The Flower That Was Swallowed by the Beast - Chapter 18

Looking at Celestine’s expression that says she wanted to call her big sister, Iris thought that she was sincere and not trying to bully her.

And the reason why she wanted her to sit at the seat of honor is because she really thought Iris was the main character, and the reason why she wanted her to speak is because she really wanted to hear her voice.

‘Am I overthinking it?’

With a straight expression as to not let her guard down, Iris spoke.

“Yes, that’s fine. You can call me big sister.”

As if Celestine’s puppy-like look on her face was a lie, she returned to her cold expressionless face.

With the air of ‘I can’t believe you married my older brother!’ Celestine asked.

“Why did you marry someone like my brother?”

“Cel.”

“Be quiet, brother. I’m talking to my big sister.”

“Let’s just have dinner…”

“Who said you couldn’t? Tell the servants to serve dinner. Yeah, we can talk while we eat. Big sister, why did you marry someone like my brother?”

“That’s…”

Iris knows how hard Keivrand worked in her previous life and how he had died bitterly.

She couldn’t forget the kindness Keivrand showed her even though they had only met once in her previous life.

She thought her life this time would be different with Keivrand.

Also, Keivrand’s final moments. She wanted to make it not to be so cruel or bitter.

But she couldn’t tell Celestine the truth.

She glanced at Keivrand.

Keivrand was observing Iris with interest, wondering what she would say.

“Because I like him.”

Iris said, staring straight at Keivrand.

“His pupils that are like the clouds in the sky. His full eyebrows that are like a painting. The chiseled jawline that looks like it was sculpted. His laugh that sounds the breeze…”

Looking at Keivrand, Iris listed the things that she thought were good.

While Iris continued, somehow the smile disappeared from Keivrand’s mouth, and his eyes began to shake.

‘Is my eyes playing tricks on me?’

Keivrand’s ears looked red.

Seeing Keivrand stealthily raise his hand to cover his face, Iris concluded her speech.

“I really like those things. Like I’ve been searching for him my whole life.”

When Iris looked back at Celestine, Celestine’s eyes were facing Keivrand, not her.

Celestine looked as if she were about to throw up, and so did Nathan.

Iris couldn’t see why they had that look on their faces.

‘Did I say something wrong?’

“Cel?”

“Ah, yeah…Uh…Yeah…I see…Well, big sister, yes. Uh, um. People have different eyes and tastes. Okay, that’s right. Of course, that could be so.”

Celestine, who regained her composure, laughed as if she were teasing Keivrand.

“Good for you, brother. Clouds in the sky, painted eyebrows, sculpted jaw…”

“Cel.”

Nathan interrupted Celestine.

“Oh, I feel sick…”

“Ah, sorry. I’ll stop. With the meal in front of us, I was a bit mean. Yeah.”

Staring at their illogical reactions, Iris rolled her eyes.

Then she made eye contact with Keivrand and whispered so only he could hear.

‘Did I say something wrong?’

Keivrand smiled and gently raised his thumb below the table.

Celestine, who didn’t miss the scene, shouted.

“What’s that, a thumbs up? Oh, is that it? You forced her to answer like that, didn’t you? You made her memorize it, didn’t you?”

“Oh! That’s right!”

Nathan exclaimed as if he understood.

“Wow, you’re out of your mind. To have your wife memorize a speech praising you…Wow, that’s disgusting.”

That wasn’t it. Iris tried to explain, but Keivrand gave her a wink.

‘Leave it alone. It’s okay.’

For a while, Celestine talked about how horrible and unattractive it is for a man to make his wife praise him while Nathan earnestly praised Celestine’s language more than ever.

As Keivrand started eating the soup like the conservation had nothing to do with him, Iris also picked up a spoon.

She thought she wouldn’t be able to eat dinner properly tonight, but that wasn’t the case.

Celestine’s attitude toward her was completely different from the ‘husband’s family’ that she was accustomed to.

On the contrary, she even thought that Celestine liked her.

For the first time she realized that it was possible to be comfortable around the ‘husband’s family.’

And that there could be a family like this.

Celestine, like Jillian, was different on the outside and inside, but in a good way.

She could tell that the cold expression Celestine has when she isn’t talking was just her normal expression and not because she is angry.

“By the way, brother.”

Celestine, who had been eating silently for a while, broke the silence.

“No matter how small the wedding was. How could you not invite your family? Who did you invite? Was it a wedding just with you two?”

“…The wedding, there wasn’t.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“The wedding.”

“Huh?”

Celestine gave Keivrand a puzzled look.

The knife that was cutting the big steak stopped in the air.

Worried that the knife might fly into his neck, Keivrand fixed his eyes on the knife and softly answered.

“We only reported our marriage.”

Celestine looked back at Iris with eyes asking if it’s true.

