The Brother's Punch
The one who deserves a beating gets beaten. The Carnival family. Like the Legrian family, they too were a count's house. But they were not the same. Just because two families held the same title did not mean they stood on equal ground. Even among counts, a clear hierarchy existed. Though the Carnival family bore the same rank as the Legrian family, their power and connections placed them firmly beneath. Same title, different caliber.
The size of their territory. The number of their people. The Legrian family's network, wealth, and influence were beyond the reach of any other count's house. Decep Carnival, head of the Carnival family, envied and resented Rian Legrian, who stood above him despite holding the same title. He picked fights at every turn. Whenever Rian attempted anything, Decep would slyly interfere and sabotage his efforts. Yet Rian paid him no mind. Like an unyielding mountain, he neither faltered nor grew angry at anyone's interference. He simply walked the path he had chosen.
That steadfastness only fueled Decep's envy and jealousy further. He even came to despise Rian for having won such a beautiful wife. Whenever the opportunity arose, Decep sought to surpass Rian and drag him down beneath him. But Rian was a mountain. No scheme, no matter how cunning, could ever shake that massive peak. There was not even a crack where a needle might slip through.
While Decep stewed in growing impatience, certain he could never win at this rate, an opportunity finally presented itself.
“So I disappeared.”
“That's right.”
The nanny continued calmly. “Lord Rian and Lady Ella turned the eastern and western continents upside down looking for you, young master. They even poured a fortune into the Mages' Guild, begging them to find you. And yet—”
“They couldn't. I was in another dimension.”
It had been an accidental dimensional shift. There was no way they could have found him in another world.
“Exactly. They were devastated. They blamed themselves terribly for failing to protect you. Because of that…”
“They created an opening. And plenty of people were waiting to exploit it.”
“Yes. They were honest and upright people. So…”
“People like that tend to make enemies. In this political arena, honesty and integrity only make you stand out—in the wrong way.”
At Albert's words, the nanny gave a bitter smile. A faint sorrow filled her eyes, as if the memories of that day had resurfaced. Watching the two of them slowly crumble had been as painful as swallowing hundreds of needles. It had felt like the sky itself was collapsing.
“So the family fell because of…”
“No. Even the Carnival family couldn't have managed that. But they certainly accelerated the decline.”
“That's enough.”
Knowing they had contributed to the family's downfall was sufficient.
“That bastard died by my hand. Beating him was the least he deserved.”
* * *
“Why are you here?”
“Aah~ Why so prickly? And why else would I come? Obviously, to hear your answer, my fiancée.”
He gave her a greasy wink. Elena's face twisted as if she had seen something repulsive.
“Ahaha, isn't that reaction a bit much? Making that kind of face at your fiancé's face isn't very nice, is it?”
“Fiancé…? We are not in that kind of relationship.”
“You might think so, but the other nobles believe we're engaged, don't they?”
“……That's only because you keep claiming it unilaterally. In places where I'm not even present.”
Elena's voice was sharp as she spoke. The hostility in her eyes revealed just how wide the rift between them had grown. Delren, however, showed no sign of caring. He was overflowing with confidence.
“Why don't you just appear in high society and clear things up yourself? Ah, but you don't have the luxury for that, do you?”
He knew Elena's circumstances well. She had appeared in high society only once as a child. It hadn't been an official debut; she had simply accompanied her parents and attended by chance. That was where Delren had seen her—and fallen for her at first sight. She had shone brighter than any noble lady present, like looking directly at the sun. The moment he saw her, he couldn't look away. Her eyes, sparkling like amethysts, seemed to pull him in just by gazing at them.
He had wanted nothing more than to make her his, but knowing the relationship between their families, he couldn't send a proposal. Then, finally, an opportunity arrived. The fall of the Legrian family. With the deaths of Rian and Ella, Elena had become the head of the house. Once the Legrian family was reduced to a barony and no longer drew attention, Delren made his move. He worked meticulously behind the scenes, exploiting the fact that Elena was too busy managing the territory to appear in society. He turned a lie into fact. By spreading rumors that they were engaged, he ensured no one else would dare covet her.
Now everyone believed Elena and he were betrothed. All that remained was for her to accept it.
‘You will be mine. You're already mine.’
His obsession burned with madness. He was willing to sacrifice anything if it meant obtaining Elena. His overwhelming possessiveness gleamed unpleasantly in his eyes.
“Why not just accept it? I told you. If you come to me, everything will be neatly resolved. You'll even receive support for your family.”
“……I won't enter a marriage without love.”
“That's an interesting thing to say. Still don't understand the situation? A marriage without love? Do you really think that's possible among nobles? For us, marriage is a political tool.”
“Even so, I refuse.”
“How frustrating.”
Delren sighed as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Then he glanced sideways at Elena.
‘How beautiful. Even like this, she's stunning…… You will be mine. No matter what.’
“How about this, then?”
“I have nothing more to say. If you'll excuse me……”
“The curse.”
“……”
“Don't you want to be rid of that curse on you? If you come to me, I could lift it.”
“……You—don't tell me!”
