Touch My Brother and You Die - Chapter 194

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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 was startled. The amount of work was the same as usual. Even though Father was attending the Royal Council and wasn’t at the Mansion, nothing happened.
It was thanks to Mother and Brown. With Mother taking over the Duke’s duties and Brown returning temporarily, the work didn’t increase at all. Rather, Mother said she would handle my work instead since I’d be busy sending out invitations today, and took all of today’s tasks with her.
Remarkable. Astounding. So this is the ability of a first-class administrator of Rocksburg, of which there have been only a few in Rocksburg’s history.
Moreover, this morning Mother got all dressed up, and I put on the Rocksburg exclusive uniform top that Leon wears and Father wears too… Wow, I thought she was a Grand Duke of the Northern Region. This isn’t the Northern Region and Mother is a Duchess, but I thought she was the Grand Duke of the North. Duke Neitram, I’m sorry, but honestly, our Mother suits the position of Grand Duke of the North better than you do. Besides, you’re not even a Grand Duke—you’re just a Duke.
How on earth did such a person come to exist? How can someone be so physically strong, fight so well, and work so efficiently? If Father worked like a heartless machine, then Mother’s work could be described as nothing short of a bulldozer.
He shows exceptional talent in reorganizing departments and cutting out unnecessary personnel left and right… Wow, you could say he’s a true master of personnel reshuffling.
Just by looking at the reports coming up, you can immediately tell where to cut? I want to learn that. It was an ability I desperately wanted to be taught.
Anyway, I felt relieved. Today I only had to work on issuing invitations and the details of the banquet, and thanks to Jack’s mercy, the restraining rope was replaced with pretty handcuffs.
These handcuffs are quite beautiful, aren’t they? How is it that such colorful, pretty jewels are embedded in them, and whatever alloy recipe was used, the color is such a pretty rose gold, isn’t it? These could sell as accessories if put on the market. Anyway, Jack Brown’s craftsmanship is disgustingly good.
Ram Bart! Ram Bart, where are you?! This sample color doesn’t look good. Do it again!
“Ugh! How could you do this to me after drawing such a terrible example, Rosalite!”
“Hey! Why does my drawing look like garbage! And what’s with the way you talk to your boss!”
“If you call a rice cake a rice cake, what else would you call it!”
Why do you keep calling it a mess!
As I jumped up to give her a good punch, Lam grabbed the sample and bolted into the Printing House, locking the door behind her. This girl—ever since what happened yesterday, she’s been acting so cocky.
“Rosalite, I’ve finished making the list.”
Oh, right. Once we finalize the design, printing the invitations will be done in no time, so we just need to send them by express mail. We can just use the vendor that the Duke’s Household has an exclusive contract with.
As things were getting sorted out, Luke was starting to weigh on his mind. That kid hadn’t eaten last night, and he hadn’t eaten this morning either. Judging by how he was acting, it looked like he’d skip lunch too. Couldn’t he see Aster right beside that little brat, making sandwiches with tears welling up in his eyes?
Aster had been wearing disposable gloves since earlier, stuffing vegetables and ham between slices of bread, spreading sauce to finish it, and then shoving the sandwich into Luke’s face. And every time Luke refused the sandwich, Aster would whimper, bring it to his own mouth, chew it down, and then make another one.
If it were me, I’d eat a bite just to shut him up. This guy really seems determined to go through with it…
Frustrated, I scratched my head repeatedly as I looked over the contract again, and I noticed that the condition Luke had set was limited to suicide and self-harm.
“….”
Huh? What do you mean by that? Doesn’t that mean murder doesn’t fall into the category? If push comes to shove, I can just buy someone to kill me and be done with it. This bastard must not have thought that far ahead because he’s so impatient.
“Leon! The seal! Bring the Duke’s heir’s exclusive seal!”
“Yes, Sister!”
I need to stamp this before Luke notices. The kid hasn’t eaten in almost a whole day. He’s going to starve at this rate. Honestly, whose fault is it that I came all the way out to this distant planet anyway? I can’t bear to see him collapse from hunger.
I added a clause to the contract stating that after the contract was signed, the younger party would never again threaten the older party over whether or not they ate, shook hands with my son, and stamped it with a loud thud.
As I wrote out a pledge that I would never harm myself or take my own life again, applause erupted throughout the office. Lily, Violet, Jack, Leon, and Glen all expressed their admiration, saying they were proud that I had made such a great decision. Aster cheered at the fact that Luke could finally eat a sandwich, pushing food toward him.
Luke ate the sandwich. He took a big bite of the nutritious sandwich that Aster had pushed toward him, then laughed with a “bahahaha” and pointed at me mockingly.
“You fell for it, Rosalite! I finally won!”
What? What is this? Did we make a bet? What did I win?
As soon as I expressed doubt, Luke, apparently quite hungry, finished the next sandwich that Aster handed him and held up a silver coin with a flourish.
“Do you think I wouldn’t have thought of the case where it’s disguised as murder by someone else!”
“…!”
What?! But there was no such condition on the front or back of the contract? I’m not someone who signs contracts for the first or second time, and I checked it thoroughly!
When I became flustered, Luke confidently scraped the gold leaf decoration on the contract with a silver coin. Then, just like scratching a lottery ticket, the coating peeled away, and a clause appeared stating an additional penalty fee if it was revealed that the murder was disguised as suicide.
“It’s a scam! This is a scam! You con artist!”
