The Reincarnated Villainous Young Master's Guide to HappinessCh24 - Letter

Edited by: bafflinghaze


Aurelion was sitting in his office when he heard a knock on his door. 52Hzd

“Come in.”

The door opened to reveal Rainier holding a plethora of letters in his hands.

Chrysanthemum Garden.

He wordlessly put his pen down.

“Were these discarded as well?” he asked. 1QonYv

Rainier nodded.

“Who are they from?”

“Most were from the Moores. Some were written by the heir of the Dartmouth family.”

He looked through the opened letters. Most of the content was repetitive, if not the same. Judging by the dates, both writers initially believed the letters were either lost in the mail or taken. A few attempts at coded writing could be seen, before the tones of the letters became more demanding and, dare he say, worried.

sczMy0

“What of Elysium? Is my brother still in contact with him?”

“… We haven’t received a response from him, yet.”

“Had he looked at them?” Aurelion gestured to the letters meaningfully.

Rainier shook his head. “No. He had ordered them to be thrown out.” 1q4Sx3

“Go burn them.”

“As you wish, Master Aurelion.”

Rainier took the letters away, leaving him in his office.

Aurelion tapped his pen against his work. His father had ordered him to investigate some missing livestock in the southern villages. He must be doing something wrong, seeing as his informant claimed the stolen livestock were being used for an underground cattle fighting ring. XKbZcH

Frustrated by the lack of success his connections had with their findings, Aurelion turned his attention to some of the other letters his brother had originally received.

He had kept the first dozen, believing it would help him understand his brother more.

Despite his initial assumptions, the people Nazareth had ties with were… not as crazy as he had been led to assume. Aurelion had expected them to be more… cruel, perhaps? More arrogant and rude? The letters were very polite and courteous, if not filled with concern about his brother’s wellbeing. He hadn’t expected anything like that, especially with all the rumors surrounding the unknown group his brother had formed.

Dartmouth seemed to practically idolize his older brother. Annoyance had surged in Aurelion’s heart when he saw how the boy addressed him. He almost wanted to write a letter back to tell the other to back off. xRseyN

Moores was the textbook definition of a properly polite individual. Most of his initial letters were identical to one another, but the more recent ones had started to take on a pattern of unease. Aurelion didn’t think there was anything wrong with his letters, but he did feel bad for him.

What was it like being ignored by his brother?

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

Aurelion wouldn’t know. From the very beginning, Nazareth had always been the one bothering him with his schemes and tricks.

Since a month ago, after he cut his hair, he had been speaking to Aurelion like a normal sibling. JRmdNt

He couldn’t figure out what caused the change, but he hadn’t been ganged up, kidnapped (except for that one time with the Titty guy), or drugged.

So he was feeling pretty good!

Maybe he should consider visiting a mind healer during the summer holiday…

There was only one final person in his brother’s group who Aurelion was aware of. Nazareth hadn’t received any letter from him, yet. lBFdIt

They were the heir of the Elysium Ducal, and Aurelion’s technical rival—at least, according to those not in the know.

The entire noble society was led to believe both the Elysium and Odum Families were in a bitter rivalry, but in all honesty, Aurelion had never once met the Elysium heir in his life. He didn’t even know his name!

How Nazareth was able to get into contact with him was already a miracle in itself, seeing as the current heir was usually gone from school due to his health issues.

Rumors of the rivalry stemmed from the fact the Odum Family led the Imperial Faction in the Royal Palace, and the Elysiums were in charge of the Aristocracy Faction. 6Wn59r

Both sides kept the power in check since the founding of the Empire, and while Aurelion knew little of the internal politics in the palace, he gathered there was at least some hostility or tension between his family and the Elysiums from the history books.

But then again, history was often written by drunk men and women. Water hadn’t been safe to drink until the last century when a magic engineer with too much time on his hands invented the water purification charm…

The more Aurelion deliberated on the problem, the more confused he was. Why would Elysium want ties with his brother?

