Touch My Brother and You Die - Chapter 66

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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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Since I couldn’t tell him the truth, I gave a vague answer and folded my arms again, sinking into thought. There had to be a way… I could feel it.”You look serious.”
“That looks serious.”
“This is a serious matter, Your Highness.”
“I thought you’d be pressuring me to marry unconditionally.”
“There’s no point in pressuring you about this. Someone touched by the Duke’s House influence despises the idea that much. I need to find another way.”
How strange. When did he make that surprised expression?
The man before me wiped away his businesslike smile, his face going blank as he studied my expression, his brow furrowing as he spoke.
I was discovering so many new sides of Theodore today.
“You… didn’t hate me?”
“Pardon?”
“I thought you despised me quite thoroughly.”
“Well, I do despise you, but…”
There he was again—Theodore with that laughing expression.
But how could I explain this? Simple dislike wasn’t quite the right word, and saying it aloud felt embarrassingly awkward…
Feeling shy at the prospect of speaking it, I rubbed the back of my neck and opened my mouth without meeting his eyes.
“I care for you as much as I dislike you. I worry about you. Above all, Your Highness is the Crown Prince of this nation. No one in the Duke’s House would wish for your unhappiness.”
“…”
“…”
“Aren’t you embarrassed saying things like that?”
“You’re the one who asked me to!”
My voice rose, and Theodore laughed heartily. He really was an infuriating fellow.
“In any case, I’m relieved to hear you have the will to marry.”
“I didn’t say I had the will.”
“Will or not, Your Highness must marry. You need to produce an heir, after all.”
“We’re going in circles again.”
If only you’d say one word about getting married, this endless loop would finally break.
Barely suppressing my frustration, I suddenly noticed the lights still burning brightly in the Princess Palace visible through the window, and someone came to mind.
Now that I thought about it, that could work too.
“What about someone from another nation?”
“What?”
“A foreign princess or empress would have no risk of the Duke’s House influence, and it would be diplomatically favorable.”
I’ve compromised this much—at least nod your head in agreement.
Wanting to align with a major royal house from the Federation if possible, I carefully voiced my opinion, and the Crown Prince responded with a noticeably softer demeanor than before.
“Meeting someone like that would be… possible.”
Excellent! Our Crown Prince is quite agreeable!
Breathing a sigh of relief, I tossed aside the prepared portraits and grabbed paper, hastily writing out profiles of eligible imperial and royal women from various nations. At this, His Highness looked at me with an expression of utter horror and unleashed a barbed comment.
“Does the Rocksburg Young Lady keep all of that memorized? Solely for my sake?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t even have the energy to argue back, it seems.”
“No, Your Highness. Since you’ve expressed your willingness to marry, every word you speak sounds beautiful to me.”
“I really can’t stand you.”
“I’m aware.”
Apparently irritated, His Highness seized the Rosalite Rocksburg doll Mark II and wrung it as if squeezing it dry.
As if that would do anything but charge the magical stone with energy. How foolish.
“What do you think? Personally, I believe the Second Princess of the second-largest royal family in this federation would be suitable. She’s close to the Alein Kingdom as well, which would be advantageous for border defense.”
“…Is she beautiful?”
“There are rumors she resembles me, so she must be quite beautiful.”
“That’s the worst.”
What more could you possibly want? I’m more than enough!
I swallowed the urge to cry out, and instead promised His Highness that I would narrow down the candidates according to his preferences and soon procure portraits and detailed information to present to him.
When I advised him once more to select only three people he truly favored and discuss their futures face to face, His Highness rose from his seat, saying he’d keep his promise and to stop nagging him.
It seemed Theodore had completely given up on the doll matter, for he quietly returned to his quarters with the Rosalite Rocksburg Mark II doll in his arms.

