Chapter 79
Chapter 79
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: Little Brother
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* * *
"Alright! Is this how it's done?"
"Yes. But according to the rules, it's fine, but playing like this will lead to defeat later on. If you look closely..."
At Ares's explanation, Karen nodded vigorously with an intrigued expression.
He had noticed it from the start, but this woman was the type with incredibly expressive reactions.
"Huh? You're right! I almost fell completely for it, Your Highness."
"Actually, it's designed that way. If you don't know what's coming next, it's like, 'learn it the hard way while dying here' or something like that."
"I see... So you warned me in advance so I wouldn't have to die?"
"Huh? Is that how it is...?"
"Hehe, thank you. You're so thoughtful, Your Highness."
Ares averted his gaze from Karen's eyes and scratched his heated cheek with a finger.
He had felt like crawling into a hole when she discovered his secret hobby that he didn't want anyone to see—
But now, he wanted to praise himself for deliberately not tidying up the room to let her touch the cards.
And so, after spending several dozen minutes playing various board games with her.
"I should head back now."
"Ah..."
Ares turned his head to look out the window.
The sun was already setting in the distance.
Ever since Eirene's change of heart, when he had been holed up at home in despair over having nothing he could do with his own hands, time had dragged on endlessly... but now it felt like it had flown by in the blink of an eye.
"Well then, Your Highness. It was fun today! Let's definitely meet again next time!"
"Take care on your way back."
After seeing Karen off, Ares sat in his chair, staring blankly ahead.
What on earth had happened today?
'...Calm down.'
Ares slowly reviewed the day's events.
Just a few hours ago, he had gone to the Empress at her summons, been urged to study religion, and felt wary of Erin, who seemed intent on recruiting him...
And now, here he was, having genuinely enjoyed time with her.
'A obvious ploy. It's just to soften my guard against the church.'
Did they think he would fall for such a transparent scheme?
Ares scoffed. What did the church take him for?
If they thought he would keep playing into their hands, they were sorely mistaken.
Right.
Packing up now and moving to the annex he had prepared as a contingency wouldn't be a bad idea—
He thought that as he slowly rose from his seat—
But strangely.
He couldn't bring himself to take a single step.
Because the thought crossed his mind: If I disappear... what expression would Karen make when we were supposed to meet again?
Humans had a talent for rationalizing things devilishly well when what they wanted clashed with what they pursued.
Ares was human too—and naturally, he began crafting a single 'argument.'
'Hold on. If I disappear now, the church will realize 'that trick doesn't work' and heighten their guard even more.'
'Wouldn't it be wiser to play along moderately with Miss Karen here, let them think 'she's harmless,' and underestimate me?'
That line of thinking fell apart the moment he acknowledged that, no matter how strong the church's power grew, the continent's greatest authority still rested firmly in the imperial family's hands—so their opinion wouldn't affect his position.
He knew the church couldn't do a thing if he decided to flee, which was why he had considered the annex in the first place.
But.
Ignoring that fact would prevent him from equating his hidden desire to 'spend time with Karen' with his convictions—
So Ares nodded, as if it were the only viable option.
Once his thoughts were sorted, the weight in his heart lifted.
What had that weight been?
Fear of nearly falling for the church's scheme?
Or... a faint regret at the thought of not seeing Karen?
—In the end, it was Ares's call—
'Yeah. It's far better to respond moderately to Miss Karen than to hide away needlessly.'
He chose the sweetest rationalization.
* * *
After that fateful day he met Karen.
Ares's life became far richer, like a dish seasoned with just a touch of spice—a subtle change that made all the difference.
The 'grand plan' he had prepared went up in smoke due to Eirene's awakening.
Overthrow a wise ruler who loved her people and enacted policies for all?
Honestly, if Ares were an ordinary citizen, it would look like a spoiled brat, drunk on power, trying to oust the Empress who had raised him in his mother's stead and cared for the people.
With the world growing more peaceful under the Igugwoden Church, Ares's days—where he could do nothing with his own hands—had been drab and colorless.
But Karen's presence began restoring color to his gray routine.
Then one day.
They shared a deeper, more serious conversation.
"Your little brother is around my age?"
"Yes! He's entered the monastery now, walking the path of priesthood. I'm so proud as his big sister that he's following the same path despite how tough it is! But... it feels a bit lonely too. We probably won't see each other much anymore."
"Why is that?"
"I'm working as a nun at the cathedral, and he's gone off to some faraway monastery. We won't meet for years."
It made him realize that religious life came with its share of hardships—
And somehow.
A hard-to-describe emotion welled up from deep within.
"...Do you miss him a lot?"
"Yeah. We were really close. We'd play chess every day, talk about everything... After losing our parents young, he was the only family I had left. We leaned on each other a lot."
'......'
It wasn't strange for siblings to be close.
So why did seeing her light up while talking about her little brother stir this odd sense of deprivation?
'How ridiculous.'
It hadn't even been a week since they met, and here he was feeling this way—pathetic, he thought.
"Your Highness."
"Yes?"
"Will you be my little brother?"
"Wha...!!!"
Her beaming smile and unexpected words... Ares couldn't even meet her eyes.
As he fumbled, unsure what to do, Karen's lips curved into another lovely arc.
"Hehe. Just kidding. You looked so down, so I teased you."
"......"
She was truly one of a kind, someone he'd never met before.
Who else would dare play such an irreverent prank on a prince?
So...
She had to take responsibility for teasing him.
