Betrothed to My Sister's Ex

Tracing back my memories isn’t much of a burden.

Just half a day ago, last night, we were still out at sea.

“By dawn, we’ll finally arrive at the port of the Ipsandros Republic. It’s really just around the corner now,” Count Kyros Granado murmured, his black hair fluttering in the sea breeze. Holding down my red hair, I asked him beside me,

“Even in such darkness, Lord Cyrus, could you see the edge of the continent?”

“No, of course not. But I can tell by the smell of the tide and the dampness in the wind. It’s the intuition of a sailor.”

“Really? That’s amazing... I thought I had gotten used to sea travel, but I can’t sense anything like that. As expected of the master of the Granado trading company.”

I admired him sincerely, respecting Lord Cyrus deeply.

It had already been several months since we left our homeland, the Dirts Kingdom. First, we sailed west and arrived at Evergreen Island, Luhab Island. We stopped there to resupply, rest, and conduct some business talks. That island gave us precious experiences and wonderful encounters. With a trunk full of souvenirs and hearts full of memories, we set out to sea again—this time heading straight east toward the Ipsandros Republic.

The night sea breeze stung my cheeks, making my shoulders shiver.

“The wind is so cold... Ipsandros is a colder country than I expected.”

“Well, it’s the middle of winter.”

“Oh, right. Luhab must be especially warm. I’ve grown so accustomed to it that I completely forgot it’s winter now.”

Unlike the trade merchant Lord Cyrus, this was my first time traveling overseas. I still hadn’t gotten used to the fact that, at the same time on the same day, the seasons could be different in foreign lands.

“Winter in Ips is a whole different story from Luhab. There’s a lot of rain, and the wind is strong... but it’s still much warmer than Dirts. And since the wedding ceremony is mostly indoors, there’s no problem.”

Lord Cyrus spoke gently to reassure me.

Wedding ceremony—that word made me slowly lower my eyes and take a deep breath.

“…Finally… we can have our wedding ceremony.”

“Yes. We’re meeting the people arranging the ceremony at a hotel in the port town. Once we join up with them, we’ll head straight to the venue.”

Lord Cyrus said this, drawing me close and wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

“But we can’t have it right the next day. Ips’s wedding ceremonies have unique procedures that take several tens of days before the main event. Plus, there are lots of detailed rituals and preparations for items, so it’s quite busy. There won’t be much time for sightseeing.”

“Yeah… I understand. It can’t be helped. The most important thing is the ceremony—”

“We’ll do sightseeing right after arriving in the port town, before we meet with the people involved.”

Lord Cyrus immediately caught the curiosity I was desperately trying to suppress. I let out a loud cheer.

“Really? We can walk around the town?”

“Yes, I’ve arranged for the local staff of the Granado trading company to be our guards. There are plenty of sights just around the hotel. Even half a day will be enough to enjoy it.”

“Yay!”

I jumped up and hugged Lord Cyrus. Losing my balance, both feet lifted off the floor, and I dangled from him. He held my waist and spun me around like a dance.

“I’m glad you’re so happy.”

“I heard Ips has a huge bazaar, right? They say it’s the largest shopping street in the world.”

“Yes. I source goods there and place direct orders with craftsmen. I’ll buy souvenirs for everyone back at Granado Castle.”

“Ipsandros isn’t just famous for crafts but also for its gourmet cuisine. It’s blessed by nature, with a blend of Eastern and Western cultures that makes it sophisticated. I wonder if there’s anything we can bring back?”

“In that case, it’s baklava. That shocking sweetness isn’t something you can experience in Dirts.”

“Oh my... I wonder just how sweet it is. I’m so happy. I’m really looking forward to it—ah, of course, the wedding too!”