Touch My Brother and You Die - Chapter 37

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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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With that thought in mind, I set off toward the Duke’s Office, bringing Aster along to deliver my interim report. And I felt a man following behind me.
“You should be chatting away with the Third Prince. Why are you following me?”
“I have some perception. The Third Prince was glaring at you, clearly telling you to leave this place.”
“That hardly gives you reason to follow me.”
“I’m simply curious.”
What an impossibly troublesome man.
I laughed lightly at Luke, who was grinning, and gave him a vague brush-off. But the man only drew closer to me.
“I need to use the restroom.”
“Now that you mention it, I seem to need to as well.”
“This one is for a single person. I’ll have someone guide you elsewhere.”
“I’ll wait out front. There’s a guidebook, so I won’t be bored.”
“It’s going to take a while.”
“How shameless of you to just throw that out there.”
When had we ever concerned ourselves with propriety? As I laughed and mentioned that the smell would be quite dreadful, so he’d be better off finding another location, the man stopped in his tracks and decided to give up while the joke could still be taken lightly.
“I wasn’t trying to be a nuisance. It’s just that when I visited briefly before, you assigned a guide to me, but this time you’re not even pretending to keep watch, so I was curious.”
“How could I commit such a rudeness while entertaining an honored guest of the Empire?”
“Of course. I’m a lowborn wretch who can commit rudeness without consequence.”
“Don’t overinterpret things.”
Since he wouldn’t bother me further, I decided to explain this much. I pulled out a guidebook and waved it in front of Luke. The man looked bewildered at first, but soon understood and nodded.
Quite a sharp fellow, all things considered.
“This guidebook has a version for employees.”
“You noble folk certainly do make life difficult for your staff.”
“Even if it’s unfair, someone with questions must be the one to move.”
Luke, having satisfied his curiosity, offered his thanks and said he would return to his duty of enjoying his time viewing the Third Prince and keeping himself entertained.
I advised him that Marius wouldn’t object if he kept his distance, and I continued on my way.
When I arrived at the Duke’s Office, Father was working more diligently than usual. It was only natural, since both Leon and I had been excused from our duties due to entertaining Marius.

“You should be having a pleasant conversation with the Third Prince instead—why are you following me?”

“But that’s no reason for it to come after me.”
“I was just curious, that’s all.”
What an impossibly awkward man he is.
I let out a laugh at Luke, who was grinning from ear to ear, and brushed off his question vaguely. But the man only drew closer to me.
“I’m going to the bathroom.”
“Now that you mention it, I seem to be in a hurry too.”
“This one is for one person. Let me call someone to show you to a different place.”
I’ll wait for you up front. There are brochures, so I won’t get bored.

“You’re throwing things around without any regard for dignity.”
When have we ever cared about each other’s pride? As I laugh and tell him he’d better find somewhere else since the smell will be terrible, the man stops in his tracks and decides to give up now, while it can still end as a joke.
“I didn’t mean to interfere. I was just curious because the person who used to assign me a guide even during my brief visits didn’t seem to make any pretense of monitoring this time.”
“How could I commit such a rudeness while inviting a distinguished guest of the Empire?”
“That’s right. I’m a lowly fellow who can commit rudeness without restraint.”
Don’t overinterpret it.
I suppose I can tell you this much so he won’t bother me anymore. I pulled out a pamphlet and waved it in front of Luke. The man looked confused at first, but soon understood and nodded.
Anyway, he’s a really smart kid.
“This pamphlet is for employee use.”
“People in high positions really do put librarians through a lot of trouble.”
“What can you do even if it’s unfair? The person in need has to be the one to take action.”
Luke, having resolved one curiosity, thanked him and said he would return to fulfill his duty of spending an enjoyable time with the Third Prince.
I advised him that if I kept my distance and watched from afar, even Marius wouldn’t say anything, and then I continued on my way.
When I arrived at the Duke’s Office, Father was working more diligently than usual. It was only natural, since both Leon and I had been excused from our duties to attend to Lord Marius.
I said those words, but Mr. Asterion was just holding a glass filled with ice and looking at Lily, who had poured a drink into my glass with bright eyes.
◇ ◆ ◇

