ATHO Chapter 29

Chapter 29 – Rejected

Chapter 3: People Who Wish for Happiness, Part 9

Novel Title: 嫌われ者の俺はやり直しの世界で義弟達にごまをする (As the Hated One, I Flatter My Stepbrothers in a World Where I Get a Second Chance)

Author：赤牙 (Akakiba)

Art：古澤エノ (Furusawa Eno)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists: シャルル (Charles -MC), リエン (Lien -ML1) & ジェイド (Jade -ML2)

*Please read at freenovels.net, the original site of translation. TQ*

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Lien’s laughter echoed above me, making me laugh too.

Lien was always there for me when I was struggling, giving me strength. I always depended on him so much.

Thank you, Lien, for always being by my side.

Feeling like the younger sibling today, I hugged him tightly, and Lien gently patted my head.

I felt bad for leaning on him so much, but his warm embrace made it hard to leave.

***

Months passed, and the weather began to stabilize. Slowly, life in the estate returned to its usual vibrancy. Around that time, Jade called for me.

“Charles Nii-san, I’ve been thinking about selling the wine we’re producing in Einther.”

“The wine Matt made? It was delicious.”

“Yes. I proposed to the youth group led by Matt, who are focused on winemaking, that we sell it as a specialty product. They agreed, so I’m planning to negotiate with the Meidel Trading Company soon. What do you think?”

“It sounds like a great idea! I’m all for it.”

“Great. I’ll send a letter to Marianne.”

“To Marianne?”

“Yes. She’s been the contact person for our trading business, so I’d like to ask for her help this time as well.”

“I see. Marianne would certainly ensure a fair deal.”

Surprised by the unexpected connection between Jade and Marianne, I listened as plans moved forward. Soon, the matter of selling the specialty product was taken to the Meidel Trading Company.

At the meeting, Jade and Matt attended as the planners, while Lien and I were also present.

When we arrived at the now-familiar reception room of the Meidel Trading Company, Marianne stood up, and Jade walked over to greet her.

“Marianne, thank you for your help today.”

“Pleased to meet you as well, Jade. By the way… who are these two gentlemen?”  

“Yes, this is my younger brother, Lien, and Matt, who oversees the production of the goods we’ve brought today.”  

“Lien Wahlman. Pleased to meet you.”  

“I-I’m Matt. N-Nice to meet you.”  

Lien remained as composed as ever, but Matt seemed extremely nervous. With introductions complete, the business negotiations began.  

“So, the product in question today is ‘wine,’ correct?”  

“Yes, we’re hoping to sell the village-made wine as a specialty product,” Jade replied, signaling Matt. Nervously, Matt pulled out two bottles, his hands trembling slightly.  

“These are the two you wish to sell?”  

“Yes. While they are handcrafted in limited quantities, we are confident in their quality.”  

“May I sample them?”  

“Y-Yes, of course!”  

Matt, his voice slightly strained, poured the apple wine and mead into prepared glasses.  

Marianne took a small sip of each, closing her eyes as she savored the flavors.  

“This honey mead has a strong sweetness and a deep, rich flavor. The apple wine is light, with a subtle sweetness that makes it easy to drink. Both are exquisite.”  

“R-Really?”  

Matt’s face lit up at Marianne’s praise.  

“With such flavors, they seem ready for sale. Why did you approach the Meidel Trading Company, though?”  

Jade answered her question calmly.  

“We initially considered selling them at the town market, but given the time and effort required to produce them, we’d have to set higher prices. That makes them less suited for general market sales.”  

“I see. That’s a valid concern…”  

“That’s why we turned to your esteemed Meidel Trading Company. We were hoping you could help us sell these specialty products as souvenirs from our domain’s village.”  

Marianne’s gaze sharpened at Jade’s explanation.  

“Are there other products besides this alcohol?”  

“Yes. There are quite a few, but we’ve only brought these two today to start.”  

Jade smiled, and Marianne furrowed her brow as she contemplated his proposal.  

“The quality of these products is indeed high. However, their lack of recognition would make them a hard sell, especially at these prices. Without greater brand awareness, it would be risky for us to invest in multiple products at once.”  

Marianne’s blunt assessment caused us all to tense up. I found myself glancing nervously between her and Jade, while Lien, standing beside me, murmured thoughtfully.  

“This is indeed a tough proposition… Honestly, when I first heard the idea, I wondered if anyone would take us up on it. But despite the odds, my brothers and I want to take this step forward with the Meidel Trading Company to revitalize our struggling domain. Isn’t that right, Charles Nii-sama?”  

