ATHO Chapter 31

Chapter 31 – Jade: Secret Operation

Jade: Secret Operation, Part 1

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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While doing our usual inspection rounds with Charles and Lien, I spotted a shabby-looking figure loitering near the stop.

Tch… He’s waiting to ambush Charles again.

Clicking my tongue inwardly, I exchanged a glance with Lien, who gave a slight nod in understanding. Leaving Charles in the carriage, we approached the man, who frowned suspiciously upon noticing us.

“You two…! Hey, move aside. I’m here to see Charles.”

“Charles isn’t here.”

“If you have business, you can discuss it with us, Uncle Lyle.”

With a sour expression, the man—Lyle—nodded, and we led him into a secluded alley. Away from prying eyes, he began unleashing his frustrations.

“You two tricked me! Look at the mess I’m in! How are you going to take responsibility?”

We had only provided the opportunity. The one who had walked down the road to ruin was him.

It was three years ago when we first approached Lyle.

After hearing that our father had severed ties with him, Lyle stayed away from the estate for years. But when I was 18, he suddenly reappeared.

“Hmm? Charles isn’t here?”

The moment I stepped down from the carriage, Lyle asked about Charles’s whereabouts. That day, I was inspecting the territory alone while Charles was at the estate working with our father.

“Do you need something from my brother?”

“No. If he’s not here, it doesn’t matter.”

When I shot him a glare, Lyle hurriedly left as if fleeing. That evening, when I informed Lien that Lyle had appeared again, he let out a frustrated sigh.

“Ugh, I knew it. He’s still stubbornly trying to get to Charles.”

“Well, that was expected.”

“I’ve heard he’s been boasting at gambling dens lately, saying things like, ‘Soon my nephew will become the lord, and I’ll get my share of the money!’”

We had received reports of Lyle making such claims at the gambling den. How he thought that money would somehow flow to him was beyond comprehension.

“He should’ve just stayed quiet and dealt with his own mess.”

“Seriously. Trying to drag Charles into this? Maybe he won’t get it until he’s hit rock bottom.”

“True…”

A few days later, Lien and I went to one of Lyle’s frequented gambling dens. Watching the tables from the corner of our eyes, we spotted him. That day, he was again enjoying gambling with borrowed money.

As we approached, Lyle noticed us.

“Uncle Lyle! Nii-sama, I found him!” Lien said with a bright smile, running up to him.

Lyle stared at us, baffled. “What are you kids doing here? This isn’t a place for you.”

“Well, actually, we came because we have something to discuss with you, Uncle. We figured you’d be here since Father told us so.”

“Cain told you I’d be here…?”

“Yes. Would you mind giving us a moment? It’s something we can’t really talk about in a place like this…”

Dropping our father’s name seemed to lower his guard, and Lyle readily agreed to follow us.

“So, what’s this about?” he asked.

“Well… we heard that you’ve been struggling financially, Uncle, and…”

“…What does that have to do with you?”

Lyle’s face darkened immediately. As he tried to walk away, I cut straight to the point.

“Our business association, which we started during our school years, is venturing into mining. The project is on the verge of success, and we thought you might want to invest.”

When I spoke with a smile, Lyle looked astonished.

“Mining, you say? If it hits, the returns could be enormous. But why bring this to me?”

“Because you’re Charles’s uncle—our family. And when family is in trouble, it’s only right to offer a helping hand…”

After staring at us for a moment, Lyle demanded more details. His eagerness was so blatant that Lien and I exchanged sly grins.

Lyle decided to invest, and later, we formalized the agreement. Since no lenders were willing to give money to someone as indebted as Lyle, we introduced him to a high-interest loan shark we knew.

We explained, “If you fail to repay, you might be sold into slavery. But as long as the project succeeds, there’s no issue. So rest assured.”

Lyle immediately borrowed the money and invested. The mining project was a success, and Lyle received a large sum of money. However, once he paid off his existing debts and interest, it was gone in no time.

Hungry for more, Lyle borrowed again from the loan shark and began pouring money into various ventures. Fueled by his initial success, he was now hooked. But with no knowledge or expertise, he squandered his funds recklessly, throwing money away like it was nothing.

Oblivious to his own downfall, Lyle sank deeper and deeper. Within three years, his debts had ballooned to an astronomical amount. He then started storming into our business, blaming us.

“Hey! What the hell is this? I’m not making any profit!”

The once flashy Lyle now wore filthy, unwashed clothes. His fury was on full display.

“The projects we introduced are still generating profits. It was your reckless investments that led to this, wasn’t it?”

“You two told me, ‘It sounds like a good idea,’ when I consulted you about the investment! Because I trusted that, I’m stuck with this debt now!”

“Even if we say that to you… It was your choice. Right, Nii-sama?”

“Yes. All I said was, ‘If you want to invest, then go ahead.’ So, accusing me of tricking you is a bit much. Well, I wouldn’t have done it myself.”

When I chuckled softly, Lyle’s face turned red, and he stormed out of the room.

After that, I heard that the loan shark intended to collect Lyle as a slave, but he had yet to be caught and was still lurking around Charles. I’d hoped to make him disappear without my nii-san noticing, but Lyle proved to be quite persistent.

“Hey! Are you listening? I’m telling you to return my money!”

I’d grown tired of Lyle’s constant whining about how “it’s not his fault.” Sighing, I saw him grow visibly irritated by my indifference and grab me by the collar.

At that moment, I heard a sound behind me and sensed someone’s presence. Turning around, I saw Charles.

When our eyes met, my nii-san’s expression turned to one of fear.

“Nii-sama! I told you to wait in the carriage! Come on, let’s go back together!”

Lien quickly stepped in, hurrying to Charles and guiding him away from the scene. However, Lyle noticed Charles and shouted; “Charles!” 

I clamped my hand over his mouth to silence him.

“Don’t you dare call my Nii-san’s name so casually.”

Dragging him further into the alley, I finally let him go, only for him to start hurling insults again.

“How dare you lie to me! Bring Charles here right now. I need to talk to him.”

“…Do you really think someone like you could approach my Nii-san?”

“W-What?!”

“Do you even realize how much debt you’ve racked up? You’ll have to work as a slave until you die. We can’t have someone like that lurking around Charles, the future lord.”

At the word slave, Lyle’s lips quivered, and his defiant demeanor crumbled.

“W-We’re family, right? Family helps each other out when one’s in trouble, doesn’t it?”

Clinging to my hand in desperation, Lyle pleaded. But I brushed him off. His face twisted in despair.

“You’ve had your fun living off other people’s money, haven’t you? Well, Uncle Lyle, those days are over.”

Smiling gently, I left him slumped on the ground, utterly defeated. I returned to the carriage, where Charles was waiting with a worried expression.

There was nothing for my nii-san to worry about.

I tried to reassure him with a smile, but his somber expression didn’t lift.

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*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: 2025.09.24

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