Chapter 26
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Russell Steps In
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Charlotte stared at the purple cloak that had suddenly stepped in front of her, blocking her view. Embroidered on it was the imperial crest: three swords and two shields.
Even without that, she could tell who it was just from the black hair gently fluttering in the wind.
"...Joseph? How did you...?"
Joseph glanced back at the sound of her voice.
The eyes that met hers weren't the usual dull, lightless black. They held a faint glimmer.
Seeing him turn back to Lancelot, Charlotte let out a dazed laugh.
'He must already know all about my condition.'
It was true that she could no longer keep up, but she hadn't expected anyone to step in and shield her like this.
Especially not the third prince, who was constantly tormented by Lancelot.
'But this is my spar. If Joseph butts in, won't he just get revenge later? He's barely in one piece as it is.'
"What the hell? Does Prince Joseph actually dare to step up?"
"He's always sprawled out in the garden. Didn't think he'd show up here."
"Heh, guess he's missed a few etiquette lessons lately?"
Mocking murmurs directed at Joseph rose up.
Just as Charlotte was about to stop him...
"No, Lancelot's family. I'll handle him."
A new voice dropped from above.
In front of Joseph—who still looked frail and boyish—a young man who suited the term "youth" far better than "boy" stepped forward.
Lancelot had been stunned when the third prince appeared before Charlotte, but this time he froze in genuine shock.
"Brother Russell?"
"Yeah. I'll take him on."
Russell was only fifteen, still quite young, but his skills had earned him a position as one of the vice-captains of the Great Bear Knight Order.
Moreover, he was considered the second-in-line successor among the Setia House's direct descendants. Excluding Isaac, Byaki was the only one who could match him directly, though many favored Russell for his ease in wielding heavy weapons.
'...Why is Brother suddenly doing this? It looks like he's defending Charlotte... No way?'
As Lancelot awkwardly gripped his wooden sword, unable to raise it properly, Russell pressed him again.
"From what I saw, Charlotte already won. Am I seeing things?"
"Brother's eyes couldn't be wrong. No, that's not it."
"Can't even accept the spar's result? And he's carrying our house's name? I'll straighten out that petty mindset of yours."
Lancelot's face flushed red.
Thinking of the children watching him, he wanted to offer some excuse, but the words wouldn't come out in front of Russell.
A match was sacred.
It was his fault for not accepting defeat.
But even if his head knew that, his heart refused.
"...Don't you think it's weird too, Brother Russell?"
Russell, who would normally have agreed, shook his head firmly this time.
"I'm talking about honor. If you want to stay a trainee, don't tarnish the Great Bear Knight Order's name."
"...Understood."
Thud.
The wooden sword slipped from Lancelot's hand and hit the ground.
He couldn't return to the group of noble children still murmuring, so he trudged toward the training ground benches instead. It seemed today's decisive match had been deeply humiliating.
Charlotte was more surprised by Russell's reaction than Lancelot's and looked at him.
Russell, whom she'd only glanced at before, turned out to be a handsome boy of the affable type upon closer inspection.
He resembled Jerome more than Charlotte.
His short-cropped platinum hair—characteristic of the Setia House—gave him a refreshing look, and his upper body and thighs were thick and sturdy. His exposed limbs were healthily tanned by the sun, which was impressive.
She noticed the worn leather strap wrapped around the hilt of the sword at his waist to prevent slipping, and the thick calluses hardened into his bare palms, ungloved.
'He's been training hard.'
Charlotte sighed enviously at his solid muscles, her hands itching with the desire to spar with him someday.
'I'd probably lose to Russell right now. Steady types like him don't let their guard down.'
As she stared blankly, Russell approached, knelt to meet her eyes, and said,
"Charlotte."
Russell was fifteen.
The same age as Dohwa had been at the end of her previous life.
"...Yeah?"
After a brief hesitation, she replied informally, and Russell smiled, his eyes crinkling in apparent approval.
"Sorry about last time at dinner with Grandmother."
"Why apologize out of nowhere?"
As Charlotte blinked up at him, Russell gave an awkward laugh and suddenly scooped her up.
Having already experienced it with Isaac, she wasn't startled. She just looked at him with puzzled eyes.
Apparently, Russell wasn't as brazen as Isaac.
Growing uncomfortable under her steady gaze, he cleared his throat awkwardly, looked away, and spoke.
"Want something to eat?"
"Huh? Eat?"
"Yeah. You must be hungry, and it's been a while since we ate out. Plus, there's stuff I want to talk about."
Russell's somewhat stiff offer of a meal spread murmurs through the already chaotic training ground.
"Did you hear that...?"
"Why's Brother Russell acting like that with Charlotte?"
"No idea. Brother Isaac did the same last time. Did Charlotte get inheritance or something?"
"Don't you know the Setia House only gives everything to one direct candidate? No way."
"And did you see Prince Joseph step in? First time I've seen him do that."
But Russell was as thick-skinned as Isaac. In a house like Setia, one grew accustomed early to others' expectations and rumors.
Ignoring the chatter, he asked Charlotte again.
"Just want to have lunch with my little sister for once. And if you need a training space without coming to places like this, your big brother can lend you one."
Big brother.
She knew Russell was her brother, but she'd assumed their relationship was as distant as her father's.
So his behavior felt awkward and unfamiliar.
She had no intention of leaving after just one spar, but against her will, she found herself carried out of the training ground by Russell, scratching her cheek as she grumbled to him.
"You don't have to look out for me, Brother."
"Hm?"
"It's not like I can do anything for you... You don't need to bother."
It felt ticklish, and since in the story Charlotte and Russell never grew close, it was sudden and uncomfortable.
But it seemed to irk Russell.
He shot back, slightly agitated.
"What do you think you owe me? You think I'm doing this to mooch off you?"
"That's not what I meant."
"Charlotte, politically or whatever, is there anything I could even get from you?"
That was true.
Her attic room said it all.
She had less wealth than Russell, no political backing. Nothing.
But something about the way he said it rubbed her wrong.
'You've ignored me until now, so why act nice suddenly? If it's not to gain something, then what?'
Maybe it was the habit of distrusting people after her senior brother's betrayal in her past life as Dohwa.
But kindness without reason was hard to believe. Not after how she'd lived.
It had been too long since she'd received genuine care.
"Why? Is it so weird for me to buy you a meal? As long as you don't pull any weird stunts, I'll dote on you plenty. Right?"
As Charlotte sulked silently in his arms, Russell added soothingly.
Her head understood.
'Because I'm his sister.'
Charlotte squeezed her eyes shut and open in his arms.
But if he was her brother, did she have to just accept being ignored one day and pampered the next?
Even trying to understand, her chest felt stuffy and unfair. Even though she wasn't the real Charlotte harboring grudges, a lump remained inside.
With her tiny hand, she pushed away his quite firm one.
Russell looked flustered as he let go and set her down.
"What's wrong?"
Charlotte glanced back at him once, dusted off her knees, and straightened her back.
"I don't recall us ever being this close, Brother. Lunch sounds good. Lead the way."
The sudden, sharp formality drew a clear line.
Russell's mouth fell open.