Case 8: In a wedding full of sharks.

cough—! cough—!

Nearly two weeks had passed since I came to this mansion. It hadn't started snowing just yet, but the weather had become quite chilly. Maybe that was why I sometimes coughed like this.

Should I be glad that I didn't have a runny nose? I had that in my past life, and it was so annoying.

Either way, with the heater installed in my room, it felt much better when I decided to coop up. Perhaps noticing my state, Lyra had even brought her meal and her books to my room sometimes instead of letting me go over to her room.

''I'll have a heater in my room, too.''

She said. It was so cute that I couldn't help but stroke her head.

Of course, I could still feel some distance between us when we interacted, but what could I do in just two weeks? This was more than enough.

''My lady, you should wear longer socks and thicker clothes...''

''Mhm... okay.''

One more thing.

My maid, Mary. Her attitude had become much better over the last two weeks. She even apologized to me about her initial hiccups and promised to serve me well in the future.

Mary wasn't exactly present in the original game, so I was rather glad. It meant she didn't do anything terrible, and I could take her out of the 'game character' mold.

I wasn't sure, but I just liked to treat people as people.

After wearing one additional layer of clothes and some warm stockings, I once again draped the light blue coat and went outside. Immediately, a busy scene greeted me in the spacious front yard.

Distinguished gentlemen, endearing ladies... from young to old, there was a small crowd of people gathered for the marchioness's wedding. Upon them noticing me, an eerie silence ensued.

Clutching the cape to ensure no chilly wind would get in, I calmly descended the steps, moving through the relatives who were invited.

Different people, different ideals.

I could feel all sorts of gazes on me. Some jealous, some greedy, some lustful...

Despite that, I kept walking until I reached the stars of today's ceremony. Donning gorgeous wedding dresses, the marchioness and my mother stood hand in hand near the stage, seemingly immersed in their own world.

Not far from them, a lone girl was put, nesting a small dragon in her arms.

''Hi, lovely.'' I greeted my little sister.

''Hello.''

Lyra's voice as she replied was small, but it certainly carried a hint of relief. Being the heir to the Marquisate, I suppose she couldn't really get along with her jealous cousins very well, not to mention her terrible communications.

By me just being here, it should help her relieve a large part of that hatred. After all... their negative attention was now almost entirely on me, who magically became the lady of the house overnight—an ex-commoner at that.

Girls looked at me with eyes burning in envy as they gossiped, while boys tried to peek at my figure openly. Marriages between cousins were not entirely unheard of here, but it rubbed me quite the wrong way. I was a modern person, through and through.

The adults... weren't much better.

I pity Lyra for having to live in this toxic environment. But it was alright. Since... I was here with her.

Once I sat down with Lyra in a corner, time passed by quickly. We wouldn't chat as much as when we were alone, yet it wasn't uncomfortable. Fortunately, no idiots approached us to bully Lyra in the meantime. The marchioness herself was here, after all.

''Everyone, please take your seat.''

Finally, the ceremony began. Combing through the lengthy procedure was boring enough, but my mother's face as she did the kiss with the marchioness... was she...

Either way, I turned to the side to see Lyra's reaction.

''...''

Her face could be described as... blank. Indifference. She didn't care all that much about her own mother's wedding, which was sad enough.

But, hey, I was the same, right? Although my situation was a bit different.

Suddenly, I had an urge to comfort the small creature sitting beside me... so I did. A gentle head scrub would solve a million problems.

''...?''

''Just, you look lonely.''

Lyra silently gazed down after seeing my smile. Then, she turned back to the stage. I, too, followed her eyes. The sky today was clear, but it wasn't sunny either.

I had always found these kinds of days surreal. It was as though someone had sifted them through a 'melancholy' filter.

It was even more unsettling as I was trapped in another world.

Amidst the cheering... only I remained static, wondering of my own fate. If there were one thing I knew for certain, it would be that whatever ending I would reach, Lyra would be present.

The world spun around her, and right now, I was actively putting myself in the eye of the storm, hoping to escape unscathed.

''Lyra, did you know?''

''?''

As the little heroine turned to me, I retracted my hand.

''The most important thing in a human's life is to experience happiness. Whether oneself's happiness or others'... you need to find your own, Lyra.''

''...Okay.''

''Sorry, I didn't mean to ramble.''

''...''

*****

'One's... happiness.'

Lyra mumbled the words Cecilia had just said in her mind. She had never really... thought about it. About happiness. She didn't particularly yearn for it since she hadn't experienced it much.

Perhaps when her other mother was still alive, but she was too young by then.

In the end, Lyra didn't know if she needed happiness or not. What she had on her shoulder... were heavy expectations set by her changed mother—a monotone, greyish weight bound to her ankles, threatening to sink her to the depth of the dark ocean.

Lyra had always been in the shade like that. Always... until Cecilia crashed into her life as though a meteorite.

This person, whose demeanor toward her was suspiciously kind, managed to stir her emotions, dropping her own colors into Lyra's world. She didn't know if those drops were poisonous or not, but like a moth to a flame, she couldn't help but be drawn to them.

Despite her Soul Guardian's warning, Lyra decided not to reject Cecilia.

In the mind of the young girl, she unconsciously yearned for a change, and Cecilia was just that—a change.

The self-proclaimed older sister of Lyra was a woman who looked visibly fragile. Weak physique, pale skin, and a sickly complexion. It really did seem as though a simple gust of strong wind would probably blow her away. It was what made Lyra so worried at times... and it also made her realize that she could feel such emotions.

Removing her gaze from the stunning face of her... big sister, Lyra concentrated her attention on the stage. Her mother's blissful expression clearly indicated a certain satisfaction.

'A wedding...'

For the moment, Lyra figured out and imprinted in her mind that a wedding would generate happiness. Her mothers seemed delighted, but the others weren't. She wondered why.

Bit by bit, the girl learned to question the state of things around herself instead of shutting her emotions off like before—all in the name of finding happiness.

No one noticed this change, not even Cecilia. But it was a remarkable shift that would alter the world around Lyra significantly, whether she realized it or not.

The day after the wedding concluded, Lyra officially gained another mother, Lily de Orleans, and... a big sister.

''Now, now, Lyra. Call me 'big sis'!''

In front of the excited Cecilia, Lyra quietly pondered. To say the word, she thought she would feel a sense of rejection, but surprisingly, before she could realize it...

''...Big sis.''

They had already escaped her mouth.

*****