It was another mystery that made up Nazareth. 08davQ

A few weeks ago, if someone were to have told Aurelion that his brother, Nazareth Odum, the school’s scummy troublemaker, the infamous bastard child of the Odum Household, Whoreson, Trash, Worst-Than-Trash, the guy plotting his demise with over thirty assassination attempts at hand, had suddenly changed into… whatever the hell he was now, Aurelion would kindly tell them to fuck off with a straight face before secretly plotting their deaths behind their backs.

He valued human life, he really did. But Aurelion was an Odum. What more needed to be said?

He was apprehensive the first few weeks. Nazareth was still Nazareth, but there was something about him that changed.

And then there was the kidnapping incident at The Lover Cafe. It was obvious his brother didn’t plan it. Tybalt’s brother was stupid, but he was also being played by an unknown organization somehow also connected to Nazareth. myA6aP

Yet… Nazareth hadn’t been acting.

Aurelion’s mind went back to the incident.

Please support our translators at chrysanthemumgarden (dot) com

His brother had an oppressive presence around him and thrived on the fear of those men. It was the first time Aurelion ever saw Nazareth get so angry, and the experience was terrifying.

Aurelion thought he knew his brother, but it turned out, he didn’t know anything at all. Er3CAL

People started to notice the little changes after his brother cut his hair.

Of course, ‘Nazareth was still Nazareth.’

But he was also a little more of something than he was before.

The students at the Academy still kept their distance, but a small percentage of them had grown… daring. 6Xa9NT

“I… I don’t think I mind the danger.”

Aurelion had heard a lot of crap in his short life, but really?

Nazareth was the “bad boy” type?

If he was still acting the way he was a month ago, he would have been the crazy-psycho type! PyrUMX

“I dropped my eraser and he picked it up and gave it to me. With a smile! What a saint!”

—Was what a subordinate of his had told him during the report.

Aurelion felt the vein on his forehead throbbing.

“Was that the eraser you were using as you were writing this intel? About him?!” GQ9Szq

“… Yes?”

Needless to say, that subordinate moved classes.

Aurelion had thought it was all bullshit. The people in his school, Nazareth, and everything around him were starting to spiral out of control.

There was absolutely no logical explanation for his brother’s change. RgAErd

Aurelion could confirm. Nazareth hadn’t experienced anything to trigger a potential personality shift in the last three months. There was no death day anniversary, no accident or injury. He would have believed all this was plausible if his brother got hit in the head with something!

Suddenly, Nazareth started to invite him over for coffee.

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

He didn’t really like coffee, but ever since they started having breaks together during their investigation of the kidnapping, he found himself thinking about the Spice-Orchid coffee Nazareth always offered.

It wasn’t like he wanted to hang out with him or anything! Nazareth was the one who asked, and for the sake of peace, Aurelion reluctantly agreed. RcIspd

He tried to remake the coffee recipe, but it ended in failure. There was something about Nazareth’s measurements, and he couldn’t find a way to replicate it.

Unless he asked.

Aurelion knew his pride was on the line. Even if his brother was of sound mind, it was embarrassing to ask him food-related questions. He had a thin face and felt greedy and gluttonous.

If he wanted to drink his brother’s coffee, his brother would need to first offer it, even if the invitations were getting fewer and fewer. RFTKCD

Aurelion was aware of how busy Nazareth was. He was busy, too!

They both had lots of work to do, especially with summer approaching. There were many things that needed to be done for the social season.

He checked the clock and saw it was half-past noon.

Nazareth should be taking his hourly break around this time. NdPtcH

Is he making coffee today?

Glancing down at the letters, he finally decided to ask his brother for some answers, even if he had to do it discreetly.

With his mind occupied, Aurelion shoved the papers on his desk into a folder haphazardly and quickly left his office.

XtRD6S

In his lab, Neo was dressed in thick, black protective robes. There was a heavy hood over his head and a cloth mask over the lower part of his face. He had on a pair of safety glasses and from his elbow to the tips of his fingers, he wore gloves.

Basically, he looked like a lunatic.

Or Professor Rickman on a bad day.

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

The large liquid extractor on his laboratory table bubbled profusely, threatening to blow over while he adjusted the temperature every few seconds. FQOI9T

He was extracting liquid from a jar of mulberry stingers. The plant was a sensitive material, and the extraction process took a lot of work.

