Iris, looking at Celestine's expression that appeared as if she wanted to call her big sister, thought she was sincere and not trying to bully her.
Perhaps the reason why she had wanted her to sit at the seat of honor was because she really thought she was the main character, and the reason why she wanted her to speak was because she really wanted to hear her voice.
With a stringent expression as to not let her guard down, she spoke.
"Yes, that's fine. You can call me big sister."
As if Celestine's puppy-like expression was a lie, she returned to her cold expressionless face.
Showing the air of 'I can't believe you married my older brother!' she asked.
"Why did you marry someone like my brother?"
"Be quiet, brother. I'm talking to my big sister."
"Let's just have dinner..."
"Who said you couldn't? Tell the servants to serve dinner. Right, we can talk while we eat. Big sister, why did you marry someone like my brother?"
Iris knew how hard Keivrand had worked in her previous life and how he had died bitterly.
Even though they had only met once in her previous life, she couldn't forget the kindness he had shown her.
She thought with him her life this time would be different.
Also, his final moments. She wanted to make it not to be so cruel or bitter.
But she couldn't tell Celestine the truth.
Keivrand was observing her with interest, wondering what she was going to say.
Iris said, staring straight at Keivrand.
"His pupils that are like the clouds in the sky. His full eyebrows that are like a painting. The chiseled jawline that looks like it was sculpted. His laugh that sounds the breeze..."
Iris listed the things that she thought were good as she looked at Keivrand.
While she continued, somehow the smile disappeared from Keivrand's mouth, and his eyes began to shake.
Were her eyes playing tricks on her?
Keivrand's ears looked red.
She concluded her speech when she saw him stealthily raise his hand to cover his face.
"I really like those things. Like I've been searching for him my whole life."
When she looked back at Celestine, Celestine's eyes were facing Keivrand, not her.
Celestine looked as if she was about to throw up, and so did Nathan.
Iris couldn't see why they had such looks on their faces.
Did I say something wrong?
"Ah, yeah...Uh...Yeah...I see...Well, big sister, yes. Uh, um. People have different eyes and tastes. Okay, that's right. Of course, that could be so."
Celestine, having regained her composure, smiled as if she was teasing Keivrand.
"Good for you, brother. Clouds in the sky, painted eyebrows, sculpted jaw..."
Nathan interrupted Celestine.
"Ah, sorry. I'll stop. With the meal in front of us, I was a bit mean. Fine."
Iris rolled her eyes when she saw their illogical reactions.
She made eye contact with Keivrand and whispered so only he could hear.
"Did I say something wrong?"
Keivrand smiled and gently raised his thumb below the table.
Celestine, who didn't miss the action, shouted.
"What's that, a thumbs up? Oh, is that it? You forced her to answer like that, didn't you? You made her memorize it, didn't you?"
Nathan exclaimed as if he understood.
"Wow, you're out of your mind. To have your wife memorize a speech praising you...Wow, that's disgusting."
That wasn't it. Iris tried to explain, but Keivrand gave her a wink.
"Leave it alone. It's okay."
For a while, Celestine talked about how horrible and unattractive it was for a man to make his wife praise him. Meanwhile Nathan earnestly praised Celestine's language more than ever.
As Keivrand started eating the soup like the conservation had nothing to do with him, Iris also picked up a spoon.
She thought she wouldn't be able to eat dinner properly tonight, but that wasn't the case.
Celestine's attitude towards her was completely different from the 'husband's family' she was accustomed to.
On the contrary, she even thought that Celestine liked her.
For the first time she realized that it was possible to be comfortable around the 'husband's family.'
And that there could be a family like this.
Celestine, like Jillian, was different on the outside and inside, but in a good way.
She could tell the cold expression Celestine had when she wasn't talking was just her normal expression and not because she was angry.
Celestine broke the silence after having eaten silently for a while.
"No matter how small the wedding was. How could you not invite your family? Who did you invite? Was it a wedding just with you two?"
"...There wasn't a wedding."
Celestine gave Keivrand a puzzled look.
The knife that was cutting the big steak stopped in the air.
Keivrand, worried that the knife might fly into his neck, fixed his eyes on the knife and softly answered.
"We've only reported our marriage."
Celestine looked back at Iris with eyes asking if it was true.
