He’s My Real Brother, Duke – Chapter 151

Author: Nikss

The foreboding feeling from earlier returned. The rift between my brother and Knox was about to deepen. I turned to Knox and mouthed the words.

“He’s getting away with it.”

Knowing that my brother’s grudge was firmly entrenched, Knox nodded his head.

“It’s all right, Astel. Don’t worry about it. It’s all my fault.”

Knox’s eyes fluttered. He was clearly uneasy.

“…I’m just wondering what I’ll do if Brother doesn’t like me and won’t let me see Astel.”

Wait, he’s already been addressed by the title, brother?

“Uh… Well, I can come meet you, though!”

I said cautiously, turning toward him.

“Besides, my brother can be a little… stubborn.”

In fact, in the back alleys, he was known for being a headstrong Cassian!

“He’s never beaten me, though.”

I patted Knox’s shoulder, which looked like a large puppy abandoned by its owner.

“Because I want to, um, stick with you.”

Knox grinned and nodded.

“I’m glad Astel chose me.”

That’s when he brushed his lips against the nape of my neck.

“Ha, hmm…!”

I heard Belle suck in a breath, both cheeks red.

‘…Ahhhh, Belle, you’re here, ugh!’

I locked eyes with Belle, who was looking at us with round eyes. I hastily pulled myself away from Knox.

Looking at Belle, Knox muttered in a low voice with a wistful expression.

“I just want to hold your hand.”

I nodded my head ever so slightly, and he grabbed my hand.

The warmth of Knox’s hand felt good. He clasped it with a firm hand. I could feel our fingers interlocking without any gaps.

My brother told me to keep away, but on a day like today, I wanted to stay a little longer.

Just until he returned to this spot!

💫

Cassian stepped through the doorway, leaving Astel behind. He saw a small figure sitting on a fine leather couch, head bowed in thought.

It was Rune.

His shoulders slumped, a rag doll clutched tightly in his arms.

Though his hair was neatly trimmed, and he looked a little cleaner and warmer than the last time I’d seen him, something was unsettling about the way he looked.

“It’s a shame…” I muttered to myself in a small voice.

Once he’d calmed down, Cassian plopped down beside Rune.

Rune glanced at Cassian and hugged the doll tightly again.

“What, go away.”

But Cassian didn’t leave.

Instead, he hesitated and placed a hand that had been wandering in the air on the baby’s shoulder.

“She’s not dead.”

The words were spoken in an encouraging tone. At those words, Rune slowly lifted his head to stare at Cassian.

“Aste, did not…?”

“Yes. I brought her back.”

Rune gripped Cassian’s cuff with a puzzled expression.

“What, really? Then where is Aste?”

Rune tilted his head in confusion at Cassian’s view. Cassian brushed his thumb across the child’s cheek.

“Out the door.”

Rune started to scramble to his feet, but Cassian beat him to it.

“I need to talk to you first.”

“Huh?”

Rune looked a little impatient.

“Let’s go see Aste!”

Cassian pursed his lips. He’d simulated it endlessly in his head before arriving at the Duke’s mansion, but the real thing was different.

Now, with Rune in front of him, he couldn’t bring himself to say that he was his father.

If he resented him. He’d be devastated

A mixture of fear and excitement fluttered near his chest.

Shaking his head, Rune pouted his lips in exasperation, then his eyes widened.

“Whoa, your hair strange!”

Referring to the fact that his hair had changed color to gold. Cassian was again amazed at the child’s memory.

“You remember?”

Dropping the doll to the floor, Rune ran his fingers through Cassian’s hair.

“Yes! It’s got wood-colored hair!”

Wood-colored hair, so original. Rune must be a genius to have grown up without a father.

“Then, let’s go see Aste!”

Rune leaped up and headed for the door.

Cassian yelped in frustration as he caught sight of Rune’s tiny backside fleeing.

“Don’t go!”

“No, I’m going!”

“I’m your Dad, don’t go.”

…What an ungraceful way to confess.

But I succeeded in grabbing Rune. At the word ‘Dad’, Rune slowly turned around.

“Huh? Daddy?”

Cassian followed his five paces back.

Grabbing Rune’s tiny hand, Cassian spoke, “Rune, I’m your father, and I’m sorry I haven’t been here for a while.”

The child stood still, listening to the words like a rapid-fire cannon. His eyes were red, his lips were puffy, and his nose was red.

It was an ugly confession, but his eyes flushed with each word.

Rune, who knew nothing, could only shake his head and blink.

“Daddy?”

Rune carefully pressed his lips together and then pulled them apart again.

It was a small voice, as if he were reciting something.

“Yes.”

Rune’s eyes narrowed, and he shook his head emphatically.

“Not my Daddy!”

