Touch My Brother and You Die - Chapter 15

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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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Luke and I shrugged simultaneously and shook our heads, and Glen’s face flushed as though he might burst at any moment. He tried to speak, then stopped himself, bit his lip, tried again, faltered, and finally let out a strangled sound as he buried his face in his hands—he looked ready to cry.
“I have urgent matters to attend to. Until we meet again, I wish you well, beautiful Rosalite and esteemed members of the Duke’s House.”
“You’re the one who created this mess, and now you’re running away alone!”
“If you desire an apology, I shall offer material compensation instead. Farewell.”
That bastard, look at him flee!
I tapped the table sharply to signal my displeasure at his escape, but Luke simply spread both arms wide as if grasping something substantial and said,
“Substantial material.”
Well, substantial material was another matter entirely. I allowed Luke to withdraw and attempted to console Glen on my own.
Glen didn’t exchange a single word with me all the way home.
Glen didn’t mix words with me until he went home.

◇ ◆ ◇

Aster’s knighthood ceremony, which had only had a date set, was held with great splendor and considerable expense. Aster became the target of what one might call an inauguration beating—or perhaps more accurately, a stress-relief outlet for her brothers’ jealous rage—and received quite a thorough thrashing.
That day, the first, second, and third sons of the Brown Family, who worked externally, returned to witness the ceremony and took their turns striking Aster before departing. When all the Brown Family siblings gathered, it was truly a sight to behold—after all, there were seven of them.
From eldest to youngest: John Brown, Jean Brown, Will Brown, Jack Brown, Karl Brown, Quill Brown, and Aster Brown. The story went that their father, William, had initially named the children with single-character names somewhat haphazardly, but when it came to the youngest—and a daughter at that—he decided she deserved a pretty name, so he borrowed a flower name and thus Aster Brown came to be.
And it seemed that from these small grievances, accumulating jealousy points all the way up to her appointment as my personal guard, Karl Brown and Quill Brown had begun tormenting Aster quite severely—so much so that I’d reached a point where I needed to intervene.
Aster hadn’t complained, but if her work suffered, it would only inconvenience me further. Moreover, if their pranks escalated into something serious, we would lose two valuable gatekeepers. Since Karl and Quill listened well to Father’s words, I conveyed my concerns to him and asked him to counsel them. As for myself, I organized a schedule I’d been considering and decided to show it to Aster.
“Aster.”
“Yes, Miss.”
Aster, who had been tearing into a whole baguette beside me, hurried over at my call. Thinking it was an errand, she accepted the paper I offered and asked where she should deliver it, but I told her to read its contents instead.
“The new combat instructor we’ve hired should match your level well. On weekday afternoons, take a break from guard duty and train with Leon.”
Since she had talent, it was only right to cultivate it. Ever since Aster had sensed mana at the Royal Palace, I’d been searching for someone skilled in aura control to serve as her new instructor. This person would not only be capable of teaching Leon but would also help Aster develop her sword aura.
Hoping she would learn quickly and return to regular duties, I’d filled her entire weekday schedule with training, but for some reason, Aster’s expression grew sorrowful.
Perhaps the schedule was too demanding. I could allow her to skip training one day if needed… but before I could say so, Aster’s eyes began to well with tears, and she set down the baguette.
“…Is it because I’ve been eating too much?”
Don’t cry. Why are you crying?
Don’t spit out the bread in your mouth, you fool!
Aster finished speaking and slid the baguette on the desk toward me. This is maddening. Why is she like this?
“Finish eating what you started. Does our household lack the means to feed one more person?”
“Is it because the food expenses are high that you’re considering dismissing me from guard duty?”
“That’s not it at all.”
“But Karl and Quill said that one day you’d dismiss me for eating your food and commit treason…”
Good heavens. She hadn’t said anything, but she’d been holding onto that worry.
I assured Aster that I would never dismiss her from guard duty due to food expenses and explained the circumstances behind this new schedule. As I spoke, Aster swallowed the bread she’d been about to spit out, picked up the baguette from the desk again, and resumed chewing.
“Once I become an aura user, will I be able to return to regular duties?”
“Does becoming an Aura user mean I can return to regular duties?”
“Exactly. If you grow stronger, who benefits? I can walk anywhere without worry.”
“Then who will protect Miss while I’m away?”
“That’s…”
I did have someone in mind, but honestly, I felt uneasy about it. Accepting this proposal left me anxious, but refusing it left me in an awkward position.
“If the person isn’t someone I can trust, I won’t be able to train with peace of mind.”
“That is…”
Jack Brown.
Avoiding Aster’s gaze, I whispered the name Jack Brown so quietly it was barely audible. Yet Aster heard it perfectly and her eyes widened.
“Are there really so few people in this house?”
“Well, John has moved out, Jean is at Uncle’s Mansion, Will is busy, and Karl and Quill have to stand guard duty.”
“Still, not Jack!”
Ah, right. Jack truly wasn’t an option. Though I’d arrived at this decision after agonizing over it countless times, hearing even Aster say Jack wasn’t suitable made my resolve waver.
I’d been wrestling with this decision ever since our outing—when we returned, during Aster’s knight appointment ceremony, when Glen and I set our engagement date, and even while receiving the Queen’s birthday banquet schedule and having Leon’s new clothes fitted—yet I still couldn’t find certainty.
Throughout my life, I’d chosen six people from the Brown Family as escorts, with Aster handling three of those occasions and Jean, Karl, and Quill each handling one.
Jean was eliminated from future consideration after becoming infatuated with Leon, and while Karl and Quill performed their escort duties well, they prioritized Father’s orders over mine, so I ultimately settled on Aster, who listened to my commands faithfully.
All these years, I’d never once considered Jack as an escort option.
“Would it be better to go alone?”
“That won’t do. If you were alone, you might manage to escape, but with Glen as your… burden…”
The sound of a cane tapping against the wall came from the adjacent room, but I chose to ignore it. Even if the rooms connected without a door and every word carried through, why was he listening so intently?
“More importantly, Miss. It’s time.”
Oh no. Had it already gotten so late?
I had an important appointment to meet with Father today, so I gathered my prepared presentation materials and pointer. Unlike irregular banquets held on a first-come, first-served basis for invitations, annually scheduled banquets required us to persuade each other on who was more suited to attend, making it a competition of sorts.
Perhaps because of my status as the current Duke, I’d never won these competitions, but this time I was determined not to lose. After all, I had the perfect excuse: introducing my fiancé Glen to the Queen. This time, I could win.

