Touch My Brother and You Die - Chapter 99

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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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This brat certainly knew how to work me efficiently after I’d done something he didn’t want to do himself. But since I’d promised to take him to the party in exchange for anything he asked, I sought Martin’s permission and handed Leon a plate laden with snacks.
I’d arranged the meat, vegetables, and sweets in separate bowls, so I figured he’d be occupied for a while. After finishing the task Leon had assigned me, I was finally about to have a proper conversation with Martin Chatel when the little rascal called me again.
“Sister! I’ve eaten so many sweets my throat is blocked!”
“That’s what happens when you eat in a rush!”
Honestly, Asterion was such a fool. Of course his throat would get blocked if he stuffed his face when he was hungry.
I summoned an attendant and had them bring apple juice for Leon. Champagne and wine were everywhere at this gathering, but I couldn’t very well give alcohol to a child first thing in the morning, so it took a moment to procure the juice.
Now that I’d provided both food and drink, surely there was nothing left for him to demand. Feeling relieved, I finally approached Martin Chatel and cleared my throat meaningfully. This was the moment to threaten him with my parasol and demand he present the gift gracefully.
“So, where was I in my story?”
“Sister!”
“For heaven’s sake! What now!”
I hurled my parasol to the ground, gathered up my dress skirts, and stomped toward Asterion with sharp, deliberate steps.
The little pest had apparently called me just to see what would happen, grinning sheepishly, so I grabbed Leon’s ear, pulled him down to my eye level, and twisted his lips between my fingers.
As Asterion made a choking sound and crouched to the ground, the gentlemen and ladies gathered around him voiced their concern.
“Now then, Martin Chatel! What I was trying to say was—”
“The gift should arrive shortly. And it’s Milton Chatel.”
What? Wait, really?
If you understood so well what I wanted to say, why haven’t you sent the gift until now? When I let out a foolish sound, Martin Chatel smiled meaningfully and glanced at Leon.
“A rolling stone is always problematic, you see. I shall solidify your position for you.”
What? My position is already solid, isn’t it?
I was bewildered, but since he promised a gift, I accepted it. Afterward, I took Asterion, who had hastily finished his greetings, and we spent the day viewing flowers, taking a boat ride, and enjoying ourselves thoroughly before visiting the Princess, where I nagged her about getting sunlight and exercise. We returned home as the sun was setting.
I would have preferred to stay a night at the Princess’s palace, but I couldn’t impose further on Glen, so I headed home.
On the way back, I spotted a pair of twin-cut rubies at a jeweler’s shop. The moment I imagined having them made into cufflinks and tailoring a suit for Glen to match the design, I impulsively purchased them and secretly commissioned Violet, who was about to leave work, to handle the project.
Following Jack’s advice, I’d make time to go out with Glen next, and we could have everything ready by then. Dressing a beautiful child in beautiful clothes was one of life’s greatest pleasures.
When I explained my plan, Violet’s face lit up with enthusiasm, saying Glen would be delighted. She eagerly replied that she’d consult with the others and create an absolutely stunning outfit.
She mentioned something about “brain-melting sexy” and other such language that sounded rather violent, so I calmly told her there was no need to kill anyone over this. Violet laughed, calling it a figure of speech.
Oh… right. A figure of speech. Well, if that’s a figure of speech, let me offer another.
I pretended to understand from the start and laughed knowingly, telling Violet she could leave. Now came the exciting prospect of solo overtime work.
After parting with Violet and turning back, the phrase “absolutely stunning” kept echoing in my mind. Absolutely stunning. Absolutely stunning…
“Ah.”
That Martin fellow. It seems he’s thoroughly misunderstood something. Both Marius and Martin—why do Empire people always meddle in other nations’ affairs without bothering to understand them? Is it a trait of the Empire? Well, given how vast and powerful the Empire is, perhaps they simply don’t care about foreign cultures.
Truth be told, I myself didn’t know that citizenship in a certain minor nation of Cerepia was granted only to women until I had an important diplomatic meeting there. Because of this, Father couldn’t meet with their representative, so I went myself and settled the matter with a dance battle. What I learned then was that region’s traditional folk dance performed as a ritual of combat.
In the Empire, whether someone is legitimate or illegitimate, sons are given priority in inheriting the family line, so Martin might have mistakenly thought Asterion would be an obstacle to my becoming Duke.
If he’s treating the rolling stone as a problem and offering a gift to solidify my position, there’s really only one thing it could be…
“Hmm…”
I sat at my office desk and savored the yuzu tea Lily had prepared in advance. If things went according to my plan, it would be like achieving something without lifting a finger.
That meticulous Luke had left everything from our secret dealings in the safe, so surely he hadn’t left behind a single map of the Duke’s Mansion. While I’d been careful not to go near Father during my dancing, he would certainly know the path to the Annex Building’s dance hall.
Asterion would indeed face danger, but if he couldn’t survive something this trivial, he wouldn’t last much longer anyway. Leon is the type who’ll die from some absurd method once he passes twenty, so it’s best to wash my hands of this and start fresh from the beginning.
“Let me see, the Annex Building security chief…”
I issued orders to reduce the Annex Building security personnel by half for the time being. Word of this apparently reached Father’s ears quickly, but the Duke didn’t interfere with my decisions.