Cassian pursed his lips. He hadn’t expected such a swift rejection.

But Rune was adamant.

Cassian’s heart sank, and when he felt even more uneasy, Rune chirped again at him.

“You don’t come when the baby is sick. Not even when he cries. So, no, not my Daddy!”

Cassian clung desperately to the denial.

“I’ll do my best. Let’s live with Daddy, okay?”

“…”

“You’ll live with Daddy and Astel.”

“Aste?”

“Yes.”

Rune’s eyes sparkled for a moment.

“Then, Aste is mom, really?”

Cassian’s complexion paled a little at the expectant question. He was sorry to dash the child’s hopes, but it was not to be.

“No,” Cassian said firmly.

“Absolutely not.”

Rune’s expression immediately turned sour. Cassian added quickly.

“Call her Auntie instead, Auntie. We’re family.”

“Family…”

Rune rubbed his small chin as if thinking about something, then grinned broadly.

“Family, Ant!” exclaimed Rune.

“…”

“Ant…”

“You figure it out, Aunt!”

‘Yeah, it was better than calling her mom.’

Cassian mourned Astel’s loss as an ant and spoke next.

“What do you think, living with Dad and Aunt Astel now?”

“Um, not, but…”

Rune glanced at Cassian as if to say something disapproving, but then nodded and grinned broadly.

“I like Aste Ant!”

Auntie would have to teach him to speak, but he decided not to push it today.

Rune counted on his tiny fingers as Cassian gazed at him wistfully.

“Then, um, one, two, three…”

“…Huh?”

Cassian looked at Rune’s twitching hands and scratched his head.

“Three?”

“Yes, three. Three people living happily ever after.”

Cassian smiled broadly, but Rune’s expression was subtle. The corners of his mouth twitched downward, and he whispered in a low voice.

“And then, Duke?”

…Duke here, a Duke there.

‘Perhaps living in the duchy for so long has given him a deep root.’

Those roots, I’m going to rip them out brutally.

Cassian stared at Rune with a villainous, cold smile.

“There is no Duke in our future, son.”

Rune shook his head in disbelief, but Cassian stroked the boy’s hair gently to distract him.

Perhaps they should make a quick trip back to his manor.

‘Yes, the rotten roots must be uprooted as soon as possible.’

“Let’s get out of here.”

“Mm! Let’s go see the Ant!”

He grabbed Rune’s hand and pulled him through the archway.

As he stepped out the door, he caught a sharp glimpse of Duke Anais holding hands with Astel.

Cassian scooped Rune into his arms and walked toward the Duke of Anais.

“We shall return now.”

“…We will make every arrangement for you to stay at the Duke’s residence.”

“No, we’re a family now, the three of us.”

Cassian said firmly, “Without the Duke.”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the coldness that had been building up inside Cassian’s heart swept over him.

Even the Duke’s words of disapproval, such as ‘bugger off,’ ‘nasty,’ and ’insolent.’

Cassian glared at him coldly, then turned to Astel.

“Let’s go, Astel.”

“Huh? To where?”

“To our house.”

“Our house, do you have…?”

“Of course, we have a house for the three of us. You can live at the Gray mansion for a while.”

Astel nodded awkwardly at Cassian’s words.

“Mm, well, at least you can say goodbye to the Duke…”

Behind him, he heard Duke Anais whisper in a low voice.

“Astel, and Lord Cassian. We will wait for you.”

…Wait. Through rain or snow.

He took Astel’s hand, escorting, and led her out of the mansion.

Never again would he visit this mansion, he told himself with a pinch of salt.

Duke Anais, Duke of the Dangerous Beasts.

‘You are prohibited within a hundred-meter radius of my family.’

💫

A few days passed after Cassian and Astel returned to Gray Manor.

The spell of concealment surrounding Astel and Cassian had been broken.

Even though they hadn’t yet officially announced that they were the survivors of House Vietry, people were chattering about the lives and deaths of the Counts of Vietry.

— ‘Rumor has it that the members of the Vietry family are alive.’

— ‘Based on what?’

— ‘Well, it’s a rumor from the palace. They’re searching for people from the Vietry family because they think there are survivors.’

— ‘…No, but if they are alive, why haven’t they shown up?’

— ‘I don’t know.’

— ‘Well, I hope they’re alive. He’d have all the glory.’

— ‘I’ve heard that they’re going to be holding a grand ceremony for the restoration of each family soon, and Count Vietry is one of them…’

A strange conspiracy theory had developed among the magically inclined and quick-thinking.

It had reached Cassian Gray.

‘I wonder when the best time would be to return to the name of the House of Vietry, in all its splendor.’

There was truth to the rumors circulating about the Count.

Now that the spell of concealment has been lifted, the palace must have realized that the Vietry siblings have survived.