331. Siblings Ep – Half Cousin

“Hello. It’s my first time meeting you, Uncle. I am Dialo Brina.”

The prince brought a guest.

Brestin Zauer thought, ‘A guest bringing in a guest?’ feeling annoyed as he went down, and froze in the corridor in front of the reception room.

Though their ages were similar, he was still his cousin.

Being a close relative through a fifth cousin connection, he should have greeted Dialo warmly, but Brestin didn’t even glance in his direction.

He stood by the door and coldly said.

“Please leave. Your Highness, I cannot allow this guest in.”

He then attempted to leave. However, Dialo hurriedly stood up and called him back.

“Wait a moment. I understand that you have issues with our great-aunt. But that’s an old story from over fifteen years ago, and you have now become a marquis, so there’s no need to treat me so dismissively.”

“…ha!”

Brestin exhaled as if in disbelief. He began to curse but instead walked away in silence.

With the master of the house having chased away the guest, those left behind were at a loss.

“Should we move for now?”

Lean, who had somewhat anticipated this outcome, intervened. Ever since he first met Marquis Zauer, he hadn’t seemed normal.

Having exited the lord’s castle, they sought out a humble eatery in the town, barely worthy of the name. It looked shabby enough that the prince shouldn’t have set foot there, but Lean didn’t mind at all. Lera whispered to Ray.

“He’s more down-to-earth than he looks, huh? Hey, aren’t you going to tell me how you met that prince?”

“Hmm— I met him when I was in Barnau.”

“Barnau? You’ve been to the capital? When?”

“What do you mean? I was born there… Ah, never mind. I’ll tell you later. Innkeeper! What do you have for sale here?”

“???”

Ray struggled to redirect the conversation. Soon, the four of them sat around a square table.

“This is turning into a problem. Ray said if you’re around, things would go smoothly, but…”

“I-I’m sorry.”

Dialo Brina looked particularly dejected. He had aimed to profit by brokering trade between the Zauer and Brina families.

“I didn’t think my uncle would hold onto that old grudge. I’m at a loss here too.”

“And what’s this old story that trumps everything?”

“It’s nothing serious. Just a common dispute. From what I’ve heard, it was just a typical rivalry. In the process, my uncle’s birth mother died, and the king intervened, among other incidents, but hey… when in history has there not been something similar? For everyone, their experiences are significant and unjust.”

Dialo emphasized his last point. He knew well the grievances of being born second, and the many incidents and heartaches that led to him relinquishing his marquis title.

Everything is told through the results.

Dialo couldn’t comprehend Brestin’s whining about becoming a marquis, while Lean repeated the same question out of disappointment.

“Hmmm… Looks like the marquis spends all his days drinking. Do you know why?”

“Is that so? I didn’t know. If you need an answer, I can tell you the story passed down by our great-aunt. She got chased out and is staying at Brina.”

“Then please share that.”

As they casually had a meal, Lean heard about this great-aunt’s youth.

After marrying into the Zauer family, she hadn’t given birth for a long time, which led her husband to take a concubine, and problems arose when both wife and concubine had children.

This was a tale that had resolved only about 15 years ago, not differing at all from what Lean had learned in Oberg.

As Lean thought, ‘Then what’s the real issue?’ he wrapped up their time together.

Since they had traveled a long way, he decided to meet with Marquis Zauer again tomorrow… Ray, Lera, and Dialo found a separate place to stay, and Lean returned to the lord’s castle.

Marquis Zauer hadn’t even bothered to come out for a meal.

*

“Yawn.”

Reriana stretched widely.

Having woken up from yet another nightmare, she found herself staring ceiling-ward, idling her time away.

She had read books, exercised in the middle of the night, and done everything but was still plagued by this dreary night.

Unable to endure her boredom, Reriana stepped outside, recalling last night.

She thought it had been easy to fall back asleep after being startled yesterday… Acknowledging it was rude, she wished today would also pan out like yesterday.

The corridor looked much cleaner than yesterday. The handmaidens, following Reriana and Lean, hastily swept and scrubbed the princess’s floor.

But it was impossible to eradicate dust that had accumulated over many years in just one day.

On the contrary, as they moved furniture and flipped carpets, the cold dust began to swirl about.

I don’t mind the dirt since I’m wearing slippers. Reriana wasn’t bothered by being dirty. As long as her stomach was full and her back warm, that’s enough.

Once again, Reriana, brimming with adventurous spirit, approached the marquis’s door. Not really intending to take action, she planned to just eavesdrop for a moment and then go elsewhere.

However, this time…

‘Why is it eerily quiet?’

There was not even a hint of presence. The light was on, yet.

Is he dead? Oh no! What should I do?

As Reriana put her hand on the doorknob, lost in irrational thoughts, a voice broke the silence.

“…What are you doing?”

“Eek!!!”

Reriana jumped in surprise. Turning around, she saw the marquis standing there with a cup and plate, probably having just come from the kitchen.

“Do you have something to say to me?”

“Ah, it’s nothing really. I was just… It was so silent…”

“Silent?”

