I Accidentally Saved The Male Lead’s Brother Chapter 142

Carcel pressed his thumb against his temple, acknowledging that he was overreacting.

He didn’t usually let his emotions cloud his judgment, but when it came to Theo or Charlotte, he found himself uncharacteristically irrational.

I’m hopeless.

When had it started? When had Charlotte’s presence become so integral to his life?

Just half a year ago, he hadn’t even known she existed. Yet, in that brief time, she had become someone he couldn’t live without.

He felt at ease only when she was near. Without her, it felt as if he couldn’t breathe.

Watching her play with Theo filled him with inexplicable happiness. But not knowing her whereabouts left him restless, like a lost child.

Now was no different.

He knew she had gone after Penelope, and that Selin was with her, ensuring her safety. But his eyes kept darting toward the direction she had disappeared.

Then, his sharp gaze caught sight of Penelope’s blond-haired partner. The man was leaving the hall in a manner far too hurried to be normal—almost as if he were fleeing.

It didn’t seem like a simple trip to the lounge. The man’s movements carried an urgency, a sense of purpose.

Or worse—was he looking for Charlotte?

Carcel’s chest tightened. He could wait no longer and left the hall to search for her.

****

Carcel strode toward the lounge that noblewomen often used when someone approached him.

His heart lifted momentarily, thinking it might be Charlotte, but his face quickly hardened when he saw who it was.

A woman with pale platinum blonde hair and striking golden eyes stood before him: Penelope Ohen.

Recognizing her, Carcel’s first thought wasn’t about her intentions but about Charlotte’s safety.

Charlotte had said she would follow Penelope to the lounge. Yet here was Penelope, alone.

Where was Charlotte?

Without a word, Carcel moved to walk past her, intent on continuing his search. But Penelope reached out and grabbed his arm.

“Are you looking for Lady Lannia?”

Carcel froze at the mention of Charlotte’s name. Though he shook off Penelope’s hand, he couldn’t bring himself to leave.

He turned to face her and was met with something unsettling.

Penelope wasn’t looking directly at him. Her gaze seemed to drift above his head, as if she were staring at something invisible to anyone else.

It was as if she were entranced—controlled by some unseen force.

She’s under some kind of spell.

Was this the work of the blond-haired man? Had he used her to manipulate Charlotte somehow?

Fear surged in Carcel as he grabbed Penelope’s shoulders and shook her.

“Where is Charlotte?”

“I have something to say first,” Penelope murmured, her fingers groping for his arm.

At the same time, the crimson gem embedded in her bracelet began to emit a faint glow.

Carcel, consumed by his worry for Charlotte, didn’t notice the light.

“Tell me where Charlotte—Lady Lannia—is first.”

“Lady Lannia is…”

Before she could finish, the light from the bracelet surged, traveling up Carcel’s arm.

Suddenly, his head felt like it was being crushed. Dizziness overwhelmed him, his stomach churned, and nausea clawed at him.

Memories he had locked away started to flood back.

They were all of Edgar.

Edgar’s laughter as they played together, the mornings they spent sharing breakfast in bed, the snowball fights they had in the garden when no one was watching.

Then came the worst memory.

The night Edgar’s lifeless body lay in their mother’s arms as she wailed in grief. Behind her, their father cried just as bitterly.

The searing pain in Carcel’s chest grew unbearable. The unfamiliar mana of the Rositto pulsed violently within him, threatening to spiral out of control.

His body temperature soared as a fiery glow began to flicker around him—the precursor to a mana explosion.

He tried to pull his arm free from Penelope’s grip, but her hold was impossibly strong, as if her delicate frame had been filled with unnatural strength.

“Damn it…” Carcel gritted his teeth and prepared to make another attempt to break free.

But then, the engagement ring on his finger began to glow, its soft light spreading over his body.

The chaotic mana raging inside him slowly started to settle.

Even as the memories continued to assault him, the comforting warmth of the ring soothed his mind.

The fiery aura surrounding him began to subside, and the oppressive pressure in his head eased.

Summoning the strength that returned to him, Carcel pushed Penelope’s hand away with all his might.

She staggered backward, and Carcel leaned against the wall, gasping for breath.

Even as he recovered, the memories played on, relentless.

When they finally ended, Carcel felt as if he’d been submerged underwater and had just broken through to the surface, gasping for air. His eyes were red and bloodshot.

Finally regaining his composure, he strode toward Penelope, who stood in the corridor, dazed.

Now that he had calmed down, her intentions became clear.

She had been trying to provoke his memories of Edgar, hoping to incite a mana explosion.

She likely hadn’t known he had recovered those memories already or that the engagement ring could counter the effects of her spell.

Carcel’s voice was ice-cold as he spoke.

“Is this why you insisted Charlotte attend tonight?”

“…”

“What were you hoping to achieve by forcing me to relive those memories?”

Penelope didn’t respond. Her gaze drifted aimlessly before her eyes rolled back, and she let out a faint gasp.

Carcel caught her limp body as she collapsed.

“Carcel?”

Hearing the familiar voice, Carcel turned to see Charlotte hurrying toward him.

“Who is that? Don’t tell me… is that Lady Ohen?”

Before she could jump to conclusions, Carcel quickly clarified, “I didn’t seek her out. Don’t misunderstand.”

“I’m not misunderstanding,” Charlotte replied, frowning as she wiped the sweat beading on his forehead with a handkerchief. “But what happened to you? You’re soaked in sweat.”

Her worried tone made his heart ache.

Carcel shifted Penelope’s weight in his arms. “We need to take her back to the Ohen estate. I’ll explain everything on the way.”

Avoiding the curious gazes of other guests, Carcel and Charlotte carried Penelope to a waiting carriage.

Even as the carriage started moving, Penelope remained unconscious.

Only then did Charlotte press Carcel for answers.

“What exactly happened?”

Carcel explained everything: how Penelope had confronted him, how she had tried to manipulate his memories of Edgar, and how the engagement ring had saved him from a mana explosion.

“I almost hurt you and Theo…” he murmured, his voice filled with regret.

“What about you? Are you alright?”

Charlotte scooted closer, inspecting his face.

His lips were chapped and scabbed, likely from biting down to endure the pain. Even in the dim light, she could see his complexion was paler than it had been earlier.

Touching his lips gently, Charlotte frowned deeply.

“I shouldn’t have left you alone.”

She felt a pang of guilt for leaving his side.

“All I did was follow Penelope and encounter some strange man. I should’ve stayed with you.”

Carcel took her hand and kissed it lightly. “It’s alright. At least we now know what they’re after.”

“To destroy the Heinst family completely,” Charlotte whispered bitterly. “That’s why they wanted you at this party.”

“Yes. And now that they’ve failed, they’ll try something more direct.”

Carcel gently brushed a strand of hair from her face.

“Before they set another trap, we need to set one of our own.”

“A trap?”

“I’ll have to be the bait,” Carcel said calmly.

“Carcel!”

Charlotte’s cry was filled with alarm, but Carcel didn’t waver.

“This is the only way to draw them out. If we don’t….”

His voice trailed off, but Charlotte understood the rest.

If not him, their next target would be Theo.