Touch My Brother and You Die - Chapter 227

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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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#Epilogue (1)

A summary of events thus far: Our neighborhood Crown Prince has finally gotten married. During the grand royal wedding, Theodore cried and Capo cried as well, so Don Juan, the King of Nimerunia, fired blank shots into the sky with a hidden gun, turning the wedding venue into complete chaos.
After that, the first Glen Hofen Rocksburg Countermeasures Committee was convened. I received bone-deep advice from Anna Brown. Father casually asked Mother if she needed to attend the meeting, but Mother laughed and said she was no help to Rosie anyway, so Father got upset and they started sleeping in separate rooms. Mother cried for three days straight.
Sage has returned to the True Magic Tower and is being worked to exhaustion for the Magic Tower’s reorganization. He’ll be back soon crying and asking for my help.
Construction began on a Largol-style palace in the open field behind the Main Building. This revealed the fact that I was bringing Lucilucil as my second husband. I knelt before Glen’s desk in my office and smashed my head into the floor.
End of summary.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness! I didn’t have time to ask your permission beforehand—the situation was too urgent!”
I kept my head pressed firmly to the ground before Glen, who continued working silently. My kneeling might hold no value, but at least it showed sincerity, didn’t it? This was the maximum gesture I could manage to express my apology, since I had no other way to convey it. If there existed a greater way to express remorse than kneeling, I would have done it, but I couldn’t think of anything beyond this.
“…!”
So this is how Glen felt when he came to kneel before me. I see. Even he didn’t believe that kneeling would resolve the situation, but he prostrated himself with the desperation of a drowning man grasping at straws.
I never wanted to know this.
“I’ve completed today’s work. I’ll take my leave now.”
Take your leave? You’re not writing a resignation letter, are you? We’ve been doing well lately. We consulted about where to go for our honeymoon that we couldn’t take before, celebrating his formal marriage, and we even prepared countermeasures regarding Glen Hofen Rocksburg.
Anna Brown gave me really useful information. I was planning to show off that secret technique on the honeymoon, but what if you disappear?
At least tell me you’re going to Beloche Territory. Then I can take leave and chase after you. Please say Beloche! Please say Beloche Territory!
“I’ll be staying in Hofen Territory.”
Oh right! You’re the Baron of Hofen now! I completely forgot about Hofen Territory!
I inwardly cursed myself for missing the obvious answer, but I just kept my head pressed to the floor. Glen organized the documents neatly, placed them on my desk, and walked past me with light steps. He was probably going upstairs to pack. The door closed and the sound of his cane faded away, so I cautiously glanced around and asked Jack.
“Is Glen gone?”
“Yes, he’s left.”
Such is my fate. Only after Jack’s confirmation did I lift my head and straighten my back. Leon quickly came over and began kneading my shoulders and patting my lower back, saying I’d worked hard. That boy only does pretty things. After his trip to Largol, everything he does has become even more endearing.
“I apologize, Sister. I should have kept the construction workers under stricter control.”
“No. It was bound to come out eventually. The fountain had a Largol-style marble statue on it.”
That statue certainly touched on something unfortunate. There was no excuse. The moment it was revealed to be a statue of a woman dressed in Largol clothing, the game was already over, but adding the symbol of the Zoraab Religion made it much worse. The only people of Largol origin in this household were Luke and the sous chef, so when I entrusted them with the design, they went ahead and embedded the Zoraab symbol right there.
I should have noticed from the moment they started praying whenever they had the chance. They were quite devout, those two.
“Anyway, I need to chase after him right away, so write me a leave request, Leon.”
“Yes! Leave it to me!”
Let’s see—I need to handle the acquisition of the entire secondary redevelopment zone and the construction of the True Magic Tower branch before I go. Should I say it was fortunate that the construction was delayed because those speculators were asking for ridiculous prices? Otherwise, there would have been no space in Rocksburg for such a large-scale Magic Tower.
Once Magic Towers are completely surrounding the house, those bastards won’t be able to ask for more money.
“Why is the Young Master being so cooperative?”
“I’ve always been cooperative with Sister’s affairs.”
“No, I mean because Glen is involved.”
“Ha, that bean sprout needs to come back so he can fight the pirates with us.”
“I see….”
Even when this boy insults someone, he has limits. Why would Glen and Lucilucil fight? I flicked Leon on the head and checked the budget for constructing the Magic Tower building.
Even if it brings long-term gains, I’m facing immediate losses. Perhaps I should break a few pillars in the Masujung Mine and demand compensation from Nerva. If I refine the wireless radio that performed well in this war and use it as a substitute for telephones in civilian business, then transfer it to the Royal Palace, I could secure the budget… but that feels wasteful. I’d rather have partnered with Edanelli, but I can’t hand over the communications business to the state.
Still, this is too precious to give up. If I’d joined hands with Edanelli, I’d have done it, but the communications business—I won’t surrender that to the nation.
Since telephone exchanges will need to be built everywhere and we’ll need massive amounts of Masujung, if I think of it as splitting profits with Edanelli from the start… No, it’s still a waste. I wish there were someone from a cadet branch willing to sacrifice their entire fortune for Rocksburg, but there’s no such great person in existence…
“….”
There might be one.
Watching Asterion rubbing his head vigorously, a brilliant idea flashed through my mind. Wasn’t he once Crolley? The fact that Count Crowley kept sending Becky to our house suggested that the old man had long since remembered that Leon was his descendant.
“Leon.”
“Yes?”
“Don’t you want to become Count Crowley?”
“No.”
“I see.”
I can’t force a reluctant child into something. There’s no helping it. I’m sorry to the old man, but I’ll have to coax and tempt him by suggesting I could send Leon as his successor, then squeeze out his wealth.
“Jack Brown! Bring me high-quality parchment!”
“Yes, Young Lady.”
Bait, bait, Leon bait—I hummed a little tune I’d composed as I drafted a letter for Count Crowley. It seems my precious younger brother is quite interested in Crolley Territory, so I can arrange a meeting for him. I would greatly appreciate your generous investment in establishing the Alaine Telephone Exchange.
I kept the letter brief and sent it to the Count, then wrapped up today’s work. There was much to prepare if I was to chase after Glen.
“Since I’m still under limited guardianship, you must accompany me, Jack.”
“Do you have everything prepared? Mother was stuffing all sorts of things into bags.”
“Yes! I’ve checked each item carefully and learned how to use them!”
“This time you really must settle things before Lucilucil arrives. Otherwise, Glen won’t have any face.”
“I understand. I understand already.”
This fellow even meddles in other people’s sleeping arrangements. I rolled up the secret items Mother had prepared in cloth, tied them neatly like a book bundle, and shouldered the pack. I’m about to do something important, so I should bring along things that are good for my health.
“Jack Brown! Let’s each have a bowl of turtle soup before we go!”
“Ugh. I don’t like it because it looks gross.”
“You don’t eat food because it’s pretty. You eat it thinking of it as nourishment for your body. And it tastes good too.”
“That’s true enough.”
Regardless of its appearance, the broth is rich and delicious.
I dragged Jack along, bundled up as I was, and pressed the head chef to prepare a bowl of turtle soup for each of us. Whether it was my imagination or not, my body felt wonderfully warm, and strength surged through me naturally. In my current condition, I could gallop all the way to Hofen Territory and still have energy to spare.

