The decision of Iela Lorid’s marriage came about through an unexpected incident.

“…Are you trying to send your father to prison? Pay no mind to the empty rumors spread by gossips. No matter what anyone says, the other party is a lord. How easy do you think it is for commoners like us to form ties with a nobleman of that standing?”

In an elaborately decorated study, Iela received the sudden news of her marriage.

“I’m not sure what misunderstanding you’re under, but he specifically chose you. Since things have come to this, it’s about time you learned to tame that temper of yours and be obedient.”

The man, Phillip Lorid, twirled the mustache he had no doubt convinced himself was quite distinguished, and glanced at his daughter’s expression.

Even at news that would turn her entire life upside down, Iela’s face showed no particular reaction.

She was recalling the unsavory deeds of Phillip Lorid that she had uncovered through a maid. The fact that she herself had ended up on the chopping block as a result was something she would deal with later.

For now, her priority was figuring out how to bruise the ego of the man currently putting on airs.

Iela Lorid was the type who never missed an opportunity to watch someone she disliked expose their true nature, and so she effortlessly set aside the life-changing turning point that lay ahead.

“If your father ends up in prison, do you think your own situation will be any better? Being born a woman means you’ll get married sooner or later. Consider it becoming a noblewoman thanks to me, and accept it with gratitude.”

Having finished speaking, Phillip Lorid twirled his mustache. He waited for the daughter sitting across from him to bombard him with questions, but only a heavy silence stretched on.

When Iela finally opened her mouth, she amplified his anticipation with a wide yawn, then fell silent again.

Right, when a person does something they don’t normally do, suspicion is always the right first response, she thought to herself, her inner thoughts as sharp as ever.

“A full-grown adult who can’t even steal properly and gets caught on top of it. I don’t know what to say.”

Iela spoke in a tone laced with amusement, having waited for just the right moment. Yet there was not a trace of a smile on her face, making it plainly obvious that the lightness in her voice was entirely deliberate, meant to provoke Phillip Lorid.

“It seems the lord is in quite a hurry as well. He said he would send a carriage to take you away first thing tomorrow.”

Feigning ignorance of Iela’s insolent manner of speaking, Phillip Lorid continued conveying the situation.

She was a daughter with not a single quality he found pleasing. Neither in appearance nor in character did she resemble the eldest, Diana, who was flawless in both, as though the two were complete strangers.

“And on top of that, he expects me to clean up the mess. Surely he wasn’t genuinely expecting my gratitude. Not every nobleman is worth the title. What woman in her right mind would want to marry the lord of Valita?”

Iela smiled brightly, and he clicked his tongue loudly. Where on earth had this peculiar creature come from? Even his late wife had been a docile sort.

Phillip Lorid found it puzzling without once reflecting on himself.

Sunken into a plush chair with one knee drawn up and her chin resting on it, Iela continued.

“A man no one wants usually tries to win someone over by flaunting enormous wealth. It seems our lord doesn’t even have that kind of spirit.”

She glanced out the window for a moment, shrugged, then looked back at Phillip Lorid.

“And the best courtship he can manage is robbing a thief. That’s not even tempting enough to fool a grandmother on her deathbed. Thinking about it that way, wasn’t Phillip Lorid far too easy a mark? Even if it was to avoid punishment, you agreed to hand over your precious daughter to such a suspicious man? I’m worried about the future of Lorid Trading.”

Iela spoke, recalling the crime of Phillip Lorid that the maid had relayed to her. This man, who earned quite well for a commoner yet harbored endless greed, had brazenly snuck into an annex of the lord’s castle.

It seemed he had deliberately chosen the annex, perhaps thinking that breaking into the main castle would cause too much trouble, which only made him all the more pathetic.

If he had already resolved to become a thief, he should have aimed for something big. Because he had gone in with a half-hearted attitude, what he had stolen was also entirely trivial.

At Iela’s mockery, Phillip Lorid opened the window to suppress his anger. A biting wind rushed in and sent a neatly stacked pile of documents flying to the floor.

Valita was a region known for its brutal weather, with snow falling throughout the year. It was not uncommon for outsiders who came to challenge the cold to end up returning as frozen corpses.

Yet the first thing that came to mind when speaking of Valita’s most notable feature was not the dreadful weather, but rather the lord who never showed his face.

“You’ll have to pay back the cost of being fed and clothed.”

He muttered it fiercely enough to sound threatening, but Iela already looked thoroughly uninterested.

Phillip Lorid pressed his fingers firmly against his throbbing temple.

“A merchant must always make rational and reasonable judgments, isn’t that right?”

Iela asked. It was the sermon Phillip Lorid would self-importantly recite every time he closed a successful deal.

“Have you personally met the other party in this marriage?”

Phillip Lorid lifted his teacup and brought it to his lips. The tea that had been poured before Iela arrived had barely enough left to wet his lips.

