Touch My Brother and You Die - Chapter 13

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

Tonight’s dinner featured plenty of meat that Aster enjoyed, so I pushed the plate toward him generously. He thanked me politely and speared a large chunk with his fork, popping it into his mouth.
It’s fortunate he loves food so much yet has no cavities. Yes, healthy teeth are truly one of life’s five blessings.
After exchanging pleasantries and finishing the meal, I announced we could adjourn for the evening. With no further work scheduled, everyone could have free time. I instructed Aster to drop off Glen on his way back, then retreated to my bed to request some french fries as a late-night snack, but—
“….”
An ominous premonition sent a chill racing down my spine.
It felt connected to Leon somehow.
Now that I thought about it, I recalled that Asterion had a sister complex.

I had a maid gather the leftover dinner and hurried toward the Annex Building.
During the twentieth loop, he’d certainly been infatuated from the moment he first saw my sister, so by this point Leon would already be speeding full throttle down the sister complex highway.
Since the book contained no details, I had no way of knowing why he’d come to adore Rosalite, and honestly, this was driving me insane.
I despise settings that only the author knows about,
and the first person to extend a gentle hand to me, a worthless wretch, was my sister—cue the clear sky, rainbow-colored lighting, a halo behind Rosalite, soft background music playing. I absolutely hate that kind of development too.
I’d rather break my own fingers.
“Leon, are you there? I’m coming in.”
I knocked on Leon’s door without waiting for a response and pushed it open. Leon was curled up on his bed like a potato, buried under his blanket, so I left the table setting to the maid and dragged over a chair to sit before him.
“Leon, your sister is here. You should greet me.”
“I hope you had an enjoyable meal, Sister….”
Yes, the meal was quite good.
But since Leon remained in his potato state, I poked him repeatedly through the blanket. When I prodded what I assumed was his ribs, he trembled as if ticklish but said nothing more.
“Leon, I came here because I think you’re misunderstanding something.”
I’m a busy person, so be grateful I made the trip for you. With that meaning, Leon finally peeked his face out from under the blanket.
“…A misunderstanding?”
“The Crown Prince and his family were being so clingy that I entered into a contractual marriage to avoid their meddling. That’s what you should understand.”
I have my own circumstances too. Please let me live, Leon.
…No, to be precise—let me live comfortably, Leon.
I explained to Leon in detail that when he turned twenty, I would cleanly part ways with Glen, and that I viewed him as nothing more than an aide assisting my work. Then I spoke of a more distant future to console him.
“Once the period I promised Glen is over, you’ll need to help me with my work from then on. How can you afford to sulk when there’s so much to do?”
Glen is temporary; you’re permanent. Eat well, learn much, and grow quickly—then you can stick to me like glue as much as you wish. When I stated this bluntly, Leon crawled out from under his blanket and sat facing me.
“I’m not sulking. I was simply a bit flustered….”
Hmm. Our Leon really is terrible at lying. It’s rather endearing.
But pretending not to notice, I got Leon up and told him to finish eating, then seated him at the table.
Leon picked up his utensils immediately, as if his earlier meal hadn’t been enough. He claimed to have no appetite, yet he eats just fine.
“Sister, I have no classes tomorrow afternoon. If it’s acceptable, might I assist you with your work?”
Leon’s face, now bright and cheerful unlike before, swallowed what he was eating and spoke with renewed enthusiasm. Extra hands were always welcome, but tomorrow afternoon happened to be a time when I wouldn’t need assistance.
“I appreciate the offer, but tomorrow afternoon I’m going with Glen to purchase a replacement cane….”
“I’ll come too.”
Hey, I wasn’t finished talking yet.
Unable to refuse Leon, who had finally brightened up and was grinning from ear to ear, I agreed to go with him tomorrow instead.
Whether I went out with Glen or took Leon along wouldn’t make much difference anyway, and I planned to return home once my business was done. Since I was already going out, I grew curious about visiting shops I wanted to see besides Glen’s errand, and even entertained the idea of leisurely sipping coffee at a cafe—though I’d decide on that based on how much time we had that day.
In any case, nothing particularly unusual should happen.

◇ ◆ ◇

Something unusual happened.
I had grossly underestimated the protagonist’s luck in a BL novel.

It was an ordinary day right up until I left the house—so how did it come to this? Had leaving home been a mistake? Come to think of it, there had been an incident even as we departed.
Just as I was about to take Aster, Glen, and Leon in the carriage and head out, one of the Brown Family twins who usually guarded the gate threw a tantrum, insisting he wanted to go play too. He must have felt envious watching Aster claim the seat beside me for the outing. When I scolded him for abandoning his post as gatekeeper, he whined that he’d tell Father about us slacking off and going on an excursion.
Without the pure-hearted manga heroine skill that my father possessed to instantly distinguish between the twins, I couldn’t tell whether it was Karl Brown or Quill Brown standing guard, but why did he feel the need to throw such a tantrum right in front of his sister?
But Aster being Aster, the moment his older brother started whining, he deliberately pressed himself against my side and declared that he should spend his whole life guarding the gate instead. While I was trying to placate him with promises of taking him along next time, I had to give my escort knight Aster a good smack on the back. Once Aster apologized profusely, the gatekeeper—whom I still couldn’t distinguish—seemed satisfied and let us through the gate.
After that, we had a relatively uneventful time sightseeing. We went to the finest men’s clothing and accessories shop in our Territory and purchased about ten canes, then ordered ten more functional canes tailored to Glen’s exact height.
Glen protested that it was excessive spending and suggested buying less, but when I made a gloomy face saying I rarely had the chance to spend money since I was always working, both Glen and Leon eagerly began selecting beautiful items to adorn themselves with.
Watching them return with silk hats and boutonnieres, complimenting how well each item suited the other, made me feel vindicated for bringing them along. They’d barely looked at each other in the carriage on the way here, clicking their tongues, yet now they’d become so friendly.
Wait, if we stayed out longer, wouldn’t they become even closer?
I might be a genius. Feeling rather pleased with myself, I went to a nearby Spa Cafe, settled in, and leisurely sipped coffee while getting a foot massage.

