Side Story 2. Family

“Congratulations–!”

“Congratulations on your marriage!”

The wedding had just ended.

Fanfares sounded, and cheers erupted from all around.

“I never thought this unexpected couple would end up getting married.”

“But they actually suit each other, which is even more surprising.”

“Yeah, they strangely fit.”

Sage and Kirsten got married.

Friends, including Saena, shared their thoughts, and they all had similar impressions.

“She told Saena she would become family, and she really followed through.”

“But the goal of living in the same house didn’t work out, did it?”

Evian and Floria exchanged words.

Although she didn’t understand why she wanted to live in the same house, the fact that Kirsten was now her sister-in-law was something she had never imagined, and Saena felt a bit strange about it.

“Where are you going for your honeymoon?”

“I heard they were going to Coldora hot springs but then changed their plans, but I’m not sure.”

“What, it’s a secret?”

“That’s right, ever since Sister Kiki got married, she’s changed…”

“But she’s still beautiful…”

“Yeah, why is she so beautiful today?”

“She has to be beautiful. Today, she can be the most beautiful.”

She really was beautiful.

She has always been a stunning beauty, but today, in her pure white dress, she exuded a different kind of charm that suited her well.

Beautiful people look good no matter what they do, Saena thought, admiring the two of them and unable to look away.

After the ceremony, the newlyweds moved around to greet people, and they eventually approached where Saena was standing.

“Saya–!”

Kirsten opened her arms and smiled at Saena, seeming to welcome her more warmly than Sage.

“Sister.”

Now she’s my new sister.

It’s a strange feeling.

“The ceremony was beautiful, and you look so beautiful.”

The ceremony was a perfect blend of the organizers’ efforts and the chemistry between the participants.

Kirsten’s elegance, Evian’s sophistication, and Floria’s cuteness were all evident in their respective roles.

It was both elegant and not overly solemn, beautiful and festive, making it a unique and enjoyable experience for everyone present.

How could such a complex atmosphere be so harmonious?

Truly, they were worthy of their social standing.

“Oh, Saya, thank you.”

Kirsten smiled at her with a captivating smile.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help with the wedding preparations.”

“It’s fine, really.”

Saena had wanted to help in return for Kirsten’s assistance with her own wedding, but it didn’t work out.

During the preparation period, she had to stay in Castle Cream because it coincided with the extermination period.

Although the number of demonic beasts had decreased compared to previous years, skipping the extermination period could lead to catastrophic consequences during the breeding season, so it was necessary to carry out the extermination.

Saena didn’t participate in the extermination, but as a married couple, how could she stay in the Imperial Capital while he went?

Especially since he couldn’t sleep well without her. Although she couldn’t help with the extermination, she could help improve the quality of Constantine’s sleep, so they spent the extermination period in Kramer and then came to the Imperial Capital.

She had prepared a gift with great care, hoping he would like it.

“Come visit Delvon often if you feel bad.”

Hearing Kirsten suggest visiting Delvon, it felt strange but also nice.

Saena smiled and replied.

“Of course.”

While Constantine was away on the extermination mission, Saena managed the internal affairs of Castle Cream and practiced engraving on jewels.

Thanks to the black diamond mines, which were not distributed outside, Castle Cream had an abundance of practice materials.

During Constantine’s absence, Yuri, not Yolly, helped her a lot.

Actually, saying he helped might not be accurate.

It would be more correct to say that she listened to Yuri’s extensive advice.

Over time, Yuri had become even more knowledgeable about Arlesian, achieving remarkable accomplishments.

The more she learned, the more amazed she was.

It was thrilling and wonderful to have someone to have in-depth conversations with about Arlesian, and it was even better that this person was Yuri.

As a result, she delved deeper and deeper, experimenting with various things and creating new Guardian Spirit items.

The more she did, the more she achieved. Thanks to this, she was able to prepare a pretty decent wedding gift.

“I put a lot of effort into the wedding gift. I hope you like it.”

“Oh, anything from Saena would be wonderful.”

She had put a lot of effort into it and enjoyed the process of preparing it, so it was quite meaningful to her.

It was a piece of jewelry crafted using Saena’s purification ability.

It could change color to indicate the presence of toxins or harmful substances in the environment.

She had created something similar before, but it required direct contact with the contaminated food to detect it. This new piece could detect harmful substances just by being worn.

However, neither Sage nor Kirsten lived in a world where they constantly had to worry about poisoning, so while it was an interesting feature, it might not have much practical use.

‘Still, it’s a jewel…’

She had put a lot of effort into the design to make it a satisfying piece of jewelry, so it wouldn’t be a bad gift.

Saena thought so.

However, contrary to her thoughts, it was actually an incredible feature.

In families with complicated lineages, poisonings were surprisingly common, though they were often hushed up. For most nobles, it would be a treasure worth millions.

In any case, this would later become a family heirloom passed down to the Countesses of the Debov family, but that was a story for another time.

“Congratulations! Please take care of my somewhat lacking brother.”

“Saya? What’s lacking about this brother of yours!”

