Sister-in-law of the Heroine in a Childcare Novel - Chapter 160

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 160

“Well. Even if I accepted a handkerchief, I couldn’t reciprocate to every single one. I’m thinking I should decline politely.”
“Come now, what’s a handkerchief? It’s just a greeting, a courtesy. Why be so stiff about it here of all places? They’d be thrilled just to have you accept it—they’d be trembling as they waited. Your Highness, you really don’t live up to your looks.”
If Adrian can’t live up to his appearance, what in the world does that make me? If Adrian truly started accepting handkerchiefs, they’d pile up endlessly, impossible to count.
Then I’d sneak away one or two and use them as material for my own designs.
Adrian merely laughed. A bead of sweat glistened on his pale brow, making him look refreshingly beautiful as a young man.
“But isn’t the game more important? Three wild boars count more than ten rabbits. I’m rather keen to catch something bigger. I’d appreciate your help.”
“Ha, no need to worry. I’ve already heard through the servants where the game is thickest in these hunting grounds. Later….”
“Brother.”
Adrian turned slowly.
Brian stood there, smiling as if from a painting. In the fierce midday sun, Brian’s smile looked nothing like his usual self—nothing like the way he’d furrow his face with inferiority complex, jealous of Adrian’s beauty. No, this serene smile looked almost like enlightenment.
Adrian merely laughed as he watched a group of noble maidens in the distance gossiping that “Prince Brian really does seem different lately.”
“…Ha, so there comes a day when my brother addresses me with such warmth. The world truly has surprises.”
“Are you certain it’s safe?”
“Safe, sir?”
“You’ve brought too few attendants. Hunting is a pastime, but the forest is vast, and anything could happen. It would have been better to bring a proper guard.”
“Ha. You speak as though something terrible is bound to occur.”
Well, something probably will.
Adrian laughed vacantly. There’s no hunting just beasts—he’ll be hunting people too.
‘Still, even though he’s fallen from the Emperor’s favor, if digging into Brian’s camp gets you a blow to the back of the head, there’s no stupider outcome. So he’d best be careful.’
Titania’s worried words came to mind.
Stupid. Stupid.
True enough. Titania, who spoke that way, would have understood it too. Adrian and Titania were the weak party in the Imperial Palace.
The weak must use every means available. There is no safe option. Adrian recalled what Valentina, the Crown Princess Dowager, had told him.
‘You’re allowed to lose.’
Valentina, the Crown Princess Dowager—Lady Armelin—had played the leisurely elder in the Imperial Palace after seeing Titania off. She had tea with the Empress, sent poetry collections to Cleo with a note that the Imperial Consort must be bored, and so on.
‘In others’ eyes, you’re allowed to lose. Until the perfect moment comes when you can cut the enemy’s throat, it’s better to keep the dagger hidden.’
That was her assessment of Adrian’s strategy. Adrian agreed.
“The Emperor hopes I grow stronger, so I must live up to his expectations.”
Brian smiled, eyes narrowing.
Adrian thought of the gossip circulating in high society: ‘The former Prince wouldn’t have been to my taste, honestly. But the current Prince Brian—he’s not so bad.’
The changed Brian had gained an excellent reputation. He’d distanced himself from his old circle and cultivated friendships with respectable people. Most agreed he’d finally grown up.
A man, a prince—it was hardly unheard of to be dissolute in youth, to act foolish. And if he properly apologized to Valentina, the Crown Princess Dowager, wouldn’t it all be forgiven as youthful folly….
It was absurd.
Even though the ‘changed’ Titania was achieving feats no one had imagined before, many still attributed her success not to her own transformation but to the reflected glory of her betrothal to the Castrain heir.
Cleo had conducted herself with propriety.
She hadn’t summoned Brian into the Imperial Palace, nor had she gone out to meet him. She had the Marquis of Lande bring her news of Brian, but she hadn’t publicly involved herself in anything.
At this point, even that Cleo had restrained herself enough. One might think the Emperor would forgive him soon.
“If my brother doesn’t perform well today, the Emperor will surely be disappointed. My, what a heavy burden!”
“This time, I intend to catch game for the Emperor—what I couldn’t offer last time.”
Adrian’s face went very still. Was he saying he’d repay his debt from the Magic Beast attack on the Imperial Palace today?
Brian casually twirled the bow he held.
The usual Brian couldn’t shoot a bow. You couldn’t master archery in a day or two of practice and use it in real combat. This was a provocation.
I know you understand what I’m saying.
“So be careful yourself—should an arrow go astray while pursuing the game….”
In fact, Adrian was certain.
The man before him was not the stupid but honest Brian of before. He was not the sort to harbor feelings like inferiority complex.
His grayish eyes, carved like stone, carefully concealed. He was assessing whether the man before him should be crushed, refined, or methodically broken down into powder.
The eyes of something not human.
“This won’t end badly?”
He means to kill me today.
Adrian was certain of it.

