or not. Instead, he turned his head toward Ariette, offering her a faint smile before bowing slightly.
"I am Lucian Jarvis, heir of the Marquisate of Jarvis, which rules over Istre in the East. The Marquess himself is my father."
"Ah… so you are from the House of Jarvis. Then, what business do you have with me?"
Ariette's expression had darkened at Jarvis's attitude, and she looked bewildered when he suddenly addressed her directly. When she replied, Jarvis only grinned and flashed what he clearly believed to be his most charming smile.
"I came to offer my thanks to the pure freesia who bloomed within my heart, once desolate after the dazzling rose had withered and been trampled. Forgive my boldness for approaching you."
"Rose? Freesia?"
Completely dumbfounded by Jarvis's antics, Ezkhiel glanced at Ariette, who tilted her head in confusion, then asked.
"…Has it even been that long since the last season ended, and yet you're already courting another lady? Is your heart so shallow that it changes targets so easily?"
"The depth of love does not always correspond with the passage of time. To measure it that way is terribly unsophisticated."
"…I-I'm sorry, but I haven't even debuted yet."
Before Ezkhiel could say more, Ariette hurriedly blurted out a rejection. But such words weren't nearly enough to fend off someone like Jarvis.
"I'm well aware of the unfortunate rule in society that a young lady may only converse with those she has already been acquainted with prior to her debut. But since you and I have met once before, we can exchange our names here and properly introduce ourselves again."
"If you never exchanged names, then it cannot be called an acquaintance. You know that well, so why deliberately break the rule?"
Jarvis glared at Ezkhiel for his sharp rebuttal. But this time Ezkhiel met his gaze squarely, no longer looking away.
The memories of their bitter history no longer tormented him as they once had.
"Sir Bright, this is between the two of us. Or—don't tell me—you've taken a special interest in Lady Averil? Are you interfering simply because you can't stand the thought of her giving me attention?"
"No. My lover has no interest in any woman but me."
The voice that rang out from behind Jarvis made all three of them turn their heads at once.
Letticia had arrived with Achilles, and she was staring at Jarvis with an utterly exasperated expression.
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
0 Comments