Betrothed to My Sister's Ex

This morning, Marie was adorable as always.

Whenever she saw my face, her eyes would widen in surprise for a moment. It seemed to be a habit of hers—she would lower her gaze once, then quickly meet my eyes, and eventually smile.

“Good morning, Lord Cyrus.”

“Good morning, Marie.”

When I answered, she blushed just from that. So cute.

She was having breakfast in her room. As she put down her fork and stood up,

“Don’t worry about me. Please continue eating,” I stopped her.

She politely folded her hands and thanked me. That demeanor felt a bit too formal… but since she was like that even with the servants, I guessed it was just her nature and habit. Cute.

When I sat down next to her, she looked shy as usual. Cute.

—Suddenly, before I realized it, I found myself kissing her cheek. She was blushing, holding her cheek, so I must have done it without thinking. Since she was so cute, this time I decided to kiss her properly, fully conscious, and pulled her close by the shoulders...

“Master, that’s a breach of manners. Please don’t disturb Lady Marie’s meal.”

Mio scolded me in a tone that wasn’t cute at all. Since she was right, I had no choice but to straighten my posture.

Still, something bothered me a little. Mio was always curt with me, but somehow today she seemed even harsher than usual.

While pouring tea, the maid subtly frowned.

“…Thank you for the meal. Sorry, please clear the dishes now.”

Marie said this and put down her fork, but there was still a lot of food left untouched. Some plates were completely untouched. It wasn’t that the portions were too large originally.

“What’s wrong, Marie? Lost your appetite? Or did you not like the food?”

“...No. It’s just, somehow...”

“Feeling unwell? Then at least drink some warm tea. Can you eat some cookies?”

She shook her head vaguely. Even with the cookies Mio brought, she barely touched them. Maybe she really wasn’t feeling well.

…It was a story I didn’t want to hear, but I had to tell her. So I bluntly brought up the matter.

“Baron Chadelan still hasn’t come.”

Marie’s expression didn’t change.

“The summons was certainly delivered, but there’s been no reply. Yesterday, I sent someone with a carriage to bring the baron back.”

“...I see...”

“But I think there’s a high possibility he will continue to refuse or pretend not to be home. If that happens, we might have to resort to a somewhat rougher approach.”

“I understand. I’m sorry for the trouble...”

“This isn’t something you need to apologize for.”

I said quickly, but Marie still shook her head.

“I am Baron Chadelan’s daughter. While I don’t know what crime my father is accused of or why he’s not coming, it’s certain our family is causing trouble. …If my father continues to hide like this, please try me instead. I will accept any punishment.”

“What are you saying? I won’t allow that. I said I would protect you no matter what.”

“It’s all right. I came prepared to be banished from here at any time.”

She said something unexpected, yet strangely her face seemed bright. She didn’t look uncertain or shaken.

There was even a dignified strength about her, but I didn’t want her to become positive about negative things. Before I could hastily deny it, she stood up. She turned to me—I hadn’t even taken a sip of tea yet.

“Lady Ryuu-Ryuu and the orchestra are waiting in the salon hall. You can practice dancing alone, Lord Cyrus, so please take your time and relax.”

“No, I’m coming right now.”

Of course, I stood up too.

After what happened the other day, Mio, Ryuu-Ryuu, and I were all worried that Marie was pushing herself too hard. It was good she had the pride of a countess, later duchess, but if she strained herself too much, she’d break down physically and mentally. I couldn’t take my eyes off her—if she tried to dance until she hurt her feet again, I’d have to stop her.

Then I saw her—tall and graceful, dancing in time with the music. Her white fingers grazed the air. Even when she bent deeply or kicked strongly against the floor, Marie didn’t falter.