Touch My Brother and You Die - Chapter 122
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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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I needed to go out and appease this irritating nobleman’s wounded pride, but I also had to put on a performance of disciplining the boy right in front of the Crown Prince.
“Asterion, you’re to write a reflection essay on the topic of ‘I apologize for being cheeky to the Crown Prince’ while I’m away.”
“Sister, I was only doing it for you…!”
“Ahem. Who told you to talk back?”
I quickly reached out and flicked Asterion’s forehead with a sharp tap, and the boy clutched his brow, dramatically feigning pain.
“The length should be around three thousand characters, and I won’t tolerate any repeated words.”
“Kugh!”
Asterion let out that signature cry of his while clutching his chest. I was getting used to seeing it by now.
“Wait, Rosalite, just a moment! An outing with His Highness? I wasn’t informed!”
Oh my, isn’t this our Glen, the one who was running away earlier?
The man seemed to be in quite a hurry, even borrowing Luke’s shoulder as he rushed toward me. He spoke in an indignant tone, asking how I couldn’t at least give him a word if it was for official duties. I glanced at Theodore’s expression and approached Glen.
I leaned close to Glen and whispered quietly so the Crown Prince wouldn’t hear, filling him in on everything that had happened so far. The man suddenly grabbed my arm and tried to push me away, stammering.
“W-wait a moment, Rosalite. You’re too close, the w-wind…! My ear…!”
“…”
Why did this man keep making me feel mischievous from the morning?
Since Glen kept pushing me away and blushing, I finished whispering and then blew a breath right against his ear.
“Eek!”
The effect was spectacular.
Glen tapped my arm repeatedly, insisting he now knew I was deliberately teasing him, and I laughed heartily as I entrusted him with overseeing the household.
There was no one in the world but Glen I could fully trust with my absence. After saying so, I gave him a kiss on the cheek as a sign of trust, and the man quickly touched where my lips had landed, his mouth falling open.
“P-please take care out there!”
“Of course, I will.”
Having received Glen’s enthusiastic send-off, I firmly linked my arm with the Crown Prince’s and walked briskly toward the Sky Lounge. After boarding the elevator and instructing the attendant to take us to the Sky Lounge floor, Theodore, who had been silent until now, finally spoke with an exasperated tone.
“What kind of woman does something like this?”
I was grateful the elevator attendant was a man. If it had been a woman, she might have fallen to her knees without even understanding why, simply from the Crown Prince’s outburst.
◇ ◆ ◇
Thanks to having stationed people in advance, the Sky Lounge attached to the restaurant was utterly devoid of patrons—empty and silent as a tomb. I’d enjoy a delicious breakfast and send the bill to His Majesty the King. We’d chartered an entire floor of the most expensive hotel in the kingdom’s Sky Lounge, and I was genuinely curious what the final cost would be.
“Aster, go to the kitchen and arrange a separate meal. His Highness finds shellfish, octopus, and squid repulsive, so prepare only the most visually appealing dishes.”
“Yes, Young Lady.”
Perhaps I should also request silver utensils and ask for an appetizer plate to gauge whether he’d detected anything unusual. As I summoned staff and began issuing commands in rapid succession to prepare the meal, the man fixed me with an unwavering stare, his expression distinctly sullen.
“How distastefully solicitous you are of my wellbeing.”
“It is only my duty as a subject.”
“Even so, isn’t this excessive?”
“It is love, pure love. Surely all of this stems from my overflowing affection for Your Highness.”
What? Why isn’t he objecting? Why is he simply unfolding his napkin without a care?
Since the man was already aware of my feelings and I’d been scolded not to voice them again, my insides churned with frustration. I gripped the silver fork tightly. This wretch had grown confident in his position as Crown Prince, developing new techniques to provoke me. Just let me catch him slipping up later—I’ll have plenty to hold against him.
I forced a smile and methodically pricked each dish to check for poison, tasting small portions. Finding everything wholesome, I invited him to dine. His Highness then ordered the waiter to discard the portions I’d sampled—nearly half his plate—before beginning his meal.
I’d only removed small amounts with the fork and spoon before tasting, so my saliva hadn’t touched anything, yet his plate was already reduced to half portions.
He truly excels at irritating me. If he despises my company so, why didn’t he simply dismiss me and dine alone? Why insist on sitting at the same table as someone he finds repugnant?
“You drank excessively last night. Perhaps you’ve lost your appetite.”
“No. My appetite is perfectly normal.”
“Eating so little—does it truly sustain you?”
“You’re a noblewoman yet you eat like a pig.”
“Eating so sparingly, certain areas fail to develop properly.”
“Better underdeveloped than overstuffed from excessive consumption.”
“My body and intellect are flawless.”
“So are mine.”
“I doubt that very much.”
“Care to test that theory?”
Ha ha ha, yes indeed. Shall we tear each other’s hair out and brawl before breakfast is even finished?
I stabbed my fork into the swordfish steak with pent-up emotion, and His Highness responded by jabbing a tomato on his salad plate with equal force. I was contemplating hurling the swordfish at him when I noticed sauce smudged at the corner of his mouth, and a pang of sympathy struck me.
Ah… so as one ages, attention to detail around the mouth deteriorates. At thirty years old, he apparently doesn’t even notice the sauce on his lips while eating.
