Touch My Brother and You Die - Chapter 114

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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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#Episode 22: Twenty-Two-Year-Old Rosalite (3)

Asterion’s twenty-first birthday celebration had proceeded without incident. So another year had passed since that fateful twentieth birthday.
I found myself reflecting on how a sister complex was indeed the right way to live, and as I observed the gathered guests, my emotions felt freshly stirred.
In this twenty-second cycle, I met Glen and discovered new facets of Jack. And taking Luke as my son—that was no small victory.
Truth be told, from the moment I first met Luke, something about the boy tugged at my heartstrings. While reading, his life seemed so tragic and suffocating that I nearly burst with frustration and crumpled my tablet more than once.
Now, watching him welcomed into our home and cherished by the family filled me with profound joy. And Leon—that rascal loves his nephew so dearly that despite it being his own birthday, he’s showering Luke with even more attention.
He’s even unwrapped his birthday gifts and declared he’d gladly give Luke anything his nephew desired. It was such a heartwarming sight.
Father seemed fond of Luke as well, and Jack spent every spare moment crafting toys for him. Even Aster didn’t begrudge Luke a single piece of her beef.
Thanks to Luke, the Rocksburg Department Store’s sales have been breaking records daily. Truly, a blessing has rolled into our household.
If only Asterion’s wish comes true, nothing more could be asked for. With this group, even if I were to disappear, Rocksburg would continue running smoothly, and I could rest easy.
I offered my congratulations to Asterion—that silver-haired, blue-eyed handsome man whose heart remained an enigma—and returned to finish my work.

That night, overtime stretched deep into the early morning hours. I was about to wake the drowsy Aster and leave for the day when I noticed lights on in the Dining Hall.
Aster was beside me, so who could possibly be visiting the Dining Hall at this hour?
Curious, I opened the kitchen door connected to the Dining Hall, and there was Luke. Moreover, he held a piece of dry bread in one hand and was lifting the lid off a pot, apparently searching for any leftover food.
In the dead of night, my son was rummaging through the kitchen searching for scraps. There was only one reaction I could manage.
“Good heavens, are you hungry?!”
“Your voice—it’s so loud! Rosalite!”
Oh no, oh no! He’s starving! My son will waste away at this rate!
I was about to call for the night attendant in a panic, then stopped myself. No, if I summon someone, Luke will only refuse again. Even today at Asterion’s birthday party, he declined everything the family offered, which is why he ended up here in the kitchen in the middle of the night.
And with an empty stomach, what good would dry bread crumbs do? He needs something warm to settle his stomach. That way he’ll sleep better too.
“…Rosalite? What are you doing?”
Just watch, my son. Your mother is about to show off her skills for the first time in ages.
I instructed Aster to peel potatoes and ordered Luke to sit obediently at the table. Then I lit the stove, filled a pot with water, and tossed in dried fish generously. While the broth simmered, I kneaded flour, sliced vegetables, and removed the fish.
Aster and I pinched off pieces of dough and dropped them into the boiling broth with vegetables, then seasoned it generously with salt until a respectable sujebi took shape.
Whatever else I might lack, I was unmatched when it came to ramyeon, tteokguk, and sujebi. I’d been praised for my ramyeon—they said it could even bring back a runaway daughter-in-law. The only sorrow now was that I had no ramyeon in hand.
“Aster, you’ll finish the rest by yourself, won’t you?”
“Yes, Young Lady.”
I ladled out one bowl each for Luke and myself, then left the rest of the pot for Aster. I’d made plenty, anticipating this. All that kneading flour had been worth it.
“Now, eat quickly and get to bed. Tomorrow will be busy too, won’t it?”
As I brought the bowl to the table and handed Luke a spoon, the boy looked at the food once, then at my face, before hesitantly grasping the spoon.
“…Did you make this yourself, Rosalite?”
“Who else would have made it, Aster?”
“No… yes, I suppose that’s true…”
I said my thanks and took a spoonful of sujebi into my mouth. Mmm… the fragrant taste of the sea spreading across my palate. Savory, salty, and absolutely divine at this hour—that perfect flavor. The flour dough alternated between the tender pieces I’d pinched off and the chewy ones Aster had kneaded with force, creating a harmonious texture.
Aster seemed equally pleased with the food, drinking it straight from the pot’s handle, while Luke regarded it skeptically before taking a spoonful and breaking into a faint smile.
Thank goodness. I’d worried that his refined palate, cultivated in Chatel, might reject the sujebi as beneath his station. The boy was already picky enough to set down his spoon after just a few bites, but watching him blow on the ingredients and eat so contentedly filled me with an indescribable sense of pride.
So this is what a mother’s heart feels like. Eat well and gain some weight, Luke. You’re far too thin right now.
“It was… delicious. Thank you for the meal.”
Wow! You actually finished the entire bowl? I was so delighted and proud of Luke for cleaning his plate that I kissed his forehead and cleared away the dishes.
I praised him profusely for finishing every last bit of sujebi, and in that moment, Aster—who had emptied the entire pot—set it down on the table with a decisive clink and announced confidently to me.
“Young Lady! I’ve finished everything too!”
“….”
…What am I supposed to say to that?
I stared at Aster for a long moment, unable to find words, so I simply chose to ignore him. In any case, all three of us had eaten our fill of the late-night meal, so let’s pat our bellies and head to bed.
I gave Luke another kiss as a goodnight gesture and headed to my room. Aster walked me to my door and said, “Sleep well, Young Lady,” and after I acknowledged him and told him to rest, the impudent fellow had the audacity to slam my door shut behind him.
The sound was so loud I thought the hinges might give way, so I checked to make sure the door was still intact. Fortunately, it didn’t appear to be in danger of falling off.
If Aster had deliberately slammed it that hard, there’s no way it would have survived unscathed. Most likely, a window somewhere outside had blown open. The pressure difference probably caused the door to slam shut on its own.
With that thought, I brushed my teeth with the water the servants had prepared, washed my face, changed into my nightclothes, and lay down in bed to sleep.