The 3rd Prince seemed to have noticed that I was paying attention and spoke to me in a soft voice. The man with a small smile on his face stood up and took the bottle from Lily.
After my interim report concluded, Father excused himself by claiming he needed to greet the Third Prince and enjoy a long-overdue tea time with the Queen, leaving the Duke’s Mansion empty of staff until evening. As a result, everyone with Rocksburg in their name would likely work themselves to death tomorrow.
Having perspired during our exercise, we each took time to wash before eating an early dinner, then toured the Mansion with a guidebook in hand before deciding to play billiards in a refined manner.
Since we’d prepared only a four-ball billiards table in the Reception Room with the Third Prince’s preferences in mind, Luke discovered the table and confidently declared this game might actually benefit the Third Prince.
After selecting our cues and dividing into guest and host teams as before, we disclosed our respective skill levels, then laughed heartily at Luke Chatel’s apologetic remark that the guest team seemed to have the advantage this time, and began our game.
We yielded the opening break to Leon, who insisted he’d never played proper four-ball billiards before, and watched with fond amusement as he awkwardly gripped his cue and assumed his stance.
What did victory or defeat matter? Leon was simply too adorable.
Leon circled the table as if calculating where to strike, then positioned himself and raised his cue.
We watched as the boy perched his hip on the table’s edge and executed a perfect break shot in one fluid motion—and no one smiled for the rest of the game.
When I apologized and tried to take the bottle from the 3rd Prince again, Rion gently grabbed the hem of my clothes.
It was devastating.
Professor Leon executed endless cushion shots, drawing and pushing and striking in such a way that we couldn’t tell if this was four-ball billiards or an artistic trick show, and by the time the game ended, we’d reached a silent agreement to go drink instead.
Experience meant nothing before talent.
Since the boy was having far too much fun to scold him for forgetting this was supposed to be a courtesy game, I moved to another area and retrieved the most expensive bottle from the gifts I’d received, opening it.
As the chamber ensemble I’d arranged in advance began their performance, the heavy aroma of alcohol spread through the room, and Luke opened his mouth with concern.
“Are you certain? This must be quite high in alcohol content?”
“…For some reason, tonight I want to drink the most expensive liquor and get pleasantly intoxicated.”
As I spoke despondently, Luke and Marius lowered their heads and spoke in hushed tones.
“…I agree.”
“…Actually, I’m somewhat….”
We were all equally pathetic adults.
We seated the Third Prince at the place of honor and took our respective places, filling our glasses with ice and pouring as much alcohol as we desired. Then I heard the clinking and clatter of ice being stacked in the seat beside me, where there should have been no movement.
“What are you doing, Leon?”
Children should hurry off to bed.
That’s what I meant to convey, but Asterion simply held his ice-filled glass and gazed with bright eyes at Lily, who had poured alcohol into my glass.
Lily had been about to pour alcohol into Leon’s glass when my glare made her freeze and flinch.
“Young Lady of Rocksburg.”
Noticing I was giving her a warning look, the Third Prince addressed me in a gentle voice. The man with a hint of laughter in his expression rose from his seat and took the bottle from Lily.
“I understand your concern as his older sister, but in the Alein Kingdom, anyone over fifteen can drink alcohol.”
“You seem well-informed.”
“I studied a bit after being criticized for not understanding your culture the other day.”
“You’re too kind. However, even though Leon is past fifteen, he hasn’t yet completed his coming-of-age ceremony, so he’s still a child.”
“But that’s precisely why Leon is well past fifteen, and there are other adults present….”
“He’s a child.”
The brat’s persistence—what business does he have drinking?
Moreover, if he develops a taste for it and keeps drinking, it’ll make him stupid, which absolutely cannot happen. He still has so much to learn.
As I sought permission and tried to reclaim the bottle from the Third Prince, Leon gently tugged at my sleeve.
“Sister, with our guest here, couldn’t I just have a little…?”
He clutched at me with such a pitiful expression, asking if just one small glass would be so terrible, that my teeth clenched involuntarily.
No, I can’t give in on this.
“Just a tiny bit. Please?”
Ah, I really shouldn’t do this, I thought, staring directly into Leon’s eyes for a long moment before finally deciding to uncap the bottle and pour him just a small glass.
“Just one glass.”
“Thank you!”
Eventually he’d drink whether he liked it or not, so why were children always so eager to taste alcohol? Watching Leon practically vibrate with excitement—his tail would’ve wagged if he had one—I recapped the bottle and handed it to Lily.
In the meantime, Marius had settled back into his place on the sofa, lounging comfortably as he smiled and wet his lips with the drink.
Ugh, I shouldn’t look at him directly. My heart won’t stop racing.
“So the ever-principled Rosalite is weak when it comes to her younger brother.”
“You certainly remember every word people say.”
“It’s my only talent.”
“I doubt that.”
When I spoke firmly, Luke nodded in agreement. As if the Third Prince had only one strength. If anything, from the crown of his head to the tips of his toes, there wasn’t a single flaw to be found. He was truly a miracle born of the Empire.
“By the way, I heard from Leon.”
I’d been wondering how to broach the subject of what kind of relationship I intended to build with our local Princess, but Marius beat me to it, showing his interest first.
Curious about what Leon could have possibly told him, I leaned in to listen, only to hear something completely unexpected tumble out.
“I hear your engagement has fallen apart.”
“Cough!”
Oh no, I nearly spat out my drink!
Since it was such an absurd thing to say, I waved my hand in denial before immediately grabbing Leon’s ear and pulling. What on earth had this brat been saying in my absence that was so entertaining? This little troublemaker really did have no filter.

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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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