Normally, he would have gone to the apothecary to get the extract, but Ortho and Artho had run out of the product and couldn’t get their hands on more for another month, so he could only make it himself.

Please support our translators at chrysanthemumgarden (dot) com

Problem was, mulberry stingers were the most difficult poisons to work with when they weren’t in a liquid form. One misstep could turn the stingers into slag.

At the worst time ever, Neo heard the sound of wings flapping outside his open window. A small coo came from behind the curtains. P9IE7N

Breathing in sharply, he slowly set the heat of the extractor to low and slapped on a stasis charm, before he made his way to the noise cautiously.

A carrier pigeon was outside his window. It wore a tiny tracking collar with the symbol of the Magic Tower and carried a tiny basket on its back with a piece of parchment rolled up and safely secured inside.

It also looked very tired.

Neo had the pigeon stay outside while he brought some water for it. jucoVL

As the bird drank its fill, he exchanged the parchment with his own letter to Quill and plopped it into the basket.

Then he sent the poor bird away and went back to his extraction.

Both he and Quill had confirmed that mulberry stingers were not a necessity for the anti-Slave Emblem, but it was always good to have some on hand. Neo had an attachment to it, mostly since most of his products contained this volatile ingredient.

The next part of the extraction needed him to be very careful. He had the antidote lying around in his desk, but he would rather not waste it on carelessness. 5tCHXd

Neo gently placed a transparent tube into the jar with the extracted liquid. He held a small pump in his other hand and slowly began to siphon the liquid from the jar into a glass bottle.

Extraction liquids tended to be very hot. It would bubble and get everywhere at random intervals while the siphoning was in process.

A splatter of liquid surged up from the extraction jar and landed on the sleeve of Neo’s robes, producing a sizzling sound upon contact. He quickly waved it off and continued to drain the liquid from the jar.

It was then that he heard the door click open. RlpihE

“Brother—”

“Close the door!”

The door slammed shut.

Neo gritted his teeth. NRui6a

He finally finished transferring the stinger extract into the bottle and separated the pulped leaves into another container.

He placed the bottle near the window so it could sit out in the sun for the next week and started the cleaning process.

Please support our translators at chrysanthemumgarden (dot) com

It didn’t take him too long to clean everything before his lab was turned back into a safe space that wouldn’t kill anyone upon touch, smell, sight, or taste.

He had his room aired out with an air-purifying array, courtesy of Quill, who understood his pain. MiFN45

After, he changed out of his protective gear and opened the door.

The sight of Aurelion standing by the wall, looking like a glacier in the Northern Tundras, was relieving. His brother hadn’t broken out into rashes nor showed signs of shortness of breath.

“Here,” Neo took out the antidote from his pocket and tossed it over.

His brother caught it before staring at it confusingly. FA WLC

“If you don’t want to be what Titus could have been, drink it.”

Aurelion obediently downed it in one go.

Huh.

If this was two months ago, his brother would have refused. Then again, knowing Nazareth of two months ago, he would have found the perfect opportunity to threaten his brother with the antidote. m3ohfe

Progress!

“Can I come in?” Aurelion asked.

Neo noticed the folder he was carrying.

FRTdVY

Aurelion sat down on a stool and placed his folder on the long table in front of him while Nazareth left to make coffee. Nazareth had gotten rid of the coffee table and the sofas in his office a week ago.

Every time he stepped inside, it looked more and more like an alchemy laboratory and less like an office. There were large and strange pieces of equipment lying around and several plants taking up the room on one side. His brother also liked keeping his windows open, which allowed for a good amount of light to enter.

Compared to his dusty office, the open space here was far superior and better for his lungs.

Nazareth came out of his coat closet several minutes later with a tray of teacups and a freshly brewed pot of coffee. 5D2Hxz

Aurelion still couldn’t get over the fact his brother turned his coat closet into a break room.

Nazareth set the tray down and poured two cups of coffee for them. He added sugar, cream, and spice-orchid syrup into a cup, stirred it, and slid it over to him.