I brought Aster along toward Father’s Office, and at the Entrance Hall, I caught sight of Father loading something onto a mail carriage. I’d arranged to meet him, so I wondered why he was out here—I rushed over, only to find Father regarding me with a chilling smile.
“My beloved daughter.”
“…Why are you doing this, Duke?”
I flinched and stepped backward. Father advanced a step closer, his words growing more ominous.
“How admirable your spirited nature is today. Even the evening star at dusk wouldn’t shine as brilliantly as you.”
“Have you lost your mind?”
Had Father finally gone mad from overwork? After I’d turned his schedule upside down before, and now with him unable to leave the house, perhaps the stress had driven him insane. Unless…
“Those sparkling eyes of yours are more beautiful than any jewel in the world.”
“I’m starting to feel nauseous, so please stop with the nonsense.”
Father laughs.
I didn’t want to be within reach of this Duke overflowing with false flattery, so I retreated another step.
“Your hair shines with a fatal brilliance, as if coated in mercury.”
“We have the same eyes and hair, so what are you even saying? Do you really want to win this badly? Ugh! Don’t touch my hair—it’s irritating!”
Did he think I’d back down just because of this?
I’m going. I’m absolutely going to that banquet!
I quickly retreated beyond Father’s reach, pulled out a presentation sheet, and handed it to Aster, then tapped the paper sharply with my pointer.
“I need to go introduce Glen! This is a task commanded by the Queen herself, as you well know! I must report on it—I absolutely cannot compromise this time!”
As I frantically displayed visual aids showing that if I missed this opportunity, there wouldn’t be another for six months, Father’s laughter vanished and he spread both arms wide.
“I was joking.”
“…Pardon?”
Apparently satisfied with teasing me, he explained what had just happened with a blank expression.
“I’ve dumped all the work for the Queen’s birthday banquet onto Uncle Louis through the mail carriage.”
“That means…”
“We’re all going to the banquet together. The Crown Prince has become someone worth pranking—I can’t possibly miss it.”
Surely not.
So Father’s plan was this: Aster, myself, William, Father, Glen, and Leon would all take leave from our duties and attend the banquet together, witness the prank on the Crown Prince as a group, and dump all the work on Uncle Louis—killing three birds with one stone.
“Will Uncle Louis accept this?”
“If he’s upset, he can rebel.”
“You’re a genius, Duke!”
I dropped the pointer and rushed to Father, grasping both his hands. Laughing merrily, I spun around and enthusiastically danced a quick waltz, then gathered my skirts and curtsied gracefully.
“To a Duke of such brilliant scheming, my admiration knows no bounds.”
“With a Duke’s daughter so easily deceived, life is never dull.”
Let’s not talk about that. I was so startled just now.
In any case, Father has this tendency to be utterly serious one moment, then stake his life on pranking people the next, constantly catching me off guard. Living in this household, where there’s little other entertainment, I understand the appeal of finding amusement in pranks… but still.
Come to think of it, I’ve become fond of pranking the servants myself at some point, and Uncle Louis even included my portrait in his recommendation for the Crown Prince’s bride selection just to prank me. Does everyone become like this living in this house?
“Well, I’m busy now.”
I waved goodbye to Father, who spoke of being busy as though it were a habit, and decided to seek out Jack Brown with the spare time. He worked as an executioner in this household, but it wasn’t particularly demanding work, so he was likely killing time in the Torture Chamber even now.

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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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