The Affairs of Those Noble Brothers Chapter 7

Then it struck him. He had stolen this. Probably. That seemed to be what happened. Alphas, as a rule, didn’t take medicine, and they didn’t take poison either. Suppressants had to be of a much higher dosage than what omegas took, and a paltry poison herb would at most give them a stomachache and nothing more. But a poison that could bring down an alpha? Irodel’s eyes might as well have rolled back in his head. Add to that the fact that his mind had been addled by alcohol, and he’d lost all self-restraint and swiped it.

“What is that?”

“Nothing at all!”

It was plainly not “nothing at all” to anyone looking, and Tibane’s eyes narrowed, but seeing Irodel like a mother bird protecting her egg from a bird of prey, he sighed and let it go.

“Alright, fine. Let’s just drop it and sleep for today. You’ve got the academy tomorrow, don’t you?”

“I’m not going.”

“You were all sulky after failing the medical corps, and now you’ve given up on graduating entirely?”

That wasn’t it, but he couldn’t bear to show his face to Orbon. How on earth was he going to handle this situation? Normally, he could just return it pretending it was a mistake, but Irodel’s sky-high pride would never tolerate such a sloppy resolution.

“Fine, whatever. What’s graduating from the academy anyway? Now that you’ve got your lab, just stay put at home quietly.”

Tibane, who had no clue about Irodel’s feelings, chattered on and left the room. Irodel glared at the glass bottle in his hand, then carefully set it on the nightstand and lay flat on the bed. For now, he’d sleep first and figure it out later. It annoyed him that he’d ended up listening to Tibane, but either way, he needed to sleep, and his eyelids were heavy. Irodel burrowed deep into the sheets and closed his eyes.

Wait a minute—come to think of it, why had that bastard been sleeping here in the first place? The question surfaced briefly in his fading consciousness, but only for a moment. Soon, the sleep demon that had come charging swept him away, and everything went dark.

∞ ∞ ∞

His head ached as if it would split open. Irodel grimaced and stared blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling. Where was this? Ah, it was the annex that had become his laboratory as of yesterday. He’d come in for a quick look and fallen asleep. Lying there with a soul-departed expression, Irodel stirred and dragged himself out of bed. His throat was parched; he wanted something to drink. Just then, as if reading his mind, a voice came from outside the door.

“Lord Irodel, are you awake?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m coming in.”

A servant entered as if waiting, carrying a tray. On the tray was a glass of water with cool dew beading on its surface, and a generous pile of fruits. Bananas, green grapes, cherries, mangoes, and the like. They were his favorite fruits, but he hadn’t asked for them, and it was a bit out of the blue. Irodel picked up the glass and downed the water in one go. Quenched, he now craved something sweet, so he picked up a cherry, but the servant cautiously spoke.

“His Lordship from the main house is here.”

“Father is?”

The servant nodded in affirmation. His attitude seemed to ask what should be done, but since he couldn’t ask his master directly, he expressed it this way. Irodel reluctantly set down the cherry he’d been eating.

It had been nearly six months since his father last visited the house. He was an extremely busy man, so it was best to see him when possible, yet knowing that, he always hesitated. It wasn’t that their relationship was particularly bad. It wasn’t good, nor was it bad—honestly, he wasn’t sure. His father was a man whose inner thoughts were utterly inscrutable.

Still, since he’d come after so long, he should at least show his face. Irodel straightened his disheveled hair and clothing as best he could and headed for the main house. As he stepped into the garden, the gardeners, startled by the sudden appearance of the master’s second son, stopped their work. A servant walking the guard dog cowered in a distant corner, and servants sweeping the floor clutched their brooms and retreated dozens of steps.

Damn it. He really needed to learn to drive and get around by carriage himself. It wasn’t that he wanted to be close with the servants, but having people blatantly avoid him right in front of his eyes naturally made him feel bad. Still, managing to not let it show on his face, Irodel strode into the main house with a firm step, only to run into a dignified figure coming out and stop in surprise. His father, Shevon, was walking toward him with a large entourage of subordinates.

