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When the formal dinner concluded, the women moved to the drawing room, leaving the men behind to enjoy their drinks.
As they sipped tea and coffee, they chatted lightly about the latest plays worth watching and what might be fashionable that autumn. When the men eventually joined them after finishing their drinks, Countess Freke clapped her hands as if she had been waiting for this moment.
"It's not every day we have Lady Sharon as our guest. Wouldn't it be disappointing if we didn't ask her to sing for us? Letticia, if you don't mind, would you sit at the piano, it was tuned just this morning, and treat us to a song and perhaps a bit of piano music?"
"That's a splendid idea, Countess. I never thought I'd get the chance to hear the lady sing again after her recital."
Everyone agreed enthusiastically with the Countess and turned to Letticia with expectant smiles. Letticia, who genuinely enjoyed singing, gladly took her seat at the piano and began to play while singing.
She performed two songs that were currently popular, one after the other. When she finished, the Count requested a classical sonatina. As Letticia began to play it, a few people started drifting into their own conversations, as they usually did whenever there was an instrumental piece instead of singing.
'Feels like I've turned into some kind of music box... Honestly, why do they have cameras and communication tubes, but still no record players?'
She grumbled inwardly, but continued to play diligently. Even if no one seemed to be listening, slacking off during her performance would only lead to gossip later, and that was the last thing she wanted.
So when she finished playing and was taking a short break, she was surprised to see Countess Freke approach the piano. For a moment, Letticia wondered if she had made a mistake during her performance.
"That was wonderful, Letticia. I'm sorry my husband requested such a dull piece."
"It's all right, Countess. I practice that one often, so it wasn't too difficult. And it's good to play in front of others now and then, keeps me from getting rusty."
"You always know how to speak so pleasantly. That's why it's such a shame, really. When you were little, I used to think that once Alexander grew up, I would introduce you two."
At those words, Letticia felt a chill run down her spine. Come to think of it, Camilla had once mentioned that Countess Freke was the one who arranged the meeting between Duke Averil and Camilla.
"Oh dear, that was a thoughtless thing to say. I only meant that I've always thought highly of you, so don't take it the wrong way. Alexander went through a lot because of his father. I just wanted to see him end up with a good match if possible."
Fortunately, the Countess didn't seem particularly sentimental about it, she laughed lightly and glanced toward Alexander. He sat among those preparing for a game of cards, dealing hands with Patrick, not showing the slightest sign of drunkenness.
"He first learned to drink and play cards a little over a year after entering the Academy. Since his father was away from the capital, he had to act as host to all the guests who sent invitations to the heir at that age."
"They offered alcohol to someone who wasn't even of age yet?"
"In the capital, people were always ready to twist Alexander's strengths into flaws if they could. If he showed even the tiniest weakness, they'd mock him for it. So, to leave no openings, he had to step into the adult world earlier than most. But even then, Albert didn't bother coming to the capital, said he had to raise Ariette instead."
Perhaps because of the wine, a tinge of lament crept into the Countess's tone. She even began referring to the Duke by name.
Thankfully, everyone else seemed too occupied with chatting or playing cards to pay any attention to their conversation.
"And now that Ariette's entering that same world, I can't help but worry. No matter how much you and Lady Eskis look after her, it won't be easy. I never imagined she'd want to make her debut as soon as this autumn... If Violet were still here to see it, no matter how taken she was with Albert's face, she wouldn't have let this one slide."
At the Countess's words, Letticia almost dropped her hands from the piano keys. Taken with his face?
"D-Did… did the Duchess marry the Duke because she was charmed by his looks?"
"Not entirely because of that, of course. But she did say that whenever she was angry, Albert's face would sometimes make her calm down. When he acted rudely toward Camilla, I told her I would've thrown him straight out of the house if I'd been in her place, no matter how handsome he was."
Letticia stole a glance at Alexander, imagining him saying the kind of rude things his father supposedly had.
By the time she mentally replayed two lines of that imagined scene, the version of herself in her mind had already picked up her chair and smashed it over his head.
"There's a limit to how much someone's looks can make up for their behavior. How could anyone forgive that kind of crap just because of a face?"
Letticia might've been particular about appearances, but when someone's character was rotten, even the most handsome face made her want to stop seeing them as human altogether.
The fact that the Duchess had put up with that, Letticia couldn't decide if she was incredibly tolerant or simply oblivious.
"The Duchess must have been very weak to handsome faces."
