Cinderella's Brother

“So, the decisive cause of the disappearance of the wizard guild is… what?”

 

“This is due to stagnant power generation and meaningless waste of precious metals. The year of his expulsion is 1023 in the imperial calendar.”

 

“Oh right. Wait a minute… what was the name of the war that took place in 1112?”

 

“It’s the ‘Name of the Rose’ war.”

 

“So? What, were they fighting so hard for the ‘Name of the Rose’ war?”

 

…It’s a shame that you asked me that question. Try asking your brother. What happens? If it weren’t for the crown prince, I would have started with one hit. At the window of the magnificent arched hallway overlooking the courtyard of the luxurious main palace, while I was busy explaining the scope of the test, Ryun was taking notes half-heartedly and spouting out random things like that. What if the Crown Prince has no historical consciousness? For the first time in my life, I feel sorry for my older brother. That person had a good reason for losing his temper.

 

“You suddenly have such a disrespectful look in your eyes? Is it okay to be smart? Is that all it takes to get to the Secretariat?”

 

“Yes? I have no idea what you’re talking about?”

 

“…Tch. I am taking care of you because you are my teacher’s younger sister.”

 

Oh my, is that so? This shameless bastard? What, my teacher? Before he is your teacher, he is my older brother!!! Anyway, after the looting of knowledge under the pretense of help was over, Ryun looked much lighter and frowned with his amber eyes shining.

 

“But what kind of girl do you know so much about? Did your teacher teach you this?”

 

“Ahaha, it’s because I like reading.”

 

“Okay? Well, that’s good. Please ask me often from now on.”

 

…Should I just kill him? Are you going to assassinate me?

 

“Oh, let’s go eat!”

 

“Yes?”

 

“I decided to have a meal with Master today, and I will make special arrangements for you to have a meal together.”

 

Oh, is that so? It’s so funny how you raise your chin and talk so proudly, it’s killing me. Ugh, young guy. That would make a really heartwarming meal, right?

 

“I’m hungry, let’s go quickly!”

 

“Now, just a moment, Your Highness.”

 

“Why again?

 

“Well… would you mind if I treated my younger brother as well?”

 

When he spoke in a restless tone, his voice shaking slightly, Ryun’s eyes widened.

 

“That one from earlier? Nope.”

 

You, this bastard… you secretly like it? Hehehe. Anyway, it’s really amazing. Why do you act like that to Levina when you openly act like you look after me because you are my older brother’s younger sibling? Well, the royal family is the highest level when it comes to lineage, so downplaying the origins of an illegitimate child would also be the highest level…

 

“I can’t help it if Your Highness doesn’t allow it, but I can’t leave her brother alone to eat.”

 

“What? Why? Can’t he even eat alone?”

 

“That’s not it. Anyway, I’m in trouble. So just eat comfortably, the two of you.”

 

I smiled sadly even though I was extremely miserable. Then Ryun looked at my face blankly for a moment, but then frowned as if he was embarrassed.

 

“Hey… why are you doing this all of a sudden? Are you afraid that Master will say something about you not taking care of his younger sister?”

 

“No, it’s not your brother that’s the problem…”

 

“Then are you afraid what the duke will say?”

 

“…”

 

“Damn it, you’re so annoying… I got it, I got it!”

 

“Lowering?”

 

“I will give you special permission, so go and bring him. This is the first floor terrace of Leopard Palace. Damn it, what kind of shit is this country going to be like?”

 

It seems like a lot of subtle force was put into the ‘specially’ and ‘Yunheo’ parts? After watching the impatient crown prince leave for a while, worried about a country he did not fit in, I turned towards the back of the chapel.

 

When I returned to the back garden, I saw the priest and Levina sitting in the same position as before. But the atmosphere was a bit strange. The holy priest looked as if he had aged ten years in a short while, and Levina’s eyes were all red and swollen, as if she had just been crying.

 

“Priest?”

 

“Ah, Lady Ray.”

 

“Sorry. He asked me to help him…”

 

“It’s okay. This is a request from His Majesty the Crown Prince. How could I refuse it?”

 

The priest gave me a faint, tired smile as I apologized politely. Hmm, it’s clear that Levina burst into tears after Ryun did that earlier. Otherwise, there is no way our priest would have collapsed like this in such a short period of time, right? Even though you are a great priest, you seem to have no talent in comforting a crying child.

 

“Levina, are you okay?”

 

Levina, who was wiping her eyes with her handkerchief, rolled her bloodshot eyes and looked at me. She then sniffled without answering. Tsk tsk. I can clearly see that your frustration is rising to the top of your head right now. Mmm. I swallowed a smile of regret and spoke in the most friendly tone possible.

 

“Let’s go have lunch. “Your brother and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will be with you.”

 

“…”

 

“Levina? Don’t worry too much about what happened earlier.”

 

It was at that time that her priest, who had been looking alternately at Levina, who was only whimpering in silence, and at me, who was looking at her with a worried expression, with an unreadable look for a moment, suddenly raised her body.

