Touch My Brother and You Die - Chapter 7

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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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To speak plainly, Leon kept his mouth firmly shut and stared at the portrait. But it wasn’t long before he called out to me again.”Sister…?”
“Sister…?”
If this was about Glen, who had been kneeling for over thirty minutes, I wasn’t going to listen. With just a glance to signal as much, Leon suddenly thrust a portrait in front of me.
“Um, Sister… are you becoming a candidate for Crown Princess as well?”
“How prettily our dear Leon speaks such nonsense.”
“But…”
The portrait Leon handed me depicted myself. I turned it this way and that, wondering if it might be someone else who resembled me, but it was unmistakably me.
“Who sent this?”
“Marquis Louis, ma’am.”
Ah. My uncle—my father’s own brother and the biological father of the late Dylan.
I examined my profile and letter of recommendation attached to the portrait, then rose from my seat. Gripping the canvas with its wooden frame still attached, I hurled it at Glen. The impact made a sharp crack as it struck him directly.
“My uncle has lost his mind.”
Blood trickled from Glen’s head where the wooden frame’s edge had caught him. Realizing the wound was bleeding, the man wiped his head and confirmed the red stain, but he said nothing in response.
Having vented my frustration, I felt relieved and made a mental note to repay my uncle in kind later, then selected a different gift.

By the time I finished, evening had arrived. Perhaps today I could actually manage a peaceful family dinner.
“Leon, Aster, let’s go find the Duke.”
He wouldn’t come to the dining hall anyway, so I’d have to fetch him myself. With that thought, I stood, and Aster immediately came to my side. Leon rose awkwardly, his lips moving as he glanced at Glen, who had been kneeling for hours now.
I could guess what he was about to say, so I took Leon’s hand, met his eyes, and spoke gently.
“If you pity him, I’ll put you in the same position, Leon.”
Leon flinched and clamped his mouth shut. Leon really was adorable.
“Lily, prepare the guest room for Glen. Tell him he can find me there if he changes his mind.”
I nodded at Lily, who bowed in acknowledgment, then led the children outside. Leon, who had seemed bewildered, now understood my intentions and grinned widely, squeezing my hand firmly.
“You were going to listen anyway—wouldn’t it be nicer if you’d said so from the start?”
“But desperation is so endearing.”
Aster complained that the atmosphere had been suffocating for hours, and I told her the honest truth. Watching a child who mistakenly believes their kneeling holds great significance is amusing and adorable, isn’t it? At my words, Aster shuddered and called me an insufferable lady.
I laughed. We’ve been together for years now, and she still says such things. If I pointed that out, Aster would only look bewildered.

◇ ◆ ◇

A week had passed since Glen became a guest at our mansion. During that time, I’d kept Leon, who had grown accustomed to life as a young master of the Duke’s House, by my side and assigned him a tutor to focus on his studies. To Uncle Louis’s residence, I sent Aster’s second-oldest brother and three servants.
It served to protect Glen’s mother and younger sister with an escort, and to make it known that the head of Rocksburg House and his successor were watching. It also conveniently removed Aster’s second-oldest brother, who had a history of flirting with Leon, from the picture.
Glen apparently heard this news and sent word that he wished to visit and offer his thanks, but I simply returned a refusal. I hadn’t yet solidified my resolve to support Glen, and more importantly, I hadn’t determined what purpose Glen would serve.
I was pondering why the household survey agenda for the Western Duchy of the Capital had been thrust upon me when I suddenly heard a noise and glanced out the window. A royal carriage was entering—someone must be going out.
“….”
A royal carriage arriving at this time of all times….
…Oh no.
“Aster, run!”
I stopped what I was doing, bolted from my seat, kicked off my shoes, and ran.
If the Royal Family sent a carriage at this moment, it had to be news of an irregular banquet to find a bride for the Crown Prince. A royal banquet invitation was as good as an official leave of absence. With one in hand, I could excuse myself for skin care and physical training starting the day before the banquet, and on the day itself, I could simply skip work, go to the party, enjoy myself, and return.
In other words, whoever failed to secure an invitation would be stuck at the Duke’s Mansion handling everyone else’s work as well.
“What’s the matter, Miss?”
“A party invitation!”
Aster, who had kept pace beside me as I ran with my skirts gathered, took on a serious expression at my answer. Realizing the gravity of the situation, she scooped me up and repeatedly bounded down an entire flight of stairs in a single leap before landing.
The ride was rough, but it was better than being late like Father.
Besides, Father—that man—was already in the entrance hall despite being in the Duke’s Office, which was even farther from the entrance than where I was. Hearing Aster’s frantic bounding, Father noticed us, and with a blank expression, he commanded the guards following him.
“William, handle it!”
“Aster, put me down!”
I couldn’t lose. I broke free from Aster and ran, and behind me came the sharp clang of steel clashing against steel.
What? Are they drawing swords right now?!
“How bold of you to challenge me, Aster!”
“If you’re old, you should retire, Father!”
“Your technique is so sloppy your guard is completely exposed, you incompetent thing!”
“Your grip is so weak from old age, you fossil!”
Does Aster hate her own father?!
Somewhat startled but focused on running, I soon caught up with Father and spoke demurely. If Aster was working that hard, I couldn’t afford to fall behind in wit.
“You seem to be struggling even with running, Your Grace. Since I’m still young and spry, why don’t you rest at home and let me go?”
I laid on the flattery, and Father swung his arm to swat me down. I dodged, but if I’d been hit, I would have tumbled. This man really was something.
“Don’t you want a stepmother, Rosalite? If I go, I’ll bring back someone who’s excellent at her duties.”
Oh, that’s actually tempting.
For a moment I nearly stopped running, but I quickly recalled Mother, who was relaxing at Maternal Grandmother’s House, and shot back.
“You still send Mother a reflection letter every month, and you dare speak of finding a stepmother!”
“How did you even know that…!”
He let his guard down!
I struck the back of Father’s knee as he ran and sent him tumbling. Watching him roll with a yelp, I felt utterly satisfied. It was payback for when he tried to swat me earlier!
“Huff, huff.”
Breathing heavily, I opened the entrance door and arrived to greet the attendant descending from the royal carriage with a graceful bow. The moment I heard they were from the Royal Family, I snatched the invitation and bowed once more with my skirts gathered, wishing blessings upon the Royal Family.
“Rosalite of Rocksburg Duchy House receives your summons with gratitude. May infinite glory and peace grace the esteemed Royal Family.”
The royal attendant, pleased with my greeting, returned the courtesy and wished me a delightful banquet.
Waving goodbye to the departing royal carriage, I passed Father, who was pounding the ground in frustration, and headed toward the Office.
How exciting.
A vacation.
I could sleep early.
Having keenly felt the sleep deprivation of late, I cradled the invitation close to my chest. While I’m at it, I’ll have a grand time and give the Crown Prince a proper interrogation.

