He’s My Real Brother, Duke Chapter 155

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After much argument, Lord Ysell sulked and let us in.

 

Shortly thereafter, he hurried to report to his superiors. But first, our carriage arrived at the palace grounds.

 

“Lord Gray!”

 

The gatekeeper knights, who knew nothing of us yet, greeted us at the door with broad smiles.

 

“We’ll check your credentials and let you in right away. The lady at your side?”

 

“She’s my sister.”

 

“Ah, yes. Please go ahead, we have a backlog, so I’ll open the door first.”

 

The gatekeeper knight on the left smiled weakly and pushed the door wide open.

 

He held out his wrist. But the knight on the right, who had come in to check his credentials, stared blankly at him in bewilderment.

 

“It is, it’s…”

 

“What the hell, why don’t you announce it already!”

 

But the voice to make his entrance did not come easily.

 

The doors to the hall were already wide open, and the nobles stared at the doorway, puzzled that they hadn’t heard the announcement.

 

When they saw Cassian and Astel standing still, they scratched their heads.

 

“Isn’t that Lord Cassian?”

 

“I didn’t hear anything, was that him?”

 

As if noticing the noblemen’s commotion, the Emperor, who had been sitting on his throne in the innermost part of the banquet hall, cackling sickly, spoke up.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

The fidgeting knight finally spoke. “Th-that. Your Majesty… the crystal stone…”

 

The Emperor’s voice cut through the air and asked, “What’s wrong with the name? Is there something wrong with the name of Sir Cassian Gray?”

 

“That, that is…”

 

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

 

“Let him in, what’s his business.”

 

There was a shout from the nobles trying to enter behind us.

 

But neither I nor my brother, nor the gatekeeper knight remained silent.

 

And my brother and I were unwilling to speak at first. We shouldn’t pop the champagne now if we want to make our return as spectacular as possible.

 

As the two of us stared at the gatekeeper, everyone’s eyes soon turned to the same place.

 

His innocent complexion twisted.

 

“This, gentlemen, is not Lord Cassian Gray…”

 

His words caused a small uproar. It was now beyond the attention of the nobles, and was slowly drowning out the orchestra playing in the hall.

 

“Not Lord Cassian Gray?”

 

“That’s the handsome Lord Cassian Gray, and whoever the lady next to him is…”

 

We could hear people chattering in our ears.

 

All eyes were on us.

 

And then, as if deciding it was finally time to pop the champagne, my brother smirked.

 

“Since it appears that this knight does not properly honor our name, may I speak for myself?”

 

The Emperor glances at the gatekeeper, who squirms uncomfortably, and nods.

 

“Very well, let Lord Gray speak.”

 

The Emperor’s command fell. Cassian took a light, deep breath, his eyes curving gently.

 

A very tense moment, the moment when our identities would be revealed to the world. I swallowed hard and stared at my brother’s sideways face.

 

“Cassian Vietry and Astel Vietry, of House Vietry, to be exact…”

 

He took a deep breath.

 

The air in the hall was rippling, almost stormy. But he spoke the last word with a smile on his face, as if he had practiced it all along.

 

“Lucas Vietry and Hazel Vietry, legitimate heirs of the late Count Vietry, have been invited to the banquet, and we are hereby admitted.”

 

It was the moment when my brother and I heard our official names, Lucas and Hazel, echoing off the official seats.

 

‘Though I’m much more used to the names Astel and Cassian.’

 

I tightened my grip on my brother’s hand. The introductions were over, and I was escorted in, still holding my brother’s hand.

 

As we entered the hall, the Emperor’s mouth gaped open in disbelief, his face a shell of its former self.

 

‘You’re going to have a fly in your mouth, Your Majesty.’ 

 

Of course, the Emperor, sitting on the throne, was the only one of the pillars of good behavior.

 

The nobles, who were standing near the party table with their champagne glasses and laughing hysterically, screamed like they’d seen a ghost.

 

Some of them fell on their butts, others dropped their glasses and didn’t even blink.

 

Every few seconds there would be a buzzing sound, but all the while their eyes were fixed on us.

 

The return of Count Wintry was, quite literally, a tidal wave.

 

The Emperor’s shocked mutterings broke the silence.

 

“You were the firstborn son of Count Vietry.”

 

“Yes, Lucas Vietry is here to greet Your Imperial Majesty.” 

 

In the cold silence, no one dared to speak.

 

A direct blood relative of the falsely accused and exiled Count Vietry was alive.

 

And now he was back, a hero who had defended the Empire and uncovered the schemes of an exiled prince while keeping his identity under wraps.

 

The Emperor’s voice trembled as he asked, still unable to hide his bewilderment.

