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"Now that I think about it, Lady Sharon, you said you mainly enjoy modern literature, so I suppose you're not very interested in works or myths from before the modern era?"
"I did memorize what we learned in the academy, but honestly, I didn't find them that fun, so I never read any of those books."
"Then, what I brought might be of some help to you."
Seraphina's maid placed a stack of more than ten sheets of paper on the table. Letticia turned over the first page and skimmed the elegant handwriting, and gasped in surprise.
"A goddess who gives off the scent of apples? There's a story like that?"
"It's from an ancient myth. The goddess who owned the garden of golden apples was said to emanate the scent of those apples. Intruders who snuck into the garden were so enchanted by the fragrance that they even lost the will to steal them."
"A scent so alluring it overcomes greed… that's the perfect line for an advertisement."
All of the other writings were also stories involving fruits. A queen whose body exuded the scent of peaches because she ate them so often, a fairy maiden born from a lemon, and so on. Letticia looked over the collection of tales with admiration and praised Seraphina.
"You researched all of this yourself? That's amazing, my lady!"
"I'm glad if it was helpful. I thought that if people are to receive fruit-based perfumes positively, it might be effective to reference myths, legends, or even biblical stories."
"It's incredibly helpful. If we turn some of these into scripts and perform them as plays, we could draw even more attention to fruit perfumes. Maybe I should ask Dolores about it next time…"
She would be meeting the March Blossoms friends soon anyway. If she proposed both an investment and a collaboration at that time, any uneasiness about Letticia excluding them would surely disappear.
"For now, I only looked into myths and legends, but next time I'll research history and literature as well. If I find anything new, I should share it with Lady Hailey and Lady Averil at the next meeting."
"In that case, should I officially give you the position of cultural advisor? You'd be perfect for it."
"A… position? Are you asking me to take an official role in your business?"
Seraphina's slender eyebrows furrowed slightly. It seemed that Letticia had accidentally touched a nerve tied to the old nobility's belief that earning money was a vulgar pursuit.
"I only offered a bit of advice for the sake of your business's success. If I were to hold an official position and participate in business matters, it would damage not only my own reputation but also the honor of House Eskis."
"That's why I said you should just take on the role of advisor. To the old nobles, people like me and Dayna are merely merchant daughters, and Lady Averil hasn't even debuted yet. So the one they'd consider most cultured and well-versed in noble society would be you, Lady Eskis."
As Letticia smoothly countered, Seraphina fell silent, looking troubled. And truthfully, Letticia wasn't entirely wrong.
Back in Emperor Michael's era, some landless old noble families had earned wealth by investing in or advising on business ventures. Those families had secretly banded together to spread the belief that "investment and consultation do not count as manual labor and therefore do not tarnish a noble's dignity."
People in the western regions mocked such reasoning as ridiculous, but in the capital, that logic had become something of common sense, a fact Seraphina had come to learn during the last social season.
So, if she had no intention of returning to the West, there was no real issue with accepting Letticia's offer according to the capital's standards.
"Just like last time with that talk about titles, you always make such shocking proposals, Lady Sharon."
"Well, the differences between the capital and the western regions are huge. It's bound to sound shocking. Speaking of which, how did things go with that title discussion? Did you talk to your father about it?"
"…He said that if I fail to become the crown princess but still truly wish to remain in the capital, he'll consider it."
This time, it was Letticia's turn to be surprised. Marquess of Wade had told her that the Marquess of Eskis was an inflexible man, so she had expected persuading him to be a difficult ordeal.
"That's unexpected. You said there aren't any suitable families left in the capital for you to marry into, didn't you?"
"It appears he has yet to find a suitable match even in the western region. Therefore, he said that if I cannot become the crown princess, it would be preferable to bestow a title upon me and bring in a son-in-law from among the western nobility who are not heirs."
"…Well, it's good that the list of potential candidates has grown."
It seemed that, in the end, lineage was still a condition that couldn't be excluded. Still, since her father was open to granting her a title, Seraphina finally had new options to consider, and that brought Letticia some relief.
"Then even if you don't become the crown princess, there won't be any western noble who'd refuse a marriage proposal from House Eskis. Experiencing a bit of business won't cause any scandal. So, if the Marquess gives his permission, would you take on the advisor role?"
"…I'll think about it."
After giving a noncommittal answer, Seraphina fell silent for a moment, as if gathering her thoughts, before speaking again.