#Episode 22: Rosalite at Twenty

After returning from the Royal Palace, I found myself caught up in relatively busy days.
I was always busy, but this was a different kind of busy. We were so occupied that we barely had time to set out my birthday dinner at the Dining Hall, offer a toast, and then scatter back to work.
Now that His Highness the Crown Prince had clearly indicated his willingness to proceed with a formal meeting and marry, this was no time to celebrate my birthday.
Given the gravity of the situation, the Four Great Ducal Houses had agreed to keep private events modest for the time being, and instead busied themselves connecting with foreign royal families through their respective networks.
Rocksburg, naturally, was actively pushing for the Second Princess of one of the largest royal families within the Cerepia Federation.
I had subtly suggested to His Highness the Crown Prince that it would be advantageous for national defense, but truthfully, this city had formed a sister relationship with Rocksburg, so we had no choice but to support her.
As for that foolish Theodore—did he really think that by bringing a bride from another nation’s royal family, he could escape the grasp of the Ducal House?
If he truly believed that, then he had grossly underestimated the standing the Ducal House holds in the Kingdom.
Even foreign powers sought connections with the Ducal House more eagerly than with the Alein Royal Family. Just as the High Priestess from the Largol Empire was said to be harder to meet than the Emperor himself.
Speaking of the High Priestess, it reminded me of something—I should have prepared business cards like Luke does.
When I stopped by the Empire briefly, I was in such a rush to meet her that I left without giving her a single card, and I’ve regretted it ever since. Within the Kingdom, my name alone opens all doors, so my failure to prepare was entirely my fault.
With Luke Chatel as such a fine example, why didn’t I think of it? If I’d left behind a card with the name Rosalite Rocksburg, wouldn’t the High Priestess seek me out first if she ever needed something related to the Kingdom?
Accessibility is truly that important. How foolish of me, Rosalite Rocksburg.
I retrieved one of Luke’s business cards from my card holder—the ones he always includes with his gifts and bribes—and was admiring it when word arrived that Jack Brown had come.
Jack’s jawbone, which had been fractured from Aster’s beating, hadn’t fully healed yet, but he was capable of handling simple tasks like delivering necessary items to the Royal Palace.
“Hurry, Jack Brown! We must be faster than Edanelli!”
I hadn’t pulled two all-nighters just to introduce Princess Natalie of the Nimerunia Duchy, part of the Cerepia Federation, to His Highness the Crown Prince before Edanelli’s people could.
Jack, looking sympathetic at the sight of my dark-rimmed eyes, saluted in acknowledgment and then made all manner of gestures and signs toward Aster, who stood beside me.
Seeing him swing his fists about, raise his middle finger, and make a throat-cutting gesture, it seemed to mean “when you’re healed, you’re dead,” but Aster showed no emotional change and calmly
“Reflex.”
I’d barely uttered the word before Jack came at me like he meant to kill, and Lily had her hands full dragging him away.
So Lily could match Jack’s strength without losing ground. What on earth are you, girl?
“Young Lady!”
What now?
After I’d finally sent Jack off with Tyler, another man appeared and knocked on my office door.
I hadn’t heard that voice in some time, yet it struck me as oddly familiar. Two tones lower than Jack’s, with a strangely similar timbre. It resembled John Brown who works for the Princess, but with a somewhat more measured inflection.
“Young Lady!”
The man who burst through the door without waiting for my permission was so extraordinarily tall and broad-shouldered that he had to duck sharply just to enter the office.
Sweat poured down him in this season, suggesting he’d run here without stopping to rest. Before he could even speak, he stood before me flailing his limbs about—it was Jean Brown, whom I’d sent to Uncle Louis’s residence years ago to separate him from Leon.
His physique never ceased to astound me. They said he was 230 centimeters tall? With hands and feet so enormous, my entire head could fit in the palm of one hand.
“Ah, Young Lady! Glen! Mother! Forced! House!”
The fact that he’d returned to the Duke’s Mansion without my permission suggested something urgent had occurred.
Listening carefully to Jean’s fragmented words, I pieced together the combination of his utterances and deduced a terrible fact. I slammed my desk and demanded clarification.
“What?! Diamante kidnapped Glen and locked him in the Marquis House?!”
Jean nodded vigorously, confirming my suspicion was correct.
Wait—if Glen’s been taken, who’s managing the Beloche Territory right now?
“The Beloche Territory? Who’s holding the position now?”
“Philip! Diana!”
It seemed the two of them had stepped in as emergency substitutes. Fortunately, Glen had prepared an emergency manual beforehand, so managing the domain should proceed without difficulty for the time being.
“But how did Diamante manage to capture Glen? Are you saying she traveled all the way to the Beloche Territory?”
“Glen! Visiting the sick…!”
Despite my warnings against it, she’d apparently gone all the way to the Diamond Territory.
What a filial child she is. There’s no such devoted daughter in this world.
“Violet! Bring Leon! Aster, you’re coming with me to the Diamond Territory!”
So this is how I end up going to Uncle Louis’s residence. Is that man actually some brilliant strategist?
If Uncle Louis—with those dead eyes that seem devoid of human emotion—managed to remarry by seizing control of the situation, then there’s no telling what else he might be capable of.
“Jean Brown!”
“Yes!”
“Close your eyes and turn around!”
“…Yes?”
This fool looked slow-witted to begin with—why can’t he even understand simple instructions?
I told him Leon would arrive soon and he absolutely must not look. Jean blinked his enormous ox-like eyes repeatedly, then inexplicably tried to defy me.
“I don’t want to. I also… want to see the young master.”
“If you look, I’ll throw you out of this house!”
“Whimper…”
Why does this oversized oaf have to be so adorably pitiful?
Jean slumped his shoulders and whimpered toward the corner of the office. My resolve weakened, so I followed him and comforted him, saying it was all for his own good.
Throughout all of history, there had never been an instance of Jean Brown meeting Leon and not falling head over heels at first sight.
It was absolute certainty. Ten out of ten times.

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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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