Betrothed to My Sister's Ex

A garden bursting with colorful flowers in full bloom. Against the vivid green backdrop unique to summer, a fair-skinned beauty stands quietly.

Her long red hair is tied up beneath a hat. Though her height is about average for a man, the heels she wears make her appear tall enough to look up to. Her already long legs seem even longer, and her relatively small head appears distant.

Her attire resembles that of a knight, but it doesn’t seem to be traditional men’s clothing. The outfit is tailored to fit Marie Shadelan’s feminine figure — cinched where it should be, loose where there’s fullness, and designed with clever three-dimensional cuts to elegantly conceal the shoulders and neck that should appear dignified.

Thus, the androgynous beauty created through this disguise… ah, how to put it… what is the right word? A beauty? A handsome youth? Though dressed as a man, she doesn’t really look like one, yet she doesn’t quite seem to be the same gender as me either. How to describe her? I can only think to call her a “stunning person”!

As I gazed absentmindedly, Marie easily approached me. She took my hand and gently pulled me along.

“Lady Layla, those flowers have thorns. They won’t hurt you badly, but you might feel some pain.”

“Eh, y-yes… I’ll be careful.”

Though I obediently stepped away from the hedge, why does my chest feel like it’s been pricked by a thorn? Ah. Ah…

What is this feeling…? I don’t know what to do…

“Well then, I’ll show you around the mansion.”

Led by Marie, I followed silently like a ghost.

Along the way, Marie spoke to me about the garden.

It seems the splendor was deliberately designed. Not only were the combinations of potted plants arranged with care, but the height of the hedges and the distance to the gazebo were thoughtfully planned. They even crafted the soil to make the same flowers bloom more vividly — which was astonishing.

After explaining this to me, Marie introduced a gardener — a man who appeared to be a foreigner, perhaps. He wasn’t very friendly, but thanks to Marie mediating, I was able to ask a few questions.

With a lush beard and a brusque manner of speaking, he said,

“If you are interested in gardening, let me know. I can give you soil and fertilizer.”

But in truth, he seemed to be a kind man.

“Thank you very much, I’d love that!”

When I said this, his tanned face creased into a smile. Ah, when he smiles, his eyes are kind after all.

We returned from the garden to the corridor. Just as we entered the mansion’s entrance hall, I suddenly realized something.

…Huh? Didn’t I just thank the servants earlier?

Perhaps because Marie introduced the gardener so politely, as if he were a noble friend or family member…

Marie strode ahead briskly. Perhaps because of the disguise, her back looked sharp and dignified. I even felt a sense of reassurance.

After staring blankly for a while, I suddenly snapped to attention.

W-what? Why am I staring like this!?

She is a woman — no, more than that, she’s a rival to Lord Cyrus and a nuisance to my love. Yes, the one I like is Lord Cyrus…!

“This is the room where I’m currently staying. Please, come in.”

Marie opened the door, and I stepped inside. Wow… it’s quite a nice room, isn’t it? If I, living in the royal palace, think so, then surely any dignitary from any country would too. Spacious enough to be comfortable, with carpets and wall patterns that are not too flashy but still elegant, and furnishings that are clearly of the highest quality. It’s a lovely room designed with modern taste, without excessive decoration.

I nodded with satisfaction. Yes, with a room like this, there would be no problem marrying out from the royal palace. In fact, I would love to sit at that tea table right now and have a cup of tea.

Standing before me, Marie bowed.

“Lady Layla, today you are here to train as a lady’s maid, correct? I will show you how I spend my day and what I have my maid do.”

…Ah, that’s right. That was the setting I came with.