Arc-7 Ch-02
120
Chapter
A Gloomy Brother and His Cheerful Sister
2025
A private dormitory room offers no escape route, while places such as the library or the rooftop within the school building are filled with too many prying eyes. One of the hardships of dormitory life at the Royal Academy, far removed from my homeland, is the scarcity of places where I can truly be alone with my thoughts. In the end, the only places within the academy where I am able to immerse myself in contemplation are those forgotten even by the faculty and staff.
I glance around to ensure that no one is nearby. I find myself longing for the peaceful Bartfort territory, where aside from the airport bustling with tourists and the hot-spring inn, there is nothing but open fields. No, even back at our mansion, with my younger brothers and sisters being so noisy, the only place where my heart could truly find rest was Father’s separate residence located a short distance away.
When Father was away from the territory on business, my chief amusement in my homeland, where there were few diversions, was to sneak into that residence, nibble on snacks I had brought from the mansion, and devour the books in its collection. To be honest, I do not particularly like the capital or the academy. The gazes of others are constantly fixed upon me, and I am perpetually required to behave in a manner befitting my family’s lineage and my parents’ positions.
I already draw unwanted attention as “of the Bartfort bloodline” or “the son of the Villainous Knight,” and on top of that, the family member who always causes trouble is right beside me. The only places within the academy where my heart can rest are dark, damp, and unpopular corners. Why is it that students of the same year always seem to laugh so cheerfully and savor their lives?
The world is filled with unpleasant, painful, and troublesome things. Well, it cannot be helped. All I can do is continue struggling in my own small, inelegant way. Shaking off those thoughts, I decide to read the contents of the envelope.
『Do you hate me, Onii-sama?』
It takes me a moment to comprehend the meaning of the words written at the end of the letter. I read them vertically, horizontally, diagonally. No matter how I read them, there is only one possible interpretation. The slightly rounded handwriting is a familiar trait of my cousin, whom I have known since the moment she was born. Young noble ladies born into long-established houses undergo years of strict education to instill proper ladylike behavior before making their debut into high society.
Mother once told me that once mothers and tutors deem them fully accomplished ladies, their hairstyles, gestures, and even their handwriting, similar phrasing and similar sentence structures, end up making them all resemble one another. Before entering the Royal Academy, noble children are rigorously trained to master a certain standard of etiquette. Even now, though the status of commoners has risen compared to Mother’s time at the academy, noble children are still burdened with far more expectations and lessons than commoners.
Once her formal ladylike education begins, I may never see her cute handwriting again. Allowing myself a brief moment of such sentimentality, I regain my composure and turn my gaze back to the letter.
『Do you hate me, Onii-sama?』
Yes, nothing has changed.
This is not a hallucination but undeniable reality. Setting that aside, I tilt my head in confusion at the contents of the letter. Why does she believe that I unilaterally dislike her, phrased in a way that makes it sound as though I am the one at fault?
I truly do not understand. A woman’s heart is complex, bizarre, and utterly incomprehensible. Just imagining how I will be required from now on to constantly cater to the moods of ladies at noble gatherings and parties is enough to make me feel depressed.
“What’re you doing~?”
“……”
Of all people, the one I least want to see right now has chosen this moment to speak to me. It is always like this. She is never around when I actually need help, yet appears of her own accord whenever I wish to be left alone. She is the one who has caused trouble ever since we were young, yet I am always the one who ends up being scolded alongside her.
One cannot choose the circumstances of one’s birth. The misfortune one is born with follows them for life. A living example of that misfortune has just sat down beside me on the bench without even bothering to ask for permission.
“…What did you come here for?”
“That’s such a cold way to talk to your cute little sister. Did something unpleasant happen?”
“At the moment, the greatest misfortune is that Ariel has appeared in front of me.”
“What do you mean by that? Are you saying it’s bad for me to get close to Lionel?”
“Since we both entered the Royal Academy, about seventy percent of the things you have said to me this semester when approaching me have been ‘Teach me how to study,’ ‘Lend me money,’ or ‘Come accompany me for a bit,’ if I recall correctly.”
