Betrothed to My Sister's Ex

This is the second chapter posted consecutively.

I just can’t accept it.

I absolutely cannot accept it.

“—I simply cannot accept this—!”

I screamed in a high-pitched voice.

Usually, at this point, Lord Ruifeng would appear and say something like, “What’s wrong, Reimia? Having a tantrum again?” while gently stroking my head to comfort me.

But today, there was no one there. The royal palace houses hundreds, even thousands of residents. Most of them should be slaves of the royal family or servants hired for wages, yet no one came to console me. The maids and footmen passed by, pretending not to hear my screams. None of them were of any use!

That only made me more frustrated, and I stomped my foot beneath my dress.

“—You too! Brother Ricky!”

I pointed my finger sharply, and the man trying to sneak by behind a pillar jumped so high both his feet left the ground.

Still, he didn’t speak, attempting to hide and avoid me. But his silver hair stuck out. There was no way he could escape my gaze. I lifted my skirt and strode toward him with big steps. The sound of my footsteps made Richard tremble even more.

“Eek, Reimia…”

“Brother Ricky! Where is Lord Ruifeng? I searched the entire palace, but he’s nowhere to be found!”

“Uh, well… he went somewhere last night… came back once around noon…”

“Last night!? On the night of my debut in society, he left me all alone to go somewhere? Why did he return at noon and then leave again? Why didn’t you stop him, Brother Ricky!?”

“I-I don’t knowoooooo~…!”

Richard finally clutched his head and bolted away. I wasn’t going to let him get away! I tackled him immediately and knocked him to the floor. I straddled his back to hold him down. That’s enough to immobilize my brother.

Of course, I would never win in a fair strength contest, but Brother Ricky can never defy me. Because—

“...Um, Lord Richard, Lady Reimia—”

“Kyaaah!”

Startled by the maid who spoke, my brother flailed. Worried he might faint, I scolded the maid.

“Are you new? Didn’t the Head Maid tell you not to speak to Brother Ricky?”

“Y-Yes, I-I'm sorry. But, um, I thought it was better to tell you both—”

“It’s not about being rude. If you have a message, go through me, and try not to be seen by Brother Ricky. He’s scared of women.”

“...Huh? Huh…?”

“Waaah…”

Underneath me, the second heir to the throne was crying.

…It’s pitiful, but it can’t be helped. Over half the attendants in the palace are women. This maid seems to have something to say, so I’ll listen for now.

“If it’s Lord Ruifeng, he’ll be staying at the knights’ fortress for a while. He has a lot of work piled up, and he says he can be more productive at his desk there than in his own room. If there’s a visitor or any business, the footmen were told to send a horse immediately.”

“Work…? Then where did he go last night, leaving me behind!?”

“I-I don’t know. Sorry.”

“Useless. You’re fired.”

Ignoring the maid’s scream, I stood up and started walking briskly. Brother followed behind, half-scared out of his wits. He muttered in a tiny voice, “Please don’t leave me alone with the maid…”

Richard is afraid of all women, but since I’m family and ten years younger, he can manage to talk to me.

Once we were away from the women, he finally straightened his back.

“Stop worrying about Ruifeng. He’s a disgrace to the royal family.”

“If I had another brother to rely on, I’d say the same.”

That sarcasm didn’t seem to register with him.

Still following me, Richard’s voice got a little louder.

“The only good thing about him is his face. He wormed his way into the favor of a powerful noblewoman and tied a cheap bond. Other than that, he’s just the incompetent third son playing servant for the knights order.”

“...If you weren’t afraid of women, Brother Ricky, wouldn’t Lord Ruifeng’s job be only knight commander?”

“I’m not scared of women! I just hate them!”

Right, right, it’s just that he fainted at meeting his fiancée for the first time and the arranged marriage got canceled because it was too much even for an arranged marriage.