Chapter 29

* * *

Joshua returned to the room.

However, a rustling sound came from inside the bedroom.

Frowning, he quickly opened the door leading to the bedroom.

Balk's shoulders, which were rummaging through a drawer, suddenly tensed.

"Hey, you’re back…?"

"What are you doing there?"

Balk said with an embarrassed expression.

"You have a stool. A small one."

"What?"

"Ah, why did Prince Rishan make one for you…"

"Balk—!!"

Joshua's shout echoed loudly through the room.

Balk flinched.

Joshua grabbed Balk's collar and pushed him against the wall with a thud.

"I've told you not to mention Prince Rishan."

Rishan Astra.

That name was a shackle for the brothers.

The man who tried to poison Daemon and betrayed Astra.

He had stolen the divine artifact that Astra possessed.

Rishan's death was also due to the artifact. He received a curse from it and died at a young age.

If the twins hadn't been born with a powerful blessing, Rishan might have been abandoned immediately after his death.

Thus, Rishan's name was almost taboo for the twin brothers.

Balk muttered.

"It was a mistake…"

"How many times are you going to make this mistake?"

"…"

Joshua glared at Balk with a cold expression.

"Either keep your mouth shut if you're stupid, or think before you speak."

Balk's eyebrows twitched.

"Your words are a bit harsh?"

"Your mental state is the harsh part."

"This—"

A surge of energy began to emanate from Balk's hand.

As he extended his hand, Joshua quickly let go of his collar and stepped back.

The wave of energy from Balk's hand struck the wall.

Bang—!

With a dull thud, the wall was indented in a large circular shape.

"Want to fight?"

"Do you think you're the only one with an attack blessing? Idiot."

Balk frowned and placed his hand on the dagger at his waist.

Joshua also grabbed the sword hanging on the wall.

Balk was the first to attack.

Just as the two were about to clash,

"Stop it!"

Elliot, who had run over, stood between them.

Startled, Balk stepped back.

Joshua also took a step back.

The brothers frowned and looked at the child blocking their way.

"Hey!"

Balk shouted.

"Are you crazy? Why did you jump between our swords!"

You almost turned into a squished walnut.

"Because you were fighting."

Elliot, still standing between them, said.

"Even if you fight, jumping between swords is dangerous!"

"What's it to you?"

Balk and Joshua answered in turn.

"It's a fight between brothers."

"In Astra, brothers can even kill each other."

"…"

The child fell silent, apparently at a loss for words.

Then, after a moment of contemplation, he narrowed his eyes.

"Then, since you're still babies, you should fight safely. (Then, since you're still babies, you should fight safely.)"

Balk snorted.

"Idiot. There's no such thing as a safe fight."

"Is there?"

"Yep!"

Elliot grabbed each of their hands.

'…!'

'What is this?'

Joshua was startled, and Balk was no different.

Balk looked at the tiny hand that had grabbed his.

'Why does he grab people like that?'

Apart from when he was too young to button his own clothes, no one had ever grabbed him.

He only touched others during sword training.

But Elliot had no qualms about holding hands.

'…Do I look good?'

Thinking about it, it made sense.

Helping the wild horses on the King's Ultra Generation Grassland, applying ointment when he said it was itchy…

Elliot coughed, still holding Balk's hand.

Elliot led the two to the table, sat them down, and made them hold hands.

"What is this!"

"Let go."

The two pulled away as if they had touched a bug.

Elliot said nonchalantly.

"It's arm wrestling."

"What kind of wrestling?"

"Arm wrestling. The one who pushes the other's arm down first wins."

Elliot demonstrated with his own arm.

The brothers burst out laughing.

It was ridiculous that this was considered a fight.

Joshua frowned deeply.

"Both of you get out of my room. Stop making nonsense—"

"Hmm, Joshua, are you going to lose? (Hmm, Joshua, are you going to lose?)"

"What?"

"Because you're scared. Balk is stronger, right?"

Balk wore a smug expression.

"Of course! I'm the older brother."

Joshua puffed up, saying he couldn't even match him.

Joshua smiled coldly.

"Your reckless bravery is still the same."

"How can you beat me, who only reads books in his room?"

"Have you forgotten? I won the last sword competition."

"That was because you used underhanded tactics."

"You were just stupid for falling for them."

The brothers' gazes clashed fiercely again.