“Guh…”
“It’s a bad habit of yours, Ariel, to immediately rely on me whenever things become inconvenient. I doubt Mother would approve.”
“Shut up!”
Ariel pouts and turns her face away, her expression twisting, though it hardly detracts from her charm. To me, her real brother, it is a face I have known since we gained awareness of the world. To the male students of the academy who barely know her, however, she must appear as a beautiful young lady. There are six children in the Bartfort count family, and among them, the one who most closely resembles Mother is the eldest daughter, Ariel.
If one were to place a photograph of Mother from her days as a duke’s daughter beside a current photograph of Ariel and claim they were twins, most people would believe it. Thus, the more someone knows Mother from her youth, the more easily they are deceived. Though Ariel’s appearance mirrors Mother perfectly, their personalities are entirely different.
“You failed to enter the advanced class because your entrance exam scores were poor, you struggle to submit assignments because you spend your time playing with friends, and you run out of pocket money and borrow from me because you waste it. Everything begins with your own actions, Ariel. There is no room for me or anyone else to intervene.”
“Don’t just spout reasonable arguments!”
“Even if I remain silent, Mother or Father will say the same. If you wish to avoid being scolded, you should be more careful in your everyday behavior.”
“That’s why I hate goody-two-shoes. They’re so full of themselves.”
“I am not particularly a goody-two-shoes.”
Even back in the Bartfort territory, I considered myself quite capable, if not a genius. That small sense of pride was shattered and discarded the moment I entered the Royal Academy. As its name suggests, the Royal Academy is an educational institution established by the Kingdom of Holfort. Noble and wealthy children from across the vast kingdom gather here, along with commoners who possess exceptional talent.
According to Mother, in her time, noble children were automatically placed into the advanced class without consideration of academic ability or conduct, while commoners, no matter how gifted, were placed in the regular class unless a substantial donation was made. That system changed nearly twenty years ago, when a saintess of commoner origin was admitted to the advanced class as a scholarship student.
That saintess swiftly surpassed even high-ranking noble ladies and was said to excel both academically and practically, to the point that even Mother, who had received an exceptional education as a duke’s daughter, could not compare. Later, she distinguished herself in the war against the former Principality of Fanoss, now annexed by the kingdom, contributed to the alliance with the Republic of Alzer, the annexation of the former principality’s territory, and policies regarding sub-humans, among many other achievements.
The Royal Academy, whose existence had once been threatened, underwent major reforms after the war and became an institution devoted to cultivating talent regardless of status. As a result, a noble child unable to enroll in the academy is regarded as a disgrace to their family, someone whose intelligence or character is deemed hopeless. If such a child is the heir, then all examinees strive desperately to be placed in the advanced class. Thanks to Mother’s strict education, I managed to enter the advanced class, but that class, where the kingdom’s most talented students gather, was a den of individuals far superior to me.
Now I spend my days desperately trying to avoid falling behind in lectures and practical training. I have no leisure to enjoy student life the way Ariel does. Why must my life remain so difficult even after coming all the way to the capital?
“By the way, are you going to attend tomorrow’s party?”
“No. It’s a hassle, so I won’t. I plan to relax in my room.”
“Why are you so terrible at socializing? You gloomy shut-in!”
Smack!
Ariel strikes me on the head. It does not hurt much, but it irritates me. Ever since we were young, Ariel has never hesitated to use violence against me. Whenever we fought as children, it was always my younger sister who struck first. When Mother was about to reprimand her for making me cry, she would either run away or begin crying herself. That was our daily routine.
In recent years, as my physical growth has surpassed hers, we rarely fight publicly anymore. When I once consulted Father about how to turn Ariel into a refined young lady, he replied pathetically, “Sisters are just like that. Give up quietly.”
“The party you mean is that joint event organized by the students at the end of the semester, correct?”
“That’s right. Students gather regardless of status to eat, drink, and dance. First-year students attending for the first time are treated as guests simply for paying the fee, so we absolutely have to enjoy it.”
“If you’re going, then go alone, Ariel. It isn’t even a noble gathering, so don’t drag me into it.”
“You should be grateful that your little sister is thinking about her pitiful brother who has so few friends.”
“If you truly want to be thoughtful, then leave me alone.”
