“My Lady, the carriage from Viscount Kainer’s estate has arrived.”

“I’ll head out now. Let’s go, Rodion.”

Aneta offered to carry Rodion’s luggage for him, but he refused even that.

Avoiding her outstretched hand reaching for his bag, Rodion spoke with a sense of maturity.

“I’ll carry my own things.”

“Oh, because you’re not so young anymore—you’ve got someone you’ve promised your future to?”
“Sister!”

“Alright, alright. I’ll stop teasing you.”

Aneta smiled and gently patted Rodion’s head. Her relentless teasing had turned the boy’s face, and even his ears, a deep shade of red.

Vernon had brought the carriage himself to pick up Rodion and fulfill a promise he’d made to Aneta.

The day before the wedding, Aneta had planned to spend time at the estate with Chris for a girls-only day. This arrangement, however, came at the expense of Rodion.

Vernon had insisted on taking Rodion with him, claiming it would be lonely for him to be left alone at the estate.

On top of that, the butler at their family’s home had expressed how much he missed seeing Rodion, and Vernon had argued that it wouldn’t hurt for him to spend a day at their original home. Reluctantly, Rodion had agreed.

‘If only Vernon had seen Rodion’s expression back then.’

Conceding out of obligation, Rodion had worn a look of utter reluctance as he agreed to his brother’s request.

But Vernon, busy enthusiastically planning how they would have just as much fun as Aneta and Chris, had completely missed the reaction.

‘Then again, maybe it’s for the best he didn’t see.’

If Vernon had noticed, he would have undoubtedly started whining about how cold Rodion was being to him.

Aneta sighed at the thought of Vernon, who sometimes acted even more childish than his little brother.

There was no need to escort Rodion to the gate where the carriage was waiting—Vernon and Chris had already come into the garden.

When Aneta and Rodion found them standing side by side, they were so engrossed in each other that they didn’t notice anyone approaching.

Watching the two of them caught up in their world, creating a romantic atmosphere in someone else’s garden, Aneta couldn’t help but let out another sigh.
As if by mutual agreement, Aneta and Rodion quietly walked toward the pair all the way.

However, oblivious to the onlookers, Vernon and Chris held hands and gazed at each other with longing eyes, as if they were lovers about to be separated for an eternity.

“I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too.”

“But I already miss you—what should I do?”

Aneta, who had grown accustomed to endless displays of affection thanks to Carlos, found the scene before her intolerable.

For all his polished appearance, Vernon exuded an unbearable level of sentimentality.

They say a good-looking face can make even the cheesiest words seem charming, but that theory crumbled like the most fragile shard of glass for a family.

‘This is why you should never witness a family member’s love life.’

Clicking her tongue inwardly, Aneta suddenly remembered Rodion, who must have witnessed the same scene.

Turning her head quickly, she saw that the boy looked just as uncomfortable as she did.

‘We shouldn’t have seen this.’ That was the mutual thought shared by Aneta and Rodion.

Meanwhile, Vernon and Chris had drawn even closer, and Aneta knew all too well what that meant.

‘Should I cover Rodion’s eyes, or should I interrupt this little display of affection?’

While she hesitated, Rodion took action first.

“A child is watching here. Maybe it’s time to tone down the PDA?”

To avoid witnessing his brother and future sister-in-law kissing, Rodion suddenly emphasized his age. Gone was the boy who had earlier denied being too young.

Aneta silently praised Rodion’s quick thinking. His interruption startled Chris, causing her to step back from Vernon in embarrassment.

“Oh, you’re here?”
Unlike Chris, who looked flustered, Vernon acted as nonchalantly as ever. He casually raised his hand in greeting, as though nothing had happened.

Rodion sighed, joining Aneta in exasperation.

All the embarrassment seemed to be left for Chris alone.

Aneta and Rodion shared a silent, unified sense of pity for her.

“You really are a scoundrel,” Aneta remarked.

“I agree, Aneta,” Rodion chimed in, shifting his gaze to Chris, whose face now looked as if it might burst from embarrassment, much like Rodion had looked earlier when he’d been teased.

“Sister-in-law, are you sure you won’t regret marrying my brother?”

“What?”

Chris was startled by Rodion’s sudden words and nervously fumbled with her lips.

“The chance to run away is today only. Tomorrow, you’ll be stuck at the wedding venue. It’s not too late, so hurry up and ask Aneta for help and escape.”

“Rodion, what do you mean by that?”

Vernon whined, feeling unfairly treated as if he were the adult or the child in the situation.
“You’re worried, right? But there’s no reason to run away or regret anything. As you know, Vernon is a responsible person. I believe in the promise that he will make me happy.”

“Of course, it’s only you for me, Chris.”

Chris smiled shyly but showed her trust in Vernon.