I clicked my tongue in exasperation and quickly verified that none of the hotel staff had witnessed this, then hastily unfolded my napkin. Rising from my seat, I leaned across the table toward His Highness, and the man’s brow furrowed deeply as he stared at me intently.
“You have nothing to boast of except your face, so do pay attention to it.”
After wiping his mouth clean and returning to my seat, His Highness contorted that smile he so cherished into a scowl and began glaring at me. He squeezed his eyes shut, tugged at his hair, and finally slammed the table as he stood, erupting in fury.
“What are you scheming?! Do you think I’ll fall for such tricks?!”
“…Pardon?”
“You are truly impossible! The way you shamelessly crawled into my bed without restraint! If you continue like this, I will not permit you to escort me!”
Huh? What? Am I being released from duty?
Bewildered, I was about to express my gratitude when Theodore announced he was returning to the Edanelli Mansion. He claimed he’d intended to spare time for me today, but he simply couldn’t endure it any longer, ranting incoherently before storming out of the Sky Lounge without finishing even half his breakfast, his footsteps heavy and forceful.
Before completely leaving the restaurant, he whirled around to face me and shouted:
“Don’t you dare follow me!”
Ah… yes…
As I nodded silently, the man kicked an innocent restaurant chair over and stormed outside.
Well… His Highness’s escort detail will arrive shortly anyway, and with attendants and maidservants accompanying him, they’ll ensure his safe passage.
Left alone at the table, I summoned Aster from the kitchen to join me, and we finished the remaining meal together. The food Aster had brought for himself was quite substantial, and thanks to the table manners training I’d given him previously, he ate neither sloppily nor ravenously.
With manners like that, Jack, Quill, and Karl wouldn’t be stressed either, facing Aster at the Brown Family breakfast table every morning. Humans truly need education. It’s through learning that people become truly human. Those who haven’t learned are no better than beasts.
I took Sunza’s lofty words to heart and ate my defensive steak. After finishing breakfast and returning to my room, Asterion had perfectly completed the reflection essay I’d ordered and asked me to review it, while Luke and Glen said the Crown Prince had left absolutely furious—they wanted to know what had happened.
I had no idea what they were talking about, so I could only explain that I’d gotten sauce on my mouth while eating and wiped it away with my hand, and then he got angry and left by himself.
After hearing my full explanation, Luke said I was wrong. Glen also said it seemed like I was at fault. Without even listening to what I said, Jack Brown just happened to pass by, squeezed into our conversation, and declared that the Young Lady was the one who’d made the mistake.
No, why does everything end up being my fault with these guys?
◇ ◆ ◇
If you play outside all day, you’re supposed to lounge around indoors the next day.
Since my first day of vacation in Edanelli Casino Town involved sightseeing, visiting the casino, and drinking heavily, my second day was spent leisurely sprawling on the sofa and bed, and now, having gone to bed early and risen early, I greeted my third vacation day.
Last night, I’d dragged Glen into a deep sleep with me, insisting I had no ill intentions, but I’d gotten my back thoroughly scratched and had to let him go. When the prince got angry, saying I only ever played pranks and asking if I enjoyed teasing him so much, I nodded and said yes—was that a mistake?
The man complained that my personality was terrible, limped away with his cane, and then Asterion popped out, offering that he too could manage a deep sleep without any ill intentions and told me to call whenever I wished. I declined.
I called Aster, who was hovering nearby waiting to be summoned, and we slept soundly together before waking refreshed. Once I finish today’s duties, I’ll have to return immediately and get back to work.
The thought that my vacation had passed faster than the speed of light made me stand there dazed in just a robe, when Violet knocked on my bedroom door and informed me I had a visitor.
Wait, someone’s looking for me this early in the morning? Violet said it was someone from Edanelli, but the only Edanelli people I knew were the Duke, the Duchess, and Dorothy—so I still couldn’t guess who it might be.
Those people would be busy today, so there’s no way they’d come looking for me at this hour. I tied my robe closed and cinched the sash tight, then headed to the living room where the Edanelli visitor had arrived.
When I got there, I was surprised to see a familiar face.
“Rosalite!”
Wait, who is this? Isn’t she that Edanelli branch family Young Lady who dances so well?
When I asked what brought her here, the Young Lady, dressed in a beautiful gown with her hair adorned with every pretty ornament imaginable since morning, sprang up from the sofa and greeted me.
“I apologize for the late introduction, Rosalite. I am Janet Edanelli, the second daughter of Dorothy Edanelli.”
Wait, wait, wait? Dorothy’s second daughter? The one I’ve never even seen because she’s been dead or runaway every single round—that’s you?
When I expressed my surprise at seeing the second daughter of that household for the first time, the woman explained that she’d been adopted by Dorothy only four years ago, and after her biological parents passed away, she’d avoided social circles and refrained from making official appearances.
Well, well, this round certainly has me meeting all sorts of hard-to-encounter people. This must all be thanks to the good karma I accumulated in the previous round.
“I heard that you would be attending the Duke’s inauguration ceremony, Rosalite, and my sisters and I fought over who would guide you, but I defeated them all and rushed here.”
“Those children of that household still seem to be in good health, I see.”
“Too healthy, if anything—those damn…, ahem. Hmm. Ahhh.”
It’s fine, it’s fine—that’s just how those kids talk.
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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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