◇ ◆ ◇

From the day before the banquet, I relinquished all duties to Father and indulged in a luxurious petal bath. I received skincare treatments, had my nails manicured beautifully, ate well, and spent my remaining hours attending Leon’s sword training before sleeping soundly through the night. Upon waking, I was surrounded by grooming specialists who dressed me with meticulous care.
I donned a dress featuring the latest fashionable design, with pale blue silk as the primary material, and adorned myself with matching jewelry. My hair was braided like flowers and pinned up elegantly, with small pearls inserted to complete the headdress. I secured the essential banquet fan and prepared a shawl for the evening.
Gazing at the breathtakingly beautiful Rosalite reflected in the mirror, I was overcome with emotion. I grasped my skirts and twirled gracefully, lifting my chin with pride, while the servants applauded my beauty.
Aster, who would accompany me throughout the day, also clapped upon seeing my radiant appearance and offered her own comment.
“You’re so pretty! Pearls on a pig’s neck, Miss!”
“That’s an insult, Aster.”
“Is it?”
Aster explained that when she first wore the guard knight’s uniform for the Royal Palace banquet, her brothers had all said the same thing, so she thought it was a compliment. I asked how anyone could hear calling someone a pig as praise, and Aster offered a response that defied all common sense.
“Pork is delicious though. I like it.”
“…I see.”
The girl must have grown up in a large household—she certainly has an appetite.
Even if I go to the Magic Tower, I won’t let you starve. I rose on my tiptoes to pat Aster’s head, then headed toward the Royal Palace with the leisurely feeling of someone embarking on a vacation.
Of course, while I’m there, I intend to throw a tantrum about the Crown Prince’s marriage situation and demand that the Royal Family take responsibility for the road construction caused by the subsidence of the Duchy’s foundation, paying for it with public funds.

◇ ◆ ◇

The carriage bearing the Duke’s House crest had free passage to the banquet hall entrance, and with Aster’s escort, I descended carefully, mindful not to dislodge my headdress.
The party had yet to officially begin, so there were few guests arriving, but in my case, I had timed my entrance perfectly.
I planned to corner an attendant, slip him a bribe, gauge the Royal Family’s mood, make note of others who had arrived early with similar intentions, then find the Crown Prince and give him a proper scolding.
As I took my first step with these thoughts in mind, I spotted the golden-haired nuisance number three—Theodore—approaching with that infuriating smile on his face.
He must have been displeased upon seeing me, yet he never wiped the smile from his face. I knew he was displeased because I had once overheard him say that the mere sight of me made his mood filthy as garbage.
The man approached with a bright smile, coming right up to my face, and I met him with a grin of my own, staring directly at nuisance number three.
“It has been a while, young lady of the Duke’s House.”
“I hope you are well, Your Highness. It feels as though I saw you only recently, yet it seems the days have felt like three autumns to you.”
“The same letter arrives daily, so I assumed the young lady had already passed away and someone was forging your correspondence. How fortunate that you remain among the living. Were you not concerned?”
“The Duke’s House protection extends even to the Royal Family, so surely it can shield one small girl.”
Nuisance number three laughed heartily at my words, and I covered my mouth with my fan, laughing delightfully in return.
I’ve thought this before, but what is it about him that’s so infuriating? And I can’t even punch him for it.
“Then I shall take my leave.”
“Then I shall do the same.”
Yes, let’s not prolong this unnecessarily and risk offending each other. Let’s part ways quickly.
After confirming that the Crown Prince had entered the banquet hall, I abruptly changed direction and slipped down a side corridor.

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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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