Why is Brother here? (7)
* * *
It was a peaceful morning.
As soon as Launelian woke up, he went to his sister’s room to offer his help.
“Here, say ah~.”
“…I can just eat it myself.”
“No way. I couldn’t even take care of our Rineh when you were sick as a child.”
Hearing that, Aristine hesitated.
Having no choice but to look on while his little sister struggled with sickness must have scarred him.
Eventually, Aristine opened her mouth.
“Good job. You have to eat well to recover faster. Doesn’t it taste better because big brother is feeding you?”
The court ladies felt complicated watching the prince blow over the soup before feeding it to his sister who was sitting in bed.
He was the Princess Consort’s family, so naturally, they wanted to be on his good side, but ever since he said ‘Let’s go home’, they felt uneasy. And that uneasiness turned into a strange competitive spirit.
‘I can nurse the Princess Consort just as well!’
‘I will make sure she doesn’t even have to lift a hand.’
Feeling the eager gazes of the court ladies, Aristine turned away. Honestly, she felt embarrassed to look at the court ladies.
However, she couldn’t do much in the face of Launelian’s overprotective tendencies.
Her mother passed away when she was young and Aristine suffered all sorts of abuse in the emperor’s quest to develop her potential.
Launelian grew up helplessly watching his sister suffer from childhood.
It would have been easier if he had simply stopped caring, but he was tormented by his inability to protect his younger sister.
Perhaps it was only natural that someone like him revolved around his sister. Because his life’s purpose was to save her.
Even Aristine was filled with affection towards Launelian.
He was the only one she could call family, and above all—.
‘If Elder brother had revealed that I had the Monarch’s Sight, he might have not suffered so much.’
Every time she thought of Launelian, she felt sorry and sad.
“What in the world is your husband even doing? I’m doing what he’s supposed to do.” Launelian grumbled with dissatisfaction. “Sure enough, big brother is the best, right?”
All that grumbling was for this purpose.
I’m better than that Tarkan!
To show off his advantage.
Launelian grinned at his sister.
Her honey-blonde hair glistened beautifully in the morning sun, and his face which looked so noble that it was arrogant, turned sweet in an instant.
His smile was so bright that it dazed anyone looking at him for a moment.
Even the upset court ladies couldn’t help but admit it.
Watching the pair of siblings cheerfully interact made it feel like their eyes were being purified.
‘Wonderful, magnificent. God’s masterpiece.’
The court ladies began admiring them before realizing it then they came to their senses with a gasp.
‘No! We can’t lose!’
They exchanged looks, then they quickly picked up the newspaper.
“Princess Consort, here is the morning newspaper.”
“Ah, thank you.”
Aristine took the newspaper from the court ladies.
And the moment she glanced at the first page…!
Her eyes began to tremble like a boat in a storm.
Launelian quickly noticed the strangeness in his sister’s behavior.
“Rineh, what happ—.”
His sentence was never finished.
A featured headline of a fateful love that even demonic beasts couldn’t obstruct, along with a very conspicuous picture. It was a photo collage of the huge dent in the barracks, and the messy interior.
“What is, what is this…”
A voice trembling with shock spilled from Launelian’s lips.
The problem was, that it didn’t end there.
Clatter—.
Aristine, who was panicking, came to her senses at the sound of furniture colliding.
By the time she lifted her head from the newspaper and looked around, it was already too late.
Tables, armchairs, and all kinds of furniture that decorated the room were floating in the air.
The only thing untouched was the bed that Aristine was sitting on.
“To my precious little sister who should be more than cherished, such a…!”
Launelian’s wrath continued to burn.
Shatter!
The vase broke, igniting the trend as the wooden table shattered and the sofa slammed against the floor.
It was a complete mess.
Aristine stared at Launelian, a little taken aback by his reaction, which was stronger than she expected.
And when she heard the court ladies screaming in shock, she hurriedly moved to stop him.
“Elder brother.”
The moment Aristine held Launelian’s hand, the rage in his purple eyes receded.
In the blink of an eye, the whirlwind-like aura swirling through the air settled down.
“…I’m sorry, Rineh. I’ve shown you an unsightly side.”
Aristine silently squeezed Launelian’s hand and turned to the court ladies.
“Are you okay?”
“Ye, yes. Princess Consort.”
“My brother is such a powerful mage that such things happen when he’s not controlling his mana.”
It was a lie.
However, no magicians were in the room, so it couldn’t be find out.
“I’m sure you were all shocked; go get some rest.”
It was out of consideration but at the same time, it was a roundabout order.
The court ladies looked at Aristine worriedly, then they bowed their heads and left the room.
When Aristine looked back at Launelian, he looked like a puppy who did something wrong.
“Brother Launelian.”
Hearing her voice laced with reproach, Launelian tried to apologize again.
“…!”
But Aristine hugged him tightly. “It must have been so difficult all this time.”
Launelian’s innate ability was telekinesis.
Of course, it was an amazing ability but not for the standards of the Silvanus family.
Abilities in the realm of ‘authority’, such as the Monarch’s sight, or the ability to manipulate the weather were regarded more preciously.
On the other hand, telekinesis, which only moved an object’s position slightly, was considered average.
However, the ability that Launelian just revealed wasn’t just moving an object slightly.
‘That means elder brother has lived a very difficult life.’
And it couldn’t just be the difficulty either. The more crisis you felt, the more your life was on the line, the more an ability’s potential was unleashed.
Aristine’s Monarch sight evolved beyond seeing the past, present and future, and allowed her to see even her previous life as well.
For her survival.
The reason Launelian’s telekinesis was so strong was because he was put in countless situations in the North where he had to fight for his life.
“It was not much. Compared to what you’ve been through…”
At any rate, Launelian was a prince.
The emperor sent him to a barren land, but that was all.
In the North, Launelian could have lived comfortably, enjoying treatment as a prince in his own way. It was purely because of Launelian’s own will that he did not do so.
Because he needed strength to save his sister from the emperor’s hands.
Because of that, he withstood risks, standing in front of all sorts of dangers, and as a result, he was able to win the hearts of those cold and alienated northerners.
Most of all, his telekinesis has grown to the point where it could be called the strongest in history.
With such a mighty force and followers behind him, the seeds of rebellion took root.
‘I finally have hope to save you.’
Launelian returned Aristine’s hug tightly.
“Everything will be okay now.”
“Is that so.”
“It will.”
“If that is so—.”
Aristine lifted her head. Her gaze directed at Launelian was quite stern.
“Clean this up.”
She pointed at the mess in the room.
Prince Launelian, who had finally gained enough power to plan a rebellion, began to eagerly clean the room at his sister’s command.
