Luckily, My father didn’t grab me by the collar and didn’t end up giving me a beating, thankfully. It was a crowded banquet, and most importantly, my brother took me away without saying a word.
Bro, I’m hurt. How are you so strong? I’ve known for a while, but dealing with your insane strength with this weak body was quite a challenge. I wanted to say I was in pain, but his expression was so serious that I just quietly went along. I was definitely not scared of him. Ahem!
My brother led me to my room on the second floor. As I glanced at him suspiciously, wondering if he was trying to assassinate me where no one was looking, he spoke up.
“What was that?”
….Did you come all the way up here to ask that, you horrible big brother, or did you just barge in without knowing what was going on? What the hell did you eat?
I replied hesitantly.
“My father asked me to give Levina a present.”
“A present?”
“Yes. This.”
And I held up the locket necklace, still clutched tightly in my palm. My mother’s memento.
“But… I really didn’t want to.”
“…….”
My brother stood for a moment, arms folded, eyes fixed on the ground. His face was hard to look at, his gaze hard to read, so I dropped my head and blurted out in the most desperate tone I could muster.
“I’ll give it to you if you tell me to. I…”
“I think you’re mistaken about something.”
Huh? What?
While I stared up at him, he bent down and grabbed my hands.
“I own this. Not my father.”
“Brother…?”
“Because my mother left it to me.”
A flash of bitterness seemed to flicker in his cool sea-blue eyes. I stared at him, dumbfounded.
My brother was only about five years old when my mother died, and I’ve often been haunted by the fear that I killed her, what did he think of me as a newborn…?
In any case, it make sense that my brother was the owner of this keepsake. My mother had left it to my brother when she died, so it should be his, right?
Even though I had played with it as a child and dropped it in the pond. Sigh. I loved this necklace back then, though. he didn’t get mad at me when I stupidly lost it, and he even went so far as to tell my dad he’d lost it…
Hmph. Why didn’t you just be nice to me from the beginning, even before Levina came along. I couldn’t even hate you freely because of that sweet side you showed me sometimes! You’re the worst, you bastard!
“Ray?”
Shit. I’m about to cry again. No, no, no, no, don’t cry, Focus on the present, focus!
While I’m trying to shake off the memories of the past and focus on the present, my older brother, who was giving me an unreadable glare, straightens up.
“Go to bed early today. Don’t push yourself.”
“Eh?”
No, wait a minute, big brother, why do you suddenly want to put me to bed when the downstairs was still full of guests? Are you trying to catch a glimpse of some pretty sister and sneak off to have a little fun? If that’s the case, you could at least give me a sneak peek… A lot. Anyway, why are you suddenly putting me to bed so early? What kind of house has so many secrets?
When I panicked and asked him what was wrong, he immediately called for Emma and ordered her to put me to bed immediately. Then he left. Sigh. That’s not right. What the hell is he up to?
…But I still didn’t have the nerve to rebel against the murderous human, so I obediently allowed Emma to help me undress and scrub off my make-up. Whoa, now that I’m out of that ridiculous corset and those hideous shoes, I feel like I’m going to live. what, he wants me to go to bed early? What am I, a child in a new country? I’m going to go to bed really early, I swear!
As I lay back in bed and reflected, it wasn’t a bad day. I was worried about the aftermath of my father’s behavior, but at the end of the day, it’s like my brother was on my side, right? Hehehehehe. I’m glad I did, and I got to keep my mum’s mementos.
How did I end up with all this aphasia, anyway? Something must have happened to me to keep my mouth shut for almost a year, so what the hell was going on with my dad?
The father I know is not the kind of man who would be particularly happy that I’m a girl instead of a boy. Furthermore, from what I’ve observed so far, the chances of him being on my side and not Levina’s were less than nil, even if I did approach him and make a fool of myself as I did with my brother.
Maybe I should just ask Emma what happened directly, but there’s no way she’d know the full story, she’s just my maid, and I’d have to go to my father or brother to find out.
I must have been thinking about this for a while and then fell asleep. I remember waking up in the middle of the night to a loud noise coming from upstairs and falling asleep again.
I tried to go out to see what was going on, but it was as if my body was frozen in place, so I just went back to sleep.
I woke up relatively early. I looked out the window and saw that the sun was just slowly rising.
I’m getting used to the sensation of my heavy hair every time I get out of bed. It’s amazing how long it is and how it doesn’t get tangled. Is this why brushes are on the list of essentials for young girls? I don’t know what was the difference between a wooden brush and a solid silver brush.
I fiddled with my long hair for a while, then sneaked out of the room in my nightgown.
I walked through the corridor, holding onto the railing of the stairs, my footsteps muffled and peered down at the ground floor below. Uh-huh, I was right!
