He’s My Real Brother, Duke Chapter 156

Was this some kind of social bullying?

 

I rolled my eyes nervously, every hair on my body standing on end. I gave them a look that said, ‘If you’re going to pick on me with socialite talk, I’m not going to stand for it.’

 

But the ladies had a different story to tell.

 

“I’m jealous of Lady Vietry.”

 

“Her brother…”

 

A look of ecstasy flashed across the ladies’ faces at the same time.

 

The topic of conversation is limited to her brother.

 

They’re reminiscing about, with rosy cheeks. The loving atmosphere of their giggles.

 

Slowly, I began to piece together the situation.

 

“By the way, Lord Cassian Gray, no, Lord Vietry…”

 

“…How wonderful he is, my lord.”

 

“What?”

 

As I squinted at them, oblivious to their intentions, one of the ladies fired a fastball.

 

“…Well, unlike before, the Young Lord Vietry hasn’t been seen with anyone lately. Is there something going on?”

 

“Yes, I’m curious.”

 

I realized perfectly why they were being kind to me.

 

‘…They all like my brother, huh?’

 

As soon as I realized it, I felt the ladies’ eyes glint and stiffen. Their eyes lit up like a beast that had spotted a mouthwatering prey.

 

“I wonder… if any of the ladies will be first in line to be invited to the tea party at the mansion.”

 

“Alas, yes.”

 

Well, I see.

Less about the tea party and more about ‘Is there a woman Cassian is seeing now’?

 

And for good reason.

 

Cassian Gray had been nothing more than a commoner knight until now.

 

That meant he was not eligible for marriage to any of the noble ladies here.

 

But not Lucas Vietry, the heir to the Count of Vietry. He would be the coveted groom of every young lady here…

 

I grinned, embarrassed, and took a bite out of the conversation.

 

“He’s busy these days, so I don’t think he has a Lady in his sights.”

 

The truth was, he didn’t have a girlfriend. But he does have a baby, would he like it if I brought it up?

 

“Oh…”

 

“That’s good…”

 

But before I could get the words out of my mouth about Rune, all the ladies let out a short exclamation in unison.

 

It was the moment. 

 

The atmosphere, which had been heating up, cooled down in an instant.

 

The room was silent as if cold water had been poured over it. The ladies chatting in small talk near me froze in place.

 

“Well, um…”

 

“We’ll have to leave you for a moment!”

 

“See there, Lord Bolton? Over there.”

 

For a moment, I thought it was a little strange that all the ladies and young lords around me were suddenly scattering.

 

I quickly understood why.

 

For as long as I could remember, Knox had been here, staring at me longingly with burning eyes.

 

“…Your Grace, Duke?”

 

He hesitated, about five paces from me, unable to approach.

 

I calmly assessed his condition.

 

Had he seen my brother leave and come for me?

 

He looked strangely disheveled, with no cravat around his neck and his hair sticking slightly out of his face.

 

He looked different, a little thinner, with a sharper jawline.

 

As soon as our eyes locked, he leaned in closer, as if deciding something, and his eyes curved gently.

 

It was a killer smile, cute as a puppy. I grinned back at him, suddenly aware of all the surrounding eyes, and shook my head.

 

The horrified complexion, the frightened eyes.

 

…Excuse me, I think there’s a misunderstanding.

 

My Knox, he’s not a bad beast!

 

💫

 

Knox didn’t care one bit about how others saw him.

 

He hid himself on the balcony for a while, following Cassian’s order to stay within 100 meters, when he heard the news that Astel had returned to the Count Vietry estate.

 

Vietry…

 

That could be it. But whatever else was attached to Astel’s name, it didn’t matter to him.

Only one thing mattered to Knox.

 

The only thing that mattered was that Cassian, who had made his way to the throne as if summoned by the Emperor, had completely disappeared from the room.

 

The Emperor, looking grave the whole time, took Cassian with him and disappeared behind the curtain.

 

Presumably to discuss the succession of Count Vietry to the title.

 

Of course, none of that mattered to Knox now.

 

All that mattered was that he now had time to talk to Astel without Cassian’s interference.

 

Even if it was only for a few minutes.

 

He walked briskly to Astel’s side. Of course, for the sake of her reputation as a lady, he stood still as if he were asking her to dance.

 

To try to get a word in with her, with all those fools hovering around her.

