Touch My Brother and You Die - Chapter 110

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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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Good grief, what a headache. My vision swam and I pressed my hand to my temple, prompting Mother to watch me with concern and ask if I was hurt anywhere. Seeing her worry only made my head throb worse.
At any rate, this conversation had finally illuminated why Father had been so furious earlier, shouting about me being grabbed again. This woman had already seized me once before. When young Asterion arrived at the Mansion, she must have made quite the fuss about killing him or some such nonsense, and Father had scolded her then for grabbing the child as well.
“My, it’s been ages since I’ve worn something new.”
The Unknown Woman delighted in the garments the maids dressed her in—from undergarments to outer coat, each layer carefully arranged—and finally threw that bear pelt over her shoulders again with a flourish.
Wait, hold on. She just bathed, so why would she put on something that reeked again?
“…Did you really have to wear that bear pelt again?”
“Yes. That woman has a sensitive nose, you see. The moment I get close, she catches my scent like a ghost and flees.”
How unpleasant. How does one distinguish people by scent alone?
For a moment, someone came to mind, but I deliberately pushed the thought away and grabbed Mother. From the way she was moving, it seemed she intended to leave the Mansion immediately.
“Now that you’re here, won’t you stay for at least one night? The Duke must have much to discuss with you.”
“No. I’ve already wasted too much time. If I lose track of that woman, it will be disastrous.”
So why exactly do I need to chase after the creator of that Schrödinger’s Asterion?! Frustrated by this complete lack of communication, I tore at my hair, when Mother suddenly pulled me into a tight embrace.
She smells like bear. I’ll have to bathe again at this rate.
“Once I finish what I need to do, I’ll come back for certain. Then you, Rosalite, and Eddie—we’ll never be apart again. We’ll stay together always.”
Mother spoke with the solemnity of a vow, then kissed my forehead before continuing with something cryptic.
“And listen well. No matter what kind of Rosalite you become, I will always think of you as my daughter.”
“…”
What?
Wait, what do you mean by “what kind of Rosalite”? I tried to ask what she meant, but Mother only left me with the words “it’s a secret from your father” before searching for her golf bag.
I couldn’t let her leave like this. I had to stop her. That’s what I thought, but these tactless servants promptly handed Mother her golf bag, and Father even added three swords he’d personally maintained to it.
With her equipment fully prepared, Mother dashed out of the Mansion without hesitation, rain or no rain. In all my life, I’d never seen anyone faster than Aster—until now.
I stood dumbfounded, staring only in the direction Mother had vanished.

Now I understand why Father was angry earlier and shouted about grabbing the child again. This woman has already caught me once before. Probably when young Asterion first arrived at the Mansion, she was making a fuss about killing him, so Father must have scolded her then too for grabbing the child.

