Touch My Brother and You Die - Chapter 57

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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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I strode confidently through the Crown Prince’s Palace gates, dismissing the maidservants who insisted he was resting, and made my way directly to his bedroom. It wasn’t proper etiquette, but since the Crown Prince had started this little game first, I felt entitled to bend the rules a bit.
What was I supposed to do? The King and Queen had already responded, and now the eldest son was acting like a child. Even if I found him unbearable, this situation demanded restraint.
If rumors spread—whether domestically or internationally—that the Royal Family and the Four Great Dukes had grown distant, or that the Crown Prince was taking a hardline stance against the nobility, both sides would find themselves in an awkward position.
Worse still, if entertainment journalists got wind of this and started spinning tales about how the Crown Prince seemed displeased about my marriage, I’d have no way to manage the fallout. He’d never dealt with paparazzi before, so he had no idea what he was inviting.
The maidservants pleaded with me not to enter the bedroom, but I hushed them with a soft shush and carefully opened the door, slipping inside to observe the Crown Prince on his bed.
Theodore, who usually wore that perpetual smile, looked peaceful in sleep—his eye mask in place, earplugs inserted, and a fluffy sheep plush tucked under one arm. He breathed softly and evenly.
Looking closer, the white sheep toy had been washed and reused so many times that the fabric was on the verge of tearing. Years of use had left certain patches discolored and grimy.
This fellow… even his eye mask had sheep patterns on it. He must really love sheep. Maybe I should introduce him to Lam from my household.
“He doesn’t seem like he’ll wake up anytime soon. What will you do?”
“Hmm… I’m not sure.”
Jack, who had finally finished his weapons inspection and followed me inside, gently probed my intentions.
If I forced him awake, he’d be irritable. But if I waited patiently, he’d sleep his fill and leave, claiming he had another appointment.
After a moment’s deliberation, I tiptoed around to the other side of the bed and slipped under the covers. Lying comfortably beside Theodore, I poked his cheek repeatedly. Jack’s eyes widened in horror at what he was witnessing.
Even I thought this was excessive, but once I set my mind to teasing someone, I don’t back down. You know me well enough.
“Mmm…”
Just a few pokes and he’s already showing signs of waking. You’re quite sensitive, aren’t you?
Well, only a sensitive person would sleep with an eye mask, earplugs, and a beloved stuffed animal all at once.
I lay on my side, resting my head on my arm, and poked his cheek a few more times. The man finally woke fully, stretching with a groan before removing his eye mask.
Theodore turned his sleep-hazed face toward me, so I gave him a little wave and smiled, asking if he’d slept well.
His eyes widened as if witnessing the impossible, then his lips twisted, and he covered his mouth with his hand as if struck by some thought.
“Ugh…”
He gagged.
Hey,
you,
me,
hurt feelings?
“What kind of reaction is that to someone’s face? Gagging?”
“My apologies. I have no recollection of it, but I feared perhaps I’d been drugged, and imagining the Rocksburg Young Lady’s nose being rubbed in my face, I felt a foul taste rising from my stomach.”
“…Do I look like the sort of person who would do such a thing?”
“You don’t hesitate to use any means necessary to get what you want. Beast.”
Hey, you, what, seriously.
Theodore, you wouldn’t accept it even if I offered. What do you even want?!
Watching him modestly cover his upper body infuriated me so much I wanted to shriek that I absolutely had not, and ask who he thought was the beast here. But I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
If I backed down first, I’d lose. That’s what my instincts told me.
Biting my lips firmly, I decided to see who would win this silent battle. I threw off the covers and moved over him, pinning his arms with mine.
Though I was careful not to let our bodies touch, even this much made me uncomfortable. Swallowing a silent cry, I studied the man’s increasingly displeased expression and selected the psychological attack most likely to work.
“Ho, ho ho ho, you’ve been caught. The truth is, I harbored dark intentions toward Your Highness, and as a subject, I’ve crossed a line I should never have crossed.”
Heh, heh heh, this guy can’t control his expression. The man whose laughing face had crumbled halfway was swallowing tears just like me, making a gulping sound, then stretched out his arm and placed his palm against my face.
Since goosebumps erupted across my entire body, I trembled, and I could feel a corresponding tremor in the man’s hand.
Hey, if you hate it that much, don’t do it! I said don’t! Just admit defeat already!
“I… see. To be honest, I suspected as much.”
What could you possibly know about me!
If you knew even a little, you should immediately apologize and say you’ll send the wedding gift soon, then accept your defeat.
I closed my eyes and bit my lips again, took a deep breath, and placed my hand over the man’s hand resting on my face. I didn’t want to say this, but you’ve opened Pandora’s box.
“Last night was magnificent, wasn’t it, my bambino.”
Ugh, ugh. Can’t handle it, can you?
As I gritted my teeth and whispered sweet words, Theodore’s eyes glistened with tears.
If you hate it enough to cry, please stop!
But the man didn’t back down. Apparently, he’s more stubborn than I thought. Why are we continuing this pointless mud-slinging match that benefits no one?
