Touch My Brother and You Die - Chapter 25

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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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It was pleasant.
Without someone whining beside me about boredom, my backlog of work progressed smoothly, and even when the Queen sent a letter pestering me about how we’d been engaged for quite some time now and shouldn’t we consider marriage soon, I didn’t feel any resistance to it.
Rather, I thought it was about time the matter came up, so I picked up the letter and casually drifted into Glen’s adjacent office.
As I perched myself on Glen’s desk, which was piled high with documents, he looked at me with the most exasperated expression imaginable and
“What is the matter?”
he said concisely.
This fellow had absorbed the ways of the Duke’s House well enough that he wouldn’t even flinch at something like this.
But if he heard what I was about to say, even someone as accustomed to this place as Glen would be caught off guard. I cleared my throat with an “ahem” and leaned forward across the desk toward him, grasping his chin and tilting it up.
“Young Lord Glen, if you’re amenable, what do you say we give some thought to marriage at this juncture?”
“I refuse.”
Hasn’t this fellow gotten far too comfortable here?
When I asked “Why?” with a disappointed expression, Glen answered flatly that if it was merely for appearances’ sake, an engagement would suffice.
“Well, I suppose that’s true, but… the Queen is being so insistent.”
“Rosalite could fabricate an excuse easily enough, could she not?”
“Perhaps once or twice, but if this keeps happening every time, it becomes tiresome…”
“Should I stake my entire life on marriage simply because Rosalite finds it bothersome?”
Why did his words carry such barbs?
Wondering if I’d somehow done something wrong without realizing it, I hopped down from the desk and gestured to Jack, who was sharpening an axe in the adjacent room, asking with a look if he knew anything, but Jack merely shook his head, apparently unbothered as well.
What’s gotten into Glen? Seasonal depression?
“Rosaliiiiite!”
I was considering whether the problem stemmed from delegating work to Glen because of Sage recently when a familiar voice drew closer from beyond the office door.
Lately, even though I’d been inviting him as a dance partner or calling him to prepare for his coming-of-age ceremony, or discussing the joint initiative between Chatel Corporation and the Rocksburg Ducal House to provide subsidies to small merchants, had he really been coming and going like he owned the place?
…Come to think of it, I had been calling him every day.
“It’s a major incident! Rosalite! Rosalite, a major incident! An absolutely major incident!”
“Even if we see each other daily, you should knock before entering. And what exactly is this ‘absolutely major’ business? Besides, how did you even get in here?”
“Is that really the priority right now?!”
“When it comes to the Duke’s House security, it’s naturally important.”
“It cost seventeen Alein gold coins to get this far.”
Damn it. Depending on the time of day, I couldn’t tell if it was Karl Brown or Quill Brown standing guard, but they’d sold out the Duke’s House security for a mere handful of gold coins.
When I glared at Jack, he nodded in acknowledgment that he’d deal with it later, and I offered my seat to Luke, who appeared to have urgent business.
Once Luke was seated on the guest sofa in the place of honor and I had Lily bring him a glass of water, he downed it in one gulp and then poured out his startling news with an excited face.
“The Third Prince is coming as a diplomatic envoy! The Third Prince of the Largol Empire! Our Third Prince!”
“!”
Our Bentley is coming?!
I barely managed to suppress the breath catching in my throat and asked Lily for a glass of water as well. Looking back at previous iterations, the Third Prince’s visits to the Alein Kingdom from across the sea in the empire had occurred only three times.
Once in the first iteration, once when Leon married, and once when I married. Only three times total. So I couldn’t help but be excited by this news. I drank the water Lily brought and tried my best to calm my racing heart before confirming with Luke.
“The Third Prince… you mean that kind-faced fellow with the impressive chest and impressive posterior, yes?”
“That’s right! The one with a chest that’s a national treasure and those revolutionary lines from hip to thigh—that’s exactly who I’m talking about!”
“This is huge! Absolutely massive! A monumentally massive event!”
“Didn’t I tell you it was a massive event!”
Yes, Luke. This is certainly an event worth seventeen gold coins to you. Oh, wait. What should I do? If I mention diplomatic envoy, will they invite me to the Royal Family? A banquet? It’ll definitely be a banquet, right? Should I try to get close to the Queen or the Crown Prince?
“The Third Prince is hosting a reception for imperial citizens working in the Alein Kingdom, and our company has been asked to organize it. You’ll attend as my partner, won’t you?”
“I want to! I absolutely want to! If you give my partner spot to someone else, we’re both dead, got it?!”
“Then when the Alein Royal Family sets the banquet date, please take me with you! That’s what I came here to negotiate!”
“Deal, bro!”
“Deal, sis!”
I bumped fists with Luke and broke into a joyful dance. I’m thrilled. Going to see the chest-puffed bagel man!
What should I wear? What gift should I bring? First, I need to inquire about the banquet schedule at the Royal Family and express my intention to attend.
With so much to prepare, I was still lost in thought even as I linked arms with Luke and stepped to the rhythm, when I heard heavy footsteps from the next room. Glen emerged and deliberately crossed between Luke and me before opening the door.
Glen limped past, disrupting my dance. The chill in his gaze as he looked back at me was so cold that I quickly hid behind Luke, poking only my face out.
“I. Will. Not. Marry. Rosalite. No matter what.”
You said that already. Why say it again so menacingly?