“Well, it’s just… yesterday…”

Reriana stumbled over her words, losing her train of thought.

He must think I’m a weirdo! What if he thinks I’m a thief? ─ Worrying about that, Brestin spoke nonchalantly.

“Please go in and rest.”

He had no interest in this little princess. He hadn’t been able to sleep and had merely come out for food.

Brestin brushed by the princess with the simple dish he prepared. Once the door closed behind him, the sound of the princess’s tiny footsteps echoed outside.

“Phew.”

Setting the food on the table, he began reading a bit while filling his empty stomach.

His heart was restless, and with Nella absent, he couldn’t sleep anyway, so he decided to turn night into day.

He didn’t want to see the prince.

Not to brag, but isolating himself in his room was one of his special skills. The prince who must have had a purpose for coming would surely return home exhausted.

He finished his meal.

Brestin went to take the plates back to the kitchen. He could leave it to Nella to clean up, but she was already busy enough.

He was the sort of noble who could manage a little of this type of work…

“…What are you doing now?”

“Eek!!”

The princess was rummaging through the kitchen cupboard. She had brought over a chair to reach things, looking quite serious about it.

With a blush on her face, the princess said.

“I’m, um, hungry too.”

But why are you doing it yourself? Brestin asked.

“Couldn’t I just have the handmaid fetch it?”

“I thought about that, but with Bell gone… I felt bad waking her up. I figured whatever you took would be around here somewhere.”

“…I see.”

What an unusual princess.

Brestin intended to leave after placing the plates down, but the sight of the empty plate longingly being stared at by the princess made him reconsider.

“Please wait a moment. Have a seat.”

The food he could prepare was more akin to simple cooking than actual cuisine.

Seeing the princess trot over to watch, he sent her back and took out some well-cured ham. He dipped it in a boiling pot to heat it up, since it was soaked in sauce, it would have been fine to just eat cold.

Still, it was tastier warm.

“Wow! Amazing!”

Reriana was captivated by the steaming ham dish.

How could such a dish be prepared so quickly? Her compliments flowed as she dug in, burying her face into the plate.

Brestin felt awkward leaving the princess behind and kept her company for a moment.

“By the way, why are you wandering around at this hour instead of sleeping?”

“I can’t sleep. Rather, it’s because I keep having nightmares.”

“…I see.”

“And you, marquis?”

“…”

It was rude, but Brestin didn’t respond. He confiscated the plate as the princess attempted to scrape the remaining bits into hers and placed it atop his own.

“Please go to sleep.”

He suggested something she couldn’t accomplish herself and sent her on her way.

*

The encounter that was thought to end as a chance meeting for one night continued.

Brestin only managed to get some sleep in the morning with Nella’s help when she came to work, afterward staying cooped up in his room all day. Then at night, he would go out, only to find the princess waiting.

During the day, the prince, and at night, the princess.

Both had their purposes.

The prince was clearly acting at the behest of Marquis Benard Tatian, while the princess…

“It’s delicious!”

She only had food on her mind. At first, he intended to share cooking tips, but she refused.

“Do you think I couldn’t survive without eating? I can skip this kind of food!”

…He never said she looked like she couldn’t live without food, and yet she was eating remarkably well?

The princess’s intentions soon became clear. “Well then, I’ll head in first. You can leave the dishes right there.” Saying this, the princess visibly pouted.

It seemed this little princess needed company to talk to, so she kept seeking him out.

Brestin thought to himself.

‘Such a child. Far younger than me.’

It didn’t mean she was immature, but it wasn’t entirely incorrect either.

Enduring loneliness is the job of an adult.

Children without firm opinions typically struggle alone and often whine… and then it suddenly struck Brestin that he wasn’t much different.

Not being able to sleep without someone around, wandering around due to nightmares, it was all the same.

A feeling of shame washed over him.

Leaving behind the princess who chattered happily about the fun she had with the handmaids, Brestin returned to his bedroom to try to sleep.

And once again, he was overtaken by dampness.

“Ugh… uuuuh…”

Foolish child.

Despite the bed soaking, he merely slept soundly. Didn’t you hear the screams?

As he groaned and turned his body, the damp bed became a sticky, viscous thing, ensnaring him.

The acrid stench of iron.

The smell of blood rose, and as he could no longer endure the stickiness, he turned his head to whisper, “Mama…” and a wave of emptiness washed over him.

And when he opened his eyes, the sight was a sea of blood. The mother who used to tuck him in was gone, and the bed was soaked in crimson.

I, was sleeping there.

“Gah!”

“Ah! S-Sorry!”

Breastin shouted as he awoke from his nightmare. The princess was just stepping into the room.

“I heard moaning as I walked past… Are you alright?”

“…I’m fine.”

“Would you like some water? You’re sweating a lot.”

Looking around, it was still dark outside. He said weakly.

“No. Just… please… Phew… talk to me. I just feel like talking about something.”

Breastin propped himself up in bed. He sat the princess, who was his niece, down and began to recount things from his past.

The story of how his mother was murdered, and about his half-brother and his half-cousin.