Episode 59 – Playing the Big Brother

*

Mela’s son, Edward, was lost in thought on the carriage ride back to the mansion.

Ever since leaving the White Glass Tower, the story told by Baron Salvier kept swirling around in his head, making him dizzy.

The fact that something in Aunt Jennifer’s room was worsening Tess’s condition.

He felt like the jumbled pieces of a jigsaw puzzle were slowly finding their place in his mind, yet at the same time, there were still many vague and empty spots.

Edward began to calmly assemble the information he knew in his head.

According to his mother, Mela, Tess’s condition had worsened recently.

Indeed, Tess going blind was a very recent development.

The information Baron Salvier had given him, that perhaps the cause was the influence of something in Jennifer’s room, troubled Edward once again.

Moreover, it was even more so because the source of that information was the doctor who had lifted Dena’s curse.

Aunt Jennifer, being the Archmage representing this empire, would surely possess many mysterious objects, and there was a good chance she unknowingly had something that was negatively affecting Tess, but,

Did the Archmage really not know about it? That question kept nagging at Edward.

The unidentified curse tormenting Tess was only growing stronger day by day.

Whether it was her intention, or merely a coincidence, Edward couldn’t rashly make a judgment.

Jennifer, and now the vanished Lara.

Edward, Mela’s child, had been raised to call those two “Aunt.”

Daniel and Rose, Jennifer’s children, also called Mela and Lara “Aunt.”

Of course, everyone knew that Robin’s three brides weren’t siblings, but the fact that they had their children call each other “Aunt” was a heartwarming testament to how close the friendship between those three mothers was.

Would such an Aunt Jennifer try to harm Tess?

He thought it was highly unlikely, but he wasn’t certain.

Having witnessed his father Robin’s cruel side, which he had never known before, Edward no longer wanted to repeat the mistake of judging them based on familial affection or the Hero Party’s reputation.

Thinking coldly, there were more strange things.

Since the commotion when Daniel was resurrected as an undead and attacked Dena and the Baron, Edward hadn’t seen Jennifer once.

Not during mealtimes, nor at any other time, had Jennifer been seen inside the mansion.

Even though he had been busy nursing Dena and Tess, Edward sighed, feeling pathetic for only realizing this now.

Edward took out the rectangular glass box the Baron had given him from his pocket and looked at it, resolving himself.

“As soon as I get to the mansion, I need to go to Aunt Jennifer’s room.”

Edward was finding it overwhelming to solve the many problems that had befallen him.

If it weren’t for Baron Salvier’s help, he might have already collapsed several times.

He felt pathetic for shamelessly begging for help again, but what could he, a fifteen-year-old who had just come of age, do?

Edward stopped berating himself and resolved to find what he could do and do his best.

First, after finding the problematic object in Jennifer’s room today, he planned to visit Bishop Sioland to find a way to lift the curse, obtain permission from the Vatican to delay his return, and find a convent under the diocese’s jurisdiction to protect Dena from Robin’s eyes.

Edward, who had been thinking hard to prepare for what was to come, suddenly let out a hollow laugh and lamented.

“When am I ever going to get the divine power of healing…”

The divine power of healing.

Even now, as an apprentice priest, it was a goal that felt so vague and distant.

Edward looked at the box he was holding and thought of the doctor who had healed Dena.

Perhaps he could heal Tess.

If there was one great goal in Edward’s life, it was only one thing.

To save Tess.

His mother, Mela, had also testified that it was divine power that had lifted Dena’s curse, and whether that unidentified doctor was an excommunicated religious figure or a heretic who believed in an evil god, Edward didn’t care in the slightest.

If he could save his poor little sister, he wouldn’t mind not obtaining divine power himself.

He could insult the goddess he had vowed to dedicate his life to as a priest, and he could bow his head even if that man was his enemy.

Psh,

Thinking such blasphemous thoughts is why the divine power of healing will always be out of reach.

Edward spat out a self-deprecating laugh.

Soon, the carriage stopped at the entrance of the mansion.

*

Lily was a little flustered by the chilly atmosphere pervading the living room.

Lara was glaring at Ellie, and Ellie, covering her mouth with a fan, was smiling and sneering at Lara.

I was at a loss between the two, and Mena and Deborah were shrugging their shoulders as if it were none of their business.

After a moment of silence, Lily tried to lighten the mood by speaking to Mena in a bright voice.

“Um… tea, tea! Haha, Mena-ssi’s tea is always excellent! I wonder if there’s any left for me?”

“…Ah, there’s tea left, but it’s already lukewarm. I’ll prepare some more for you.”

“Ah… no, you don’t have to go that far.”

“It won’t take long. Please wait a moment.”

Mena got up from her seat, took the teapot, and disappeared into the kitchen.

With fewer people around the table, the already chilly atmosphere felt even more like a cold wind was blowing.

Lily turned to Deborah and spoke.

“Oh! I’ve heard the stories, but this is the first time I’m meeting you! You’re Deborah-nim, Ed’s teacher, right?”

“Hmm, so you’re the archer’s daughter. It’s nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you too.”

Lily naturally sat next to Deborah, glancing slightly at Lara and Ellie.

Lara felt her daughter’s gaze and sighed, calming herself down.

“…Let’s stop this. I was rude, Your Highness.”

“I was too insensitive as well, ‘Countess’.”

“What did you just… say?”

“Enough.”

I firmly cut off the two of them.

My voice echoed in the living room, and Lara and Ellie looked at me at the same time.

“Unless you’re going to explain why you’re fighting, both of you shut your mouths.”

“Ed, even so, you’re being too harsh with the Princess…”

“You wouldn’t act like this in the Imperial Palace either. I know how annoying it is to act as a Baron. How much more annoying would it be to act as a Princess? The fact that you only show this side of yourself in front of me means you don’t want to act authoritative in front of me, right?”

