Touch My Brother and You Die - Chapter 204

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

Hmm… that’s strange. My introduction should have been flawless.
I boldly announced Lucilucil’s headhunting in front of numerous priests, they summoned the Temple Knights, and the three of us—myself, Leon, and Jack Brown—were locked in the underground dungeon that the Zoroab Church used for heresy interrogations.
Since it was where they confined heretics, the facilities were abysmal, sunlight never reached it, and with no windows for ventilation, the stench was overwhelming. I snatched a gas mask from Jack’s bag and breathed in and out with a wheeze.
“What in the world is the Queen Mother of Largol saying? Wasn’t there a more rational method of persuasion?”
“What do you mean? How many years has Lucilucil been clinging to me, begging to become the next Empress of Largol? I only spoke the truth.”
“That person surely has something on their shoulders that isn’t just decoration. Do you really think they meant it sincerely? You just gave them lip service to make the Young Lady feel good.”
“Hey, why won’t you believe me? I’m telling you it’s true! Even in the official documents from Largol’s side, it said they’d withdraw their troops if we handed over Rocksburg!”
“That’s probably because the Duke does his job so well that they got tempted. What does the Young Lady even have to show for herself…”
“Do you want to fight me?!”
“Why would I fight a battle I’m obviously going to lose!”
But why do you keep picking fights with me!
I was grabbing Jack Brown by the collar and bickering with him for a while when a guard approached and banged on the iron bars with a clang.
“Shut up, you crazy bastards!”
“Sister, should we kill him?”
No, stop that. Leon, I know full well you can fight Peter with just a twig, so please, calm down.
Worried Leon might cause trouble, I pulled him into my arms and made soothing sounds to calm him. Once the fierce Asterion had become a gentle baby Leon again, I pulled out a jewel from the coin purse tied inside my dress and handed it to the guard.
“Here, take this and tell Lucilucil that Rosalite Rocksburg has come. I want to behave myself.”
“Who is Lucilucil? The population alone in the Largol Capital is over a million.”
“The Crown Prince of this country. Lucius Iddemock of Largol.”
“…Is this woman insane?”
“Sister! I’m definitely going to kill that bastard!”
No, Leon, you can’t!
As I grabbed Leon’s waist, an unexpected metallic sound rang out from somewhere. That bastard Jack Brown had hidden another weapon.
Jack pulled out a chain blade from his belt and slashed at the iron bars. After landing a kick, the sturdy prison door came off easily, and the guard standing dumbfounded was hit by the bars and bled from his nose profusely.
“Young Lady. If you really don’t want to see a crazy bastard, tell him to do as I say.”
Uh… yes. I will. Don’t glare like that, it’s scary. With someone whose job is torturer looking so fierce and menacing, I was practically trembling.
“Listen here. I’ll give you another piece of ruby, so just go and tell them my name. We really want to behave ourselves and leave.”
“I can’t meet the Imperial family directly either, so don’t get your hopes up.”
“Alright then. Just tell them Rosalite Rocksburg came. Rosalite works too.”
Oh dear, we’ve destroyed a perfectly good prison door.
With Leon’s help, I lifted the bars and leaned them back roughly in place. I couldn’t reattach them, but this way it still looked like a prison and felt somewhat confined, which kept the atmosphere intact.
“You’re a child who can’t control yourself.”
“That bastard was insulting the Young Lady first!”
“Yet you understand insults quite well.”
“I understand roughly by intuition.”
That’s right, well done. You even got angry on my behalf when I was insulted. How can there be such a good-natured escort.
As I patted Jack’s rear in praise, the man yelped in surprise, backed away from me, and started screaming about sexual harassment.
Well… I suppose I was in the wrong here. You might feel upset. It’s just that Jack is so adorable and impressive that I couldn’t help myself.
“Sister.”
“Don’t say another word, Asterion.”
“Then please spank me as well.”
“I refuse, Asterion.”
Not you. It feels like something I should never do to you, no matter what happens.
I cut off Leon’s request cleanly and decided to play word chain games with the children until Lucilucil came to find me. Then, growing tired of word chains, we switched to reverse word chains, and caught up in the mood, we played zero games, played mafia with just the three of us, recited multiplication tables, and played strawberry games. I was enthusiastically spanking Jack when he got caught, when the guard who had left earlier called out to me with an awkward expression.
“Come out. The Crown Prince himself has arrived.”
“Oh! Lucilucil is already here? That was fast!”
“Three hours have passed since I left.”
“…”
Has that much time already gone by? Goodness, I was having so much fun with the games that I didn’t even notice the time passing.
I informed the children that three hours had passed since we started playing, and Leon and Jack burst into laughter, treating each other like madmen and clutching their sides.
“…Aren’t you all just lunatics?”
You made a slip of the tongue and got a nosebleed, yet you’re still at it. I rose to my feet, thinking I’d go alone and come back, but Jack Brown insisted on accompanying me, bringing up the matter of limited competency.
You… still have me shackled to your arm, yet you’re still anxious. Besides, isn’t that limited competency matter invalid outside Rocksburg Territory? You didn’t need to come along.