Glen said he’d take a break and left, slamming the door shut. I’m not entirely sure what’s wrong, but I can tell now isn’t the time for dancing.
“Let’s talk business.”
“Let’s do that.”
Glen doesn’t want to marry—that’s his decision. But that’s not the pressing issue right now. Since Luke is here anyway, I’ll have refreshments brought out so we can discuss support for small merchants and how to receive the Third Prince. Jack quietly rose and pressed a dagger into my hand.
The dagger didn’t look like something sold in ordinary shops—it was Jack’s custom work, with the tip split into multiple strands, looking quite menacing.
“Since the young lady won’t follow, I’ll go check on Glen. If he tries anything funny, stab him in the belly and twist it to the right.”
“Does it have to be to the right?”
“Yes. That’s the direction the blade curves.”
“Understood. I’ll do as you say.”
I’m a well-behaved heir to the Duke who follows orders. As I nodded, Luke protested that he had no intention of doing anything, but whether there was malice or not, it’s better to be prepared. So throughout my conversation with Luke, I kept the dagger firmly gripped in one hand while handling business.
Where on earth do they get these things? The grip felt wonderful.
“Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Asterion in quite some time. He must have grown considerably.”
Huh? Why is Luke asking about Leon?
Two years ago he said Leon reeked of milk and wouldn’t deal with him, but now that he’s grown, his interest is piqued? With that thought, I gripped the dagger tightly and started to rise awkwardly, when Luke quickly grabbed the tea tray and held it in front of his belly, hastily opening his mouth.
“It’s just a greeting! Just a greeting! How many times must I say I have absolutely no interest in him!”
You have a criminal record, don’t you?
It was from the first and fifth playthroughs, so it didn’t apply to the current Luke, but there was no telling when or how his interests might shift. People’s tastes don’t change that easily, after all.
But I couldn’t exactly explain to Luke what he’d done to Leon in previous cycles, so I dismissed it as a joke and flopped onto the sofa.
“Your jokes are far too threatening.”
“Someone of your caliber wouldn’t be killed without any preparation. That’s just common sense.”
“I’ll have to rewrite my will when I get home.”
It would become an international incident, so as long as we’re careful, neither of us should end up killing the other. I said this with a laugh, and Luke laughed along, saying it was worth all his hard work climbing the ranks.
Luke has such a refreshing laugh. Yes, no matter how unfortunate one’s past, you have to live positively. What good is it to cling to the past and dig yourself into a hole? It won’t earn you a single coin.
“Well then, I’ll take my leave. Contact me once the banquet date is set. I’ll do my best to arrange our company’s reception around your schedule.”
“Thank you for your consideration. You truly are a talent that Chatel Corporation can be proud of.”
“Thank you for the praise. In that spirit, how would it be to explicitly state that this support project is being jointly promoted by Chatel Corporation and the Rocksburg Ducal House?”
“I’ll be counting on you regarding the support project jointly promoted by the Rocksburg Ducal House and Chatel Corporation.”
“You don’t leave any openings.”
“Save the nonsense for outside Rocksburg territory.”
I chuckled, and Luke laughed in return. We shook hands warmly and exchanged farewells. I instructed Lily to escort him out and ensure he didn’t take any shortcuts, then set aside the day’s work to handle the newly arising matters.
I submitted an inquiry to the Magic Tower regarding Sage’s treatment, sent letters to both the Queen and the Crown Prince expressing my desire to attend the banquet with the Third Prince of the Largol Empire, and had already drafted a document requesting the dispatch of a royal healer. When I left the office, Jack and Glen returned together.
The two returned to their posts as if nothing had happened and focused on their work, while I stayed late to catch up on the delayed tasks, then returned to my room, grew tired reading the book I’d been working through, stretched out my legs, and fell asleep.
I’m currently reading a science fiction epic, and the squid-like alien Preparikeriyon from the Horsehead Nebula and the giant sea anemone Lauramerizia from the westernmost part of the Orion Belt fight every time they meet, yet no matter how I look at it, they seem to be in love.
This volume’s development is absolutely insane, and I wonder how Lauramerizia came to have such a name. That perfectly fitting name must have been the result of the author receiving divine inspiration during the naming process.

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The letter I sent to the Crown Prince was ignored, but the Queen permitted my attendance at the official banquet with the Third Prince, so I received the date and threw myself into exciting overtime every single day.
If I completed my work in advance and cleared one day from my schedule, I could meet the Third Prince. Sustained by this single conviction alone, I endured each day regardless of the dark circles that descended to my jawline, seeking ways to secure support funds for small merchants by cutting unnecessary budgets, and tonight I reviewed documents to check for any unnecessary paving block construction projects.
Once I finish this matter, I can go see the Prince tomorrow. Ah, this district had work done six months ago and they’re doing it again. Note the budget recovery and the district chief’s six-month salary suspension.
“…You’re still here?”
Wow! It’s Glen!
Having consumed large quantities of coffee I’d brewed myself, my taste buds were shot from caffeine overdose. I greeted Glen with a silly laugh, and the man brightened the indoor lighting further before going to the window to ventilate the room.

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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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