Chapter 4

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And so, I arrived at the training ground!

There, even though it was just practice, it felt like a real battle.

My younger brother was engaged in a sword fight with a soldier.

Yes, I have a beautiful younger brother with golden hair and emerald green eyes that dazzle.

My brother is a character in the novel, and he plays a role that sometimes opposes his older brother.

In the original work, it wasn't specifically mentioned how he got along with the original Octavia, but in my current situation, I have a good relationship with my younger brother, Alexis, whom I call Alex.

By the way, the family structure of our royal house is as follows: Father (the king), foster mother (a former commoner merchant, male), older brother (born to Father's elder sister, who died shortly after childbirth), me (born to Father's younger sister), and younger brother (born to a duchess who seduced Father one night).

...Even though we are siblings, it feels more like we are cousins or something.

Moreover, no one says it, but in terms of bloodline, my younger brother might be the next king, which I can feel very strongly.

He looks the most like Father.

Regardless of the actual blood connection, officially, Alex and I are siblings. Unlike my older brother, whose mother died shortly after his birth, both Alex and I were separated from our biological mothers while they were still alive. In my case, I can only meet my biological mother a few times a year.

I was only able to meet my biological mother freely after I turned fifteen. When I was a child, if I could meet my biological mother, I would have preferred her. I couldn't be affectionate with my foster mother (male) and say, "Mommy," and I wanted to be hugged more when I was young. I wanted the soft, sweet-smelling body.

But I was still lucky. I could meet my biological mother.

My younger brother is different. His biological mother, the duchess, is living a quiet life in a small territory. ...She can't leave the territory.

She said that her motive for the one-night mistake was her love for Father, but it's a bit suspicious. She apparently had a boyfriend. And her current husband is that boyfriend from back then. Incidentally, her husband is a gardener, and his status is low. Noble daughters are, frankly, pawns in political strategies, and it's common to marry someone of equal status.

Did a fatal scandal involving an unmarried daughter lead to this, or did they accept the scandal to make the impossible possible? It smells fishy.

Getting pregnant in one night also supports this idea.

Actually, there is a drug that can make a woman pregnant in one night. She takes it and conceives through physical intimacy. However, it's very dangerous for the mother, and in the worst case, it can be fatal. It might also make it impossible to conceive again. Therefore, it's only used in extreme cases. It's also difficult to obtain. That kind of drug.

I know about this because I've been suggested to use it in the worst-case scenario, yes! It's a secret passed down only among the upper nobility!

So, Alex's biological mother. I think she used it, but that part is unclear. The fact that it's unclear itself is suspicious.

--- Anyway, at the time, Father was furious. He wanted to punish her severely, but what was the crime?

Did she assault the king? Sexually? It might be a crime.

But she only made him drunk, and she didn't use any drugs on him. This was investigated and made public. She didn't intend to harm the king.

If anything, the crime was that she conceived a child through physical intimacy.

Honestly, I thought, "Father, you were able to have a woman!" Even if he was drunk, he would have noticed. It's hard to believe he mistook her for his beloved! Physically and anatomically, it's just not possible!

Actually, many of the great nobles probably thought the duchess did a good job.

So, she was ordered to live in seclusion in a small territory owned by the duchy. She could never return to society. Her child—my younger brother—was taken away, and she had to give up all her rights as a mother.

Therefore, my younger brother has never met his biological mother.

Moreover, according to Father's logic, my younger brother is the child of a mistake. A stain on love. But in terms of bloodline, he is the most legitimate.

...This is one of the reasons for my stress.

Because, my younger brother is excellent. Yet, within the family, he is somewhat neglected, though not to the point of being mistreated. Father thinks he was betrayed by the duchess, and for my foster mother, he is the child of the man she loves but can't bear. My older brother, who loves Father and my foster mother, senses this and treats my younger brother formally.

As for me, I love my biological mother and didn't get along well with Father and my foster mother, so I spent more time with my younger brother. It was inevitable.

Therefore, my younger brother and I have a good relationship.

Alex is fourteen. He's definitely going to be a prime catch.

I want him to have a cute wife, but I'm not sure if that's possible.