Vernon, feeling moved by Chris’s support, tried to cling to her, but Rodion’s sharp glare thwarted his attempt.

“Looks like you’ve already settled on how to address each other, huh? I noticed you calling each other by name.”

“We decided that on the day we went out together. After getting married, calling him ‘older brother’ or ‘young master’ seemed strange. So, I told them just to use names.”

“Good call.”

Aneta nodded in agreement. She thought it was a reasonable decision.

“Then I’ll take Chris with me. Rodion, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Not wanting to stand in the garden longer, Aneta tried to send the two off. Vernon, however, gazed at Chris with a longing expression.

“Chris, let’s meet safely tomorrow.”

“Why? Are you afraid I’ll eat Chris up or something?”

Aneta couldn’t shake the feeling that she had become the one forcing the lovesick couple apart. Seeing Vernon not protest made her feel even worse for interfering.

“I’ll ensure Chris gets home safely by tomorrow morning, so don’t worry. Just go ahead; Rodion is waiting.”

Aneta pointed to Rodion, who was still standing there holding the bag.

Before she even finished speaking, Rodion handed the bag over to Vernon. His attitude toward Vernon was completely different from how he treated Aneta.

“As you said, let’s go, brother. You two don’t have much time together, so we shouldn’t interrupt.”

Rodion grabbed Vernon’s hand, pulling him along, as Vernon reluctantly accepted the bag.
Being pulled along, Chris waved awkwardly at Vernon, who kept looking back at her.

The personalities of those who would soon be family were truly varied.

Aneta watched them leave, and only when she could no longer see Rodion and Vernon did she finally speak up.

“Let’s go inside, Chris.”

“Yes, Aneta.”

Aneta led Chris toward the main building. As they neared the door, Chris swallowed nervously.

“I’m feeling a little nervous.”

Chris had visited the Marquis’s residence a few times, but this was the first time she would be staying, and she couldn’t hide her anxiety. Aneta smiled at her nervousness.

“Relax and feel at ease. The servants all like you.”

“Me?”

Chris blinked in surprise, pointing to herself with wide eyes, clearly taken aback by the unexpected compliment.

“They’ve all been praising you. So just relax. They’ll like you.”

Aneta wasn’t just making up the remark to comfort Chris. She had seen the servants’ behavior and how they had tried to win favor from the Marquis’s household. Naturally, they couldn’t help but like Chris, who was polite and kind-hearted.

She was very different from those who demanded more after receiving something.

“And if not now, when else would you get to stay here? Of course, I’d welcome you anytime.”

Aneta gently patted Chris’s head, just as she had with Rodion, and opened the door.

Isabel, who had been waiting in the hallway, bowed as they entered.

“Welcome, Chris Devon.”

With a warm smile, Isabel greeted Chris and cautiously extended her hand.

“I’ll take your luggage up to the bedroom.”

“Please, Isabel.”

Chris bowed her head in thanks and handed over her bag. As Isabel took the bag and headed up the stairs, Aneta led Chris to the sitting room.

As soon as they sat down, the maids quickly brought in tea, having been prepared long in advance.

Aneta watched Chris, sitting up straighter than usual, elegantly sipping her tea. Chris seemed to have received posture correction as part of her wedding preparations.

“How do you feel? Tomorrow is the big day.”

“It feels like a dream. Just being with someone I love and knowing our feelings match is already unbelievable, but getting married… Is it always this hard to believe?”

Chris’s face lit up as she answered Aneta’s question, her expression full of joy. Seeing her so excited, Aneta couldn’t help but smile in return.

“Just looking at your face, I can tell you’re happy.”

“It’s all thanks to you, Aneta.”

“I only spent money; I don’t remember doing much else.”

“More than that, you’ve been so considerate.”

“Who do you take after speaking so beautifully like this? No matter how I think, you’re too good for Vernon. Why don’t you just come to me?”

“Ah, I just felt a little flutter. But you know Vernon is the only one for me, right?”

Though the title for Vernon had returned to its previous form, Chris didn’t mind and playfully responded to Aneta’s teasing.

“I didn’t expect to be rejected like this.”

“If I were to accept your proposal, I’m sure the Duke wouldn’t let me off easily. Besides, the person you’re supposed to propose to is someone else, right?”

“Are you teasing me now?”

Chris nodded with a mischievous smile. Aneta let out a dry laugh and asked,

“How did you figure it out?”

“At first, I wasn’t sure, but I became certain when I saw you asking the staff about this and that. When are you planning to propose to the Duke?”

“Well, I think I need to cross the mountain first.”

“The mountain?”

“There’s something like that.”

Chris tilted his head, confused by the remark, but Aneta kept quiet. No matter how much she was being bossed around, the Lord was still the Lord.

Aneta couldn’t bring herself to reveal that, in truth, the Emperor of the country was a fool for his younger sibling.