“Leticia?”
“Yes?”
At that moment, Collen turned his gaze towards me.
“You don’t look well. What’s wrong?”
“Uh… I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?”
Collen immediately suspected Count Gallian.
“Did you say something offensive to my daughter, causing her discomfort?”
Count Gallian’s face turned pale.
“Ahem. It’s been a while, Your Grace. I was just thinking of giving a gift to Lady.”
Collen tilted his head slightly, maintaining his smiling face.
“What are you saying?”
“Well, you see, isn’t Lady only twelve years old? In the southern regions, at that age… I thought it would be nice for my son and Lady to get to know each other in advance.”
Why would it matter if someone is twelve in the southern regions? And why is he suddenly talking about his son?
“Why should they get to know each other?”
Ah, he’s starting to twist his words. Collen seems really angry now.
“We only value noble feelings. Family background and dowries are secondary concerns.”
“…”
“Actually, Lady doesn’t even need a dowry of that sort! How about this condition? If Your Grace could resolve the anger towards our family, then we would be open to anything…”
Collen’s mouth twitched slightly.
“Ah, so you mean we should proceed with a marriage proposal between your son and my daughter to reconcile and restore the relationship between our families?”
“We don’t expect that much, but if Your Grace is willing!”
Count Gallian’s eyes sparkled completely.
Oh, what a fool. Even now, he’s not denying that intention but rather affirming it. I started to think Count Gallian was pathetic.
“If I recall correctly, your less competent son got divorced last year, didn’t he? It seems his attitude towards women was the issue.”
“But he’s still young! And he deeply regrets it. Besides, he’s only twenty-two now.”
Collen smiled like an angel. And he started emitting an aura of confidence.
“Yes, Your Grace?”
Count Gallian’s face turned red and then pale. He even started fidgeting with his hands.
‘What’s with this guy? Why is he getting so excited and then suddenly deflating? Is he hot-tempered or something?’
I wondered if this man was drunk. Collen slowly turned his head, still smiling, and looked at me.
“Leticia.”
“Yes, Dad?”
“You asked earlier about noble etiquette.”
“Yes.”
“Well, it’s best to learn practical things through experience.”
Collen handed me the wine glass he was holding. Huh? Am I supposed to drink it?
“Pour it,” Collen said it in a kind manner.
…Yes?
“Pour it on his head. When you hear nonsense, this is how nobility handles it. Go ahead.”
I looked at the glass in my hand.
“Your Grace, what are you saying?”
“Oh dear, my mistake.”
At that moment, someone appeared behind Count Gallian. Wine was poured over Count Gallian’s head.
In an instant, Count Gallian’s forehead became visible. Wine trickled down from his forehead to his mustache like broth.
‘Is it Marianne?’
Marianne stood there, holding an overturned wine glass.
“Sorry for interrupting the child’s education. I’m short-tempered. Besides, I’ve been drinking more lately, and my hands shake occasionally.”
Marianne smiled, reminiscent of Collen.
Marianne, you’ve been drinking more than just lately…
That was my immediate thought.
‘But it feels refreshing.’
Is it okay for me to feel this way? It seems like my trembling has calmed down a bit.
“I can be like that sometimes. Please understand,” Marianne said casually.
“W-We greet the Saintess,” the people around Count Gallian quickly stood up from their seats.
“W-What is this behavior! It’s a sincere conversation among people.”
Count Gallian spoke with wine dripping from him.
“A sincere conversation? Is it sincere to arrange a match between a simple-minded twenty-two-year-old man and our baby?”
Marianne snorted.
“Oh well, let’s consider it a blessing. How great is it to have the Saintess poured free wine? Instead of being grateful and enjoying it, isn’t this guy crazy?”
Marianne effortlessly turned Count Gallian into a crazy person.
“I see, you’re really shameless. Not even able to say thank you,” Collen added.
The logic of these siblings had already transcended logic.
“You could have died, you know,” Collen muttered. I totally agree with that.
“I-I…”
Oh, I see! It’s a blessing! Thank you. There’s nothing I can say. The Count was taken aback.
“If you act like this, what can the Lady learn from you? Ha, I’m really speechless.”
“Excuse me.”
I raised my head and said.
“I’m learning very well. At least I’m not stealing!”
“…”
“…”
The people at the Southern Gathering looked at us with their mouths wide open. Eventually, Count Gallian stood up defiantly.
“I won’t forgive this rudeness under any circumstances.”
“That’s right. And don’t try to forgive yourself in the corner. If I notice you again, I won’t just let it go.”
Collen smirked.
“You shouldn’t take my warning lightly.”
That was truly something only mey Dad could say.
