Touch My Brother and You Die - Chapter 73

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

“My apologies.”
What? Apologizing? For what exactly? Now that I see him up close, he’s not quite as handsome as I expected, is he? Did he fail to live up to your hopes?
“I’m so overwhelmed, I think I’m going to be sick.”
With those words, Irene sprang to her feet and cried out for the Maidservant to show her to the restroom. The way she gathered her skirts and rushed off in a panic made it seem like her nausea was indeed urgent.
“…Sigh.”
As Irene fled the Reception Room, our Crown Prince seemed to lose his composure—whether from relief or panic, I couldn’t tell—and gripped his head before swaying unsteadily.
Fearing he might collapse, I quickly steadied him, and a Maidservant from the Royal Family handed me a handkerchief.
“Are you alright, Your Highness? Compose yourself. You two haven’t even exchanged names yet. There’s still plenty of time for this meeting.”
“I… I understand…”
This man seems to be in complete shock. What should I do?
Well, having grown up sheltered in the Royal Palace, it’s understandable he’d be shaken by meeting someone so peculiar. Even I, who’ve had experience with strange people and could almost be called seasoned, find Irene somewhat horrifying—I can only imagine what His Highness must be feeling.
“Here, water. Please, have a cool glass. That’s right, take small sips slowly. My goodness, you’re perspiring quite heavily.”
I gave the Crown Prince cold water to help him regain his composure and diligently wiped away his cold sweat.
Normally he would have pushed me away without hesitation, but now he clung to me as though I were a lifeline.
“You’ll stay here, won’t you?”
“Of course. Even after the meeting ends, I’ll escort you safely back to the Royal Palace.”
“Good. That’s… that’s enough.”
The Crown Prince took one deep breath and quickly returned to his usual composure. He no longer perspired, and he no longer needed my support.
It seemed he’d resolved to endure just this one day.
“Um…”
While Irene was away being sick, Lucius, who had been eating grapes, finally rose from his seat and extended his hand to Theodore. He too had been flustered earlier and seemed embarrassed, so the man even offered comfort to our Crown Prince in a manner unlike his usual demeanor.
“My apologies. That an Imperial Princess would show such discourtesy… Are you quite alright?”
“Not at all. The Princess is still young, so perhaps she’s simply unaccustomed to such formal occasions.”
“I came merely as a porter today, so please treat me casually.”
Thank goodness. It seemed we might be able to continue without abandoning this meeting altogether.
Once we’d all found our composure, we remained composed even after Irene returned, and she, having freshened up in the restroom, seemed calmer and refrained from speaking much, instead staring intently at the Crown Prince’s face.
Thinking of the Third Prince, I could understand her feelings to some extent, but she was staring rather excessively.
“Perhaps we’ve been sitting here rather obliviously.”
My, the First Prince could make such commonplace remarks.
Judging that it would be best to leave the two of them alone, given that this was a meeting, I agreed with Lucius and rose from my chair.
Then, from beneath the table, someone extended their hand and firmly grasped my skirt. There was no need to check—it was the Crown Prince.
“Wait. Didn’t the Rocksburg Young Lady say she had something to ask Irene?”
“Pardon?”
“You’re… close in age, and there’s… something to ask.”
Should I pretend not to understand? Thinking of Theodore’s usual arrogance, I could have left a hundred times over, but now he looked at me with the most pitiful expression, his lips moving soundlessly.
Though he made no sound, his lips seemed to repeat “please” dozens of times over.
Ugh… I suppose I have no choice. This time, I’ll let him win.
“Indeed. Now that you mention it, there was something I wanted to ask you.”
“It seems you’ve finally remembered.”
At my response, His Highness let out a breath of relief.
After exchanging a glance with Lucius and deciding to stay a bit longer, I pondered what to ask before recalling what had happened earlier, and I inquired about what cosmetics the Imperial Princess used.
Taken aback by my question, the Imperial Princess fluttered about trying to recall what her cosmetics were, but eventually gave up entirely and answered that it was something she didn’t know much about.
Well, those attending to her would know such details, and if the Imperial Princess had no interest, it was understandable she wouldn’t know.
Even without crying and vomiting at the sight of His Highness on first meeting, she was already endearingly charming. The way she’d fluttered about just moments ago, so flustered and restless, was incredibly cute for her age.
While I had the motivation to interfere as instructed, my honest sentiment was that as long as she bore a child, that would be enough—so my internal score for the Imperial Princess was remarkably high. With how much she adored the Crown Prince, she’d produce an heir quickly. Once married, I could sense she possessed the mettle to drag him along even if he objected, ensuring a royal grandchild would be born.
Excellent. Very excellent indeed.
Since both were beautiful, the child would surely be an adorable blonde-haired infant. Theodore makes my insides churn just looking at him, but imagining how I’d teach the royal grandchild step by step from childhood and color them with my influence lifted my spirits—our kingdom’s future would be prosperous.
…Father had said His Highness was strangely lenient toward me. Could this have been the reason?
Excited imagining the adorable royal grandchild born between the two, my mood soured at the thought of His Highness. I remained for precisely another half hour, encouraging His Highness before slipping out of the Reception Room.
Though uneasy leaving the man alone, I decided to observe patiently over time. His Highness enjoyed the tea time to its conclusion and even took the Imperial Princess for a stroll through the Villa Garden.
I could confirm their harmonious appearance through the window in the Villa Third Floor Corridor, so I crouched beneath the window with Aster and Jack, peering out with only my eyes exposed, conducting thorough surveillance.
“Is life enjoyable living like this?”
“Yes.”
“…Really?”
Hadn’t this man given up headhunting? Why does he keep trailing after me like this?
