Touch My Brother and You Die - Chapter 83

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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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#Chapter 22: Rosalite Rocksburg Twenty-One (1)

I took a combative stance and faced Luke.
The tango we were about to dance was the traditional Largol Imperial Palace tango. With the resentment I’d been harboring and the fact that this dance could leave us both seriously injured if we weren’t perfectly synchronized, I naturally couldn’t help but feel solemn about it.
Hmph. So he knew about this fun dance and never taught me? What a cunning bastard. If I hadn’t learned the dance from the First Prince, what would I have done?
“Do you really have to dance this, Rosalite? It’s not too late to back out now.”
“Quiet. Why do you think I’ve been calling you here to practice for the past month?”
“Because you’re holding a grudge over not being taught the dance, and you deliberately schedule our meetings on rainy days so I’ll get soaked on the way back to torment me.”
“That’s also true.”
This fellow had figured it out.
I was annoyed that he hadn’t taught me the Imperial tango, and thinking he deserved a little suffering on his way back, I’d made sure to meet Luke only on days when the sky was thick with dark clouds.
Because of that, even now the window showed a sky that looked ready to pour rain at any moment. The Duke’s Private Orchestra seemed to be having a hard time preparing because of the humidity. On damp days like this, both string and wind instruments were in poor condition.
But I have no ear for music anyway, so it doesn’t matter to me!
Whether a note is half a tone higher or lower, I can’t tell the difference, but the Conductor always insists on perfection and has been doing extensive dehumidification before using this hall.
Thanks to that, this dance hall has salt bowls placed on every floor and candles lit everywhere. To be honest, it was getting a bit warm.
“Are you ready, Luke Chatel?”
“Rosalite, please don’t get hurt and cry.”
“If I get hurt, that’s your fault.”
“This is exactly why I didn’t want to come!”
Ha ha ha. If you didn’t want to come, what would you do? When the young master of the Duke’s House calls, you come running.
“What are you waiting for, Conductor! Drop the beat!”
I instructed the Conductor to begin playing and clapped my hands to keep time. The man approached with heavy steps and suddenly grabbed my waist, pulling me close, and I let out an involuntary gasp.
“Don’t put personal feelings into the dance.”
“My apologies. I’m so wronged I could die.”
“If you’re going to complain about something this minor, you shouldn’t have barged into that shop and shoved your business card at me in the first place.”
“If we’re talking about that matter, it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life.”
Then stop complaining.
I grabbed his shoulder and spun around, then, caught up in the excitement, gave myself a spinning kick in the air before surrendering my body to Luke.
As Luke supported my waist and helped me with a backflip, my body spun and fell backward, and I landed on time, then quickly approached Luke again.
I hadn’t been able to progress this far with Lucius, but I finally succeeded with the backward turn. It felt like the resentment I’d been holding for years was finally being released.
“By the way, Luke.”
“Yes?”
As I was stepping energetically, I gave a sharp shout and grabbed Luke’s waist to help him jump. No matter how I think about it, this doesn’t seem like something the female partner should be doing.
“When I danced with Lucius, I didn’t notice, but why do I have to exert myself so much when dancing with you?”
“Well, I’ve only ever danced this dance with men.”
He’s only danced this sensual tango with men? Don’t suddenly drop such a revelation without warning—how surprising.
Well, I know his tastes well enough, so it’s easy for me to accept.
“I see… that could certainly be the case!”
“Every time I think about it, your respect for his preferences is truly remarkable.”
As long as the child does their job well, that’s all that matters. By that logic, Leon also plays with dolls at that age. Being close with men isn’t anything to fuss over.
Now that I think about it, Leon is already twenty. This is always the most nerve-wracking time. Strangely, he always seems to pass away once he turns twenty. I still haven’t figured out what his wish is.
“Speaking of which, isn’t the wedding coming up soon?”
“Yes. Once the ring is finished, I’ll send out the formal invitations. Of course, you’ll be attending in person?”
