Kays Translations

Chapter 292: Alex’s Trap

My mind is in a state of confusion. From the flow of the conversation, I don’t think there was any scene where I was embraced by Daniela, my sister-in-law.

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

“Because of me?”

“Yes.”

She said that and released me from the embrace… which was a relief, but the current position is problematic. It would have been better to remain embraced. There is something bountiful floating in front of me. It’s been a while since I’ve seen something like this, not since my mother.

Trying not to look, I stared intently into Daniela’s eyes with strong determination.

“Julius-chan has given me new power. What Julius-chan has created will be made by the trading company established by the Baron of Heine’s family. It will be sold to many people. And I am deeply involved in that. I’m not just the decorative Baroness of Heine.”

Her voice was filled with resolve. It was as if she was declaring it to me. She must have thought that until now, she was merely a “decoration” as a member of the royal family. Decorations can be replaced quickly. In a way, anyone from the royal family could do it.

However, creating a new trading company and becoming a key person in its management is a different story. The more deeply involved she becomes, the more her importance will increase. Sister-in-law Daniela might be feeling that she is genuinely needed and is finding joy and pleasure in it.

“I should be the one to thank you. I’m sorry for passing all the unnecessary trouble onto you. But thanks to you, sister-in-law Daniela, I can create what I love.”

“Julius-chan… I love you.”

“Ugh.”

Overcome with emotion, sister-in-law Daniela embraced me again. I suppose she intended it as sibling affection, but isn’t it a bit too intense? Also, when she says “I love you”… does she mean like as family? If it’s her true feelings, Alex-niisan might end up crying.

After that, we washed each other and then got out of the bath. By then, perhaps due to the numbing of my senses, there was no reaction from my Cerberus. I want to think that this was a good thing in its own way.

To cool down my flushed body, I headed to the nearby salon. This salon is a place everyone uses after a bath. As a result, there are plenty of cold drinks available. As soon as I sat down, Nero brought over some lemon water.

“Here you are, Julius-sama.”

“…Yeah, it’s good.”

A dedicated servant also brought a drink to Daniela, my sister-in-law. I thought we might chat a bit and then part ways, but it seems things wouldn’t go so smoothly. Alex, my older brother, arrived.

“Oh, Julius is here too? …No way.”

“Ah, um…”

It seems Alex-niisan had timed his visit to the salon to coincide with sister-in-law Daniela getting out of the bath. Seeing me here must have made him suspicious. This is bad.

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

“New stationery?”

“Y-yes. Here it is! Nero.”

“Right away.”

As if understanding the situation, Nero quickly handed the pencil with an eraser to Alex-niisan. Maybe he felt bad about disappearing earlier without a word. Well, I’ll let it slide this time. But next time, I’ll make sure he stays with me.

“Is this perhaps to make graphite easier to use?”

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

At my suggestion, the servants in the room gathered around. Nero handed out the unsharpened pencils for everyone to see. It seems he had stored them all in his inner pocket. We’ll need pencil cases. I’ll make them as soon as I get back to my room.

“I see.”

“This is a great item. It won’t dirty your hands.”

“And it’s erasable. I want one.”

“As expected of Julius-sama.”

Good. The introduction went well. I need to use this momentum to gloss over the fact that I took a bath with Daniela, my sister-in-law.

“This is another convenient creation. You made this for the servants?”

Alex, my older brother, said as he tried writing on paper. He seemed to like the feel of it. Daniela, my sister-in-law, began drawing, making thick and thin lines. Come to think of it, making colored pencils might be a good idea too.

“This looks useful for the knight order. It can’t be used for important documents, but it’s perfect for simple communications. Julius, what do you want to do with this?”

My brother asked with a smile. From his expression, it didn’t seem like he had a bad impression. He was genuinely asking whether to spread this or not. In that case, I wanted to choose the option that would be convenient for everyone.

I looked at Daniela, my sister-in-law, worried that her workload might increase again. She smiled and nodded firmly, as if to say, “Leave it to me!”

“Making pencils is easy. I think it’s probably easier than making glass pens. So, why not have people who want to earn a little money make them?”

“I see. So, you’d have people who want to earn money but don’t have a trade make them? If it’s that easy to make, it might work out.”

“Not ‘might work out,’ but ‘we’ll make it work.’ This is our chance to show what we can do.”

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

The two of them exchanged glances and laughed joyfully. They probably were actually enjoying themselves. It’s reassuring not to be alone. I’m envious. I wonder if I can become that close with Miss Fabienne someday.

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

“No way! I made sure to dry it thoroughly… wait, it is dry.”

“Julius-kun?”

Oh no, I fell right into Alex-niisan’s devious trap! What a dastardly brother, to ensnare his adorable younger sibling like this!

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