Betrothed to My Sister's Ex

This is the second update today.

(I want to update twice over the weekend as much as possible…)

And then, for four days… I didn’t see Lord Cyrus even once.

Lord Cyrus has been busy not only with his duties as the count but also with his work as a merchant trader. It seems it’s common for him to be away from the castle for several days like this.

“Lady Marie, which dress would you like to wear today?”

When Mio asked me, I couldn’t answer.

She frowned.

“Is there nothing you like?”

“No… They’re all so beautiful I don’t know which to choose…”

After thinking for a moment, she said, “Then this one,” and helped me put on a splendid lemon-yellow dress.

Breakfast was served.

This morning, there were several kinds of freshly baked bread, ham steak, a fluffy omelet, and a fresh salad piled high with nuts. The bread at the ducal family’s house is different from ours. The wheat flavor is rich, and its softness makes you feel like falling asleep the moment you bite into it. The butter is neither salty nor gamey. It’s truly delicious, almost magical.

Still, there were many ingredients I’d never seen before. The raw vegetables in the salad were incredibly fresh. They looked as if they had just been harvested. Since the royal capital has almost no farmland, I wondered where they were brought from.

I asked Mio, and she pointed toward the window.

“They were picked this morning. From the courtyard we always pass by.”

“Eh, really!? There’s a vegetable garden inside the castle!?”

“We make sure visitors can’t see it. At the request of the castle’s head chef, the gardener Johan works hard on it.”

“Wow, that’s amazing! Not just flowers, but vegetables too… Hey, Mio, I’d love to see it. Could you show me around?”

But she shook her head.

“…I’m sorry. I’ll be off duty as your attendant for a while.”

“Eh, no way! Why?”

“Master is returning, so I have to greet him. Please bring Hanna and Ilza with you today.”

“O-okay…”

My voice nodded, trembling with nervousness more than I wanted.

Of course… The head lady’s maid of the count’s household is Lord Cyrus’s personal maid. That’s only natural.

I mustn’t say I don’t want anyone but Mio, or that I’m shy, or that noble ladies scare me.

Right. I’ll use this chance to get along with those two.

First, I’ll ask what foods they like and try making them a homemade meal. I’m not skilled enough to boast, but I’ve been cooking for a long time, so I should be able to manage.

If we use the vegetables harvested that day and cook together, it’ll surely be more fun.

After lunch, Hanna and Ilza came in place of Mio.

I immediately moved with the two of them to the courtyard.

Ah… it really is splendid.

The flower garden was always in full bloom with colorful flowers. White statues polished to a shine spouted clear water that sparkled in the sunlight. Butterflies fluttered and birds chirped—it was like a fairy tale land.

On the way to the bathhouse, every time I crossed it, I felt deeply soothed.

Yes, the garden was perfectly maintained today too. Amazing—so beautiful.

But those kinds of flower seeds and seedlings must be expensive…

Even at the baron’s household, we did our best, but there was a budget limit. Decorating the front garden was the best we could do. Those rose arches were out of the question. Still, the care and effort here must be enormous.

As I admired the garden, I suddenly noticed someone moving in the distance. The gardener Johan was working near the stone-paved path.

“Good day, madam. How do you do?”

He greeted me in a rather awkward manner. Just like on the first day when I greeted him, he seemed uncomfortable around me. He never said anything unpleasant but quickly tried to turn his back.

Looking at what he held, I gasped.

“Those are tomato seedlings, right? Are you transplanting them?”

“Eh!?”

Johan let out a startled sound. He looked alternately at what was in his hands and then at my face.

“No, this is… pruning. To grow big and delicious fruits, I’m cutting off unnecessary branches and leaves…”