Touch My Brother and You Die - Chapter 267

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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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How could this be? If even Aster Brown says so, then haven’t I made a statement absolutely riddled with prejudice? To give such an answer—isn’t that a failing grade for a Rocksburg member?
The Duke and the Previous Generation surely don’t harbor such biases. Am I truly falling short of Rocksburg standards? Am I really my mother’s child? Compared to those two, I seem so lacking, and what if I was picked up from somewhere else? What if that nagging Glen Hofen actually brought me into the world from outside?
As I spiral into shock with these spiraling thoughts, they apparently tumble out of my mouth. Jack Brown and Aster Brown regard me with tender eyes and, following Rocksburg protocol, embrace me warmly.
“Did the young lady not come from Will Brown’s ship? Why are you worrying about such needless things?”
“Right. That fool was crying just a few years ago, wasn’t he?”
“I doubted my own ears when that madman said he’d been thinking all this time that he wasn’t a Brown.”
Will Brown was wrestling with the same doubts as me? I’ll have to ask him about it later. My only merit is good fuel efficiency, but for the sake of minimizing stress, it’s best to resolve worries as quickly as possible.
“Then let’s begin! Practice time!”
“Damn it.”
After the warm embrace session ends, I launch an attack on Aster Brown. In emergencies, concentrate on this spot—that’s what I’ve learned properly.
After finishing today’s self-defense lesson, I bow respectfully to both of them and head toward Lucia’s Father’s Palace. Today was one of those days when our family dined together at that house.

The little brats had bathed and were running about stark naked, shrieking with glee, so Lucia’s Father was breaking into a sweat chasing after them, while the Duke watched this with contentment, seated on the carpet. Glen Hofen hadn’t arrived yet as he was still finishing work, so we had time before dinner.
“Duke. I report that Marie and Lily hung Miriam from a tree and played with her.”
“Aaaah! No! No, no, no!”
“No, no, no!”
The twin brats, who despite their age still acted like children, came before the Duke with nothing but a towel wrapped around their bodies.
“No! We never bullied her! Sister is the one lying, right?!”
“Sister is a liar!”
“If you deny it so vehemently, then I shall call a witness.”
The brats clicked their tongues and, whimpering with exaggerated cuteness, clung to the Duke.
“Mother, we were just so bored. You’ll forgive us, won’t you?”
“Mother, we love you so much!”
These little brats know the Duke is weak to the word “mother” and deliberately exploit it. As expected, the Duke squirms with how adorable the brats are, scoops up the twins in both arms, and speaks tenderly.
“Children play and grow. As long as no one is hurt, that’s all that matters.”
“Right! Sister is stupid!”
“Stupid! Sister is stupid!”
“Then I’ll show mercy with three hours of weeding volunteer work.”
“Ugh.”
“Ugh.”
That monster of law and order wouldn’t fail to enforce rewards and punishments, no matter how dear her children are. I accept the reasonably fair verdict and naturally move to sit beside Lucia’s Father.
Shortly after, the scrawny, nagging Glen Hofen appears in the dining hall, shouts my name, and throws a tantrum demanding I sit beside him, so I hastily rise and move to Glen Hofen’s side—a man as rigid as a dried stick.