Some genius—more like an idiot, Rosalite.
The four of us were soaking our feet in warm water in a private room, relaxing, when I happened to glance out the glass window and locked eyes with someone, causing me to jump up from my seat.
He was coming in. This person would barge through regardless of whether I was the Duke’s heir, a princess, or even the Emperor himself, and would plant his fist on my face.
“Leon, hide! Glen too! Aster, you—!”
Moreover, he was a true gay who had absolutely no interest in women. There was a tearful reason—involving my own tears and snot from reading novels—for why he’d come to hate women, but this wasn’t the time to dwell on that. Where could I hide these two?
“You there! The one giving me the foot massage! Is there anywhere in this place where I can hide two people?”
“Pardon? …If I may suggest, perhaps the cleaning supply closet…?”
“Hide there now!”
I dragged Glen and Leon, who kept asking why this was happening, to the supply closet and locked them in, threatening that if they made a sound, they’d never leave the house again. Once I confirmed they’d fallen silent, I had the two massage therapists quickly clear away Leon’s and Glen’s water basins and drink glasses, then returned to my seat.
Aster seemed anxious, but if he got too fidgety, I could always bare my chest to show him there was nothing to worry about.
“Pardon the intrusion, Rosalite.”
So he’d sent someone after all. The spa attendant who entered after requesting permission said that Luke Chatel, the Global Operations Director of the Chatel Corporation Group of the Largol Empire and Branch Manager of the Alein Kingdom branch, wished to meet with me.
His title was ridiculously long, but essentially it meant a rising tycoon from the neighboring country had come to do business in our nation, and from his perspective, he absolutely had to meet me—the future master of the Duchy’s commercial sphere—by any means necessary.
“Tell him I’m resting and cannot receive visitors.”
But that was his problem, and I wanted to enjoy myself. Did he really want to work even in this situation? We both had plenty of work, and knowing his past, I felt a certain sympathy for him. Even if Luke Chatel was the one who’d nearly stabbed me in the abdomen in the fifth loop.
You’re pitiful because of your parents’ issues, and Leon’s entire life is just pitiful, so it was right that the two of you shouldn’t meet. I’d let them date as a gesture of sympathy—miserable kids should try to make each other happy—but the ending was a stabbing attempt.
What good does it do to say you love and care for someone? Luke Chatel was someone who couldn’t trust anyone.
Leon poured his own affection into him, but Luke felt an emptiness and turned his blade toward me instead. He said it was because Leon wouldn’t look only at him because of me, but would he have truly been satisfied if he’d succeeded in killing me?
Thinking about it, I felt more pity than anger at nearly dying.
“I apologize, Rosalite. Luke asked me to inquire once more…”
“Tell him to get lost.”
Still, pity was pity and business was business. I rejected his message once more and ordered an additional dessert. The chocolate here had a pleasantly bitter edge to it.
“Wait, you can’t do this, Luke!”
“Pardon the intrusion, Rosalite!”
So he came in after all.
I’d anticipated he would force his way through, but witnessing it unfold before me left my heart heavy. Watching him brush past the cafe’s security and staff, then stand before me with his head held high in such rudeness—it twisted something inside me.
I picked up a trimmed strawberry and ate it while addressing the man.
“Does a slave’s son have ten lives to spare?”
“I’m honored you know of me.”
The man bowed to me with genuine gratitude in his gesture. Yes, a man like him would take such mockery as a greeting. Had he flinched at mere words like these, he would never have risen to such heights. Even among those not of the Chatel Corporation Group, there was no shortage of talent.
“I know well enough. It’s hardly common for a mother to attempt killing her own child for comfort.”
For that reason, I found myself wanting to make even his eyebrow twitch.
Luke Chatel had lived a life where the word “misery” seemed woven into his very existence. In his youth, poverty tormented him; as he grew, his station did. The Largol Empire, across the sea from our Alein Kingdom, was a great power, but its people were notoriously barbaric—they enslaved the populations of conquered lands.
Luke Chatel was unfortunate enough to be born the son of a subjugated nation’s citizen, and even more unfortunate that his biological father happened to be the head of the Chatel Corporation Group. That wretched man, out of mere boredom, had embraced Luke’s mother and fathered him, then vanished without a trace. Only when Luke began to show promise did that man reappear, equally on a whim, and forced Luke’s mother to choose between two impossible paths.

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