Balk slammed his fist on the table.

"Let's see who's stronger."

"I don't do fights without stakes."

"If you win, you'll be the older brother from now on!"

Joshua raised an eyebrow.

The two brothers sat down.

Elliot placed a chair between them and climbed on it.

Then he placed his tiny hand on top of their clasped hands.

"Then—start!"

As he said "start," he removed his hand.

The two brothers tensed their fists.

* * *

I watched Joshua and Balk, whose arms felt like they were about to tear, with hazy eyes.

It had been at least ten minutes since the arm wrestling started.

I was worried they might break their arms, but they were putting all their strength into it.

'Well, it's a good thing.'

It was worth provoking Joshua.

I had planned to search Joshua's room while he was out.

It's hard to get in because he locks his room when he leaves.

'No matter how I think about it, Joshua's behavior is strange.'

The two were so focused on the arm wrestling that they ignored me.

I jumped off the chair and pretended to look around the room.

'Joshua's room is incredibly tidy.'

The room, decorated in blue, had no unnecessary furniture.

The desk was neat.

True to his meticulous nature, the desk drawers were all locked.

'Nothing particularly unusual here.'

Then my eyes fell on the fireplace.

There were a few burnt logs in the fireplace.

'Logs in this weather…?'

It was hot during the day because of the sun.

I thought maybe he used it at night, but there were still some embers.

'He didn't use it to warm the room. He burned something.'

And if it's something a noble like Joshua would burn, it's obvious.

'A letter.'

I glanced at Joshua.

The two were still focused on the arm wrestling.

"Now…! Give…! Up…!"

"You…me."

'Should I dig deeper? Or not?'

If Joshua hadn't caused trouble in the jurisdiction, I would have pretended not to notice.

I didn't want to get involved and have things go wrong.

'But he caused trouble in my territory.'

What if he was targeting my father or me?

I needed to cut the problem off at the root before it escalated.

That's when it happened.

Crack—!

The table made a terrifying sound and split, unable to withstand their strength.

'Ah!'

I was startled, but Balk shouted.

"My win. You were being pushed back before the table broke!"

"You're just making excuses."

"You're right!"

"Before that, you almost fell over twice."

'Looking at them, they're just kids.'

Kids who don't need to hide things, plot, and struggle for power.

I sighed.

* * *

Night.

After a hearty dinner, I patted my round belly.

"It seems you enjoyed your meal, Miss."

"Yep!"

Today, I had dinner separately from the twins. Father also dined with the staff.

So I enjoyed a leisurely dinner for the first time in a while.

"This—much meat."

"Oh, that's good. Did you brush your teeth?"

"Mm-hm."

Heidi smiled and undid the buttons on my dress.

"Now, stretch."

"Stretch."

Heidi made a blissful expression and rubbed her cheek against mine.

"What a good girl you are."

After rubbing her cheek against mine for a while, she suddenly stopped.

'Huh?'

Usually, it takes at least five minutes, but today she stopped early.

"Hurry up, I guess."

I tilted my head at her muttering.

"Going to the study?"

"I need to take care of the two young masters' clothes."

"Balk and Joshua don't have maids?"

"No, they don't. They don't like having people around. But this time, they came with Baron Zhabang."

Heidi shrugged and continued.

"I heard Joshua dislikes him."

Dislikes?

Why would he defend someone he dislikes?

"Why does he dislike him?"

"Almost no one likes Baron Zhabang. He's like a hyena of power…"

"Hyena?"

"Yes, he became an evaluation councilor this time because he clung to power."

"…"

"He followed Deconce so much, he finally got what he wanted."

"…"

"That's probably too complicated for you, Miss."

Heidi laughed awkwardly and stood up.

"Make sure to cover yourself with the blanket and sleep well?"

"Yep."

"Have a good dream, Miss."

Heidi left, and I flopped onto the bed.

'There are too many strange things happening.'

No matter how hard I try not to think about them, they keep bothering me.

'Well, there's nothing I can do.'

I channeled mana into my dantian.

Then a window appeared, shining brightly in front of me.

'I didn't want to use the blessing unless absolutely necessary.'

The last time I used it during the Michelan incident, my condition wasn't good.

And most importantly…

'Reading the comments makes me so angry.'

I wish Dalia would come quickly and turn the situation around. 😭