“Of course. If I don’t go, who will cover the costs of Rosalite’s wedding?”
So he’s saying he’ll bring a generous gift on top of what he sent before?
Delighted by Luke’s words, I spun in place and wrapped my arms around his waist. As I bent his waist backward and lifted his wrist with my other hand, Luke groaned against my shoulder and protested by tensing his legs.
“This position is quite difficult for me.”
“It’s difficult for me too.”
“Shouldn’t we stop?”
“Let’s do that.”
I pulled Luke’s waist up with force, and once the man regained his balance and straightened his posture, he returned to the original rhythm and continued dancing.
“I wonder where our Luke Chatel goes and what he does to have such excellent core strength.”
“That’s sexual harassment.”
“Whoever takes him as a partner will certainly appreciate it.”
“That’s sexual harassment!”
Who doesn’t know what sexual harassment is!
I don’t know why young people these days shout so loudly. They can be heard even without raising their voices. It’s not as if my ears have gone deaf.
“Speak more gently. I can hear everything.”
“Since you don’t listen when I speak quietly, I thought there might be something wrong with your ears.”
“You never back down from anything. How cheeky.”
“Without that kind of nerve, how would one do business in Rocksburg?”
That’s true enough.
Luke’s point was reasonable, and I wasn’t offended by his sharp retorts. If anything, I found them endearing. Young people with ambition are simply admirable. A little rudeness on their part could be called charm.
“Conductor! Vivace!”
“Do the Duke’s family only know vivace and forte!”
Why is the Conductor in such a mood again.
The man who served as concertmaster and the Duke’s House’s finest violinist erupted when I demanded a faster tempo. From the way he’d been grumbling since earlier, it seemed Father must have summoned him before I did.
“Why are you taking out your frustration on me after being struck by the Duke!”
“Because you’re easier to deal with!”
This is why artists are like this. They’d rather die than set aside their pride.
Well… there’s no one else in this country who conducts an orchestra to both Father’s and my satisfaction, so I can’t very well dismiss him.
He knows that, which is why he acts this way. As long as he plays the violin well, that’s all.
…Though there is that.
“I understand, so vivace! Vivace it is!”
The Conductor huffed indignantly, repositioned himself, and drew his bow.
Ah, now this is it. As the tempo quickened, my spirits lifted, and I grasped Luke’s hand, drawing closer and pulling away in rhythm.

After dancing to my heart’s content, Luke was gasping for breath, completely spent, while the Conductor gathered the orchestra members and led them away for a break to wet their throats.
I wiped the sweat from my face with the cool towel Violet had brought, letting out a sound as if I’d been brought back from the brink of death.
Ahhhh, that’s refreshing. Now my body’s finally loosening up. I haven’t moved much lately, and everything was creaking and groaning.
“I’ll have water prepared. Would you like to wash up before you go?”
“Huff, huff—no, I need to—huff—get back. Work.”
Right. You’ve been quite the busy man yourself.
Despite your schedule, you’ve visited the Duke’s Mansion to spend time with me, and the congratulatory gifts you’ll receive will be substantial, so I should send you off with something nice.
Let me think… Should I mention the new streetcar project we’re pushing forward? Or perhaps the news about completely redeveloping the Harlem District in the Edanelli Border Region?
Rumble.
While I was pondering which story Luke would prefer, the man suddenly flinched and trembled.
His eyes widened as he glanced out the window once, and despite his startled reaction, he composed himself and smoothly pulled the tablecloth from the table in a stylish motion.
Without toppling the vase and ceramics, he neatly extracted only the white cloth, then clumsily draped it over himself and crouched quietly on the floor.
“What are you doing?”
“Just give me a moment. I’ll come out once I’ve composed myself.”
“Well… do as you please.”
I thought he’d emerge from under the tablecloth soon enough and waited patiently, but no matter how long I waited, Luke showed no signs of coming out.
I wasn’t sure what the reason was, but waiting indefinitely felt awkward, so I decided to join him.
“Move over a bit, would you?”
