Published: August 15, 2025
After the meal was finished and the table cleared, the Chaidan set was brought out. Having tea after the meal was a customary part of Ipsandros cuisine. Since I still felt like having a drink, I stayed there, waiting with the women for the tea leaves to steep. Naturally, we sat in a circle chatting the whole time.
...They really do talk a lot...
I like communicating too, but if anything, I prefer listening over speaking. Besides, I didn’t have any interesting topics to entertain them, so by the second day I was mostly just nodding silently. Still, it was fun enough... but night was gradually growing late.
It was the third day since I arrived here, just four days before the main ceremony.
I couldn’t afford to fall ill at a time like this. Loss of appetite combined with lack of sleep would drain my strength. Even a minor cold could worsen easily. On the wedding day, I would finally see Lord Cyrus again. There was no way I could look worn out.
Though the fireplace was lit, the nights in Ips were damp and chilly. I had to warm myself thoroughly with this tea and try to recover. —Just as I was steeling myself—
“So, Ms. Marie, how did you two meet?”
“—Pfft!”
Caught off guard, I sprayed my tea everywhere.
“Cough, it’s hot! Ahem, w-what, where did you say?”
“Oh, how cute! Your face is bright red!”
“Well, really, you’re so innocent~”
The women burst out laughing. So they were just teasing me... Before I could even relax,
“Who confessed first?” “Have you ever fought?” “Did you have any rivals?” “Have you ever liked other men?”
The questions came at a furious pace. It seemed they had been waiting for a chance to ask all these questions these past three days. Before I could answer, another question would fly at me, and I just kept stammering meaningless sounds. Eek.
“Um, we met on my birthday. But the protagonist wasn’t me; it was my sister... and then both he and I misunderstood...”
“A misunderstanding? What kind?”
“Hey, what do you love most about him? What does he say he loves most about you?”
Eeeek.
Ah, I really had no idea what to do! I wasn’t very experienced with love stories, and on top of that, I was terrible at being bombarded with questions like this.
I tried to answer everyone fairly, in order, but new questions came before I could finish, and I got thoroughly confused about where to start.
After enjoying my reactions for a while, the women exchanged looks and giggled.
“You’re truly a lovely bride. The groom must love you so much and be very happy.”
“Yes, indeed. The groom must be head over heels for you. To rent out the Old Royal Palace for the wedding, hire five attendants, and pay them generously. No matter how rich he is, not everyone can do that.”
They began praising Lord Cyrus one after another.
The whole renting out and paying attendants part was probably something Mr. Kemal did on his own...?
Still, since Lord Cyrus would be the one actually paying, and presumably he agreed afterward, it made sense. Even without that, I already felt more loved by Lord Cyrus than ever before.
“Loved and happy...” If this were a little while ago, I wouldn’t have understood those words, let alone take them as compliments. But now... I could honestly nod.
“Yes. I am happy...”
Blushing involuntarily, I answered.
The five women smiled happily, leaned in close, and began whispering amongst themselves.
“...Such a truly beautiful bride... The groom must find her irresistible.”
“Yes, absolutely. I thought the groom might crash in on the first day, but he’s surprisingly patient...”
“That’s right. But this is the third day now. Tonight might be his limit.”
—They giggled.
The atmosphere felt a little strange... what was that about?
“Um, what do you mean by ‘tonight might be his limit’?”
“Oh dear, don’t make me say! Ms. Marie, you’re so mean.”
“Wait, she’s a foreigner, right? She really doesn’t know — about the night visit.”
“Ni... night visit?”
When I asked, they all screamed with delight and clapped their hands. They left me alone for quite a while in this party mood — then came close to my ear and quietly told me about the tradition of the ‘night visit’ before an Ipsandros wedding.