Dear Ex-Fiancé, I Hope You Regret Everything - Chapter 13

It’s a lie.

Haira Kingdom, which should take three days to reach by sea from my homeland, Isac.

(Yet what spreads before my eyes is a southern landscape characteristic of Haira—endlessly blue skies and white sandy beaches stretching as far as the eye can see)

Lord Skyford, having disembarked at the port gallantly with the southern wind at his back, extended his hand to me as my feet got caught in the unfamiliar sand.

“You look like you can’t believe it. …But I thought you might be wondering about it. That Skyford seems quite close with the royal family of your homeland, Isac. That we appear to be meeting quite frequently.”

Though I’d worn low-heeled shoes thinking the long sea voyage might be tiring, that worry proved unnecessary. If anything, I was just glad I wasn’t wearing high heels for walking on the sand.

Having heard sea voyages were exhausting, I’d brought plenty of preparations, but none of them were needed at all.

“Well, that’s what I mean. If this weren’t an official visit like now, we’d be going directly to the royal castle via spatial magic. They tell me to properly enter through the gates, but I always argue with Trad about that, saying it would give us away.”

“I see…”

“So, you can return as easily as going to the next room too, so you won’t feel lone!!!!”

Thump—something crashed into Lord Skyford.

(????? A wild boar????)

For a moment I genuinely thought that, but apparently not.

Looking closer, it was a girl with tanned skin and white hair.

“Brother!! You went to Isac and never came back! Making me wait three days longer than you promised!”

The girl with springy, angelic hair vehemently rattled on like that.

Lord Skyford, while holding his side, stroked that white, springy, fluffy hair as one would a cat.

“Nia! I understand you were lonely, but a bit more gently.”

“You’re the one who broke your promise, aren’t you, Brother? I was completely worn out from waiting! …Oh?”

My heart jumped. In that instant, my body automatically went into alert mode.

She noticed me, and her expression slowly changed.

(This is a warning look.)

Calling him “Brother,” I thought she might be his sister, but…

(I’ve never heard about there being a princess in Haira Kingdom. From the looks of it, she seems underage though.)

“…How unpleasant, Brother. Who is this?”

And she was firmly linking arms with him.

An instinctive declaration—not letting go, as if to say “he’s mine.”

But apparently, Lord Skyford hadn’t noticed the subtle shift in the atmosphere between her and me.

“This is Lady Iris Dostoevsky, daughter of Count Dostoevsky.”

Receiving the introduction, I greeted her with a curtsy.

I could sense through the air that the girl twitched in response.

“And this is Nia Savarias. My second cousin.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Lady Dostoevsky. I take it you are from Isac?”

Her manners were elegant, yet somehow childish. For instance, though her fingers holding her skirt and the spread hem were beautiful, she deliberately released her fingers for just a moment.

Whoosh—the skirt returned to place. Just like a child playing with their hands. But,

(Her eyes aren’t smiling.)

After a perfunctory greeting, she firmly grabbed Lord Skyford’s arm again, smiling only with the corners of her mouth.

(Could it be… does Lady Nia have feelings for Lord Skyford?)

“How unpleasant. Sca~ry. Brother, Nia is scared of this person.”

“That wasn’t my intention. Have I been rude in some way?”

I bowed my head and closed my eyes.

This situation, right after arriving. Lord Skyford must be quite disappointed too.

But the words he spoke were unexpected.

“Nia, what are you saying all of a sudden? She’s not that kind of person. Apologize.”

“Why would you say that? Brother, you seem strange somehow.”

“We can’t have you being rude to someone from another country.”

Shaking off Lady Nia’s arm, he put his around my shoulder and said, “Let’s go.”

When I glanced back, she was glaring at me with her strikingly clear aqua-blue eyes.

“I’m sorry about that. She’s still just a child. Please forgive her.”

“Yes…”

(No. She’s fully a young woman who holds affection for you.)

When the dazzlingly pure white clouds momentarily hid the sun, casting a shadow, I was struck by an immense anxiety.