Sage looked shocked and betrayed by Saena’s comment.

Regardless, they looked happy and suited each other well.

Suddenly, Saena remembered the conversation she had with Yuri when she heard about Sage and Kirsten’s wedding.

‘Really unexpected… This didn’t happen in the past.’

‘That’s true.’

Suddenly, she recalled that she had never seen Sage get married in the past.

‘Did brother get married in the past?’

‘Sure. The next Count couldn’t live alone, could he?’

‘…Who was his wife, then?’

It seemed that the connection with Kirsten was probably due to Saena, but if there had been a different connection originally…

‘It’s fine. The wife back then was very obedient and gentle, but neither of them seemed particularly happy.’

Perhaps it was because that era was dark, but in such times, some couples might have relied on and loved each other even more.

But that wasn’t the case for them.

‘So, maybe a more proactive woman like this would be better for Brother.’

He seems to like her quite a bit, Yuri added.

‘Ah, then that’s a relief…’

Back then, Sage had hurriedly gotten married around the time the Debov family began to face dark times. That family was known for hiring many mercenaries, so they tried to improve their situation through their marriage, but in the end, it didn’t help much.

They were even extorted for a lot of money.

Later, when the Kramer Knights were stationed, the situation improved, but the Countess was still harassed with various demands. Sage managed to cut it off at a reasonable point, he heard.

The Countess became even more quiet after that, and when Yuri occasionally visited Delvon, the silence between them was palpable.

But Yuri didn’t bother to tell Saena all these details.

It wasn’t a particularly good story, and explaining it would require saying something positive about the Duke of Kramer, which annoyed him.

Without knowing what Yuri was thinking, Saena simply asked, “Will they be happy together?” It wasn’t really a question that required an answer.

‘The Ackroyd family has always been good at handling crises. They seem to be a good match.’

Still, Yuri responded.

Exactly who in the Ackroyd family was good at handling crises, Saena didn’t know, but having such a person in the family was a great asset.

Moreover, since they were neighbors, the conditions were very good, he added.

Saena nodded in agreement.

Even without that, they seemed to like each other a lot, so there was no need to overthink it.

‘Sage seems a bit subdued, but the Debov family has a history of caring husbands and wives…’

So what? Yuri chuckled.

However…

“Are you mad at Saya right now?”

“No… Saya is my sister…”

“Ha, you’re even bragging about your blood relation in front of me?”

“……”

The scene unfolding before her eyes was exactly as Yuri had described, and Saena couldn’t help but laugh.

“…You should also greet the others, Kiki.”

“Hmm. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“..….”

Watching this, Saena suppressed her laughter and said to Sage, 

“Brother, I really congratulate you. Live well.”

“Ah, yeah. Thanks.”

Sage scratched his head, not quite sure what he needed to be careful about, and moved on to greet others.

* * *

A week-long wedding celebration.

Sage and Kirsten had planned the longest possible celebration.

During the celebration period, they had to provide accommodations, servants, and all the necessities for social activities for the guests, which required a significant amount of resources.

Therefore, most celebrations lasted about three days (any less would invite ridicule), and families with some financial means or a certain title would plan for five days.

However, the Debov family was known for its wealth, and the Ackroyd family was certainly not poor. Both sides agreed without much discussion to a week-long celebration.

Not only was the celebration a week long, but everything provided was of the highest quality.

Moreover, with the extensive connections of the bride and groom, many high-ranking nobles were in attendance.

Thanks to this, the guests enjoyed the highest-quality treatment and a variety of social activities, their faces beaming with joy throughout the week.

The Duke and Duchess of Kramer decided to stay at the Ackroyd townhouse rather than returning to their own residence. (It was decided to hold the celebration here because the Ackroyd townhouse in the Imperial Capital was larger.)

Taking the opportunity to gather with family and friends, they decided to stay together and catch up.

Just like Saena and Constantine, Kirsten was often absent during the week-long celebration, with Sage occasionally coming down to greet the guests and then returning upstairs.

People teased Sage about overworking the bride and even suggested that he should share some of his energy with the bride, offering him drinks.

Watching Sage laugh and accept the drinks, Saena felt a bit embarrassed. She imagined her own wedding must have been similar.

While Saena spent time with her friends, Constantine mostly spent time with Duke Aberdeen. It didn’t seem like a particularly appealing choice, but he seemed to want to avoid interrupting his wife’s time with friends.

Feeling happy but also getting drunk quickly and feeling tired lately, Saena was trying to limit her alcohol intake. She would occasionally take a sip or two to quench her thirst.

On the fourth night of the celebration, Saena was unusually tired and sleepy, so she left early.

Everyone was disappointed, but seeing the heavy bags under her eyes, they let her go, insisting she stay longer the next day.

After agreeing, she headed back to the room assigned to the Duke and Duchess of Kramer.

Yawning and half-asleep, Saena stumbled and was startled by a shadow that suddenly loomed in her blurred vision.

In an instant, Yuri appeared and picked her up.

“…Yuri?”