◇ ◆ ◇

After finishing dinner, as night fell and the weather proved suitable for Will Brown to move about, I found myself alone on the rooftop of the Rocksburg Mansion, chewing on solitude.
Whenever I did this, Will Brown would inevitably appear before long.
“Young Lady. It’s dangerous for you to be here.”
See, he came as expected. When I summoned Will, the higher my chances of success were if I adopted a solemn demeanor or pretended to be the last of humanity left in a ruined world—in short, if I set the atmosphere as dramatically as possible.
“Will Brown. I’m beginning to suspect I might not be Rosalite Rocksburg’s biological child.”
“So you called me because of the same concern I had.”
Will Brown laughed awkwardly, then confessed that even just a few years ago, he had been absolutely convinced he wasn’t the biological child of William Brown and Anna Brown. It was remarkable that the heir who would inherit William Brown’s quasi-baronial title—the one most Brown-like and loyal to Rocksburg—had harbored such thoughts.
“Why, unlike the other Browns, I have black hair. I’m also shorter than my siblings.”
“You suspected it based on something so trivial?”
“Everyone else seems dog-like, but I have aspects that don’t seem dog-like.”
“How pathetic.”
“Young Lady’s concerns might also seem pathetic to others.”
Hmm… I supposed there was merit to that perspective. I nodded at Will Brown without intending to argue. Will Brown gazed at the crescent moon in the sky for a while, building atmosphere, before continuing.
“I only realized I was a Brown after seeing my own children resemble my father and mother. But Young Lady, you clearly resemble your mother at first glance.”
“Silver hair and golden eyes are common enough in the Rocksburg Branch Family.”
“That’s not what I mean. What I’m saying is… this is…”
“I don’t have the confidence to handle public affairs like the Duke does, and I’m far behind my peers. Honestly, I don’t even have the drive to excel.”
Will Brown built up the atmosphere once more, then spoke something completely at odds with it.
“It’s like this… a generational shift in trends. Could anything be more intuitive than that?”
“A generational shift?”
“For example, Rosalite is the protagonist type of the old trend—the lecherous, hardworking meta type. And you, Young Lady, are the next generation type—the protagonist who has no ambition, just wants to live comfortably, is loved by everyone, never intended to save the world, but then—tada—saved it anyway.”
What absolute nonsense was this.
I sighed as I watched Will Brown furrow his brows and, uncharacteristically, let his eyes sparkle with excitement. My head shook of its own accord, and my furrowed brow deepened. At the sight of my reaction, Will Brown grew even more animated.
“That’s it! That’s exactly the kind of apathetic, energy-efficient protagonist energy you have! Personally, I prefer your type to the Young Lady’s type!”
“By any chance… is that something from one of those thin, light books Will Brown reads so often?”
“Yes!”
I see. That could be it. I suppose so. Either way, it’s not my fault, so it doesn’t matter.
“Please do that head shake one more time!”
“No.”
I gained nothing from this. I leaped down from the rooftop, landing on my room’s veranda, opened the door, and went inside. Through the veranda window, Will cried out that someone with such physical abilities couldn’t possibly lack the bloodline of Maria and Rosalite, but Will Brown’s children and the Brown Five Quintuplets were far more impressive in strength and athleticism than I was.
Finding little comfort in that, I dutifully wrote in my diary before bed. Tomorrow would be another busy day. I needed to fall asleep quickly and recharge.

◇ ◆ ◇

The next day, I trudged through the corridor to learn taxation from Glen Hofen, only to encounter the Brown Five Quintuplets passing by. The five of them came rushing at me, crying out “Young Lady! Young Lady!” and clung to me like puppies licking their master, kissing me, biting my arms, and tugging at my hair.
Now I understood what Will Brown meant yesterday when he called all the Browns dogs. These bastards really are like dogs.
“Young Lady! Young Lady, play with us, Young Lady!”
“Let’s eat!”
“Peter! We like Peter, let’s go see Peter!”
“Swimming! We like swimming!”
“Let’s go see Uncle! Let’s cut together!”
Do one thing at a time, you crazy dogs. I trudged forward with the five Browns dangling from me like ornaments. Class starts in twenty minutes. Today’s instructor is the meticulous nag Glen Hofen, so being late is absolutely forbidden.
“Kyaaah! We got her, we got her!”
“We got her!”
Hearing an ominous sound, I turned my steps toward the Entrance Hall, where Marie and Lily had hung Miriam Amber from the chandelier and were playing with her.
When I shouted that three hours of volunteer work wasn’t enough, the little brats ran off in a panic, saying the scary older sister had appeared again.
“Miriam Amber. Are you alright?”
“Yes… Would you lower me, Young Master?”
“Call for help.”
As I was about to summon a servant, the Brown Five Quintuplets separated from me, saying they would help, and did something peculiar.
“Brown fusion!”
“Fusion!”
“Fusion!”
“Fusion!”
“Fusion fusion!”
The five quintuplets gave each other piggyback rides in sequence, then stretched upward in a long line and untied the rope binding Miriam, catching her. It was remarkable how strong they were every time I saw it. Weren’t they younger than me?
“Mission complete!”
“Complete!”
“Complete!”
“Complete!”
“Complete complete!”
After Miriam thanked them and left, the Brown Five Quintuplets clung to me again, kissing me, biting my arms, and tugging at my hair.
I suddenly gained a revelation.
If I don’t inherit the Duke’s title… wouldn’t there be no one to control these crazy bastards?
“…”
If I don’t become Duke, those little brats will take the Rocksburg Territory. Wouldn’t that be the day Rocksburg falls?
It wasn’t a matter of whether I could do the job well or not. If I don’t take responsibility, the Rocksburg Territory is finished.
“Sigh…”
Right. There’s probably room in Rocksburg history for one incompetent Duke like me. I sighed without enthusiasm and dragged myself to attend the lesson.
There’s no choice. That settles it. There was no one but me to inherit the Duke’s title.

– fin.

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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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