In this world? In this BL world?

No, a cute same-sex partner would be fine too. But to ease my burden a bit, I also want my younger brother to have children. ...You know?

"Big sister! It's rare to see you at the training ground!"

My younger brother, who was in the middle of a fight, ran over to me. My face naturally lit up.

"Yes, a little..."

To look for men!

"A little?"

He looked suspicious and glanced behind me. There was my bodyguard knight.

Oh.

Usually, even though he stays close, he keeps a bit of distance. But today, he's right here!

Is it because it's the training ground? Even though it's inside the castle, it's an open area. Maybe his guard is different here.

"...That one, he's not hiding his presence today, is he?"

My younger brother looked at the bodyguard knight and asked me.

"Yes."

So, I nodded.

--- But, is that so? Can I feel his presence now?

During the journey, it feels like I'm alone! It's not bothersome! (Well, this bodyguard knight rarely speaks, so that's the main reason I feel this way), I've expressed his work as "hiding his presence, like the air!" or something like that.

Just an expression!

Yes, I can't sense things like presence or aura. I can only tell by physical distance.

It's Alex who can sense such things, which is unusual for a normal person.

"You've been my bodyguard for a relatively long time, haven't you?"

"Yes."

I nodded sincerely.

No, the princess's bodyguard has changed too often in the past!

...?

My younger brother—my younger brother is looking at the bodyguard knight intently.

What is this intense gaze!

Huh? Wait a minute?

Could it be... my younger brother has a crush on him? Even my younger brother? ...Sorry! I can't support you right now! I thought about it earlier, but I expected the bodyguard knight to leave soon. The main reason is the psychological damage to me...

"...No, Alex. He's my knight."

I have to set the record straight!

"--- It's even more unusual. For you to say that much about a bodyguard knight. ...What's your name?"

Ah! Name? Alex is actually asking the bodyguard knight's name? This shows he's interested!

But, oh?

The bodyguard knight didn't try to speak. When I turned around, the knight was still standing still.

"Hey, you."

Even when Alex called him again, he didn't respond. This is not good.

"You. Answer Alex properly."

When I gave the order as a princess, the bodyguard knight finally said, "Yes."

"--- I apologize. However, Princess Octavia—"

His deep blue eyes met mine.

"My master is Princess Octavia. Without her permission, I cannot speak to anyone, even her younger brother. Especially not my name."

"...You're serious."

I chuckled.

--- By the way, if a vassal answers a royal's question about their name, it means they will serve that royal. It's a declaration of changing masters. It's a betrayal.

Actually, I had completely forgotten about this!

It's a very old custom in Esfia. If both parties understand the meaning, it's a scary act, but it has become a formality. It's not taken seriously these days. However, in "The Virtuous King" Volume 5, this custom appears in a story where Sir Sil gains a new subordinate.

"He won't speak to me, who is not his master. If you want to know his name, ask your sister. That's quite old-fashioned."

Alex laughed, understanding.

Oh. His authoritative tone is impressive and a bit sad. He's showing signs of rebellion, Alex.

"Sister."

Alex turned his gaze back to me. He wants me to tell him the bodyguard's name, right?

The correct answer to this custom is for the master to ask the vassal's name.

So, I have to tell Alex the bodyguard's name.

You see, Alex, I really want to tell you...

But I don't know!

But if I say I don't know, Alex will be disappointed, right?

I hid my face with a fan.

I hope he didn't notice my eyes darting around...

The bodyguard knight, despite his expressionless face, seemed to have a slight smirk. Is he laughing at me? Does he know I can't answer?

I had an idea.

I closed the fan and pointed at the bodyguard knight with the tip.

"Then, as your master, I permit it. Teach Alex your name."

This should work!

"Yes, Princess, as you command."

The knight followed the proper etiquette and bowed.

"I am Clifford Alderton."

From my knowledge as an otaku in my previous life, in Western Europe, titles were often derived from the land. In contrast, in "The Virtuous King" world, in our country of Esfia, the noble's surname is directly their title, making it very easy to remember. You won't make mistakes like, "The Duke of A, but his surname is B!" or "What, he's a baron, not a viscount?!"

