The Affairs of Those Noble Brothers Chapter 22

“Shall I kill Tibane?”

“Pardon?”

“His unit is scheduled to depart for battle before long, so it wouldn’t be difficult to have him processed as killed in action. He’ll disappear from this world before long.”

“Brother?”

“You don’t need to worry about a thing, Irodel.”

Logan spoke as if asking, but his tone was half-decisive. Kill Tibane? Disappear from the world? Thinking of that wild beast-like brat suffering and dying while fighting barbarians suddenly made his breath catch in his throat. He had thought that brat deserved to lose his head, but he didn’t truly want that to happen. Irodel slowly shook his head, as if frightened.

“I don’t want that.”

“Irodel.”

“I don’t want it.”

The smile slowly faded from Logan’s face. Again, his skin tingled. Still, he desperately shook his head. That was all he could do. Suddenly, he felt a wave of sorrow. Why did he have to go to such lengths to save that brat? Damn brat. Still, he was his younger brother. And Logan was his older brother. Killing or whatever—even as a joke, it was something that should never happen between brothers. If that happened, the fragile facade of family would tear apart and disappear. In the end, tears burst forth. When Irodel, unable to contain his sorrow, began to wail loudly, Logan let out a small sigh.

“It always ends up like this at the very end.”

“Brother, don’t do that. Please don’t….”

Logan smiled again. It wasn’t a smile of pleasure, but one that showed a hint of displeasure. It was the first time since the day he had forgotten to knock that Logan had so openly revealed his emotions. Startled, Irodel slowly pulled himself up and clung to Logan’s waist. It was a habit he had used as a child whenever the atmosphere suggested Logan was angry.

“Brother… don’t be mad.”

“Irodel.”

“He’s our younger brother, so why are you talking about killing him? He got kidnapped by barbarians and you didn’t even go to rescue him, that’s so mean… You’re so mean, brother.”

Irodel, weeping and clinging while even airing out old grievances, was silently looked down upon by Logan. He was a man of many thoughts. Having many thoughts meant he was calculating things on all sides. Irodel looked up at Logan, hoping that things would conclude favorably. Logan, who had been gazing down with unreadable eyes, swept Irodel’s slightly damp bangs back. A tear that had been clinging beneath his eye fell with a plop. Again, Logan’s sigh was heard.

“When Mother was pregnant, I thought it was a useless struggle. But it was the right answer. Who would have thought a brat like this would be born.”

What kind of brat did he mean? He knew better than anyone that he was a useless brat. But hearing such words from his brother would truly be painful. Tears fell drop by drop before they could even well up. The sheet had completely slipped down, barely hanging around his waist, but he didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was one thing: he was most afraid of what Logan would say.

“You often called Tibane a beast. That’s not wrong. The Lockperth family is a jungle full of males who want to become king. To me, Tibane is a rival and a target to be eliminated. Of course, that brat feels the same way about me. But you… what are you?”

The tip of Logan’s thumb wiped away the tears streaming from Irodel’s eyes. But no matter how much he wiped, they kept flowing, so as if giving up, he took his hand away and loosened Irodel’s arms that were wrapped around his waist. He had been clinging with all his might, yet somehow it came undone. As he stared blankly at his hands that had been so easily freed, a heavy weight settled onto the bed. It was Logan.

“Brother?”

“Given that you want to be impregnated with my child, you’re a bit like a female.”

“…”

“What should I do. Shall I kill Tibane, or shall I have you bear my child.”

It was a simple statement. A simple statement, but understanding it required a great deal of time. Watching Irodel’s eyes gradually widen, Logan smiled darkly.

In that instant, he had no idea what possessed him to kick off the bed and bolt. His mind went blank, and he couldn’t think of anything. Unable to gauge where he was going or whether he even had to go, he stumbled about frantically and opened the first door he saw. It was a corridor leading outside. But he couldn’t take a single step forward. Because Logan’s subordinates were standing in the corridor, blocking the doorway.

Even upon seeing Irodel standing there dazed, they showed no sign of surprise, only leaving the words “We apologize” before carefully closing the open door. With a click, silence fell. The tension drained from his body. The only thing that kept him from collapsing right there was the faint remnants of noble pride. After a short while, the slow sound of leather shoes echoed through the spacious room.

“I’m in favor of killing Tibane.”

A white hand that approached from behind pulled up the sheet that had slipped down below his shoulders. Even in that panic, he had thought to cover himself. A sigh-like, hollow laugh escaped. A cool fragrance touched the tip of his nose, and Logan’s arms gently wrapped around his upper body.

“Taking you wouldn’t be difficult. But I’m not confident I won’t break you.”

The low whisper brushed past his diamond-studded earlobe. Irodel stared only at the closed door, like a man who had forgotten how to speak. What did it mean to be broken? He had rarely seen anything broken. Whenever something malfunctioned, the servants would immediately fix or replace it, and even the clothes or the beans served on the table were kept in pristine condition. Was being broken like a bean pierced by a fork and crumbled? It might be a bit pitiful, but in terms of being useless everywhere, it probably wouldn’t be much different from now.

“Irodel, your answer?”

Before he knew it, his entire body was buried in Logan’s embrace. Even though he wasn’t being held tightly, it felt impossible to escape no matter what he did. Above all, he was now too exhausted to resist. Irodel grasped Logan’s arms that were binding him and shook his head slightly. It meant he didn’t want either option, but that ultimately meant he wouldn’t kill Tibane. Logan let out a small laugh, as if he had expected that.

“A stubborn one with a long life. Well, I suppose it can’t be helped.”

It can’t be helped. Tibane had said the same thing. He had said it can’t be helped as he climbed on top of his older brother while in heat. But was that really true? If he had opened the window, perhaps nothing would have happened. His older brother Logan, too, rather than saying ominous things about his younger brothers, would soon find a good spouse, have children, and live peacefully. In the first place, there was no such thing as “things that can’t be helped” for them. For the powers of a family with authority rivaling the imperial family, such a thing couldn’t exist. What could possibly be a thing that can’t be helped for them? Irodel looked at Logan hesitantly, as if looking back at something frightening.

“Tibane is my younger brother.”

“Yes.”

“Committing murder among family is a grave sin.”

“So it is.”

“And I cannot bear a child.”

Logan didn’t answer, only tilting his head slightly. It was a face that asked, ‘Are you really?’ For a moment, his vision swam, so he squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again. Perhaps it was a joke, he thought. Logan wasn’t the type to make jokes, but that was the only sliver of hope. But his brother truly intended to sow his seed and make him bear a child. The reason was unknown, but in the end, he was trying to do the same thing as Tibane. Irodel, as if shuddering, broke free from Logan’s embrace and stumbled backward. His back met the cold door.

“Brother, please.”

Since when. Why, in the world. Rather than such questions, a plea burst out first. An unknown fear took form and was held in Logan’s hand. Logan, who had received an alcohol swab and a syringe from his subordinate, gently caressed Irodel’s cheek.

“Calm down, Irodel. I’m not trying to do anything bad to you.”

It was a gentle touch, but he wasn’t fooled. Irodel looked around with anxious eyes. Logan’s subordinates guarding the room stared straight ahead as if they heard nothing, and even the bathroom entrance, the only possible escape route, was guarded, leaving nowhere to hide. Logan took hold of Irodel’s arm as he frantically looked around.

“I—if you need a child, I’ll give you my own child as an adopted son later. I’ll, I’ll have to meet someone and get married first, but that won’t take long.”

“Marriage, you say.”