Chrysanthemum Garden.

He kept his own cup plain.

The two of them, as was ritual by now, took a long sip of their drinks before settling down for a conversation. kFOiTD

“You need to start knocking.”

Aurelion simply nodded. He had realized he was developing a bad habit.

“Where’s Rainier?”

“I sent him away. He should be back…” His brother checked the clock, “in about thirty minutes. What did you need?” pL3C05

Although he planned to be discreet, Aurelion never felt like he was in control when he faced his brother. It was always Nazareth who set the pace for the conversation, and the realization was both infuriating, and relaxing, in a way.

Aurelion liked expectations.

Besides those few moments where he had been taken off guard by Nazareth’s actions, his brother always played by the book.

It took him far too long to see that the other was accommodating him, like a child. Ii9fGK

All this time, when he thought he had been playing a hellish game, it paled in comparison to the real world. Without Nazareth’s constant distractions, Aurelion found himself facing his father’s expectations, the academy’s expectations, and even the expectations of his friends and allies.

For fuck sake, he was struggling to solve missing livestock cases!

Aurelion wished Nazareth would send a gang after him, like old times.

In the past, his brother had gangs and assassins coming after him on a weekly basis. He would be constantly chased through school, or the town, and sometimes even the palace. fs6DcV

He had been a walking red flag that would put the people around him in danger, and besides his friends, no one would stand near him, in fear of being implicated.

Now, people have started to notice the lack of gangs and assassins after his life.

Now, he had a flock of self-entitled noble children bothering him and trying to emulate his brother…

It was complete bullshit! n6IwsD

“Why didn’t you answer the letters?” Aurelion asked, his tone blunt and straight to the point.

Nazareth blankly looked at him. “Pardon?”

Chrysanthemum Garden.

He brought out his folder and, with no shame, showed his brother the discarded letters.

The other paused, and Aurelion suddenly feared his reaction. kdHo8Q

He had essentially admitted to keeping tabs on him. For the longest time, the two of them played this invisible game where neither of them would admit to spying on one another.

He had finally given in after… well, everything.

They said danger pulled people together, but he and Nazareth hadn’t experienced anything like that.

For them, a kidnapping was barely an experience. No Odum worth their salt would call that incident remotely “dangerous.” G1TfHC

Two months was a long time, and Aurelion had unconsciously been taken into a sense of security. It took sixty-six days to form a habit, and here he was, showing his cards.

Perhaps this was Nazareth’s plan all along. To make him lose the game.

“Do you have nothing better to do than to look through my mail?”

Nazareth’s voice penetrated his thoughts. wnH2ty

He sounded… amused?

Aurelion looked up and saw that his brother was wearing a strangely helpless look on his face. He appeared… exasperated, maybe?

“If I say yes?” He asked, his voice small.

Nazareth reached out and took one of the letters. His eyes scanned the paper before he put it back down. 9d5WGD

“Do whatever you want. Don’t get hurt.”

A warm feeling erupted in Aurelion’s chest. Did he… did he approve of his methods?

It was cheap, he admitted. Having Rainier as a spy and those close to them sending information. Compared to the wide network Nazareth possessed, Aurelion had been feeling inferior about his techniques.

Ever since the kidnapping incident, when their father had forced them to work together, he learned how much connection Nazareth really had. The underworld, the black market, the red light district, and even some of the unaffiliated mercenary guilds were all a part of his brother’s array of contacts. UIgVx4

It was then that Aurelion came to the conclusion he was being toyed with. With their family’s history of violence, it wouldn’t be too big of a jump to say Nazareth’s insanity was just a contemporary interpretation of his… affections, maybe?

What was the saying common people would use?

Chrysanthemum Garden.

Trauma built character?

Or he could be dead wrong, seeing as it was more likely that Nazareth hit his head before going to bed and that hit was what fixed his brain. 7aifs6

“Is there a problem with me not answering the letters?” Nazareth asked, drawing him back to the conversation.

“No,” Aurelion replied, before crossing his arms, “I just want to know why.”

“Why?” Nazareth repeated, raising an eyebrow.