I lifted the tablecloth Luke had draped over himself and settled down beside him. Despite his large frame, the man was curled up small, his ears covered, his face buried in his knees.
“Are you unwell? If you’re in considerable pain, I’ll call the Doctor.”
“No, I’m fine like this.”
Hmm… I’ve only learned about his past through books, so I couldn’t pry too carelessly.
Luke must have been through quite the ordeal. From when he lived alone with his mother to after he joined the Chatel House, his suffering couldn’t be explained in just a few pages of a book.
There were surely parts left out, and he must have experienced frightening things I knew nothing about.
“Take my hand.”
“…Pardon?”
“Usually, these things are less frightening when someone’s beside you.”
This was a method that had proven effective when Jack was making a fuss about being afraid of ghosts. I didn’t know what he was so frightened of, but holding someone’s hand makes it less scary. Besides, I wouldn’t be afraid of whatever Luke feared, so I could be his support.
“He really won’t listen.”
I seized Luke’s hesitant hand and held it with both of mine. He must have been quite startled—his hand was ice-cold. After dancing and sweating just moments ago, there was no color in his skin at all. Tsk.
“I don’t know what frightened you so, but I’m here, so you’re safe. If anyone’s troubling you, just tell me.”
“The person troubling me most is you, Rosalite.”
“You mean you were startled because of me?”
At my exaggerated words, Luke burst into laughter. As his alarm subsided, his hand gradually grew warmer in mine.
“When the weather turns bad, unpleasant memories from the past surface, so as you can see, I’m in this state. Thank you for your consideration.”
“I see. You must have a difficult time when you’re alone.”
“Aren’t you curious about what happened?”
“Why would I care about your circumstances?”
“That’s true. It’s not your concern where or how someone lowly like me has scraped by, is it, Rosalite?”
“There you go again, being sarcastic.”
Such a cheeky attitude.
But his constant grumbling was proof that he’d grown far more stable, so I lingered with him beneath the tablecloth a moment longer. Once I confirmed the thunder had subsided, I slipped out from under the fabric.
Since I’d crawled under here when the thunder was loudest, that sound was likely what had startled me.
“It looks like a downpour’s coming, so we’ll head back once the rain stops. You’ll be bored waiting, so help me with some work.”
“You certainly have creative ways of putting people to work.”
“Now, now, I’m asking you to do something you’d enjoy.”
Among the documents requiring my seal today, ninety percent were trivial matters, but there were important items mixed in—the streetcar project, for instance, and documents suggesting a restructuring of Rocksburg’s distribution network.
Since I’d planned to present these matters to her anyway, having Luke stamp them in my stead seemed like a win for everyone involved.
I took Luke’s hand and pulled him up, humming cheerfully as we made our way back to the Office. As we climbed the staircase after leaving the Dance Hall, the man seemed to notice something amiss and posed a question.
“Isn’t this the wrong direction for Rosalite’s workplace?”
“I relocated the Office.”
It had been completed just recently, and I’d moved all the furniture and belongings there.
These days, Leon had graduated from his basic studies, so I only needed to supervise him during physical training. I’d been visiting frequently to help with work.
Why he found working so entertaining that he showed up for work like clockwork was beyond my understanding.
“Hehehehe, try not to be too shocked.”
The contractor Luke had introduced me to had redesigned my Office brilliantly, making it remarkably efficient and futuristic in appearance.
In my case, I’d nearly had my heart stop thinking I’d returned to my old company, but the impression was no less impressive. Who exactly was this man? I didn’t know much, but people like him were typically called geniuses in society.
“Dah dah dah dah dah.”
No one would understand it, but since I only needed to amuse myself, I hummed the Love House BGM.
The moment I opened the door, I saw an open space and my neatly organized desk. Beside the desk sat a trash box with an automatic shredding device—purchased with money I’d extorted from the King.
And that executive chair facing forward had wheels! Urethane! It actually had urethane wheels?! This contractor had personally developed and installed urethane?! Was he insane?!

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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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