CH 49.1

By Antoinette Vanessa June 5, 2022

Albeit a little different from my speculations, Lelouche had requested an annulment to my brother.

“—What did you do to my Lelouche!?”

As soon as I returned to the mansion, my older brother hit me with a clumsy punch. Thinking it was a good opportunity to hit him, I fought back. My older brother flew away. I didn’t mean to put so much strength into my blow.

…Well, it couldn’t be helped.

While pretending to be confused, I apologized, “Sorry…”

—According to my lie, everything was supposed to be my brother’s fault.

“Why would you blame me? With all the good intentions in my heart, I gave you advice…”

“…That’s—I’m sorry, I was upset.”

“No, it’s alright. Rather, is it true that Lelouche requested to annul our engagement? Why!?”

“That’s…”

As his kind-hearted younger brother, I reached out to my older brother.

…But as expected, my brother wasn’t as tactless as I thought. He might be aware that I was behind everything. In fact, he had gradually stopped asking for my advice, and had been acting on his own. Although, as it was, it was already too late.

For him to keep pretending to not see it—I thought that was one of his bad habits.

My brother clenched his fist.

He seemed to be angry.

Even so, I sympathized with the fact that the dress my brother had given to Lelouche was given to someone else. My older brother was unusually out of it. It’d be troublesome if he were to commit suicide as it was. Thus, I sent him back to the mansion.

When I tried to hold his shoulder, he shook it off.

“Eh?”

“I’m sorry, but it’s fine. I was told to annul our engagement. I’m sure that to her, my present was in the way.”

“Brother…”

I wondered if he’d give up on Lelouche now that he had understood.

I was stupid to think that for even a moment.

“Zafield, I’m not going to give up on Lelouche.”

“…Even if it’ll cause her to despise you even more?”

“Yes, even if it means that. …I also won’t give up on you.”

…What? I didn’t understand what he meant.

My older brother was staring straight at me.

“Regardless of how much you despise me, regardless of the extent of your misdeeds—I believe in you. I’m your brother—and always will be. Keep that in mind.”

With that said, my older brother returned to the mansion alone.

…I truly didn’t understand.

Did he truly have the same eye color as me? If so, why did his eyes give off such a strong color?

I returned to the mansion and picked up a mirror.

Lapis lazuli—it was the color that I abhorred the most in the world.

As of the present, I was watching my muddy brother and Lelouche getting scolded by the teacher.

What kind of situation is this?

Almost everyone in the ‘Un’ class, a first-year class, was covered in mud. In the meantime, I was sitting near the school gate. What the teacher was saying was right.

“The ladies who represent the people shouldn’t be throwing mud outside of the academy building!”

That was no surprise. Even when the opening bell rang, no one stopped. Well, the two lead aristocrats kept throwing mud while laughing. Perhaps, everyone thought they’d be forgiven, as well.

It was the principal’s turn to give a sermon.

“Lelouche Elcage, why did you start doing this!?”

“…Because it was necessary for us.”

“…What do you mean?”

Even after being made to sit upright on the stone pavement, Lelouche answered resolutely. The teacher flinched. Lelouche wasn’t one to miss that opportunity.

“The teachers may be unaware …but you see, we have a feud. I come from a duke’s house. Meanwhile, these respective two hail from the houses of a baron and a count. Due to the titles inherited from our parents, we inevitably have a hierarchical relationship. Of course, I’m well aware that the academy is trying to educate us to not judge people based on their status. Still, the teachers should know that is just a front. While we’re spending our youth in the same academy, we have a feud precisely because of our statuses. However, if everyone were to be covered in mud like this, we will all be considered equal. We’re all equally muddy. Finally, we’re the definition of equal!”

The teacher couldn’t argue against her overwhelmingly powerful sophistry. But eventually, the same teacher said, “Even if that’s the case, it’s too much!”

Yeah, do your best, teacher. I don’t think Lelouche will reflect on this no matter what you say.

At the same time, both my brother and Lelouche looked very happy. Why did they look so refreshed? Even though their entire bodies were covered with mud. Also, for them to giggle during the teacher’s sermon… as expected, they felt zero remorse.

Ah, I don’t know anymore.

I did hope my mother would get angry at them later, though.

—Ahh, I’m truly frustrated.

Why did they make up?

After the trouble in went through to screw their relationship up, too.