Yves Henry Ross

Once Tani finished dolling me up, the butler came to assist me to the dining hall. I followed him from behind, keeping my thoughts all to myself, wondering if all the Ross Family were present.

Not to my surprise, the dining hall was still empty and I'm the first to arrive.

'How tardy,' I thought as I perched on my rightful seat farthest from the Marquess' seat. Should they make it obvious they were all reluctant to join me during breakfast? I rolled my eyes.

I leaned my back against the chair. It was better if they all didn't arrive, so I could eat in peace.

As I waited for any of them to arrive, I reviewed Marsella's memory once again. The Ross Family had three sons and two daughters, including Marsella. She was the second daughter and the youngest. Among them, the person I should be wary about was the first son, the heir of the Marquess, Augustus Ross.

"Well, who do we have here?" My thoughts trailed off as I moved my gaze in the man's direction. He was entering the dining hall with a cocky grin plastered on his lips. Sweats dripped down on his neck as it seemed he came fresh from the training ground.

Yves Henry Ross. The second son of Marquess with the late first wife. Unlike the Marquess, who had striking golden hair and crimson eyes, Ives had dark chestnut hair just like his late mother and red eyes just like the Marquess.

He plopped down on the second seat from the head seat across from me. Yves gazed at me, propping his jaw against his knuckles, still bearing that smug grin.

"Aren't you a little early, sister?" he asked in a playful tone.

In Marsella's memories, this second son of the Marquess was one of the people who bullied her. Although, in my opinion, his ways were merely childish pranks and relatively harmless. Still, his actions traumatized Marsella's weak mentality.

I didn't respond to him and merely stared back at him. He furrowed his brows, narrowing his eyes as if he found me a little strange. Well, Marsella's image of him was akin to a beast; he was, though. Yves was an imperial knight and one of the strongest ones at that. I knew that since I became an empress and recognized his strength and talent in my previous life.

"That's new." He tilted his head to the side. "You never look at me in the eye. Did you finally lose your mind?" he asked, his voice laced with genuine wonder.

No one would expect Marsella to even talk, so I didn't bother. This might aggravate this hot-tempered second brother, but that didn't matter. Yves, although, was akin to a rouge, he never physically harmed Marsella; thank God.

"You, I'm talking to you." Yves leaned forward, propping his arms against the edge of the table. "Have you become mute?" he sounded pissed and intimidating. Too bad such intimidation wouldn't work on me.

Alas, among the Marquess' children, Yves was the perfect target to be my shield. So I smiled brightly and called in a sweet tone, "Brother~" I nearly lost it when his pupils dilated momentarily, stunned with my reply.

Marsella doesn't look bad. In fact, she was beautiful, even though she was malnourished. Yves might have a strong front, but he had a soft spot for those he deemed innocent and pure. The only reason Yves was annoyed with Marsella was that she shut herself off and looked at him as a monster instead of her big brother.

I'm not the person to judge who was right and wrong between Marsella and Yves. It mattered not. For me, Yves would be a great ally if I played this adorable sister act who needed a reliable big brother to shield her.

**

After I gave Yves that surprise, we remained silent. It didn't take that long when the members of the family arrived in the dining hall, one after another. When the Marquess arrived, they served the food.

As expected, the air in the dining hall with everyone present was amusingly stifling. None of them talked and only the clattering of cutleries hitting the plates softly filled the air. I felt the constant gaze from my siblings, but my stepmother never even glanced at me, not even once.

'Was this her declaration that I'm not worthy to look at?' I wondered, pleased if that was the case, but I knew she was merely behaving herself because of the Marquess.

I glanced up and my eyes unintentionally landed on the first seat next to the Marquess, where the eldest son of the family was seated. Augustus and Marquess Edmund's resembled too much, one would be blind if they couldn't tell they were father and son.

My eyes snapped when Marquess Ross cleared his throat aloud. I shifted my gaze to him, seeing him wipe the corner of his lips with a cloth before casting me a look.

"Marsella," he called, and I just blinked.

Would he tell me about the marriage? When? I'm prepared to accept it, but I bit my tongue as I might accept it even before he could inform me. For someone who was practically being sold off, I shouldn't be too excited, right?

"There is a reason I brought you back to the capital," he said, staring at me. "That is for you to fulfill your duties as a daughter of our Ross Family."

What was this suspense, Father?! Just tell me you're selling me off. There's no need to hesitate! I'm fine with it! I grumbled internally, biting my lower lip as I glanced at everyone. Only Yves had this baffled expression as if he was the only one who wasn't aware of it.

"Father, what are you talking about?" Yves inquired when he couldn't contain his curiosity anymore. "Don't tell me…"

"Yes." The Marquess nodded. "The emperor and our Ross Family agreed to a marriage between Marsella and His Grace, the Grand Duke of Esmond."

SLAM!

I flinched when Yves suddenly slammed the table. "What?!" he bellowed in disbelief. "You're marrying her off?!"

What the hell was this Yves' problem?! Why was he objecting? I gritted my teeth as I refrained from cursing him.

"Yves, watch your tone," Augustus warned calmly, casting Ives a side-eye. But Augustus' warning didn't faze his little brother.

"Father, how can you marry off your youngest when you have Harriet?!" Yves barked, pointing at Harriet, the first daughter, and the pampered lady of the Marquess. "It is only proper to let her marry first!"

'I know, Ives,' I mentally nodded. 'But that's not the point here! Why are you objecting?! I want this marriage!'

"Yves, we already agreed about it." Marquess Ross replied sternly, but Yves remained adamant as he argued back, "even so, she will only bring disgrace in our family if you marry her off to that damn Grand Duke!"

"Enough!" Marquess raised his voice as he slammed the table. Just when I thought Yves was standing up for me, it turned out he was merely concerned about the family's reputation.

"This was already decided. Harriet was not in the good shape to marry as her health had been declining. The Grand Duke will pay a visit once he returns to the Capital." The Marquess continued in one breath. "That is final."

"I hope you will behave, especially you, Marsella, and Yves." He then cast me a look, then Ives.

'Heh… of course, father.' I answered internally but didn't speak throughout the meal, despite seeing the marchioness sneer at me. 'I will behave and I will surely get married, just as you wished, and peel that sneer away from the vixen.'