He’s My Real Brother, Duke Chapter 152

It was a rite of passage devised by an old dragon who helped found the Empire. 

 

All babies of noble families, including Astel and Cassian, were registered shortly after they began crawling and placed on an ancient magic stone in the Imperial Palace.

 

The stone imprinted a small identifying charm on their wrists, which allowed the palace to determine which noble family the baby belonged to, as well as their biographical details.

 

If Astel and Cassian were to pass through the palace’s ancient magical gates, it would be immediately apparent that they were brother and sister of House Vietry.

 

So, ever since the concealment spell was broken, Cassian Gray has never set foot in the palace.

 

The Emperor’s medicine was sent secretly through a knight.

 

‘Perhaps we should aim for the imperial banquet.’

 

Cassian raised the corner of his mouth.

 

The imperial banquet would probably be held sooner or later, and we could announce the return of the House of Vietry.

 

But first, there was business this morning. Remnants of House Oscar, the abdicated Emperor’s former servants, had fled, and he had to attend a meeting in the countryside. 

 

Just now, he had made a hot porridge for Astel and Rune to eat.

 

When Cassian opened the door to the meeting hall, a dozen people were already seated around a round table. 

 

Ropa Schelind, the leader of the Knights of the Rose, and the wizards of the Magic Tower.

 

Cassian nodded at them, then offered a simple greeting.

 

“Long time no see.”

 

“Welcome, welcome, flower of our capital!”

 

“You’re looking fresh today, yes!”

 

After the rousing welcome, Cassian stumbled to an empty seat at the round table.

 

In front of him was a stack of papers to process. He grimaced and clutched the papers in his hands.

 

“This is about the disposal of the remnants of the dead, isn’t it?”

 

“Yes, it is.”

 

“Anyway, Oscar, he’s running away, annoying and aggravating people…”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Well, he’s no help to you anyway!”

 

Ropa chuckled and rubbed his beard.

 

“Still, I’ll be able to get rid of him in a month or two, I’ve got a plan, and he’s only a flea when I’m on the rampage!”

 

Cassian nodded in agreement. If Ropa was right, it was only a matter of time before the remnants of the Forsaken would be dealt with. 

 

A few Necromancers of House Oscar, the Forsaken, were waging a guerrilla war against the Emperor’s Knights. 

 

But only a few. As he checked the areas where the Oscars had been spotted on the dossier and began to think of a plan of action, a rather intrusive voice reached his ears.

 

“His Highness the Duke is here today!”

 

“I assume he’s coming to help us with the tactics of the sweep?”

 

“Ah, the genius of tactics!”

 

“Aww, that Oscar bastard will be dead in no time!”

 

The hospitality was natural, as it was often joked that the Knights were mostly a group of envious chieftains of the Duke of Anais.

 

Several of the assembled knights cheered, ready to raise a toast to the Duke’s visit.

 

But Cassian was the only one there, his mouth set in a dry line.

 

‘…Why does he come here? He covets our Astel.’

 

He crumpled the papers he’d been flipping through.

 

One of the knights, a master of tongue-in-cheek flattery, looked at Cassian and said bemusedly.

 

“Sir Gray, by the way.”

 

“Aye.”

 

“I see you’ve gotten a little clearer.”

 

As if on cue, the others chimed in.

 

“You’ve dyed your hair blonde, haven’t you? It makes you more…”

 

“More handsome. I’m so proud of you, my protector of the Order of the Rose!”

 

“…If I’m handsome, why are you proud of me?”

 

“Don’t you know, vicarious pride?”

 

Ropa laughed heartily and patted Cassia on the shoulder.

 

And just as they were exchanging a few jokes.

 

The door to the conference room creaked open.

 

The Duke of Anais had arrived.

 

‘You said the tiger would come when I said so, and here he is. Is he really the Tiger beast?’ 

 

Cassian, who had been wearing a faint smile, was clearly displeased.

 

The knights were silent in a different way.

 

At a time when they were supposed to be hunting down and disposing of the remnants of the deposed regent, they were seen laughing and chatting with the Duke of Anais.

 

It disgraced him as a knight.

 

The Duke of Anais, a man who valued the discipline and tactics of knighthood, would not be surprised if he issued an immediate dismissal.

 

“Highness, Duke. You have come.”

 

“Yes.”

 

But the Duke of Anais walked up to the round table with a warm smile on his face and something unidentifiable in his hand.

 

Several of the knights muttered something low, almost bordering on ventriloquism.

 

“Why are you smiling?”

 

“Uh, what is that, a bomb?”

 

Shrugging off the chatter, Duke Anais maintained his stern expression and walked up to Cassian’s side.

 

Cassian turned away from him coldly.

 

But a warm voice, one he couldn’t ignore, struck his ear.

 

“Please drink. I’ve prepared you something to drink as an apology for my past behavior.”

 

A cup of hot coffee was placed on the table.

 

Steaming, tangy coffee, made with the Duke’s favorite Evolca beans, even though he was surprised the Duke would offer him anything at all.

