He’s My Real Brother, Duke Chapter 167 - Side Story 2 - Getting Permission to Marry was the Hardest Part

 

💫

 

Cassian was convinced by Astel’s puzzled expression.

 

‘This bastard, I’ve given him permission to date her, and now he’s proposing?’

 

Immediately, anger surged through him.

 

She was his sister, and she deserved to be loved and cherished by her family. She deserved to be happy and healed of her childhood wounds.

 

But there was no way he was going to let her go to the duchy in the middle of nowhere, no way.

 

Cassian whispered, the corners of his mouth twitching upward.

 

“I’ll test it.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“To see if he’s worthy of you, because…”

 

Cassian bit his lip hard. He looked into Astel’s innocent green eyes and the warmth of her gaze, but he couldn’t bring himself to say, ‘I do not approve of this marriage.’

 

‘How upset Astel would be if I were to say no.’

 

As much as he disliked the Duke of Anais, he didn’t want Astel’s sunny smile to darken.

 

Cassian closed his tight lips even tighter and muttered, “…I’ll find out for myself, one day at a time, if he’s fit to be your partner.”

 

He left out the part about how it would take about five hundred years to find out.

 

Astel smiled wryly nodded and said, “Yeah, I’m sure you’ll find out, Knox is a really nice guy!”

 

A really nice guy to ‘that’ Duke of Anais. If the world knew, they’d flag him down.

 

‘How can a good man be nicknamed the Slayer!’

 

But Astel didn’t realize how naïve she sounded, and she just smiled brightly and squeezed my hand.

 

‘Are you sure, Astel, that you’re okay with this?’

 

Cassian’s anxiety was mounting.

 

But Astel just smiled and whispered, “Then I’ll arrange a time for you two to meet!”

 

💫

 

At Astel’s urging, Cassian and Duke Anais agreed to meet alone.

 

Cassian chose the location. It was a quiet café on the outskirts of the capital, far from the mansion of Count Vietry.

 

He bit his lip hard when he saw the Duke of Anais, who was an hour ahead of him. 

 

A shy smile tugged at his otherwise sullen face.

 

‘Coming out this early?’

 

It had been a long time since they had seen each other alone. 

 

Cassian thought back to the first time he’d met the Duke of Anais at the Duke’s castle.

 

‘I think it was then, a glass broke…’ 

 

Cassian said with a grumpy tone, “The first time we met, we had tea together.”

 

“I was impressed by Count Vietry’s impeccable manners then.”

 

‘This guy, he’s such a good liar?’

 

Add +100 Suspicion. 

 

Then he throws back a cold jab, “Was that your intention when you broke the cup?”

 

The Duke of Anais flinched. Cassian’s lips twisted into a victorious grin at the sight of his unfamiliar embarrassment.

 

“I see, you have a penchant for violence.”

 

The Duke of Anais laughed mildly and answered, “Not at all, and if it were a problem, I could throw away my sword. Or turn to religion.”

 

Cassian’s mouth dropped open.

 

“A knight, a poet, throwing away your sword.”

 

“I don’t care, as long as I can marry Astel.”

 

At the mention of marrying Astel, Cassian’s heart turned cold again.

 

Cassian stared at him coldly and asked, “Marriage. Do you even know what marriage is?”

 

At that, the Duke of Anais lowered his head as if to say ‘shame’.

 

Seriously, it was a look of shame. I watched in disbelief as his brow furrowed, and he mumbled in a shy tone.

 

“Yes.”

 

Even his ears were red.

 

‘I’m afraid that my wits are failing me, and I’m seeing things in vain.’ 

 

Yeah, well, aside from those red ears and cheeks and all that silly, vain delusion…

Slap.

 

Cassian slapped his cheek and laughed softly.

 

“I see. To be so interested in Astel, you must like her a lot.”

 

The Duke of Anais’ continued odd behavior made his heart sink.

 

“So, do you know what Astel’s favorite dessert is?”

 

“She likes anything sweet with honey.”

 

“…Ah. And what is Astel’s favorite animal?”

 

“She likes all animals, especially dogs. But personally, I’d like her to have a hamster, because she looks like one.”

 

It was his own opinion.

 

Cassian looked at him with an incredulous expression.

 

“Brother, shall I say more? Astel loves éclairs…”

 

From then on, all sorts of things were said about Astel’s favorite dessert. He could be considered a dessert master.

 

‘How does he know all this?’

 

You monster…

 

I was about to say something when the Duke of Anais spoke up again.

 

“Ah, by the way, what kind of dessert do you like?”

