He’s My Real Brother, Duke Chapter 123

🐾

 

Duke of Anais— no, Knox was silent for a few seconds. He fixed his trembling eyes on my face, then asked softly.

 

“How do you remember…”

 

I stared at him, then whispered with a faint smile.

 

“I just, I just remembered.”

 

At my words, his deep blue eyes widened, and an unexpected tear fell from his eye.

 

“So…”

 

“You…”

 

“You don’t have to remember, you don’t have to… I used to think I did.”

 

In his quiet voice, I read his longing and loneliness.

 

“I’m sorry I took so long to remember you.”

 

I lifted my small hand and gently stroked his cheek. I’d never thought of a crying man beautiful before, but now that I was looking at him, I couldn’t help but think he was. 

 

And the tears he was pouring now were even warmer than I’d expected.

 

His eyes reddened, and he slowly tilted his head instead of saying more. I stiffened as the man approached me, desperately, as if he couldn’t take it anymore.

 

No matter how naïve I was, I knew where his eyes were fixed. At this moment, if I didn’t resist, he and I would share our first kiss.

 

“Well, it’s my first kiss, and I’ve decided to do it with someone I love.”

 

“With someone you love?”

 

“Yes. Even the Duke’s first kiss should be with the one he loves.”

 

Instead of pushing him away like I had in the past, I closed my eyes on instinct. 

 

Finally, our lips slowly met. From the moment his soft lips met mine, stealing my breath away, there was no time to think. 

 

Our breath entwined through the small opening of our lips.

 

It was breathtaking…

 

Our first kiss, which was abrupt, tasted a little salty from our tears. When I couldn’t breathe anymore, I gently pushed him away and whispered in his ear.

 

“I was supposed to share my first kiss with someone I love.”

 

His eyes dropped, his body tensed and his face was emotionless.

 

“That’s…”

 

Normally, I wouldn’t have noticed, but now that I was sharper, I could see his eyelashes were trembling with worry. I smiled to myself as I watched him, remembering the foolish boy I had once known.

 

I was a little amused that I could like him, even his insecurities, even his imperfections.

 

As I watched him still, his eyes’ insecurity suddenly looked up at me, and he said the words like a little clumsy child learning them for the first time, his pronunciations were unfamiliar.

 

“Astel’s beloved…”

 

He paused for a moment, as if he was afraid to say the next word.

 

“I hope it’s me, because…”

 

The words came out carefully, as if he was choosing the most precious of all the precious things.

 

“…because I’ve been in love with you for a very, very long time.”

 

It sounded like a clumsy but sweet love confession from a clumsy boy, not the confession of the Duke of Anais, a man no one would dare to touch.

 

I lowered my gaze and laughed low at the sweetness of the words.

 

I’m a little scared and ashamed to say that the result of all my feelings right now was love, but…

 

“…Yes.”

 

I buried my blushing face in his arms. That seemed to be the perfect answer for his confession.

 

I woke up, but I wasn’t fully recovered. Plus, when I saw Knox crying and asked him why he was crying, I cried for a while too.

 

The result was extreme exhaustion!

 

Eventually, Knox wrapped me up in a futon like a sushi roll and handed me a glass of warm milk.

 

After crying for a while, something felt off, and I glanced at him, who continued to stand by my side.

 

There was a dangerous darkness between the Duke of Anais and my sweet puppy, Knox.

 

“How did you change like this, it’s so strange…”

 

I was a little cautious about how to treat him now. He caressed my puffy eyes and whispered softly.

 

“I was just… trying to keep my promise.”

 

I couldn’t begin to imagine the challenges this small boy had faced to become so strong to keep his promise.

 

But the weight of life in his words was overwhelming.

 

I blinked again, and he gently touched the corners of my eyes.

 

“The cat you used to have.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“I don’t know how that cat reappeared, but…”

 

I smiled at him awkwardly and glanced up. After a sweet moment of reunion, I wondered if it was finally time for the question.

 

“When you were traveling to the Cornwall manor, the cat said it was following your orders.”

 

Mimi, the cat!

 

Did he just blow my plans to be kidnapped by the Duke of Cornwall on purpose…!

 

I glanced at him, but thankfully Mimi hadn’t told him everything.

 

‘I don’t suppose Knox would be so calm if he knew I was deliberately kidnapped, would he?’

 

All he knows yet is that the cat was following me. He just stared at me, still, as if waiting for me to say something.

 

I’m not sure how I’m going to explain this to him.

 

‘Knox has a good sense, and sooner or later he’ll realize that I’ve set the whole thing up on purpose.’ I thought.

 

It was a bit of a leap to assume that the kidnapping was a trap I had set.

 

But Knox might be able to make some sort of connection.

 

I rolled my eyes and tried to come up with an excuse, but unlike my panicked self, he was calm.

 

“If you’re up to something, and if there’s anything I can do to help, let me know.”

 

“…anything?”

 

“Anything, of course.”

 

I asked in a nervous voice. “Why don’t you ask me, why…?”

 

His eyes were fixed on me. So far, I hadn’t expected the Duke of Anais to help me with my revenge, so I had been acting alone.

 

But if Knox were to help me, if he were to be my ally, a powerful ally, it would certainly be a powerful force in my revenge.

 

But Knox has already sacrificed so much for me…

 

Unlike my indecisive mind, Knox was determined.

