Touch My Brother and You Die - Chapter 189

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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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Oh, if we’re talking about riflemen, they’d be invaluable in times like these. I was planning to sweet-talk my way down and ask for extra weapons and ammunition, then distribute them to our Prod and Diana. Those two have plenty of experience with hit-and-run tactics using small forces, so if I promoted them to officer rank, they’d handle everything brilliantly on their own. Field experience is what matters most, after all.
In any case, I had no choice but to say yes to this proposal. We’d gain reinforcements and could advertise that Alein has a strong ally, and most importantly—we’d gain a Crown Princess for our family.
If Nimerunia acts unpleasantly later, I could use this favor as leverage and divorce her then if needed, but for now I have to consent. It’s a triple win. Not even a double win—a triple win. I was staring at our local Crown Prince, mentally urging him to nod quickly, but this spineless fool started hedging his words and offered his opinion to the Princess.
“This is a grave matter. Grant me time to consider.”
It’s a grave matter, so you should consent right now, you idiot!
I was about to say something, my frustration boiling over, when Capo—the most composed person in the room—smiled wickedly and nodded.
Wait, you’re not the one who should be nodding right now.
“I understand. I shall wait.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“I’ll give you ten minutes.”
That’s it! That’s how our Crown Princess should be! Magnificent! Refreshingly direct!
I was so impressed by my sister that I burst out laughing, and when I laughed, the two men of Alein’s royal family glared at me intensely, while Capo’s smile deepened.
“If you refuse, I shall return to my duchy. I cannot remain leisurely in a foreign nation during wartime as a princess.”
Well spoken! My sister is truly eloquent!
I was deeply satisfied, but Theodore’s complexion was changing by the second, so I couldn’t just leave it. Was he still clinging to that naive belief about wanting to marry a woman he loves? He should have abandoned such sentiments long ago when he was appointed Crown Prince. What would happen if he’s still dreaming such fantasies?
“Listen here, Your Highness. Let me speak with you for a moment.”
I banged my head on the table and called only Theodore outside. Leon and Glen tried to follow, but considering His Highness’s dignity, I took only Jack with me. And while I was bound by the ceremonial rope, I spoke my mind.
“Just consent for now. That way, Alein’s losses will be minimized. You saw the power of Nimerian rifles at the hunting grounds before, didn’t you? There are three thousand of them.”
“Do you think I don’t know your true intentions? You want to marry me off quickly and be done with it.”
“I won’t lie—that desire is considerable.”
“….”
Wait, wait—don’t lose heart, you fool. Where’s that usual glib tongue of yours? It’s strange how he becomes powerless whenever marriage is mentioned. It was the same when he met the Imperial Princess before.
“….”
Could it be that he thinks marriage is irreversible?
I probed the Crown Prince, half-testing him. It was a probe, but it was also the truth—I and everyone from Rocksburg were prepared to annul the royal marriage if it became detrimental to the nation.
“Listen well, Your Highness. With Rocksburg’s standing, do you think we wouldn’t have investigated the princess’s background? We’ve already completed our investigation of Princess Natalie. If Nimerunia acts unpleasantly later, we can simply seize on the fact that a Crown Prince of noble blood and a princess of commoner origins don’t match in rank, and have the marriage annulled.”
“You really don’t think like a human being.”
“What can I do? If you’d been born into a better family, you wouldn’t give us such leverage. We’ve protected the noble bloodline of Alein for over a dozen generations. Nimerunia trying to steal it wholesale makes them the thieves. With such reasoning, even the various nations of Cerepia and Largol won’t spread ill rumors.”
“What’s your intention in saying such things?”
“If things go wrong later, we’ll take responsibility and send her back. For now, just consent to the marriage. You don’t know what marriage is really like until you experience it. I’m very satisfied with mine, and having family to support you creates a sense of responsibility. I need to ensure a path for that rabbit-like husband and fox-like son to live, don’t I?”
“Enough. There are limits to shamelessness.”
What? I haven’t even bragged about Glen and Luke yet. I was just about to launch into a full speech about how adorable Luke and Glen are, but His Highness cut me off and opened the conference hall door with a determined expression.
“Don’t misunderstand—I’m not making this decision because I trust you.”
Yes, yes, of course, Your Highness. I understand completely.
I followed the Crown Prince back inside and winked rapidly at Capo. His Highness hasn’t even answered yet, but my sister already approves. Oh my, you’d better control that smile. It’s practically splitting your face.
“Very well. We’ll hold a simple betrothal ceremony soon, and once the war ends, we’ll conduct a formal royal marriage.”
“Wonderful! So I can move into the Royal Palace starting today?”
“Wait, moving our residence on such short notice will take considerable time.”
“I’ll pack immediately! I sent out a support request the moment we heard about Largol, so reinforcements should arrive much faster than you’d expect. The Nimerian forces might even arrive before Noctram’s!”
Capo burst into gleeful laughter, briefly excused herself with mention of preparing to move to the Crown Prince’s Palace, and slipped out of the conference hall. I hadn’t seen her looking this excited since the day she laid eyes on our Crown Prince.
