Touch My Brother and You Die - Chapter 31

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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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When I answered that way, Sage held my hand firmly without letting go, as if to say I was right, and the two of them called out to Master/Mentor in confusion.
“Calm down. I didn’t call you here unprepared either, so listen to what I have to say first.”
I had Aster open the window and asked the two people to go near the window to see if they could see a red brick house in the distance. That was the famous Brown Estate where the Brown Family lived, excluding Aster, but since it was none of their concern, I told them to look to its left and continued with my explanation.
“Do you see a building with a rounded roof over there?”
“Yes. It looks a bit dated, but it’s clean and well-landscaped.”
“It’s where the people who work at the Mansion used to live, excluding those who wanted to commute. Now that a new dormitory has been built, everyone moved there and they completely emptied out that building. It’s all going to be used as research labs.”
“…Huh?”
“Sage already has three attendants serving him. And I’ll assign each of you one servant to use as you see fit.”
“…What?”
“Whenever there’s a need for operational funds, we’ll review and provide them each time an application comes in. But first, how much basic research funding do you need monthly? If you have a desired amount in mind, tell me.”
As soon as I finished speaking, the man and woman with troubled expressions asked for a moment’s pardon, then spent quite some time whispering intensely to each other before rubbing their hands together with embarrassed expressions in front of me.
“Well, first of all, I think we need to sort out what to call each other. What would be appropriate for me to call you?”
“Elder? Big shot? Sponsor? I think ‘sponsor’ sounds the best.”
“You’re great, sponsor. Wow, you’re still young but you’re very generous. You’re a true gentleman.”
“From the moment we first met, I sensed you were no ordinary person. Indeed, you live up to your reputation as the lady of the Rocksburg Ducal House, the finest among the Kingdom’s four great ducal families.”
The sight of the two people laughing together is quite endearing. In fact, during my previous life at the Magic Tower, these two had acted as seniors who came to learn from my Mentor first, and they had been incredibly territorial. But once I threw them a few pouches of money, they immediately became my juniors’ dogs and even rolled over on their backs in front of me, so I had anticipated they would turn out like this.
I understand that continuous training requires spending money endlessly, so I get it, but whether it’s the Mentor or these other fellows, I don’t know why they’re all so obsessed with money…
“If you ask the head butler at the Main Building about budget requests, he’ll explain it in detail. If there are any supplies you need, just let us know separately. More than that, since Sage would probably be comfortable with people he already knew, I was hoping the two of them could help out…”
When I gently pulled my hand away from Sage, whom I had been holding tightly, the two of them quickly caught on and each grabbed one of Sage’s arms, dragging him out.
“Oh my, Master, the patron should be resting comfortably—you shouldn’t be doing this.”
“We should also resolve the accumulated grievances, shouldn’t we, Master? Please don’t worry about the patron. We’ll handle everything ourselves except for the financial matters.”
Sage called out to me with concern, but the two of them paid no mind and dragged the middle-aged mage away while wishing me a speedy recovery.
Regardless of their true nature, as long as the deposit goes through properly, I really liked these two people who seemed like the kindest and most straightforward people in the world.
“Phew.”
I could finally rest. After taking a bite of the strawberry Aster fed me and preparing to lie down, I straightened up again at the sound of footsteps approaching from a distance and looked toward the visitor.
“Sister! Are you alright!”
Why did you come here when I sent you to help Father with his work?
I reassured Leon, who came running up to me with tears in his eyes, saying it was okay, and then I popped a strawberry into his mouth to silence him before he could start chattering, while thinking of a way to quickly send him back.
“It’s just period cramps, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
Leon’s face suddenly turned pale as if struck by lightning from a clear sky, and he quickly swallowed the strawberry whole before asking urgently.
“What do you mean period cramps?! Is it a serious illness?!”
Who’s in charge of sex education for this kid?
I was thinking that perhaps they had never hired a sex education teacher in the first place, and I was resolving to tell the teacher to arrange a separate class time, when an even more bizarre remark came from Aster, who kept feeding me strawberries.
“It’s alright, young master. I bleed sometimes too, and it gets better if I eat well!”
“Sister! Are you saying you’ve seen blood?!”
Yeah, Aster. You should take the class with Leon too.
My stomach was hurting before, but now that I’m worried about what to do with these kids, my head is starting to hurt too.
“Sister, are you alright?! Please don’t worry about me—just rest! Your complexion looks terrible!”
Eight parts of this are your fault, Leon.
Since he’d shown such concern, I didn’t refuse and lay back on the bed, pressing my forehead with one hand. Leon gripped my hand tightly, insisting I mustn’t die, so I took a moment to choose my words carefully before speaking.
“If I rest today and tomorrow, I should feel better. But I’m sorry, Leon—you’ll have to work in my place.”
“No, Sister. I could work every day for you. Please, let me help. Besides, with Glen gone too, won’t things be even harder for you?”
“Our Leon has such a kind heart. There’s something I need to ask of you, dear.”
Leon must have thought I was making a deathbed confession, because he began sobbing uncontrollably while gripping my hand. Such an emotionally sensitive child.
“While you work in my place these next couple of days, if anyone asks about me, tell them—tell them your sister is bedridden with severe menstrual cramps and cannot attend to duties. Understand? You must say you’re working because your sister is suffering from serious menstrual pain.”
“Understood. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to tell everyone I’m here because Sister is in pain from her menstrual cramps.”
“Good… that will do…”
Reassured, I smiled at Leon and closed my eyes. He called my name and wailed so loudly the Mansion seemed to shake, but Aster apparently thought I’d fallen asleep, so he dragged Leon out and shut the door behind them.
After dealing with all the noisy visitors, I managed to get some rest, ate well, took my medicine, and slept again.

