Visited By The Brothers

Eugene upheld his promise to Kaizer.

He re-examined Timber's condition and subsequently retired to Kaizer's room for the night. However, sleep evaded him as Kaizer persistently flirted and attempted to seduce him. Eugene remained impervious to Kaizer's advances, withdrawing into a state of consciousness that transported him to the Fatum realm. He cared little about what Kaizer might do to his physical body, as long as he could find rest.

The following day, his brother Euric arrived early in the morning.

Having barely seen his brother, even during the court trial, Eugene was taken aback by Euric's seemingly overnight maturation.

"How are you by staying here?" Euric inquired.

Euric gently patted his younger brother's head and sighed.

"I heard the rumors, but I couldn't bring myself to believe that you could do such a thing. Nevertheless, you must explain everything to me so that I can quash these circulating rumors before they have any adverse effects on you."

"I apologize, brother," Eugene replied, his guilt evident on his face.

"Did you really do it?" Euric asked, observing his little brother closely.

"Well, brother, you know that Timber is merely a friend. Kaizer misunderstood the situation, and it's partly my fault for not providing an explanation. We have already discussed this matter, and even the grand duke has decided not to pursue it as long as I resolve it myself."

"You brought Timber here?! What happened?!" Euric exclaimed.

Eugene took a deep breath before responding.

"An incident occurred within the Rozans family. I had no choice but to rescue Timber, as Timber's stepbrother intended to force Timber into marriage. I couldn't stand idly by and let that happen."

Euric's eyes widened in surprise.

"Such a thing happened?!"

Euric furrowed his brow, holding his chin. "So, you brought Timber to the grand dukedom to protect him from Klius Rozans? But, Eugene, this is a serious problem. The Rozans could persecute you for your actions. Our parents are already imprisoned—I cannot bear to see you stand trial for a crime."

"I am well aware of that, brother."

Euric massaged his forehead, deep in thought.

"But don't worry, brother. Kaizer will not allow such a thing to happen. If I were to face persecution, our engagement would be put on hold. Kaizer will prevent it from progressing any further; I am certain of that."

Euric gazed at his younger brother, dissatisfied with the response.

"Eugene, manipulating someone's affection for personal gain is not morally right."

Eugene's eyelashes trembled as he clenched his fists.

"It's human nature, brother. It's a matter of survival instinct."

Euric shook his head. "No. I will find a way to help you. I can see that you don't hold much affection for the young grand duke, yet you agree to marry him for the sake of our family's benefit. I cannot let you lose yourself. If you continue to receive favors from the Karsten family, you will become trapped. When you eventually wish to escape, you won't be able to, as the Karsten family will have too many claims over you."

Eugene bit his lip.

"You misunderstand, brother. I agreed to be Kaizer's spouse because we have plans to be together. It is not solely for the sake of our families' benefits or the merging of the two households."

"Do you love him?" Euric questioned.

"I..." Eugene frowned, bowing his head. "I am fond of him, but I am uncertain about love. I fear that I don't truly understand love and that I might end up hurting him."

Euric's expression grew solemn.

"Currently, it seems that both of you are already causing each other pain."

"Brother?"

"Eugene, you may be unsure of your feelings, but it is evident that Kaizer deeply loves you. Despite the misunderstanding caused by bringing a lover into his territory, which humiliated him, Kaizer continues to keep you. Do you realize this? If Kaizer didn't love you, your actions would have ruined our family, and you would have been charged with a crime and executed immediately."

Eugene stared at the floor, lost in thought.

"Eugene, what are you afraid of?"

Indeed, what was he afraid of? He had experienced the worst hardships, yet why did he still harbor fear when it came to Kaizer? He didn't hate Kaizer, despite everything. Instead, he worried. He worried about the future, afraid to be happy while knowing that the heavens were still hunting them, seeking to erase their existence.

He did not fear love.

What he feared was losing everything after experiencing a moment of happiness.He couldn't take the risk.

He had suffered numerous losses, and his heart couldn't bear another break.

Kaizer was strong; Eugene believed in him. But did he have confidence in himself? Could he protect Kaizer when Kaizer was in danger?

He didn't know.

A knock sounded at the door, and a servant outside spoke.

"Young Master Casimin has arrived."

Both Euric and Eugene appeared taken aback as the door swung open, revealing Casimin clad in a pristine white knight's uniform. Similar to Euric, Eugene noticed that Casimin seemed to have grown and matured, emanating an aura befitting a leader. It was astonishing how they both transformed practically overnight.

Upon spotting Euric, Casimin paused but proceeded forward nonetheless. He gazed softly at his younger brother and inquired, "Why do you appear so thin? Did Kaizer bully you?"

Eugene was at a loss for how to react. On the other hand, Euric merely snorted and leaned back on the couch, crossing his arms.

Eugene found himself caught between his two brothers, who seemed to be incapable of getting along and ignored each other's presence. Helplessness washed over Eugene as he witnessed his brothers behaving like children vying for favoritism. Seriously? They may appear grown-up, but inside, they were still filled with immaturity.

"Eugene, I heard about what happened," Casimin sighed.

"If you no longer have feelings for Kaizer, there's no need to remain here. You can enter the dukedom and bring your lover. I'll oversee your marriage as long as you're with the person you love."

Euric grumbled, "My little brother and Kaizer simply had a misunderstanding. There's no lover, and my little brother isn't that kind of person."

Casimin disregarded Euric and turned to Eugene. "If I am mistaken, I'll speak with Kaizer. I'll help you explain. You don't need to worry. The grand duke is not unreasonable enough to attack our households. He still values his friendship with my father and would never turn his back on us."

Suddenly, Eugene felt a surge of gratitude toward his brothers. He hadn't expected to experience such indulgence. It felt comforting.

"Don't worry anymore. I will be engaged to Kaizer next week, so the rumors will cease."

Kaizer, currently in the office with his father, watch his father who is occupied with paperwork and preparations for his impending engagement. He had no desire to work today, as his thoughts revolved around Eugene, who was presently meeting with his [Eugene] brothers so he asked his father to work in his stead.

"You appear composed now."

Kaizer raised an eyebrow and hummed.

"It's good. Eugene will reside in my room, and he has agreed to the engagement."

Grand Duke Karsten felt satisfied. As long as his sons were happy, he was content.

"By the way, have you made any progress in finding mother? It has been years. Do you need any assistance?"

Grand Duke Karsten snorted. "Not bad. You've learned to be considerate toward your father."

Kaizer did not object.

"I have obtained some leads on your mother's whereabouts. I'm confident that I can bring her back before your engagement. We will finally have a complete family, and you will marry the person you love. The day of your engagement will be a grand celebration for our family."

Kaizer gazed at his grinning father.

It seemed that life in the grand dukedom would become lively soon.

During tea time, Eugene casually mentioned Eullian, who had been sent to the Vena Church. Euric disclosed that he had been receiving numerous letters regarding Eullian's canonization and his impending engagement to Kaizer, which isn't a surprise.

The Shradinza Household had been gaining momentum lately.

The faction supporting the crown prince couldn't sit idly by and sought the Marquis's favor, who presently remained neutral. Meanwhile, the faction aligned with the second prince intended to issue a threat to prevent the Shradinza from joining the enemy's side.

However, the Shradinza would maintain neutrality until the day of the rebellion.It was destined for the Shradinza to support the second prince.

The emperor would be overthrown, and the crown prince, along with the empress, who conducted clandestine activities, would be imprisoned.

Nevertheless, the true players in this game were not the second prince or the four pillars family of the empire; they were the Catharis family, who controlled everything from the shadows. The extent of their power was tremendous, and while many were aware that the emperor was a mere puppet, they remained oblivious to who held the true power.

Eugene knew the reality and understood the strength of the Catharis family. And Casimin who came back from the past is aware of it too.

Euric stated, "Father will be exiled, so many nobles are attempting to pressure us."Casimin added, "It's quite bothersome, so I've given them a warning."

Eugene couldn't help but smile as he observed his arrogant brothers showing off."My brothers are incredible."

Eugene seems to notice his brothers' tails and ears twitch upon receiving the compliment.

Casimin glanced at Eugene and couldn't help but feel joy. He had succeeded in bringing back his little brother, and now he needed to ensure his little brother's safety and prevent him from being led astray. One of the reasons he supported Kaizer and his little brother's marriage was because Kaizer, who had once been his little brother's adversary, was the only person capable of saving his little brother. Therefore, he had to keep that woman away and prevent her from interfering in Kaizer and his little brother's lives.

He believed that this time would be different.

He would protect his little brother by preventing him from falling in love with that woman.

Casimin declared, "Eugene if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask me, your brother."

Euric snorted and also directed his gaze at his little brother. "Don't go to him; come to me. I'll assist you with everything."

Casimin rolled his eyes. "I'll become a Duke. Who are you competing with?"

"Who cares? I'll become a Marquis. You're only one title ahead of me."

"Are you looking for a fight?!"

"Wanna take me on?!"

Eugene massaged his temples and sighed.

"Why are you two so immature? Don't worry about me; I can handle myself."

Casimin/Euric: "No way!"

Casimin and Euric glared at each other and huffed, crossing their arms.

"You're only blood-related. Since birth, Eugene has been my little brother. Why do you feel so entitled now?"

"We're blood brothers, so why are you, a step-brother, boasting like that? The entitled one is clearly you."

Eugene glanced at the two of them. It was truly a headache.

He wondered if there would ever come a time when the two of them could get along. After all, they were all siblings, sharing the same blood. If only Euric and Casimin could understand that, perhaps there could be peace. Well, perhaps.

Soon, Kaizer entered the drawing room and joined them.

Kaizer took a seat beside Eugene and behaved courteously. The conversation shifted from the engagement to politics, the opportunistic aristocrats who sought to take advantage of the ongoing troubles between the Shradinza and Del Viltaria families, and the power struggle within the palace between the crown prince and the second prince, while the empress made repeated attempts to assassinate the second prince for the fifth time.

Casimin asked, "Isn't the emperor taking any action?"

Kaizer replied, "There's no concrete evidence, so the emperor cannot punish the empress."

Euric remarked, "The empress is cautious; it will be difficult to catch her."

Eugene agreed silently.

The empress may not appear particularly intelligent, but she was cunning and had come close to succeeding in her attempts to kill Prince Maxmillian. Unfortunately for her, the second prince was protected by the Catharis family, who also held influence over the emperor. Everyone was merely biding their time, observing the empress's games, knowing that when the moment came, she would meet a gruesome fate.

Kaizer: "It appears that the rebels have connections with the empress."

Casimin frown and suddenly remember the past.

"I guess the empress is enough to be able to clean up the rebels."