Chapter 26 – Possessive Little Brother
Chapter 3: People Who Wish for Happiness, Part 6
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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Matt’s heartfelt words stirred something deep within me, almost bringing tears to my eyes. If only I had faced the voices of my people with such honesty in my first life, perhaps I could have built similar relationships of trust.
“Thank you, Matt,” I said, gripping his calloused, sturdy hand firmly to express my gratitude.
“Ah, um… Your kind words are too much for me…”
“Not at all. I could never thank you and everyone in the village enough.”
Flustered by my sudden hand grab, Matt blushed but gently returned the gesture.
When I returned from the fields with Matt, Jade and the chief were just finishing their tour.
“Good work, Jade.”
“Thank you, Nii-san. And what were you and Matt doing?”
“Oh, we went to see the wheat fields. The harvest looks even better than last year. It’s something to look forward to.”
“That’s wonderful. Next time, I’d like to visit the fields as well.”
“Sure. You’ll be amazed, Jade.”
Jade smiled faintly, but his expression seemed slightly artificial, as if masking his true feelings. It was the look he wore when he was suppressing irritation.
Noticing this, I turned to Matt, who spoke up.
“Sir Charles, there’s something I wanted to give you.”
Matt handed me two bottles.
“We’ve been discussing creating a specialty product for our village, and we decided to start brewing. These are honey mead and apple wine we’ve been experimenting with. I’d love to hear your thoughts on them.”
“Wow, they look delicious! But since we still have places to visit, I’ll wait until we return home to try them.”
“Of course!”
Clutching the bottles carefully, I made my way toward the carriage. But with my hands full, I stumbled over something and lost my balance.
“Whoa…”
“Nii-san, are you all right?”
Jade immediately steadied me by grabbing my waist, preventing a fall.
“Thanks, Jade.”
“Please be more careful, Nii-san,” he said, gently brushing his fingers across my cheek.
Even as we walked to the carriage, Jade kept a supportive arm around my waist, refusing to let go. It felt unusually overprotective of him, but I didn’t object.
After bidding farewell to the chief and Matt, I expressed my gratitude.
“Thank you for today. I’ll update you on the provisions once everything is finalized.”
“Yes, we’ll be waiting for your word.”
“Matt, thanks again for the wine. I’ll be sure to share my thoughts!”
“I’m looking forward to hearing them, Sir Charles.”
As I finished speaking, Jade offered his thanks as well. However, his gaze toward Matt was inexplicably sharp.
“Matt, thank you for taking care of my Charles Nii-san today. I hope you’ll continue to get along with both of us in the future,” said Jade as he wrapped an arm around my waist.
Feeling uncomfortably close, I tried to pull away, but Jade wouldn’t let go.
Matt responded with a stiff smile, his expression strained.
Once we climbed into the carriage, Jade finally released his grip.
“What’s going on, Jade?”
“I just thought I’d set some boundaries.”
“Boundaries?”
“You don’t need to worry about it, Nii-san. This is something I do to ensure I can stay on good terms with Matt in the future,” Jade said with a sly smile.
I averted my eyes, slightly unsettled by the hidden intent behind his grin. Was it just my imagination, or was there something unnerving about that smile?
When I looked at him again, Jade had already returned to his usual pleasant demeanor.
“Anyway, it’s great that the village chief agreed to the provisions plan,” he said.
“Yeah. I’m really grateful for their cooperation.”
“It’s all thanks to the trust you and Father have built with the people over the years.”
“Do you think so?”
Hearing Jade’s praise made me happy, and I couldn’t help but smile sheepishly.
“I’m looking forward to trying the wine Matt gave us,” he added.
“Me too! You’ll join me, right?”
“Of course. I’d love to.”
We promised to enjoy Matt’s wine together later that evening and continued to our next destination.
After touring the village with Jade, we returned to the estate as the sun was setting.
Following dinner, I retreated to my room and flopped onto my bed.
The provisions matter had gone smoothly, with everyone willing to cooperate. I’d worried about being turned down, but the villagers’ warm words gave me courage.
As I relaxed in my room, there was a knock at the door. When I called out for them to enter, Jade entered. He was holding the wine Matt had given us along with two glasses.
“Nii-san, I brought the wine from Matt.”
“Thanks, Jade. Let’s drink it right away!”
I got up from the bed and sat on the two-seater sofa, gesturing for Jade to join me.
“This one’s the mead, and that one’s the apple wine, right?”
“They look quite similar in color. Let’s try them and see.”
Sitting side by side, we poured each other a drink and toasted. The glass I picked up contained the apple wine, with its faint aroma and refreshing tartness.
“Wow, this is delicious!”
“It is. The mead is sweet and easy to drink, but the alcohol is a bit strong.”
“Is that so? I’d like to try some of that, too.”
As we drank and chatted about work and other trivial topics, I got carried away and started drinking faster than usual.
“Nii-san? Don’t you think you’re drinking a little too much?”
“Huh? Nah, I’m fiiiine~ This much is nooo problem~”
Clearly not fine, I grinned foolishly at Jade, my speech slurring.
“Jade~ Hey, Jade~”
“Yes, Nii-san. What is it?”
“Ehehe~ Nothing~”
“Ha ha. I see. As long as you’re having fun, that’s all that matters.”
This exchange happened about three times, but Jade didn’t show any sign of annoyance. He patiently indulged his drunken older brother, and that made me so happy that I leaned against him.
With a soft ‘plop’, I rested my head on his shoulder and gazed up at him. My eyes caught sight of his thin lips.
“Hey, Jade. Why do you always kiss me?”
Jade looked surprised at my question but soon smiled gently, brushing his hand against my cheek.
“Because I love you, brother.”
“I see. If you love me, then it can’t be helped.”
Hearing him say he loved me made me giddy, and I let out another goofy smile.
“Do you love me too, brother?”
“Yeah, I love you. You’re my precious little brother.”
“That’s right. My ‘love’ and your ‘love’ are different, though.”
“Really? What kind of ‘love’ do you feel, Jade?”
Perhaps from the alcohol, Jade’s cheeks turned slightly red.
“I want to always be with you, touch you, and kiss you as much as I can. That’s how much I love you.”
“I see. I feel the same. I want to stay by your side until you find happiness.”
“I’ll be happy as long as you’re with me.”
Jade’s fingers tilted my chin upward, guiding me to face him. Then, as always, he kissed me.
―――Mmm… Jade’s kiss… it’s so sweet…
The taste of honey lingered, and I instinctively flicked my tongue over his lips. Jade’s eyes widened in surprise, staring intently at me.
“Nii-san?”
“Jade, your lips… they’re sweet…”
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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: 2025.09.19
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