Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Brother's Safe Hobby
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Mayches, who had been casually skimming the documents held in one hand while seated in his chair, snapped his head up at once.
"Aiel, you're here?"
In that brief moment, the blank expression I'd glimpsed on his face as he read the papers stuck with me more than usual today.
Downcast eyes, indifferent gray irises, that sharp something-or-other emanating from within...
It was too much like the original story's description.
With my legs trembling uncontrollably, I approached Mayches's desk.
Mayches watched my steps with eyes that seemed to find them dizzying, as if worried I'd collapse any second. The moment I finally reached his desk, he broke into a beaming smile and scooped me up effortlessly.
"Good job, my Aiel."
Mayches carefully set me down on the desk. I looked down at him as he sat in his chair, stroking my head.
"Brother, hold still for a sec."
"Hm? Sure, okay."
I began scrutinizing Mayches's face inch by inch.
Glossy gray hair, pale white skin, deep-set eyes shadowed darkly, faint redness around them from fatigue, dry and red lips like a withered rose.
My goodness, he really was a pretty boy.
As his sibling, telling Mayches he was handsome right now would probably give me hives, but as a stranger, no one could deny it.
"What am I supposed to do with a face like this?"
Mayches blinked his eyes wide, looking flustered. "Huh? What... what's wrong with my face?"
"You're the type to make anyone who passes by fall head over heels in love..."
I said it because I was genuinely upset (I swear, I had no idea I'd spouted something so cringe-worthy at the time).
But Mayches, utterly oblivious, blinked before clapping a hand over his mouth and bursting into that goofy laugh of his. "Heh heh heh."
"Really? That's how I look in your eyes, Aiel?"
He probably thought I was just as much of a proud sibling as he was.
I was seriously bummed out. This guy had no clue about other people's feelings...
"Heh heh."
"......"
But seeing Mayches's goofy smile calmed my heart a bit.
It was a safe kind of laugh—one that wouldn't look sexy to any woman.
A relief. There was no sign of him earning a notorious reputation for scandalous affairs like in the original story.
Still, it was too soon to let my guard down.
Mayches needed to stay uninterested in women from here on out.
...But how?
He was entering puberty soon, after all. Could I really keep tabs on a healthy teenage boy in his stormy years...?
I started crumpling the paper, then stopped when my wrist hurt. I lay down on the sofa, rubbing my sore fingers—the ones that ached from just scribbling a few words—with my other hand.
Doria, the maid who took the closest care of me, picked up the paper I hadn't managed to crumple and asked, "Shall I crumple it for you?"
"No... no need to go that far......"
It was just a performance to vent my frustration, so it wouldn't help if someone else did it.
Doria set the paper back on the table and sat beside the sofa, starting to massage my hand.
"Miss, is something troubling you? Everyone's been so worried lately—your pretty face has been clouded with worry."
I flinched. I'd thought I was hiding it well, but apparently it showed.
Did that mean Mayches knew too?
That explained why he'd been trying so hard to stick by my side, just like back when I used to faint out of the blue all the time.
Doria massaged carefully from my hand up to my wrist, mindful not to press too hard.
"Doria, um..."
"Yes, Miss? What is it?"
"What kind of hobbies do teenage boys enjoy...?"
This was the result after racking my brain.
At first, I'd considered lecturing Mayches about the moral pitfalls of womanizing.
But that might just spark a curiosity that wasn't there before.
Humans always want to do the forbidden more, and obsess over what they're told not to.
Talking about women to Mayches, who'd shown no interest so far, might be like making someone consciously control their breathing, blinking, or tongue position—super awkward.
So instead, I decided to find him something else fun.
I'd give Mayches a new hobby, something so absorbing he'd have no room for anything else.
A shallow plan, but I had no better options right now.
"Oh my......"
Doria's eyes and mouth widened in surprise at my unexpected question.
She glanced at the paper scattered on the table.
Sports, collecting, crafting, cultural pursuits... A few words were scribbled on it.
