The Affairs of Those Noble Brothers Chapter 14

Should I try this on that bastard too? The thought flickered through his mind for just a moment, but he dropped it. Ever since he’d fed Tibane poisonous herbs as a child and tasted victory, he’d been steadily offering him poisons, but it wasn’t like he was actually trying to kill him. At first, he’d given them to him out of sheer rage, thinking he’d drop dead on the spot. But the most that ever happened was an upset stomach, and after searching for stronger poisons, he’d even ended up majoring in the subject—but either way, he had no intention of killing him now. Not because he had any particular affection for the wretch, but because if Tibane died of poison, there wasn’t a soul who wouldn’t know it was his doing.

Irodel finished his bath by applying some scented oil and changed into the fresh clothes that had been prepared. Then he carefully tucked the glass vial into his bosom. It was a substance that might be a deadly poison, though nothing had been confirmed yet. At home, no one touched his belongings, so it didn’t matter, but outside he had to be mindful and keep it safe.

When he came out, the table was laden with food, as if it had been prepared while he bathed. At Logan’s gesture, he sat down across from him. It was a window seat overlooking the rain-soaked city. Logan, who had been gazing outside, turned to look at Irodel and smiled silently.

“You put on scented oil.”

At that, Irodel sniffed at the back of his hand. He’d applied it because it caught his eye, but the fragrance wasn’t particularly strong. How did he know? Logan gazed at the bewildered Irodel for a moment, then picked up the wine and poured it into an empty glass.

“I thought you’d be uncomfortable. But you managed well without an attendant.”

“Brother… I’m twenty-three. I’m more than old enough to bathe by myself.”

And old enough to drink as much as he pleased. Irodel, who’d been feeling a thirst since just getting out of the bath, glanced sideways at the red wine set before him and watched Logan’s reaction. Logan gave a slight nod of approval. His black hair was slightly damp.

“Is there another bathroom in this room?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Because you look like you’ve washed up too…”

As Irodel asked, flicking his gaze toward Logan’s hair, he tilted his head slightly.

“Aside from this one, there are bathrooms everywhere. If you’re curious about the other rooms, want me to show you around?”

“Other rooms?”

“I mean all the hotel’s guest rooms are empty.”

So that’s why it was this quiet? The surroundings were as calm as a placate lakeshore, so still that if you listened closely, you could almost hear the raindrops falling.

“Right… I suppose so.”

Well, when he thought about it, it was only natural. With two scions of the Grand Ducal house staying here, if they carelessly let in guests and something went wrong, the hotel itself would cease to exist. He found all this troublesome and uncomfortable, so he avoided hotels and busy districts alike, but his brother was different. Probably even Tibane, who was as insignificant as a pebble at home, would receive considerable treatment outside.

It was only him. Only he found these things as uncomfortable and stifling as ill-fitting clothes. Born a beta, accomplishing nothing and just wasting time—yet still enjoying all the privileges—when that thought struck him, he was engulfed by a rising tide of self-loathing.

He had the awareness of being a noble. But whether he deserved it was another matter. It wasn’t as if there weren’t nobles who lazed about like good-for-nothings. The famous scoundrels were notorious enough that even he had heard their names. For all he knew, others probably saw him as one of those types too. They might think he was tarnishing a perfect family. The very thought made him shudder with revulsion.

As if washing away his frustration, he downed the wine in one gulp. The bitter yet sweet liquid slid down his throat. Logan, who had been quietly watching Irodel, picked up the bottle and refilled the empty glass. Irodel, who had been accepting this as a matter of course, suddenly thought better of it and tried to stop Logan.

“It’s fine. I’ll pour for myself.”

“Why.”

“This isn’t something you should be doing, brother.”

“That’s not true. If there’s something I want to do, that’s what I do.”

It was an utterly irrefutable answer. Struck speechless, Irodel obediently accepted the wine Logan poured for him. In silence, the wine was emptied and refilled again and again. No one had pushed him to do it, yet somehow he felt compelled to keep drinking. Perhaps it was because that white hand kept picking up the wine bottle and didn’t let go….

A few bits of light conversation passed between them, and during that time, Irodel alone polished off an entire bottle of wine. After a while, there was a knock, and Logan’s subordinate entered the room carrying a new bottle of wine. He set the bottle down on the table and handed something to Logan—a small but elegant-looking velvet box.

“I apologize for the delay. They said the craftsmanship took a little extra time.”

“And the test results?”

“All passed without any issues.”

The brief report was conducted in whispers. Logan gave a slight nod of acknowledgment, and the subordinate bowed to Logan and then to Irodel in turn before leaving the room. Irodel, who had been plastered against the glass window—the one he’d earlier said looked like it might break and scared him—like soft dough, glanced sidelong at the box. At a glance, it looked like a ring box. The subordinate who had just come and gone had mentioned something about craftsmanship too. Maybe it was a gift for a lover.

“…”

Whether Logan had a lover or not, he didn’t know. He didn’t know, but if he didn’t, that would be stranger. Logan, seven years his senior, was at an age where marriage talks were common. Thanks to advances in medicine, lifespans had increased and marriage ages had been pushed back considerably, but busy nobles still tended to secure heirs early to solidify their family foundations. He’d heard that during a period of remarkable economic growth, there had been a nobleman who worked his whole life and died an old bachelor, so it made sense.

What kind of person was Logan’s lover? Would she be an alpha female who could become his marriage partner? He hoped she’d be a bit less demanding than their mother. Ah, or maybe she was an omega he was casually dating. What kind of girl was she? If she accidentally got pregnant, that would be a huge mess. Slinging worries like an overprotective parent with a child dating for the first time, Irodel eventually couldn’t hold back and opened his mouth.

“It looks like a gift.”

As if to say, ‘You’ve been bewitched by some scoundrel.’ That was the tone. Logan, who had been examining the box, looked up and met Irodel’s gaze.

“Curious?”

“Yes, I’m curious.”

The moment he answered promptly, Logan slowly rose from his seat and approached. Then he scooped up Irodel’s body, which had been slouching limply in the chair. Firm arms supported his back and legs. Even so, Irodel’s gaze remained fixed on the elegant box held between Logan’s index and middle fingers.

“Can’t you show me?”

“There’s no reason I can’t.”

“Show me.”

The chest his face was pressed against rumbled lowly. It was an unfamiliar vibration, but he liked it immensely. He burrowed deeper into the cool-scented embrace. He wished this could go on forever, but before long, a soft bedding met his back. Irodel reached out as if he didn’t want to fall, and Logan, as if drawn in, lay his body over his.

“…”

Logan’s face, seen from below, was strangely unfamiliar. Whether he admitted it or not, his siblings—who were closer to him than anyone in the world—were sometimes beings that gave him a sense of unfamiliarity. Was it purely his own feelings of inadequacy, or was there another reason? Irodel reached out again, as if to touch Logan’s face. Logan gently caught that hand and folded it together. Then, with his remaining hand, he brushed aside Irodel’s disheveled hair and stroked his ear. Vaguely, he felt a sense of déjà vu.

“Is there something on my ear?”

“No, it’s clean.”