“Leticia?”
“Yes?”
At that moment, Collen turned his gaze towards me.
“You don’t look well. What’s wrong?”
“Uh… I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?”
Collen immediately suspected Count Gallian.
“Did you say something offensive to my daughter, causing her discomfort?”
Count Gallian’s face turned pale.
“Ahem. It’s been a while, Your Grace. I was just thinking of giving a gift to Lady.”
Collen tilted his head slightly, maintaining his smiling face.
“What are you saying?”
“Well, you see, isn’t Lady only twelve years old? In the southern regions, at that age… I thought it would be nice for my son and Lady to get to know each other in advance.”
Why would it matter if someone is twelve in the southern regions? And why is he suddenly talking about his son?
“Why should they get to know each other?”
Ah, he’s starting to twist his words. Collen seems really angry now.
“We only value noble feelings. Family background and dowries are secondary concerns.”
“…”
“Actually, Lady doesn’t even need a dowry of that sort! How about this condition? If Your Grace could resolve the anger towards our family, then we would be open to anything…”
Collen’s mouth twitched slightly.
“Ah, so you mean we should proceed with a marriage proposal between your son and my daughter to reconcile and restore the relationship between our families?”
“We don’t expect that much, but if Your Grace is willing!”
Count Gallian’s eyes sparkled completely.
Oh, what a fool. Even now, he’s not denying that intention but rather affirming it. I started to think Count Gallian was pathetic.
“If I recall correctly, your less competent son got divorced last year, didn’t he? It seems his attitude towards women was the issue.”
“But he’s still young! And he deeply regrets it. Besides, he’s only twenty-two now.”
Collen smiled like an angel. And he started emitting an aura of confidence.
“Yes, Your Grace?”
Count Gallian’s face turned red and then pale. He even started fidgeting with his hands.
‘What’s with this guy? Why is he getting so excited and then suddenly deflating? Is he hot-tempered or something?’
I wondered if this man was drunk. Collen slowly turned his head, still smiling, and looked at me.
“Leticia.”
“Yes, Dad?”
“You asked earlier about noble etiquette.”
“Yes.”
“Well, it’s best to learn practical things through experience.”
Collen handed me the wine glass he was holding. Huh? Am I supposed to drink it?
“Pour it,” Collen said it in a kind manner.
…Yes?
“Pour it on his head. When you hear nonsense, this is how nobility handles it. Go ahead.”
I looked at the glass in my hand.
“Your Grace, what are you saying?”
“Oh dear, my mistake.”
At that moment, someone appeared behind Count Gallian. Wine was poured over Count Gallian’s head.
In an instant, Count Gallian’s forehead became visible. Wine trickled down from his forehead to his mustache like broth.
‘Is it Marianne?’
Marianne stood there, holding an overturned wine glass.
“Sorry for interrupting the child’s education. I’m short-tempered. Besides, I’ve been drinking more lately, and my hands shake occasionally.”
Marianne smiled, reminiscent of Collen.
Marianne, you’ve been drinking more than just lately…
That was my immediate thought.
‘But it feels refreshing.’
Is it okay for me to feel this way? It seems like my trembling has calmed down a bit.
“I can be like that sometimes. Please understand,” Marianne said casually.
“W-We greet the Saintess,” the people around Count Gallian quickly stood up from their seats.
“W-What is this behavior! It’s a sincere conversation among people.”
Count Gallian spoke with wine dripping from him.
“A sincere conversation? Is it sincere to arrange a match between a simple-minded twenty-two-year-old man and our baby?”
Marianne snorted.
“Oh well, let’s consider it a blessing. How great is it to have the Saintess poured free wine? Instead of being grateful and enjoying it, isn’t this guy crazy?”
Marianne effortlessly turned Count Gallian into a crazy person.
“I see, you’re really shameless. Not even able to say thank you,” Collen added.
The logic of these siblings had already transcended logic.
“You could have died, you know,” Collen muttered. I totally agree with that.
“I-I…”
Oh, I see! It’s a blessing! Thank you. There’s nothing I can say. The Count was taken aback.
“If you act like this, what can the Lady learn from you? Ha, I’m really speechless.”
“Excuse me.”
I raised my head and said.
“I’m learning very well. At least I’m not stealing!”
“…”
“…”
The people at the Southern Gathering looked at us with their mouths wide open. Eventually, Count Gallian stood up defiantly.
“I won’t forgive this rudeness under any circumstances.”
“That’s right. And don’t try to forgive yourself in the corner. If I notice you again, I won’t just let it go.”
Collen smirked.
“You shouldn’t take my warning lightly.”
That was truly something only mey Dad could say.
