I Accidentally Saved The Male Lead’s Brother Chapter 170

Charlotte managed to swallow the tea in her mouth and replied with difficulty, “Not yet.”

“Heh.”

Irina rested her chin in her hand and let out a knowing hum.

Charlotte avoided her gaze, darting her eyes around before calling out to Theo.

“Theo, would you like some of this?”

She waved a well-baked cookie enticingly, and Theo toddled over, opening his mouth wide. Just like a little bird, he eagerly awaited the cookie, and Charlotte placed it gently in his mouth.

It was then that a familiar voice sounded from behind her.

“Charlotte.”

“Ah, Carcel.”

“Oh my, the Duke is here.”

Irina, wearing her usual mischievous smile, rose from her seat, announcing that she’d go check on Chase and taking Danny along with her.

Meanwhile, Theo, with his mouth full of cookie, quickly chewed and swallowed before running to Carcel.

“Brother!”

Carcel easily lifted Theo into his arms. Theo wrapped his tiny arms around Carcel’s neck and gave him a cookie-crumbed kiss on the cheek.

Charlotte, who had walked over, chuckled as she brushed the crumbs off Carcel’s face.

“Do you like your Brother that much?”

“Yeah!”

Theo’s radiant smile seemed to light up the room, and a faint smile crept onto Carcel’s face as he looked at the boy.

“But why are you here at this hour?” Charlotte asked, surprised. “I thought you were busy.”

“I came because I have something to discuss,” Carcel replied, adjusting Theo in his arms.

“Something to discuss?”

“Yes. I was thinking of inviting Baron and Baroness Lannia to the estate while they’re in the capital.”

Charlotte’s face lit up with excitement.

“Really?”

“Yes. I’ve already sent word to the Lannia estate.”

Charlotte rested her head on his shoulder, her voice soft with gratitude.

“Thank you.”

“I only did what was natural.”

“Brother,” Theo suddenly interjected, looking up with bright eyes.

“What is it, Theo?”

“What about Brother’s Brother?” Theo asked, referring to Jake.

“Sir Jake and Sir Isaac will be coming too,” Carcel assured him.

At that, Theo kicked his legs excitedly.

“Yay! Theo likes it too!”

****

A week later, Baron and Baroness Lannia arrived at the Heinest estate.

Having been bustling about since morning, Charlotte quickly ran to the first floor when she was informed of their arrival.

A grand carriage adorned with the Heinest family crest had pulled up, and the Baron and Baroness were disembarking.

The moment Charlotte saw their familiar faces, a warmth spread through her chest, filling her with emotions that welled up like a spring.

Unlike the guilt and unease she used to feel, only positive emotions remained now: joy and longing.

“Mom! Dad!”

“Charlotte!”

The Baroness, who had been adjusting her dress, opened her arms wide when she saw her.

Charlotte dashed into her embrace, feeling the familiar warmth that reminded her of her mother back in Korea—comforting, warm, and utterly reassuring.

“Mom, Dad, I missed you so much.”

Just like Theo would, Charlotte buried her face into the Baroness’s embrace, rubbing her cheek against her shoulder.

Instead of chastising her for acting like a child, the Baroness simply stroked her hair tenderly.

“I missed you too, dear.”

Her voice was thick with emotion, and her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

“You’ve been doing well, haven’t you?”

Though so much had happened, Charlotte nodded, as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

“Yes, I’ve been doing well.”

“That’s good to hear. Seeing your face is proof enough.”

“How about you? Has everything been okay?”

“We’ve only had good news lately, thanks to you. Since we were able to pay off the debts, the villagers have been able to focus on farming without worry. If all goes well, this year’s harvest looks very promising.”

“They’ve endured so much. I hope it’s a bountiful year for them.”

As Charlotte smiled, picturing the golden fields of Lannia, a familiar voice interrupted from behind the Baroness.

“Hey, Charlotte. Do you not see your brothers standing right here?”

“Jake?”

Jake had just dismounted his horse, handing the reins to a servant before making his way over. Isaac followed close behind.

“What, now that you’ve seen us recently, you’re ignoring me?”