 

The hot, steaming cup was almost magical.

 

Cassian crossed his arms in front of his chest as he eyed the coffee.

 

‘You must have done a background check on me. How do you know I like coffee…’

 

Trying to ignore the aromatic scent wafting to his nostrils, Cassian tried to maintain his scowl.

 

“I don’t like coffee.”

 

The confrontation turned sour.

 

It was Lord Ropa Shelind who broke the ice.

 

“Lord Cassian, come on! Oh, it must be special treatment, huh! A man of your stature, Lord Cassian, to be so recognized by the Duke, I envy you!”

 

Still, the mood grew as cold as the coffee before him.

 

Cassian’s face twisted into a grimace.

 

‘I remember once having to eat cold bread.’

 

The thought of it made his teeth grind in his grave.

 

But the Duke of Anais seemed to have put the past behind him quickly and cleanly, and whispered in a low voice only Cassian could hear.

 

“Special treatment, of course. I do have a question. What type of brother-in-law would you prefer?”

 

What a word. Cassian’s bark of a laugh escaped him.

 

“My brother-in-law must be human, after all.”

 

As a human, therefore, you are eliminated.

 

But the Duke of Anais shamelessly raised both corners of his mouth.

 

“Good, I’m half human.”

 

Cassian’s eyes widened in bewilderment at his opponent’s brazenness.

 

‘I’ll be sure to keep it nipped in the bud.’

 

He added for emphasis, “I like people who are bright, not dark, and divine. Someone who doesn’t wear a sword and uses divine power well, like the Pope, for example.”

 

If there’s one person in the world who is the furthest thing from holy, it’s the Duke of Anais.

 

In other words, Cassian was saying, ‘You are not a candidate for the brother-in-law position,’ twice.

 

The Duke of Anais mulled this over and replied seriously.

 

“As of today, I have returned to the Faith, and I will become Pope.”

 

Cassian stared at him, open-mouthed, stunned by the magnitude of his future hopes.

 

‘No, becoming the Pope is easy, you lunatic…’ 

 

The naive Astel was no match for such a man. Cassian’s lips quirked up at the corners.

 

“Come to think of it, I don’t like the Pope either.”

 

“Do you?”

 

But the Duke of Anais didn’t seem to mind. He stared at Cassian in bewilderment, then narrowed his eyes and smiled brightly.

 

A smile that was about as soft as a third of the affectionate smile he’d shown Astel.

 

“I’ll give it some more thought, thank you, brother.”

 

A cordial smile, a friendly tone.

 

The intent to please him was transparent, but more than that…

 

What did he say, just now?

 

…Brother?

 

Cassian’s mouth dropped open.

 

‘You’re a real sicko…’

 

He hastily closed his mouth and took control of the situation.

 

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

 

Curious gazes passed between Cassian and the Duke of Anais as they spoke in low whispers.

 

Not bothering to hide his disbelief, Cassian deliberately raised his voice to disarm them.

 

“Now, please be gone. I have no intention of speaking further with the Duke.”

 

It was a fairly blunt statement. Though he had done well, the credit was far from perfectly deserved.

 

Besides, his opponent was the Duke of Anais, a man of distinction.

 

Everyone in the room looked dumbfounded. Even Ropa, who was undoubtedly the Empire’s No. 1, was stunned.

 

“Ca, Lord Cassian, I dare you, Your Excellency the Duke.”

 

In the chilled air, everyone in the room waited anxiously for Cassian Gray’s head to fall off.

 

But he did not cut Cassian’s throat.

 

Rather…

 

“It’s all right, I dared to offend Lord Gray.”

 

His voice was low, as if he had been caught with a weakness.

 

‘Had Cassian caught the Duke’s secret without their knowledge?’

 

At the same time, a rumor that had once circulated in the darkness between the two of them flashed into their minds.

 

Everyone’s eyes narrowed. Ropa’s shocked expression turned into a squirming fit as he spoke up.

 

“Whew, what do you mean, Your Excellency? What is it?”

 

Duke Anais silenced Ropa with a curt shake of his head, then turned his gaze back to Cassian.

 

“How can I have a heart-to-heart with Lord Gray?”

 

There was a loud swallowing of saliva throughout the room.

 

The Duke of Anais answered gently, almost as warmly as the sun.

 

“Perhaps I should offer you the island of Mena?”

 

Mena Island. It was a coral reef island, the most beautiful vacation spot in the Duchy of Anais.

 

The water surrounding the island was as clear as crystal, and the villas were said to rival the imperial palace in splendor.

 

It was so beautiful that the Emperor coveted it, and yet he would give it to Cassian?

 

Everyone in the room was bewildered.

 

Cassian was as well.

 

‘You’re so thoroughly deranged, how could you give me such a precious island to convince me to…’

 

But there was more to be appalled about.

 

“If there’s anything else you don’t like, I’ll fix it.”

 

“…”

 

“Everything.”