◇ ◆ ◇

After a good rest, I woke up the next afternoon, crawled to the dresser, took three pain relievers, and sat at the tea table with a satisfied smile.
I can manage this. I’m fine. I can go to the party.
The truth was, I’d deliberately taken two days off to attend tonight’s banquet hosted by Chatel Corporation, where the Third Prince had been invited. The thought of pulling off this excuse without Father finding out made me grin without restraint as I called for Lily and Violet.
Both of them said it would be better if I rested longer since my body hadn’t fully recovered, but I told them not to interfere—I had to see Marius!
“No, I… can go. Prepare my clothes, Violet.”
“…As you command, Young Mistress.”
Violet looked more resolute than ever.
Hehe, perfect. I hadn’t expected this cycle to bring such excruciating pain, but why else would I have deliberately timed the date and coordinated with Luke to match the banquet schedule?
Father is lenient with sick leave. When I say I’m ill, he usually approves it. And what can he do if I insist on going out despite my aching body?
This time the schedule was too tight to pull an all-nighter, and without Glen to cover for me, I had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure. Still, just being able to see Marius was enough to satisfy me.
So now was the time to get up.
“I’m coming in, Miss.”
As the medicine began to take effect and I could walk again, I was about to change clothes when Jack knocked and entered. Whether he’d been waiting at the door since I woke or had simply arrived at a convenient moment, the man reported the situation to me with an expression of exasperation.
“If it’s a party Luke Chatel invited you to, Leon took Aster there earlier.”
“…What?”
“He said since you were bedridden with menstrual cramps, he’d go in your place.”
No. Absolutely not.
Why would that boy go there?!
I wanted to scream, but the sudden twist in my stomach made my abdomen command me to my knees, and I collapsed forward, catching myself on my hands against the floor.
Cold sweat broke out across my skin.
Because I remained motionless, Lily and Violet cried out for the Young Mistress and asked if I was alright, but I couldn’t even answer.
“Do you really want to go to the party that badly?”
But I had just enough strength to answer this question.
Yes, I’m going, I will go, absolutely I’m going!
As I nodded desperately, Jack sighed deeply and ordered Lily and Violet to quickly change the Young Mistress into her clothes.
While Jack turned away, the two women who had arranged for me to be rolled across the floor into the party venue handed him handkerchiefs, fans, extra pain relievers, and a cane to use as an accessory, asking him to take good care of their young master.
Once Jack confirmed my preparations were complete, he lifted me up, slung me over his shoulder, and nodded to Lily and Violet’s request.
“I’ll keep a close watch so nothing goes wrong, so don’t you worry.”
Hehe, I can go, I can definitely go.
I can go see Marius.
Dangling from Jack’s shoulder, I laughed with unbridled glee—hihihihi—ignoring Jack’s grimace at how unsettling my laughter sounded, and I wiggled my limbs. Jack, seeing how delighted I was, stuffed me into the carriage with a bewildered expression.
“You really love big chests and thick thighs that much? You see them every day anyway. Our father’s got plenty of that going for him too, you know.”
“Jack, your point isn’t entirely wrong. However.”
The pain had eased somewhat during the transport, so I wiped away the sweat and looked at Jack Brown, who had flopped down in the seat across from me. The man was wearing some kind of mask with dark lenses fitted into it, apparently because he found the sunlight outside disagreeable.
“Doesn’t William have Mrs. Brown? Coveting another’s possession is theft, they say.”
“Wow, Miss, you’re someone who lives by the law without needing the law.”
“I’m well aware of it.”
“You’re being sarcastic.”
“I know that too.”
Since Jack applauded, saying I was someone who never lost a verbal exchange, I thanked him and leaned back against the carriage cushion.
When I meet Leon, who did something I didn’t even ask him to do, I’m going to give that bastard a real scolding.

◇ ◆ ◇

That resolve lasted only a moment.
Guided by Chatel Corporation staff to the party venue on the second floor of the Chatel Department, I arrived and spotted Asterion laughing intimately with Luke at the center of the venue. The sight was so dazzling that I gasped and raised my arm to shield my eyes.
What on earth is that nobleman! Who raised him to be so adorable?!
Leon, dressed in a pale blue silk tailcoat of fluttering fabric, moved with such grace that even his gestures resembled butterfly wings, and when he walked with that delicate gait, it was as charming as a flying squirrel descending to the ground. I couldn’t help but marvel.
Above all, the fact that pale blue silk suited a seventeen-year-old boy so perfectly—wasn’t he something other than human? Surely he’s actually an angel?
“Jack, is that really Leon over there? Not a fallen angel?”
“Yes. Seeing how he’s crawling around on the ground so ungracefully, it’s definitely the young master, Miss.”
“Your aesthetic sense is utterly incomprehensible to me.”
“I’m dying to see the day those rose-tinted glasses fall from your eyes, Miss.”
Now, now, one shouldn’t anticipate another’s misfortune. After cautioning Jack, I informed the security personnel who had approached due to Jack’s suspicious appearance that he was with me and was fine, then approached Leon.

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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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