Betrothed to My Sister's Ex

Early morning.

"These are the visitors scheduled for today. Please make sure to treat everyone with respect."

At the gate of Granado Castle, I was reading out the day's business announcements.

Listening solemnly was the young gatekeeper, Thomas.

I thought it was unusual that he wasn't yawning… but then—

"Achoo!"

Suddenly, he sneezed, scattering air and saliva around.

…Good grief.

I continued speaking.

"¡Dios te bendiga. …It seems a troublesome cold has been going around the royal capital lately. As autumn deepens and the mornings grow colder, please take care of your health."

Just as I turned on my heel to go have my master’s cloak tailored, I felt a hand grab my shoulder.

Thomas, sniffling, asked,

"Lady Mio, what was that just now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, suddenly saying 'God bless you' like that. Are you really that religious? And why in Sphainese?"

I was silent for a few seconds. Thomas usually makes a face like he’s waiting to be scolded in such moments, but this time he simply looked puzzled. Honestly, I was genuinely surprised.

"It’s a kind expression of sympathy for someone who sneezes… more like a customary greeting. Since your native language is Sphainese, I followed that custom. Didn’t Luhab have such a tradition?"

"An expression in response to sneezing? Why would you say something like that?"

When asked again, I could only fall silent for a moment. Why… why was that? It’s simply cultural custom. It’s a phrase to show concern for someone’s health, but even when using pepper, not necessarily due to illness, people use these set phrases. I wasn’t actually worried about Thomas.

"I’m not sure of the origin, but such exchanges happen worldwide, not just in Dilz. I’m more surprised that Luhab doesn’t have it. Even if a neighbor sneezes, do you say nothing?"

"Hmm, not really anything fixed… at least, my parents never taught me anything, and I don’t remember anyone saying anything to me."

He answered, tilting his head.

I narrowed my eyes.

"Even if it’s Luhab Island, you came to this Dilz Royal Capital almost three years ago, right? Living together in the castle, you must have heard about it."

"Well, I never really paid attention. I don’t catch colds much myself."

"…I see. Somehow, that sounds about right."

I accepted it frankly.

Thomas’s hometown, Luhab Island, was long occupied by Sphain, so not only the language but also some culture was influenced by Sphain. However, there was no formal language education, and many customs probably didn’t transmit fully.

That was that. But the voice after sneezing is also a matter of social manners.

As gatekeeper of Granado Castle, welcoming guests, maybe Thomas should know about this.

"Then please learn it now. Though it varies by country, when someone sneezes, you’re expected to say something. By the way, when someone says it to you, replying with a simple ‘Thank you’ is fine."

"Oh? So places like Flaria, Ipsandros, and Shaina too?"

"Right. In Flaria, they say ‘À vos souhaits’ (meaning ‘may your wishes come true’). In Ips, it’s ‘Çok yaşa’ (‘live long’). In parts of Shaina, they say ‘大吉利是’ (‘may good fortune come your way’). On the northeastern island nation, they say ‘bless you’—meaning God’s blessing, close to Sphainese."

"I see… Then what about Dilz?"

"In Dilz—"

Just as I started to answer, my nose suddenly tingled with that ticklish itch.

If it were just dust in my nose, I might have held it back. But a shiver ran deep through my skin from within. Unable to resist, I arched backward,

"Achoo!"

Thomas blinked his tawny eyes.

He must have thought I was doing a demonstration or something, hesitating for a moment before seeing me shiver, clutching my shoulder. Suddenly, he exclaimed,

"Lady Mio! Gesundheit?"

That night, I developed a fever.

I felt my whole body warmly flushed, like after a bath, and it wasn’t so uncomfortable, but… when the doctor touched my forehead, he let out a slight scream.

"A terrible fever. This year’s cold is characterized by very high fevers. Please rest slowly, keeping your head cool."