“Oh, Irodel. You’re up early.”

Irodel glanced at the sun-drenched terrace. It was the time of day when the sun was high in the sky.

“Where are you going?”

“I came to deal with the pirates along the Shelton coast and stopped by briefly. I must be off again.”

“I see…”

He’d known. His father was one of the busiest men in the empire, so it was obvious it would turn out like this. His head was still throbbing from the hangover—why had he even rushed all the way here? He should have just stayed in bed lazing around. Seeing Irodel’s sullen face and drooping shoulders, Shevon smiled slyly.

“I heard Herod had a lab built for you. Do you like it?”

“Yes, well…”

“The military isn’t bad, but for you, it’s about time you needed a quiet space to rest. A good choice.”

Shevon appeared on the surface to be a light-as-a-feather person, but if that were truly all there was to him, he would have long since had to relinquish his position as Grand Duke. In fact, the person Irodel found most difficult among his family was Shevon. No matter what he said, he was easily seen through, making it hard to utter even a single nonsense word. And that wasn’t all. Sometimes he’d even notice things left unsaid. There was no avoiding the discomfort.

“I heard Herod is busy for the time being, and Logan is going to have a hard time coming, so I thought I’d have lunch with you… but it seems difficult this time. Let’s have a leisurely dinner gathering next time.”

“Yes, I’ll be waiting.”

As always, he didn’t wait, nor did he expect anything, for the next time. Yet Irodel said it out of habit, and Shevon stared at him fixedly. He hated this. It made him feel as if he’d done something wrong even when he hadn’t. Unable to withstand the pressure, Irodel averted his eyes, and Shevon suddenly pinched his cheek.

“Ugh… why are you doing this!”

“Study hard, and don’t provoke Logan unnecessarily—drink in moderation too. And stop fighting with Tibane. Even if you’re twins, you’re the younger one, so you shouldn’t talk back to your brother so much.”

“Why am I the younger one! I’m his older brother!”

“Is that so?”

Shevon looked back in confusion, and one of his bespectacled aides nodded, confirming it. Shevon was a sharp man. Sharp, but sometimes so infinitely dull that you couldn’t tell up from down. Irodel, genuinely annoyed, pulled free from Shevon’s grip.

“Why do I always feel like this one’s the youngest? Can’t we just swap it on the family registry now?”

“Legally impossible.”

“A pity.”

Watching Shevon lament with genuine regret while saying such horrifying things, Irodel ground his teeth inwardly. Even if he’d been born later than Tibane from the start, he’d have felt wronged to be the youngest, and now he was supposed to become that bastard’s younger brother? On the day such a preposterous thing happened, he was prepared to become a savage and wander the world.

“If you had been the youngest, both you and Tibane might have been better off than now.”

It was impossible from the start, but even if it had been the case, he didn’t think he’d have gotten along with Tibane. Shevon seemed to think the same, as he quickly changed his tune.

“No, it’s pointless either way, I suppose. Can’t be helped. You’ll just have to live as you are.”

He’d said he came to have lunch together, but maybe he’d actually come to turn Irodel’s insides upside down. As Irodel ground his teeth so visibly even from the outside, Shevon laughed heartily, gave him a pat on the shoulder, and passed by.

“I’ll come again.”

Shevon and his subordinates receded like the tide in an instant, leaving Irodel standing alone in the vast mansion lobby. Irodel glanced again at the terrace. The sun’s position hadn’t moved.

“…”

Herod wasn’t coming today, and neither was Logan. Shevon, who’d visited for the first time in six months, had just left. Suddenly, the day felt as long and stretchy as taffy.

After standing there vacantly for a while, Irodel shuffled into his room and changed into his pajamas. Sleep was a monster that devoured time, and he was tired from his hangover. It was reason enough to do nothing all day and surrender himself to slumber.