Lucius, who had slipped away from the matchmaking meeting a step before me, had surprisingly been waiting at the door for half an hour. He claimed he’d waited because playing alone was boring, but the man was over thirty—what could possibly be so entertaining about talking with me?
…Come to think of it, playing with children is rather fun. That’s right. There’s something about playing with younger people that’s invigorating—they’re energetic, and life gains vitality through them. He’s worthy of following along.
“Does Your Highness have no duties? What of the succession struggle? Why idle away time here?”
“I left my position in the hands of my dull and foolish younger brother. Besides, Nerva’s son has been distracted elsewhere lately, so there’s no pleasure in the struggle anymore.”
Marius certainly has his hands full. And I suspect I know where the Fourth Prince’s attention has wandered, but I shouldn’t mention it—I’d stir up trouble for Aster.
“If I were to encounter someone unexpected, I would have preferred meeting the Third Prince instead.”
“What? Are you a Marius supporter too?”
“Yes.”
“…Why? What reason would a Kingdom citizen have to follow Marius?”
This fellow claimed he was on leave, yet he complains so freely without restraint.
Since displeasure dripped from his voice, I observed the First Prince, and the man was contorting his face into every expression of arrogance.
Dressed in casual attire with his eye patch carelessly removed, one eye deeply sunken, and a dark scar visible across that recessed eyelid, the man’s fierce expression made him look like a pirate captain.
Yet he wasn’t frightening in the slightest.
“Well, that person is like this and like that, isn’t she?”
As I crouched and used my hands to create exaggerated curves at my chest and hips, the man looked bewildered before hesitantly bringing both hands to his own chest.
“Are you perhaps expressing that she has a large chest and large hips?”
“Yes.”
“You like her for just that reason?”
“Yes.”
“Are you mad?”
“No?”
I was entirely sincere, and there were countless people captivated by Marius for precisely that reason. Surely Luke and I weren’t the only ones entranced by that figure. How many people in this world were obsessed with seeing Marius’s voluptuous form?
When I relayed this to Lucius, he assumed a grave expression and began kneading his own chest with his hands.
It’s pitiful to watch. Do you truly believe massaging such a meager chest will make it larger?
“Give up. It’s something you’re born with.”
“What if I exercise now? Wouldn’t that help?”
“At your age, exercise will only yield sagging muscles.”
“You’re awfully presumptuous about your own territory.”
“If you’re so aggrieved, grab me by the hair and drag the Empire away. I’ll become perfectly obedient.”
“I’d rather not spoil my mood further.”
I hadn’t realized until now, but this man is equally gifted at getting under my skin. Why must you be Marius’s brother? Your irritating nature is practically identical to our Crown Prince’s.
“But what is this?”
Ah. I suspected this fellow would take interest in Jack Brown’s gas mask.
The man found the telescoping lens mechanism of the gas mask fascinating and pestered Jack to let him try it once, but Jack kept his eyes fixed on me and leaned his body backward to keep the mask beyond the man’s reach.
This is an item I myself dislike lending out, so if the other party is the First Prince, he must despise parting with it even more.
“Why are you touching a child’s plaything? Have some dignity.”
“Don’t startle me. I thought my dead wife had come back to life.”
If I had been your wife, your back would have ceased to exist long ago.
Since His Majesty spoke nonsense, I offered nonsense in return, and the man finally diverted his attention from Jack’s gas mask to inquire after the sailing ship he had gifted me.
I informed him that the magnificent sailing ship was currently operating as a sightseeing cruise along the coastline of the Alein Kingdom, earning me the compliment of being a person absolutely obsessed with money.
While keeping watch over the Crown Prince and Irene’s movements, I found myself chatting with Lucius, and it wasn’t tedious at all—quite pleasant, in fact.
I observed Theodore while exchanging idle remarks with His Majesty, and as I was thinking the sky looked rather gloomy and the weather wasn’t favorable, I heard someone calling out for Angela repeatedly.
Turning my head toward the voice, I saw a woman in the Imperial Court’s uniform looking flustered as she glanced about.
“What’s the matter?”
Lucius addressed her in a magnificent voice, but crouching by the window with his hand gripping the sill hardly cut an impressive figure.
The woman, entirely unperturbed by his rather comical posture, bowed deeply and confessed what she was doing to His Majesty.
“I apologize for the inconvenience, Your Majesty. I am in service to the Imperial Princess, but a colleague who came with me has gone missing….”
“Indeed, I don’t recall seeing her face before.”
That’s right. Even the Eighth Princess said she was seeing her for the first time today, so how would you have had the opportunity to see her maidservant?
Once the mystery of why the woman had been wandering through every corner of the corridor calling out for Angela was solved, I told her to continue on her way, and the Maidservant of the Imperial Princess, offering apologies, departed while calling for Angela once more.
“It looks like rain is coming.”
“The wind is picking up too.”
“It was clear this morning.”
“That’s how sea weather is.”
“Should we go out to greet them before the rain starts?”
“Yes. We can’t have the people viewing potential matches catching colds.”
So His Majesty does possess a heart that worries for others.
Though I admired this inwardly without expressing it, I had the Royal Palace attendants prepare towels and bathwater just in case, and went out to the Garden to greet the two who were strolling about contentedly.
My precaution proved prescient, for the moment I found the Crown Prince to inform him of the unfavorable weather, raindrops began falling steadily.
Before long, the sky unleashed a torrential downpour, and we abandoned all pretense of dignity, running on foot to take shelter beneath a roof; thanks to my earlier warning, everyone was able to immerse themselves in hot water immediately upon returning, rather than wandering about soaked.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————