I already have a pressing problem with a deadline. I have neither the time nor the mental space to concern myself with a party I have no desire to attend. Today marks the final day of classes for the semester. Tomorrow is the closing ceremony, and the day after that, Father will come to retrieve us, and we will return to the Bartfort territory.
I have to resolve this by tomorrow at the latest, yet I do not want to exhaust myself further by attending an event I have no interest in.
“…What is that thing you have been holding since earlier?”
“It has nothing to do with you, Ariel.”
“Either you let me snatch it away by force, or you tell me obediently. Choose whichever you think is better within ten seconds.”
“……It is a letter from Theresia.”
Damn it. This is a pathetic habit that was drilled into me down to the marrow of my bones when I was a child. If I resisted here, Ariel would not hesitate to seize the letter by force and read it aloud in front of everyone. Surely, we must have been fighting even when we were still in Mother’s womb. Otherwise, there is no way we would have ended up with such drastically different personalities, constantly clashing like this.
“Oh my, how sweet. A love letter to your beloved fiancée? She has reached that age already, hasn’t she?”
“She is not my fiancée. She is only a fiancée candidate.”
“That is basically the same thing. You will end up marrying her when you grow up anyway.”
“I do not believe that is necessarily the case.”
“There you go again, saying things like that.”
Ariel pokes at my side teasingly, which is deeply irritating. Why are women, regardless of age or status, so eager to meddle in other people’s romances and engagements?
Father once muttered that their intuition sometimes surpasses even the analytical reports of the kingdom’s intelligence agency. Even so, having someone comment on my own fiancée candidate is neither amusing nor pleasant, even when that person is family. When the one teasing me is my twin sister, it is especially unpleasant. In our homeland, the Bartfort territory, there lives the daughter of a viscount named Theresia Fou Bartfort.
She is the eldest daughter of my uncle, Viscount Nicks Fou Bartfort, who is Father’s biological older brother. She has a gentle face resembling her mother, my aunt, and beautiful black hair inherited from her father. She is a somewhat timid cousin who is about four years younger than me. I have known her since she was still in her mother’s womb. When we were children, we often played together in the garden of the mansion, and I doted on her nearly as much as I did my own younger siblings.
She felt like family to me, but there exists a certain agreement between our Earl family and my uncle’s viscount family. As a symbol of friendship between the two houses, the children born to them would be married to one another. Preferably, the viscount family’s daughter would marry the heir of the Earl family. At present, the heir of the Bartfort count family is me, and the viscount family’s daughter closest to me in age is Theresia.
Naturally, that made Theresia the obvious candidate for my fiancée. I was informed of this agreement around the time I turned ten, when my education as the heir of the Bartfort Earl family and my studies in preparation for the academy entrance examination began. At the time, I merely replied, “I see,” and continued desperately focusing on the studies placed before me.
From Mother, formerly a daughter of the Redgrave ducal house and the foremost feudal noble house in the Kingdom of Holfort, I learned the responsibilities of an heir and the fundamentals of territorial governance. From Father, who had been ennobled for his achievements in the war against the former Principality of Fanoss and was a renowned figure, I spent my days relentlessly learning survival training and battlefield tactics.
Seeing me on the verge of mental collapse from the training and studies, Ariel repeatedly devised escape plans, all of which failed. The days when we were both scolded together are memories I would rather forget. Looking back now, Ariel may have been trying, in her own way, to help her twin brother, even though her methods were reckless and resulted in me being reprimanded as well.
As I gradually adapted to the studies and training, I began to notice that the gazes of those around me felt increasingly uncomfortable. Everyone in the Bartfort territory believed that I would inherit the Earl title. Peers of my own age began to keep their distance, while older knights and retainers greeted me with excessive reverence.
The change was especially noticeable in Theresia. Until then, our relationship had been that of close cousins, but before I realized it, we were being made to interact as fiancée and fiancé. It was around that time that I finally understood the weight of an engagement. The realization that my future, and Theresia’s as well, had been decided by our families before we were even born made it feel as though darkness closed in on my vision. What frightened me most was not my own confusion at the future chosen by my parents, but the fact that Theresia herself believed without question that she would marry me. Then, after learning a certain person’s secret, I began to harbor doubts and hesitation regarding this engagement.
