Instead of My Stepsister, I Have Become Engaged to the Son of a Marquis, Who Is Said to Only Have a Year Left to Live - Chapter 2

Chapter 2
It was supposed to be a marriage proposal for my stepsister, but

“Stepfather, what happened?”

　Her stepfather yelled at Edith, who timidly peeked out of the detached window.

“Anyway, get out of there quickly! Go get changed in the main house as soon as possible. Got it?”
“Haa…”

　Edith frowned suspiciously at her stepfather’s words, which made no sense to her. What on earth could have happened when Dahlia had only just warned her not to go near the main house?

　Edith turned to Dahlia, who had been so excited a moment ago, but now her face was white as paper, and she began shrieking at Edith.

“Edith, please follow your father’s orders! I have my maids waiting for you at the main house, so everything will be ready as soon as you go.”
“Umm, yes…?”

　Still unable to grasp the situation, Edith nodded and decided to follow her stepfather and stepsister’s advice, because in the past, whenever she had disobeyed them, it didn’t end well.

“Right now, your mother is looking after Lord Lionel and his father. It would be rude to keep our guests waiting, so please hurry up.”
“……??”

　Edith was dragged from the annex to the main house by Dahlia, who looked desperate. Dahlia’s maid quickly changed her into a dress and applied makeup. Edith was usually subjected to harsh and nasty comments by Dahlia’s maid, but today she didn’t even get that.

“The fate of the Oak Ridge family depends on it.”

　The maid was probably under pressure from her master, Dahlia, who was standing behind her. Edith suddenly realized she was standing in front of a large mirror, dressed in a purple taffeta dress that was less revealing than Dahlia’s other flashy dresses, and wearing a thick layer of makeup.

“Even a horse driver requires a costume.”

　Dahlia muttered with relief. However, Edith noticed that the dress, designed to fit her stepsister’s voluptuous figure and beautiful features, had completely worn down her thin figure and plain face. Furthermore, the makeup she usually didn’t wear seemed unsettling, and somehow she felt uneasy.

“…Umm, stepsister. What on earth is going on here?”
“I will have you betrothed to Lord Lionel.”

　Edith’s eyes widened in shock, then she gazed at Dahlia, blinking several times.

“Didn’t you say that your engagement to Lord Lionel was a proposal that came for you, stepsister?”
“…That’s because, uh, the situation has changed.”

　Dahlia looked away awkwardly from Edith for a moment, but then quickly resumed her usual disrespectful attitude and stared back at her.

“Be grateful for a man beyond your extreme capabilities. But please don’t let your engagement to him fall through. As I said before, he is the eldest son of the Marquis of Granvelle. This engagement is essential for the Earl of Oak Ridge.”
“… I still don’t fully understand the current situation, but is it okay for me to meet with Lionel-sama in place of my stepsister from now on?”
“Well, that’s how it is. Now you know that much, so can you just hurry up and go?”

　Edith was in a state of confusion as she hurried to the drawing room, where Lionel was waiting.

(… Such a person of high social status is completely unsuitable for someone like me who was raised as a commoner. Even if it’s to wipe out my debt, this will only cause trouble for the other party. I must politely decline…)

　Edith knocked on the living room door and, when she heard a response from inside, quietly opened it. Her gaze fell on a young man in a wheelchair staring at her, and she gasped softly.