He's My Real Brother, Duke

✿

When my nephew arrives, should I hide that he’s my brother’s child?

My worries have deepened.

Astel carefully bowed and carefully nodded.

Although the anxiety has deepened somewhat, I had to step back for a while for this conservation in advance.

“Thank you for your consideration.”

Whenever I thanked the Duke, he showed a distinctive expression.

As if an icy cold face melted down, the corners of the eyes drooped slightly, the stiff lips loosened, and a slight blush appeared on the pure white cheeks.

Everything changed and it would not be noticed unless someone closely observed.

‘I didn’t know what that change meant, but one thing was for sure…’ (Astel)

It was the fact that the Duke seemed to treat me a little more special than anyone else.

It’s probably thanks to the imprint.

Staring at him in the sphere, now that I’ve done enough health checks, I keep noticing other things.

It was really fun to see his face with other expressions little by little.

While Astel’s eyes were moving cautiously, something was caught in her gaze.

“The Duke has a small mole under his lips.” (Astel)

It was a change that I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t looked at his face closely through the sphere.

“I didn’t know.” (Duke)

The Duke’s drowsy eyes widened and he whispered.

“You know what? Astell has little freckles on the back of her nose.” (Duke)

“…Really?” (Astel)

Startled, Astel touched the bridge of her nose.

Astel discovered a little feature that she didn’t even know she had.

After that, we shared a few more words about our little discoveries about each other.

Before the sphere went off, Astel carefully said,

“I feel a little weird right now. My vision was blurry, I felt dizzy.” (Astel)

“…”

“I don’t know if it’s an imprint problem or because I talked too much.”

The Duke softly opened his mouth.

“Of course, I’ll go back as soon as possible.”

“Yes?” (Astel)

“I have to hurry and check your condition.” (Duke)

The last time he had a smile around lips, the sphere popped and turned off.

Then my face was reflected in the darkened sphere.

Only then did I realize that I was smiling the whole time I was talking to him.

✿

Meanwhile, there were those who inevitably knew that Astel and the Duke of Anais communicated every night.

It was the maid of honor, Rudel and Astel’s exclusive maids, Sally and Jenny.

Of course, Sally and Jenny, who were loyal as a heavy-mouthed maid and Astel, kept this fact completely hidden.

However, because of that, a topic that only the three of them could relate to has arisen.

Each time Astel spoke on the sphere in the room, they gathered in the dark and had a serious conversation.

Sally was always the first to open up the conversation.

“Actually, wasn’t it because of Astel that he conquered the ice wall?” (Sally)

“…Was the Duke that kind of person?”

“But she seems to be more concerned about taking care of the ward.”

“Still…”

They glanced at Rudel, the maid, who was silent for a while.

She was strict and demanding, and she did not like to talk about superiors.

Then Sally became worried.

Could I be scolded for overreacting?

“Hmm…” (Rudel)

Unsurprisingly, Rudel frowned slightly.

She took a sip of what was supposed to be a migraine medication that Astel had given her.

And she came to a shocking conclusion with a serious voice.

“If she does well, she may come into our family.”

…She was a step further than the golden retrievers.

Rather, Jenny took a step back.

“What? Even became the Madam..?”

Rudel turned around and seriously warned and squinted at them.

“Don’t interrupt my pleasant imagination.” (Rudel)

Sally and Jenny, who met each other’s gaze at the warning, scratched their heads awkwardly.

✿

Just at that time, in the capital of the empire.

Cassian, who had barely returned to the capital and rushed to find Rachel, was faced with a situation he had never considered before.

“The Anna that you dated before.” (Rachel)

“…Yes, I remember.” (Cassian)

Anna, his first lover and the woman who left him.

When they first met and when they broke up, they were too young and clumsy.

“When she broke up with you, she had a child, Anna didn’t know. And she… couldn’t afford to handle it, and abandoned the child in the nursery.” (Rachel)

“…”

“I’m not saying that her choice was bad. It must have been hard to raise a child alone.” (Rachel)

“Anyway, Anna died a while ago, and you’re the only one who was blood related to this child.”

Cassian stared down at the child Rachel was holding.

He couldn’t deny it even for a moment.

The child that Anna gave birth to looked too much like Cassian.

Pressing down on his trembling emotions, Cassian quietly spoke, stroking the child’s head.

“I’d just have to raise this child. I’m going to read some childcare books or something.”

Rachel shook her head and whispered softly.

“There’s a problem. We need a competent doctor or healer. That child was a little special.” (Rachel)

“Special?” (Cassian)

“It’s the Mana Runaway Syndrome.”

‘Mana runaway syndrome.’

A rare disease in which excessive mana accumulates in the body, constantly collides and explodes, and eats the same life force.

“The only thing that could control the rampant mana was a control potion.” (Rachel)

“…Yes, it was.”

“Are you familiar with this disease? Then, as you are well aware, there are very few healers who could treat this disease. Even if there are, they are impossible to hire because of the treatment cost.” (Rachel)

“…”

“And it’s harder to find a healer you could trust in our situation.” (Rachel)

The child in Rachel’s arms groaned as if in pain.

Cassian clenched his teeth.

“I’ve been looking everywhere, but it’s too hard to find a competent healer. If it’s like this, there’s a high probability that this child might die soon.” (Rachel)

Cassian was speechless.

He knew one competent healer who could control the runaway of mana.

‘Astel, what are you doing?’

‘Making a potion for controlling the runaway of mana, why?’

‘Would you ever meet a patient with such a rare disease in your life?’

‘Everything has a reason. Absolutely, I must learn to make it no matter what! Go away, I’m busy!’

Astel, the younger sister who was studying the mana runaway control potion until dark circles came down under her eyes.

At the same time as Cassian recalled his beloved sister, he looked down at a two-year-old child with red cheeks.

The child’s chest swelled up as if it was difficult for him to breathe.

The child then breathed a short breath out of his lips.

At that moment, words that Astel had repeated dozens or hundreds of times as if brainwashing him since he was very young came to mind.

He really thought what she said was nonsense.

‘Brother, if I have a nephew, I want to raise him!’

‘Hey, you’re still 12 years old.’

‘Anyway! I still want to raise it!’

‘Astel, your brother doesn’t even have a girlfriend yet…’

Cassian shook his head.

‘No, I can’t.’

It’s hard for Astel to do his part.

It’s my child I have to protect.

“It was diagnosed for a while, and it was about 10 days before the mana would explode.”

Rachel gave a stern sentence.

“This child has about ten days left, so please be nice to him.” (Rachel)

Cassian erased Astel’s voice ringing in his ears, closing his eyes tight and opening them again.

“The diagnosis might be wrong.”

First of all, I had to look everywhere for another healer.