My brother was an early bird. I looked at him, all dressed up and ready for work, drinking his coffee with such grace and casual attitude, I’d thought he had the world to himself! …But there’s no sign of my dad, which was great, but I wonder if he’s already left or if he’s staying home today?.
“Ray.”
“Ray…? You’re up early.”
Swallowing hard, I walk over and take a seat across from him at the coffee table. He’s looking through some papers this early in the morning. I can tell he’s in a hurry.
A younger servant brings us juice and cookies. My dignified elder brother doesn’t like sweets and was disgusted by them, so they must be for me. Hehe. Having convinced myself otherwise, I nibbled on a cookie and watched my brother, who was quietly looking over some papers in front of me
I felt strangely calm. If only I could keep this up for the rest of my life….. but that would be impossible.
“Brother.”
I called softly, who had just picked up his coffee cup and brought it to his mouth, opened his eyes and looked at me. Hmm, did he have an affair with some sister while I was asleep? His bloodshot eyes make him look like a man who hasn’t slept well. Mmmmmmm.
“Can I come with you to my brother’s work?”
I said, half expecting a request. My brother’s workplace was the Imperial Palace. He was in charge of the crown prince’s history education, and he was also the court treasurer. It was obvious that he would never take me to work there, so why would I ask him such a ridiculous favour?
Because if my dad were home today, something might happen to me. Hmph. if I didn’t even have an older brother, and I was scared to death of being left home alone with Levina and my dad.
After what happened yesterday,
“Okay, okay. Get ready and come down.”
…I felt like a free sparrow. He was willing to take me with him, it was making me nervous!
Emma nagged me, “Why do you want to follow the Master to his work?” but she brushed my hair and gave me a clean black satin dress. She was a different woman on the inside than she was on the outside. It’s good that she was nagging me, but why are you so happy about it? I want to know what’s so happy about it.
By the way, I wish she’d get rid of that corset. God, why do the girls of the world have to endure so much pain? Ouch. At least I was lucky to wear open-toed shoes.
Anyway, after getting ready, I went downstairs and climbed into the carriage with my brother. I was in the mood for an early morning outing, but why are those knights looking at me like that, like they’ve just witnessed the end of the world?
It had been a long time since I had ridden in a carriage, and by the time we finally arrived at the palace, I was overcome with motion sickness. Despite the chaos, I reached to the palace.
The golden domed roofs glowed brilliantly in the morning sun, and the pure white buildings remained untouched by magic. I’d almost dare to walk on them as they sparkled all the way down to the ground.
“Ray, are you okay?”
…I had forgotten that I was motion sick. Ugh, my stomach was grumbling and my eyes were spinning, but I couldn’t be sent home like this!
I tried my best to look unaffected and smile, but as my brother looked down at my stupid grin, he suddenly grabbed me around the waist with one arm and lifted me up!
What the hell?! What are you doing?! Hey, you bastard! What the hell were you thinking? I’ve got both my legs! I was not a burden! I was more afraid of falling than anything!
“Lord Tardis?”
“Lord?”
” good morning… Is that you?”
Is it my imagination or does each of these greetings sound like an interrogative question?
I wrap my arms around my brother’s neck (don’t ask me if I’m too quick to adapt) and look around. Guards in tight uniforms and ministers in colourful regalia walked past us, greeting my brother as they passed. Greetings were one thing, but why are they all staring at me like that? Have you all witnessed the end of the world since the crack of dawn?
It was then that a completely unexpected figure suddenly appeared.
“Master!”
On …..?
“‘Sir, I heard it was your birthday yesterday, why didn’t you tell me?”
“Good morning, Your Highness.”
I don’t care how stupid my expression was. My jaw dropped. Why has it been like this since yesterday… What a streak!
A boy, dressed in a simple yet elegant blue robe, bursts into the room, his eyes were shining brightly at my brother. A boy whose black hair and sleepy amber eyes were similar to a cat’s, and who was the second most noble person in the palace after the Emperor.
Yes, he was the crown prince! The same age as me, the one who had become emperor at the age of seventeen, the one who had been so desperate to roast my family as soon as he ascended the throne, the one who had been so involved in giving me the unworthy position of commander of the borderlands!
But….
“Why didn’t you tell me beforehand, then I’d have a present ready for you.”
“How can I ask your Highness for a birthday present?”
“I’m sorry to hear that!”
…See this bastard?
This bastard… It’s obvious that he’s following my brother quite closely, isn’t it?
Brother, what the hell did you do to him?! Isn’t it true that you’re the one who made him sulk?!
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Translator Note:
This chapter was translated by Gon. Next post will be released on March, 26.
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