“You should have read the contract more carefully. It’s your fault for not seeing the clearly written clause, Rosalite.”
“The one who committed fraud is obviously at fault, what nonsense are you spouting!”
I shouted, but this wretched son of mine only spoke words that scraped at my insides. He insisted that since I’d stamped the contract and written the agreement, I had to follow through, plugging his ears and pretending not to hear. This infuriating brat was irritating, yet there was something gratifying about the fact that my child had grown and finally bested me… In any case, my heart was complicated.
“This is something parents should let their children win, Rosalite.”
“Show the magnanimity of a mother, Young Lady.”
Even Glen and Jack were grinning away. Did they find it so amusing that I’d been duped? Well… I had seen how much commotion my situation caused everyone. And since I hadn’t resolved the Celin matter, I had no intention of causing trouble for a while anyway…
“Fine, fine. I lost. Let’s consider the contract valid.”
As I threw up my hands in surrender, Leon and Luke began dancing hand in hand, delighted. Aster, for his part, burst into tears while making sandwiches…
Truly… what a peculiar sight.
“By the way, Jack Brown. I’ve written the agreement, so couldn’t you unlock these handcuffs now?”
“I’m afraid not. Have I known you for just a day or two? I can’t predict what tricks you might pull.”
I don’t like you. You know me far too well. As I grumbled, Glen covered his mouth and laughed, and we continued preparing for the banquet. Since a dance was going to happen anyway, we decided on the Main Dance Hall, the largest of our house’s dance halls. Since Peter had removed the mirror yesterday, we just needed to quickly repair that section… Speaking of repairs, I remembered that we needed to finish repairing the entrance hall staircase by tomorrow. Once Father returns from the Royal Council meeting, Mother will need to be deployed as construction personnel again.
Thanks to Mother taking on all the work, things finished faster than expected. When Father returned from the meeting, he regaled us with tales during dinner. After his lengthy account, he laughed triumphantly about finally drawing tears from the King’s eyes. Mother chimed in, saying she was proud of Eddie, Luke had his first proper meal in a full day, and Jack and Aster quarreled over food again.
Had I ever seen the Rocksburg House table so bustling and harmonious in my entire life? For some reason, tears welled up, and I pressed my eyes with my sleeve, when Glen gently squeezed my hand. Whether to comfort me or not, he avoided meeting my gaze directly, bashfully layering his hand over mine…
If not for these handcuffs, I would have done something I couldn’t even speak of in public. But why did I have to be so rash? What am I to do with this wretched gazelle?
I schemed about having Jack Brown supervise putting these handcuffs on Glen instead, but then I shook my head. Tonight was another sleepover. I couldn’t do such things in front of all the family. Mother and Father had reunited after twenty years, and they weren’t holding back because of me.
I had to endure. I had to endure. There was no choice but to endure.
I calmed my turbulent heart by chanting the Alein Kingdom’s name and finished dinner with dignity. After the meal, another sleepover was arranged to monitor me, and we began what was more like a proper pajama party, inviting Ram Bart, the mansion’s only Dark Mage, for a dark magic lecture.
What is dark magic? What system governs the regression magic that had been cast on me? Ram explained it in a terribly muddled way, but with Father’s help, Ram’s words were reinterpreted into fluent Alein language.
Moreover, Father added commentary on parts that raised questions, saying that if a Dark Mage in a trance state could become what was presumed to be a heteromorph through contracts or self-hypnosis processes, wasn’t this similar to the priests of Largol?
Oh, oh my… Now that you mention it? The healing power wielded by priests is also the result of intense self-hypnosis, and those so-called summoning priests of the Heretical Sect were calling forth strange heteromorphic monsters.
Comparing it to how ordinary mages walk the path of magic through life experience or affinity with mana… priests would be closer to Dark Mages than regular mages. Perhaps there’s a connection between the two, or they might share the same lineage.
The person most shocked by this realization was Ram. When Ram exclaimed “Really?!” in surprise, Father looked at her with pitying eyes, hugged the cotton candy tightly, and murmured “Poor thing, poor thing.”
Seeing that, Mother’s eyes flipped, and she made a fuss, separating them. Father got angry again, asking why he was doing that to the poor girl, and Mother kept calling out “Eddie, Eddie,” trailing after him…
As a result, well, it became a mess again.
Whether those two fought or not, I prepared to lie down peacefully with the Prince, and since I’d now made up with Luke, I patted the empty bed space between Glen and me in celebration.
“Luke. Tonight, let’s sleep with Mom and Dad.”
I’d actually wanted to try this. Sleeping with Mom, Dad, and children all together in one bed. I excitedly proposed it to Luke, but for some reason, he gave me dead eyes again, took a spot next to Jack, and pulled the blanket over himself.
“Luke. Luke, can you hear Mom?”
“Since the Young Lady made a mistake, please stay still.”
Why is it my fault again? I grumbled that Jack had been too harsh on me lately, when suddenly the Duchess’s bright voice rang out. The Duchess, seemingly out of her mind, created a space between herself and Father, then patted it and made a suggestion.
“Rosie. Then shall we sleep together tonight—Mom, Dad, and you? I’ve made room for four here.”
“Glen, turn off the lights.”
What is she saying? Has she lost her mind?
I had Glen turn off the lights, covered myself with the blanket, and went to sleep. I thought I could hear Mother crying “Sniff, sniff,” but I deliberately ignored it.

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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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