With that absurd thought filling his head—
"...I'll do it."
"Huh?"
"I'll... be your little brother. If you'll have me..."
—He offered his sincere feelings with a tentative expression that would shock his blood sister Linea or Yuria.
Karen stared at him blankly without a word... then smiled again—
"Yeah! Sure! Take care of me, little bro!"
"...Y-Yeah... Take care of me too, Karen sis..."
"Yep yep!"
—Color wasn't the only thing returning to Ares's world.
Thump, thump.
The pounding in his chest.
The heartbeat proving he was alive... drummed relentlessly in his ears.
* * *
A few days later.
It happened while they discussed chess.
"Alright! In this position, do you know the best move?"
"Hmm... Is it this, sis?"
"Wow! Correct! As expected of my little bro! You're picking it up so fast. You'll beat me soon!"
Ares smiled without realizing it.
Now, hearing praise from Karen... from his sis... just felt good.
"Do you know the next move too?"
"No."
He actually did, but lied to see her excited explanation.
"Then sis will teach you. Here, you boldly sacrifice the queen—"
—Bang!
—"like this!"
'Queen sacrifice...!'
The moment Black sacrificed the queen, it was easy to see White's defeat was sealed.
"Ta-da! Now White can't avoid checkmate in three moves."
"Sacrificing the queen for checkmate... Someone unfamiliar might call it reckless, but it's truly beautiful play."
This part resonated most with Ares, who unwaveringly believed in the virtue of sacrifice.
The ultimate victory gained through immense sacrifice—could there be a more beautiful tactic?
At that moment.
Karen stared straight at Ares, who had said that—
Fiddled with the sacrificed queen, picked it up—
"Of course. It's a game, so you can play boldly. Even if you sacrifice pieces multiple times on the board—"
And placed it back on the board.
—"you can always start over from the beginning."
"......!"
"If it weren't a game and you couldn't start over... even if they were just pieces, you couldn't casually sacrifice a living queen."
Ares slowly looked at Karen's face.
"My little bro gets what I'm saying, right?"
It felt like.
She had pierced right through his thoughts, and her beaming smile suddenly seemed different.
The church clearly knew a great deal about him.
The old Ares would have brushed it off lightly here.
Then sorted out his budding feelings for Karen and fully guard against the church.
Whether playing along for a set period or retreating to the annex now, he would have investigated the info leak.
To counter them thoroughly, he needed to know exactly how much the church—or the Saintess—knew about him.
But.
Strangely, instead of the safe, efficient path—
"...You can't achieve anything without sacrifice. If it leads to more people being happy in the end, some sacrifice is inevitable."
—He chose to clash with her using his unfiltered true feelings.
"Being too scared of sacrifice to act is just cowardice. I can bear the souls of those sacrificed."
"Then who decides the sacrifices?"
"That's..."
"If the sacrifices 'for everyone's sake' grow too broad, what sets the standard?"
"......"
If.
Ares carried out his 'grand plan'—countless lives would surely be lost.
And though he hadn't told anyone—he was prepared to sacrifice allies if needed.
Claiming he'd consult comrades first... would be a lie.
Not just his life, but innocents would inevitably get caught up.
But it couldn't be helped. That was the nature of revolution.
Even if someone died... if no one died, nothing would change.
Shouldn't sis understand my heart?
"Karen sis, are you saying my thinking is wrong?"
"That's not..."
Ares sneered inwardly—at himself.
Expecting someone he'd known mere days to understand him.
How weak and pathetic was that?
"Well, I guess it makes sense. After all, Karen sis—or rather."
"The Sister was just dispatched by the church to keep me in line and prevent any nonsense."
"......!!!"
"Was it the Saintess? Who assigned you to me?"
Karen could only tremble and stare at Ares, saying nothing.
"I was naive. Thinking a bit of playtime meant you'd understand my intentions—it's laughable."
"Your Highness. That's not what I—"
"I don't want to hear it!"
Ares shouted to silence her.
Then turned away... retreating into his own world again.
"...Tell the Saintess this. I'll quietly study the Igugwoden Church, now the state religion, as ordered... but I have no intention of changing my mind."
"......"
Karen stared at Ares without a word—
Then bowed in greeting.
"Understood, Your Highness. I'm truly sorry for overstepping."
The door clicked shut—
In the silent room, Ares flung himself onto the bed.
'...Tired.'
Right now, he just wanted to sleep without thinking.
* * *
The next morning.
Ares's first thought upon waking was regret.
'I didn't need to take it out on Karen sis...'
Karen was just an ordinary nun following church orders.
What did it matter what she knew?
Besides...
Her question hadn't just angered him because it seemed to deny his ways.
It was her asking who decides the victims that had truly stumped him.
Until now, he believed sacrifice was inevitable for change.
Even allies, if necessary.
Sure, he'd feel sorry, but what could he do? If it led to a better world, that was the right path.
Just like she said—no standards, vaguely justified as 'the right thing,' using others' corpses as stepping stones.
Duke Kal Bayern's words suddenly came to mind.
Wouldn't it be best if nothing happened and they could just play chess together?
'......'
He had to apologize.
When Karen sis came in a few hours... he'd say he was sorry for snapping.
As a gesture, he'd brew her tea. She had shown interest in the teapot before—she'd surely be pleased.
With that in mind, he calmed his heart and waited for her.
But.
Several hours passed.
A day, two days, three—
Karen, who had brought him her sun-like smile every day, never once visited Ares's room.