Betrothed to My Sister's Ex

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“R-Reimia—”

“Brother Richard! Brother Richard! Ruifeng! Brother Richard! How could you be here in a place like this? This is terrible, just terrible! What on earth were you doing!?”

“Huh? What’s wrong? I just got here.”

Mylene had already pulled away, pretending to be a stranger. Apologizing with a playful tone, she descended to the salon. Meanwhile, my sister clung to my jacket, completely indifferent to Princess Flaria.

“Why didn’t you help me? I was in trouble, clearly in trouble!”

“I don’t know. I just arrived. What trouble were you in?”

“It’s social debut! I heard that once you enter society, you get to eat delicious food, drink, sing, dance, and have fun—so why? Why are there so many men gathered, all pestering me to remember their names? Why? Why should I, Reimia, remember the names of ugly old men I don’t even know? I’m not interested! Not interested at all!”

Her screaming caused several men downstairs to lose their enthusiasm and quietly leave.

I watched them off with half-closed eyes and gave my sister a gentle pat on the head.

“Listen, Reimia. All nobles in this country debut into society at sixteen.”

“I know that!”

“The purpose of society events is… well, many things, but the big one is meeting people—especially between men and women.”

“I know that!”

“So, little sister, for a high-ranking and cute girl like you, it’s only natural to be targeted. Everyone wants to make an impression early and, if possible, secure an engagement today.”

“I know that!”

“…If you understood all that, then why are you making such a fuss?”

“I told you, I will only marry Lord Cyrus!”

Her scream was so intense it made my eardrums tingle. I blinked in surprise. My sister’s brows were knit, her face flushed—oh, she’s serious. I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.

“Cyrus won’t come. He just got engaged to the baron’s daughter from the Shadelan Family.”

“An engagement, yes, but not marriage yet.”

“Don’t be unreasonable. An engagement is, as the word says, just a promise—”

“That promise can be broken anytime. After all, Brother Ruifeng, you’ve broken off engagements with many women several times.”

That left me speechless.

Well, that’s because… originally, I hadn’t even met or felt any romantic feelings for her. Both sides had their own calculations…

Taking my silence as consent, my sister grew even more passionate, her blue eyes sparkling.

“I understand that to Lord Cyrus, I am just Ruifeng’s little sister… which is understandable since the last time we met, I was still a child.”

“You still don’t look like an adult woman. In fact, your behavior is even more childish than your actual age.”

“But I’m already sixteen. Though there’s an age gap, it’s not an impossible one.”

“Well, you’re not that different from Marie, so I suppose that’s true.”

“I’ve become a respectable adult woman, no less than anyone standing beside me.”

“That’s not about age—it’s about what’s inside.”

“I’ve grown beautifully, both in body and soul!”

“Besides, Cyrus probably prefers women with bigger breasts.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem! Yet… before I even reached my marriageable age, he’s engaged to the baron’s daughter! Why couldn’t he wait just a little longer? Brother Richard, you told Lord Cyrus how I feel about him, didn’t you!?”

Reimia lightly punched my chest.

…Hmm, as usual, she doesn’t listen.

I smiled wryly and scratched my cheek.

Though far from a refined lady, she was my adorable little sister. Noisy but affectionate, with a straightforward personality unlike my other siblings, she was easy to get along with.

Objectively speaking, she wasn’t unattractive. Unlike me, she was small with a round face and had a charming, almost animal-like appeal. For Lord Cyrus, she was a different type from Marie, but not completely out of the question. The age difference wasn’t that big either.