I had gone to meet Lord Kernes intending to ask him to decline the marriage proposal, yet somehow, I ended up marrying him.
Both families, relieved that the long-delayed match had finally been arranged, moved forward hastily—perhaps out of fear that either of us might change our minds. To my surprise, the wedding was scheduled just five days after my first meeting with Lord Kernes. Isn’t that a bit too quick?
On the wedding day, I met Lord Kernes’ older brother and his wife, as well as their young son.
Frank, my new brother-in-law, bore a strong resemblance to Lord Kernes, though his demeanor was gentler.
My new sister-in-law, Diana, was a striking beauty with long, velvet-like black hair and aquamarine eyes. I learned that Lord Kernes, Frank, and Diana had been childhood friends.
Their son, Utrecht, was six years old and had inherited his father’s facial features, while his hair and eye color came from his mother. He glanced at me shyly, which I found utterly endearing.
“I am Kratis. It is a pleasure to meet you all. I look forward to your kind regard,” I said, introducing myself.
“The pleasure is ours. Thank you for marrying my foolish younger brother! We were so worried he’d stay single forever,” Frank said with a warm smile, tears of relief welling up in his eyes.
“Don’t cry here; it’s embarrassing,” Lord Kernes remarked, looking exasperated.
“Let me cry! I’m happy!” Frank retorted, laughing through his tears.
“There are many things that only women can discuss. Don’t hesitate to talk to me about anything,” Diana added, soothing Frank while kindly addressing me.
“Thank you for your thoughtfulness,” I replied.
It seemed that Lord Kernes and his brother shared a close bond, and my sister-in-law appeared to be a kind person—what a relief.
“Utrecht, I hope we can get along well,” I said, kneeling to greet the little boy.
“Yes, Lady Kratis,” he replied shyly, with a smile that could melt anyone’s heart.
What a little angel!
But then there was the issue of my father-in-law. Even at the formal meeting between our families, he had given off an air of arrogance.
His physique was… self-assertive, to put it politely. He ate too much, clearly.
Even during our earlier introductions, his responses were limited to curt grunts like “Hmm” or “Ah,” showing no interest in proper conversation.
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