He nodded firmly. D0Ohn5

“Nosy,” his brother frowned,

“Intelligence,” he refuted.

Nazareth sighed, “How will this help you?”

“I can get allies. Or watch them. They’re in the Aristocracy Faction, so I can keep an eye on—” LKWo1H

“Aurelion,” his brother cut him off.

Aurelion shut his mouth and met his brother’s gaze.

The vermillion eyes suddenly turned frigid, like blood dripping from the end of a steel blade.

He stiffened. Q xCXG

Swallowing, Aurelion asked, “What?”

A few seconds passed in complete silence. He felt like he was being eyed by a beast.

This was why Aurelion was afraid of growing comfortable around his brother. One wrong misstep and the fragile peace between them could be shattered into pieces.

Aurelion really, really didn’t want to go back to what it used to be. ISEul6

Finally, Nazareth answered.

“They are not bad. A little shady, but not bad. If you want to meet them, go meet them. But they are not enemies… unless you want them to be.”

Chrysanthemum Garden.

It was a little hypocritical for his brother to give him sage-like wisdom when he was about to cut ties with the heirs of those families.

“You made many promises and used up a lot of your resources to get a connection with them, so why let them go?” y6S51z

Aurelion knew he was pale at the moment, whether it was because of the pressure his brother exuded earlier, or because he was afraid he might step out of line.

Nazareth watched him closely.

Then, slowly, he reached out and added a sugar cube into his coffee, like an apology of sorts.

“We will talk when Rainier comes with something to eat.” eMyzrf

“… How do you know Rainier—”

“He knows.”

So they waited.

They enjoyed the silence as best as they could. DmO2b7

Aurelion watched as Nazareth reread some of the letters. Seeing the way he reacted to some of them, one would think he was reading them for the first time.

He couldn’t have thrown them away without reading them… right?

Right?

“Is the Senior department treating you well?” fi1FU2

The question had come out of nowhere, Aurelion didn’t know how to respond at first.

“… I didn’t think you would care to know.”

Nazareth shrugged. “Integration is difficult… Are you troubled by anything?”

“Who would dare make trouble with me?” 9uUQgh

He realized he sounded a little sulky and quickly turned away to face the window.

Unbeknownst to the ice-cube-like boy, Neo saw this and almost laughed. Aurelion looked much younger like this, almost like a child. No, he broke away from that thought, his brother was still a child, far too young to have to hold so much on those thin shoulders of his.

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

“Get rid of them if they try something.” His brother handed him a bottle.

Aurelion stared at it in confusion, “You want me to poison my bullies?” wnGsRM

“You have bullies?”

He realized his mistake and quickly retracted his statement, “No! No bullies!”

Nazareth seemed to calm down after hearing that.

“It is a laxative.” He gestured to the bottle, “You won’t see them for a week.” Yhg4WK

Aurelion slid the bottle back. “I’m fine.”

Without missing a beat, his brother pushed it in front of him. “Keep it.”

Neo noticed how Aurelion’s face contorted. c3UgKd

… He looked like a mini-version of his mother during the Lesser Krieg War.

Imagine, seventeen-year-old Vespera Arcadia not-yet-Odum leading the entire army against the Polska Nation.

Neo might have been a year old during that period of time. It had only lasted for a couple of years, and by the time the Rhine Empire won, he was still only a baby. Anyway, the point was that everyone in the family had all seen the paintings of Vespera during the war, (Gareth liked collecting them because he was such a wife-con), and only one word could describe her appearance.

Monster. jrxu9M

Of all things, the painters—for some god-awful reason—loved reimagining her with blood on her face and a backdrop of dead bodies. There was even one where she impaled a Polska soldier with her machete with one hand while the other hand was too busy bludgeoning a soldier to death with the butt of her sword! And each and every one of them made sure to copy down that horrifying expression she made during battle.

It was this exact expression that was currently being made on Aurelion’s face.

But Neo wasn’t taking “no” for an answer.

He was aware of some disturbances happening around Aurelion ever since he stopped sending people after him. There were some children who didn’t understand the ways of the world and needed some extra lessons. Neo liked children as much as the next person, but when he heard some brats were giving his ice-cube of a brother trouble at school, he almost wanted to commit a crime. vQAJer

Never let it be said Nazareth Odum didn’t care. Even when he was a crazy vindictive little shit, no one was allowed to bully Aurelion.

Was he Aurelion’s source of anguish?

Please support our translators at chrysanthemumgarden (dot) com

Yes.

But did he let others do as they pleased? DV1p0k

Fucking. No.

“Don’t look like that. Take it,” Neo insisted, keeping his tone soft, albeit with a sharp edge.

He had never seen Aurelion look like this, not even in their last life. Something must be bothering him if he was wearing an expression like that.

“I’m telling you, no one is bullying me—” bW03f5

“I know,” Neo acknowledged his words, pushing the bottle toward him, “But just in case.”

His brother continued to glare at him, his face turning colder by the second.

With much difficulty, he was able to convince him to keep the laxative.

“Three teaspoons is enough. Twenty people maximum. Come to me if you need a refill.” XdlA4Q

“For the last time, no one is bullying me!”

“Aurelion…”

“Brother.”

This brat was truly reckless. One would think he’d be more cautious by now. uFVA8m

He certainly was in their previous life.

Did Aurelion seriously need someone out for his blood before becoming that paranoid youth who killed his brother on the cliff—

Oh.

Perhaps there was another, gentler way to prepare his brother for Dukehood. NtHdG2

Violence couldn’t be the answer for something as simple as that.

Dukehood was, after all, the most simplest problem for them—especially in comparison to everything else that happened.

Please visit chrysanthemumgarden (dot) com

Aurelion pocketed the bottle of laxatives, burning his brother’s instructions into his head. feZzxH

He might never use it, but he wasn’t a fortune teller.

“I heard Fredrick Meyers transferred classes due to some unknown circumstances. He used to sit at the table in front of me—”

Aurelion immediately tensed up. That was the subordinate he had forcefully transferred out of his brother’s classroom.

Why was Nazareth talking about him all of a sudden? Svmq2f

“—rather strange since he’s really passionate about Professor Ratcliff’s Political Studies class. And you know Professor Ratcliff is only assigned to our classroom—”

Was he implying something?

“—a shame. He was an excellent partner during our literature studies. The two of us played Rose and Gilde for the Tragedy of Ohmlet—”

Wait, what? vdMI9

“I resented playing Lady Rose…” Nazareth muttered, rather darkly.

Aurelion felt like he wasn’t meant to hear that.

He was still having his moment and could barely listen to a word his brother was saying.

Why wasn’t this reported to him? Rose and Gilde were a romantic couple! How far did the literature professor require the students to act? Did his brother have to kiss that idiotic, pig-like, son of a— bAx5ng

“—made a good Gilde, though he had very sweaty hands—”

How dare he? Insubordinate idiot! He was glad the boy had transferred classes.

Aurelion’s emotions were giving him whiplash. The discomfort he had felt earlier disappeared, replaced with a tight, angry, and irritable feeling smoldering through his chest.

Fuck Meyers! KD9g1s

Nazareth might be Nazareth, but that’s his older brother!

“—lion… Aurelion!”

Read more BL at chrysanthemumgarden (dot) com

“Huh?”

Nazareth was staring at him strangely. IOduMK

“I was wondering when you were going to pay attention. If you didn’t want to have a conversation with me, you could have told me.”

“It’s not that!” Aurelion intercepted quite loudly. He immediately grew embarrassed. “It’s… it’s not like that…”

“It’s not like what?” Nazareth raised an eyebrow.

“It’s… it’s…” deaOjl

“Young Master.”

Thank you, Rainier, you wonderful man.

Rainier entered the Young Master’s office at the designated time, only to find a very awkward atmosphere between a flustered idiot ice cube and a very confused Young Master. The ice cube looked like he was going to melt, and as usual (since, like, two months ago), Young Master was looking like a ray of sunshine. QdInTP

“Rainier,” The Young Master greeted him, a small, almost invisible smile appearing on his face.

“Young Master.” He bowed, presenting a tray of cucumber sandwiches. “You missed lunch.”