I'm not particularly smart. I was bad at math and English. I have the memories of my eighteen-year-old life, but that's it.

Adding sixteen years as Octavia doesn't really add up, I think. I had the memories from my previous life from birth. I was more mature as a child and was praised as "very excellent," but as I got closer to my previous age, that praise decreased. I became more age-appropriate. After all, my mental age is still that of a minor.

--- Anyway.

The bodyguard knight is from the Alderton family. The Aldertons are known for their military achievements. ...Wait? But didn't they only have daughters? Was there a handsome young man of marriageable age?

Alderton... Alderton... Hmm...

"Clifford Alderton?"

Hmm? Why is Alex surprised?

"You? --- Nonsense. Why would someone like you be my sister's bodyguard..."

"Alex. You shouldn't speak like that."

Alex using such words!

"But, Sister!"

"--- The Princess has given permission."

The bodyguard knight, Alderton, interjected. His gaze was fixed on me.

"...Sister, is that true?"

Alex looked at me in shock.

Alderton—Clifford, even if I forget his name, his surname as a noble family might be useful in social situations if he leaves his position as my bodyguard—said that I gave him permission to be my bodyguard?

I thought back.

Three months ago... my previous bodyguard fell in love and quit after three days. I needed to find a replacement quickly. A few days later, the head maid presented a list of candidates.

Alderton was among them, I think. ...Yes, probably.

When making the decision, I used my secret technique from my previous life. I just pointed at one. After all, whoever I chose would leave soon anyway. Why bother deliberating?

So, I followed the divine guidance, and my index finger pointed to Alderton. I decided and told the head maid, "I'll choose him." The next day, Alderton officially became my bodyguard.

Three months have passed. I've been living peacefully, and Alderton has been doing his job faithfully.

I smiled at Alex.

"Yes. I chose Alderton. He does an excellent job."

"Sister..."

Alex sighed.

"If you say so, Sister, I shouldn't say anything... but..."

I couldn't resist reaching out to touch his golden hair, inherited from Father.

"...What is it?"

Unable to resist the temptation, I patted his head. He used to beg for it, but now, in his rebellious phase, he doesn't refuse but seems a bit annoyed when I do it. But that makes him even cuter!

I stopped patting his head and hugged him tightly.

"Ah, Sister!"

"Alexis, I love you."

Then I patted his head again. My comfort!

Alex sighed deeply in my arms.

"Sister... Try to understand how it feels to be the one being patted."

...You want me to be patted too?

"Oh, you'll pat me? Sure. ...Go ahead?"

I crouched a bit.

"......"

Alex slowly reached out his hand. His palm rested on my hair, and he patted it. He patted my head for a while, then ran his fingers through my hair. Thanks to the diligent care of the maids, my hair is as smooth as in a shampoo commercial!

"...I might get used to this."

"Really? Your hair is better, though."

"No, definitely yours is better."

"Is that so? Not just because you're biased? If someone else..."

"--- Do you intend to let another man pat your head?"

Alex pulled on my hair. It hurt.

"Alex, there's no one else who would pat my head. It was just an example."

Alex is technically a man, but he's my younger brother, so it's an exception.

Yes, if there were such a man, I would ask him to pretend to be my lover first...

While spending time with Alex, I had completely forgotten why I came to the training ground—to look for men!

I looked around the training ground.

...But my enthusiasm was dampened. The soldiers practicing hand-to-hand combat, their close proximity and the way they laughed together—what is this? They look like a newly formed couple!

That superior officer and subordinate! What is that? The way he teaches sword techniques by hugging from behind!

...The training ground is full of good-looking men...

But it's no good... The happy aura of the male couples pierces my heart. My fujoshi soul trembles with joy, but as a girl who wants to fall in love, I'm crushed by the harsh reality of no openings.

I can't do this... Even the young soldier who was Alex's sparring partner, now chatting with a colleague in a corner, looks like a couple to me.

"Alex..."

"Sister?"

"Alex, stay with me for a while..."

I know the day will come when he leaves, but at least, not yet!

Alex smiled brightly.

"Yes, of course, Sister."

My younger brother is an angel!