That Marriage, I’ll Do It in this Life - Chapter 14
“Useless. Absolutely useless, even as a guard.”
Throughout the carriage ride to the imperial city for the debutante ball, Sage grumbled non-stop.
“All he’s good for is wielding a sword. Saena, don’t you think it’s time to replace him?”
‘All he’s good for is wielding a sword?’ Isn’t that the most important skill for a knight? Saena couldn’t understand why he was acting like this.
“Brother, Rupert did nothing wrong. I was the one who asked Kayan to be my partner first.”
“…What? You did?”
“Yes.”
“Why… why, why? Don’t tell me…”
“Don’t tell you what?”
Sage’s personality seemed to have changed a bit.
She wasn’t sure what Yuri’s absence had to do with it, but it felt like Sage had absorbed half of Yuri’s personality. His usual seriousness seemed diluted, and he was acting somewhat frivolous…
“Don’t tell me… you’ve been harboring feelings for Lord Ackroyd all this time?”
“What?”
How did he even come to that conclusion?
Saena was momentarily flustered by the unexpected assumption but quickly realized it was an understandable misunderstanding.
“It’s not like that…”
She racked her brain desperately.
She had acted on a whim, deciding to change her partner this time, and hadn’t thought of preparing an excuse in advance.
“Um, I heard about Kayan’s sister… They say she’s really beautiful.”
“…….”
“And, well, I thought she might suit you.”
“…Are you saying you did this to set me up with her?”
“Not exactly, but… kind of. Hmm.”
Feeling a little guilty, Saena vaguely deflected the question.
“Sigh, Saena… As far as I’m concerned, I only need you. No other woman.”
“Stop it!”
Saena shuddered, rubbing her arms as goosebumps rose.
This was truly strange. Sage never used to act like this…
Was he trying to take on Yuri’s role in her absence? Or had he always been like this, and Saena had just been too young to notice? She couldn’t make sense of it.
“…….”
“…….”
Both of them exchanged awkward looks until the carriage came to a stop.
As the door opened and they stepped out, Rupert, noticing the odd atmosphere, asked,
“Is something wrong?”
Saena glanced at Sage before replying,
“My brother… has gotten cheesy.”
“Excuse me?”
“Other than that, nothing’s wrong.”
“…The Young Master?”
The carriage was sent off to the holding area, and they followed an attendant to the waiting room.
Since Saena was the debutante, she couldn’t enter the hall immediately and had to wait her turn backstage.
“Saena has become so cold-hearted.”
“The lady? Really?”
“This is all Sir Carrot’s fault, isn’t it?”
“Why is everything my fault? And stop calling me Sir Carrot!”
“What else am I supposed to call you besides Sir Carrot?”
“I said stop it!”
Even in the midst of this, Sage and Rupert bickered endlessly.
“This way, please. When it’s time for your entrance, we’ll come to escort you. Please wait here for now.”
The attendant pointed to a room and gestured for them to enter.
Since the debutantes entered the hall in sequence, they needed a space to wait beforehand.
“Wait a moment, I have a request.”
Saena stopped the attendant, who was about to leave.
“Yes, is there something you need?”
“If Lord Ackroyd asks for the location of my waiting room, please guide him here.”
“Understood.”
“Thank you.”
The attendant bowed and left.
As Saena entered the waiting room and closed the door, she noticed Sage and Rupert wearing peculiar expressions.
“…Why are you looking at me like that?”
When she asked, Sage turned his head toward Rupert. The two exchanged glances and nodded before letting out a sigh.
“Sigh… Our little Saena has grown up. I thought it was just a debut, but she’s speaking so maturely now.”
“Indeed, she’s even better than you, Young Master.”
“What? You little—”
Sage glared at Rupert.
Knock, knock.
Rupert, who had been slowly retreating from Sage’s menacing approach, was saved by the sound of a knock at the door. He quickly rushed to open it, a look of relief on his face.
“Haha! Welcome!”
“Ah, good evening. I’m…”
“Yes, Lord Ackroyd! Please, come in.”
With Rupert’s overly enthusiastic welcome, Kayan stepped inside.
Seeing the person she had been waiting for, Saena turned toward the door.
“Welcome, Kayan.”
“Ah, Sae… na.”
Kayan froze mid-step upon seeing Saena.
His eyes widened slightly, and his mouth fell open as if he were genuinely surprised.
“Kayan?”
It felt as though he would remain frozen in place unless someone intervened. Just then, someone lightly tapped Kayan on the back, prompting another figure to step inside.
“This child? Hmm.”
The newcomer was a strikingly beautiful woman.
Although her silver-gray eyes differed from Kayan’s, her red hair and facial features unmistakably marked her as his sibling.