 

“Then shall I go with you? I also have something to say to the Prime Minister.”

 

So in the end, all three of us headed to the Leopard Palace in good company. Kyakya, I feel a little sorry for Ryun, who must have dreamed of having a private meal alone with my brother. This is punishment for robbing me of my precious knowledge! The imperial palace was definitely different in scale. The terrace on the first floor of the Leopard Palace was a terrace, not an indoor garden, or an indoor forest. Brilliant sunlight streaming through the diamond walls and ceiling, and real, live leopards roaming around in the beautiful garden visible through the transparent walls. Whoa whoa, it’s bloody. Just the cost of their meat alone is equivalent to one year’s worth for a regular army knight… No, let’s stop counting the empty-tina. Even though I look like this, I am the son of a duke! We looked at the leopards who were lying on their backs, not even showing their teeth, looking at us blankly, as if they were in good condition. As we went inside, we saw our older brother and the crown prince sitting around a luxurious dinner table. The solemn prime minister and the young crown prince are an incredibly heartwarming combination. Those two should always get along just like that…

 

“Oh, priest?”

 

“Greetings, Prime Minister. And Your Highness. Do you mind if I join you, this lowly servant of God?”

 

“Of course. Please sit down.”

 

“Brother!”

 

I was on the verge of bursting out in laughter when I saw Levina, who had been quiet up until now without even answering a single word to me, shouting brightly and quickly running away as if it were true, but I held it back. The sight of her putting her hand on her brother’s arm and chatting cutely makes me wonder when she was so sullen. Oh my, I’m out of my mind. Bitch, get off..! That’s my older brother!

 

“The priest told me a lot of interesting stories today. I’m glad we can have a meal together. Oh, Your Highness, please kindly forgive my rudeness earlier. I’m still stupid and immature in many ways…”

 

Ryun glanced at Levina, who lowered her eyelashes and apologized as if she was truly upset, and shrugged her shoulders in an annoyed tone.

 

“Done.”

 

“What happened?”

 

“No, Master. It’s no big deal.”

 

This made it clear. That bastard shows all kinds of pretense in front of my brother…! Oh my, how I like this! Why on earth are there so many foxes around that bastard? Well, Ryun is closer to a kitten than a fox. My brother looked at Ryun and Levina with puzzled eyes for a moment, and then he saw me standing quietly in the back. Not only my brother, but Ryun and the priest all looked at me at the same time as if they had made a promise. Like a quiet flower, I was standing there with a shy and sorrowful smile, looking at Levina’s hand holding her brother’s arm. After a fleeting moment, my older brother removed Levina’s arm from her grasp and spoke softly.

 

“In front of the Crown Prince, Levina. Stop taking a seat.”

 

“Yes…? Oh, I’m sorry, sir. Priest.”

 

Levina, who hesitated for a moment, smiled brightly again and apologized politely. Ryun just shrugged his shoulders again, and the priest just smiled politely. So all the members of this strange union sat down around the table. The solemn Crown Prince sat in the middle, my brother and I sat on his left and right, Levina was next to my brother, and the priest was next to me. So, I ended up having lunch with my brother and Ryun at the same time. There was a strange silence for a while, with only the sound of forks and knives playing for a while. Levina, this is not my territory, so even though I was keeping an eye on her instead of acting like usual, she was contributing to this silence, including the priest who said she had something to say to her brother, as well as her brother and Ryun. So what can I say… It feels like everyone is intently searching for something? As for me, I was acting possessed and eating my rice in a helpless and dejected manner. Actually, I’m so hungry that I just want to eat everything I see, but…! Huh, the road to Buddhahood is long and difficult. I really like the meaningful gaze of my brother and priest that I occasionally feel on the top of my head. Yeah, it’s not that rewarding. Not really…

 

“Ray. What’s wrong?”

 

When I paused and raised my head at the question that suddenly came up, I saw my brother’s handsome face, like the sky, leaning slightly toward me while putting down his knife. Umhaha, I never knew…

 

“Sister, where does it hurt? It was fine until just now.”

 

…It’s all good, but it would be really nice if you just disappeared for a little while? Whether Levina was giggling or not, I just stared into my brother’s sea-green eyes that were fixated on me, and then she smiled bitterly and lowered her eyes again.

 

“…It’s okay. Thank you, brother.”

 

“…”

 

My older brother, who had narrowed his eyebrows as if he was a little suspicious of my unusually polite attitude, suddenly exchanged glances with the priest sitting next to me. Hmm, what kind of look is the priest giving?

I’m very curious. The meal, engulfed in strange silence, finally ended and tea and dessert were served. Ryun and I were the only people who touched the colorful cupcakes that were so cute you wanted to bite them, including seasonal fruits cut into bite-sized pieces.

 

“Ray, do you think you like this too? Master doesn’t like sweets.”

 

“Ahaha… I guess Your Highness likes it too.”

 

“Huh. But it’s annoying because they keep not letting me eat much because my teeth are rotting. Is it like that at your house too?”