“She seems to think that I hate her, so I have no choice but to try to appease her.”
“What do you mean by ‘no choice’? It would be more surprising if that girl disliked you in the first place.”
“Previously, when I asked her, ‘What would you like as a souvenir from the capital?’ she replied, ‘Anything is fine.’ So I sent her a booklet listing items sold in the capital’s shops. I wanted her to tell me what she actually wanted, but for some reason, she became angry.”
Theresia is eleven years old this year. She is already past the age of wanting sweets or expensive toys. Perhaps jewelry would be appropriate for a young noble lady of her age, but unfortunately, I have no idea what kind of piece would be suitable. In the first place, when a nobleman gives jewelry or accessories to his fiancée, it is customary to commission a specialist artisan to create a custom piece.
Great nobles such as those of Grandfather’s ducal house, or wealthy individuals whose assets far exceed those of ordinary nobles, might be able to do so. However, at present, I am merely the eldest son of a Earl family and a student. I lack both the connections and the funds to commission a custom-made item, so I thought that a ready-made product would suffice. Unfortunately, I have no eye for jewelry.
Gifts are difficult. A poor choice can anger the recipient and damage the relationship. Theresia’s father, my uncle, dotes on his children, and her mother, my aunt, is beautiful but somewhat intimidating. Rather than risk offending her with a poor choice, it seemed far safer to ask in advance what Theresia wanted. That was the conclusion I reached, which led me to send catalogues from various shops and ask her to choose. And yet, here I am, being scolded through a letter. What, exactly, did I do wrong?
“Clench your teeth!”
“Gyah!?”
Thwack!
Ariel’s fist struck my jaw squarely, and my consciousness nearly faded. She told me to clench my teeth, yet did not even give me the time to do so. If I had not been sitting on the bench, I would likely have been sprawled on the ground. Why is my sister so quick to resort to both words and fists? Her terrifying personality must be inherited from Mother, while her sheer physical force undoubtedly comes from Father.
I have heard that when Father and Mother were young, many noblewomen in the kingdom were ill-tempered and arrogant. Perhaps Ariel has inherited the temperament of that era. Despite being a Earl’s daughter who carries the blood of the Redgrave ducal house and is related to the royal family, Ariel still has no fiancé, and that is unquestionably due to her personality.
Since enrolling, several male students have approached her with romantic intentions, but once her true nature became apparent, none of them came near her again. On the other hand, she is popular among female students and has even earned the nickname “Lioness,” which she seems to enjoy. As expected, there is something fundamentally wrong with this sister of mine.
“What was that for all of a sudden? What did I even do?”
“Do you honestly not understand a woman’s heart at all?”
“I asked her what she wanted because I intended to give her a gift. What is wrong with that?”
“First of all, understand that asking her directly is bad.”
“What? That makes no sense!”
At this rate, I might genuinely have to fight Ariel one day. If I keep allowing her to behave like this, my physical well-being is at risk. Ignoring my cold stare, Ariel crosses her legs and straightens her posture as she continues speaking.
“Listen carefully. The intention to give a gift is good. Being remembered and valued makes people happy.”
“Exactly. That is only natural.”
“But asking directly what the other person wants is no good at all. You truly do not understand a woman’s heart.”
“It is obviously better to ask in advance than to give something she dislikes and upset Theresia.”
There are also practical concerns such as budget limitations and future growth. Even if I were to give her a ring or bracelet, considering that she is still growing, there is a strong chance it would not fit and end up forgotten in a storage box. Moreover, noble gifts carry various symbolic meanings, and an inappropriate choice for the occasion can offend the recipient. Taking all of that into account, the most rational course of action was to purchase whatever Theresia requested. There is no flaw in that logic worthy of Ariel’s violent criticism.
“Look, most girls are happy with whatever gift they receive from someone they like. Even if it is unattractive or clearly bought with strained finances, as long as they know time and money were spent for their sake, they will not complain.”
“Then what is wrong with trying to give Theresia something that will certainly make her happy?”
“What matters most is that you are desperately thinking about her gift. If she feels, ‘My beloved Onii-sama truly cares about me,’ that girl will not feel anxious.”
“…I still do not really understand.”
To begin with, the Bartfort family line has an unusually high number of couples with harmonious marriages and many children. My grandfather and grandmother were childhood friends, yet due to various circumstances, they spent many years in a relationship where he was a poor baron and she his concubine. Even under those harsh conditions, they never separated and had five children, including Father and my uncle. The story of how they finally became an officially married couple around the time Father was ennobled is told throughout the territory as a beautiful tale.
As for my uncle and aunt, it seems that when my uncle inherited the title from Grandfather, my aunt proposed to him with overwhelming passion and married him despite the difference in status. They have four children and openly display their affection without caring about the eyes around them, often leaving me unsure of where to look. And our Earl family, despite being monogamous, has six children.
No matter how one looks at it, Father’s marriage was clearly political, yet he was so infatuated that he would have stormed the ducal residence when the ducal house once suggested divorcing Mother. I do believe deep affection is a good thing. Compared to wealthy high-ranking noble houses whose marriages are cold and who keep mistresses or lovers, a poor but warm family would be hundreds of times happier. But can Theresia and I become such a couple?
I certainly feel familial affection toward Theresia as my cousin, but if asked whether that feeling is the same as romantic love between a man and a woman, I can only answer that it is not. If I were optimistic enough to believe that even after thirty or forty years of marriage we could become a harmonious couple like Grandfather and Grandmother, things would be much simpler. In the first place, does Theresia truly love me?
Is it not possible that she is merely mistaking familiarity for love because I am the relative she has known the longest and because her parents told her she would be my fiancée candidate? If that is the case, then an engagement within our family will not lead to happiness. For both my sake and Theresia’s, it is clearly better to think carefully and enter an engagement that both parties truly accept. Such worries likely showed in my attitude toward Theresia back in our homeland.
…This is bad.
I do not want to fall behind in my studies at the academy, so I would prefer to spend the long vacation in the student dormitory. I find myself reluctant to return to the Bartfort territory.
“It cannot be helped. Since my brother is unreliable, I will step in and help.”
“I did not ask for your help. Just quietly return to your own room.”
“Be quiet and obey.”
“…Are you planning to dump some trouble on me again?”
At my response, Ariel breaks into a cold sweat and averts her gaze. It seems I hit the mark. I see. She plans to mediate between me and Theresia, make me owe her a favor, and later use that as leverage to extract various things from others by claiming it as her achievement. Well, what Ariel usually wants is money or someone to clean up after her messes.
“So, what do you want?”
“If possible, lend me some money today. A hundred dia will do.”
“…I do not really mind, but could you stop borrowing money from me near the end of every month?”
“It cannot be helped. Prices in the capital are absurdly high. And the food and sweets are delicious, plus I have to socialize with my classmates.”
“At this rate, the principal and interest of your debts to me will reach three hundred dia. I will make sure you repay everything properly once we return to the mansion.”
“You demon, Lionel. Devil. Son of the Villainous Knight.”
“You are Father’s daughter too, you know.”
“At this rate, I will have to ask Mother to increase my allowance.”
“I honestly feel the same.”
Compared to the remote Bartfort territory, prices in the capital are undeniably high. Even a simple comparison shows that many items cost several times more. Especially daily necessities for nobles can be nearly ten times more expensive, and I have hesitated to buy them more than once. In exchange, their quality and taste are exceptional, and even consumables last a long time. Without a refined eye, however, one easily suffers major losses.
If nothing is done about the price difference between the Bartfort territory and the capital, merchants will continue to buy our agricultural products cheaply. For the sake of increasing the territory’s revenue and improving the lives of its people, it might be better to raise unit prices. But low lodging fees are also part of what makes our tourist spots prosperous. If a newly risen noble house like ours rashly raises prices, the number of visitors could instead decrease.
…I shake my head.
I am thinking too far ahead. Considering territory management while still a student is absurd. There is no way Mother, who is far more capable than I am, has overlooked such matters. Rather than risk displeasing Father and Mother by presumptuously raising such issues, I should prioritize my studies for now.
