1.1

The Raylin Viscountcy was one of the few titles under the Declan Border Earldom.  

This viscountcy, established to revive the impoverished Shuplen Border region, was renowned among the inhabitants of the territory.

It was the family that guided the Declan Earldom to the level of a Marquisate.  

A knight who had fallen in love with the first Declan Border Earl gave his all to serve him, and even in death, his loyalty never wavered.  

So much so that the tragic story of the first Raylin Viscount, who loved the Earl until their dying breath, is still performed on stage to this day.  

Over the centuries, the bond between the two families had endured, and in the present day, it was being carried on through the relationship between Lucian Declan, the next Border Earl, and Iliana Raylin, the eldest daughter of the Raylin Viscountcy. 

– Don’t hide behind me. Greet him properly, Iliana.  

– Y-Yes… 

Introduced by their parents, the two had known each other long before they could skillfully cut their own steak.  

They were familiar with each other’s mistakes, knew their childhood appearances without needing to look at old portraits, and could even draw each other’s past selves from memory.  

To the world, they were defined as “close friends since childhood.”

Childhood friends.

Yes, from an outsider’s perspective, the two were unmistakably “just friends”. Iliana herself could define it that way.  

Until yesterday.  

“Why did I do that?”  

Iliana muttered to herself while biting her nails. Her voice was so soft that even the herbal tea in front of her remained undisturbed. Nevertheless, she couldn’t shake her unease. The mirage of last night still lingered in her mind’s eye.  

“Seriously, why did I do that?”  

Letting out another sigh, Iliana exhaled a long, drawn-out sound. Unable to bear it any longer, Anas put down their quill.  

“You’re so distracting, Sister.”  

“…Sorry.”  

Iliana apologized, lowering her head under Anas’s glare, which clearly said, ‘If you’re going to act like this, just leave.’ But even as she apologized, she slammed her forehead onto the table.  

“Ugh, just leave already!”  

Anas’s sharp scolding was piercing. Her shrill complaints might have been enough to make Iliana leave the study, but instead, Iliana closed her eyes, pretending not to hear.  

As if running away from reality, the vivid memories of last night resurfaced in her mind.  

Last night. The beginning of it all.  

Yesterday had been the day of the banquet. Around this time of year, the Declan household hosted a modest festival. It was an event tied to the ripening of the region’s famed grapes, signaling the start of wine production.  

While it had originally been nothing more than a ploy by the first Declan Earl—an excuse to get everyone drunk—it had long since become a tradition in the territory.  

The festival was popular among people of all ages because it allowed them to drink high-quality wine at the Earl’s expense.  

Moreover, many people ended up finding romance after making drunken mistakes during the festival!  

So many, in fact, that the event was nicknamed the “Declan Matchmaking Festival.”  

Every year, the Raylin Viscountcy had to deal with a flood of marriage applications after the festival.  

It was just that kind of day—a day full of mistakes.  

That was her excuse.  

“Ugh, I must’ve lost my mind…”  

“For goodness’ sake! If you’re not going to be quiet, either leave or spit out what’s bothering you!”  

The sound of a quill snapping against the book was chilling. Even then, Iliana didn’t falter as she drawled out her words.  

“Why are you yelling, Anas? You’re going to drop your quill.”  

“If you’d just sit quietly, I wouldn’t drop it in the first place! Why did you even come here to mope?”  

“I’m not really moping…”  

If that’s not moping, then what is? 

Anas, exasperated, threw her quill onto the carpet.  

When Iliana sluggishly picked it up and placed it back on the desk, Anas let out a sigh of disbelief that echoed through the room.  

Watching Anas slump into her chair with a loud thud, Iliana pouted.  

“You’re so cold, Anas.”  

“Oh, please. Coming from the sister who dumped all her responsibilities on me because she didn’t feel like studying, I don’t want to hear it.”  

At Anas’s firm retort, Iliana rested her left cheek against the table, letting out a disgruntled sound.  

“Well, that’s true…”  

You’re the one who said you wanted to take over as head of the family, so I handed it to you.  

Muttering her complaints under her breath, Iliana furrowed her brows. Noticing that her sibling seemed more withdrawn than usual, Anas finally set down the quill and asked,  

“Have you still not confessed?”  

“Ugh… What do you think?”  

As Iliana slowly lifted her head and gave a half-hearted response, Anas furrowed her brow so deeply it looked like she’d bitten into a sour lemon three times over.  

Wow. That face could probably boost newspaper sales if it were on the front page.  

As Iliana absentmindedly entertained such thoughts, Anas threw the quill at the carpet again.  

“Of course you haven’t! Ugh, this is so frustrating. Didn’t I tell you to just confess while you were drunk? Are you planning to carry this for the rest of your life? I told you that holding onto a crush for that long is practically a sickness!”

As Anas stomped off to retrieve the quill, Iliana slammed her forehead onto the table again.  

Yeah, she did say that. She even tore into me, calling it disgusting.  

“That’s why I said I wouldn’t do it…”  

Her voice, tinged with tears, came out clearer than she’d expected. The sound of Anas taking a deep breath was equally clear, making Iliana shrink into herself.  

“Why won’t you do it? It’s not like I told you to kiss him or give him your purity!”  

“Hngh…”  

She was tearing up again…  

“These days, even kids have one-night stands. What’s your deal?”

Anas, who had been rambling, shook her head while looking at the back of Iliana’s head. 

Ugh, to think she’s my sister

With a sigh, the sound of her quill scratching against paper echoed slowly in the room.  

Yes. That was the problem.  

In their Kingdom, which was both liberal and oddly conservative, one-night stands weren’t a big deal.  

With a friend? Sure, it could be done out of curiosity. After all, if you were willing to accept the consequences of your curiosity, then what wouldn’t you try?  

While drunk? That was common. So common, in fact, that even during the festival’s opening speech, the local lord would only issue a half-hearted warning before giving up entirely. After all, he had no authority to control the adults in his domain.  

But when it happened to her, and worse—  

When it was a one-night stand with her childhood friend and unrequited love, it was bound to be a huge problem!