Celestine jumped up, putting down the knife and fork violently.
Keivrand narrowed his eyebrows.
"Hey, your table manners for goodness' sake..."
"You're the one without manners! How can you just register your marriage without a wedding?"
"It's not something to get worked up over, Celestine."
"This is a serious matter, fatty dog."
Iris didn't know he had the nickname fatty dog.
She almost burst into laughter, but managed to hold it in.
"Weddings are a very important matter to a woman. You can't skip it."
Keivrand and Nathan looked back at Iris wondering if it was true.
"Don't keep looking at my big sister! Because brother looks like that. Maybe she couldn't tell you to have a wedding."
"No, Cel. I don't need a wedding or anything."
"Big sister. You can't do that."
Celestine was determined.
"There are a lot of women in the world who have unique tastes and very low standards. Oh, I'm not saying that you're like that, big sister. Anyway, there are countless women like that, so my brother is very popular."
It was only then that Iris knew what Celestine wanted to say.
"There are women who are jealous, and they'll talk about how big sister didn't even have a wedding."
"Ah, to be honest, brother. You've been a Count for a few years now and should've taken that into account. What if big sister finds out that your head is just for decoration?"
Keivrand Green, the guardian of the sacred relics, was highly honored, so even nobles of high status didn't talk to him carelessly.
As such, Iris didn't know this was how he was treated at home.
Head just for decoration.
Celestine, who had been talking about how Keivrand's head was just useless decoration, looked back at Iris.
"Leave it to me, big sister."
Celestine smiled brightly.
The smile that Iris had never seen in her previous life.
While thinking that it was truly dazzling, Celestine replied.
"The wedding preparation for Iris, the flower among flowers, and fatty dog."
It wasn't until after dinner that Keivrand was able to have a private meeting with Celestine.
After being called to Keivrand's room, Celestine sat on the sofa and stuck her legs on the table as she looked at him.
"Cel. When you first met Iris, you were rude."
"What would your new big sister think of me?"
"Well. Maybe she'll run away knowing that your head is an ornament."
"...Cel, stop calling me fatty dog in front of Iris."
"Well, what's wrong with that? She wouldn't think that you're a beastman just because I call you that."
Keivrand hadn't told Celestine that Iris already knew he was a beastman.
Because if she knew that, she might become wary of Iris.
"That's not the problem."
"Oh, just in case she finds out that you were fat when you were a kid?"
Like talking to a wall, Keivrand sighed softly.
Such a thing happened for a while.
Keivrand was able to transform from the moment he was born.
He didn't think it was strange, and it wasn't until he had grown a little older that he found out that beastmen were ostracized and killed if they were caught.
The fact that he was an existence rejected by the world, he felt a sense of frustration and despair.
Because of that, he didn't leave the house and stayed in his wolf form, saying he wasn't human, as he continued to eat and sleep.
Naturally, he grew up like that, and his siblings, no, Celestine in particular, teased him.
She had no ill will, rather, it was an affectionate tease, but he didn't think so when he was young.
There was a time when he thought, 'Yes, a fat dog should die. What's the point of living?'
"It's okay, brother. You were cuter when you were a fat dog. Round, rolling around..."
"It wasn't to that extent."
Keivrand said with a growl, but Celestine didn't care at all.
"It'll take about a month at most to prepare for the wedding. It can't be helped because there are only men in this mansion. There are a lot of things to send people here and there to buy. I have to call in the laborers."
"How can a girl who doesn't even go to tea parties accomplish all this?"
"Although that's true, I have a good eye. I'll also get help from my friends who love this kind of thing."
Keivrand was admonishing himself.
Because he wasn't interested in socializing, he didn't think about what Iris would hear from other ladies for not having a wedding.
"Hey, brother. You're all grown up. You're determined to go broke for a woman."
"No, I don't want to be broke...!"
Realizing that Celestine had taken his words seriously, Keivrand tried to stop her, but she had already left the room.
A few days after Celestine had declared she would make Keivrand go broke, a man came from the Divine Kingdom.
It was to conduct an investigation into Countess Green's past affairs.
1. Please report any typos, grammatical/spelling errors, sentences you find weird, and other etc...in the comment section or DM me on Discord at Yasi#9824.