 

He flashed them a glance, unnoticed by Astel.

 

Soon, those who caught his gaze slipped away like a tide. It was obviously his intention.

 

He turned to Astel, his dry complexion flushed with color, and offered her a languid smile.

 

“Astel.”

 

Five steps, four steps, three…

 

He strode forward at a brisk pace, closing the distance between them.

 

Astel’s eyes widened when she spotted him, and she muttered a question.

 

“Your Grace, Duke…?”

 

He was almost on the verge of tears at the sight of her after all this time.

 

In her moment of embarrassment, Knox took the back of her hand and pressed his lips to hers.

 

“I’ve missed you.”

 

Even though she was wearing gloves, it felt like his lips were directly on hers.

 

Astel pressed her lips together. Her heart was racing, but the ladies watching her from a few feet away were shuffling their feet.

 

“Lady Astel, shouldn’t we be rescuing her?”

 

“…Come to think of it, I thought I heard that Lady Astel Vietry was once a ward of His Grace the Duke?”

 

“Still… look at the Duke of Anais’ eyes. Somehow, it looks like she’s about to be eaten…”

 

Astel could hear their uncontrolled, overly loud chatter. Her heart sank at the misconceptions about Knox.

 

To dispel everyone’s suspicions, she smiled and nodded toward him.

 

“Astel Vietry greeting Your Grace, Duke of Anais. It’s been a long time.”

 

“It’s really… Astel, and not a dream.”

 

He leaned down to whisper softly in Astel’s ear.

 

“It feels like a dream.”

 

“Of course it is, we haven’t seen each other in so long…”

 

Astel whispered back, just as softly so that only he could hear.

 

A young nobleman whispering sweet nothing’s to a young lady at a banquet, a gesture that would normally be considered a sign of interest.

 

But Knox’s notoriety was legendary, and the fact that he was staring at Astel as if he were about to eat her made it even more so.

 

No one else in the room thought they had a mutual attraction.

 

Instead, they stared at Astel like she was a deer in front of a lion.

 

Astel, on the other hand, glared at Knox, the man everyone thought was dangerous, and thought he looked like a big, weak dog.

 

She smiled wryly and spoke up, as if to comfort him.

 

“Why haven’t you come to see me all this time?”

 

“That’s…”

 

Knox hesitated, and Astel whispered in a low, almost racing whisper.

 

“I really, really missed you…”

 

As soon as Astel finished her sentence, an all-encompassing smile formed at the corners of his mouth.

 

“I missed you, too.”

 

His voice was hard to hear clearly over the incessant chatter.

 

But Astel could see Knox’s affectionate eyes on her, and the loose corners of his mouth lifted in response.

 

At that moment, his expression hardened.

 

As if he had decided something.

 

“If you allow me, I would like to invite you back to my manor, even if it means risking the opposition.”

 

“…”

 

He gazed at her, his eyes sincere and pleading.

 

“Just once, if only for a moment.”

 

We’re lovers now, why does he look so desperate…

 

Astel stared at his plaintive expression and made up her mind.

 

‘Perhaps I should try to convince him.’

 

Despite Cassian’s genuine dislike for Knox, he still managed to take to Astel like a summer peach.

 

So maybe if you play your cards right, he’ll allow you to meet with Knox.

 

It might take a little, little, time, given Knox’s history of bullying, but…

 

“How about it?”

 

As soon as she heard the eagerness in his voice, Astel answered reflexively.

 

“…Yes.”

 

Instantly, Knox’s expression brightened even more.

 

It was a perfect smile, with his cheeks puffed out and the corners of his mouth turned up.

 

Normally, a smile contagiously spreads joy, but Knox’s instantly chilled the entire place.

 

The chatter died down, and a slightly embarrassed Astel hastily added, “I like…”

 

“I don’t know what it is, but you can’t.”

 

…and Knox’s voice, even more bitter than hers, cuts through the air.

 

Astel and Knox both looked toward the source of the sound at the same time.

 

The sweet expression on Knox’s face dried up in an instant. It shattered like glass breaking.

 

His face twisted into a vicious grimace, as if he intended to crush the one who had interrupted their blissful encounter.

 

The next moment, the crowd parted like the Red Sea, and Cassian stumbled into their view.

 

His appearance was much more than the coldness of his voice.