It was none other than Kayan’s sister, Kirsten Ackroyd.
“Hello, Lady Ackroyd. I’m Saena of House Debov.”
“I’m Kirsten of House Ackroyd.”
“I apologize for troubling you to come all the way here.”
While it wasn’t unusual for Kayan, it felt a bit improper for the Marquis’ daughter, Kirsten, to personally visit. Saena bowed politely in greeting.
“Ah, so it’s you?”
Kirsten stared intently at Saena.
She was an exceptionally tall woman with striking feline-like features, exuding a sensual yet commanding allure. Just the way she lowered her lashes and looked down at someone could make one feel the urge to kneel and offer their devotion.
Her influence wasn’t limited to men. Even Saena, under Kirsten’s languid gaze, felt as if she were being mesmerized.
“My brother’s taste is…”
Kirsten let her lips curl into a slow smile as she studied Saena, her expression looked almost teasing. Saena thought she saw Kirsten’s cheeks flush a bit.
“…better than I expected.”
Kirsten’s hand rose slowly, stopping just beneath Saena’s chin. Though they were both women, Saena couldn’t help but feel oddly conscious of the touch.
In truth, Kirsten’s actions were quite inappropriate between nobles, but there was no malice in her gesture, so Saena stayed still.
“My, such violet eyes. They make me feel like I should kneel before you right now.”
Hearing Kirsten echo a thought she herself had just entertained made Saena feel a little strange, and a faint smile crept onto her lips.
Kirsten’s eyes widened slightly.
“Even your smile… it’s perfect, isn’t it?”
Kirsten leaned closer, her face drawing nearer to Saena’s. But just before she could get too close, Sage’s hand intervened, firmly blocking her.
“Excuse me, Lady Ackroyd? I think it’s safe to say that anything further would be harmful to my sister, so I might have to ask you to leave.”
Kirsten’s languid gaze shifted to Sage, who flinched slightly under her stare. But he used the moment to pull Saena back behind him.
“Ha… Sister, let’s not do this here. My apologies. I should’ve introduced myself properly earlier…”
Kayan stepped forward, placing a hand on Kirsten’s shoulder, as if he was used to this sort of thing.
‘Was Kayan’s sister always like this?’
Saena found herself puzzled.
In her previous life, she hadn’t had much interest in the social scene and had married early, moving to a distant estate without any interaction with Kirsten.
Kirsten Ackroyd was a member of ‘The Millennium Olive Tree,’ one of the most prestigious salons in the empire, alongside the daughter of Count Dimitri.
The salon, as storied as its name, was one of the pillars of high society. Naturally, it was the most coveted social circle for noblewomen, though its stringent membership requirements meant most could only dream of joining.
Saena only knew Kirsten by reputation. This was her first time having such close interaction with her.
“To think you snatched the partner spot from my brother in such a short time… I can’t say I’m thrilled about it.”
“…….”
“Saya, it’s not too late. Change your mind and let me be your partner instead…”
Sage grumbled as he tried to persuade Saena.
Meanwhile, Kirsten muttered “Saya?” under her breath, testing the nickname and letting her eyes sparkle with interest.
“Hmm. Even your nickname is lovely, Saya.”
“Thank you. You can speak casually with me if you’d like.”
“Shall I? Saya, my friends call me ‘Kiki.’ You can call me Sister Kiki if you’d like.”
“S-Sister Kiki?”
Sister Kiki…
Not only had she been given permission to use a personal nickname, but she was also allowed to address Kirsten as ‘sister.’
“That’s right. Try it—Sister Kiki.”
“…Sister Kiki.”
“Good, I like it.”
When Saena addressed her as ‘Sister Kiki,’ Kirsten’s long, almond-shaped eyes curved into a smile of approval.
For some reason, that smile made Saena’s heart flutter a little.
“Hey, hey. That’s enough. First the brother, and now his sister? Are you both trying to charm my little sister?”
Sage draped an arm over Saena’s shoulder, pulling her behind him. His narrowed eyes glared at the siblings as if they were up to no good.
“Sage, it’s not like that…”
“Before you corrupt my sister with your strange tastes, I suggest you stop. I’m feeling very uneasy. Let’s just pretend this partner swap never happened.”
“B-Brother, sister just has a soft spot for pretty people. That’s all it is. Nothing more.”
Kayan stammered as he tried to explain to Sage.
“Sure, Saya is beautiful, but still, this is too much, isn’t it?”
Sage kept spouting nonsense. His personality had changed so much that Saena couldn’t adjust to it.
Another thought crossed her mind amidst the chaos:
‘Even without Yuri, they’ve grown comfortable enough to speak casually with each other.’