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“Ekaterina, aren’t you tired? You should rest a little.”
“No, Onii-sama. I’m quite fine.”

Truth be told, I am a bit tired.
How many people did I greet today? The total number of banquet attendees was over two thousand, I believe… Ah, thinking about it makes me dizzy, so I’ll stop.
Well, obviously I couldn’t talk to everyone. The greetings just keep coming.

But I’ve learned the hard way that straying from you only makes me more exhausted, Onii-sama.
You’ve been so considerate, urging me to sit and rest as soon as I finished greeting the most important members of the duchy.
The moment I leave your side, I’m instantly surrounded! By men!
And they ask me to dance. From all directions.

Well, I guess that makes sense. I mean, I’m the sister of the host family, or rather, the lord himself. Courtesy visits are mandatory, right? There must be some unwritten rule about not letting the duke’s sister be a wallflower.
Since I’m actually inexperienced in dancing, I was desperately trying to refuse them. Maybe I should have just accepted an invitation and danced, but I’d probably be exposed as a fake. Plus, how should I choose partners… I should probably follow the hierarchy, but when they all swarm over like that, it’s hard to tell who’s the highest-ranking among them.

Either way, I was just smiling and trying to get through it when Onii-sama came to rescue me right away. Thank you. He really is a siscon.
I was completely surrounded by men, but the moment Onii-sama returned, the crowd parted cleanly down the middle. As soon as he stood behind me, every single man scattered to the sides just from his presence alone. Something like a heat haze seemed to rise from him.
But when our eyes met, he smiled gently and led me out of the encirclement.
Onii-sama really is the most wonderful person in the world.

And what’s amazing about Onii-sama is how he knows nearly everyone gathered at the banquet.
He always asks those who come to greet him something—about their domain, their business, their family or ancestors. Unlike me, he’s known them since childhood, and he probably studied up again for this day, but still—two thousand people. It’s incredible he has them all firmly in his mind.
No wonder the men are intimidated. He knows exactly who everyone is and where they’re from.

But even Onii-sama has blind spots, you see. I spotted one.

“Onii-sama, aren’t you tired? The duties of a lord are important, but please give your mind some rest. How about dancing with one of the young ladies?”

I tried to phrase it as delicately as possible.
My Onii-sama, you are… extremely dense! About the affection people have for you!
I’ve wondered if you’re actually popular at the Magic Academy too, but here in the duchy, you’re undeniably the object of everyone’s admiration. The young ladies desperately stare at you, hoping you’ll dance with them, and when they don’t get a response, they end up on the verge of tears. It happens all the time.

I may be a big brocon myself, but my motto is ‘Absolutely No In-Law Bullying,’ so I swear I won’t interfere with your love life! So please don’t hold back with me—why not pay the young ladies a little more attention? I feel bad for them.
Even now, if you glance around, you’ll see the young ladies hurriedly averting their eyes. They’re all watching you. Every time you smile and speak to me, I swear I hear muffled gasps like stifled screams.
Huh? This feels strangely similar to the atmosphere at the magic academy when we saw our exam rankings.

Aleksei chuckled softly.

“I’m not tired at all. On the contrary, this is the first time I’ve ever enjoyed a banquet so much.”

He took Ekaterina’s hand, gently cupping her delicate hand—far smaller than his own—in both of his.

“Everyone is mesmerized by your beauty, filled with admiration. That someone as beautiful as you is by my side, caring for me so tenderly… How incredibly comforting and happy this makes me. My dear Ekaterina. Wherever I am, whatever I do, if you are by my side, that moment is pure joy for me.”
“Oh, Onii-sama.”

Alright, understood! Let’s be a sibling complex pair and stay together happily!
Sorry, ladies who were squealing. I’ve completely lost any desire to have Onii-sama dance with other young ladies. Sorry for being a sister with a brother complex.

…But I know we can only stay like this for a little while longer.
After all, you shouldn’t be looking for a marriage partner in the domain. You should be looking for one at the Magic Academy. So even if you dance with someone, you’d just be giving them false hope.
And Onii-sama understands that too.

.

“The fireworks will be launched shortly. They’re part of the banquet entertainment, but also signal the midpoint of the feast. Once the fireworks end, guests will start leaving. When that happens, you may excuse yourself anytime.”
“Yes, Onii-sama. Thank you for your consideration.”

At an event of this scale, guests don’t all arrive and depart precisely on time. If everyone arrived or left simultaneously, the carriage traffic would be disastrous. Therefore, by unspoken agreement, people arrive earlier or later, and stagger their departure times.

Around the midpoint of the banquet, attendance peaks.
Fireworks then go off, everyone enjoys them, and once they end, those who arrived early—not necessarily the first to arrive, but those who came ahead of schedule or who are elderly and wish to leave sooner—begin departing. That’s how it’s arranged. It’s not so much an arrangement as it is simply how things naturally unfold.

Even at this hour, some still waited their turn to greet the hosts, and the siblings’ conversation slipped in between these exchanges. That said, they’d already met the main figures.

“But if you’ll permit it, I’d like to stay with you a little longer. Simply being with you brings me such joy and happiness.”
“Your words are kind. But don’t overdo it.”

Aleksei spoke gently, but when he saw the next person stepping forward to greet him, a cold light flickered in his neon-blue eyes.

“Your Grace, my apologies for my tardiness.”
“Novadin.”

Novadin, who appeared escorting his daughter Kira, bowed without seeming to notice Aleksei’s icy tone.
Father and daughter were dressed extravagantly once again today. Kira, in particular, was adorned with jewels to the point of being slightly overdone. For a moment, her eyes seemed to flash as they glanced at the lavish heirloom necklace sparkling on Ekaterina’s chest.

“I regret that my foolish wife appeared to be discourteous earlier.”

Novadin bowed his head once more, but quickly raised his face with a cheerful expression.

“However, I must confess I was relieved to hear your words. It seems you, too, believe we should follow the teachings of our predecessors.”

Ekaterina frowned involuntarily. What is this guy trying to say?
As if answering Ekaterina’s question, Novadin slipped his hand into the inner pocket of his coat.

“Everyone, look!”

Proclaiming loudly, he held up a sealed letter. It was written on high-quality paper, clearly important at a glance.

“On this auspicious day, I bring wonderful news to all gathered here. The engagement of His Grace Duke Aleksei of Jurnova and my daughter, Kira!”

The grand hall erupted in a loud murmur at the sudden declaration. Rivaling the noise, Novadin raised his voice.

“The late Duke Aleksandr cherished Kira deeply and, during his lifetime, arranged her betrothal to his son. This is the document designating Kira as His Highness’s fiancée. It bears Duke Aleksandr’s signature and seal, along with Her Highness Aleksandra’s signature and seal. It is a splendid match, blessed even by Princess Aleksandra herself! Everyone, please offer your blessings!”

Amidst the growing murmurs, Kira, her face radiant with a brilliant smile, eagerly approached Aleksei.
But Aleksei paid Keira no mind whatsoever, gently placing his arm around his sister’s shoulder.