Betrothed to My Sister's Ex

“—So, you’re saying all of them are bedridden with hangovers? How pathetic! Adults getting drunk without knowing their limits, shame on you!”

Father, Baron Chadelan, said this in an unnecessarily loud voice.

The reason for his loudness was because he was sitting quite far away—just barely inside the shop. The traveling merchant didn’t even realize he was with Father.

The reason? He had our beloved stray cat, Zutaburo, on his lap.

In Ipsandros, stray cats roamed the town freely, and even in luxury hotels, they were allowed to roam. But since we were traveling, there was no guarantee we could reunite if Zutaburo got lost. Also, if he mixed with other cats or got injured in a fight... Father firmly refused to let go of Zutaburo. As a result, he kept carrying the cat everywhere.

While soothing Zutaburo to prevent him from jumping on the food at the table, Father puffed out his chest and spoke proudly.

“Well, the count isn’t a pure Dilz person. We Dilz have been lifelong friends with wine and beer; we are made to be strong drinkers. There’s no way we’d lose a drinking contest to the people from the East. Ha ha ha.”

...Father, wasn’t it often you at the Chadelan Family who would end up passed out drunk?

Come to think of it, Mother, who drank about as much, always seemed perfectly fine. Looks like I inherited her constitution.

“...Why is that old man acting so high and mighty...”

Ms. Kaede retorted, her voice still faint but clearly sobering up a lot. She looked pale and glared at me with resentment.

“It wasn’t really a contest anyway. Ugh... Kioin Kaede, what a lifelong blunder...”

Saying just that, she collapsed face-first onto the table. I moved to her table and gently stroked her curled-up back.

“Just a little longer. I’m sure the room will be ready soon.”

“Yeah... but today, I just can’t move. I was planning to go to the bazaar right after arriving in Ips.”

“The bazaar... you mean the Grand Bazaar? Lord Cyrus told me it’s one of the largest shopping districts in the world.”

“Yes, I wanted to find a dress that matches our pearl products... and then deliver it to the wedding hall... but...”

“Don’t worry. Lord Cyrus says weddings in Ips take dozens of days to prepare. You’ll have plenty of time once you’re feeling better.”

When I said that, Ms. Kaede gave a pale grin.

“Heh... of course, I won’t give up until the end. I’ll definitely go to the wedding... hehe.”

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the table. Turning around, I saw a boy dressed in the traditional clothing of Ipsandros. He was the traveling merchant who had sold us baklava earlier.

“What is it? Still trying to sell something?”

“Of course! Merchants don’t call out to others except to make money.”

He answered casually to my question.

“You’re the red-haired lady, right? You seem to speak the language but this is your first time in Ips, huh? How about hiring me as your guide?”

“A guide? You?”

I asked back, looking again at the traveling merchant—this Ipsandros boy.

He looked about twelve or thirteen years old. Apparently, his ethnic roots were different from Lord Cyrus’s. He had black hair, black eyes, and slightly tanned skin—not quite dark. When he grinned wildly, I noticed his charming double canines.

...Huh?

For a moment, I felt a sense of déjà vu. Where have I seen this boy before?

Not in Ips, but somewhere far away... though not too long ago.

I fell silent, and perhaps because of that, the boy seemed to think I was considering the offer. He cheerfully pushed the deal.

“Day rate is one thousand Ips Rure. If you provide three meals, I’ll do it for eight hundred. I can show you every corner of this country. I was born and raised here in Ips’ port town. I’m well known locally. Of course, I can take you to famous sightseeing spots, help you bargain at the Grand Bazaar, and if you want, I even know about off-the-books herbs and the high-stakes gambling dens. If you want to buy people, I have connections there too. Male or female, even kids younger than me.”