*wipes eyes* Dammit, who’s cutting onions in here?!

"……elder brother."

When I returned to the mansion from the tower, I headed towards brother"s room. Somehow, I felt that I wanted to talk with brother.

Elder brother was playing board games by himself. I"m sure that he was reviewing his match with Romel-san on his own.

"I just started my break. Come in."

"Yes……"

"……how unusual for Mel to come here."

"Is that so?"

Tilting my head to the side, I thought back to my past visits.

He was indeed right - since coming to the Capital, I"ve only come to visit him once or twice.

"And so, what is it?"

"Is it alright if we talk for a while?"

"Of course. That"s why you came here, right?"

"Yes…….um, why did brother not think to learn the sword?"

"That"s quite an odd question to ask. For the first son of the Anderson Marquis House, which excels in the military arts in Tasmeria Kindgom, is it not necessary to learn a certain degree of martial arts?"

"That is true, but……"

Stopping his movement of the pieces of the board game, elder brother met eyes with me.

"……Mel. If you have something that you want to ask, it is fine to ask directly. Right now, only you and I are here. There is no need for restraint between family, right?"

Hearing brother"s words, I stopped hesitating……and opened my mouth to speak.

"…….has brother never desired to take revenge for mother?"

For a moment, a wrinkle appeared on brother"s forehead as he appeared to ponder.

"…….honestly speaking, I have. I wanted to drop that bunch who killed mother to h.e.l.l with my own hands, without leaving a single one of them behind."

"……and now?"

At my question, elder brother made a sad smile.

"Even now, I think that. If I was blessed with the chance, I would act without hesitating. I have no intention of forgiving those who stole my……our family"s precious person and happiness."

"Thank goodness……"

"However, Mel. On the other hand, I am worried about your current condition."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Didn"t you say that revenge is everything? In other words……right now you are turning your eyes away from the present and only looking at the past. Without desiring happiness……seeing you just single-mindedly continuing to pursue a past happiness that will never return, how am I supposed to have a peace of mind? ……you may be satisfied with that. However, father and I are hoping that you will become happy. Because we love you as a family. That is exactly why we find your current state heartbreaking, and are worried about you."

"Older brother……"

"When I heard that you were attacked by bandits, my blood froze. And then, from the bottom of my heart, I felt annoyed with my own idiocy…….within me, mother"s incident was of utmost priority. It is not a lie that I wished to throw those guys down to h.e.l.l. However……you are alive. You"re alive……!"

Saying that, elder brother gripped my hand.

That hand, which was larger than mine, gripped my hand. As if—

As if it were trying to make sure of my existence.

"I……do not want to turn my eyes away from the precious things that are currently in my hands, and then regret it later."

Elder brother"s words, which gradually began to heat up, pierced my chest.

I thought that elder brother"s facial expressions had become more plentiful lately, like how they were when we were younger. Father was the same.

Although I thought that it was thanks to Romel-ojisan……I was wrong.

"…….brother, are you saying that I am wrong?"

"No. A person"s heart belongs to that person alone. There is not right or wrong. As long as your heart does not deny your wish, then to you, that is right. That"s why, what I said was…….my ego."

Elder brother released my hand and stroked my head.

"I will not deny your desire to have revenge. No, I…….can"t. You should do what you desire to accomplish. However, please do not forget. That we are praying for your happiness."

Translator Comments:

Such a good family…*sniffles*