“I’m ignorant, so I don’t know about laws and such.”
Well… When you smile and say you’re ignorant, I have nothing to say to you.
The guard seemed to want me to act alone, but in a space filled with soldiers, there was no one who could stop Jack’s movements.
Apparently satisfied that Jack remained docile, the guard led Jack and me toward the visitation room.
In the center of the visitation room where Temple Knights had gathered, thick glass was installed, and on the other side of the glass riddled with holes stood Lucilucil and a group of priests.
“Oh! Lucilucil! I didn’t receive a single letter, but it seems you’ve been doing well!”
“Now then, conduct the investigation quickly.”
Hey, why are you ignoring me?
As Lucilucil instructed the high priest, the well-dressed priest opened his eyes narrowly and looked at me, then sluggishly manipulated mana under the guise of sacred power to examine me.
Ugh, I didn’t notice it when I was the one conducting the search, but being on the receiving end is quite unpleasant. However, I could guess Lucilucil’s intention. He was probably suspecting whether I was a fake impersonating Rosalite Rocksburg. We had even encountered a very wicked sorcerer on that remote island who had tried to ambush Theodore. Even if I were in Lucilucil’s position, I would have gone through this procedure, so I decided to endure this sluggish, unpleasant sensation.
“If we’re speaking of magical traces, they emanate from the ring and brooch on that woman’s pinky finger… but otherwise, there’s nothing unusual.”
“Then, is that really Rosalite?”
“Perhaps… well… I’m not sure what Rosalite is, but it does seem to be someone Your Highness knows…”
Hmm… It seems Lucilucil still suspects me. In that case, I should drive the point home.
“To be honest, I have acrophobia.”
“…”
“As an apology, I’ll perform a song in place of Rosalite’s husband.”
“Stop.”
Well, good. Now you believe me.
As I puffed out my chest with satisfaction and shrugged proudly, Lucilucil grabbed his forehead as if he had a fever and twisted his expression into something bizarre.
“So. Why is Rosalite here?”
“You told me to come, didn’t you?”
“…Me?”
“You said if I defect, you’d send military support from Alein?”
『….』
『….』
Lucilucil made an even stranger face than before, looked up at the sky and sighed, looked down at the ground and sighed, glanced at me and sighed once more, then opened and closed his mouth before finally speaking.
『You expect me to believe that?』
『What choice do you have but to believe it?』
『Alein and Rocksburg will surrender completely and fall under my control?』
『Yes.』
『You expect me to believe that?』
『Why do you keep repeating yourself? Have you lost your mind to old age?』
『You insolent girl!』
That old man should have just scanned my mana earlier instead of butting in. As my brow twitched and my expression soured, Lucilucil’s hand shot up and smacked the priest squarely on the head.
『She is the heir of the Rocksburg Duke of Alein. Mind your tongue.』
『But Your Highness, she is a woman from a nation that will soon become a vassal state of Largol. Her manners must be properly disciplined.』
What? Manners? As my brow twitched again, Lucilucil’s hand rose once more and delivered another cheerful smack to the priest’s head.
『She will be the Crown Princess. Mind your tongue.』
Hmm… Crown Princess sounds like nonsense to me… but somehow I don’t dislike it?
I stifled my laughter with a soft hum and lifted my chin proudly toward the sky as I spoke.
『I have come to give a positive answer regarding the headhunting proposal. Now take me away at once.』
『And yet you speak so boldly, looking as though you haven’t bathed in days.』
『My beauty cannot be concealed, even unwashed.』
『You simply look like a woman who hasn’t bathed in days.』
『Stop talking and prepare a flower carriage for me.』
『Must it be a flower carriage specifically?』
『Yes.』
『Why?』
『I simply have that feeling.』
『Very well… I shall do my best.』
Why are you speaking so reluctantly? Do you pity me? Are you granting my request out of pity?
As I complained, Lucilucil opened his eyes wide and looked at me, then shook his head slowly, sighed while looking at the sky, sighed while looking at the ground, and finally sighed while looking at me once more. He shook his head again and looked at me one last time.
『By the way, there is something I’ve been reluctant to ask you about.』
『What is it?』
『What exactly are that chain around your neck and those shackles?』
『The latest fashion in Rocksburg.』
『Ha ha.』
What? Why? Is this some Rocksburg-style joke? Just accept whatever I say! Why are you just laughing briefly and walking away? Hey! You’re embarrassing me! Damn it!
『Well then… I shall send the flower carriage once it is prepared.』
Lucilucil, speaking with obvious reluctance, said he had matters to attend to and left the visitation room, leaving Jack and me to return to the dungeon and wait for the flower carriage to arrive.
When the notification came that the carriage to take me to the Imperial Palace had arrived, and I stepped outside the Heresy Inquisition Office, an Imperial carriage with an extremely half-hearted flower painting was waiting.
It was not the flower carriage I wanted. In Rocksburg Territory, I would never ride in such a shabby carriage during a parade. I rode in a truly beautiful carriage adorned with fresh flowers.
As I complained about this and refused to board, the Imperial knights lifted me up and placed me in the carriage, then assisted Jack and Leon in boarding.
Jack, for some reason, wore an expression of profound remorse, repeatedly apologizing to the Imperial Knights.

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