Betrothed to My Sister's Ex

Lately, I’ve been troubled.

“Well then, Marie, I’m heading out. I’ll be going a bit farther today, so I think I’ll be back the day after tomorrow.”

When I said that, she smiled gently. There was no sign of sulking or sadness.

She simply nodded and bowed politely.

“Please take care, Lord Cyrus. Don’t overexert yourself.”

Her soft farewell was as comforting as it could be—but—

“You could at least act a little lonely, you know.”

Just to try, I said that. She looked surprised for a moment, but then her brows furrowed. Her cheeks faintly flushed as she whispered shyly...

“I do feel lonely, you know. Please come back soon.”

“Ahh!”

I roared. Startled by the sudden shout, Marie trembled and reflexively tried to run away. I grabbed her wrist, pulled her close, and embraced her.

“L-Lord Cyrus.”

“I’ll be back as soon as I can! Wait for me, Marie—I’ll bring you lots of souvenirs!”

When I said that, Marie smiled shyly... but then her expression changed.

“Um, no souvenirs are necessary.”

“Don’t hold back. The meeting place is a town famous for wooden incense carvings. You can get something from their specialties… maybe a cute animal statue or something.”

“A statue!?”

Marie’s expression genuinely darkened.

She slipped out of my embrace and stepped back... huh?

“S-Sorry, really, no souvenirs are needed! More importantly, please be safe and avoid any accidents. Please come back healthy, Lord Cyrus.”

She said this and quickly hurried back into the mansion, almost as if escaping…

...Hmm...

“Are you troubled, master?”

A voice spoke immediately. It was, of course, the usual expressionless maid. She had somehow gotten behind me—but as usual, I didn’t mind and muttered.

“Lately, Marie doesn’t seem happy with the gifts I give her.”

“She’s always been rather indifferent to material things. I don’t think she’s ever asked for anything.”

“Even so, she used to brighten up when I handed her something... But earlier, it felt different from just being polite.”

Mio neither denied nor agreed. She tilted her head slightly.

“True, it felt like she was firmly telling you not to buy anything unnecessary. As a member of the Granado Family, perhaps Lady Marie frowns upon your frivolous spending?”

“Our finances aren’t in a state that would cause concern. I could commission life-sized statues of all the servants and line them up in the garden.”

“Please don’t, that’s creepy.”

Despite her precise retort, Mio still seemed unsettled.

“Well, Lady Marie probably understands that much. Even if she doesn’t like the item, I believe she would smile and accept it, saying ‘I appreciate the sentiment.’ I too feel something has changed.”

“Maybe she’s actually developed desires for things, so her tastes have started to diverge.”

“That would indeed be a wonderful thing.”

Mio answered immediately, and I nodded in agreement.

Having likes and dislikes—that’s exactly the healthy mental state we’ve been hoping for. It’s unhealthy if she always says, ‘It’s an honor no matter what you do, I don’t deserve it.’ I want Marie to become even more spoiled.

“If she openly requested things, I’d even buy her a gemstone mine or a castle.”

“If she were the kind of woman who’d be pleased by that, it would be easy. But I don’t think those are what Lady Marie desires. We should once again investigate her preferences.”

“...Anyway, I’m heading out to work now. If you notice anything while I’m gone, please tell me.”

“Understood. Please take care and have a safe trip.”

I turned my back to Mio, who bowed, and climbed into the carriage.

While looking over the meeting materials in my seat, Marie was constantly on the edge of my mind. But no matter how much I thought alone, it wouldn’t get anywhere.

—The best way to understand Marie’s feelings is to have Mio investigate. She notices things well, is the same gender, and is around more often than I am. It’s better to let the snake guide the snake than for a dull person like me to awkwardly intervene.