Sigh… well, I suppose our Crown Prince does possess truly exceptional looks. He’s practically a national treasure. To secure three thousand troops simply on the strength of his face alone.
“Well done, Your Highness. That was an excellent decision.”
“The old man’s right, Your Highness. There’s nothing quite like being handsome.”
“Indeed, Your Highness. Your countenance is a treasure of Alein.”
“I’m sorry, my son. I had hoped to protect you from all of this.”
Why must he dredge up such melancholy memories? The Previous King had left the nation drowning in debt, so when the current Queen—originally from Edanelli—married him, she paid off every last coin as her dowry, though the marriage itself was rather forcefully arranged. But regardless, their relationship doesn’t seem particularly warm now.
Yet that’s how people become husband and wife, growing attached through shared life. I believe the Crown Prince and Capo will find a beautiful future together. At least, once we’ve weathered this current crisis.
“Since Noctram hasn’t arrived yet, I propose Duke Bienar assume the position of interim commander-in-chief. And I believe Duke Rocksburg should handle the staff organization.”
“Ah, I’m afraid our Duke is too occupied to take on that responsibility. You’ll either need to delegate everything to Duke Bienar, or I’ll have no choice but to take the field myself.”
“…Eddie is busy?”
“Yes.”
“The nation is at war, and there’s something more pressing than that?”
“He’s apparently busy searching for a physician and a magic specialist.”
“A physician? Little troublemaker, what’s wrong with you?”
Should I even mention this? I couldn’t find a good reason to air family matters in the conference hall, so I was scrambling for a vague deflection when Jack suddenly interjected.
“Our Young Lady just attempted to take her own life and failed. The household is in complete chaos, and the Duke and my brother are frantically trying to help her recover.”
Why did I ever grant that man freedom of speech? Jack Brown’s blunt words naturally sent the conference hall into an uproar.
“Hey! You little brat, why would you try to die! Has this shrimp gone completely insane?!”
“Young Duke of Rocksburg, are you alright? Is a business venture or real estate investment going poorly? I can lend you money. I’ll give you a lifetime payment plan with zero interest.”
“No, no, no! How can you send a child to work in such conditions! She needs stability and rest! What is Eddie thinking?!”
“Wait. No matter how shocking Princess Natalie’s marriage proposal was, attempting suicide seems like quite an overreaction. I thought you wouldn’t give up so easily over something like this. How impulsive of you.”
What is Theodore saying with that smiling face? I only just learned about Capo’s marriage proposal.
In any case, the incident was no trivial matter for me either, but since it had already passed and we needed to continue the meeting, I insisted on staying. However, my opinion was overruled.
These people had just been debating whether Duke Rocksburg had any sense at all during this war, yet they were telling me to go home and sleep bundled under blankets.
No, I absolutely wanted to recommend Prod and Diana as officers so they could earn merit. Once they earned merit, the process to become quasi-nobility would be easier, and later I could jointly entrust the lordship of Veloche Territory to Diana and Prod, while returning the title and domain of Baron Hofen to Glen. Such a grand plan couldn’t be derailed!
I couldn’t leave. I wouldn’t take a single step out of this conference hall without getting Prod and Diana’s names on the officer roster. With that resolve, I planted myself firmly in my seat, and the King began shouting at me in fury.
“I’ll add either Prod or Diana to the roster, so go rest immediately!”
“Why do you keep telling me to rest in the middle of this crisis! And while we’re at it, I’d like to supply walkie-talkies for this war! I’ll give you a good price! Try them out! Rocksburg Mountain rechargeable Masujung crystal walkie-talkies!”
“Hey, be honest! You came here to do business!”
“Conference halls are naturally where people look after their own interests!”
Everyone should be honest! Edanelli is here trembling in fear that their Masujung mines will be destroyed! Bienar is getting irritable because guerrilla warfare is expected on land and she’s worried her forces won’t have anywhere to shine! And Your Majesty is racking your brain trying to squeeze the Dukes for everything while avoiding any loss to yourself! Look at how you’ve been calculating—only adding the Duke’s House forces to the military count! The Royal Family has no standing army, does it?! Am I wrong or am I wrong?! Huh?!
As I thundered out my words, everyone’s eyes darted nervously, watching my reaction. The first to break the silence was the dignified Duke of Bienar.
“These walkie-talkies you mention. Are they really that good? Do they help in naval warfare too? I’m curious to try them.”
“They’re excellent for rapid transmission of orders and battlefield information. The reason Noctram has been winning consecutive victories lately is thanks to this product. Once I return home, I’ll send you a sample right away.”
“Ooh, a sample sounds good. Rocksburg always knows exactly what to offer.”
“Once you try it, you’ll be enchanted. Mass-produced goods wouldn’t perform this well, but the unit we provided to Noctram could communicate all the way from Rocksburg to Bienar.”
“What! From Rocksburg to Bienar?!”

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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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