"Don't even get me started. She was furious when Albert made that poor guard run laps around the training ground just for having a friendly chat with Violet, yet the moment Albert put on that pitiful, rain-soaked puppy look, all her anger just melted away and she let it slide."
The Countess sighed, shaking her head. Letticia looked up at her, pretending to flip through sheet music as if searching for the next piece, though in truth she was waiting for her to go on.
"Well, I suppose that's why she managed to live with Albert at all. She was so sharp and decisive in every other matter, I could never understand why she had to go soft then. No matter how good-looking a man is, you get tired of his face after ten years."
"I've heard that Lady Averil resembles the Duchess a lot, but from what you're saying, their personalities sound completely different."
"Oh, the resemblance is only in appearance. Their temperaments couldn't be more opposite. Ariette actually takes after Albert much more. If anyone inherited Violet's nature, it's Achilles."*
The words were so unexpected that Letticia just stared blankly at the Countess.
That impulsive and hot-tempered Achilles resembled the Duchess? Letticia thought even discovering that a cat was actually a dog would have been less shocking.
"…What kind of person was the Duchess, exactly? Was she fiery and full of energy?"
"Oh, she was very strong-willed and bold. She might've looked delicate on the outside, but even before she met Albert, she was the type who would say whatever needed to be said, even to nobles. She never backed down, not even to those who tried to bully her, and would carry herself with such confidence that it made her opponents even angrier."
"That's… not what I imagined. I thought she left the capital because she couldn't stand the hostility of the social scene there."
Letticia had assumed that the Duke's outrageous behavior must have created enemies, and that after suffering from all the stress, the Duchess had retreated to the eastern province. But if she truly had a personality similar to Achilles's, then she wouldn't have left, she would have endured and held her ground no matter what.
"Of course, Violet did go through her share of stress. Still, she tried to expand her circle gradually, mostly by befriending newly risen nobles and semi-noble families, the ones less hostile to her. She even said that since she'd have to fight against the Duke's family's disapproval no matter where she was, she might as well establish her footing in the capital first."
Countess Freke's explanation cleared up Letticia's question, though, once again, it was an answer she hadn't expected.
"But then the previous Duke died suddenly, and Albert had to return east to take over as head of the family. If that hadn't happened, I think they would've stayed in the capital much longer."
"That's… really impressive. It couldn't have been easy."
Letticia couldn't help but feel admiration for the Duchess's determination as described by the Countess.
Holding one's ground among people who dislike you and still managing to establish your place, that was no small feat. And to think she had borne the criticism meant for her husband as well, all because she loved him enough to endure such hardship, that was astonishing in its own way.
"Albert was simply too impatient, Violet's family hadn't even received their title yet, and he was already insisting on marriage. If only he'd waited a little longer… their children wouldn't have had to suffer under the weight of what should have been their parents' burden."
The Countess went on, her gaze drifted once more toward Alexander, eyes filled with a gentle pity, the kind one would give to a child who'd had it rough.
Letticia felt strangely awkward at that. She had never imagined anyone would look at Alexander with pity.
"I know it's asking a lot of you, but… if those children ever face criticism because of Violet, would you stand by them, Letticia? I could understand if Albert were being blamed for his own actions, but to condemn his children for something their parents did before they were even born, that's too cruel, isn't it?"
"…Please don't worry, Countess. I dislike people who judge others for their parents' sins, too."
"You're such a good girl, Letticia. I'm so grateful that you're Ariette's friend."
The Countess smiled with genuine relief, and Letticia smiled back politely, though her heart felt heavier than before. To hide the turmoil brewing inside her, she opened the sheet music to a new piece.
It was a sentimental nocturne,not one of her favorites, but given her current mood, even a bright and lively folk song would've sounded like a gloomy funeral march anyway. So this was probably the better choice.
'Does the Countess really have no idea how Alexander and Achilles have treated Ariette?'
Judging from Countess Freke's tone, she seemed completely unaware that Alexander had been against Ariette spending time with them in the first place.
And since she apparently had no intention of stopping Ariette's debut either, it meant Letticia had no choice but to raise Ariette's skills to debut-level before autumn arrived.
As she thought that, Letticia suddenly felt an intense urge, to grab a fistful of that glittering silver hair of Alexander's and yank it right out.
🍓; *Ariette and Violet might look similar, but Ariette's behavior and personality are the exact opposite of Violet's.
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