 

Cassian whispered, maintaining his stance.

 

“I don’t much like desserts.”

 

“Oh, I see.”

 

It didn’t matter how friendly the words were. 

 

I figured that if I could cut through the ‘M’ in marriage so coldly that he couldn’t even bring himself to say it, he wouldn’t be able to do much about it, and I’d been half right.

 

Duke Anais was silent for a moment, wondering what Cassian was thinking.

 

“Then I must offer you another gift.”

 

At this moment, the Duke of Anais was the very definition of the impossible.

 

He sternly bowed his head and said, “I have prepared something that I believe is worthy of the honor of my brother.”

 

Cassian flinched at the title.

 

But even more uncomfortable than the title, the word ‘honor’ made him uncomfortable. A stirring of resentment rose in Cassian’s mind.

 

‘Now you’re being polite? I thought you thought I was incredibly rambunctious.’

 

Cassian’s expression hardened momentarily.

 

The Duke of Anais glanced over his shoulder and nodded.

 

“Bring me the gift I have prepared.”

 

A servant with a gift box approached and lifted the lid.

 

Whatever it was, Cassian tried to keep his posture steady and unflinching.

 

But then…

 

“This sword…!”

 

Cassian’s throat moved violently. He swallowed hard when he saw the emblem of Yrantel on the scabbard.

 

‘The sword of Yrantel!’ 

 

It was a sword of great value, said to have been forged by one of the great families of the continent, summoning the dwarf Yrantel.

 

Yrantel was one of the greatest of the blacksmith dwarves, and he has long since died and been buried in the land of the dwarves.

 

But the sword he forged was powerful enough to be coveted by knights everywhere.

 

As Cassian stared at the sword, the Duke of Anais spoke nonchalantly.

 

“Ah, this sword is rumored to be the Ego Sword of Yrantel. 

 

“The Ego Sword of Yrantel?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Indeed, the sword was a masterpiece of Yrantel’s that was said to be difficult to obtain even with ten million gold and the highest honor.

 

I remembered the knights joking amongst themselves that if they had the sword of Yrantel, they could live bald and beggar for the rest of their lives.

 

Cassian had meant it then.

 

The sword he so desperately wanted was right in front of him.

 

“It took me a while to get it. I should have given it to you earlier.”

 

“…Ah.”

 

Duke Anais said, looking at Cassian’s dumbfounded reaction.

 

“I didn’t know what you’d like, brother, so I brought you something popular.”

 

At the word ‘brother’ Cassian’s jaw threatened to drop again, and he hastily closed it.

 

He must come to his senses. There was no way he was going to fall for the Duke of Anais’s tricks.

 

‘He’s completely lost his mind, and I think he wants to get my permission to marry her somehow.’ 

 

But as a man in love would do, he was not very sincere.

 

‘Human nature is what matters.’

 

For now, he would give everything he had in love, but gradually he would show his true colors.

 

From Cassian’s perspective, he feared that the Duke of Anais’s fierce, beastly nature would hurt Astel.

 

‘That is what we are here to test.’

 

Cassian’s eyes narrowed instantly.

 

As much as Yrantel’s sword pierced his mind, Astel was more important to him than the sword.

 

The Duke of Anais smiled at him, his eyes feigning innocence as he barely regained his composure.

 

“It’s just a gift.”

 

“You don’t have any hard feelings?”

 

“Of course not.”

 

He accepted it graciously. As if he’d sensed Cassian wasn’t going to fall for his trick.

 

He closed the lid of the box lightly and whispered, “It is only a gift, please accept it. I have no intention of asking you to pay for it.”

 

The Duke of Anais’ words, to Cassian, sounded like the whisper of the devil.

 

He gritted his teeth, looked down at the Ego Sword, and shook his head again.

 

“Never mind, I have no interest in swords.”

 

It was a white-hot lie.

 

As if expecting it, the Duke of Anais spoke, a somewhat condescending smile on his expressionless face.

 

“Well, then, what do you like?”

 

“I, have lived with my sister for a thousand years.”

 

“…”

 

“She always makes me laugh, and my favorite thing to do is to give her nice things.”

 

Duke Anais replied with a serious expression on his face.

 

“…So, would you like to have me as Count Vietry’s home-in-law so we can be together in a thousand years?” 

 

(TN: 데릴사위— son-in-law who lives with his wife’s family) 

 

A Duke being a Count’s derelict, sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?

 

“Does it make sense?”

 

“Yes.”

 

‘I’m at a loss for words.’

 

Cassian’s face scrunched up.

 

…And so the first meeting with the Duke of Anais ended.