The Young Master nodded. “I was busy,” he admitted, taking one of the sandwiches out of the tray.

Rainier took away the coffee pot and set down two empty teacups. He poured tea into them. ZkfshT

“Darjeeling today, imported from the East. Young Master has been favoring eastern teas as of late.”

The Young Master hummed. “You’ve noticed.” It was more of a statement rather than a question.

The servant smiled, “It is my duty, Young Master.”

Ijo3sH

The melting ice cube finally managed to gain back some solidity and immediately bumped into the conversation.

“Brother, we should continue with matters regarding your letter.” He recovered quite well. In fact, he never wanted to bring up what had just happened a moment ago. Goodbye, memories. You were meant to be recycled, anyway.

Chrysanthemum Garden.

“Ah, yes.” Neo tried to remember, picking up his teacup and playing with the rims as he thought. “Where were we on that…”

He thought back to the topic that he had forcibly shut down at the beginning. He took a sip from his cup. 03urS4

“It was for the best.”

Aurelion was clearly put off by this. “But, the resources. Why give it all up when you could have had the chance to…” kill me.

Neo heard the unspoken words. He sighed. Ah, of course, this little brother of his would be so vigilant. What an uncute brat.

Setting down the cup, Neo straightened his back and properly looked at Aurelion. vZ4HYU

“You are right. I could very well gain the power to kill you, or at the very least, try to hurt you,” he admitted, his voice like stone, a tone that he hadn’t used in a long time.

He saw the way Aurelion flinched.

He turned his head to stare out the window.

“It has occurred to me that it will not change anything if I continue on this path. No, I fear that it will end badly for the both of us, including those that you and I care for.” Neo paused, and then, his voice took on a more gentle tone as he quietly admitted, “You, and Guinivere, and Father and Mother.” y0CObd

It wasn’t easy to want to seek atonement. In the beginning, when he entered that modern world, hatred still filled him and drove him mad. He had blamed Aurelion, and cursed him for killing him. He had blamed his Mummy for bringing him into this world. He had blamed the Duke and the Duchess for being cold. And he had even blamed Guinivere for being a weakling behind that mask of cold confidence she exuded. He hated and hated until that hatred swallowed him.

And then, it all came crumbling down when the first touch of a warm hand caressed him in a way that had reminded him of his Mummy. It reminded him of his humanity. Of who he had been. Of who he was now.

And then, for a good thirty-plus years, nearly forty, he recovered from that hatred, little by little as he worked for the good of others.

“That…” lKACEr

Aurelion was lost for words. What can he say? Those words, were they lies? Truths? Why now, of all times?

Neo met his gaze.

His brother’s eyes, sapphire blue, a color he had once been so jealous of, reflected a sort of innocence belonging to a kid who was the equivalent of a high school freshman.

“But still…” Aurelion protested. 0VzElw

Neo shook his head. “It is for the best.”

“… For the best…” His brother was still unconvinced.

Please visit chrysanthemumgarden (dot) com

It was fine. He had time to learn. And change.

And grow. rp84TY

They all did.

“Do you understand?” Neo asked again.

“… Yes,” his brother finally complied, albeit with clear reluctance. He refused to meet his eyes as he stared down at his lap, where his fingers were laced together.

Neo’s hand reached out and patted the other on the head. xat7Bo

Aurelion jolted, obviously taken by surprise.

Neo’s lips formed into a gentle smile, one rarely seen, even by Rainier. His eyes, usually sharp and dulled with a cool veneer, melted into something warm and welcoming.

“I am glad you spoke to me about this, and I am happy you were willing to listen. You are improving, and you are communicating. These skills are essential for your heirship. Never forget that.”

Ah, the ice cube was melting again… lXmeKZ

Neo allowed himself a small chuckle and ruffled Aurelion’s black locks. “Your hair is very soft. Take good care of it and don’t let your contacts distract you from your health. Also, your information was right. The fighting ring is in the village.”

“Brother…!” Aurelion whined.

Aurelion might not have realized it, but his behavior would have been strange if it was two months ago.