◇ ◆ ◇

Today was the long-awaited family outing day.
I’d received word that the clothes and cufflinks I’d commissioned from Violet were fortunately completed before today arrived, so I’d had them gift-wrapped and sent ahead. Following Jack’s advice, I’d kept the evening outing secret from Leon and completed all the preparations.
Hehehehe. Tonight would be a romantic date aboard my own ship, admiring the night scenery from the water. It was a luxury most people would never experience, so I’d confidently submitted this plan to Jack. Unfortunately, he’d scolded me again, saying money wasn’t the issue.
What’s wrong with spending a little money if I’m going out anyway? Once I find Luke, I’ll need to live frugally for a while, so I should be able to enjoy myself at times like this.
When I said that, Jack warned me not to breathe a word about Luke in front of Glen, and encouraged me to do well, saying he’d keep watch nearby.
Now that I think about it, I should have told Glen beforehand about making Luke one of my people. If I don’t mention it today, when will the next opportunity come? Jack glared at me, insisting I absolutely must not speak of it, so I wasn’t planning to… but still.
“Young Lady, Young Lady, let’s make a snowman. A snowman.”
How am I supposed to make a snowman in this season?
Jack was spouting nonsense and winking at me, so I watched carefully. The man made an exasperated expression, then tapped my desk—tap, tap, tap, tap.
“Ah.”
So that’s what he meant. This fellow actually took my casual remark as a code. In any case, if that’s the matter, I need to hurry.
Since Glen and I had decided to leave separately so Asterion wouldn’t catch on until the end, I told the others I’d go in first and followed Jack out. After that, Glen would be guided by Aster, change into the clothes I’d gifted him, and meet me at the harbor.
Hmm, it’s been how long since Glen and I went out together…?
“….”
Wait. Haven’t we done this before?
It’s already been over five years since I met Glen, and we’ve never been out together just the two of us? Really? Why?
It was such a startling realization that I wanted to share this surprise with Jack, but I sensed I’d be scolded again if I said anything, so I kept my mouth shut.

Since my personal carriage was reserved for Glen’s use, I arrived at the Tourist Port with only Elizabeth in tow, and there sat a magnificent sailing ship at anchor.
This grand and splendid vessel was sent to me by Lucius as a wedding gift, and in gratitude for the First Prince’s generous gesture, I named the ship after him.
The name was Saint Brilliant Luciluci. I hadn’t separately informed the Prince about the ship’s name, but since I occasionally lent it to Bienar when regular routes between the Kingdom and Empire fell short, word apparently reached the Imperial Palace.
One day, Lucius suddenly sent me a letter to my office telling me to commit suicide, and when I didn’t understand why, the kind First Prince sent an additional explanation that it was because of the ship’s name.
Even though our family’s informants were planted throughout the Empire, they couldn’t pick up on the casual gossip and jokes among the princes and princesses, so I hadn’t known that the Fourth Prince had apparently been teasing Lucius about “Saint Brilliant Luciluci” every time they met.
The two of them still get along well. Their brotherly affection is so strong that I soullessly wrote back saying the Fourth Prince had gone too far. Two weeks later, the First Prince sent me a sword in a package, which I suppose was meant as a means to end my life, but I pretended not to understand and gave it to Jack instead. Jack was delighted, saying it had been a long time since he’d seen an Imperial-style dagger, and played with it happily.
Honestly, I went to the trouble of giving it such a sacred and magnificent name, and now he’s being picky about it. The Empire has a state religion, so they love words like “sacred” and “holy,” don’t they? I even considered Imperial tastes when naming it, yet my sincerity goes unappreciated.
As I grumbled about the First Prince, lights gradually illuminated the Saint Brilliant Luciluci. These weren’t ordinary oil lamps used in households or magical devices storing fire-attribute magic, but rather light without heat—Sage explained something about how it was inspired by firefly light, but honestly, I’m not entirely sure of the details.
It’s not electric light, and it truly doesn’t get hot to the touch, so as an ordinary person like me, I’m simply most curious about how far Sage, with all that capital backing, will develop this world’s civilization.
“Young Lady, Glen has arrived.”
Finally.
Jack Brown had said that since Asterion might catch our scent from somewhere and follow, the safest thing would be to board the ship and depart from land. So I ordered the crew to hurry and prepare to leave the harbor.
Once Glen, myself, Aster, and Jack are aboard, we’ll immediately raise anchor and cruise along the coastline.
“Rosalite? What on earth is all this…?”
That’s what I wanted to ask. The young Prince Glen who stepped down from the carriage was oddly holding nothing but a notebook in one hand and had a pen tucked behind his ear. Moreover, Aster, who followed Glen, was carrying an armful of file folders for some reason.
“What is all that?”
“Didn’t you come to Bienar to conduct business? Something about having work at the harbor…?”
“When did I ever say such a thing? I clearly had someone tell you both that we were just going out to have fun together.”
“Well, it’s just that, from experience…”
“…”
Yes, this is all my fault.
After working five years in the Duke’s House, I’ve become someone who can’t take words at face value anymore. I feel like I might cry. What do I do? I’ve made him this way. It’s my fault. It’s all my incompetent fault.
“Aster. Leave all the luggage in the carriage and bring the young Prince.”
“Yes, Young Lady.”
Following my order, Aster snatched away the file folders and the notebook and pen Glen had equipped, tossed them in the carriage, then picked up the young Prince in her arms. No matter how many times he experiences this, he apparently never gets used to it—the Prince hooked his cane through his arm and covered his face with both hands.
“Jack. Set sail.”
“Yes. Best of luck, Snowman.”
“Right. Snowman, snowman.”

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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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