Jake’s mock indignation made Charlotte smirk as she teased, “Of course. How could you compare to Mom and Dad?”

Jake clutched his chest dramatically, as if wounded.

“My goodness, our little sister has changed! She used to be the first to welcome me back when she returned to the estate.”

Recognizing his theatrics, Charlotte burst into laughter.

Jake cupped a hand over his brow and scanned the surroundings.

“Let’s see. Where is the little lord who’ll welcome me then?”

At that moment, Theo came running out of the house, hand in hand with Carcel.

“Brother Jake !”

Jake bent down, scooping Theo up in a tight hug.

“Yes, my little lord. I’ve arrived.”

“I missed you!”

“And I missed you too.”

“Come see my beans!”

Theo’s prized possession of the moment was the long green bean pods growing in his garden.

“Oh, you have beans? Let’s go see them then.”

“Yay!”

Carrying Theo in his arms, Jake gave a casual nod to Carcel before disappearing toward Theo’s Garden #1.

Carcel watched them go before turning to greet the Lannia couple formally.

“Welcome. Allow me to escort you inside.”

With Jake and Theo off exploring, the rest of the group headed toward the largest drawing room in the estate.

Seated between the Baron and Baroness, Charlotte shared stories she had been holding back for a long time.

Now that she had fully embraced her identity as Charlotte, the bond with her parents felt stronger than ever.

After about an hour of warm conversation, Carcel suddenly rose from his seat and approached Baron Lannia.

“Baron, may I have a private word with you?”

“What about?”

Charlotte tilted her head in curiosity, her eyes widening slightly.

“Don’t worry,” Carcel said with a reassuring smile. “It won’t take long.”

Before she could protest or press further, the Baron nodded and stood.

“Of course, Your Grace.”

“Let’s talk in my office.”

Carcel led the Baron out of the drawing room.

Left behind, Charlotte watched the two men leave with a puzzled expression, unable to guess what Carcel might have to discuss.

****

“Please, have a seat.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

Once inside the spacious office, Carcel gestured for the Baron to sit and called for Robert to bring light refreshments.

The Baron sat stiffly on the offered sofa, visibly out of his element. Carcel, too, was far from at ease.

The atmosphere between them was tense and awkward, a sharp contrast to the warmth of the drawing room.

After Robert served the tea and left, the silence stretched on, heavy and oppressive.

Eventually, Carcel broke the quiet, wiping his slightly damp palms discreetly on his trousers.

“As I mentioned earlier, thank you for coming.”

“There’s no need to thank me, Your Grace. I came to see my daughter; it’s I who should be grateful to you.”

“Please, feel free to speak informally,” Carcel suggested.

“Oh, how could I possibly—”

The Baron waved his hands in a fluster, clearly uncomfortable.

His reaction wasn’t surprising. The rank disparity between a duke and a baron was vast; it was rare for the two to even share the same space, let alone converse privately.

But they weren’t just duke and baron. If Carcel and Charlotte married, the Baron would be his father-in-law.

Carcel wondered uneasily if the Baron’s reserve was a sign that he disapproved of him as a potential son-in-law.

Steeling himself, he clenched his fists and spoke again.

“If you find fault with me, I would understand.”

The Baron’s eyes widened in shock as he hurriedly denied it.

“No, Your Grace. I would never—how could I possibly?”

“As a father, isn’t it only natural that you’d feel that way?”

The Baron fell silent, his expression troubled, as if Carcel had hit the mark.

He thought back to his first meeting with Carcel the previous fall. At the time, he had been desperately trying to settle his family’s debts to protect his precious daughter from the rotten Viscount Roten.

When Carcel had appeared, the Baron had braced himself, expecting condemnation for the attempted assassination of Theo. Instead, the Duke had expressed his desire to marry Charlotte.

The proposal had caught him completely off guard. Though he had given his blessing, knowing it was what Charlotte wanted, he couldn’t help but feel wary.

Carcel seemed almost too perfect—so much so that the Baron had worried he might be insincere.

But during his visit to the Heinest estate, seeing how Carcel cared for Charlotte, his doubts had begun to ease.

The Baron’s expression softened as he shook his head.

“Honestly, I may have felt that way at first, but not anymore.”