 

Oh my, is that so? Gulp Gulp. It’s an honor for the family to get along so well with the majestic crown prince. No matter what he was thinking on the inside, on the outside he smiled bitterly and remained silent, and for a moment an awkward air swept over the table. Okay, okay, I feel like I’m getting everyone’s attention at once… Oh, that’s not right.

 

“Ray?”

 

Ryun tilted his head and asked again, and I was shocked as if I had been hit by something, and then I answered as if I was barely able to squeeze it out.

 

“…Ah, wouldn’t they all be similar?”

 

“Right? This isn’t fair. It’s just like a preference, like tea or cigarettes. Isn’t that right, Master?”

 

“Of course.”

 

My brother, who was silently tipping his teacup, answered quietly with his eyes still focused on me. I smiled simply again, then gently moved the teaspoon and took a mouthful of the sweet cream. Ah, it feels good! In the midst of this proud situation, with the holy priest, his murderous brother, and the prince, a class thug, all watching me intently, Levina, who was frowning as if she was a little uncomfortable being alone, finally put down her tea cup and spoke cheerfully. issued.

 

“Brother, can I tour the imperial palace with you?”

 

“Sure.”

 

For some reason, my brother, who was still staring at me, readily agreed. So, Levina and I left the luxurious terrace in amicable harmony, leaving behind the boys who were caught up in an unusual atmosphere. Hmm, I’m really curious about what’s going on behind the scenes. By the way, why is this pretty bitch holding my hand so tightly? I’m dying from pain! I wonder what kind of child is so strong.

 

“Levina?”

 

“…”

 

“Levina, where shall we go?”

 

Levina, who had been pulling me blindly with her mouth shut, rolled her sparkling sea-colored eyes and squinted at my face. Then she responded in a semi-brutish tone.

 

“I want to go see my father.”

 

I threw out a bait and you bitch bitten it. As Levi quietly led the way, holding her hand tightly, I received the most strange glances from people passing by. Unlike when my brother and I were walking around together, the gazes were not entirely friendly. We also saw a group of maids glancing at us and whispering among themselves. I don’t know whether Levina felt the not-so-kind gaze directed at me. She would be a fool if she didn’t feel it. Anyway, as soon as we arrived at the magnificent office located on the second floor of the luxurious villa, what greeted us was none other than the aide who was dozing off while leaning against the window. As soon as we came in, the poor aide was so startled that she fell off her chair. Oh my.

 

“What are you doing here, princesses?”

 

“I just want to take a look!”

 

“…yes?”

 

The aide, who had been looking at Levin, who was shouting loudly, as if she were some kind of animal, suddenly blinked her eyes and looked at me. I smiled apologetically and spoke quietly.

 

“I’m sorry for the inconvenience. We just…”

 

“Oh, no, princess. It’s not anyone else, it’s the princess… Just don’t touch the documents. Then I’ll say, er, bring the tea.”

 

As soon as the aide, who smiled kindly, scratched her head and left, Levina suddenly let go of my forearm, which she had been holding tightly, and also suddenly walked towards her spacious desk. In an instant, the desk, which had been neatly organized with a mountain of documents, old books, quills, inkwells, etc., became disorganized like a shipwreck. As I stood watching with her mouth open, Levina, who had finished her business, now turned to me and grinned. It was a smile that seemed to suggest that the two of us were engaged in some kind of fun secret game. And then he blurted out.

 

“I’m going to the bathroom.”

 

Then she quickly ran out of her office before I had time to catch her. Left alone, I was frozen for a moment, but then I couldn’t take it any longer and started laughing like crazy, holding my stomach and muffling my voice. Fuhahaha! Oh my, it’s funny! I’m dying of laughter! It’s so funny that tears are rolling down my face! Levina had definitely asked me to go see her father, but I had no answer. I never said this was my father’s office. A grand office with a cool and neatly designed overall look. This was the office of our fearsome prime minister, his brother. Not like my father’s office. How am I supposed to know where my father’s office is?

 

Well, then, shall we try making Levina’s work more believable?

 

I barely stopped laughing and walked over to the wrecked desk, out of breath. Then he lifted the ink bottle and dripped black ink onto the documents filled with tiny letters. Hehe, sorry, bro. You must have a hard time. When the elegant Prime Minister’s elegant desk was in a state that resembled the embodiment of hell, I dropped the ink bottle on the floor, broke it, and traced my finger on the remains. Wow, it’s bitter. He then retreated to the wall and collapsed, clutching his bleeding hands. I will not go into detail about the terrible scene the simple-minded aide encountered when he returned a while later with a servant carrying tea and a plate of light refreshments.

 

“Ugh..! Oh my God, Lord Irund! What the heck is this…?! Oh, princess?!”

 

As I heard the screams of the aide who was on the verge of fainting, I curled up even tighter and began to tremble.

 

“Princess, what on earth is happening?!”

 

“Waa… Wah…”

 

“Princess? Oh my, don’t cry. If the princess cries, this lowly body will end at the hands of the Prime Minister! What happened?”

 

—————————————————————

Translator Note: