Touch My Brother and You Die - Chapter 19

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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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The Princess had suffered from eye ailments since Rosalite was very young, and as her vision deteriorated progressively, the fear of going blind consumed her so thoroughly that she could no longer fall asleep without drinking herself into oblivion each night. When Father had undertaken his hunger strike, her symptoms had been mild, but now she existed in a perpetual state of intoxication, and finding a single day when she remained sober and lucid had become increasingly rare.
Regrettable as it was to say, I could not place such an unstable person upon the throne.
“How keen of you to recognize me with those eyes. Truly, Your Highness the Princess possesses remarkable acuity—a skill far beyond what a simple-minded person such as myself could ever hope to emulate.”
This time, rather than relying on assumptions, I stepped closer to the woman so she might see my face clearly, and the Princess clenched her teeth, her hysteria mounting as she tore viciously at her dress hem. Then she raised her hand.
Smack!
Ouch, that stung.
My cheek throbbed—whether from her fingernails or the force of the blow, I couldn’t quite tell. The wound shouldn’t be too deep, but everyone would worry about it nonetheless.
“Miss!”
Blood must have drawn, for Aster hastily produced a handkerchief and pressed it against my cheek. The woman, having delivered her slap, seemed to have exhausted her desire to quarrel further. She simply turned away and walked toward the end of the corridor.
“Was it truly necessary to go to such lengths?”
Oh, you’re still here?
Seeing John standing before me with such a dejected expression, I felt a pang of sympathy. After all, he came from a family of retainers who had served our house for generations, and when he had first departed to serve the Princess, she had been a very different person than she was now.
And so, moved by compassion, I decided to offer him a word of counsel.
“I discovered a plaything in the Crown Prince’s Palace. I do hope you will serve the Princess well.”
The way his expression darkened told me he understood the implication. I had my suspicions too, but the Princess may well have resorted to dark magic in her desperation to cure her eyes.
John bowed apologetically for the trouble caused, and I waved him away before dashing down the corridor at last to catch the Crown Prince.

◇ ◆ ◇

“Theodooooor♡”
I called out in a voice dripping with such saccharine affection that anyone within earshot would have cringed, then bounded toward the Crown Prince, who stood admiring the plum blossoms beneath a flowering tree in one corner of the Garden. My steps were light as feathers, my laughter innocent as an angel’s, and the joy that surged through my chest at the mere sight of him was utterly intoxicating.
Unable to contain the urge to dance, I gave in to the impulse—executing an en tournant followed by a grand jeté before landing gracefully and offering a curtsy. I felt capable of even greater feats in that moment.
“I’ve missed you terribly, Your Highness. How could you abandon me like this? You’re such a brute.”
“Have you lost your mind?”
“Lost my mind? That’s rather harsh, don’t you think?”
“No one in their right mind would behave as you do, my lady.”
“I’m simply overjoyed.”
As I unfurled my fan and laughed melodiously, the Crown Prince’s smile deepened. He must have come prepared for this. If he hadn’t, I would have found him dreadfully dull.
“Have you heard? The young lady of the Rocksburg Duchy in the Alein Kingdom has become engaged at merely sixteen years of age?”
“…Yes, I’ve heard. My congratulations.”
“And yet, the Crown Prince of the Alein Kingdom—the one most in need of a suitable match—remains unwed at four-and-twenty!”
As I gossiped, Theodore walked on in silence while I trailed behind him, continuing to flutter my fan.
“Four-and-twenty! Can you imagine? Four-and-twenty years old and still unmarried!”
What is this world coming to?
When I didn’t stop talking, the Crown Prince quickened his pace, attempting to shake me off. But I wouldn’t allow it. My daily constitutional walks and dance practice—my favorite pastime—kept me in excellent physical condition despite spending most of my days confined to the Office. Without maintaining my fitness, I couldn’t dance properly or outpace Father in the race for irregular banquet invitations.
“Marriage is nothing to fear, Your Highness. Simply being engaged has brought such peace to my heart. Knowing there is someone to support me in times of need enriches my very soul. Have you ever seen my fiancé, Glen? Goodness, how attentive and capable he is. Without being asked, he accomplishes whatever needs doing—such a tremendous help. And his heart is as pure as they come. His appearance is equally flawless; he would be an asset anywhere. Of course, he cannot compare to Your Highness, but how should I describe it? He has such neat, refined features. His skin is fair and delicate, and he blushes so easily from embarrassment—it’s absolutely endearing. Is this what they call a paragon of virtue? It seems unfair that one person should lack any flaw whatsoever. Truly, how blessed am I? Your Highness deserves equal fortune and should find someone equally wonderful. Since you’ve delayed this long, wouldn’t it be wise to settle on a suitable Crown Princess now? It would certainly benefit you greatly. Yes, let’s do it! Let us find you a Crown Princess! Surely our household has a daughter worthy of Your Highness!”
“…My lady.”
The Crown Prince, who had largely been blocking out my words, finally stopped walking and turned to face me, apparently having found something to say. With a decidedly uncomfortable smile, he snatched the fan from my hands.
“You boast so much about your fiancé’s appearance, yet you neglect your own. Haven’t you acquired a blemish on your already unremarkable face?”
“Compared to Your Highness, my appearance is indeed unremarkable.”
“A cautious lady such as yourself wouldn’t simply fall. Did a cat scratch you?”
It was a topic I’d hoped to avoid, yet he deliberately brought it up.
I hesitated for a moment, wondering whether to tell him, but decided that avoiding unnecessary complications was preferable. So I explained what had happened earlier.
“So Your Highness is the younger brother of a cat. I was unaware.”
How strange—his brow furrowed. Even this thick-skinned fellow possessed some affection for his sister, it seemed.
“I’ll listen to your complaints later. First, let’s get that treated.”
Ah, now that you’ve taken that approach, I’ve lost the desire to tease you further—you’re too old for such games anyway. I’d been excited about dragging the Crown Prince before the Queen to thoroughly embarrass him, but now that I’d found another piece of leverage, I couldn’t help but smile.
I never knew, I never realized that His Highness the Crown Prince was such a devoted brother.
“There’s no need for such concern. It’s merely visible, so the Queen, my father the Duke, and the other Dukes will worry, but that’s all.”
If people pry too much, I might just make up a story about who caused it out of sheer annoyance.
As I narrowed my eyes with that thought, the Crown Prince took a step back and bowed lightly.
“I ask for your discretion.”
“…”
Ugh, how disappointing.
I reclaimed my fan and waved it dismissively, telling him to stop. The sight of a Crown Prince bowing before me was utterly distasteful.
“Enough of that. Once I fix your makeup and hair, it will be concealed well enough.”
As I offered to conceal the wound while treating it, the Crown Prince took the lead and began guiding me, explaining that since one never knows what might occur at the Banquet Hall, a Physician is always kept nearby.

After receiving simple treatment, I called for a Maidservant to conceal the ointment with makeup and rewove my hair, tilting my head to hide the wound. As long as no one pulled my hair back in the Banquet Hall, the injury would remain hidden—and only the Queen and Father possessed the audacity to do such a thing, so there was no risk of scandal.
After instructing Jack and Aster to keep their mouths sealed, I returned to the Queen with the captured Crown Prince in tow. Father had apparently grown impatient and slipped away to dance, but William, Leon, and Glen remained at their posts.
Noticing the Duchess of Edanelli’s absence from among her family’s group, it seemed Father had indeed requested a dance with her. In truth, among those gathered, she was the only one capable of dancing without causing a stir. Spotting Father waltzing with the Duchess of Edanelli in the center of the hall, I felt reassured and reported my success to the Queen.
“Your Majesty, I have brought your son. It appears His Highness abandoned the Banquet Hall to admire the flowers instead. How remarkably sentimental of him.”
“My goodness, he truly went to see the flowers? What were you thinking about while viewing them, my son? Were you perhaps pining for some beautiful young lady as lovely as the blossoms?”
“How extraordinary! Does His Highness have such a person in mind? This is wonderful news! We must arrange a royal marriage at once. If you would only bring her forward, I would spare no expense in hosting a magnificent wedding ceremony.”
“How kind of you, dear Rosalite, but with proper adults in the Royal Family, it is our responsibility to fund the Crown Prince’s marriage. If such a day comes, I would gladly empty my coffers entirely.”
“I apologize for my presumption, Your Majesty. I cannot help but imagine how solemn and beautiful a wedding ceremony orchestrated by the Queen would be. My heart races at the very thought.”
The Queen and I exchanged laughter, and so we subtly pressed the Crown Prince about who had captured his heart. The man replied tersely, his expression unmoved.
“There is no such person.”
What a tedious fellow.
Pouting at the lack of amusement, I heard an apology from the Queen. Good heavens, why was she apologizing?
“Forgive me, Rosalite. I have raised my son poorly—at his age, he remains unmarried and has grown into someone utterly devoid of charm. How can I face you, who will stand beside him as the future King?”
“Not at all, Your Majesty, please raise your head. I am the one without excuse. Besides, even if His Highness is as you describe, he has inherited your discerning eye. I am confident he will choose an excellent bride—someone with humor and beauty, wisdom and virtue, just like the Queen.”
“I wish I could believe that, but he has made his mother wait this long. I would trust the judgment of the Rocksburg heiress far more. Surely you know of some suitable young woman?”
“I am so honored and grateful by your trust that I scarcely know how to repay it. Now that you mention it, there is a remarkably intelligent young woman in my household, not so far apart in age from His Highness…”
If this conversation continued in this direction, the Queen might very well suggest that the Crown Prince meet with someone from the Rocksburg Ducal House. Seizing the opportunity, I began to describe the young woman’s age and appearance, but the Crown Prince had already taken action to redirect the topic.
Somehow sensing the direction of the conversation, the man walked directly toward Glen with measured steps, cutting off the flow of discussion that would lead to a betrothal arrangement.
“Are you Glen, that young man whom the heiress has praised endlessly—hardworking, kind-hearted, dignified, and admittedly quite handsome, though rather shy, and in short, such a paragon of virtue that one wonders if perfection is truly necessary, yet here you stand, impossibly flawless?”
Glen could not muster a response. From where the Duke of Edanelli and his daughter stood, a stifled laugh erupted. As the heads of houses covered their mouths in amusement, the hall began to stir, starting with the Edanelli branch members.
Glen, unaccustomed to such attention, appeared deeply flustered, glancing between the Crown Prince and those around him. His expression suggested he wished to flee immediately, so I hastily approached him and linked my arm through his.

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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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