I Accidentally Saved The Male Lead’s Brother Chapter 168

“Didn’t the priestess say I’m fine?”

“Even so, it’s too dangerous.”

“Really, I’m okay. I just want to visit Edgar with you myself.”

“Still…”

“Do you trust me?”

Charlotte chuckled softly at her own words. Do you trust me? She felt like some mischievous woman trying to seduce an innocent man.

She firmly grasped Carcel’s hand, her thumb gently rubbing the back of it. Slowly, his tense expression began to soften.

“Carcel,” she coaxed.

Even at her urging, he didn’t respond right away.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Carcel nodded, a look of resignation on his face.

****

A Letter to Her Parents

To my beloved Mom and Dad,

Charlotte hesitated after writing the opening.

Until now, she had always referred to Baron and Baroness Lannia as Mother and Father.

It wasn’t unusual for noble children to address their parents in such formal terms, but Charlotte had adhered to those titles for a specific reason.

She had feared that calling them Mom and Dad would bring memories of her Korean parents rushing back.

But now, things were different. Both her parents in Korea and her parents here in the Lannia Barony were equally her family.

So today, even if it was unconventional for a noble, she decided to use the affectionate terms.

*It feels like it’s been a while since I last wrote to you. How are you?

It hasn’t been that long since I visited you in Heinest, but it feels like time has flown by.

I imagine things must be busy preparing for the farming season. I’m sorry I can’t be there to help this year.

As for me, I’m doing well. Carcel, Theo, and everyone else in the Ducal household are so kind to me. You don’t have to worry about me at all.

For now, I’ll be leaving the capital for a little while to stay in Heinest. It won’t be for too long—about a month, I think.

By the time I return, it will be spring in full bloom. When I’m back, I’ll invite you both to visit me in the capital.

Everyone here will welcome you warmly. Even my brothers will be thrilled to meet you.

Until then, please stay safe and healthy.

With all my love,
Charlotte, who misses you both dearly.*

Charlotte set her quill down and waited for the ink to dry. She gazed at the letter, her expression a mix of fondness and contemplation.

There had been a time when she felt both guilt and indebtedness toward Baron and Baroness Lannia.

She used to believe their affection wasn’t truly meant for her and felt like she was wearing an ill-fitting outfit.

But now, she saw them differently. She wanted to cherish them more, just as they had cherished her.

She also resolved to love and care for her family more wholeheartedly from now on.

I should send them a bundle of gifts soon, she thought, smiling shyly.

Once the ink had dried, Charlotte folded the letter neatly and sealed it with the Heinest family crest.

Just as she handed the letter to Hazel, asking her to send it since Emma was busy packing, Carcel entered the room holding Theo’s hand.

“Sister!”

“Theo!”

Charlotte rushed forward and scooped Theo into her arms, hugging him tightly.

While she had been writing, Carcel had taken Theo to wash his face and dress him in proper clothes for the outing.

Carcel, too, was immaculately dressed, his hair neatly combed back.

As Charlotte straightened up from hugging Theo, Carcel reached out and took her hand.

“Shall we go?”

Trapped between her two favorite people, Charlotte smiled and nodded.

Theo, delighted, raised his hand high and shouted,

“Let’s go see the ocean!”

****

Returning to Heinest after just two months, Charlotte was struck by how little had changed.

The emerald sea shimmered under the sunlight, and the grand Heinest estate stood proudly before it.

Though she had only spent a couple of months here, it felt as welcoming as a hometown.

After being greeted warmly by the estate’s staff, the three of them headed straight for the greenhouse in the backyard.

Thanks to careful upkeep, the greenhouse remained vibrant, filled with fresh yellow flowers from the Lannia Barony.

In one corner was Theo’s second vegetable patch, now bursting with growth. The tomatoes and eggplants had grown significantly, and the variety of vegetables had expanded.

“Potatoes! Tomatoes! I missed you!”

The moment Theo entered the greenhouse, he sprinted to his little garden.

Charlotte quickly slipped gloves onto his small hands and handed him a trowel. With eager but clumsy effort, Theo dug up a potato larger than his own fist.

“sister! Look at this!”

Though the potato was scratched from Theo’s unsteady hands, Charlotte praised him warmly.

“Well done, Theo! Now let’s try pulling up some carrots, shall we?”

“Okay!”

Theo grasped a carrot’s leafy top with both hands and yanked it free.

After patting his head in encouragement, Charlotte moved toward the flower beds, with Carcel following close behind.

While Theo focused on his vegetables, Charlotte and Carcel turned their attention to the flower beds.

Charlotte expertly picked flowers while Carcel awkwardly attempted to help. Watching him crouch and fumble with his large hands, Charlotte couldn’t help but laugh.

“What’s so amusing?” Carcel asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Just you,” she replied, still giggling.

Her laughter subsided as she carried a lapful of flowers to a table. Sitting beside Carcel, she began teaching him how to make a flower crown.

“You tear the stem slightly in the middle like this,” she demonstrated, “then slide another flower through the gap.”

Charlotte’s hands moved with practiced ease, while Carcel struggled to replicate her motions. The flower crown he managed to create looked rather lopsided.

Noticing his embarrassed expression, Charlotte quickly made another flower crown to cheer him up.

“It’s beautiful in its own way,” she said kindly. “Everyone will love it.”

“…Thank you,” he replied, his voice low.

Just then, Theo approached, his arms full of dirt-covered potatoes.

“What are you making?” Theo asked, his curiosity brimming as he set the potatoes on the table.

Charlotte placed her newly made flower crown on Theo’s head.

Theo tilted his head, trying to see the crown, before grinning widely.

“sister made it for me!”

“Do you like it?”

“Yeah!”

Charlotte couldn’t help but smile at his delight. She cleaned the dirt off his hands and tidied his disheveled hair before standing.

Taking Theo’s hand, she knelt to his level and said softly,

“Theo, let’s go see Mom and Dad.”

“Huh?”

Theo tilted his head, confused, but when Charlotte smiled warmly at him, he beamed in return.

“Okay!”

***

The family arrived at the Heinest family cemetery.

The site had transformed since their last visit in winter. Gone were the barren branches and snow-covered ground, replaced by budding greenery and blooming flowers.

Carcel hesitated at the entrance, unable to take another step.

Charlotte linked her arm with his and gently urged him forward.

“Carcel, let’s go.”

Her voice seemed to lift the weight off his shoulders, and he began walking. Charlotte and Theo followed closely.

They stopped at the graves of the previous Duke and Duchess of Heinest. Carcel carefully placed flower crowns on their headstones.

Finally, he approached the empty plot beside the Duchess’s grave.

Charlotte took Theo’s hand and joined him.

“Are you ready, Carcel?”

He didn’t answer right away, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed hard.

Charlotte knelt and placed her hands on the ground.

“It’ll be okay,” she reassured him. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Taking a deep breath, she began channeling her mana.

A brilliant light emanated from her hands, spreading across the ground. Slowly, the hidden headstone of Edgar Heinest revealed itself.

At its base stood a serene angel statue, wings outstretched as if shielding Edgar. Below it was a marble carving of a young boy’s face, his radiant smile capturing both joy and sadness.

“Look, it’s Brother!” Theo exclaimed.

Charlotte knelt beside him and whispered,

“That’s not Carcel. It’s Edgar.”

Theo’s eyes widened, but then he smiled brightly.

“Edgar!”

Charlotte smiled softly as she read the inscription below the statue:

Edgar Heinest.

A name that felt both heart-wrenchingly distant and deeply cherished.