Anger finally colored Elena's usually cold eyes. No outsider should have known about the curse. She had commissioned the temple and the Mages' Guild, but both had sworn oaths of secrecy. There was no way they would break their promise. If someone still knew about the curse, there could only be one person.
‘The one who cast it.’
“Delren. Are you saying you cast this curse on me?”
“Hm? Ahaha, come on~ Do you really think I'd do that to my precious fiancée~? I just…… heard some unpleasant rumors and looked into it. Turns out I might be able to lift that curse.”
Delren smirked, feigning innocence. Though he hadn't admitted it outright, his words were as good as a confession. Still, since an official admission would be troublesome, he had merely dropped a hint.
‘If you want the curse lifted, become my woman.’
“You……”
Rage surged so violently that nausea rose in her throat, choking off her words. How much had she suffered because of this curse? She had spent time and money, yet the curse remained unbroken. All the while, she had been forced to watch helplessly as she tried to protect her people, unable to use mana. The crushing sense of powerlessness had tormented her every day.
And the one who had cast that vile curse turned out to be Delren.
“……Why would you do something like this?”
Delren's lips curled into a twisted smile at her sharp question.
“Hm? Who knows? I have no idea what you're talking about.”
He intended to play dumb to the very end. No matter how much she pressed, he wouldn't say anything more. It was infuriating. In the past, he would never have dared such a thing. The fact that he could now only meant the Legrian family's prestige had fallen so far that they were now a mere barony, powerless against a count's house.
“Come on~ Wouldn't it be easier on your mind to just decide? I can't wait forever, you know~. Still, I've been gentlemanly enough to give you time, haven't I?”
Delren continued speaking casually, as if he already knew she could never refuse his offer. He laid out his terms at his leisure.
“Become my woman. Then everything will be neatly resolved. The curse on you, and this territory too. This crumbling domain—you can't hold on to it forever, can you? I'll help you. I will.”
Elena snapped.
“Whose fault do you think this is?! The merchants! The mercenaries! It was all you!!”
“Who knows? I don't recall anything like that.”
“Don't play dumb—”
Just then, the door opened quietly and a man walked in with casual ease.
“Who are you?”
“Brother!”
It was Albert. His sharp gaze fixed on Delren as he clenched his fist. Elena, seeing this, tried to cry out in alarm, but his fist moved faster than sound.
Thud!!!
A crisp impact echoed loudly through the room. Albert watched as Delren, caught completely off guard, was sent flying into the wall.
He raised his still-warm fist.
“You should know this already. That everything you just said deserves a beating.”
And that today was the anniversary of their deaths.
He glared at Delren with burning eyes.
“How dare a worm like you toy with my sister? Are you that desperate to die?”
For a moment, Elena stood frozen in shock before snapping back to her senses.
“Brother! What—what are you doing!?”
“Hm? Ah, there was a bug monster here that could speak human language, so I squashed it. You hate bugs too, don't you?”
“B-But! He's the eldest son of the Carnival family! If you touch him carelessly……”
“And yet your face looks incredibly bright.”
“Eh?”
“You're smiling.”
“……”
Elena touched her own face. She was smiling. She had been flustered and shocked, yet the smile on her face was brighter than any she had worn in a long time. How refreshing it had felt when he was struck. It was as if something long pent up had finally been released.
“I'm pretty good at punching. That sound was pretty satisfying, wasn't it?”
“It was satisfying, but…… No! That's not the point!! You can't just hit him like that!”
“Why not?”
“He's from a count's family! Attacking him gives them a legitimate reason to retaliate!”
Elena looked ready to cry. They had struck the eldest son of a count's house. Now the Carnival family had every excuse they needed, and there was no way to stop whatever they might do next.
“We're just a barony now. We can't stand against them anymore.”
Elena rubbed her face with both hands. Her mind was in turmoil. She had endured so much to protect the territory. How many times had she wanted to kill him in her heart? She had held back only for the sake of the land her parents had left behind. But now it was over. They had given the other side the perfect justification. Something they could never handle was about to happen.
“It's fine. You don't need to worry about that.”
“How can it be fine!?”
Elena shouted without thinking, her voice sharp with nerves. Startled by her own raised tone, she continued in a fluster.
“The C-Carnival family is powerful. They have over five hundred knights and more than two thousand soldiers. On top of that, they're closely tied to the Mages' Guild, so they have plenty of mages too. No matter how strong you are, you can't beat an army, Brother.”
Her eyes trembled with anxiety. Albert gently reached out and stroked her hair with a warm hand.
“You don't need to worry.”
“What is the meaning of this!?”
“H-Hey! Lord Delren!”
Just then, the knight and mage who had briefly stepped out returned. They paled at the sight of Delren slumped on the floor with a bloody nose and rushed over. At least he wasn't dead. The knight drew his sword.
“What do you think you're doing!? Do you even know who this man is!?”
Albert smiled at the knight, who radiated killing intent, and finished his earlier thought.
“No need to face their entire army. For things like this……”
Albert clenched his fist once more.
“You just have to smash the head at the top.”