"Speaking of which, since you mentioned Lady Averil earlier, I wanted to tell you that her enthusiasm is far greater than I expected. She writes down and memorizes everything I say, comes prepared with dozens of questions for each lesson, and even organizes etiquette by situation separately."
"And how are her results? Does she understand things well?"
"Yes. Once I explain why certain behaviors are expected, she understands and memorizes them quickly. It'll take more time for her to perfect her posture and bearing, but I believe I can at least make sure she avoids any major blunders."
Seraphina's answer gave Letticia a small sense of relief. Even if Ariette failed to make her debut in the autumn season, it seemed she would at least have the ability to avoid the malicious traps laid by the socialites.
***
A few weeks passed after Countess Freke had mentioned she would soon invite Letticia to a dinner party.
Letticia, accompanying her parents, visited the Freke mansion once again. They were warmly received by the Countess and guided to the drawing room, where they were introduced to the guests who had arrived earlier.
"It's a pleasure to see you again, Lady Sharon. I believe the last time was at the imperial ball?"
"It's been a while, Countess Blois. I was really disappointed we only exchanged brief greetings back then, so I'm truly glad to see you again like this."
After greeting the familiar Countess Blois, Letticia was introduced to the other guests, an elderly retired navy colonel and a well-known merchant, both of whom had been waiting to meet her.
As she continued exchanging pleasantries with the rest of the guests, the Count and Countess Freke entered the room with the final guest of the evening.
"Our last guest of the night, Sir Alexander Averil, has arrived."
At that announcement, the air in the drawing room froze for a brief moment.
Everyone's attention subtly turned toward Patrick, though they tried to appear casual about it. Patrick, maintaining a composed expression, rose from his seat and walked over to shake Alexander's hand.
"So we meet here after all. I heard you've been quite busy lately, have you been keeping your health?"
"Thanks to your concern, I've been doing well. I actually came hoping to enjoy some of the Costoso wine that the Count is said to keep in his collection. Is that what brings you here as well?"
"I came to visit the Count for a friendly game of cards, it's been a while. If you don't mind, why don't you join us and show off your skills?"
"As long as you don't mind losing a little, I'd be happy to join."
It was a performance that Patrick and Alexander had coordinated in advance, with Countess Freke serving as the buffer between them.
The atmosphere, tense from the rumors of the Duke's outrageous scandal that had made the papers, eased somewhat as the two men conversed naturally, as if there had never been any discord between them.
Since Patrick was clearly the lead actor in today's little play, Letticia focused on enjoying the dinner served alongside Camilla instead.
Still, even a supporting role had its own duties to fulfill. She couldn't completely avoid conversation with Alexander, and during their small talk, when Ariette's name came up, Alexander turned to Letticia with his usual mild smile.
"Now that we've mentioned it, I should thank you again, Lady Sharon. Thanks to you, Lady Eskis, and Lady Hailey helping my sister prepare for her debut, a great burden has been lifted from my shoulders."
"Oh my, Lady Sharon is helping Lady Averil with her debut?"
Countess Blois exclaimed in surprise, and Alexander nodded without hesitation.
"Yes. My sister was invited to Lady Sharon's social circle, and through that connection, she's been receiving help. Not only that, but they've even begun working together on a business project, and Ariette has been learning a great deal from it."
"A business project, you say? What kind of business are you working on, Lady Sharon?"
The merchant asked quickly, curiosity gleaming in his eyes. Letticia responded with a bright smile.
"We're developing a line of perfumes. We're also planning a collaboration with Sharon Jewelry, so if you're interested, please send a letter to House Sharon. We'll soon be looking for investors."
"Perfume created by the Queen of Flowers herself, I can't wait to see what it'll be like."
"Indeed, they say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. It seems Lady Sharon has inherited her family's business talent as well."
A few words of praise for Letticia followed before Alexander spoke again in his polite, composed tone.
"We're also preparing so that Ariette can make her debut in the autumn season, so I'll be counting on your continued support. Countess Freke has kindly agreed to serve as her chaperone, but a debutante needs the guidance of friends her own age just as much as a chaperone's wisdom."
"…A friend making her debut, of course I'll help. Don't worry, Sir Averil."
It had only been a week since Ariette began her lessons, yet everyone already seemed to be treating her debut as a foregone conclusion.
As Letticia swirled her wine glass, pretending to inspect its color, she glanced at Alexander over the rim, wondering what exactly he was thinking. On his face was the same composed, pleasant smile as always, so perfectly unbothered that it was almost irritating.
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