Kays Translations

Chapter 292: Alex’s Trap

My mind was in chaos. Thinking back over the conversation, I could not remember when Sister-in-law Daniela had embraced me.

“Thank you, Julius-chan. Thanks to you, every day is enjoyable.”

“Because of me?”

“Yes.”

She released me after saying that. It should have been a relief, but my new position was even more troubling. I might have been better off remaining in her embrace. Her ample bosom was now directly in front of me, a sight I had not encountered since bathing with Mother.

Determined not to look anywhere else, I fixed my gaze firmly on Sister-in-law Daniela's eyes.

“You have given me a new source of strength, Julius. The things you create will be manufactured by the trading company House Heine established and sold to people throughout the kingdom. I am deeply involved in that work. I will not merely be an ornamental future marchioness of House Heine.”

Her voice was filled with resolve, as though she were making a declaration. Until now, she may have felt that she was merely an ornament of the royal family. An ornament could easily be replaced; almost any royal daughter could fill such a role.

Establishing a new trading company and becoming indispensable to its management was different. The more deeply involved she became, the more valuable her contribution would be. Perhaps Sister-in-law Daniela had finally found the joy of knowing that she was genuinely needed.

“I should be thanking you. I am sorry for burdening you with so much extra work, but because of you, Sister-in-law Daniela, I am free to keep creating the things I love.”

“Julius-chan… I love you.”

“Ugh.”

Overcome with emotion, Sister-in-law Daniela embraced me again. I assumed it was affection for a younger brother, but was it not a little too intense? And when she said she loved me, she meant as family, surely. If those were her feelings in any other sense, Brother Alex might cry.

Afterwards, we washed one another and left the bath. By then, perhaps because my senses had gone numb, my Cerberus showed no reaction. I chose to regard that as a good thing.

To cool my flushed body, I went to the nearby salon, which everyone used after bathing. Cold drinks were always kept there. As soon as I sat down, Nero brought me lemon water.

“Here you are, Lord Julius.”

“…Yeah, it's good.”

One of Sister-in-law Daniela's attendants brought her a drink as well. I thought we might chat briefly and then part ways, but matters did not proceed so smoothly. Brother Alex arrived.

“Oh, Julius is here too? …No way.”

“Ah, um…”

Brother Alex had apparently timed his visit to coincide with Sister-in-law Daniela leaving the bath. Finding me there as well immediately made him suspicious. This was bad.

“Alex, it seems Julius-chan made new stationery for the servants.”

“New stationery?”

“Y-yes. Here it is! Nero.”

“Right away.”

Understanding the situation at once, Nero quickly handed Brother Alex a pencil with an eraser. Perhaps he felt guilty for disappearing earlier without a word. I would let it pass this time, but next time I would make certain he stayed with me.

“Is this a way of making graphite easier to handle?”

“Yes. Would everyone like to take a look?”

At my suggestion, the servants gathered around. Nero passed out the unsharpened pencils for them to inspect. He had apparently stored all of them inside his coat. We would need pencil cases. I would make some as soon as I returned to my room.

“I see.”

“This is excellent. It will not dirty our hands.”

“And mistakes can be erased. I would like one.”

“As expected of Lord Julius.”

Good. The demonstration had gone well. I needed to use this momentum to gloss over the fact that I had bathed with Sister-in-law Daniela.

“Another useful invention. Did you make this for the servants?”

Brother Alex asked as he tested the pencil on a sheet of paper. He seemed to like how it felt. Sister-in-law Daniela began sketching with it, varying the pressure to create thick and thin lines. Come to think of it, coloured pencils might be useful too.

“This would be useful for the territorial knights. It cannot be used for official documents, but it would be perfect for brief notes and messages. Julius, what do you want to do with it?”

Brother Alex asked with a smile. He did not seem displeased; he genuinely wanted to know whether I intended to distribute the pencils more widely. In that case, I wanted to choose the option that would help the greatest number of people.

I glanced at Sister-in-law Daniela, worried that I might be adding to her workload yet again. She smiled and gave a firm nod, as though saying, Leave it to me.

“Pencils are easy to make—probably easier than glass pens. Why not employ people who want to earn some extra money to produce them?”

“I see. People without an established trade could make them to supplement their income. If production is truly that simple, it may work.”

“Not may, Alex. We will make it work. This is our chance to prove what we can accomplish.”

“That's right. We’ll make it work together.”

The two exchanged glances and laughed happily. They truly seemed to enjoy working together. Having someone beside you was reassuring. I envied them. Would Lady Fabienne and I become that close one day?

“By the way, Julius, your hair looks damp. Did you just leave the bath?”

“Of course not! I dried it thoroughly… Wait, it is dry.”

“Julius-kun?”

Oh no. I had walked straight into Brother Alex's devious trap. What a wicked elder brother, ensnaring his adorable younger sibling like that!

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