“Huh? Y-Yes! Marianne, I know it’s a challenge, but we would greatly appreciate your help.”  

Though caught off guard, I nodded earnestly at Marianne. She frowned in deep thought, muttering under her breath before straightening her posture and speaking decisively.  

“…Very well. Let’s adjust the approach. To familiarize customers with the taste, how about creating smaller bottles? Reducing the size would lower the price, making it more accessible. Since the flavor is excellent, more people might try it, and word could spread. For souvenirs, we could also craft decorative bottles that would appeal to buyers even after the alcohol is gone. It might require starting from bottle production, but… leave that part to me.”  

Her suggestion left Matt and me nodding with mouths slightly agape, while Lien and Jade nodded in admiration.  

“As expected of you, Marianne. I’m glad we sought your advice.”  

“Oh my, flattery will get you nowhere,” she replied with a soft smile. “Next time, please bring samples of your other products as well.”  

“Does that mean you’re accepting our proposal?”  

“Of course.”  

What seemed like a difficult negotiation ended successfully. Though I felt a hint of pride seeing my brothers’ accomplishments, I couldn’t shake a faint sense of inadequacy.  

They excel at things I could never do, while I’m just a man relying on memories of a past life and a reputation as a former misfit.  

Suppressing my gloom with a small shake of my head, I smiled at my brothers.  

“Well done, Jade, Lien, and Matt.”  

“Thank you, Nii-san.”  

“Thanks, Charles Nii-sama!”  

“Th-Thank you, Sir Charles!”  

When I praised them, their heartfelt gratitude poured over me. Their joy was infectious, and I chose to set aside my self-doubt for the moment.  

As we finalized the contract and prepared to leave, Marianne approached me.  

“Sir Charles, do you have a moment? There’s something I wish to discuss with you privately.”  

“Of course.”  

I excused myself, following her into a separate room. Anticipating the subject, I braced myself.  

Once inside, Marianne hesitated before speaking.  

“Sir Charles, about the engagement proposal… Is there truly no way you could accept it?”  

Her direct question left me at a loss. Several months ago, Marianne’s father had approached me with a marriage proposal, which I turned down.  

Marianne is important to me, which is why I fear making her unhappy again.

Marianne would surely find happiness if she kept her distance from me. Besides, I swore to bring happiness to Jade and Lien, but I haven’t fulfilled that vow yet.  

“Marianne, you are truly important to me. More than anyone else, I wish for your happiness. I want you to be happier than anyone. But… I am not the one who can bring you that happiness.”  

“As long as you are by my side, Charles, I’m already happy.”  

Her heartfelt confession constricted my chest. Even so…  

“I’m deeply touched by your feelings. But there is someone else I must dedicate my life to making happy. I made a vow for that purpose. Therefore, I cannot return your feelings. However, I will always wish for your happiness, from the bottom of my heart… always.”  

When I conveyed my true feelings, Marianne let out a long, heavy sigh.  

“So… this means I’ve been completely rejected, isn’t it?”  

“I-I’m sorry…”  

“I understand. I’ll find someone even better than you, Charles, and become so happy that you’ll be envious of me!”  

Seeing the tears welling up in her eyes made me feel terribly guilty, but this is for the best. I must not take away her chance at happiness any further.  

Resolutely, I handed her a handkerchief. As she wiped her tears, she asked me a question.  

“Sir Charles, may I ask one thing? Who is this lady you want to make happy?”  

“Well… she’s not a lady. They are my brothers.”  

Upon hearing this, Marianne let out another long sigh and muttered under her breath.  

“So, my heartbreak was inevitable from the start.”  

“Uh, what?”  

“The reason someone as wonderful as you, Sir Charles, has remained single this long is because of those two. Those conniving little brothers have been holding you back, haven’t they? No wonder no matter how much I approached you, your responses were so indifferent. Using their position as your brothers to pull such schemes…”  

Marianne, caught between anger and despair, started muttering rapidly under her breath. Her words were unintelligible. Unsure of what to do, I cautiously called out to her.  

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*Translator’s Note: At least, someone figured it out. Hahaha. -K

*GLOSSARY: 

• Nii-san/Nii-sama/Onii-san = (Big/Elder) Brother

☝🏻I’ll be using these throughout my translation. Jade would call Charles ‘Nii-san’ while Lien would call him ‘Nii-sama’.

Next update: 2025.09.22

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