Chapter 18

“I am Marianne Button.”

“. . .”

I could see a glint of sadness in Orion’s eyes when he gazed at me— his supposed sister, who still used Button as her last name.

“The young man and woman are truly beautiful . . .”

“They’re too young. I believe they should keep their distance from each other.”

Orion cut in, interrupting the Bishop’s words.

He looked at Bertin while speaking clearly.

“Isn’t this the time where you must work hard training in the drill hall as a paladin?”

“One of my duties is to aid the bishop and to stay by his side.”

“Then you can just protect Sir Bishop.”

Orion stood in front of me.

I blinked, looking at the back that completely blocked my sight.

When the Bishop took one step to the side to talk with me, Orion shifted his body as well, continuing to block me.

“. . .”

“Thank you for your congratulatory speech. See you later.”

Hey, I still haven’t given my greetings.

Orion was kicking out a bishop who had been dispatched by the courtesy of the Vatican.

If this is also an act to protect his neutrality, how incredible it would be.

Eventually, when the Bishop had given up his conversation with me and left to check on the banquet, Orion volunteered to take me to the changing room.

While walking down a quiet aisle, he started a conversation.

“The wedding ended safely.”

“Yeah.”

When I slightly turned my head at the repeated fake cough, Orion was looking at me with a bright red face.

“Now, then . . .”

His voice oddly trembled with excitement.

“Now that they’ve married and become a family . . .”

He looked at me with his sparkling blue eyes.

I was reflected on the very blue eyes as though they were glass beads.

I was a bit taken aback at the childish eyes that were filled with expectation.

Then, when he opened his mouth, I was truly at a loss for words.

“Try to call me oppa.”

“. . .”

“It is Orion oppa.”

As if all the boring wedding moments existed for this moment alone, he pressured me with his face that was filled with expectation.

Seeing my expression, he made a slight compromise in a few minutes.

“Yeah, it can still be awkward. If oppa is hard, you can start by calling me orabeoni.” (T/N: orabeoni is an archaic version of oppa.)

“. . .”

“I can wait.”

Why would you wait?

What was it that you were waiting for?

I turned my head, pretending to not hear him and quickly spoke.

“Thank you for taking me here.”

“No problem. It was my duty as orabeoni to escort my little sister.”

“. . .”

Some of his words were over emphasized, weren’t they?

I quickly escaped to the dressing room to avoid his sparkling eyes.

Then I asked the maid who was bringing my already prepared dress,

“Where is the emergency exit?”

I seriously wanted to escape from here.

* * *

Fortunately, after I changed my dress, I couldn’t see the owner of those blue eyes. The one who was pressing me to call him oppa in front of the door.

Instead, Raynia greeted me as she linked our arms, now in a different dress.

“How long are you going to be at the banquet?”

“I will just greet them before leaving.”

“I’m glad. I hate the sound of nobles faking their laughter.”

“I know. But it’s a relief you’re here with me.”

I knew that the reason Raynia— who rarely even attended local salons or small meetings— came here and stayed until the banquet was for me.

When I expressed my sincere thanks to my reliable friend, Raynia nodded her head lightly.

“The people called nobles are sophisticated thugs and that’s why it will be difficult for you to face them. I have no choice but to help you.”

“But you are also a noble.”

“What I mean is that group of arrogant people with middle names since they were born.”

Raynia’s mutterings continued.

It wasn’t easy for rising nobles formerly of the merchant class to set foot in noble society.

The slander, contempt and disregard for her origin must have played a major role in Raynia’s cynicism.

When I tapped lightly on our linked hands, she smiled sweetly.

“How happy I am that my friend lives under the same roof as the high ranking nobles. It’s the end of those who dare to pick on me.”

“. . .”

“We’re perfect now. I have money and you have a high status.”

“Rany, you didn’t become my friend because of my status.”

Raynia said proudly while smiling,

“Even so, it’s good to have authority.”

While I was speechless for a moment at my friend’s overly realistic words, someone slowly approached us from the opposite end of the hall.

Raynia’s grip became a little stronger.

The hallway was covered by a curtain and was dark, but the silvery hair that gleamed was quite apparent.

He smiled with a gentle face.

“Lady Button and Lady Rocke, should I be polite?”

“Ha!”

Raynia was trembling with anger.

I tapped her shoulder. Her expression was as though she was directly facing a nightmare.

Bertin only laughed as he watched Raynia shake in that manner.

Because I could see that the two would surely bicker if I said nothing, I opened the conversation.

“I never expected that you would come.”

“I know that Duke Miller is expressing neutrality, but he also possesses strong military power. I meant to look good in his eyes, though it is difficult to appease him.”

“You should do nothing but pray if you’re even coming here. Why are you doing political things?”

Bertin smiled bitterly at Rany’s words. He pretended not to hear her as he changed the conversation.

“By the way, Zen will be really pissed.”

“Hmm . . .”

I had thought it wasn’t that important, but looking at the guests who came to the wedding, my thoughts changed.

Indeed, marrying a ‘Duke’ was a bit different than the past marriage.

When I finally realized that this situation was more dangerous than I had initially anticipated, Bertin’s words pierced me even more.

I was now beginning to worry about Zen’s reaction.

“For now, I just want to safely finish today’s banquet before returning home.”

“I’ll escort you, Ladies.”

He courteously lowered his body while showing a gentle yet polite smile, then stood behind the two of us.

When we entered the banquet hall, I felt attention gathering at my back.

I turned my head to avoid the ladies’ shocked bunny eyes and met Orion’s eyes instead. they were even wider than those of the young ladies.

Did something happen?

Why were his eyes that wet?

Orion’s eyes were filled with moistness.