Betrothed to My Sister's Ex

November 22nd (Good Couple’s Day) – A Special Short Story.

(After posting this chapter, the story will return to its [Completed] status.)

I’ll update like this occasionally, so please drop by sometimes!

“My, Lord Cyrus, are you taking the whole day off today!?”

When I asked, Lord Cyrus smiled warmly and nodded.

“Yes. It’s been rare to have a full day off lately. I thought it was important for us to have some time alone together, so I arranged it.”

“Alone together? What about Mio and Wolfgang?”

“Both are out. Mio happens to have a day off, and Wolfgang is out on a business negotiation that doesn’t require me. Truly, today is just the two of us.”

He grabbed my shoulder and drew me close. His long fingers ran through my hair and lifted my chin. He kissed my eyes and cheeks, then whispered sweetly.

“So... today, I’ll let you do whatever you want, Marie.”

“Anything I want, really?”

He lightly kissed my questioning lips.

“Yes, anything you desire. Just the two of us, an adult time...”

“In that case—I want to play hide-and-seek!”

“Hm?”

Lord Cyrus dropped his shoulders with a chuckle.

Seeing his reaction, I realized I’d probably said something silly and hurriedly shook my head.

“I-I'm sorry, if you don’t like it, it’s fine.”

“…It’s not that I dislike it, but why hide-and-seek?”

“Well... I saw Ceri and Cedric and the others playing the other day... and, well, I was jealous...”

Saying it aloud made me genuinely embarrassed. I’m already an eighteen-year-old lady; I suppose it’s inappropriate to ask my fiancé to play children’s games on our day off. Besides, Lord Cyrus mentioned ‘adult time’ earlier—I wonder if he had something else in mind.

“Well, it’s fine to do whatever you want, Lord Cyrus. I just can’t think of anything else, so anything is fine.”

As I rambled on, his hand gently landed on my head. He stroked me once with his large hand and smiled.

“…So? Do you want to hide or seek, Marie?”

First, we confirmed the rules of hide-and-seek.

We decide who hides and who seeks—called the “child” and the “it.” The “it” covers their face to the bust of Siegfried, the hero and guardian deity of the Granado Family, and counts loudly to one hundred. Meanwhile, the “child” can hide anywhere within earshot. After counting, the “it” asks, “Ready or not?” The “child” responds, “Not yet!” or “Ready!” This exchange means both stay within a range where they can just barely hear each other.

After this, the “it” searches for the “child,” calls out their name when found, and touches their head. This means the “it” wins. If the “child” gives up, then they lose.

I hid first, and Lord Cyrus would seek. Later, we’d switch roles, with the one who hid longer winning.

“It’d be fun if there was a penalty for losing or a reward for winning. It makes the game more exciting.”

That suggestion came from Lord Cyrus. I agreed but couldn’t come up with any specific penalty or reward, so I groaned, thinking hard.

“How about the winner can make one request of the loser?”

“…That sounds good. Let’s do that.”

Lord Cyrus grinned mischievously.

“This Cyrus Granado is truly at your mercy.”

“One, two, three...”

I heard Lord Cyrus’s voice.

He was in the central part of the second floor of the Granado residence’s living quarters. The entire floor was a potential hiding place with many rooms and furnishings.

Yet I deliberately went into my own room, the one I always use. I slipped into my usual bed and surrounded myself with extra sheets to hide my body’s bulk.

I pulled the duvet tightly over my head... yes, from a glance I shouldn’t be visible.

“One hundred. Ready or not?”

Lord Cyrus’s voice came from afar. I shouted, “Ready!” and immediately ducked back under the duvet.

“Hehe...”

I chuckled quietly in the pitch dark.

—Just seconds later, the door loudly opened with a “clack.” Oh no, he’s already here!?

Lord Cyrus had started searching my room first. I couldn’t be found so quickly... I held my breath, staying under the covers.