Iris nodded lightly.

Clank-!

Celestine jumped up, putting down the knife and fork violently.

Keivrand narrowed his eyebrows.

“Hey, your table manners for goodness’ sake…”

“You’re the one without manners! How can you just register your marriage without a wedding?”

“It’s not something to get worked up over, Celestine.”

“This is a serious matter, fatty dog.”

“That old nickname…”

Keivrand blushed.

Iris didn’t know he had the nickname fatty dog.

She almost burst into laughter, but managed to hold it in.

“Weddings are a very important matter to a woman. You can’t skip it.”

Keivrand and Nathan looked back at Iris wondering if it was true.

“Don’t keep looking at my big sister! Because brother looks like that. Maybe she couldn’t tell you to have a wedding.”

“No, Cel. I don’t need a wedding or anything.”

“Big sister. You can’t do that.”

Celestine was determined.

“There are a lot of women in the world who have unique tastes and very low standards. Oh, I’m not saying that you’re like that, big sister. Anyway, there are countless women like that, so my brother is very popular.”

It was only then that Iris knew what Celestine wanted to say.

“There are women who are jealous, and they’ll talk about how big sister didn’t even have a wedding.”

“Oh…I see.”

“Ah, to be honest, brother. You’ve been a Count for a few years now and should’ve taken that into account. What if big sister finds out that your head is just for decoration?”

Keivrand Green, the guardian of the sacred relics, is highly honored, so even nobles of high status didn’t talk to him carelessly.

So Iris didn’t know that this was how he was treated at home.

Fatty dog.

Head just for decoration.

Celestine, who had been talking about how Keivrand’s head is just a useless decoration, looked back at Iris.

“Leave it to me, big sister.”

“What?”

Celestine smiled brightly.

The smile that Iris had never seen in her previous life.

While thinking that it was truly dazzling, Celestine replied.

“The wedding preparation for Iris, the flower among flowers, and fatty dog.”

* * *

It wasn’t until after dinner that Keivrand was able to have a private meeting with Celestine.

Celestine, who was called to Keivrand’s room, sat on the sofa and stuck her legs on the table as she looked at him.

“Cel. When you first met Iris, you were rude.”

“To big sister?”

“To me.”

“…What’s that?”

“What would your new big sister think of me?”

“Well. Maybe she’ll run away knowing that your head is an ornament.”

“…Cel, stop calling me fatty dog in front of Iris.”

“Well, what’s wrong with that? She wouldn’t think that you are a beastman just because I call you that.”

Keivrand hasn’t told Celestine that Iris already knows he’s a beastman.

Because if Celestine knew that, she might become wary of Iris.

“That’s not the problem.”

“Oh, just in case she finds out that you were fat when you were a kid?”

Like talking to a wall, Keivrand sighed softly.

Such a thing happened for a while.

Keivrand was able to transform from the moment he was born.

He didn’t think it was strange, and it wasn’t until he had grown a little older that he found out that beastmen were ostracized and killed if they were caught.

The fact that he was an existence rejected by the world, Keivrand felt frustration and despair.

Because of that, he didn’t leave the house and stayed in his wolf form, saying he wasn’t human, as he continued to eat and sleep.

Naturally, he grew up like that, and his siblings, no, Celestine in particular, teased Keivrand.

Fatty dog.

Celestine had no ill will, rather, it was an affectionate tease, but Keivrand didn’t think so when he was young.

There was a time when he thought, ‘Yes, a fat dog should die. What’s the point of living?’

“It’s okay, brother. You were cuter when you were a fat dog. Round, rolling around…”

“It wasn’t to that extent.”

Keivrand said with a growl, but Celestine didn’t care at all.

“It’ll take about a month at most to prepare for the wedding. It can’t be helped because there are only men in this mansion. There are a lot of things to send people here and there to buy. I have to call in the laborers.”

“How can a girl who doesn’t even go to tea parties accomplish all this?”

“Although that’s true, I have a good eye. I’ll also get help from my friends who love this kind of thing.”

“Yes, do as you please.”

Keivrand was admonishing himself.

Because he wasn’t interested in socializing, he didn’t think about what Iris would hear from other ladies for not having a wedding.

“How much can I spend?”

“As much as you want.”

“Can I spend a lot?”

“You can spend it all.”

“Hey, brother. You’re all grown up. You’re determined to go broke for a woman.”

“No, I don’t want to be broke…!”

Realizing that Celestine took his words seriously, Keivrand tried to stop her, but she had already left the room.

* * *

A few days after Celestine declared that she will make Keivrand go broke,

A man came from the Divine Kingdom.

It was to conduct an investigation into Countess Green’s past affairs.

== Translator’s Note ==

1. Please report any typos, grammatical/spelling errors, sentences you find weird, and other etc…in the comment section .