Just as I was drifting off to sleep, I sensed something strange. A foul, unpleasant aura of mana—the kind that appears when dark magic is used. I initially assumed Lam was leaking her color again in her sleep, but this felt distinctly different from hers….
“Gasp!”
A corrupted Excalibur!
The moment that thought struck me, my eyes snapped open and I bolted upright from bed, grabbing my coat.
This is insane, absolutely insane—why is this happening now?!
In my panic, I didn’t even think to grab a lantern and rushed toward the Annex Building, dragging my slippers. Then it occurred to me—why would I need a lantern? I can use magic! What an idiot I am!
“Follow me! Sparkle!”
Since it was an emergency and the dead of night with no witnesses in sight, I conjured a cluster of small glowing orbs around myself and dashed down the staircase. I descended into the Annex Basement and shoved aside the dusty cabinet with considerable effort.
Behind this cabinet lay that locked door. At sixteen in the twenty-second cycle, it had been nothing but an empty space, but if that sinister mana has returned, there’s a possibility that whoever planted the sword is beyond this door.
“….”
Wait. If that’s the case, then how could dust have accumulated here?
If someone had passed through here to enter the room, the cabinet should have been moved aside, and even if they’d restored it upon leaving, there’s no way this much dust would have settled.
Certainly not this thick, years-old layer of dust.
“Cough. Hack!”
So what, the corrupted Excalibur just spontaneously generated itself?!
That made no sense whatsoever, so I lost my temper and kicked the cabinet hard. The old furniture tipped and crashed over, and the sound of shattering dishes rang out.
Causality exists in all things. Just as my kicking the cabinet caused the dishes to break, there’s a clear chain of cause and effect.
Anyway, let me think—to open this door, I need to first turn off the orbs, then convert my mana manually….
“Damn it, why can’t I double-cast?!”
Some people can triple-cast without breaking a sweat! What’s the difference?! Why can’t I do it?! Huh?! Is it because I’m stupid?! Are you mocking me for being an idiot right now?! This is infuriating!
“Argh!”
In my frustration, I kicked the door repeatedly and gasped for breath.
Breathe. Just breathe. I need to calm down. I’m too panicked and angry to think straight right now. Calm down, focus, take a deep breath…, exhale, inhale, exhale, convert my mana manually, and align the locks one by one like this….
“Fine! Object designation! Body enhancement! Release!”
I poured every ounce of my second-circle mana into enhancing my body, then punched the door clean through and strode inside.
I was busy. I didn’t have time to fuss about unlocking each lock one by one. Besides, I had the strength—why waste my mind on it? That was the sort of thing only fools did, those crippled in body who had to compensate with their brains.
“…!”
There! There it is, there it is, there it is!
I smashed through everything and burst into the room, where that sinister sword I’d seen before was planted upright!

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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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