◇ ◆ ◇

It took four hours by carriage to reach Hofen Territory, and that was only because the roads had been recently repaved—in the old days, it would have taken a full day. We made even better time by using the train for part of the journey, with Elizabeth riding in the cargo hold.
Civilization’s progress truly is wonderful. At this rate, I’ll have high-speed railways laid before I turn thirty. As long as I have Sage, there’s nothing I need fear.
“Come here at once!”
The moment I stepped into the Hofen Marquis Mansion, I summoned all the servants and had them guide me to where Glen was. Jack accepted a guest room and headed there to cheer me on, while I stood before the door to the inner chamber on the third floor where Glen awaited.
According to the butler who had managed this mansion all these years, this room had been used by successive Hofen Marquises. That meant it served as both the Marquis’s private quarters and the marital bedroom. Well then, so it is… How perfectly convenient.
“My Lord! Forgive my rudeness!”
Excellent! A rendezvous in the late Hofen Marquis’s chamber!
I pressed down my racing heart and threw open the door. There he was. Glen, my lord. Upon the bed. Buried under the blankets. Curled into a tight ball.
How adorable our Glen looks when he’s sulking. I sat beside the round bundle of blankets, unpacked my things, and began to soothe him.
“I apologize. But I need a way to contact you from Largol. Even if I take a second husband, it will cast no shadow on your honor. Lucilucil may be as he is, but he was once the Crown Prince of Largol. Any criticism would fall upon him, not upon you—your standing would not diminish in the slightest…”
“That’s not the issue, my Lord.”
Hmm… If that’s not the issue… then what is? As I fell silent, at a loss, Glen continued in a trembling voice.
“You… you said you loved me.”
“Of course. There is no falsehood in those words.”
“But that love isn’t meant for me alone, is it?”
“What are you saying? Until now and forevermore, the only person I love as a husband is Glen, and Glen alone.”
I meant every word. This heart that loves only Glen, my lord—it was so sincere that I spoke with absolute confidence. At that, he peeked his face out from beneath the blankets.
Oh, how precious. Like a softshell turtle on land.
“Then… is there another reason you’re bringing Lucilucil here? Perhaps I’ve misunderstood something…?”
“No! I intend to take Lucilucil as a second husband in both public and private capacity, I’ve promised to cherish him, and I do care for him greatly!”
No, no, no! Don’t retreat back in! Don’t pull your head back under the blankets again!

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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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