Seeing her suddenly get it and chuckle "oho," I felt embarrassed for some reason.
"Oh dear, oh dear. You've been worried about the young master having no real hobbies and just burying himself in work."
"No, it's not exactly that... Anyway."
"Let me see~ I think~..."
Humming a tune, Doria smoothed out the half-crumpled paper on the table.
She checked each word I'd written, nodding along.
"Everything looks good except sports."
"Why not sports?"
Truth be told, I'd already ruled out sports myself.
Mayches was already learning basic swordsmanship, and I felt bad pushing his stamina further. Plus, most sports as play required groups of people.
But Doria's reason, delivered with a bright smile, was simply:
"Because he couldn't do it with you, Miss."
Not a hint of hesitation.
Her words made me wonder if I needed to fix Mayches's sister complex before worrying about some nonexistent seed of doom.
Was his level of obsession still exactly like the original story? Was this okay as is? Shouldn't we have a little fight and grow a bit distant?
After stirring ripples in my heart, Doria cupped one cheek with her hand and added worriedly, "My husband could have used some healthy hobbies like these. That feather... feather... featherbrain was always off gambling... playing games, heh heh."
"Gambling?"
I echoed blankly.
Doria firmly corrected herself, "No. Games." Then she quickly changed the subject.
"Anyway, the young master would love anything as long as he's doing it with you, Miss."
But then it hit me—I'd found my clue.
That's right! Back on Earth in school, all the boys in my class were obsessed with games. Why hadn't I thought of that?
A shame this world had no online games.
Those had an otherworldly addictiveness, like a monitor etched into your cornea—game screens flickering even with eyes closed or open...
But for now, the key was finding something fun and immersive.
I grabbed the pen again and started listing board games feasible in this world on the back of the paper Doria had smoothed out—she protested, "Oh, Miss, you should use fresh paper..."—one by one.
Mayches, who'd been hailed as a genius since childhood, really was smart.
He could now handle work alone without the butler's help, and it didn't take nearly as long as before.
Today too, he'd finished early and come out for a hallway stroll when I suggested skipping the walk for something else and pulled out a stack of cards. He froze at the sight.
"You... came up with this?"
"...Yup!"
Of course, it was a lie. I'd roughly recreated One Card from Earth.
Doria, who'd helped make them, stood proudly behind me with a "That's our Miss" look.
Mayches glanced over the card setup once, then patted my head.
"Heh, my Aiel—who's your brother that you're this clever?"
"Yup... your sister......"
As expected, Mayches, being a genius himself, didn't suspect a thing about an eleven-year-old inventing this.
Doria was the same.
I'd often let my nineteen-year-old self slip through with age-inappropriate comments, but since her young master was a genius, people just shrugged it off.
The Rudelriz siblings are just super smart, after all.
A fake intellect that would shine once I turned twenty.
Anyway, I sat Mayches and Doria down and began explaining the One Card rules.
I snuck a peek at Mayches—he was grinning "heh heh," so luckily, he seemed interested.
After a demo round, we played a real one.
"One Card!"
I showed everyone my last card in hand and called it out.
Doria squinted, trying to guess what it was, but ended up drawing one and ending her turn.
Mayches smiled and peeked at my card too.
"Play carefully! This is my last card."
"...Okay. Got it."
Mayches pondered, then played a card with the same number but different suit.
The flow shifted to the hearts I needed. Excited, I slapped down my final card, the seven of hearts.
"Done! I win! You should've played more carefully."
"Oh my, this is really fun."
"Yeah, it is, Aiel."
Mayches had three cards left, Doria seven.
Second place for a first-timer—not bad.
If we kept this up, it should work, right?
"Okay, next round. Next one."
The makeshift cards were already looking worn after one game, but good enough to keep going.
With a joyful heart that I'd found the perfect solution, I gathered and shuffled the papers.
Little did I know how this would shape Mayches's connections in the future......