Neo, however, did. He had actually ruffled his brother’s hair. R elfQ

Life worked in mysterious ways.

“Young Master, the tea is getting cold.”

Rainier, who had been treated as a decorative vase for some time now interrupted in a fashion that was worthy of a servant. So smooth, so charming, so cool!

“Aurelion, say ‘aah’.” t5ZSi7

“A-aah—”

“Young Master, please don’t play with your food. Young Master Aurelion, would you like some milk and sugar?”

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

“Milk and sugar will ruin the taste. You are teasing him,” Neo cut in.

“Apologies, Young Master,” the servant smiled. “It had simply slipped my mind. Would Young Master Aurelion prefer cream instead?” oAUWGz

“He’s excited because Father gave him a raise. Here, eat,” Neo pushed a sandwich into his brother’s hand.

The mood was light and warm in the office.

Perhaps not everything was completely fixed. But the first steps to repairing a tattered relationship like theirs were to find the pieces. One by one, Neo was gathering them, in hopes he could mend what he had broken.

It was why he wished these warm and gentle days would continue to last. X1iNOy

Step 24: Have a deep and awkward conversation with your half-brother. The two of you might be having a misunderstanding, but hey, it worked out in the end, right? And what did you get out of this conversation? Good things. And what did your brother get out of this conversation? Coffee and sandwiches. Definitely not what he wanted in the first place (well, he did want the coffee…), but everyone looked pretty happy with the current situation, so success!

Leave a Comment

34 comments

  1. Wow 😍 Aurelion’s POV. hahahah a small tsun! They are definitely getting closer! Maybe a father interaction next or Guinevere ♥️🥰

  2. I don’t know why but I feel like Aurelion might turn into a bro-con in the future(veri small chance only) XD

    I never have correct guesses but we’ll see lol

    Thank you for the chapter!

  3. Ahhh I’m so happy 😁

    The two brothers are so cute and I love how much of a brocon Aurelion is becoming. And its also so cute how Clowd-san is simply simping on Rainier lol

    Thanks for the chap~💖

  4. Kuuu–! You’ve done well, Neo! Good for you. Although I was surprised he nonchalantly feed him, cute I mean. And very sour and jelly for Mr. Decorative vase R. He has fallen into praising himself for being smooth and charming? Oh dear, you usually are. 😂

    I rly like to read Aurelion pov, to see what his impression on Nazareth like in those days, and how Neo’s outward expressions are now.

  5. awwww yes!! let them be brother’s and mend the relationship and have Neo be able to help Aurelion shoulder some of his burdens!

    thanks for the chapter <3

  6. I love this fluffy feeling ☺️☺️ but that last sentence makes me feel like it won’t last…

    Thanks for the chapter ❤️❤️❤️

  7. Uh… Just wanted to ask where… Can post fanart? I want to make fanart but i don’t know where to send it. Just asking😅😄

  8. We were blessed with a super long chapter! Thank you for everything! This really lifted my spirits!

  9. Too cute! Lovely chapter. I had been waiting for Neo to tell Aurelion that he no longer planned to kill him. Their relationship has really improved. Neo was originally protective even if it was in a twisted way and it is cute to have Aurelion realize it and start to become a bro-con. How will he react when my ship Ranier and Neo sail off into the sunset?

        • Lmao agreed. I relate with you, no other story has hooked me like this. It’s not even the plot itself, it’s how deep the author goes deep into the psychological aspect of the story that has me hooked. It just makes the characters so much more human and has me dying to see how they’ll change and develop their relationship with each other 😞

          • Just to be clear, I didn’t mean that the plot is not that good by this comment. I just meant that I’m more interested in the characters than the plot (personally) as of now (idk if that’ll change in the future).

  10. I want more of Neo being carefree with his siblings. It’s so cute 😭 I wonder if he’s ever gonna show affection like this towards his father and step-mother though.

  11. They’re trying, the progress is melting (灬º‿º灬)♡

    I’m wondering what’s the mystery surrounding the Elysium Ducal friend of Neo????? Also why Roy’s not present in those few chapters aaaaaaaaaaa my ship is sinking