 

“How do you… prove that?”

 

The Emperor gazed at the gatekeeper as if he were looking at his last resort.

 

The nameless gatekeeper was stunned into silence by the attention.

 

Cassian, who had been leisurely observing the situation, spoke, “Your Majesty, we have passed through the Imperial Palace’s system and authenticated ourselves. My sibling’s identity has already been registered.”

 

At those words, everyone’s gaze fell on the gatekeeper knight behind Cassian’s back, who was holding the Crystal Stone in his hand.

 

He swallowed hard and looked at the crystal in his hand.

 

“Don’t…”

 

“…”

 

“That’s right.”

 

A chilling silence descended.

 

Everyone’s complexions turned blue. But Astel and Cassian remained steadfast as they stared at the gatekeeper.

 

“This is Sir Cassian Gray… Lord Cassian Gray… Young Lord of Count Vietry. And with him is His Ladyship, Lady Hazel of Count Vietry.”

 

The Emperor’s parched mouth twisted into a wistful grimace.

 

Despite his pallid complexion, Cassian was proud of his presence.

 

“We will await your command.”

 

Astel and Cassian bowed their heads to the Emperor in deference and waited patiently for his words.

 

Still, the Emperor did not speak. The Empress, who had been standing silently by his side, spoke first.

 

“I suspected it.”

 

The Empress alternated between Cassian and Astel. Whether she had actually guessed or not, it was impossible to tell.

 

She gestured to the guards at her side and spoke again, “Your Majesty, please allow the Young Lord and Lady of House Vietry to enjoy the banquet.”

 

The Empress had recognized them first, calling them ‘Vietry,’ and the impact of that title was enormous.

 

While the Emperor looked speechless at her sudden proposal, the nobles had already begun to gape.

 

“How is this possible?”

 

“…Does it make sense, this?”

 

“But she passed the examination and proved her identity!”

 

“No matter what, how can it be…”

 

“Sir Cassian Gray, of the House of Vietry…”

 

A ball that the Emperor ambitiously organized.

 

The party had been reduced to a social event for the Vietry siblings, who had returned in splendor.

 

But the current Emperor has no power.

 

He could only offer perfunctory utterances. The poison he’d consumed in the past had left him permanently disabled.

 

The only reason he was able to walk with a cane and show his face at the banquet was because of the medicine Cassian had given him.

 

He muttered to himself grimly, “…Well, enjoy the banquet first.”

 

The Empress, who had been staring at the Emperor, also shook her head.

 

And just like that, Astel and Cassian returned to the center of the Imperial social scene.

 

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“I’m thinking of holding a hunting tournament at the Vietry mansion.”

 

At first, it was the knights who surrounded us.

 

The nobles seemed to be still observing. They talked among themselves around the round table, but they didn’t approach us first.

 

My brother, however, was quite skillful in capturing the knights who approached us.

 

“A hunting tournament, what do you know about that! Sir Cassian, or should I say, Count Vietry?”

 

“Please call me that. This is my sister, Lady Astel.”

 

Cassian introduced me by my first name, as before.

 

I’d been Astel more than Hazel, so it was more familiar.

 

The imposing man let out an “Ahh” and bent down on one knee to take the back of my hand.

 

“My name is Lord Bolton. You are beautiful, Lady Astel.”

 

As he kissed the back of my hand, I smiled lightly and lifted the hem of my dress to reveal my knees.

 

“It is a pleasure, Lord Bolton.”

 

“So much for your gaze on my sister, Lord Bolton. We were talking about the hunting tournament, weren’t we?”

 

“Alas, yes. Indeed.”

 

I chuckled. Afterward, I was introduced to many other knights, not just Lord Bolton, but Sir Seaton, Sir Pelos, and others.

 

But, of course, my brother’s time with the knights was short-lived.

 

The Emperor, who had finally regained his senses, wanted to take him aside. The Emperor’s guards approached him and whispered something sweet to him.

 

He took my hand once and looked at me with unease. I shook my head sternly at him and whispered under my breath, “Go on.” 

 

He smiled grimly. He gave me a sour look and then followed the guards as if it didn’t matter.

 

I glanced back at my brother as he made his way up to the Emperor’s throne and chuckled inwardly.

 

It was time to find Knox.

 

‘Where is Knox? He must be on the balcony.’

 

But then I realized…

 

“Lady Astel.”

 

“I’m Shelly Brighton, Viscount Brighton.”

 

“I’m Cadleigh, second daughter of House Figlett.”

 

A swarm of ladies, none of whom had approached me before, surrounded me.

 

Every knight nearby was pushed aside by the onslaught of ladies. I was even more bewildered.

 

Why? Why did they suddenly…