 

“Because whatever Astel does is right.”

 

“…”

 

“I don’t want to put you in a position to do anything dangerous, Astel.”

 

As if to dismiss my hesitations, he gently took my slightly trembling hand in his own. He gently wiped the sweat from my forehead, then fell silent, as if to give me time to think.

 

I was taken aback by the atmosphere and opened my mouth carefully.

 

“Come to think of it.”

 

I blinked and squinted my eyes. I had met Mimi, but had he met my brother?

 

“Wasn’t there anyone else there…?”

 

I whispered in a low tone as he handed me the glass of milk he’d left on the nightstand.

 

“Oh, Cassian Gray was there, running around in front of the mansion.”

 

I was about to drink the milk he handed me when I spat it out.

 

‘Cough.’

 

“He also told me to get lost.”

 

“Well, yeah…”

 

“I’m hurt, Astel. I guess he’s not the best person to get to know.”

 

I stared at Knox’s expression. It must have been an act because he didn’t look hurt at all.

 

“What am I going to do about this?”

 

Knox had given his life for me before. And with the imprinting magic, he was completely on my side.

 

But I couldn’t fully reveal my brother’s relationship to me, even to him, at this point, not when the Duke of Cornwall was still not fully captured.

 

The invisibility spell would be broken.

 

‘I must see my brother and find out if he has obtained the healing book. It’s almost time for the invisibility spell to be lifted, so I need to go as soon as possible…’

 

How could I mend the relationship between Knox and my brother so that the invisibility spell wouldn’t be broken for the time being?

 

If Knox were part of my brother’s plan for revenge, I must make them get along.

 

My mind was spinning as fast and as hard as it had when they killed the Duke of Cornwall.

 

After a few minutes, I finally came up with a decent plan.

 

🐾

 

Meanwhile, right in front of the Duke of Anais’ mansion, Cassian Gray stood like a stone.

 

He had read the records taken from the Duke of Cornwall’s residence, the so-called ‘Chivalry Book’, and realized that the case of the extermination of Count Vietry was much higher up the chain of command than he had realized.

 

The Duke of Cornwall was the mastermind behind the execution of the Counts of Vietry, but when he was about to be exposed for his evil deeds, he teamed up with the Crown Prince to cover up the situation.

 

And the Prince was plotting with the Duke of Cornwall to wipe out all the beastmen in the Duchy of Anais.

 

The Crown Prince hates the beastmen, I’m not sure why, but something must have happened to him.

 

A report on the Duke of Anais‘ troops, speculation on the Duke of Anais’ race, and how to poison the beasts.

 

And… There were also several plans for dealing with the Duke and his beastmen in the Demon War.

 

He was particularly shocked to read that the Duke of Anais must be killed in this demonic war.

 

“If the Duke is killed, the Northern Realm will collapse and the demons will pour out.”

 

‘Why is the Crown Prince so unreasonably intent on killing the Duke of Anais?’

 

The confirmation of all these events deepened his worries.

 

“And I don’t think the Duke of Anais will be willing to meet me.”

 

And so the next few days passed like blood drying on Cassian’s face.

 

He was dying to see if Astel was doing well, if she was okay. Every day he knocked on the door of the Duke of Anais’ mansion, hoping to somehow gain access to Astel, but the door remained firmly closed, refusing to open.

 

As he stood in front of the mansion, half-expecting to be seen, half-hiding from the people, the door of the Duke of Anais’ mansion opened.

 

“You must be Lord Cassian Gray.”

 

“…”

 

The butler, seeing Cassian’s spiked hair, bowed his head.

 

“You are my master’s guest. Please come into the mansion.”

 

Cassian followed the butler through the mansion’s front door and along the corridors, still feeling quite uneasy about his unexpected entry into the mansion.

 

‘What on earth did this bastard think he was doing inviting me into the mansion?’

 

He wondered if he was going to stab him, but fortunately, he didn’t.

 

After days of worrying about Astel, Cassian finally entered the Duke of Anais’s mansion with dignity.

 

He stepped into the parlor with a bloodshot gaze…

 

“Astel.”

 

“Yes, Duke!”

 

On the large couch in the parlor, he saw the horrible sight of his beloved sister and the rascal.

 

“I heard you called…”

 

Astel rolled her eyes at her brother as if she were trying to hide from him.

 

But Cassian stared at them. The Duke of Anais and Astel’s hands interlocked.

 

It was clear that the Duke had become even more infatuated with Astel after what had happened at the Duchy of Cornwall.

 

He rubbed at his throbbing temples, remembering the healing book he’d tucked into his arm.

 

“I only came to tell you that I will allow you two to be alone.”

 

Unexpectedly, the Duke of Anais relaxed, but then, like a predator claiming possession, he leaned in and lightly kissed Astel’s hair in front of his eyes.

 

‘Whose sister is that insane bastard talking to now.’

 

Cassian’s gaze flared. But the Duke of Anais only gave him his victorious smile, more arrogant than ever.

 

The Duke’s mood had changed, somehow, from mad to gentle, and he seemed more wary of him, but also weirdly amused.

 

Cassian gave him an odd look in the back of his head.

 

When they parted for the last time, the Duke of Anais had looked like he was going to grab him by the throat.

 

Cassian had, of course, thrown insults at him. But suddenly, why?

 

What did the Duke and Astel talk about in the earlier… What the hell was that, all of a sudden?