The Unknown Woman enjoyed putting on the clothes the maids dressed her in, layer by layer from her undergarments to her outer coat, and finally threw the bear skin from earlier over her head.
No, wait—I already washed it, so why does it still smell like that?
“…Did you really have to wear that bear skin?”
“Yeah. That woman has a sensitive nose. If I get close, she smells me like a ghost and runs away, you know?”
What’s that supposed to mean… How can you distinguish people by smell?
I almost remembered someone for a moment, but I deliberately pushed the thought away and grabbed Mother. Judging by what she was doing now, it seemed Mother was planning to leave the Mansion again.
“Since you’re already here, why don’t you stay for a day? I’m sure the Duke has plenty of stories piled up as well.”
“No. We’ve already wasted a lot of time. If we lose that woman, it’ll be a big problem.”
So why do we have to chase after the person who created that Schrödinger’s Asterion in the first place! I’m so frustrated by this lack of communication that I’m pulling my hair out, when suddenly Mother hugged me tightly.
I smell like a bear. At this rate, I’ll have to wash again, won’t I?
“When Mom finishes work, I’ll definitely come back. Then, Rosie and Eddie, let’s never part again and live together forever.”
Mother, speaking as if making a vow, kissed my forehead with a soft peck and continued with a cryptic remark.
“And remember this. No matter what kind of Rosalite you are, I think of you as my daughter.”
“….”
What?
Wait, what do you mean “which Rosalite”? What are you talking about? I asked for an explanation, but Mother only said it was a secret from Father and then went to find her golf bag.
I can’t let him leave like this. I need to stop him. That’s what I thought, but these oblivious servants handed over Mother’s golf bag right away, and on top of that, they even packed three swords that Father had personally maintained.
Mother, having gathered all her equipment, rushed out of the Mansion without hesitation as if the rain outside had stopped. In all her life, she had never seen anyone faster than Aster.
I stared blankly in the direction my mother had disappeared.
Yes, I’m upset, but let’s go for a walk. I just nodded to Jack and walked out of the office at a brisk pace. I headed towards the rabbit hutch along the trail I usually use, and there I found Peter, who had finished eating soybean meat and was chomping on a pig’s hind leg, and my father, who was looking at the sky with a mesmerized look on his face.
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My father seemed very shocked that the only thing he did after meeting my mother for the first time in a long time was yelling. Since he seemed to be very mentally damaged, I decided to do the Last Fang for him. I stood next to the Duke and told him a secret.
After Mother swept through like a typhoon and left, Father and I were both left in a daze. Father seemed shocked that Mother had departed again without uttering a single word, while I was tormented trying to decipher the meaning behind her cryptic phrase: “Whichever Rosalite it may be.” My head felt like it might split open.
No matter how much I pondered it, Mother seemed to know that I wasn’t the original Rosalite. Then why didn’t she confront me about it? Did she know what had happened to the original? If so, wouldn’t there be a contradiction in her treating me as her daughter?
Her real daughter vanished, and I suddenly appeared in her place. I could understand if she wanted to tear me to pieces, but the notion that she regarded me as a daughter felt fundamentally wrong.
“Aaaaaahhhhh!”
Unable to bear it any longer, I let out a wail and spun around in the office chair. The others gathered in the office glanced at me, but what did I care? I was far too overwhelmed with my own thoughts to notice.
“Sister.”
“Huh?”
Unable to focus on work and tugging at my hair in frustration, Asterion approached me with confident strides. The man wore a self-assured smile and offered me a peculiar suggestion.
“Would you like to touch my chest?”
“….”
What was he talking about?
Already dazed, I turned to look at Leon in bewilderment, and the little rascal actually placed his hand gently on his own chest and spouted nonsense affectionately.
“You do like big, firm chests, don’t you?”
“What’s big and firm about yours?”
“I’ve been developing it quite a bit lately.”
“Even if it were firm, most people wouldn’t appreciate touching their younger brother’s chest.”
I’m sorry, Asterion. Whether you cry out “Ow!” or not, I simply don’t have the energy to speak kindly to you right now. I’m mentally exhausted. I’m standing at the edge of a cliff.
As I brushed him off and resumed spinning in the chair, Jack Brown suddenly thrust his hand under my armpit and lifted me to my feet.
The man set me down firmly on the ground and told me that if I wasn’t going to work, I should go outside and get some fresh air. I nodded in agreement.
Yes, I was too agitated. A walk would do me good. I bobbed my head at Jack and hurried out of the office. Following my usual Walking Path toward the Rabbit Enclosure, I found Peter contentedly gnawing on a pork leg after finishing his bean meat diet, and Father standing there with a vacant expression, gazing up at the sky.
“Duke.”
I made my presence known, but Father glanced at me once before returning his gaze to the sky. His condition seemed worse than mine.
Father appeared deeply shocked by the fact that all he’d done during his long-awaited reunion with Mother was shout at her. Since his mental state seemed quite damaged, I decided to offer him some consolation. Standing beside the Duke, I shared a secret with him.
“Duke. There’s something Mother asked me to keep secret so Eddie wouldn’t scold her.”
“What is it?”
“I actually have no memories of living with Mother.”
“Is that so…? That would explain why you never bring up old stories.”
That’s it? That’s all the reaction I get?
Father looked up at the sky once more, sighed deeply, and gently stroked my head. He thanked me for telling him and said I must have suffered greatly keeping it bottled up inside. His words nearly brought tears to my eyes. Though Father hadn’t meant it that way, the weight of my regression made my nose sting for a moment.
Yes, I’ve endured quite a lot.
“Indeed. I have suffered considerably.”
“It’s fortunate you don’t remember. When Maria first abandoned you, the sight was absolutely dreadful….”
Recalling the image of Mother wearing a bearskin, I could roughly imagine what he meant. More importantly, so Mother’s name was Maria.
…It really doesn’t suit her at all.
“More importantly, about the Beauty Contest next month.”
Father, who had been sighing heavily, suddenly brought up work. It seemed he’d composed himself somewhat—his voice carried more strength than before, and his expression was no longer vacant.
The middle-aged handsome man with sharp eyes and a weathered face smiled wickedly, as if plotting something mischievous, and spoke.
“I hear Jack Brown and Asterion are both competing? Since it’s a festival that happens only once every ten years, I think we should participate as commentators and broadcasters.”
“Asterion is competing too?”
“So I’ve heard.”
“What about work?”
“That’s what Louis is for in times like these.”
“Indeed, Your Grace, you are truly a treasure of the realm. Your wisdom shines brilliantly.”
Right—when else would I use Uncle Louis if not now? The corn harvest is finished, so it’s the off-season anyway. I’ll just pile more work onto him.
Delighted by the thought, I burst into laughter, and Father followed suit, chuckling along with me.
I thought we’d continue this pleasant, harmonious conversation and part ways, but Father, being utterly tactless, brought up something I’d completely forgotten about.
“When do you intend to repay the currency exchange fee, Young Duke?”
“What are you talking about?”
“The cost of bringing my grandson here. Since the Young Duke doesn’t have a single coin of imperial currency to your name, you withdrew from my private treasury to exchange it—didn’t you?”
“Why would you charge a fee between father and daughter? That’s heartless.”
“Call me ‘Father’ first, then speak of the bond between us.”
“Father.”
“I don’t need insincere words.”
“Then what do you want?”
Since Father kept harping on about the exchange fee, I decided to bring up something I’d been meaning to say.
At the time, the situation had been urgent, and I’d been so focused on explaining Luke’s past and wringing tears from Father that I hadn’t thought it through—but in truth, when I’d hastily withdrawn the currency and promised to repay the fee later, I’d had my reasons.
“Do you have proof?”

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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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