“We are returning to the Bartfort territory soon, so why do you need to borrow as much as a hundred dia?”
“It cannot be helped. That is the participation fee for the semester-end party.”
“I see. Well, since it is for socializing with friends, I will lend you a hundred dia. With interest, of course.”
“Ugh, I absolutely do not want to say thank you.”
“Father and Mother both say that lending and borrowing money should be handled properly.”
“But I will gratefully borrow it. So hand over two hundred dia.”
“Why does it double?”
“Because you are definitely coming too.”
“Hah?”
Why does it turn out like this?
The semester-end party is not mandatory. That is precisely why I planned not to attend. Why do you always drag me into troublesome things?
“A female friend from the regular class asked me to invite you because she wants to get to know you. If I do not bring you, my reputation will suffer.”
“My feelings are not considered at all. And after claiming you would mediate between me and Theresia, what is this?”
“I am not telling you to date anyone. Just turn down any girl who seems interested by saying you already have a fiancée. Besides, expanding your connections now is advantageous.”
“…Why does everyone see me only as the son of Leon Fou Bartfort?”
“It cannot be helped. I get pursued just for being the duke’s granddaughter too. I got annoyed and punched one of them.”
“That is precisely why decent marriage proposals do not come your way.”
I personally know several male students who judged Ariel to be a refined young lady raised in the frontier based on her appearance alone and ended up regretting it deeply. If they knew her true nature, even I would not want to approach her. Among the Bartfort children, Ariel inherited the most terrifying aspects of both Father and Mother. I wish she would share even a fraction of that fiery temperament with me. I am tired of my own servile and timid nature.
“Please. If you are not with me, I cannot attend the party.”
“That is your own fault. Reflect on it.”
“It is not just my reputation. It seems Mother is involved too.”
“Mother?”
Mother is frightening, but I never thought she was the type to cause trouble.
“I heard the reason the semester-end party is no longer academy-sponsored is because of Mother.”
“That is impossible. Unlike you, Ariel, Mother would never do something so ridiculous.”
“But when the teachers learned that I would attend, since I carry the Redgrave blood, they made strange faces.”
“No, that is clearly because of your poor behavior, Ariel.”
It is probably an exaggerated rumor born from Mother sternly scolding some ill-mannered noblewoman. Mother disrupting an academy event?
No, that cannot be true.
“So, Lionel, you are attending the party. In exchange, I will give you advice on Theresia’s gift.”
“It feels like there is absolutely no benefit for me. Is that just my imagination?”
“It is your imagination. Now hurry. We do not have time.”
“Now? Can I at least return to my room to prepare?”
“Denied. You would just try to escape.”
Her intuition is sharp, or perhaps it is simply the telepathy of twins. Despite my desperate resistance, Ariel drags me toward the academy gate. It seems she has already submitted the outing permission. At this rate, even after returning home, I doubt I will enjoy a peaceful vacation. My screams echoed uselessly into the sky over the capital.
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Author’s Note
┻━━━━━━━━━━┻
The Troubles of the Eldest Son of the Bartfort Count Family, Part 1
This chapter is written from the perspective of the next generation.
Worrying about one’s future is a universal theme across all eras and places, and Lionel-kun serves as the central figure among the seven.
In the original work, it appears that the child of King Leon and Queen Angie would become the second-generation king, so the burden here is still relatively light. The reason the semester-end party changed its format is due to the uproar caused by the annulment of the engagement involving Angie, Livia, and the five others.
No, no. Who would believe such an absurd story that nearly twenty years ago, a duke’s daughter who was engaged to the prince challenged someone to a duel? (averting eyes)
Next time, the story will be told from Leon’s perspective. Other original characters are also planned to appear from time to time.
Addendum
At the commissioner’s request, ianzky-sama has drawn character introduction illustrations and an insert illustration for this chapter, and Suzuhara Shion-sama has drawn an illustration of Angie.
Thank you very much.
ianzky-sama
Insert Illustration: Pixiv
Character Introduction Illustration: Pixiv
Suzuhara Shion-sama: Pixiv
I would greatly appreciate any opinions or impressions, as they will serve as motivation for future work.
~~~End~~~