* * *

“……I woke up and we’ve come so far?! Weren’t we supposed to get here in three days?!”
“Our lady still hasn’t quite grasped it…. There’s very little money can’t do.”
I woke from sleep to find the carriage had traveled an incredible distance. Is this real?
My pupils trembled. Shouldn’t we have camped out for another day or two? Why are we already near a major city?! As my mouth fell open, Bibi rubbed her sleepy eyes and spoke.
“Mm, everyone rode through the night….”
“…Rode?! But—everyone must have accumulated fatigue from fighting Magic Beasts with me in the mountains!”
Lucy smiled gently.
“Everyone can push for a night or two without sleep or food. Usually the carriage ride itself would be the issue…. But these carriages have various magical enhancements built in to withstand unusual travel.”
In other words, they’d all driven madly at top speed, riding horses and pulling carriages.
Normally the horses would be exhausted and unable to continue…. Are all the knights of the Castrain Family capable of this as standard?
Watching the vibrantly moving people who looked perfectly fresh and energetic, it really did seem effortless. When I’d washed my face lightly and changed clothes, Raymond tapped at the carriage door.
“Your Highness. Are you well?”
“Yes, I woke up and I barely ache at all…. It doesn’t seem like a serious injury.”
“Before we take the Warp Tunnel, we should have a Priest treat you, just in case. Come with me.”
“…At this rate we’ll reach Castrain territory soon, so I could skip it…but I shouldn’t! Yes! I was just about to go!”
I deliberately avoided the gaze of Bibi, whose eyes said ‘Why don’t you take care of your own body?!’ and followed as Raymond led the way out of the carriage.
“The carriage we brought attracts too much attention. Since Your Highness dislikes drawing attention, we’ll need to travel together, though it may be inconvenient.”
“That’s fine….”
No, actually it’s not fine. I put on the hooded cloak that Bibi and Lucy had packed for me and sat on the horse as Raymond directed. Which meant riding horses through the city with just Raymond, going in and coming back out.
Lisianthus, who would normally have thrown a fit about escorting me himself, merely clicked his tongue lightly and said nothing.
He must have realized he had no talent for moving quietly and discreetly away from prying eyes. If only he’d maintain that bit of self-awareness in his daily life.
Raymond sat me in front of him.
Which meant I was leaning back against him. Normally I’d sit behind, wrapping my arms around his waist.
Ah, was he seating me this way because of my injured arm, so I wouldn’t use it? I tried not to be self-conscious about it. Raymond, hood pulled up like mine to hide from view, whispered near my ear.
“Please bear with me for a moment.”
“…….”
Raymond hesitated briefly, then covered my hand with his own, holding both our hands together as he gripped the reins. He spoke to me as if in excuse, his hair brushing against me with surprising prominence.
“…If you put strength in your arm wrong, the wound might reopen. Even if you unconsciously tried to hold the horse’s neck, it would strain your arm.”
“…….”
“…It won’t take long.”
The man murmured in excuse before falling silent. Through our contact, something faint thrummed against my back, thump, thump.
It was his heartbeat.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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