“I’ve heard that nobles draw up prenuptial contracts. Did you sign on his behalf as a proxy? Ah, I suppose not yet, since I would be the one to sign. Still, as the bride’s birth father, you must have expressed your consent to the marriage. I’m curious what words the lord used to propose. Please, do tell me.”

‘That wretched, good-for-nothing girl.’ Phillip Lorid shook the bell.

He may have been wealthier than his neighbors, but his status was nothing more than that of a commoner. It was rare for a commoner to go so far as to use a call bell even when they had a maid to summon.

Phillip Lorid, convinced he was different from everyone else and that he could not simply call for a maid himself, had the bell custom-made. The cost of making it exceeded the wages he paid the maid.

“Bring tea. Jasmine.”

Thanks to Iela getting ahead of him, he ended up ringing the bell on his daughter’s behalf. The maid returned shortly, set a teacup in front of Iela, and withdrew.

Calling the maid back after she had already left would have been far too undignified.

“I’m still waiting.”

Phillip Lorid tipped the remaining tea into his mouth in one go.

“I haven’t met him.”

“You haven’t met him.”

The mocking lilt in her voice grated on Phillip Lorid’s nerves.

“It was a proposal from a proxy. Nobles commonly make use of proxies. Sensitive matters like marriage arrangements are especially handled through intermediaries. They are not people who stand in for just anyone.”

His mouth tasted bitter. Having his shortcomings laid bare in front of a daughter he was not particularly fond of was unpleasantly parching.

“Have you yourself never met the lord? Have you not encountered any strangers recently? He was likely in disguise.”

“Let me think. The only old men I’ve met recently are Grandfather George and Grandfather Walter. Diana kept pestering me to go visit them while they were ill.”

Iela savored the jasmine fragrance without actually bringing the cup to her lips. It was amusing to watch the thirsty Phillip Lorid longingly eye her teacup.

“Even trying my best to see the bright side, I can’t bring myself to hope the lord is anywhere near my age.”

The fingers that had been nervously clinking against the teacup finally knocked it over onto its side.

“How old might he be? I doubt he’s younger than forty. Fifty? Sixty? Perhaps even past seventy. Maybe he’s around the same age as Grandfather George.”

The pale, barely steeped tea trickled along the table and dripped to the floor.

“I’m twenty-three, so the lord is getting quite a young bride.”

“An age gap like that is perfectly ordinary in marriages among nobles.”

“I’m still a commoner. Until I take my vows, the man called Phillip Lorid is nothing more than a merchant. I can’t speak to the rationality and reason you claim to possess, but I can say with certainty that honesty and conscience are not among your qualities.”

“You wretched girl!”

Phillip Lorid finally raised his voice.

“If you act that impudently in front of nobles, you’ll end up with your head cut off.”

“If my head gets cut off and the Lorid family remains commoners forever, that sounds like quite a profitable trade for me.”

She set the empty teacup upright with a small thud.

“Good night.”

She left a dry good-night behind and walked out of the study. She had kept a cold expression throughout, but in truth, Iela was not all that angry.

To be precise, she had been angry, but watching Phillip Lorid clutch the back of his neck and pretend to collapse had relieved some of her frustration.

As he had said, marriage was something that would happen sooner or later. Whether it was to a man who had not shown his face in over a hundred years, or to some ordinary old man of around eighty, it made little difference to Iela.

“Diana would be horrified if she found out.”

Diana, three years older than Iela, had been bedridden with a cold since the day before. Phillip Lorid was quite fond of his eldest daughter, who was beautiful and, unlike Iela, had no rough edges.

He had even called for a doctor to examine her. His concern over whether her face might be marred by the cold, or whether her songbird voice might grow hoarse, resembled less a father’s worry and more a merchant fretting over a high-value piece of merchandise.

“Diana, I’m coming in.”

Iela swung the door open without knocking. Diana, who had been sleeping soundly with a water pouch resting on her forehead, opened her eyes drowsily.

“Iela?”

“Yes, it’s Iela.”

“It’s long past bedtime. Why are you still up?”

She pressed herself against the wall, made room on one side of the bed, and pulled back the covers.

“You’ve been walking around barefoot again. Come in here and warm up.”

“I don’t want to catch your cold.”

Iela flatly refused the affectionate gesture. Diana, well accustomed to her younger sister’s blunt ways, let it go without a second thought.

“Oh, right. Father called you to the study, didn’t he? The maid who brought my medicine mentioned it, but I had forgotten.”

Diana asked with hazy eyes, drowsy from the medicine. Knowing full well that her sister, suffering from a cold, wanted to fall asleep as soon as possible, Iela sat down in front of the vanity regardless.

“The medicine hasn’t worn off yet, so I’m a little sleepy. I might fall asleep while you’re talking, but if that’s alright, will you tell me? I’d be even more grateful if you could give me a short summary.”

“Short?”

Iela thought for a moment, then spoke.

“I’m getting married.”

“…What?”

“The lord says he wants to marry me.”

Diana pushed the water pouch off onto the nightstand.