“You’re perceptive. That’s right, I don’t want to act stiff in front of you.”

“Then I’ll speak comfortably too. Shut that mouth of yours.”

“…Tch, I’m doing this because I want you to like me.”

“And Lara.”

“…Yeah.”

“Why are you getting more and more aggressive and radiating killing intent? You used to be more relaxed and laid-back.”

“…20 years is a long time. I guess I’ve changed.”

“…Really?”

“You should know that best, Ed. Yes, we’ve all changed. Me, and Mela too…”

“…Ha,”

“…”

I sighed briefly.

Of course, I knew that many things had changed in 20 years, but Lara’s behavior had changed a lot more recently.

You could say she’s become bolder.

After I rejected her confession, the appeals that seemed to be decreasing had become stronger and bolder lately.

I said to Lara.

“One thing will never change. The fact that you’ll be my friend.”

“That’s right, we’re,”

“Friends. Only that far, Lara.”

“…”

“I don’t know what you two are fighting about, but I’d appreciate it if you could keep it to a level that doesn’t bother me.”

“…”

“…Hmm,”

The two looked at each other with uncomfortable expressions.

But I didn’t want to bother with the troublesome task of reconciling the two of them.

I growled as a warning.

“You don’t need to understand. You don’t need to understand me, but,”

“But…?”

I wrapped my entire body in mana.

Ellie, Deborah, and Mena were surprised by the ominous mana I was emitting, their eyes widening in panic.

I slowly opened my mouth as if to show off.

“Don’t forget that there’s some bastard in my head who’s constantly eyeing my body. Got it? Try to make sure I don’t get to the point where I don’t care about anything anymore and hand my body over to this guy, okay?”

Lara and Lily, who knew exactly what was in my head, were shocked by my words.

“…Ed,”

“Try your best to make sure I don’t get tired of this world.”

[…Are you really going to give me to them?]

‘You shut up too, you moron.’

[Hehe, Ed, you surprised me.]

My temples throbbed.

The dull pain spreading in my head made me reflect on the fact that a human body was indeed uncomfortable. I spoke to Deborah.

“Teacher, shall we take a walk for a bit?”

“Shall we?”

“Yes, Lily. Enjoy your tea, and once you’re done, put on some clothes that are easy to move in. If we’re lucky, we might have something to do today.”

“Ah, okay. Ed.”

I picked up the mask, put it on my face, and left the room with Deborah.

*

“It’s cleaner than I thought?”

Jennifer’s room, which was expected to be filled with countless artifacts of unknown origin or magical objects, had nothing particularly suspicious other than a library filled with numerous books and a desk with some medicinal herbs on it.

As Mela’s son, Edward had never had the opportunity to enter Jennifer’s room, so it was his first time entering, but in many ways, it was different from what he had imagined.

Kiiing-

“What’s that sound?”

As Edward entered Jennifer’s room, the glass box in his pocket began to make strange noises and tremble.

“Did it find something?”

He took the glass box out of his pocket.

As he walked around the room with the box, it seemed that there were places where the vibration became more intense.

Edward began to walk around the room, following the trembling of the box.

In front of the bookcase in the center of the wall, which was filled with books, the glass box began to tremble so violently that it seemed like it would break soon.

It felt like a puppy that had fallen into the water was trembling from the cold and fear after being rescued.

“This… bookcase?”

Edward carefully examined the bookcase.

To him, who had no knowledge of magic, it was just an ordinary-looking bookcase, but the glass box was clearly pointing to this bookcase.

There was a vacant spot on the bookcase that was just right for the glass box to fit in.

This rectangular glass box was about the size of a thick book.

‘Could it be?’

Edward tried to insert the glass box into the vacant spot.

Whoosh,

Wind blew through the gaps in the bookcase.

“What the hell is this…?”

The wind blowing from the bookcase grew stronger and stronger, and the bookcase slid back as if it were a door.

And a dark passage opened up, with an indescribable, terrible smell wafting out.

It was a space so dark that he couldn’t see in front of him.

Edward lit the oil lamp in Jennifer’s room, held it up, covered his nose, and slowly entered the passage.

“To think there was such a space in our mansion…”

With Edward’s shallow knowledge, he couldn’t quite explain it, but it was a space that felt as if the air wrapping around his body was sticky.

The unpleasant smell that penetrated even through his covered nose made his head spin.

Certainly, even to Edward, who didn’t know much about curses, it was a space that made him think that a space with something related to curses would have this kind of atmosphere.

How long had he walked?

At the end of the passage, a wide and large cavern appeared.

And Edward was speechless at the sight that unfolded.

“…Good heavens, what on earth is Aunt Jennifer…”

Such a terrible place that made him feel disgusted all over his body.

Was the source of the stench the smell of blood and rotting flesh?

Edward barely held on to his dizzying mind, but the more he looked at this place with a sharp mind, the more cold sweat flowed from his body like crazy, and he felt the stench so vividly that his nose tingled.

In the meantime, in the corner of the cavern far away, he could see stairs leading down to the lower floor.

He couldn’t bring himself to go deeper into this hellish space.

As Edward was contemplating whether to turn back, Tess’s words suddenly flashed through his mind.

‘I believe that big brother will heal me.’

‘I really lucked out having you as my big brother.’

“Seriously. Playing the big brother is really hard.”

Edward firmly gripped the oil lamp, which kept slipping due to the sweat on his hands, and stared straight ahead with his eyes wide open.

“I don’t know. If I die, Tess, you be my big brother in the next life.”

He finished his resolution and took a step forward.

It was then.

“So you saw it.”

“…Aunt Jennifer?”

Jennifer was standing behind Ed.

.