Fighting leaves nothing behind. The chain of revenge is nothing but miserable. War ends only in emptiness. We should have known that.
“Ugh, I don’t remember, but… I’m glad it was enjoyable. My dear fawn.”
Please, someone stop him! Anyone will do—just make this meaningless game of chicken end!
The man, barely uttering the words “dear fawn,” smiled smugly, confident in his victory.
I turned my head sharply, hoping someone would intervene, but the Maidservants of the Crown Prince’s Palace and Jack Brown all watched us with cold, indifferent eyes.
I was trapped. We’d been fighting on the edge of a cliff all this time, but now there was truly nowhere left to retreat. That meant only one option remained.
I’ll never admit defeat, not even if I die! And I’m getting that wedding gift! A grand one at that!
With firm resolve, I removed the man’s hand from my face and brought my lips closer.
If no one stops me now, my lips will soon reach the man’s grasp. Then my lips and Theodore’s palm would touch.
Society considers this a sign of affection shown only between the most intimate people. And those on the receiving end find it utterly revolting, or so I’ve heard. Aster said so. He said if the other person weren’t a foreign prince, he would have spat at them.
See? This is really disgusting, isn’t it? Really disgusting, I’m telling you?
Seeing me resist as the man tried to pull his hand away, I could tell he found it equally repulsive, but in this case, it all depended on whether I moved.
I gave up trying to force his hand closer with strength and thrust my lips forward instead, and this time the man slowly moved his arm away from me.
Just a little more pressure and I’d hear him admit defeat. Good, I’m winning this!
“If you’re going to do it, do it quickly.”
“Ugh.”
“Ack.”
Aaahhhhh, what is this? Our lips touched, how disgusting!
Someone grabbed my head and Theodore’s hand and smashed them together, so I made spitting sounds and wiped my mouth with whatever I could grab. Jack Brown, you bastard—you wouldn’t intervene when I was giving you hints to stop this!
“Blech!”
As I continued wiping my mouth with the blanket and spitting, the Crown Prince pushed me away and jumped out of bed.
The man’s face turned pale as he searched for the trash bin.
“Bleeegh.”
He actually vomited.
You…
You…
You actually threw up…
“Cough, ugh…!”
He eagerly vomited, then had clean water brought to wash his hands before stepping outside with the trash bin in his arms.
Apparently, after finishing disposing of the contents and scrubbing his hands with soap like a madman, he’d even gargled—when he returned, a refreshing mint scent emanated from him, and the skin where my lips had touched was so raw it had begun to peel.
I mean, I found it disgusting too, but…
He’s shuddering with such revulsion that it hurts my feelings.
Right…
His body is rejecting me to that degree…
Right…
“What brings you here, Rocksburg Young Lady?”
Moreover, the man greeted me with a smile as though nothing had happened, as if he were seeing me for the very first time.
Now that I’ve come this far, I find him terrifying. You really are a frightening person. Look at how completely you’ve controlled your expression.
“Ah… well… that is…”
“If you have no business, would you mind leaving? I’m on my break.”
No, wait. I do have business. Of course I do.
As I climbed down from the bed, pleading with him not to throw me out, the man guided me to a chair at the table and instructed me to have all the bedding I’d wiped my mouth on burned.
I was hurt.
I received so much hurt today that my heart aches deeply.
“That is, well, about my wedding gift…”
“I was planning to prepare and send that soon. For the Rocksburg Young Lady to make the journey here over such a trivial matter—you must have quite a lot of free time.”
Hmm… I’m not sure, but are you very angry? Did I upset you by waking you from your sleep?
The man offered me not even a cup of tea despite my visit, and told me to leave if I had no further business.
I became somewhat intimidated, so I stated I had no complaints if he would prepare the gift, earnestly requested that he formally announce the gift exchange, then bowed repeatedly and left.
Though I returned home obediently, I couldn’t understand why Theodore was in such a foul mood, so I consulted Father, who said he didn’t know either and apologized for being unhelpful, and William, standing beside him, also said he wasn’t sure.
The three of us put our heads together wondering what the problem was, and Jack Brown, who had followed me all day, looked at me with pity and told me to live like that forever.
Though I didn’t understand the meaning, it sounded like a curse, so I decided to take it as an insult.

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Ah, what lovely weather today.
Though I have memories of receiving much hurt a few days ago, once I returned home and clung to Leon, nuzzling against him, peace settled over my heart.
I burst into Leon’s room, clung to him, touched and stroked him, sprawled across the bed and rolled around, thoroughly cursed the Crown Prince, even summoned Lam to indulge in softness to my heart’s content, held a snack party, and after all that, my ill feelings toward him melted away like snow.
Yes, sometimes in life you meet people who hate you so much they’d vomit at the sight of your face. Father himself said that when he sees the King’s face, his insides turn so much that the coffee he drank yesterday comes back up, so it’s certainly possible for the Crown Prince to feel that way toward me.
Besides, today he finally sent me a wedding gift, didn’t he?

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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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